Went to an EP launch in Raves from the Grave in Frome, for Ugly Ozo. Was good fun and looking forward to seeing them at The Joiners in a few weeks then again at Dot 2 Dot in Bristol. Have a spare ticket for that if anyone needs one.
Jazz masterclass from Makaya McCraven last night. Drums, trumpet, bass guitar, keys - all you need. Some of the playing was amazing, super-tight and just so cool.
Supported by Glasgow's Kai Reesu, looking forward to seeing them again. Not a million miles from The Roots, which is a good place to be.
Just Mustard surprised me with their grooviness. Really enjoyed that.
I saw them at Electric Brixton last week, i've not listened to them much before but loved the gig. Not sure how i'd describe it, lots of odd disorienting guitar noise. Seemed to go on for ever but was over too soon. Would love to see them again.
I thought someone would have popped up by now with "I've seen Angine de Poitrine, who wants to touch me?"! No one manage it? Anyone going to Bristol or Brighton? I had a couple of alerts yesterday from Twickets for available tickets for last night, but didn't manage to snag either of them in time.
That certainly won't be me.
I am seeing Tricky on Friday in London though. Not seen him before, so pretty chuffed.
I hope Tricky better than when I saw him at Camden Roundhouse. The whole thing was just so quiet, could hardly hear him.
I am off to see Submotion Orchestra next Wednesday in Milton Keynes. They are a band who never disappoint.
Gawd, he better be good - it's costing me a ton to get to London and stay over!
No danger of not hearing Tricky, this place has 4 5ft square cabs between us and the stage. The bass coming out of them is bone shaking enough during the support!
got tickets today for my 2nd 'dog' gig of the year. ferocious dog tickets already acquired, today i bought tickets for fat dog at rock city in december, love them.
I thought someone would have popped up by now with "I've seen Angine de Poitrine, who wants to touch me?"! No one manage it? Anyone going to Bristol or Brighton? I had a couple of alerts yesterday from Twickets for available tickets for last night, but didn't manage to snag either of them in time.
I looked for tickets as soon as I found out about them, they’d sold out pretty much straight away. I’m quite partial to interesting Math/Prog Rock, and they certainly appeal, but I have a horrible feeling that the next time they’re around, ticket prices will be ridiculous.
Sadly, I’ve reached a point where I have be very particular about who I go to see - when I was working, and tickets in smaller venues were about £12-15, I could easily afford to see two or three acts a month, but I’m a pensioner now, and prices are up around £25-30 a ticket, at the smaller venues, and £75 or more at the bigger venues, and that’s no longer affordable, sadly.
There was one year, back in the 90’s, when many acts skipped Bristol, and only played London, and I managed to get to 39 gigs, sometimes two or three in one week - that’s unthinkable now!
Me neither. *in awful overhyped internet novelty *ery.
And yet they’ve been together for around twenty years! Go figure, as they say. 🤷🏼♂️
Last night I was fortunate to see Emmylou Harris at Bristol Beacon. Superb show, and most likely the last chance I’ll ever have to see her, as this is her farewell tour after fifty years in the business. Speaking to the sound guy, after trying to get a set list, every show is different, so remembering all the lyrics to songs written over such a length of time takes some doing, especially when you’re 79!
Excuse the quality of the photos, I was in row W, behind the sound desk, using my phone.
I thought someone would have popped up by now with "I've seen Angine de Poitrine, who wants to touch me?"! No one manage it?
certainly an interesting looking duo, and i dont mind listening to them on the radio, theyre quite tight musically. but i think a whole gig might get a bit boring quickly. "oh heres another one that sounds like the last one and the one before that, his nose is still bouncing up and down, im off to the bar anyone fancy a drink?"
Forgot to post it but Machine Head in Glasgow a couple of nights ago (but my elbow still hurts). Bloody superb. It's an "An Evening With Machine Head" show so no support and they play for almost 3 hours. I had my doubts, last time I saw them do this it was a bit meandering and basically the difference between a 90 minute and 180 minute set seemed to be 90 minutes of ****ing about and a lot of second rate songs that they'd never normally play.
But this un was good. Proper full career set, a completely epic Iron Maiden cover, and a band that understands why the crowd isn't quite as active when they play Halo at the end, because we're all absolutely ****ed and half of us are wounded. Robb Flynn's almost 60, it's ridiculous.
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Super Furry Animals in Cardiff last night were brilliant. 2 hours of great back catalogue songs all performed perfectly.
Excellent support sets from Melin Melyn and Getdown Services as well.
Yeah was at Super Furrys last night in Cardiff, Gruff sounded great and the band were tight plus the sound in the CIA actually sounded alright, I didn't get a ticket till 5:30 on the night and glad I went.
I'd seen Get Down services 4 times before, they're are great but I think they were nervous and took the warm the crowd up element a bit far 🙂
Caught most of Melin Melyn who were good, they looked like they'd been playing to that size crowd forever!
And yet they’ve been together for around twenty years
Yeah, but you’ve only just heard of them like everyone else. And I bet I know why that is.
Yeah, but you’ve only just heard of them like everyone else. And I bet I know why that is.
Yeah, and what would that be? Share with me, I’d be fascinated to know how you think I got to know about them.😏
They appeared all over the internet wearing funny clothes and hilarious noses... Looking like Mr Blobby's math rock band... Which is how they got noticed and played on 6 music where you probably "discovered" them... 😆
Couple of sorta gigs just done, Friday was comedy at the local school hall - Jason Byne gone the full nutcase again. Painfully funny. My mum and her partner joined us and got properly picked on by the host comedian. Which obviously made it even more hilarious!
The yesterday saw Takkuuk - a film by the band Bicep - we sat on beanbags! images on 4 walls of the Old Market in Brighton, music incorporating Iniut people from Greenland and inverviews with them about displacement and climate change. Unforgettable. Look it up for a local showing.
Dot2Dot festival in Bristol yesterday was fun, and at £25 pretty stunning value for a day of great live music. New Dad probably my pick of the day, only saw them by chance due to my daughter and her mate getting ID'd at a different venue where we wanted to see something else.
A week on but saw an excellent Irish band called pot-pot at nice n sleazy in Glasgow. A harmonium, restrained guitar feedback, boy /girl vocals, kind of droning kosmische sound, plus they looked really cool - enjoyed it so much I bought the vinyl album.
Next two weeks sees Open Mike Eagle then an Elgar cello concerto then Hollie Cook at king tuts.
Lemon Twigs last night. Committed high energy performance banging out a lot of songs. Engaged audience, no laptops or earpieces just lots of talent, melodic guitar pop, Beatles/BeachBoys harmonies, friendly venue (Brudnell, Leeds). Ticks lots of boxes on paper but left me slightly cold for some reason. A bit bloodless maybe? The rest of the audience appeared to love them.
Went to see Black Coffee at the O2 on Friday. 20.000 sold out show with live orchestra and loads of guest singers including Alicia Keys. Without even planning it got in reasonably early and guessed that right so ended up at the front for the 3 hour show, I’ve never held onto a pee for so long! Absolutely amazing show.
Saw Pigs x 7 a couple of weeks ago at The Crescent in York (recently voted as the 9th best independent music venue in the UK by Time Out), and I have Spear of Destiny at The Brudenell in Leeds this weekend (voted 1st in the same list). I am so lucky to live just 30 minutes away by train from both venues.
next up for me is the Damned at kelvingrove bandstand. forecast is rain, so it'll be full waterproofs!
Big Thief last night at the Aviva shed In Manchester - strange one, for forty minutes or so it was wonderful, a beautiful racket, tight but shambling with spellbinding melodies, lyrics and hooks. Then after the second halt for someone needing help in the audience and an aborted song the thread that ties you in to a performance broke, and it became disjointed. Worth it for the first part though. Don't know if the venue played a part, it's a huge cavernous space and a bit soulless, although the sound was good. Mind you, £4.50 a pint at a gig in Manchester is ok.
Just snagged Tickets to see Cancer Bats at the Parish in Huddersfield. 20 Year anniversary of Birthing the Giant and of the Parish exisiting. Also seeing them earlier in the month as Bat Sabbath in Manchester. Noice.
I saw Florence Road at Koko this time last week, just before it got unbearably hot, although pretty steamy. With my daughter, it is a bit of a TikTok teenage fanbase but as I've regularly said, all live music's good. I was more impressed by the support personally - Moia - an Irish Nigerian indie / r&b / soul cross. Both bands were playing the biggest gig ever and just genuinely looked to be really pleased to be there.
Now a bit of a gap until Brian Bilston / Catenary Wires (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly) in early July, but I'm sure something will come up in between.
My mate has a sideline in gig photography, based Oxford so he goes to a LOT of gigs, and sees some fantastic new bands as well as some truly weird stuff. But this lot make Angine de Poitrine look normal
Bunch of new gigs on sale... next was Nick Cave in July (ooh a biggie), now got Bathing Suits at the Green Door Store in June, Gumdrop again in Winchester (maybe, as the headliners sound awful, cross between Led Zep and Heart?! Guess we'll leave early), just got Tropical F... Storm for Brighton in Sept and Gilla Band (yes!) for London next feb.
Gans, supporting Pixies at the Royal Albert Hall were brilliant.
Uplifting dance punk in the mould of fat dog and LCD sound system. Did a great job of warming up the early arrivers.
Pixies were of course excellent but you knew that already.
Found this on a local FB page, 6 shillings to see Hendrix, 30 pence. Inflation calculators suggest this would now be around £7. I'll have two please
saw sugar in Bristol on Saturday thereby righting the regret that I never got to see them in the early 90s. Special kudos to Malcom the drummer holding it down at 73!
Bob was in fine form, careering round the stage like a man half his age and absolutely shredding his strat. His guitar tone and general guitar presence for being the only guitar on stage is awesome.
I'm seeing Sugar on Thursday. It's the gig I'd been looking forward most this year, but have to say that seeing that the set list only has two tracks from Beaster dampened my enthusiasm a bit. I also came across some performance footage from the first New York gigs on You Tube, it seemed that Bob's vocals take a slightly arbitrary approach to following the original melodies!
Hope I'm proved wrong and it's as good as you say!
Spear of Destiny at The Brudenell last night. It was a great gig, topped off by moshing with strangers to Liberator at the end.
I'm seeing Sugar on Thursday. It's the gig I'd been looking forward most this year, but have to say that seeing that the set list only has two tracks from Beaster dampened my enthusiasm a bit. I also came across some performance footage from the first New York gigs on You Tube, it seemed that Bob's vocals take a slightly arbitrary approach to following the original melodies!
Hope I'm proved wrong and it's as good as you say!
there was a great vibe in the room and they all seemed to genuinely be having a ball on stage. I purposely avoided anything on YouTube of the earlier shows.
We got 3 off beaster ( which is also my fave ) come around, tilted and JC auto. They did play quite a lot off FUEL and I would have preferred a couple more earlier ones ( no needle hits e sadly). I’ve loved Bob since Husker Du and never had the chance to see him live so it was definitely a bucket list thing for me.
the original melody thing is a long standing Bob thing I think. There’s a bbc performance of helpless from 91 which bares little resemblance to the recording 🤣
You will have a great time!
We got 3 off beaster ( which is also my fave ) come around, tilted and JC auto.
Ah, that's good. The set list seemed to have added Come Around since the first few dates. Guess you can't complain when they are playing 50% of the tracks off your favourite album! Think I was hoping they'd just knock out the whole 30 glorious minutes.
Open Mike Eagle at Stereo in Glasgow, Saturday night. Dead good, even Mrs Tyred - who doesn't enjoy every rap show - rated it.
Weekend coming should be good - Hollie Cook on Friday, then an RSNO concert Saturday featuring an Elgar cello concerto, then A Love From Outer Space with Sean Johnston after that (not sure how long we'll last at that, way past bedtime!)
Last night was in Brighton to see BIIRD. Not something I would have thought of but my wife bought tickets. Had a really good night. All women group playing Irish Traditional but with fairy grunge outfits. Excellent musicians with great stage presence. Had a packed Concorde2 doing set dancing - more dangerous than most mosh pits. Great show in a small venue. I see they also played Thekla , which must have been carnage with 10 people on stage, let alone in the audience. Recommended
Last night was the Wildhearts in Edinburgh. God I love the Wildhearts. Sold out in a fairly small venue, crowd was a bit static in all honesty, not even much bouncing but massively appreciative anyway, I think we're just getting old.
I feel a bit lukewarm about the current version of the band, it's too much Ginger And Some Other Dudes for me, but they're really bloody effective. Random Jon Poole kept his annoying yap shut and just played, and he's a great player when he's not mouthing off. And the drummer, whoever that might be, was ace- never heard these songs with a big powerhouse drummer before, it's weird but it's good. They were tight as all hell without being boxy, really good.
And a Wildhearts set with no Caffeine Bomb, no I Wanna Go, no TV Tan, no 29x, no Suckerpunch? Unthinkable a few years back, and honestly I love all that old shit but I'm still glad they played so much different stuff. I mean I've heard them all probably 40 times live.
Oh support Damsens were quite random, I really liked em, tons of potential but I think they need more songs and some of the songs need to be more songey. Still, random garage punk Placebo cover was a new one on me.
Just back from seeing Sugar at the Irish Centre in Leeds. Really enjoyed it, great atmosphere and the band all seemed to be really into it. I was trying to work out when I last saw them. It turns out it was 32 years ago, the last time they played Leeds. They put incredible energy into it
StourJam this weekend(Fri, Sat, Sun) with a couple of mates. 130ish bands in 13 venues. Camping so may be dampish.
I'm off to see The Orb in Castleton this Saturday. It should be interesting as it's in Peak Cavern aka The Devil's Arse.
