What's the last gig you went to see?

[Kim]

Yeah, the problem with going to gigs like that is that I often seem to end up fixing things.

Or giggling in the corner, depending on sympathy levels and what tools I have secreted about my person. My days of wandering round with M8 bolts, safety chains, 10A fuses and fluorescent starters in my coat pocket are long gone, mind.

[Illegal Combat Ant]

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue at the Fillmore, SF. Last night.
Amazing.

[andrewc]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/rZtYgfqQmFs&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/rZtYgfqQmFs&rel=1</a>

Heritage Blues Orchestra at the Liverpool Philharmonic.  I'm not the worlds biggest blues fan but this was a fun gig.

An excellent review of Fridays gig http://gerryco23.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/the-heritage-blues-orchestra-an-outstanding-show/

[CrinklyLion]

Mark Morriss, formerly of the Bluetones, at Fibbers in York.  It must be a fair while since I last went there, because they've completely changed the layout from what I remember.... Good bar staff, jolly door staff, drinks similarly over-priced to the Duchess 2 minutes away, floor significantly less sticky, loos in poor order.  Good enough venue, but not my favourite.

Despite threats of it being cancelled the show went on, which was jolly good news because I rather enjoyed it.  Support was not the chap with acoustic guitar advertised, but was a different chap with acoustic guitar who looked strangely familiar.  Worked out, before he said as much, that he was the lead singer from York-based band the Blueprints (which also made sense of why their keyboard player had been sitting nearby looking vaguely familiar in a confusing way until I figured out where I recognised him from) who I saw and rather enjoyed a few weeks ago.  Have to say I liked him better when he was playing with the rest of 'em.  He's very chirpy, and engaging, and likeable, and does some pretty decent songs and the guitar (despite temperature issues - both he and the main man seemed to struggled to keep 'em tuned for more than one song!) sounded pretty good.  But his voice just doesn't really do it for me.  Not bad, but a bit nasal mid-atlantic, especially on a couple of tracks.  Which is a shame, because I nearly really like him. 

Morriss was another kettle of sambuca-downing poisson.  I've mentioned before my complete and utter cultural ignorance, so I didn't really know even the 'old favourites' he chose (or in some cases was nagged into performing) - the "Orville-the-duck and others" version of whatever really famous one which sounded vaguely familiar even to me was hilarious, mind.  Could have done without the just-irritating level of audience chatter.  Worst culprit being support-act's girlfriend, who was a bit behind us, which is a shame because she sang on a couple of tracks at the Blueprints gig and I think I like her when she sings.  Just not when she talks slightly too loudly through the whole of the headliner's set.  Even the encore.  Grr.

Anyhoo, jolly fine music and entertaining banter in between the JD and the sambuca shots.  I liked him, and I reckon I shall be trying to get me some tickets and a babysitter for his next York gig in a couple of months. 

[Jaded]

This one

[CrinklyLion]

York basement, Dan Webster with, theoretically, Joe Solo and Carol Henderson supporting.
http://www.thebasementyork.co.uk/event/1807/
Cos it sounded like it might be OK and was only a fiver.

Got there - ooh.  Table and candles.  Found a seat, first support started, introduced herself as 'Amy'.  Oh.  Have I come to the wrong gig?  Peculiar.  Introduces her guitar-toting companion as something inaudible.  Not to worry... they sounded delicious anyway.  Then someone called Brad joined them from the audience and played double bass.  What's not to like.  No idea who they were, but good.  I'd go see em again.  If I knew who they were.

Random other people looking for seats asked if they might join me at my table, and said hello.  Yorkies are so frightfully nice, y'see.  Singer from the first act tripped over her own feet leaving the stage and nearly landed on me but we agreed that it was a complete nothing happened moment.  Honest.

Next up, Joe Solo.  Who pronounces Hull properly.  If you're from East Yorkshire you'll know what I mean.  Turns out he's from Scab, so that makes sense.  He was confused by how polite we were.  But quite sweet about it.  Lots of acoustic guitar slapping, some harmonica, a knee-mounted tambourine and a maraca in his shoe.  All a bit one-man-band-y, extremely good gurning and a splendid quiff.  Bit of politics.  Bit of humour.  Better than I expected and he grew on me.  One number completely a cappella - brave choice, and it worked actually.  Then there was audience participation and I have A Rule about that, namely that unless there is a Dame and someone dressed up as the arse end on a comedy farmyard animal and we are within spitting distance of xm*s it is Not Allowed.  Last time someone tried to make me audiencely participate it was Adam Cohen dressed in a nappy and cherub wings in the Rufus Wainwright encore-that-I-hated and I was really quite keen for him to come 'get me' so I could tell him to fuck right off to his face.  But this time there were only about thirty of us there, and he got the singer from the 'headline' act to go round with a bucket distributing shakers and the other support act all joined in (apart from the double-bass playing Brad who had gone because he was poorly) and it was all quite jolly and non coercive so I broke the rule.  As he said - one person shaking a morrisons tupperware filled with beans or rice and with a leftie slogan on it looks like an idiot.  A roomful of people doing it.... all look like idiots.  But at least we're a community of idiots, and it sounds quite nice and made everyone laugh.

Headliners - Dan Webster band.  I recognised the bassist and the cellist from another lineup.  Blueprints?  I think.  Sounded OK, some foot stomping fun, a track that he'd only told the rest of the band about at lunchtime to close with for added entertainment.  They all looked to be having fun together which always helps.  His voice didn't quite hit the spot for me, and I couldn't work out why.  Maybe it's the curse of the York accent again.  Cello, properly amplified, was the best thing.  She sounded fabulous.  We discovered between songs that some people had come all the way from Haxby for the show - but that was topped by a couple in the corner who voyaged all the way from yon side of Easingwold, where it appears they now even have email since that was, they told us, how they've found out about the gig.

Friendly, cosy, nice sounds.  Well worth a fiver and then some.

[Mrs Pingu]

Not only are we going to miss PSB in May, but to add insult to injury David Byrne is playing Glasgow when we're on holiday.
Humph 

[CrinklyLion]

http://www.songkick.com/concerts/15264534-wreckless-eric-and-amy-rigby-at-central

The ticket said Wreckless Eric.  But I went to see Amy Rigby   I knew I'd love her, and discovered that I also liked him.  A most pleasant afternoon of bimbling over and under Newcastle's many fine bridges (and, technically, I have now been to the Bigg market on a Friday night, albeit not dressed for the occasion!) then a jolly nice pizza for tea before one last wander over the High Level Bridge to The Central - a pub apparently nicknamed the Coffin because of its architecture.

I wanted to beat the sound technician around the head with her own mixing board. Especially since we were sat about 2 foot from a speaker (so about 4 foot away from the utterly delightful Ms Rigby) and I still haven't fully recovered the hearing in my left ear.... but blimey, that were good. They didn't do any of my top three Amy songs (Needy Men, The Trouble with Jeannie or Are We Ever Going to Have Sex Again, for those who may be interested) but two of my top five featured. Don't Ever Change was perfect Tiny poky room hidden at the top of an Escher-esque pub, a fine range of Proper Beer and Fentiman's ginger beer available. Friendly crowd, too many broken strings to count, gloriously brilliantly if deafeningly entertaining. And then chips and curry sauce for supper - but on proper posh china in a spot with table service and a chandelier - before retreating from the Friday night revelry to a bargainacious Premier Inn under the Tyne bridge with the alarm set for an audax o'clock train back south, as they no longer run any late services. 

Go see them. Hull tonight, Stockton tomorrow. You won't regret it!

[perpetual dan]

Went to see London Sinfonietta with and doing Steve Reich in the week. Went on my own, but in a 1650 capacity venue I was sitting next to someone I know. Enjoyed the music, particularly Electric Counterpoint.

[ferret]

a tiny bit premature but!! just booked a couple of tickets for Show of Hands for next month  

[Valiant]

Had Jarmean perform at our party recently. They were truly awesome

[CrinklyLion]

This one
http://www.thebasementyork.co.uk/event/1761/
The Basement, £7, and we shared a table with some friendly randoms.  Decent pint of York Brewery bitter too.

First warm up - Lauren Varley, singing with acoustic guitar.  Nice enough, bit nervous.

Next up - Aimee J Ryan.  In what appears to be a recurrent theme, her bassist looked familiar.... Yup, it's Mark from the Blueprints again.  Of the three line ups I've seen him performing in, this was my favourite.  He looked to be having fun and I'm not surprised because she was lovely and bloody hell can she sing....

Then the headliner - Lisbee Stainton.  More audience participation, as she got us singing in three part harmony at one point.  She is ridiculously sweet and lovely and cute and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Review from the mate (who had never heard of her before) that I dragged along... "Definitely worth missing the last train home for!".

Bloody good night out, that.

[LindaG]

Johnny Marr at The Leadmill in Sheffield.

There was a support act.  They were all right, a pretty girl with a nice voice and a boy with woolly hair on drums and someone playing a guitar.

Johnny and the band (including Doviak) were extraordinary.  The gig was helped by the crowd, who were definitely there for the music.  The tracks from the new album 'Messenger' were well received.  The most personal track for Marr is New Town Velocity, and the feeling really comes through in the recorded version - much more so live. 

He opened with 'The Right Thing Right', which is the first track on the album and pretty darned good.  I like it when guitar bands JUST PLAY THE MUSIC without too much bollocks in between tracks, and he kept the pace going brilliantly.  His experience shows in a mesmeric stage presence and looking-effortless virtuosity.

Of course, when he played Smiths tracks the place went wild.  He did some of my favourites - Bigmouth Strikes Again, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Ask, and a stonking version of How Soon Is Now.  He reprised some of his Electronica and Modest Mouse stuff too.

And Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before.  I thought I'd wee'd myself with excitement but it was the bloke next to me spilling his beer on me by jigging about frantically.  I confiscated his beer till the end of the track.  Bless.

Fantastic night. 

Ati, who has never heard of The Smiths, thought the songs after the encore were addictive and way above the rest of the set - which was interesting, because they were mostly Smiths songs.  I think he had the time of his life.

[clarion]

There was a support act.  They were all right, a pretty girl with a nice voice and a boy with woolly hair on drums and someone playing a guitar.

I think I've worked with them.

Many times

[LindaG]

There was a support act.  They were all right, a pretty girl with a nice voice and a boy with woolly hair on drums and someone playing a guitar.

I think I've worked with them.

Many times

 

[essexian]

1992….. and before laminate flooring there was The Insprial Carpets…… yes, I did start a gig review with what could be described as a weak joke…. Or in fact a crap joke.

Anyway, back to the band at hand…. Back in 1992 when I was a young, skinny Indie boy (actually a fat 30 year old with a younger girlfriend out to impress), we “did” all the big “Madchester” bands out at the time: Roses, Verve, Mondays etc etc…. the only band we didn’t see was the Insprials. Why, we have no idea but that oversight was put right last night at the “new” Birmingham Academy.

I say “new” as I haven’t been there since they moved from the Hummingbird a couple of years back. Can’t say I am impressed with the new venue as the sound was on the crap side of being rubbish. Now, not to put sound engineers down, they do a difficult job, but last night was like trying to hear the words in a wall of distortion. I don’t think it was their fault, more the venues (the smaller second room) designers fault as a concrete walled room is never going to be that great for sound….. or it could be that in my older age I have gotten used to large venues like the Royal Opera House or Symphony Hall Birmingham?

The band themselves…well it took as four songs for us to get into it but blimey, do they Indie Rock with a capital I!!! We and the vast majority of the over 40’s crowd, got down to re-live our younger days with hit after hit and mooo after mooo issuing forth. The only disappointing note was that quite a few people left at 10.40…. I am sure the buses/trains in Birmingham run later than this!!!!

So after seeing very few gigs over the last few years…. I had talked myself into feeling I was too old… would I do it again….well I note that Suede are playing Rock City next Thursday; while BRMC are there on Friday…. Oh look… the Eels are playing Birmingham next Saturday……….aaarrgggg…. wish I was younger and had energy.

Finally finally, the support last night: Danny Mahon is worth listening out for.

[clarion]

I didn't work with the Inspiral Carpets.  On account of they didn't turn up to the gig

[CrinklyLion]

The really rather splendid John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett at the Basement, York City Screen, in the jolly fine company of That Deano and billplumtree plus three others not otp.

http://www.thebasementyork.co.uk/event/1737/

It took two pints to survive the warm up who completely failed to engage me on any level, really.  It was a bit like a 5 minute joke that was stretched out to last 20, and didn't get any funnier in the process.  Although credit where it's due - he managed to get Barnitts (the everything shop) into a lyric.  Then a suitable pause before the main attraction during which my mate Soph turned up with 2 others and impeccable timing, and commented that she quite liked the fact that she'd just walked past Otway and WWB who were sat at the bar with a pint apiece. 

They were, quite simply, gloriously entertaining.  I laughed so much I cried.  And rehydrated with more York Brewery Terrier.  The bagpipes, saw, hammer and the wah wah wheelie bin.... oh my.  Very very mild pogo-ing was necessitated by the combination of Otway's gangling height and the Basement's very low ceilings.  The tallest man in the venue, naturally, stood just in front of me and the lady sitting next to us, clearly a major fan, accidentally groped my left tit as she grabbed my arm to help her balance when she stood up uttering the phrase "Even us crips HAVE to stand up for Bodytalk!" - and she didn't even apologise.  OK, it was crowded but seriously, personal space, ppl!  And I didn't give a monkeys because it was a fabulous evening of entertainment.  Then afterwards, after a brief moment for inappropriately audienced CrinklyRanting outside the venue, we found a pub still serving a decent pint and had another couple before rounding off the evening with a bottle of red at the Den.

Completely barking.  Completely fabulous.  And I cannot for the life of me understand how I haven't got a massive and debilitating hangover today, although I really rather needed the now-becoming-rather-traditional-morning-after-a-gig fry up at Meltons Too.

[clarion]

Gone With The Bin!


I should mention that the last time I saw Otway, it was at Sheffield Poly in the Mandela Building (no, really!).  The ceiling was low there, too, but Otway saw this as an opportunity, being as he is always up for creative new ways of hurting himself.  He climbed up the PA, had a very dodgy moment (on several counts) with my lighting stand, then climbed onto the spaceframe supporting the ceiling, where he climbed out over the audience.

He had not considered three basic physical constraints:

1.  Putting a microphone in front of the PA creates howlround, which, while having the side effect of drowning out Otway's vocals, is never much of a pleasurable experience (and a big Sorry! to Mr Frank Sidebottom for my attention to detail on this point; he'd been expecting a sound engineer not a lampie on the board, so the feedback he'd wanted was curtailed.  That's what soundchecks are for, though...)

2.  An SM58 microphone is not a radio mic.  It is attached to a cable.  Sometimes a very long cable, but generally the crew have not allowed enough spare length to reach the back of the hall, as this is not a requirement of most performers.  Sure, it was plenty long enough for Otway to get tangled in it and fall flat on his face on the stage, but, part way through his aerial antics, he ran out of cable, which confused him.

3.  Otway, bless him, is no muscle man.  He has a lot of experience of climbing up things, but just as much of crashing to the floor ignominiously.  When the mic cable length ran out, Otway was alerted to the fact that he was hanging upside down to a slippery piece of metal with condensation on. 

The inevitable happened.  Fortunately, Otway's head, survivor of Wild Willy's violence on many occasions (cf Headbutts), did not damage the floor, and, with the help of members of the audience, he made it back onto the stage in time for the end of the song, which had pretty much lost its way in the meantime.

He told me that he usually destroyed two SM58s per gig.  This one was a 3.

[Valiant]

Man I hate gigs were kit gets damaged.

Anyways, I went to a cabaret night the other day and saw a band called Marcella and the Forget me nots. They were quite fun. Especially the bassist.

[essexian]

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Nottingham Rock City.

What to say about BRMC which hasn’t been said before many times….er, they are a brilliant, tight, noisy three piece (Got to say the new drummer (Lahl) was most excellent) who put the rock into roll, the country into folk, the punk into…. Er, you get the idea. For those people who have never heard of BRMC, think Jesus and Mary Chain meets the Cure…ish.

BRMC are a band we have seen many times over the last ten years or so, so it was very nice of them to set up a gig on her in doors birthday just for us (and 1 000 “close” friends) in one of our favourite venues, Rock City. For those who have never been to Rock City, get your self down there: the sound is great and the way the venue is built with loads of different levels means that even short arses like us get a good view of the stage.

A little grumble to ourselves….remember gigs on Friday normally start early… turning up and finding the headliners half way through “Devils Tattoo” was a disappointment. As was following this up only 15 mins into the set with one of their best known “tunes:” “Whatever happened to my Rock and Roll (Punk Song). There was a little lull midset when some slower new songs were played, before the usual bouncy end to the gig

A couple of big ups to the Security who stepped in a stopped a fight in the mosh pit most impressively, and the expert way the handled stage diving. Good Security can certainly help with the flow of a gig.

So that’s two gigs in about 10 days for us after a fallow period of a couple of years….. if they are as good as these two, I can see us forgetting ballet and getting back into punk/indie rock!

[Zipperhead]

Last night I went to see Buddy Whittington.

Really fabulous electric blues (but then Mr. Mayall is noted for choosing quality sidemen), and nice to be able to chat afterwards and tell him how much I enjoyed it.

[CrinklyLion]

The Leeds City Stompers at the Waiting Room in Eaglescliffe.

Jolly fine food enjoyed in most convivial company, before withdrawing to the conservatory for the evening's entertainment - several pleasant pints of stout, toe-tapping numbers, entertaining banter (who is the restaurant owner's new girlfriend?), and boogying staff.  Splendid.

(Then, because there are no trains back to York at after gig times, the walk to the glamour that is a 29 quid advance booked room in the Stockton West Premier Inn with its delightful car park views and an early alarm call for the first Grand Central back home)

I thoroughly enjoyed that, and would heartily recommend the restaurant, the venue and the band to the panel.

[itsbruce]

Horace Andy at the Jazz Cafe.  Not a great venue.  He wasn't on top form, tbh.  The Dub Assante band was more interesting, but only had a chance to do a couple of numbers before he joined them.

[CrinklyLion]

A rare Monday with no Cubs... so, random pick time!

http://www.thebasementyork.co.uk/event/1859/

The Basement (because I like it, and don't mind it on my tod) for a 'who the hell are they then?' line up.  First up, random chap with guitar that wouldn't stay in tune.  He looked like Harry Potter's fresh-faced and unblemished undiscovered younger brother.  I felt old.  Very melodic mind, when his guitar co-operated.  I quite liked him.

Then someone called Alisia, who had a poorly finger that made guitar playing uncomfortable but that she was treating with Germolene New Skin and beer.  I think she might have been a bit squiffy, but it a most engagingly tuneful manner... starting out with "Drunk Monday".  The New Skin got caught on a string and came off, which meant her finger hurt more but more beer made it better-ish and she put said New Skin in her pocket so as to "not upset anyone".  Several fits of the giggles.  A heck of a voice.  I'd go see her again.

Then the headliner.  Dolfish.  I liked, muchly.  He is funny and witty and sharp, uses words well, makes a good noise, and you couldn't help but like him.  Even in his enthusiasm for Hull where, he said, he had felt most at home the night before since it is clearly the British equivalent of his hometown.  Cleveland, Ohio, in case you were wondering.  I may even have to go do some Spotifying.

Probably the best random pick to date, and a positive bargain at 4 quid.  Plus the venue was fractionally warmer and less dusty than the Den is tonight (due to a mild infestation of builders round here) which would have been worth 4 quid on its own!