What's the last gig you went to see?

[PaulF]

Whitesnake was one of the first gigs that I went to, longer ago than I care to remember!

[Mr Larrington]

Samantha Fish at the Borderline.  La Fish can play guitar like ringing a bell and sings like someone way older, larger and, frankly, more black, but the enjoyment was tempered by the ham-fisted clod of a sound man who drowned the guitar with the parping of a trumpet and a floor-shaking Adolphe Sax-o-Phone that looked like the offspring of an unholy liaison between an oil refinery and a V8 Moto-Guzzi's exhaust system.

Bah!

[Wobbly John]

Went to see AC/DC tribute band Dirty DC two weeks ago, Black Star Riders (Including Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham)  last week and Limehouse Lizzy last night - That's the back of my head infront of the stack of Marshall's on the left:


I'm looking foward to seeing The Darkness next week 

[Peter]

Samantha Fish at the Borderline.  La Fish can play guitar like ringing a bell and sings like someone way older, larger and, frankly, more black, but the enjoyment was tempered by the ham-fisted clod of a sound man who drowned the guitar with the parping of a trumpet and a floor-shaking Adolphe Sax-o-Phone that looked like the offspring of an unholy liaison between an oil refinery and a V8 Moto-Guzzi's exhaust system.

Bah!

Never heard of her till this.  So looked her up on the tube and was impressed - but even more so with Sadie Johnson, as in this clip:-


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Xyk12nhLo

Sadie Johnson was 14 at the time....... .  Stuff moves on!

[CrinklyLion]

The Burning Hell, at The Harley in Sheffield.

https://scontent.flhr2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/23844388_10155671143196839_2800488961063896616_n.jpg?oh=dc5ac370c7a3bdd8867074b152130f50&oe=5A992875

Photo taken and posted to a friend on fb as they were singing the line 'come on dog, it's the apocalypse, we can't get sentimental' from Amateur Rappers because it is her most favourite line ever.  Totally fabulous they were. I realised over breakfast this morning that my unfulfilled ambition may be to see them perform goodbye ukelele live one day. Deano pointed out that I could have shouted it out when they asked for requests but that wouldn't have worked - they didn't have a uke with them.  He then started to form a clever plan that another time we should make Uncle Peter go see 'em and take his ukelele with him to quash objections to such requests   Some old favourites, a rousing rendition of Fuck the Government, and some new material.  Plenty of silly instumentt swapping.  I really  like their usual bassist who is currently on sabbatical/paternity leave/doing solo stuff back in Canada but it also worked as line up of three without him - different, but still brilliant.  Which is probably true of every gig of theirs I have been to... never the same thing twice, always a splendid evening.

In hindsight the ridiculously early curfew meant we could have made a train home but I didn't know that when I booked the tickets so booked a room at the Harley... convenient, basic and budget friendly, does what it says on the tin.  The Tripadvisor reviews are hilarious.  Room keys also get you free access to the club night (banging choons til 4am, hence some of the hilarity of some of the reviews, which I passed on), a 20% discount on all food and drink which meant that a bloody nice burger&chips&pint each for 2 came in at under 13 quid with subsequent pints of decent ale costing 2 quid, and a voucher for breakfast up to a value of 4 quid in the bar.  Since the fryup, including that excellent veggie version, was £3.95 complete with unlimited coffee I reckon that'll do

[Kim]

*fond memories of The Harley bar staff bringing massive free platters of fried potato products^[1] to the assembled Sheffield gayers on account of the group's predictable, spectacular and not entirely healthy consumption of fermented vegetable drinks*


_{[1] And possibly chicken nuggets for Glyn of the shiny trousers, but I might be misremembering.}

[sg37409]

Rhiannon Giddens.  Wow, fantastic !  The best voice I’ve ever heard live and a superb show. Can’t recommend highly enough

[jsabine]

She is absolutely fabulous, isn't she?

We saw her in May - we were on holiday seeing family in Texas when she was playing in Dallas - and she was also the stand out performer for me at the Transatlantic Sessions in the RFH a couple of years ago.

I'm sorry not to to have got tickets for her in London 10 days ago but we were going away for the weekend - poor timing on our behalf.

[sg37409]

Emily Barker the other night.  OK.  Great venue, the Voodoo rooms in edinburgh, but the set list wasn't really to my liking.  I've been a fan of "the river" for a while, but I thought the gig lacked atmosphere, the songs seemed more moody/sad than I'd like.

[StuAff]

Front 242 at the AB in Brussels last night. I've been a fan for 25 years now, but shows have been few and far between for a while. They've been to the UK three times this century- 2000, 2008 & 2011- so when they announced two nights in their home town, one of my favourite places, including a Saturday night, bookings were made sharpish. I was not disappointed (except that I couldn't do the Friday night show as well...)!

[Riggers]

Hidden Orchestra on Saturday night playing at the Gardner Arts Centre at Sussex Uni (now called the Attenborough Centre) but thoroughly enjoyed it and, even more so, Poppy Ackroyd (daughter of artist Norman Ackroyd: http://www.normanackroyd.com/prints/), who was part of the band, but she also played solo beforehand, on piano. What a talent! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2agN-jBLl6s).

Ours was the last of their current tour dates: 18 performances in 20 days in 10 countries. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm7LU8-VPhc)

[Jaded]

They are rather good, aren't they!

[Mr Larrington]

Don't know if authors in conversation count as gigs, but I'm just back in from seeing Philip Pullman talking about "La Belle Sauvage" and other Stuffs, and quite fascinating it was too.  Thanks due to Miss von Brandenburg, Grauniad Member, for spotting it.

[CrinklyLion]

As someone who works in a number of (primarily primary) schools I have a little Christmas tradition.  The moment I hear my first rendition of "Little Donkey" is the moment that the festive season is officially declared open.  At lunchtime today, whilst raiding a staffroom biscuit barrel, I commented to a colleague that, with less than two weeks to go 'til we break up, that moment still hadn't arrived.

I did NOT expect it to occur (with a couple of minor NSFmyW lyric changes) in the City Screen Basement, during the encore of tonight's jolly splendid PPY-promoted Pictish Trail gig.

I often go to gigs put on by (everyone's favourite promoter) Joe without a clue what I will see, because I am massively culturally ignorant and haven't heard of hardly anyone. In the case of tonight I've seen the Pictish Trail 4 (I think) times before... but still didn't have a clue what I might see   Between carols and the insane giggle loop that caught him, the other band member (and support act) and the entire audience just before/as they were starting a song about death-n-stuff it was entirely expectedly unexpected.

[CrinklyLion]

I posted a similar comment on the event page on fb. Joe-the-promoter liked said comment... And the Pictish Trail just commented in all caps that I am, apparently, awesome. I'll take that validation

[Jaded]

Pictish Trail is fun. 

[Mr Larrington]

To the Finland Station Shepherds Bush Empire last night for the opening of blues-rockers King King's postponed tour.  First up: Rhino's Revenge, which is ex-Teh QUO bassist John "Rhino" Edwards, Paul Rodgers' drummer Richard Newman and a bloke known as Jim-Bob, with a Telecaster.  I do not think it is the Jim-Bob from Carter USM.  They were quite fun, in spite of Mr Edwards' vocals being buried too deep in the mix for proper audibility.

Happily the voice problems which had plagued King King's bekilted frontman Alan Nimmo seem to have been well and truly fixed and their new keyboard player is even betterer than Rob From Rotterdam who departed during the off-season.  Mucho fun.  Though sadly any hopes of sibling encore rivalry were dashed by the news that Stevie Nimmo has b0rked his arm, leaving him in the role of guitar roadie.

Also bumped into guitarist Ben Poole, who co-headlined on a tour with Stevie last year and whom this Unit endorses.

[perpetual dan]

Lewes Psychedelic festival this weekend, so err several bands and some groovy lights 

[pcolbeck]

Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer in Glasgow on Saturday night. It was one of the Celtic Connections festival gigs. Stunning harmonizing from the sisters.

Here's a bit that's appeared on Youtube. Phone camera I think.

https://youtu.be/4XucNEWO5Qk

[Peter]

Pat, if you are a fan of harmony singing, I'm sure you are aware of these gods?:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAOxxP6iOM0

[pcolbeck]

Pat, if you are a fan of harmony singing, I'm sure you are aware of these gods?:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAOxxP6iOM0

Indeed Peter. They were amazing.

[Steph]

I have just had a most welcome surprise. I have my ticket ready for the Shrewsbury folk fest in August, and was looking forward to a several of treats. Peter Knight is there with Gigspanner, and as Steeleye are also there I anticipate a guest appearance. He is also doing a double act with a Bellowhead person.

E-mail arrives yesterday. New act joining the headliners.

Richard Thompson's electric trio.

[pcolbeck]

Richard Thompson is always good value. Saw his son at the gig mentioned below. Teddy is not the song writer or guitar player his father is unfortunately, mind you he is an excellent producer.

[CAMRAMan]

Half Man Half Biscuit at the Robin2 in Bilston. A good gig. Nigel, the lead singer, was very animated by his standards. A Lilac Harry Quinn was played. The choice of songs meant it was rather up and down in the mosh pit. The new guitarist was unveiled, but he is a man of mystery, as he refused to divulge his name and the forename didn't match that given by another punter who recognised him from another band. New album out soon, hopefully.

[Steph]

Beth Orton, the Roundhouse, last night.