Gigs.

Forgot about Gojira - booked for next year too.

Went to the Sound City Ipswich multi-venue festival at the weekend. Watching bands on the Friday and helping in the box office (before going off to see bands) on the Saturday.

Highlights for me were Yard Act and Billy Nomates. Katy J Pearson was on shortly before Yard Act, during their set we were stood near her in the crowd until she got back on stage with them to perform their remix of Miracles!

Was very enjoyable volunteering at the box office, mostly handing out wristbands and selling tickets, but also helping out some of the artists too. Got to hear Working Men's Club's soundcheck where they performed pretty much their full set. I've wanted to see them for ages, but I preferred the soundcheck to the main performance.

I can def recommend volunteering at this sort of thing, I've been a punter for decades, but getting a glimpse of how it all runs behind the scenes was really interesting.

Any interest in a pair of tickets to see Suede at the Manchester Apollo on Wednesday 10th?
I paid £108 all in for the pair, but I'll take £50 for them as I've got tickets for Edinburgh instead - a much simpler proposition.

Advert in the classifieds here - https://singletrackworld.com/classifieds/advert/2-x-suede-tickets-manchester-apollo-wed-10-november/

I saw the aforementioned Billy Nomates last week. Didn't get it. The music coming out of her laptop was ok, but her dancing was terrible and the American accent she sings in really grated on me (she's from Leicestershire).
Left early.

Fontaines DC this week - first gig in about 2 years.

Bought tickets for the Chili's and Tool recently. Best part of 400 quid spent - I'd forgotten how bloody expensive big gigs are these days.

Still might get a ticket for Einaudi in March though.

November is a bit bonkers for gigs, Evil Scarecrow on the 2nd, Monsterfest Inverness on the 12th & 13th, then LaFontaines on the 16th (with kids) and the 19th (without kids), The Offspring on the 27th. A week Later and into December is Alestorm on the 5th then Enter Shikari & Dinosaur Pile Up on the 13th. Can't wait.

I saw the aforementioned Billy Nomates last week. Didn’t get it.

Possibly a bad description, but she made me think of an angry version of Goldfrapp.

Saw Coach Party on Sat night, on the whole I enjouyed them, they sound more punky than their Youtube videos suggest (good thing) although their lyrics all seem overly teen-angsty for me (bad thing).

Saw Kasabian at Rock City last week - first gig since early last year. It's always a 'cozy' atmosphere there and ruddy hell it felt weird to be squashed in! Crowd was very enthusiastic too! 🙂

she made me think of an angry version of Goldfrapp

If only.
Pet Shop Boys fronted by Stevie Nicks was my impression.

Had an enjoyable first gig last week in the Exeter Cavern.
Got a decent turn out for a Thursday night in October too!
Been invited back to do the Saturday before Xmas, so we must have been ok 🤘

I went to see Wrest at the weekend in Aberdeen. It was the first gig in a couple of years and loved it. It did feel a bit risky COVID-wise being in such and enclosed venue (the Tunnels) with so many people so fingers crossed no-one in my vicinity unknowingly had it!

If you've not heard of Wrest but are/were :'( a fan of Frightened Rabbit then check them out, they are excellent.

Quite fancy seeing Wrest, they are on the to see list.
Won't totally make up for the loss of FR though. 🙁

Just booked tickets to see Dreadzone at The Craufurd Arms in Wolverton in December. It's my kind of venue, you come out feeling slightly grubby.

Pan American last night was good. Looking forward to Scorn in a couple of weeks.
My lot suddenly have a bunch of gigs lined up around Bristol over the next few months and a festival booking for next Feb, I didn't even know there were festivals in February.

Working Men’s Club (band name, in case the squares were wondering 😜) last night. Utterly brilliant. Strange venue, little industrial unit, sound wasn’t brilliant, but good enough to keep me dancin. And laughing at the woman in front wanted to beat up a fella who’s girlfriend trod on her foot…proper entertainment 😀

I've got tickets for Pavement in 2022 to look forward to. Just found out Spiritualized are playing in town in April, so I may try and get tickets for that. Haven't been to anything yet, next year will probably feel better for me, hopefully.

Not seriously upwards of £150 to see Pavement!??

Mogwai last night in Glasgow, felt good man. Not the best set for my tastes but they closed it out with a pretty awesome Fear Satan, and it was nice to see them all so happy. No that's a lie, only Stuart looked happy, everyone else was all serious as usual.

Gomez's Ben Ottewell coming up in Sheffield. Never knew he was from Chezzy

@Northwind - was there too. Not their best gig I’d agree (partly due to venue), but great to see them again regardless.

Off to the Great Western on Saturday - mainly for Papa M and Arab Strap, but also Cassandra Jenkins and others.

www.tgwfest.com

McGoldrick/McCusker/Doyle in a tiny village venue tonight. Traditional music at its best, stunning musicianship.

Pavement tickets are about 50quid where I’m looking. Sadly not playing anywhere in the South West 🙄

Didn’t think I’d be going to the Black Puma’s tonight after ripping my knee open on my local trails at the weekend - 8 stitches not great for mobility and I’m supposed to keep my weight off it. Emailed the venue last night without expecting anything, asking about seating and was surprised that they replied immediately with 2 accessibility seats reserved! So even if you have a stupid self inflicted injury, from your silly little immature hobby, it’s worth asking.l 😁

That's nice 🙂
I suppose £50 ain't too bad. Pavement were one of my fave bands, but I wouldn't pay £50 to see em. Let alone the prices I saw on ticketmaster. Must've been resales by touts. Bloody ridiculous.

Anyway, Snapped Ankles tonight. Should be fun (£14s worth anyway :D)

I'd like to go to more but last months The Mysterines was cancelled on the day of the gig. Tonights Du Blonde has been cancelled. Next weeks Alanis Morrissette has been either postponed or cancelled (not sure which yet).

I was at the Mogwai gig with Northwind. It's my first gig since lockdown so it was good for that if nothing else. I definitely preferred the Royal Concert Hall as a venue for a Mogwai gig to SWG3, which is where I last saw them. At least I didn't come out of this gig with hearing damage, plus on reflection I think I'd like to try being seated at a Mogwai gig sometime. It's hardly an energetic crowd anyway and I like the idea of being in a relaxed sitting posture and letting their wall of noise wash over me.

Went to see Squarepusher in Nottingham week before last... bloody awesome! mini-rave rather than a gig i guess, and home by midnight, which was nice 🙂

Not seriously upwards of £150 to see Pavement!??

Hell no! $39 a piece (in US). They seem to have been bought up by touts and resold back to ticketmaster, or through. It seems the prices are wildly high now.

On a good run with gigs again now.
Saw Laura Marling a few weeks ago and she was just amazing. Her and a guitar nothing else. Mesmerising.
Then snapped ankles at crookes social club. Such a fab venue.
Last week a mate reminded me that he had bought tickets to see sprints. Not a band I’ve heard of or listened to. Part of the Dublin invasion hot on the heels of Fontaines and murder capital. Tiny venue. They were fun. Finished with a cover of chaise longue…
Last night was porridge radio, rescheduled from March 2020. In the small room at the leadmill. A nice place to see a band. It was the lead singer’s birthday and they were on good form despite a guitar malfunction midway through one of the songs.
Tonight it’s Paul Heaton again this time without Jackie who is poorly. A small intimate gig at the winding wheel in chesterfield.
Tomorrow we have tickets for easy life. My daughter bought them but has decided not to travel back from Newcastle to Sheff for it so looks like me and her mum are going to get down with the millennials. Seen them a few times at festivals and I’m sure it will be average.

Best news though is working mens club again next Thursday at the leadmill. My new fave band. Can’t wait.

I think I’ll need a rest after that.

Saw Snapped Ankles last night. Don't mind the album, but live it was like watching Black Lace - weak novelty act. Didn't get it at all. Left after half an hour of trying to force myself to enjoy it. Shame really, cos it was an over 2 hour round trip!

Haha fair enough. The mystery was punctured for us as well as when the blokes were wandering around without the headpieces afterwards. Just normal looking hipsters.

Had a thoroughly enjoyable evening of well crafted songs containing more pop-culture references than it’s possible to shake a stick at, interspersed with a bunch of gentlemen of a certain age who really ought to know better slam-dancing directly behind us in the front row. One of them will have to pay a visit to his optician tomorrow, having left one lens of his glasses on the floor.

About normal for a Half Man Half Biscuit gig, really. 😁

’kin ‘ell, it’s Fred Titmus!

Had a thoroughly enjoyable evening of well crafted songs containing more social commentary references about austerity-era Britain than it’s possible to shake a stick at.

Sleaford Mods for me.

Wedding Present / Such Small Hands / Yvonne MK for me tonight. TWP are my ravens, I've seen them every year since 1987 (side projects / band hiatus aside) and the day they no longer exist my tower will crumble.

They were also the last band I saw before lockdown.

I'm kids at Christmas levels of excitement.

@theotherjohv saw them last week in Chester at the Live Rooms (great little venue) and they were great. I like the new songs and they played really loud, I took a metalhead friend with me and he loved it and Slayer is his usual thing.

Choose Chester as Manchester gig was the day after seeing the Jesus and Mary Chain and I'm too old for drive up to two gigs in a row. I went more out of curiosity than every been a big fan. I enjoyed it but I would go see them again.

Glad you enjoyed it. Did you get a Wedding Present fact of the day? How was the encore?

There was no fact of the day and definitely no encore they played Seamonsters straight through rather than mix it up. The second half was a mixture of crowd pleasers and two new songs which sounded very Bizzaro era but were very loud, you’ll see.

Charlatans last night. Greatest hits set in a note for note copy of the record way. So obviously it was really good if you like them, which I do. Very full and very merry crowd, excellent fun. Middle aged man demographic naturally.

Working Men’s Club, Oxford Brook on Weds. 2nd time in a few weeks. Same set, but Brook had much better sound than last venue. (Although we didn’t have such a good position.) Awesome performance though. Young singer’s gurning was something to behold 🤪
Was supposed to be Black Country, New Road next, but they’ve postponed for the second time 🙁

Broken Witt Rebels on 11th December at Bodega, Nottingham

Y-Not next summer after the last 2 years cancelled

Might get tickets for Bearded Theory Spring Gathering too...

Saw Nick Cave and Warren Ellis in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Absolutely fantastic gigs, intense but brilliant. And so good to be at live music and in a crowd again.

James warm-up gig in Wolverhampton Tuesday gone, Tez Illyas In Brum the day after, James in Brum last night, Charlatans in Brum tonight. Next week, Bernard Butler in Worthing on Thursday, Saturday, James in London. Final gig of the year, Thursday 16th December - Charlatans Rock City. Not a lot of variety this year - but have to say that James have been brilliant and Tez Illyas was very good indeed.

Ha ha another James fan, the only gig I went to this year was James...love his gigs, non festival gigs he does a couple of hours with, pre covid, loads of interaction.

Nick cave is the only 2020 gig that hasn’t been rescheduled or refunded. Now that would be fine if he wasn’t doing another tour with this warren Ellis album. Still got our money for Birmingham may 2020. A bit peeved about that to say the least.
We’ve bought tickets for end of the road next year. Pixies. Yeah!
Love a bit of James and the charlatans. Saw them so many times from uni days to recently. Not sure what my next gig is. Better get something booked…

First gig was in September, but it was so poorly promoted that other than the bands only about eight folks turned up.

Did my first crowded gigs last week as I was out as a photographer with my mates in upcoming band Skarlett Riot for their short tour. Started with a sell out show to start and another a few days later. Felt bloody odd initially but soon forgot about that... the music... that atmosphere... and the photos 😀

Now I've got post tour blues and I'm pretty much housebound with the (not covid) lurgy. Expected really.

I bought tickets for Tom Jones and the Stereophonics in Cardiff Principality stadium on the 18th of December but they have yet to appear on the phone app, just wondering if anyone else is going and had theirs tickets or do I need to start making enquiries?

Idlewild last night- they did a first album in full show as a warmup for tonight's birthday show, which usually I don't like but Captain was an absolute belter of a (mini) album, and I've missed the old "flight of stairs falling down a flight of stairs" Idlewild massively since they went "happy REM".

Felt a bit odd to go from masks and social distancing, to hugging random sweaty strangers mind. But chatting to randoms and discovering we were all at the same gigs at Cas Rock Cafe 25 years ago was kinda awesome too "Were you there that night Roddy stagedived and the bouncers didn't realise he was in the band and threw him out?"