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I went to The Weekender this weekend past, 4 gigs by The Hold Steady in London. They've been doing Weekenders since 2018 now and I've been to all of them. They're very good and in particular the Saturday and Sunday night shows this time were really good, in particular when they played all of Separation Sunday, their second album, at the Sunday show.
Later this month I'll be seeing Public Service Broadcasting at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, and they're always pretty good too.
Yeah "I say this every time, but I only say it because it's true ;)"
The Hold Steady's weekender is just an absolute fixture for me and maybe the best example of just how incredible live music can be. I said this last year and then a bit before that I talked about another thing, which was that once it fell right at the start of the pandemic- in a week I literally went and saw And You Will Know Them By The Trail Of Dead one night in Edinburgh, went to London and saw the Hold Steady 3 times, then came back and right on the eve of lockdowns saw Frank Turner in Glasgow...
And then, boom. There'd never been a month since about 1996 where I didn't go and see a live band and you do take it for granted. But a year in, the Hold Steady figured out how to put on a proper "gig" livestream, they took over the whole brooklyn bowl and instead of a crowd set up screens and a massive zoom call so they could see the "audience" and we could see them and each other and had a live chat going, and played another London Weekender by remote. Loads of people did livestreams but this was the closest thing, and it just about blew my brain up, getting so close to what we were missing. I still count it as a real show, I jumped around and got drunk and sang along.
So now every year it's not just about the show we're at or the fact we've been doing it since 2018 or the fact that I was kind of barely even a fan the first time, more of a casual liker and I went from that to fully indoctrinated in 3 glorious nights...
In the end this was 4 shows and tbh one was only decent, one was good but not amazing, and 2 of em just went beyond all of that and were what drags me down to London every year and I hope always will, it's every show I've ever been too and every time I've been crushed or battered in a pit or sunburnt and drowned in dust or almost struck by lightning at a festival, every sweaty hug and random punch and stagedive and crushing disappointment and surprise new favourite band.
I mean, we're in a cult, there's no getting away from it but it's a pretty damn good cult.
Treble bill at a community centre last night in Oxford; a proper community centre among the leaflets and posters for Mother and Baby groups and the pensioner's cake club.
First up, Top Shortage; post-punk LGBTQ+ and proud. Entertaining, hint of Siouxsie and the Banshees
Then- The Plan - not a band I'd heard of but also entertaining enough, apparently have been around ages.
Finally House of All - a band that definitely isn't The Fall, but given the membership is drawn from long standing former members (I know, everyone's been in the Fall at one time or another) there are definitely "influences". Which has upset Mark E Smith's relatives a bit but oh well.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/feb/02/mark-e-smith-fall-members-house-of-all-martin-bramah
Highly recommended (if you like bands that sound 'a bit' like The Fall). Playing Brighton later this month, @desperatebicycle
Belly for the King album 30th anniversary tour,in Leeds in September. Fizzing!
Yeah, I’ve got tickets for the Bristol show, on the 29th, Throwing Muses in Bristol in May, Sleeper in September in Bristol on September 29th along with Dar Williams in Bristol on September 30th, Suzanne Vega in Bristol on October 30th. Also Sting 3.0 at Westonbirt Arboretum on June 18, Miki Berenyi Trio at Rough Trade Bristol on April 6, which is a gig with signing, entry was £12 including their new CD!
Oh, I’ve got Wardrunna at Bristol Beacon on Friday, which I’m really looking forward to. 🫶🏻😁
I got surprised by the good lady tonight with a pair of tickets to see the Architects in Manchester later this year. Saw them a few weeks back for their album launch gig in Leeds.
A nice end to a shitty Monday.
RIP Tom.
Just back from seeing Mercury Rev. Bloody brilliant. What a sound
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.
It's funny, I was at that gig, quite like his music and the band are clearly very tight...but it left me cold. Wierd crowd didn't help.
Not a gig as such but a mate rang me yesterday to tell me he's got me a free Glastonbury ticket. I had a look at the line up and realised how out of touch we music I am. I'm sure it will be fine though, an opportunity to widen my musical horizons.
Got HOTWAX and Gurriers in the space of a couple of days in April, then I grabbed tickets to the Common Thread tour in October. Hot Water Music, Strike Anywhere, Defeater, Crime in Stereo, Broadway Calls, Comeback Kid all taking me back to the early noughties... Plus Spanish Love Songs and Makewar and a few more current bands.
Should be a goodun.
realised how out of touch we music I am. I'm sure it will be fine though, an opportunity to widen my musical horizons.
Neil Young? Nile Rodgers? John Fogerty? Alanis Morissette? Rod Stewart?? Get with the kidz man!! 🤣
I love the Hold Steady/Craig Finn and the weekender is a fantastic way to connect with their fans, but wife found the almost entirely male audience a bit intimidating and unfriendly when we went the other year. Why did a couple of the shows disappoint you?
We caught Craig's solo book reading/interview/gig at the Strongroom bar and enjoyed it a lot. The new album (produced by War on Drugs) sounds really good and I've been listening to more of his solo stuff recently. That said, completely rocked out to Boys &Girls in America in the car at the weekend.
In the end this was 4 shows and tbh one was only decent, one was good but not amazing, and 2 of em just went beyond all of that and were what drags me down to London every year and I hope always will, it's every show I've ever been too and every time I've been crushed or battered in a pit or sunburnt and drowned in dust or almost struck by lightning at a festival, every sweaty hug and random punch and stagedive and crushing disappointment and surprise new favourite band.
I mean, we're in a cult, there's no getting away from it but it's a pretty damn good cult.
1st night, I'm just not that into sitting down shows and the seats were bloody terrible, there some really good songs but tbh the middle sagged and there were like 10 less songs than the other night, it just felt a bit halfassed and lazy tbh. The "Storytellers" format didn't really deliver, especially because they didn't really seem to have actually thought much about the stories and there were less of em than you get from Craig on a random night. Someone gave me a free pint though so that was a boost. Could have been a matinee and saved us a night of london accomodation. Second night was all fine, it just didn't really quite go off (crowd seemed to have no sense of movement? Like, not everyone has rhythm but you can't <all> bounce to a unique beat, surely, that shouldn't even be possible?). TBH it only really fell down compared to the two brilliant ones.
It can definitely be very middle-aged-male though. I was going to say that I ended up in a wee knot of randomly hardcore women on the last night but that probably proves the point, they were such exceptions. Compared to a lot of other shows I've been to recently it was pretty obvious. But then it's also obviously an ageing fanbase so that'll play a part.
Really like Craig's solo stuff, especially when it's brutally sad.
Saw the magnificent Public Service Broadcasting last night - a band that shouldn't work on record, but it really does & it really shouldn't work live. But it really really does.
They were abley supported by She Drew The Gun - always liked them on record, & saw them a few years ago wasn't massively impressed. Last night however they were great, much better performance.
Sadly missed out on Yeah Yeah Yeahs tickets at the Royal Albert Hall this morning - by the time we got in the tickets were £385 for 2, so voted with my wallet & said no.
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.
It's funny, I was at that gig, quite like his music and the band are clearly very tight...but it left me cold. Wierd crowd didn't help.
I do know what you mean, perhaps Michael confusing Birmingham for Wolverhampton didn't help!
Going to see Public Service Broadcasting there (in the smaller Wulfrun) on Friday - I've seen them before at festivals and its a good show, but I have a slight chip on my shoulder that it's all a bit contrived, anyway a mate of mine has invited me along and he loves them so I'm sure I'll have a great time.
Saw Mercury Rev last Friday in Manchester at the New Century Hall (nice venue) - another very good gig, Jonathan is somehow even more theatrical as he gets older, good set but slightly surprised there was only one song off the new album, mostly bald mid-50s blokes in the crowd but my wife and daughter really enjoyed it (my wife is a bigger fan than I really).
I do know what you mean, perhaps Michael confusing Birmingham for Wolverhampton didn't help!
😂
Probably didnt help me that I'm off the booze at the moment as well.
Saw Boff Whalley the other night in Holmfirth, maybe 25 of us. Incredible evening.
@b33k34 it might be worth mentioning that @Northwind had possibly the worst seat in the house for that first night! I'd consider that show to be fine or even pretty good, and some of the alternative arrangements and oddities played that night were really good, but we just know that The Hold Steady can achieve something far, far better than "pretty good". Plus as Northwind mentioned it meant we had to pay for an extra night of accommodation in London and the extra day of touristing it involved meant that my feet were very tired by the end of the weekend. 🙂
The Friday show possibly felt better for me than it did for Northwind, it felt like it passed really quickly, which seems like a good sign. It just wasn't as good as the Saturday or Sunday shows. Mainly I think that the setlist didn't click for me as well as the setlists for Saturday and Sunday did. Generally the Saturday show at the Weekender tends to eclipse the Friday show even though both are very good, and it went down the same way this year, despite the Friday show still being a great time.
The Saturday show also included The Horn Steady (UK), which elevates things further!
There always seems to be a non-trivial number of women at the Hold Steady shows I've been to, but I can't deny that there's a definite bias towards middle-aged blokes. I'm saddened to hear that it can seem like an intimidating audience, I'm sure that's not how the band (or most fans) want it to be. But then if you're not fully committed to the cult then I can see how it might seem less welcoming. My first Frank Turner gig was a bit like that, feeling like I was the only person in the audience who didn't know every word in every song was a bit isolating and my gender and demographic weren't in the minority there.
There always seems to be a non-trivial number of women at the Hold Steady shows I've been to, but I can't deny that there's a definite bias towards middle-aged blokes. I'm saddened to hear that it can seem like an intimidating audience,
0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glastonbury in 2007, seen them a few times since. She probably just had an off night - it's pretty beery and the crowd is boisterous a long way back....
Turns out - checking in later in the day, more reasonably priced tickets for Yeah Yeah Yeahs appeared, so I will be going to see them after all. Quite excited as I have never been to the Royal Albert Hall before.
WAs just about to say Yeah Yeah Yeahs are on general sale now. I always wanted to see them, but I've got over it now, especially at £80 upwards for a seated gig (that's not not a gig!) 😡 Reasonable tickets at those prices can **** right off!
So, this week we've been to see tunng twice, Monday at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds and last night at thenTrades Club in Hebden Bridge.
On the way home from Leeds my wife said it was the best gig she's been to.
But last night was even better, really good atmosphere and a sell out. Trades club can suffer from people continually talking whilst the band is on, but last night was amazing, and you could tell the band had fun on the penultimate night of the tour.
Bob Mould is touring the UK later in the year too, but it looks like that's solo shows. I saw him solo a couple of years ago and it was pretty good (still very loud!) but I'd have preferred for it to be a full band tour.
more reasonably priced tickets for Yeah Yeah Yeahs appeared, so I will be going to see them after all. Quite excited as I have never been to the Royal Albert Hall before.
.
especially at £80 upwards for a seated gig (that's not not a gig!)
Reasonabletickets at those prices can **** right off!
yeah yeah yeahs are playing the albert hall at £80+??
wow, things have moved on! saw them at the leadmill years ago and havent heard much from them lately that would suggest theyre in the big time now? or is £80 at the RAH not considered big time these days....
Bob is playing with his band in November. hot_fiat and I are off to see him in London.
Can’t ****ing wait. His new album is awesome.
Spiritualized at the Theatre royal in Glasgow tonight, playing Pure Phase in full. Yaasss!
Wardruna last night at Bristol Beacon was outstanding! They had an interesting support, a cellist by the name of Jo Quail, who apparently plays at a pub in Bristol frequented by metal heads, she uses a bunch of loop, delay and patch pedals, and is a superb musician.
Wardruna were playing Bristol for the first time, and pulled pretty much a capacity crowd, and they were a bit emotional at the reception they received. Amazing band, no real electric instruments, just traditional Scandinavian instruments miked up - lots of bass from the drums, I didn’t need earplugs which was nice.
Saw Russell Kane with my big bro down in Portsmouth last night. We were in pain with laughing so much. Loved it.
picked up tickets for Tropical **** Storm in London in Sept. Saw them a few years back in Brighton and they were fantastic, so looking forward to another of their rare uk visits.
Wasn't sure if this thread covered comedy, but just got in from seeing Miles Jupp in Nottingham with his "On I Bang" tour.
Absolutely fantastic, personal and emotional show around his treatment for a brain tumour, but told with his fantastic upper class self deprecating humour. The interval is timed to leave you with the "cliff hanger" as to whether he survived the surgery.
Follows on from our last CBeebies themed comedy show with Chris Macausland, which would have been a shock to anyone who only knows him from Strictly.
Next week I've got Dara O'brien in Buxton, first night of his UK tour. Saw him there for the first night of the last tour back in 2022. Caught him at last years Fringe where he was working on material for this tour, so will be interesting to see what's gone and what's still in. The conclusion to the adoption story from the last tour is absolutely hilarious.
David Gray last night in Nottingham - just a supremely talented musician and beautiful music. If you've only listened to White Ladder give some of his other albums a try. I'm getting a taste for these sit-down gigs - just let the music waft over you! 🤣
I'm going to see Public Service Broadcasting in Edinburgh this evening. 🙂
I've been told that we're going to see Mr Sheeran in either Stockholm or Antwerp for my 40th wedding anniversary (July). I would prefer Stockholm as I'm suffering from the syndrome! An added bonuse is that neither gig is within a week of the date!
What's the view on the cities proposed as I suspect Antwerp will not be as exciting as Stockholm.
I've been told that we're going to see Mr Sheeran i
Make sure you get a photo of that speck in the distance or no-one will believe you! 🤣
@desperatebicycle I'll be taking the long lens and the extra convertor just to be certain. 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
Had tickets to see The Dead South at Rock City last week.
Forgot 😭
Seeing Frank Turner next week in Newcastle- saw him last year and was one of the best gigs been to.
Got (most of the) Pogues in May - should be good
I'm in one of those busy spells for gigs. Hope everything goes to plan.
Recent ones: Mattiel, Du blonde (twice) and John Cale.
Coming up soon: Eddi Reader and Imelda May.
Later in the year: Zola Jesus, St Vincent and Patti Smith. None of these are local.
Excellent weekend coming up!
billy woods in Edinburgh on Thursday (he is brilliant) followed by the joy of seeing Oracle Sisters on Friday in Liverpool then again in Glasgow on Saturday! Been waiting so long to see them, their debut album in 2023 was my favourite record of that year, excited for this.
Primal Scream last night, tickets for The Stranglers and Smashing Pumpkins only other things booked at the moment.
Primal Scream last night, tickets for The Stranglers and Smashing Pumpkins only other things booked at the moment.
First night of Dara O'Briain's UK tour in Buxton last night. Fantastic two hours of fast talking* sweary comic genius. Get tickets if you can, the speed awareness routine would suit many on here.
Half the material was in the show he was workshopping in Edinburgh last year, but interesting to see it developed and polished. The audience reaction to the conclusion to the adoption/finding his birth family story from the last tour was worth it alone - no spoilers!
*he's done 7 weeks in Ireland and reckons he will slow down and lose the accent as the UK tours progress.
Jeff Waynes War of the worlds live at Leeds arena tonight. Bloody brilliant 😀 
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