Gigs.

Not a gig as such, but our local festival lineup is out for 2025

A couple of bands that are doing other festivals that I’d have liked to have seen on there, but more will be added.

Happy enough with that, it’s always a cracking weekend

I’ve seen Sleaford Mods a few times – always at festivals – where I suspect the shorter set provably works in their favour.  Given how little is going on up on stage they’re surprisingly engaging.   What I did think was interesting a few years back was the mass of abuse that Billy Nomates got for doing exactly the same sort of live show (https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/billy-nomates-glastonbury-set-abuse-b2363451.html).  I’ve seen here live (actually at the Leftfiedl tent at the festival) and she was brilliant. The only difference is she’s pressing play on her laptop rather than having someone else do it for her.

(quite a few tracks both of theirs I love, but not album artists for me)

Pokey LaFarge in Brixton tonight…..

anagallis_arvensis are you small or far away?

Electric Six at a small venue in York last night (The Crescent). It was fun, but not the best gig I have been to by some margin.

Saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Birmingham BP Connect  0n 17 November (Formally Genting Arena/LG Arena/NEC Arena) – they were **** amazing!

Went to see WH Lung at Nottingham Bodega last Saturday – great live band.  Complete contrast to Jools Holland Rhythym and Blues Orchestra who I am seeing tonight at Birmingham Symphony Hall (Not really my cup of tea…).

Shed Seven next week at Birmingham Academy.

@sadexpunk

Did you find it cold in Rock City!?

We went on Friday to see Massive Wagons and the wife and I both had to keep our coats on due to the air-con. Loads of folk still wearing beenies too. It’s usually a sweaty mess in there! 🙂

johndoh Free Member
Electric Six at a small venue in York last night (The Crescent). It was fun, but not the best gig I have been to by some margin.

I’ve seen them two or three times now and my conclusion is that I’ll see them but I won’t go out of my way to do so. They’re perfectly fine as a live band but I always have a feeling that they should be something a bit more than what they manage to put on.

Saw Public Service Broadcasting last night at a great venue in Madrid, just the right size, with great sound, and the band were fantastic. My wife wasn’t familiar with their music, which is always a risk, but she loved them so that was fantastic, too.

The crowd as pretty much as I imagine an STW get-together would be: majority middle-aged, white men. Including me, of course 🙂

Saw Joe and the Shitboys on Saturday night, cracking gig.  Frontman spent the entire gig in the crowd (although the venue was small enough that it’s hard not to)!

Chris Helme (of the Seahorses) and a few other bands at the Crescent in York at the weekend. Bit meh – love him as a singer and was really looking forward to it but he sang about 4 songs which I’d never heard and then disappeared. The band on after him (little York band from back in the day) called The Blueprints were ace.

Back there again on Monday night to watch Echobelly supported by Blue Violet. One of the best gigs I’ve been to – both bands absolutely amazing…

I really enjoyed seeing anthrax and testament for the first time.

that said, Kreator were absolutely blistering.

gobsmacked!

My word, these cruddy photos! What’s the point? sorry, just one of my hated things.

Just booked Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart for next May… at The Joiners! Amazingly tiny venue… just outside my price limit of £50 for a pair a tix. But he’s my bass hero, so had to do it. Never saw the original PiL, but now seen Johnny in 2022 and then Jah, so closest I’ll get 🙂

Cruddy photo follows (before they started playing, luckily. Its the gig where he called someone a “soppy ****” for having their phone out.) Legend

Got Homeyglaze tonight in Southampton, unexpected.. Fella on Facebook offering a pair of tickets, incredibly not a scammer. Emailed em over doesn’t even want paying. Sweet. Then IDLES tomorrow.

Went to New Century in Manc last night. Saw Sprints supported by Chalk. Lovely venue. Nice crowd. Good, loud bands. 

Todays free gigs in Brum are Martin Burch Band at The Brasshouse at 3pm then a choice of Clean Shirt at Snobs or Taxi For Jesus at the Actress n Bishop at 6.30 and then at 8pm its Cat Davis Trio at the Gunmakers. At Kings Norton at 3pm theres The Southland Trio at Chas Mann.

Today should bring this years gig total up to 123 btw. Last year I managed 144.

The Almighty last night at the Barrowlands. Saw them last St Andrews day too, and will do again next!

Barrowlands is always such a great venue, the band were great, Ricky Warwick was his usual gurning enthusiastic self.

Missed Girlschool supporting though, got there at the changeover.

The Damned, at the barrowlands on Thursday, and the Skids and Spear of Destiny on saturday

Not been to a gig since late last year so I’m going to need to sleep for a week after this bunch.

Battles on Friday at Clwb Ifor Bach, great gig, they were really good, good crowd, packed venue.

@Lovewookie, was there too and last year and might just do it again next year. Great show.

My word, these cruddy photos! What’s the point?

I can’t remember most of the gigs I’ve been to in my life. I kept tickets for a while then cleared them out. A mate (diagnosed ocd) has a notebook of everyone he’s seen.

I now make sure I take one photo at each gig I go to. It’s a log, not meant to be art.

(but people taking video? Ffs. When are you ever going to watch it? No one else is going to)

Took my 8yr old daughter to see Henge yesterday. Matinee show at band on the wall in MCR. Saw them for the first time at the ferret in Preston a few weeks ago, we had a great time at that so I thought we should go again.

She made a friend and the two of them stood up on the balcony, I kept an eye on her from downstairs, it was great to watch her singing and dancing along.

It you’ve not seen Henge, I highly recommend going along, it’s a brilliant, good fun, show. And the kid friendly matinee show is genius.

Day was slightly ruined by train cancellation chaos which means we ended up getting a national express home, which in turn took 90 minutes just to get out of the city centre, total gridlock!

Took my 8yr old daughter to see Henge yesterday. Matinee show at band on the wall in MCR. Saw them for the first time at the ferret in Preston a few weeks ago, we had a great time at that so I thought we should go again.

She made a friend and the two of them stood up on the balcony, I kept an eye on her from downstairs, it was great to watch her singing and dancing along.

It you’ve not seen Henge, I highly recommend going along, it’s a brilliant, good fun, show. And the kid friendly matinee show is genius.

Day was slightly ruined by train cancellation chaos which means we ended up getting a national express home, which in turn took 90 minutes just to get out of the city centre, total gridlock!

Henge are a lot of fun!

Have got Sleep Token on Tuesday, super excited, I’m taking the OH so sent her the supposed playlist and suddenly shes a fan, after never hearing of them, think it will be a special atmosphere…

Then to shake it up, Falling in Reverse next Sunday! if they don’t cancel……

2 gig weekend done. Idles tonight rocked it in the biggest venue I’ve been in in many years, Brighton Centre (1st time since Run DMC and the Beastie Boys in ‘87!). Proper loud though. Loved it.

The Crescent, York… Back there again on Monday night to watch Echobelly supported by Blue Violet. One of the best gigs I’ve been to – both bands absolutely amazing…

I thought that was last Monday? (I was there last Tuesday to see Electric Six).

Edit: I think I mis-read your post 🙂

I can’t remember most of the gigs I’ve been to in my life. I kept tickets for a while then cleared them out. A mate (diagnosed ocd) has a notebook of everyone he’s seen.

Can I direct you to – https://www.concertarchives.org/ (there’s even an app). Now you can log everything and enjoy the music without getting out your phone. I know, I’m lovely! Nearly all of mine are in there, I’ve missed ones where I’d lost the ticket or just forgotten to list it. Currently at 300 gigs in 112 venues. I’m a few short. The 80s and 90s were a blur 🙂

Fontaines D.C. at Leeds Arena tonight – really looking forward to this one – they are definitely my Favourite (see what I did there) right now.

Check out The Temperance Movement, reforming and touring next year (UK and Europe), saw them in Norwich (pre covid) with the Sheepdogs supporting, t’was a great night!

Great original stuff but I love this Led Zep cover:

Got tickets for Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew next year doing Talking Heads ” Remain in Light ” … Cannae wait

It was a gig-tastic night in Manchester last night. We went to see 808 State at New Century Hall, but met up with some mates for beers beforehand who were off to see Shed Seven at Victoria Warehouse, then got the tram back afterwards with some other mates who’d been to see the Human League at the Arena

808 were awesome! The place was absolutely bouncing. Literally, as New Century Hall has a sprung dancefloor. First ever gig I’ve been to there and its a great venue. It was to mark the 35th anniversary of the release of 90. How old do you feel now? The place was full of old ravers and the atmosphere was absolutely fantastic!

That’d be quality. Did they invite Tunes this time?

“Anyone else getting completely hacked off with the amount of talking/SHOUTING at gigs?…

Most of the gigs I go to these days are either too loud for it to make a difference, or the audience are too respectful. There have been some in the past where I’ve told people to just shut the phük up, or leave, one gig in Bath, it was John Martyn playing*, and there was a group of four people who spent the whole time in a little square looking at each other and talking, so at the end I asked if they’d enjoyed it. When they said they had, I said, well that’s odd, because all evening you’ve done nothing but stand yakking and pissing off everyone else, turned and walked away. Assholes.

Next gig I’ve got tickets for is Throwing Muses at The Fleece in Bristol, next March; nice little venue, and they always put on a good show. I think I might make an exception to the unwritten rule of not wearing a tour tee shirt of the band your seeing, and dig out my ‘The Real Ramona’ tee from when I saw them in Bristol back in the 90’s.

* And he wasn’t completely shitfaced.

Jason Isbell

It was a few weeks ago now but over the course of a week I saw Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit in Antwerp, Edinburgh, and finally Stockton on tees. All fantastic gigs and the tightness you’d expect from Isbell and band.

However, the setlists were very similar and there was a sense that they were going through the motions with little dialogue throughout.

The difference between gigs came down to the venue and crowd……..

– Antwerp De Roma – lovely 1930s cinema with great acoustics. However, for a Saturday night, the crowd were tame and talked over the support act (SG Goodman) which was somewhat rude. The band had minimal chat, started early, and left the stage having played one less song than every other date on the tour. I reckon they had a tight turnaround and needed to be on the road prompt after the show.

– Edinburgh Usher Hall giving the best sound, reception from the crowd, and feedback from the band, which was impressive given it was a wednesday night. The whole band seemed to enjoy this night so much more and really fed off the enthusiastic Scottish audience.

Stockton Globe Theatre – Lovely venue. Great performance and experience right at the front of the stage. Similar setlist to Antwerp but more responsive audience which made all the difference.

The setlists were roughly 3/4 the same for all 3 gigs with a rotation of other tracks on top. Sadly no covers.

Perhaps overkill, but an interesting experience to see the same band 3 times in a week, though I’m obviously something of a fan.

If you’re vaguely into rock/Americana, or just seriously good guitar skills and song writing, I insist you give Isbell a go!

Hi all. I can’t make the knife party gig in Bristol next Saturday (14th). I have 2x free tickets.  Message me if you want them.

Northwind
That’d be quality. Did they invite Tunes this time?

yeah MC Tunes was there for the last tune of the night. Nice surprise to end a great gig.  I drove down from Windermere with my brother in law and his lad just for this gig! A long night but well worth it 

anagallis_arvensis are you small or far away?

It’s just that Miles Hunt is a giant amongst us!!

Last night in Bristol

Just back from Limehouse Lizzy…. distinctly average….one guitarist who wasn’t really bothered and the other seems to be confused in that apparently Thin Lizzy were a shred metal band……….

Seeing El Hornet and Goldie tomorrow (Sat) in sunny Perf.

Well its into Kings Norton in Brum for what may be the last Draculas Garage at The Tower of Song.Bands there are Blank Generation and Spitting Feathers. Then into O Bar on Broad Street for The Fearless Scoundrels 6.30pm.

Other gigs are Dereck and The Checkmates at Chas Mann in Kings Norton 3pm, Taxi For Jesus at The Brasshouse 3.30pm and Just Doing It 6.30pm at Snobs.

Gigs of the year have been last months Draculas Garage with The Silhouettes,Boo Tikis and Mandelbrot Shakes. The other one was Tin Tent Festival at Rock and Roll Brewhouse in Jewellry Quarter, to many stunning sets to mention.