Gigs.

Saw Future Islands in Brighton last night. Was worth it just for his moves during Seasons!

Just back from that London, Symposium aren’t the best band in the world but that was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Close to perfect setlist, band smashed it (even though I think they’re all gym teachers now), crowd was magnificent- never stopped, sang every word, caught every crowdsurfer, cardio levels unheard of post-covid…

I did my first ever crowdsurf to them covering Hard Day’s Night, in 97 I think at the Edinburgh venue (it’s abolutely impossible to google “symposium” “a” and “venue”), maybe I just did my last ever one in 2022 to the same 🙂

Live music is just the absolute ****ing best isn’t it.

Saw Future Islands in Brighton last night. Was worth it just for his moves during Seasons!

I like that when being likened to dancing like no-one’s watching, Samuel says that they’re wrong. That’s how he dances when he knows he’s being watched, when no-one’s watching he lets himself go.

And yet when I try to recreate even a fraction my kids just look at me with a WTF – please stop.

Anyone going to see Electric Callboy in Notts tomorrow night?

No, but seeing Tom McGuire and the Brassholes at the Bodega, Nottingham on Tuesday. Can’t wait!

Just back from MASH in Macclesfield where THR33 were playing. Most excellent. 2nd gig in 4 days for me!

Marlowe in Glasgow tonight, yaaassss!

Tyred Jr coming with me – only problem is he hasn’t done his driving test yet, so not properly useful just yet.

Saw Biffy Clyro last week at the BIC in Bournemouth. My god, what a venue! I am used to Birmingham Arena and was expecting something of similar size considering the other venues that they played on this tour and what a treat that was. I would consider travelling the 4 hours it took me to get there to see an artist on an arena tour it was that good.

2tyred

Marlowe in Glasgow tonight, yaaassss!

You in for a treat. Solemn such a showman! And the beats! 😀

Saw Aussie Pink Floyd in Harrogate on Friday – I know it’s not the real thing, but they are a great set of musicians and the sets/lighting are great. Just over two weeks until The Cure – I am soooooo looking forward to that one!

Bellowhead tomorrow at Newcastle City Hall – had tickets booked since November last year. It’s child1’s first proper gig. He doesn’t know he’s going yet so he’s in for a surprise tomorrow when we pick him up from school.

Was at that Symposium show too, amazing to see one of my favourite bands again. Mid 40s band and crowd still acting like teenagers, in the best possible way.

Actually been a good year for seeing my teenage faves – managed to see Ash (supporting Supergrass), Feeder, NIN and Tool, all were excellent. Great to have live music back.

Saw a young lad with an acoustic guitar at Snow Goose in Macc last night. Was a fun evening. Off to see the Jazz Defenders at MASH Macc tonight if I can face the walk down there in the rain!

After seeing the Lemonheads last month, taking my daughter to the Vamps tomorrow.

I even appear in a photo

Saw Placebo in Brighton last week. Excellent night.

Next stop – First Aid Kit in December

Saw Craig Charles at the Foundry in Sheffield last night, was great until I slipped and split my chin open in the security barrier and spent 6 hours in A & E on Friday night with a £20 taxi fair home 🙁

@Pieface Ouch 😥

Jazz Defenders were bloody ace

Elvana (Elvis fronted Nirvana) at Rock City in Nottingham last weekend, what an amazingly random gig

Belatedly have to report our epic weekend last weekend. Thursday: Squeeze at the new Arena Abertawe; Saturday: The Lancashire Hotpots Big Bash in Manchester (including Black Lace, an oompah band and a Queen tribute band); Sunday: Therapy? at Sin City in Swansea. A lot of driving and the wrong way round in terms of intensity, but awesome nonetheless.

Both being ill since may remind us that a) we’re not used to ‘city germs’ and b) we’re not as young as we were :-/

The Lancashire Hotpots Big Bash in Manchester (including Black Lace, an oompah band and a Queen tribute band)

That sound more like a form of torture than a gig!

Just got back from Frost* at KKs Steelmill in Wolverhampton.

Absolutely superb. It’s a great venue too. Proper rock venue.

Last night was bellowhead at Sheffield city hall. Excellent fun even if it’s not the type of music I usually listen to. Must be about 10 years so nice last saw them at the same venue and the crowd last night was really up for it. Dancing in the aisles was permitted!

Saw Jane Weaver in York (The Crescent) last week. Went not sure, left convinced.
Also AA Williams in the Brudenell a couple of weeks ago was ace…
Looking forward to (a bit different to either of the above) Hania Rani at the Sage Gateshead this week.

Elvana

I saw him/them at a festival a few years ago – was a definite highlight!

Was meant to see Belle & Sebastien at the weekend but has been postponed to next July. Have really got out of the habit of going to gigs in the last few years, apart from the one festival we go to each year, but have Idlewild booked for next month and Suede in March.

Leftfield next week is postponed. I was looking forward to going out for the first time in ages.

Stereolab tomorrow night in Glasgow – they were magic last time I saw them.

Sorry to hear Mister-P.

@IdleJon , Eels have added an additional date in Bath, not sure if that is closer to you, just came out today.

Went to see Squeeze last Monday and they were really good. Difford was a little ropey on vocals but Tilbrook was still good. The star of the show for me though was the keyboard player, he was fantastic. Only downside was it was a fully seated venue. Now I am not a dancer, I don’t get the urge to boogie like the ladies I was with but everytime anyone showed a slight move to dance in the aisles security were on them. This was until Difford made an announcement along the lines of “Just a point to security. This isn’t a care home, they won’t injure themselves if they are allowed to dance, and they don’t scare us” After that there were a few down the front including me, and you had an uninterupted view of the band at close quarters. Made a change from not being blocked by a 6 foot monster 🙂

Well, last gig of the year just done and finding it difficult to come down from that. Clipping. again, this time in Brighton and though the atmosphere wasnt up there with Fabric the other week, the sound was far better. I’ve never felt bass like it, tingling through my whole body. Absolutely amazing. I don’t think I need another gig for a while! Waited years to see them, now seen twice and 2 of the best gigs ever.
Buzzing.

This was until Difford made an announcement along the lines of “Just a point to security. This isn’t a care home, they won’t injure themselves if they are allowed to dance, and they don’t scare us”

Just after Band Aid – Feed The World came out (but before Live Aid) I saw The Boomtown Rats live at York University and there was a no standing rule (apparently because the concert hall was slowly sinking into the marshy ground it was built on)! Anyway, Bob Geldof, in the way only he can say it, said ‘As far as I know, people weigh the same when they are standing as when they are sat down, so get up off your **** arses and get down the the **** front. The security didn’t stand a chance of restoring order LOL!

@johndoh, That’s excellent, and you cant argue with the science 🙂

Saw Gideon Conn play at MASH in Macc (I appear to be going there a lot!) last night. Fun gig 🙂

@IdleJon , Eels have added an additional date in Bath, not sure if that is closer to you, just came out today.

Thanks John, that is much closer. Tickets out today apparently, and weirdly I’ve been singing ‘Goddam right, it’s a beautiful day, aha’ all day. Just that line. 😀

New model army in Manchester last night were brilliant, moshpit was lively as always, great set list too… only downsides were £6.25 pints(glad I was driving) and £4 to leave jacket in cloaks… expected it to be dry cleaned for that😉 combination of gig and 5 hour gravel ride yesterday means I’m feeling pleasantly battered this morning

The Reytons in Brighton this Friday. Just been watching a bit of YouTube footage from their gigs last week and 3 things occurred to me.
1. I am going to be one of the oldest people at the gig, possibly only beaten by my wife
2. I think we might have to stay near the back, the crowd get very raucous and I don’t want to risk a broken hip
3. It’s going to be ace

The cure tonight in Leeds. Last time I saw them was during the last World Cup. Saw England win against Sweden in the quarterfinals in the afternoon before the gig.
A good omen all round…

https://open.spotify.com/album/3rK1q79KbTporCJVvbMNUX?si=M3qjubvJQyW1kh56exEyMw

@docrobster – I was there last night too. Just wow – they were amazing. It’s the first time I have seen them and I loved every minute of it. Hauntingly beautiful throughout. That song about his dead brother (I Can Never Say Goodbye) – it was just beautiful. I have seen literally hundreds of bands over the last 40+ years and it was definitely up there in the top 5 for me.

I was at The Cure in Leeds last night, too. My second visit to the arena and it’s a good ‘big’ venue, although £15 for two pints seems a bit steep. The Cure were fantastic, the main set was mostly slower, darker stuff and I think a lot of people would have been happy just to hear the final encore. The new songs all sound reliably cure-y, I hope they hurry up and release the album.

although £15 for two pints seems a bit steep.

It was, but at least they had some halfway decent beet (Moretti) rather than the usual fayre expected at venues. For novelty factor alone I got one of the two-pint glasses plastics. And TBF I had a couple of San Miguels in The Beerhouse (at the train station) before the gig and they were £5.70 each anyway – beer is just silly money in pubs and venues alike these days.

Yeah I thought for an arena it was a good venue. Certainly better than others I’ve been to- Sheffield, Manchester, Nottingham, Wembley. Designed for music not sport so wide and short instead of long and thin. Great view and sound.
My third time seeing the cure but with a pal who’s seen them 8-10 times and he thought it was one of the best ones.
Next for us is Kate Rusby in York this Sunday. A tradition in our family to see her round Xmas. Then Hawley at the leadmill again the week after.