Gigs.

Should have had my tent up and a beer in hand now at YNot Festival but it was cancelled. 🙁

Only gig I've got lined up so far is Kasabian in October. Didn't want to book then have to wait for refunds! 🙂

Drop a pill and yer off

I'm taking my 12 year old daughter with me and I am not sharing my stash with her. If she wants to get messy then she can buy her own.

She's already planning how to smuggle them onto the site 😀

Booked tickets to see Alanis Morrissette in November. Worth lots of brownie points with the Mrs, but i must avoid getting really really cross because its at the O2, the worse venue in London....

In better news, I just bought some tickets for the Eels in Vienna for next March. Seems far too far away though but will be amazing!

am heading to Somerset

As above plus

Katy j Pearson for sunny pop vibes

Henge for borderline cheesy sci fi singalong oddness

Peat and Diesel in North Berwick in two weeks then Bicep in december in Embra...
Polar opposites
Cant wait.

Tramlines last weekend was ace. Not really bands I’d choose to see except for a couple but it was pretty much every artists first gig for a year and a half and they were so happy. It was really quite emotional at times.
Shame I caught covid but hey-ho you can’t have everything. Means I’ve not been able to go to lovely eggs tonight…
Anyway… green man in 3 weeks and I’ll be full of antibodies…

It was really quite emotional at times.

I got that, even from the aggro punks that are Bob Vylan in a tiny venue. They were so chuffed to be playing live again. Seriously thinking of going to their Brighton gig in August too. Otherwise I'll have to wait til mid-September for my next gig!

Peat and Diesel in North Berwick in two weeks

Jealous! Always loved the atmosphere at Fringe by the Sea and was gutted that it was sold out by the time I saw they were playing. Managed to get tickets for their Fort William gig in October though so it’s not all bad - fingers crossed the new blue track will be open by then and I can make a weekend of it!

Tickets to see Osees in Brizzle, Spring last year, obv Covid cancelled so then was put back to this year, then again now to 2022!

I hope to make it

Just booked our first gig at the Exeter Cavern 😎🤘

Having left (well, we disbanded) my band of 10+ years in 2018, 3 mates and I formed a new band in January 2020.
Managed to keep practicing virtually, and in person, as and when we were allowed.
Even did a guerilla DIY recording sesh in September, and released some tunes.

So, so happy to be nearly gigging again.

Agnes Obel in September. 2022 that is as last April was postponed. To September, then again to this September and again (just the other week) for next. Guess the thought of a UK tour in a potential covid soup wasn’t particularly appealing...

Last gig was Angel Olsen at Barrowlands which was a sell out iirc. I didn’t enjoy the packed sweatyness then (music was great though, fortunately). Hoping Agnes is a seated gig... 🤪🤣

Yep.. another one for thrice delayed Agnes Obel.
After working abroad for her last tour I'm beginning to wonder if I'm destined to never see her live.

Was anybody else from here at Latitude festival?

Brilliant weekend - felt like being back to normal. My highlights were Dry Cleaning and Working Mens Club on Sunrise stage. Squid were excellent on BBC Sounds stage and my 11 year-old daughter discovered the Chemical Brothers, who she loved. Mind you, she also enjoyed Bastille's dreary headline set so maybe she isn't the best judge 🙂

Oh, and Bill Bailey's Sunday afternoon set in the sun was awesome.

Was anybody else from here at Latitude festival?

I ended up going despite the obvious covid concerns. Despite the 300+ mile drive from Scotland, it was a great weekend.
Lucia and the Best Boys, Dream Wife, Squid and Hot Chip were probably my highlights. Getting back to some normality, albeit for a long weekend, was great. Getting home Covid free was also a bonus 😁.

Got tickets for the Wide Awake festival in London on September 3rd so hopefully that goes ahead too.

Just been offered a support slot for Chubby and the Gang. Which is nice 😎 always nice to support a band you like.

Also I'm off to Beautify Days in a few weeks.
First festival as a punter in about a decade, which will be weird, but fun.

Anyone going to Lakefest? My brother's band are on the main stage on Saturday.

Bloodstock can't come fast enough for me 🤘🏻😎

Mrs Jate and I were at Latitude. It felt great to be back at a festival tbh and we quickly seemed to forget any Covid concerns.
Plenty of great sets, my highlight being Sunday evening in the BBC tent with Nubya Garcia followed two sets later by Sons of Kemet. I'd seen The Comet Is Coming at Latitude in 2019 so was really looking forward to one of Shabaka Hutchings other bands. Theon Cross (the tuba player) had got pinged at the last minute so had to drop out. Fortunately there was a rather able stand in available in Nubya Garcia...... Just brilliant. Also nice to see a range of musicians watching from the wings including the guys from Shame who seemed quite impressed by the dual drum/sax lineup.

Just booked to see Jungle. Bizarrely only £15 - including their new CD or £22 including the album.
Thought I might as well, bit a dancin. 🙂

I can’t do gigs because of the ringing in my ears.

I have tinitus 24/7 and loud music aggrivates it.

But I find muscians ear plugs, which attenuate the music a set amount but maintain clarity, work really well and I can go to gigs with them.

Slagheap look awesome!

@dezb maybe up your street but definitely not my bag. I tried, I really did, but went for a beer instead.

haha! Never heard em, just saw the picture on the line-up page! 😀

What was good??

stanfree
Free Member
Peat and Diesel in North Berwick in two weeks then Bicep in december in Embra…
Polar opposites
Cant wait.

Ha! Looks like I'll be seeing the mighty P & D twice over the next few months. We had tickets for the Cluny booked for last December which has been rescheduled for Dec this year - and they're also playing at Lindisfarne festival at the start of Sept too.

First proper gig for us this year was Royal Blood a couple of weeks ago in Newcastle which felt awesome. Got Little Comets, Gerry Cinnamon and Kasabian all booked in too. It's great to be back at gigs 🙂

Laimu were very much my kind of thing for an early afternoon band.

@docrobster First Gig in 500+ days was Lovely Eggs at Gorilla in Manchester a week last Friday, and I'm off too Green Man in a couple of weeks too, can't wait.

Then Manchester Psychfest in a month, Stereolab headlining, nice.

A couple of weeks after that down to London for the weekend and a Friday night at the Jazz Cafe for Koop (well the Oscar Orchestra anyway).

Then a bit of a break before Godspeed You! Black Emperor in Jan and Big Thief in Feb.

Anything less.... jazz ? 😉

Actually, forgot, meetings some friends in Birmingham to see James in November, taking a month off from gigs in October as will be attempting the Bearbones 200

I've got Greenman and EotR lined up and then a couple of gigs in November, assuming they actually happen! Courtney Marie Andrews and Bon Iver - both are rearranged from last year.

Just for @DezB

Really looking forwards to Emma-Jean Thackray at GM

Well, my jazz bit was referring to Laimu, but er, no that's.. erm, er, no. Ta.

I nearly booked the Lovely Eggs in Brighton, cos they had AK/DK supporting. But it was well, it was last night.

If anyone is in Blackpool on Saturday night (7th August) & at a loss for something to do, come along to The Washington for a free entry night of Punk Rock. My band The Allergics are on at 8:45pm.
We’re on Spotify if you want know what to expect
I’ll be at the back, behind the drums

Jungle last night was utterly wonderful. £15 for the gig and the latest CD.
Nice medium size venue, at about half capacity. Times I couldn't believe it was happening cos they were pretty big before lockdown. So I just boogied for 2 hours. Looking exactly like this

Brill.

I went to see Martyn Joseph at Acapela Studio (tiny venue near Cardiff) on Monday. He's an excellent local singer/songwriter type*, and the venue is a tiny ex-chapel, I think. It was great - an actual performer, an actual crowd. Emotional, but that's maybe just his music.

We forgot where we parked the car, so spent a while wandering around the small village trying to find it, then almost ran out of fuel, and then had a midnight chocolate feast on the way home. That doesn't happen when you stream a gig onto your sofa! 😀

*regularly described as the Welsh Springsteen. I'm not sure how much he likes that, but he certainly likes The Boss!

Sounds great. I don't mind a bit of adventure to go to a gig. Jungle was in Kingston, about an hours drive, my dad's hometown, but I'd never been there before in my life. Also had trouble finding my car, but phone insurance app sorted me 🙂

Also had trouble finding my car, but phone insurance app sorted me 🙂

Weirdly, my phone map app used to tell me where I'd parked the car but has stopped doing it recently.

And obviously I couldn't listen to my wife when she was pointing up the correct street!

Oh my, Greenman is nearly here, can barely contain myself.
DJ Rap Saturday night (well, 2.00am Sunday morning) has got my jaw aching at the prospect.
I must make the effort this year to seek our the bands I like instead of wandering aimlessly about like a fool.

Just booked 2 more gigs - Little Simz (another one who was well pricey before Covid, now £16 including the latest CD!) and the awfully named, but rather weird and interesting, Jockstrap (£9.50!). Awesome.

First gig I’ve got is my band supporting The Ataris in October all being well.

I’m looking forward to playing again, I’m still wary of being in a packed room though.

We haven’t practiced much through and post lockdown, luckily we’ll be first on so no one will hear how crap we are 😂

Around 60% of our work is festivals, so it’s been great to get the money coming in. catch up with everyone who works them in all the different capacities who we would never see other than at a festival and find out how they are etc.

But I had forgotten the sheer joy of hearing a very good performer who you would never normally listen to, quite possibly of a style you would never listen to anywhere else by choice, but still being blown away by their skill.

Twice recently the first act of the day has had everyone in the front of house with their jaw on the floor, with small local acts who deserve far more than to be playing to 10 punters.

One of our guys described listening to live music again as like having a shower where you know you need it, but after you have it you realise just how much you needed it.

So stay safe, stay sensible, do what’s right for you and your health, but if you love music then I promise you you will love it all the more seeing it live again.

Debating with going to see a tribute band on friday. Saw then 2 years ago and they were great but not sure about being crammed into a venue at the mo....

Well, my first gigs in roughly two years are this Friday and Saturday! Even better, the Friday gig is in my home town!
That one is Cara Dillon, Irish singer/songwriter who lives in Frome, so a short drive for her as well.
Saturday is Lump, the duo formed by Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay of Tuung, playing the Trinity Centre in Bristol, a great venue. Really looking forward to both, I’ve seen Cara before, and Laura on her own or with a band, but Lump only did a small handful of gigs when they released their first album, and it didn’t look like there would be a second, but there was, and a proper tour to go with it.
Then there’s Elbow playing the Hammersmith Apollo on 20 September, Thea Gilmore playing the Folk House Bristol on 12 October, The Staves on 13 October at O2 Academy Bristol, Laura Marling on 13 October at the Tramshed, Cardiff, Big Thief, on 5 April 2022 at O2 Academy Bristol, Goldfrapp at Bath Forum on Friday 29 April, 2022, Kate Rusby, Clifton Cathedral Bristol on 1 May 2022 and Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets at Bath Forum on 11 May 2022.
That’s it for now, some of those have been postponed since 2019 or 2020, some are new gigs announced this year, and I’m sure there will be more to follow. What’s nice is that most are pretty local, with just one in London, and one in Cardiff, and I haven’t been to a gig there in some years, since 2013, in fact, that was Leonard Cohen at Motorpoint, on his last ever tour.
Magical evening, that. 😎