Gigs.

Pet Needs last night in Edinburgh with ChrisL. Very good, singer wasn’t quite on top form, mix not the best and the setlist could have done with a bit of subtlety in it- I get the feeling they’ve done so many supports that they’re not totally sure what to do with a full headliner set? But still very good, recommended if you like punky shouty indie. Entertaining support from Glitchers, not a band I’d ever listen to I think but lots of fun to watch, always a good sign when members of the band need protective gear

Suede were excellent in Eastbourne on Saturday night. Not much of a fan and only really know the old stuff, but was a great night. The band and sound was spot on and Brett certainly gives you your money’s worth. Crowd really got into it in what’s a pretty small (circa 3k) venue. Bar was almost comically efficient. So a most successful evening.

Jon Gomm tonight, about 10 minutes walk from my house. I’ll possibly be on my own, but I’m looking forward to it. (I only found out he was playing on Saturday, so very last minute.)

Went to watch Rianne Downey in Liverpool last week, small venue, maybe 400 there. Very good indeed, magical voice.

This weekend is Elvana in Chester. Not feeling it at the moment, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it once there, but don’t know why I don’t fancy it. 

Therapy? at King Tuts last night. Ears still ringing… Never really know what you’re going to get with Therapy these days but this was a good un- 22 songs I think, really solid setlist- weird absence of “middle albums” stuff, I don’t think there was a single song from between 98 and 2015? But the band seemed more into it than I can remember for a while, and the whole set just clicked. Stories has never sounded better, and a stack of old stuff.

Really good support from Bokassa from Norway- good support for T? and excellent between songs chat. (nailing that scandinavian thing of having absolutely flawless better-than-glaswegian english yet still being damn nearly incomprehensible)

We now have tickets to see Beth Hart in Munich at the beginning of July. (Mrs S went mad and bought flights and accommodation too).

I notice that the Jane’s addiction gig at the barrowlands has sold out.

I’m pretty sure they could fill out the hydro (cough, cough!)

Bought tickets for Kosheen at Koko in Camden start of April. Not just Kosheen but an orchestra too. Should be a stonking night.

I can’t go but Quiet Houses are playing at King Tuts on Thursday night. If you’re free and in Glasgow I’d thoroughly recommend them.

Pretty good start to the year so far.

All at Rough Trade in Notts, tiny venue, about 150 max 

Shed Seven acoustic, sounded great with some new songs and a few oldies that I was surprised I still knew the lyrics.

Marika Hackman – just her and a acoustic guitar. Absolutely stunning voice.

The Fauns last night for some loud guitars.

And Gruff Rhys this weekend.

At this rate I’m spending more on tickets than bike stuff. I’m loving this re-discovering of live music. Must stay away from the hifi thread.

Gutted to be missing Hotel Lux next weekend, but I’m in Spain for me birthday (would rather have gone to the gig tbh, but don’t tell me ol’ mum!!)
So apart from the 2 mentioned earlier, got Speedy Ortiz (yay, The Joiners!), comedy – Reese James in Feb and Ivo Graham in June, then Jane Weaver in April (£22 though, right on my price limit that one!) and my mate is getting me Field Day ticket for a birthday gift, he says, even though they’re not on sale yet (LCD Soundsystem, apparently).
Annoying thing this year, seems to be most of the acts lined up for my fave venues so far I haven’t heard of em! Losing my edge 😛

More small / local gigs for me again this year.

Dan James and How we Operate last Saturday, Adam Kirkup last Sunday.

Bring Me The Hearts this Saturday, Heavy Salad next Saturday. I rarely plan further than that but Legs On Wheels announced some gigs today so I’ll be going to see them on 6th April as an early birthday present 😁

Bought tickets for Kosheen

Didnt realise they were still around, loved their stuff in the early 00’s. Still the same line up?

Wednesday in Brighton in August

The Bothy band @Celtic connections tonight. Mighty !

I’ve registered for the pre sale for the Eagles “farewell” tour. Only seems to be Manchester dates. TBH it’s more because of Steely Dan supporting them. However there’s no mention of ticket prices at all yet but I suspect itll be north of £150 and if that’s the case they can bugger off.

I paid significantly less than that the last time I saw them!

Aye well the Eagles can get in the bin

£284 is the cheapest ticket

It’s just sheer greed. They must have more money than god and at their age all their doing is increasing their kids inheritance.

The Dude does not abide.

Aye well the Eagles can get in the bin

£284 is the cheapest ticket

I keep saying that about gigs I see advertised. I can vaguely understand why some people might want to pay massive amounts for Springsteen, let’s say, but there’s some pricing I find very odd. Smashing Pumpkins/Weezer in Cardiff Castle is over £150 per ticket. The fact I can still add 5 tickets to a basket suggests that not as may people care about the Pumpkins as they think. (I think they went on sale in November?) I’ve just noticed that Springsteen in San Francisco is $188 per ticket but Cardiff is £270… Tickets still seem to be available for Springsteen as well – I’d have thought it would sell out even at those prices.

If you are near Matlock Bath in March and like your southern bluesy style rock get yourself to the Pav on the 16th for These Wicked Rivers!

Only £20 a ticket too! Great support band in Empyre too.

https://www.thesewickedrivers.com/product/force-of-nature-album-celebration-show-16th-march

With Rammstein only doing arenas and the cost of tickets to see and go to ireland prohibitive I’ve spen £10 to see these guys

Each of the Rough Trade gigs I’ve been to have been under £15, that includes a signed CD – ok the set is only 30-45 mins, but often of something a bit different such as acoustic versions – I think it’s good value.

Paying £100+ for Doja Cat tickets for my daughters did make me wince a bit.

Agree about the Pumpkins tickets – cheapest in Birmingham was £80 and they have lost their way after Melancholy so I’ve decided to give that a miss despite being a huge early Pumpkins fan.

I can maybe justify high ticket prices for a huge outdoor show touring Europe. Big infrastructure, couple of full sets of stages moving around, loads of roadies etc

But rocking up to an established indoor arena with much less logistics and overheads. It’s just profiteering and bleeding the fans dry.

A bit of treat for a Monday night, last night.

A mate works at the Arena and messaged me yesterday afternoon with ‘what you up to tonight? Fancy going seeing Depeche Mode?’

What a gig! I’m not normally a fan of big arena gigs but I suppose it depends on the band. They were absolutely awesome. Genuinely one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to. They had the whole place absolutely bouncing. The support was Nadine Shah, who was amazing and to top it off, look what I ended up with…. 😀

^ ace, a mate of mine went and also said it was amazing.

I’ve got tickets for the Johnny Greenwood/Steve Reich thing at the Bridgewater on Saturday, not been to the Bridgewater before so looking forwards to that.

Taking the wife to see Hue and Cry at the Abbey in Shrewsbury in March, not my bag but apparently they are one of the better 80s bands still on the circuit.

The Nightingales in Telford (nice little gig venue in Oakengates – Firefly) in May.

End of the Road in September (change from usual Greenmail in August).

That’s about it, not much grabbing me at the moment as must see.

Thea Gilmore at St George’s in Bristol tomorrow evening, saw Cara Dillon again a week or so ago, and seeing her again in Bradford-on-Avon at the beginning of April for the launch of her new album and book.

Elbow at the O2 on the 9 May, The Staves at Bristol SWX on 22 May. Tickets for The Breeders playing in Bristol later this year go on sale Friday, and I’ve got a ticket for Judie Tzuke at Bath Chapel Arts Centre on 24 October. Been a few years since I last saw Jude play, so looking forward to that.
So a few lined up.

If you are near Matlock Bath in March and like your southern bluesy style rock get yourself to the Pav on the 16th for These Wicked Rivers!

Awesome, cheers pal. Will go some way to making up for The Dead South cancelling their tour. See you there!!!

I’ve got tickets for the Johnny Greenwood/Steve Reich thing at the Bridgewater on Saturday

Talking of Jonny Greenwood,

I missed tickets to see the Smile in Brighton was about to stump up £150 a ticket for me and my son when, thankfully, they announced a gig at Hammersmith Apollo in March.

Awesome, cheers pal. Will go some way to making up for The Dead South cancelling their tour. See you there!!!

@TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR

I’ll wear a pink carnation and carry a copy of The Times under my left arm!

The Blockheads at the Assembly Leamington on Saturday. Fantastic stuff. Sad that Norman has had to give up touring but Nathan King is a worthy stand-in.

I’ll wear a pink carnation and carry a copy of The Times under my left arm!

Haha – we have met in the distant past, but be buggered if I’d recognise you

Looking forward to my son’s band Subterrania playing a gig in the Moon Cardiff tomorrow night for This Feeling’s Big in 2024 promotion.  4 bands playing in total, should be good.

I’ve just payed £50 a ticket to see Jason Isbell at the Usher Hall. It’s at the limit of what I’m prepared to spend at the moment. I would’ve gone to see The Black Crowes at Newcastle, similar size gig but it’s £75 for standing tickets. Twice what I paid last time I saw them. They’ve got premium tickets for about £150, I’d be amazed if they sell out at those prices but limited tour and no gig in Scotland so they might. I get that artists are making the majority of their income from touring but it feels like a kick in the teeth for fans that might also still buy physical copies of albums. Maybe LP’s or CD’s could come with a single use code to get you a discount. I guess for a lot of these artists they’re basically looking at a time after touring where they’ll have very little income.

Reytons at the Leadmill in May, tickets bought

Desperate to see some live music and have easy access to That London but am concerned about travelling on the tube at night time (not alone). There’s been a big increase in robberies and assaults which would make me feel uneasy. Does anyone have any experiences of night time tube travelling?

Rare experience this morning, buying tickets for a gig that isn’t tiny but doesn’t feel like a rip-off: Mogwai are hosting an all-dayer at Queens Park in Glasgow at the end of June, they’re headlining but the bill also contains Slowdive,  Michael Rother, Kathryn Joseph, Free Love, Sacred Paws, Nadine Shah, Beak>, Goat Girl and Bdrmm plus some others. If I’d gone to Glastonbury and seen all of them, I’d be coming away feeling like I’d got value for money, let alone an all-dayer I can ride there and back from!

Sixty-five quid! Amazing!

Cannot wait.

Been bought a All Point East ticket for August as a present – LCD Soundsystem headlining (will be my 3rd time seeing them 😀 ), Jockstrap, Pixies (will be 3rd time, last was 1990!), Jai Paul etc… lovely stuff.

Rhys James comedy tomorrow night is next. Should be fun

I went to a new (to me) venue in Newcastle to see the rather lovely Little Comets for Independent Venue Week. It was at ‘The Grove’ in Byker, the band were great live. Must have sung about 30 songs, first 40 mins or so as a 3 piece, the main set as a full band. Fab night. And only £25.

Disappointingly I’ve got very few gigs coming up – apart from Brrrruuuuce! at Sunderland in May I’ve only got 2 festivals booked in. Northern Kin in Durham in June (Waterboys/Billy Bragg/Elvana/Alabama3/Starsailor/Peat & Diesel/etc) and Kendal Calling in Aug. Both should be good!

Courting last night at Reading’s face bar, supported by Flat Party.

Daughter really likes Courting, hence we met in Reading as it’s about half way for her down from Uni and me travelling up, and it is a good venue. And they were excellent, very good show with a lively audience participation element (singing, moshing, crouching down, standing up….)

But tell the truth they’re not quite my cup of tea. Nothing against them, just not totally my taste.

Whereas Flat Party before i thought were excellent. Definite Suede influences I’d have said.

I’ve got tickets to see Happy Mondays at the end of March (with Inspiral Carpets and Stereo MCs supporting) and Aussie Pink Floyd later in the year lined up.

I’ve also got a Glastonbury ticket and I am getting very frustrated at the lack of announcements – it’s the latest it has ever been without a single headline act announced.