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Reluctantly went to see Fish on his Road to the Isles retirement tour in Wolverhampton with a mate last night. Absolutely brilliant, on stage for two and a half hours, excellent dits and banter with the audience, I didn't know much of his solo stuff but got blown away by it all
Albert Hall Manchester for me. Stunningly good.
If I was quibbling, I’d have swapped out the Misplaced Childhood stuff for Fugazi, Market Square Hero & Incommunicado.
Opeth, Bristol Beacon, and yes, that is a genuine Mellotron the keyboard player is using, in fact he’s got two!
Frank Turner was great at his 3000th show. It did get a bit crusty down the front tho...
The Lottery Winners as support were also excellent.
I would have liked to see the support but my back was having none of it, there was just enough for the Frank Turner set and pain-killers were needed for the walk back to Wood Green. (It's an old injury I aggravated last Tuesday and we were going to see Frank).
Wood Green was quite a stomp away - the previous night we'd watched a show in the West End & the tube practically dumped us at the door.
Being up in London & there being a venue so far out in the sticks was a bit of surprise to be honest.
Definitely frustrating too, to get there early to grab an overpriced pizza from the venue when the first part of the inside of the venue had a ton of better looking overpriced options.
Nice view tho!
Hopefully getting Stranglers/Buzzcocks tickets this week, other than that I just have Pigs x7 then a Pink Floyd tribute band later in the year. Depending on summer holiday plans and ticket availability, I might get over to Halifax Piece Hall in the summer as there are a few bands I'd like to see performing there.
Geordie Greep in Southampton April, never heard of him. Now our son is 14 it appears he can get into huge amount of previously out of reach gigs. Could be worse I guess 🙂
Meant to add a couple of things to the post about Opeth - fairly early on, Fredrick the guitarist who was right in front of me seemed to flick something, and I felt something hit my chest, looked down and there was a pick on the floor by my feet! The fact there were people in front of me, it’s surprising it missed any of them and hit me. When I had a chance to look at it later on, I realised why he kept flicking them into the audience, the amount of wear on the tip after only two songs or so is quite impressive, and they’re heavy gauge picks.
But then, they are a prog/metal band.
That's a hell of a setlist for Frank there...
Mogwai last night, solid show, not the best setlist for me but still some pretty awesome moments. Always a bit sad when they don't play Helicon. Good supports too, Cloth were't really my thing but Kathryn Joseph is always worth seeing.
I saw them the night before at Leeds - listened to their latest album quite a bit after asking on here (thks for your earlier post), liked it plenty and thought it was great live. Packed house was nice to see as well. Was hoping they would play Fear Satan just to hear it live but they gave it a miss - their hardcore fanbase have probably heard it so many times I guess. Encore was Like Herod and Old Poisons (which I hadn't heard before).
The Bug Club at Electric Ballroom yesterday. Great venue, great band, great gig. Somewhat ruined by a couple of utter nobheads.
I'm not averse to a mosh pit, although a bit old and knees are not particularly receptive nowadays. So I'm OK with there being one last night. But if you're in the mosh pit and you get bounced out of it into the couples at the front, then expect to get shoved back in. It's not personal, it's how it works.
Equally if you and your other half have a space at the barriers, there's a chance that at some point someone's going to bump into the back of you. Shove them back in and get on with it - it's a gig not Last Night of the Proms
Between the two of them, young bloke taking exception to the older bloke shielding his other half, and older bloke calling security and demanding them eject him or something, you managed to ruin what was a good vibe, through the best songs in the encore.
****ts, the pair of you
MIKE at Room 2 in Glasgow last night, with Tyred Jr the younger. I like going to gigs with him, he’s as tall as me so we can stand anywhere. Seeing a talented rapper in a small underground room is always good, last night was no exception.
@northwind - you’ve probably seen but Tolbooth in Stirling have a series on with Scottish artists performing their breakthrough album in full, Kathryn Joseph is doing Bones You Have Thrown Me soon.
Love this thread. Every day I plug a new name into Spotify and wonder what the **** is wrong with peoples music taste (or maybe it's mine) 🤣 That said, MIKE is looking promising, thank you @2tyred
A change from my normal rock gigs last night. Alison Moyet at Sheffield City Hall - just excellent, pure class from start to finish.
Semi-different sort of gig for me too tonight. Paul Heaton and Rianne Downey at Pryzm in Kingston. As Paul himself said, it was a con because he's doing these in conjunction with local record shops (they promoted it and with the ticket you get a copy of the CD/vinyl) - ostensibly to support them, but also in an attempt to boost album sales and get to number one. Which, it ..... didn't, and he blames us for not buying 2 copies 😉
But it was a stripped back electric bass + acoustic guitars and of course two amazing voices. No drums even, because the drummer's tucked up in bed with Lucozade and a comic, suffering from flu. I don't think it detracted, even benefited.
Just a thoroughly lovely hour of entertainment; he's a great songwriter, has a vastly underrated voice - and was blown off stage by a little Glaswegian in her early 20's. Such a voice. Few new songs and a few classics from Housemartins and Beautiful South days, and back home in time for cocoa.
Just brilliant.
Alison Moyet sat on my lap at a party back in the late 80's
This Friday I’m off to ‘campaign for musical destruction’ at Brixton with my son..lots of scrams death metal..
Then on Saturday I’m off to see Sabrina Carpenter with my daughter!
As a classic dad joke, I keep pretending to mix up their gigs!
DrP
MIKE is looking promising
Also have MIKE on Friday in small venue in Brighton. Would've taken desperateJr. but he's working 🙁
The Beta Band.
In September of this year.
I am so excited.
https://www.gigsandtours.com/tour/the-beta-band
Going to see Kidz Bop this weekend...I'm taking my kids obviously.
Bloodywood later in March in Brum. Love a bit of 'Indian Folk Metal'
As Paul himself said, it was a con because he's doing these in conjunction with local record shops (they promoted it and with the ticket you get a copy of the CD/vinyl) - ostensibly to support them, but also in an attempt to boost album sales and get to number one. Which, it ..... didn't, and he blames us for not buying 2 copies 😉
He made the same joke when we saw him at the big arena place in Liverpool end of last year - we have two copies of the album because we bought two tickets..
I've got a pretty good run of gigs lined up now:
Michael Kiwanuka on Sunday in Wolverhampton
Mercury Rev the following Friday in Manchester
Public Service Broadcasting the week after back in Wolverhampton
Loopfest in Shrewsbury May Bank Holiday https://loopfest.co.uk/
Superbooth in Berlin in May (epic music tech festival)
A few more https://sygigs.com/ coming up
Cat Power singing Dylan at the Bridgewater in June
End of the Road Festival in August
Machina Bristronica in Bristol in September (part synth expo, part party)
Stereolab in Manchester in December
Did think about Beta Band but dates don't work, might have done Massive Attack in Manchester but again clashes, can't do everything but will try anyway.
@hightensoline - Hope you've got 6 Music on...Beta Band currently on as I type. They will undoubtedly be excellent.
As for me, Irish trio Chalk last. V very good live. But as I'm terrible as describing, here is a cool track of theirs: Chalk - Afraid
Rag n Bone Man last night at a one off Warchild gig in Bexhill of all places. Absolutely fantastic performance. Played a couple of unreleased songs which were great too.
Chuffed - nabbed Factory Floor tickets for London in June. Dice app is awesome for a quick purchase, tickets sold out in seconds 🙂 (ah, only sold out on Dice)
Got a few gigs later this year, taking it a little more steadily than I used too - so a bit of a quiet year.
Doves - this weekend, Brum
The Flaming Lips, April, Brum
Supergrass, May, Brum
The Beta Band, September, Nottingham
Butler, Blake, Grant - a few venues…
Managed to snag some tickets for the Beta band @ the roundhouse in Oct. Will be good to see them again.
Dinosaur Jnr @ troxy (can't remember when)
And lastly hopefully LCD soundsystem at Brixton in the summer.
Oh and forgot about Forever now at MK bowl in the summer which the wife got tickets for....very eclectic but interesting line up and the venue isn't great unless you live walking distance away...so all good.
Dinosaur Jr!!! Are you kidding that they are still performing? I think I saw them in 90 or 91 in Brum at the long deceased Hummingbird with some awful UK indie band in support.
I guess a flick through this thread shows they are all still at it - Manics, Primal Scream, Suede....
Do these bands still have something to say or have they reformed for the Gen X cash cow...?
Great show from MIKE at Patterns in Brighton, really fun crowd too. His voice was going by the end, hopefully he hasn’t got too many more shows on this tour!
I see that Underworld are playing TRNSMT this July.
Do these bands still have something to say or have they reformed for the Gen X cash cow...?
Undoubtedly some of the impetus is to try to make some money; precious little in royalties, etc.
I don't get the slightly sneery tone (in general, not specifically Winston) at this sort of comment. Even if it is just a gallop through back catalogues, or '30 years since.....' tour with nothing new to say - some of these are fabulous records, that hold a very special place in people's hearts. And it's not as if you're being asked to pay to listen to the record again; it's a live show and live music >>>>>> listening to recordings. As per above, whether a new band trying to find their way, or some old Dinosaur Sr on the road again (and I saw them a couple of years back and it was still amazing) ALL live music is to be valued for the event.
So get with it Grandad, one day we won't be able to see them any more and I for one will be very sad about that.
For once I've got a few in the diary.
Michael Kiwenuka tomorrow at the Civic, Boff Whalley doing his book thing on Thursday up in Holmfirth, Miles from the Stuffies at Katies in April, Zach Bryan at Hyde Park in July (wife is a huge fan), Rebellion festival in Blackpool in August...
I've also got a few lined up, no doubt they'll be a few more:
Antony Szmierek
Hot 8 Brass band
Lambrini Girls
Greentea Peng
James at Cannock
Forwards Festival in Bristol
English teacher
Belly for the King album 30th anniversary tour,in Leeds in September. Fizzing!
Saw them last in 1995 for the King release tour.
Do these bands still have something to say or have they reformed for the Gen X cash cow...?
Not sure what my point is, but probably my favourite gig of last year was the Manics/Suede co-headline tour. Both bands still releasing new music, with the some of the tracks up there with their best (moreso Suede on that one).
Doves - this weekend, Brum
Be interested to hear what you think. I love Doves, and have seen them a lot, but can't say I was tempted by a tour without Jimi (lead singer), given the vocal performances on the few song in their catalogue that he doesn't sing.
A few of us got tickets for Shack yesterday when they went on sale. Their first tour for 15 years. We're seeing them at the Ritz which is a great venue. Somehow I never managed to see them back in the day. Probably as they were usually so off their heads on skag, they barely ever performed
Lots to look forward to, new and old -
Joshua Burnside on Tuesday for some modern Irish folk in Islington
Craig Finn album launch on Wednesday in Shoreditch.
Joshua Idehen at the Jazz Cafe in April for some rap/poetry
Beirut in Brixton in May
LCD Soundsystem on the first Saturday of their 8 night residency in Brixton in June
Beta Band at the Roundhouse in October. (really looking forward to this - didn't catch them live first time around and Steve Mason's solo work has been consistently interesting. I particularly liked Brothers and Sisters from 23)
Plus loads of great stuff on the Glastonbury (Neil Young, Kneecap, Cymande, St Vincent, Beth Gibbons being the 'have been on the list for ages' bands) and EoTR lineups.
I'm away for a few weeks in May and will miss two gigs that should be really good - the Golden Dregs have a new album out and are playing a few gigs. And the ever brilliant Ezra Furman is launching her new album with a day long festival thing at EarTH in Hackney (and it's not sold out yet)
Unfortunately I decided to give my ticket away. Didn’t want to give anyone the virus I am suffering from.
Be interested to hear what you think. I love Doves, and have seen them a lot, but can't say I was tempted by a tour without Jimi (lead singer), given the vocal performances on the few song in their catalogue that he doesn't sing.
Unfortunately I decided to give my ticket away. Didn’t want to give anyone the virus I am suffering from.
Penultimate gig for Fish last night in Glasgow.. Cracking evening.
I guess a flick through this thread shows they are all still at it - Manics, Primal Scream, Suede....
Do these bands still have something to say or have they reformed for the Gen X cash cow...?
The Manics never disbanded. Is there a rule that bands need to stop enjoying success after a certain point?
I saw Ian and Ben from Gomez in The Wardrobe, Leeds on Saturday night, great show as always from them (and Buddy).
Beirut in Brixton in May
LCD Soundsystem on the first Saturday of their 8 night residency in Brixton in June
Love both Beirut and LCD but have had to skip these gigs at the Brixton Academy - went to LCD's last gig there a couple of years ago and even though we were stood smack bang in the middle of the crowd the sound was appalling - it could be my ears but it was so loud and harsh, it was like it was overloading my hearing, like I've never had before anywhere - I was so glad I had my ear plugs with me or we would have had to leave.
Went to see Michael Kiwanuka at the Civic in Wolverhampton last night - sound was absolutely fantastic clear, loud but no nasty harshness, what a wonderful big venue it is, the people standing by the doors and stiffening up to make it hard to get back to the middle (where there was a lot more space) made me laugh, but overall a great gig, I'm still amazed there are people who don't know who he is, he deserves to be massive really.
Looking forwards to going back there in two weeks to see PSB, got Mercury Rev at New Century Hall before that though.
Jalen N'Gonda tomorrow night at SWG3 here in Glasgow. Very much looking forward to it
Tickets nabbed for clipping. in September. Be the 4th time seeing this band Covid made me think I'd never see. Chuffed!
Shorter term, Mercury Rev, Monday, Wedgewood Rooms. Comedy with Russell Kane the weekend after.