Omicron Blues - The Biggish Gig Thread 2022

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Three of my six scheduled gigs in January have been bumped in the last 48 hours or so, and it's only a matter of time until the other three follow, and I'm starting to think it'll be a while before any American acts take the risk, and on it goes....

[tuckwat]

The Idles gigs at the Brixton Academy are still going ahead this month. Just had it confirmed via a text from Ticketmaster. I don't understand why they think this is a good idea.

[Patrick Thistle]

We have tickets to see Counting Crows in March. Mrs Thistle really wants to go.

I have decided I don't want to ever go to a gig again. I'm fed up of gig-twats and shitty venues. However as a good husband I've made an exception for this one because Mrs Thistle would struggle to go on her own. We are in a seated area to hopefully that means we will be sans twats for the duration.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

The Idles gigs at the Brixton Academy are still going ahead this month. Just had it confirmed via a text from Ticketmaster. I don't understand why they think this is a good idea.

Idles (Manchester) is now my first scheduled gig of 2022, after another cancellation announcement today. They've cancelled the Scottish and Welsh dates, but seem determined to go ahead with the English dates.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

And so it came to pass, Jehnny Beth....

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

....supporting IDLES.

[Artificial Hipster]

Was that Saturday, Walt? I thought Jenny Beth was a great performer in need of a few great tunes while IDLES were simply IDLES - a big, loud, unrelenting blast of joyous energy, the only wrong note being the wholly unnecessary detour through Manchester music's back pages culminating in a chorus of Christmas Maria Carey!

Hard not to leave a show like that without lifted spirits though.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

We were there Friday, and seemed to get a more straightforward set than I'd seen before, with little in the way of ad libbing and fewer stage dives - which I took to be a deliberate move on their part, but maybe not if they were back to it the next night.

On Friday daughter "went in" with my son's girlfriend early in the set, and when they emerged at the end they looked like they had been caught in the rain, through a combination of their own sweat and the flying dregs of pints.

She's going to see them again on Wednesday.

[RobW]

Started listening to last Monday's (?) Marc Riley 6 music show to catch up on what new music people my age are listening to. Heard a song by The Bug Club which sounded half decent, listened to their mini-album which came out in December (it's ace) and noted that they were playing Moth Club on Saturday with a string of other bands for only £8. Unfortunately, I had the misery of watching City losing at home first, and then due a freight train breaking down, a delayed return to London. However, as luck would have it, I made it just in time for their set at half 9. First visit to Moth Club too.
Anyway, The Bug Club are great https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBugClubBand . Really tight Welsh three piece, with songs often not lasting more than 3 minutes. Brisk garage rock, and if I was 20 years younger i'd certainly have been down the front jumping about like a twat. Sounded like their next two London shows are sold out, so glad I caught them.

[Fearful Symmetry]

I should have been at Sheffield O2 for Idles tonight, but I sold my ticket, partly because I would have got home stupidly late and have work in the morning, but mainly because it looks increasingly like this tour has seen a massive increase in proper nobhead behaviour in the crowds. The AFGang Facebook page is littered with posts the morning after each gig with tales of stolen phones, female fans being inappropriately touched, alpha males in the pit and even people being physically assaulted. I know that it comes with the territory and all that, but some of the happiest times in my life have been watching this fucking amazing band, and I fear that it probably won't ever be the same. I'd rather keep the happy memories of 2 gigs at the Adelphi and the life affirming slot at Glastonbury.

[Exiled off Main Street]

Have bought tix to see : Snapped Ankles on March 10th, Sparks at the end of March; Fontaines DC in April; The Avalanches (they cancelled January now October); Didn't get to one concert in 2021

[WOM]

Fucked Up has been postponed. Was supposed to be Saturday. Wet Leg in March. Sparks in April. Kraftwerk in June. <please please please....>

[Exiled off Main Street]

[edit] Now just seen that Sleaford Mods are playing here May 20th - so off to buy tix from the venue after work. Still so pissed off that I was 2 back in the queue at lunchtime when Little Simz sold out... bastard in front of us bought 6 tickets....

[Toby Gymshorts]

Anthrax, Brixton Academy, 08 October. Support is Municipal Waste.

I can see this might not be for everyone, but I intend to have a fine old time.

[RobW]

Just remembered that i'm seeing Teeth of the Sea at the Lexington this weekend, a rescheduled gig that was postponed in November due to Covid within their crew. I think my ticket is now for the matinee on Sunday, which suits me, I can have an early night.

Sea Power are doing a mini tour/signings or record shops/small venues to accompany the release of their new record. Oddly i can't just buy a ticket for the Rough Trade East event, I have to buy the album on vinyl or CD, despite having pledged funding for it months ago and ordering BOTH formats, plus a t-shirt. Anyway, fortunately they are playing in Kingston too, so fingers crossed I can get a ticket for that

[RobW]

So, The Utopia Strong & Teeth of the Sea were excellent on Sunday afternoon. I had no idea that The Utopia Strong was Steve Davis' band, and he was sat with his back to me for the hour long show, twiddling knobs during a set of ambient prog.
Criminally, I think it's been a decade since I saw Teeth of the Sea, and fear that I have only seen them twice in total. Really brilliant mix of space rock and electronica

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

She's going to see them again on Wednesday.

She made it, and as well as photos from the front line she reported that she had done her first crowd surf. (Edit, should also add that it was her mate's first gig, at the age of 18. Think she has had to explain that not every gig is like that. I can't make a rearranged Self Esteem gig that we were going to next month, so daughter is giving her my spare, to continue her gig-going career).

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

...while I went to see She Drew The Gun at our local venue, as part of Independent Venue Week. Good turnout.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

...oh and went to see my mate's band in a Sunday afternoon freebie upstairs in a pub as well. The ostrich remained unmoved.

[BallochSonsFan]

I was supposed to have 8 gigs between Celtic Connections and Heartless B*stards in the past 3 weeks. Ended up with 2 surviving and I couldn't be arsed going to either.

I've bought a ticket for This Is The Kit down in Sunderland and I'll almost certainly go to it, but I'm not booking a hotel until nearer the time. If for any reason I can't go then at least its only the cost of the ticket I'd have lost. I've got tickets booked for The Felice Brothers. I've also got a rearranged Bikini Kill gig that now clashes with the Drive By Truckers gig I want to go to. Can't see any other dates on their tour that would fit. I'm supposed to have a ticket for Larkin Poe and the 3rd attempt at getting the gig happening (I've seen them a few times) but I'm not sure whats happening with it as my mate ordered the ticket. Then there's a 3rd attempt at The Handsome Family in September (seen them loads).

I probably won't start booking any more gig tickets unless its somebody I really love or I've got a bit more confidence that the tours will actually happen. Lost too much money over lockdown with cancelled gigs and tbh I've got out of the habit of going to concerts. Pre-lockdown I absolutely loved going to gigs. I wrote the occasional live review for Americana UK. I'd go to 40 gigs or so in a decent year. Right now? Very much meh about the idea of concerts.

I think I need a run of 3 or 4 corkers to get me excited about going to concerts again.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

I've got that This is the Kit Sunderland gig on my schedule in italics, which as we all know means "might go, have not yet bought a ticket" (ticket bought is bold, no italics). I've got a busy week that week, but if more USians decline to travel I'll have a couple of cancellations and t'Kit will go bold.

Back when my daughter was 16 and progressing through the musical genres, I bought tickets for me and her to go to see Avril Lavigne. She has now postponed for maybe the 4th time, and the UK dates are now in May 2023, when my daughter will be several months past her 20th birthday. Why does she have to make things so complicated?

[BallochSonsFan]

I bought the This Is The Kit ticket without booking the hotel. Normally I'd stay with my mum's cousin overnight as she's about 15 minutes away. They're full though - daughter has her boyfriend staying there until they save enough for a deposit for somewhere. And I don't really like the idea of getting back to their place a bit later at night and having had a couple of beers when it's a midweek rather than weekend gig. Or running the risk of somebody testing positive for Covid just before the gig (her daughter works in a Covid testing lab).

I saw them back in November at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh and they're one of the few bands that fit my mood enough right now to buy the ticket on the off chance that I can see them again. Seen them a few times now. Absolutely love them (and I've got a thing for Rozi despite her stuff not being my usual type of music). If I'm going then I'll be driving down on the day of the gig and hopefully in the Premier Inn a couple of minutes from the venue.

[Patrick Thistle]

RobW after your post up thread I looked up The Bug Club on YouTube and will be adding the album to my birthday wishlist. Have you listened to any of their earlier albums? And recommendations?

[Toby Gymshorts]

...while I went to see She Drew The Gun at our local venue, as part of Independent Venue Week. Good turnout.

Brickyard?

[elguapo4]

Dublin ska band the Bionic Rats are returning to their Sunday night residency in the Foggy Dew pub in two weeks, for the first time in about 3 years. By the talk online about it ,I'll need to start queuing at 10 in the morning.