The Big Gig Thread 2017

[David Agnew]

Just on the way home from seeing the Pixies in a small venue in Cambridge. Fantastic set, brilliantly surreal ending.

[Artificial Hipster]

So, Radiohead then.

For me the night can be summed up in four words. They didn't play Creep.

They did play for a very long time though and given 1) I'd reasoned that as much beer as possible was going to be the key to my enjoyment of the show and 2) small bottles of cooking lager were £5 a pop I'm now completely skint for the rest of the month.

Another issue with big outside events is that unless you're right at the front the music simply isn't loud enough to be felt as well as heard. Mrs H loved it though which was the only really important thing.

[MsD]

I'm going to see A Guy Called Gerald at the Moth Club tomorrow night, unless someone wants to buy my ticket for £15. I've overspent already this month and have to get to the 20th.

I also have the Fleshtones at Nambucca on Saturday but my friend's swung me a ticket for that.

[WOM]

They didn't play Creep.

Ah, bugger. Sorry mate.

They did play for a very long time though

Ah, bugger. Sorry mate.

[Lang Spoon]

There is a poster of the five? Radioheads that I think Limmy compared on the tweets to a gang of mid 40s meth-heads. T-hom especially with his bizarre balding Samurai Kewell haircut, sweet Jesus. He looks like a more middle class version of the Stereo MCs dude.

I still heart heart Kid A but. Even if their Glastonbury show seemed at least an hour too long.

[statto99]

So, Radiohead then.

For me the night can be summed up in four words. They didn't play Creep.

They did play for a very long time though and given 1) I'd reasoned that as much beer as possible was going to be the key to my enjoyment of the show and 2) small bottles of cooking lager were £5 a pop I'm now completely skint for the rest of the month.

Another issue with big outside events is that unless you're right at the front the music simply isn't loud enough to be felt as well as heard. Mrs H loved it though which was the only really important thing.

Six words - But they did play The Bends

I like Radiohead, but I'm not a devotee. Glad I went and very much enjoyed the experience. They're an odd concept of a band, though, and surely by rights shouldn't be this planet-stompingly successful.

A case in point. Halfway through they played No Surprises and had the tens of thousands in their hands. They then spent the next ten minutes noodling away at Bloom and Identikit and lost them all again as the music around me was nearly drowned out amidst the hubbub of polite conversation. They seem permanently unable to make up their minds whether they want to be Paul Simon, Oasis or Underworld, you can't hear two thirds of the lyrics and yet they are absolutely venerated. Even they admit Paranoid Android was stitched together out of four song fragments largely for a laugh during a 48 hour period where they were recovering from a massive bender and Thom Yorke had been sent away to sleep it off.

A friend of mine explained their enduring mega-popularity as they made a very good album (The Bends) and then a classic (OK Computer) which alerted a gigantic audience to them and then... they remained interesting, despite not really troubling the world again with anything the average Radio 2 listener could sing along to. The age demographic at the gig was very firmly in the forties and fifties I would have said. A contingent of younger folk, sure, but I think they've largely retained an audience rather than grown one.

[Snake Plissken]

U2 - The Joshua Tree Tour, Twickenham.

When the missus said she had tickets in the upper tier, she didn't realise that they were back row on the upper tier. So this was less The Joshua Tree, more Vertigo.

Eh? Eh?

Anyway. Definitely a more informal and less bombastic than usual U2 gig. Simple staging (though the video screen is stupidly high-tech 7.6k stuff) and the whole thing was played in a more relaxed, less showy and preachy atmosphere. The crowd were massively into the whole thing. Band started off with Sunday, Bloody Sunday, New Years Day (which a bit of Heroes chucked in at the end) before moving into The Joshua Tree in its entirety. I've often said that U2 gigs are practically religious experiences for many fans, well, for my Mrs, hearing them doing that album, especially "Red Hill Mining Town" which they've - by their own admittance - been too scared to attempt live was as close to heaven as possible. A brutally brilliant "Exit" as dusk turned to night, in time for the stadium to be lit by phones for "Mothers of the Disappeared".



Then for the encores, Bono is on the B-stage and the band at the back as they rip through "Elevation", "Vertigo" and a lovely "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)", dedicated to Jo Cox. The big screen showed plenty of women of note and importance, including Saffiyah Khan which was a nice touch.

Ended with "One" before Noel Gallagher was invited on stage to do "Don't Look Back In Anger" a million times better than his brother ever could.

Can't wait for two weeks and Croke Park. One thing of note, the row in front of us had a young girl who was singing and dancing her heart out. We talked to her and her mum after the gig - it was her first ever gig, she was word perfect on just about every song since she was 8 and was promised tickets as soon as she was old enough to go. Just lovely to see (and a bit envious of) someone getting to enjoy the experience of a live gig by their favourite band for the first time.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Six words - But they did play The Bends

I like Radiohead, but I'm not a devotee. Glad I went and very much enjoyed the experience. They're an odd concept of a band, though, and surely by rights shouldn't be this planet-stompingly successful.... A friend of mine explained their enduring mega-popularity as they made a very good album (The Bends) and then a classic (OK Computer) which alerted a gigantic audience to them and then... they remained interesting, despite not really troubling the world again with anything the average Radio 2 listener could sing along to. The age demographic at the gig was very firmly in the forties and fifties I would have said. A contingent of younger folk, sure, but I think they've largely retained an audience rather than grown one.

This, very much so.

As aforementioned, went with the 18 year old Thing One. Much calmer (or Karma, eh eh) crowd than the usual piss-throwing stadium rock gang, certainly where we were stood (just under the relay speakers) for the first hour, though we did cut back through the entrance next to the stage before Radiohead came on and it was a bit more lairy down the front. Where we were there was a lot of chatter for all but the biggest songs, and (as noted above) the sound levels from the stage weren't exactly booming.

We retreated to the seats at the back for the second hour, and it actually made it better, the sound was clear, the lights looked great and no chatter around us. Plus on that side of the ground (left hand side as you look at the stage), being the far side from the main entrances, it was much easier to access the bars and toilets.

Oh yeah there was music too wasn't there. Missed the first support, the second was completely lost in a stadium environment, and was a waste of a slot really. I'm fairly ambivalent about Radiohead, but went in open minded and the big tunes were genuinely impressive and the noodly stuff bearable, and as noted above we got The Bends (which we were half expecting as it had been noted on setlist.fm that they'd played it in the soundcheck) so we went home happy. Well, happy eventually - I gave Thing One the signal to head for the exit at the end of Karma Police but he was convinced they were going to come back on and play Street Spirit, and twined at me all the way back to the car. They didn't.

[Giggler]

Shit, just saw a set list for the first night of New Order's Manchester Int. Fest. show.

I'm going to try to block it out as much as possible before seeing the show on 15 July but it looks fucking awesome.

I took Mrs Giggler last night and I'm going again on Saturday with a couple of mates.

You will not be disappointed.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

I'm not going / haven't gone to any of them but Carlisle was staging five big outdoor shows this summer, and the reported numbers give an insight into the popularity of certain acts.

Two were at Brunton Park of Carlisle United fame, UB40 got around 2,500 (not an awful lot bigger than the biggest indoor venue they could have played in Carlisle), while Olly Murs got around 9,000. (For comparison I believe in previous summers Rod Stewart and Elton John both sold it out, or came close at around 15,000).

Jess Glynne played the racecourse last week, not sure how many were there but those things usually get 5-8,000.

Tonight it's Bryan Adams in the municipal Bitts Park, with around 10,000 expected. Tomorrow on the same stage they are expecting 17,000 for Little Mix.

In other Carlisle gig news Joe Bonnamassa is playing the municipal Sands Centre in March, tickets went on sale yesterday morning at £75-108 for normal tickets and £131-171 for 'platinum' (first few rows, not sure what else is thrown in). I looked on ticketmaster yesterday afternoon out of curiousity and only a few £171 tickets remained.

[Hamish! Dougal!]

Ooh, here we are. I sort of lost you all for a while.

Anyway, I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had tickets for 2 gigs in 2 nights here in the City of Culture, Primal Scream and Echo and the Bunnymen then Flaming Lips and Public Service Broadcasting the following night. Well, I'll tell you now, we were properly spoilt. You know you're onto a winner when McCulloch can be actually arsed with a gig, and Mr Gillespie and chums absolutely blew me away, and had me proclaiming that it was arguably the best gig Hull's ever seen.

That claim lasted one night.

I'm a big fan of PSB and they didn't disappoint, but getting home the previous night I'd caught a bit of Flaming Lips Glasto set, and I thought we'd be getting a decent show. But it just surpassed all expectations. A truly stunning visual experience, with lasers, confetti, unicorns, orb balls and giant inflatables, they worked up an already heady crowd with a rousing intro and then launched into Race For The Prize, and we were spellbound, hooked and feeling so much love. Many of the locale's seasoned gig attenders proudly proclaimed that they'd seen nothing to match it, in our town at least. It will be talked about for years, I assure you.

[Giggler]

PSB were amazing at the Ramsbottom Festival last year, the first time I'd ever seen them. (Excuse the vagueness of what will follow, I'm still not entirely au fait with them) I loved that posh, automated voice that speaks to the crowd. "We're delighted to be here at... Ramsbottom Festival. Hello... Rammy!"

Standing on Rammy Cricket Club's pitch with a pint of Festival Ale, watching the late-summer sun set over Holcombe Hill and Peel Tower with them as the musical accompaniment, definitely went down as 'a moment'.

[Giggler]

Shit, just saw a set list for the first night of New Order's Manchester Int. Fest. show.

I'm going to try to block it out as much as possible before seeing the show on 15 July but it looks fucking awesome.

What did you make of it, Ben?

[Furtho]

Hopefully it's not inappropriate for me to use this thread to plug a (very small) gig I'm putting on.

The show features pastoral Stereolab types The Leaf Library, supported by handheld synthpopper Deerful. It's all happening at the Cellar Bar on the Open University campus in Milton Keynes on Friday 20th October with an 8pm kick off.

[evilC]

Over the weekend I bought my tickets for the first of this year's Sensoria festival events that I'm interested in: Synthfest 2017 and The Radiophonic Workshop (at Sheffield University). The Radiophonic Workshop one was less than a tenner, since I'd bought a Synthfest ticket. :-)

(It's just a shame that the RW gig is the day before GAS, at the Barbican, in London, though, as - in order to make that - I'd have to drive down, park up somewhere on the outskirts of the tube network and go straight there. I'd possibly be a little frazzled by the time I got there, I think.)

Back to Sensoria, here's also Factory Floor playing a live soundtrack to Lang's 'Metropolis', but I'm less bothered about that, plus it's at the other end of the week from 'my' two events. However, I know there's also a few other events yet to be announced and I've got my fingers crossed that one will be Richard H. Kirk (possibly as Cabaret Voltaire), after his gig under that moniker at The Devil's Arse cave, in Castleton, got cancelled at the last minute.

Either way, I will be doing my usual thing of booking a room and staying up there for a few days, seeing some friends and availing myself of the facilities of some of Sheffield's finest drinking establishments.

[Benjm]

What did you make of it, Ben?

It was absolutely fantastic, really, really, enjoyable. The set and lighting, the synth players bopping away in their compartments and a bunch of songs no-one can ever have expected to hear again. Dream Attack, Shellshock and Subculture were my particular faves of the newly revived numbers but there wasn't a duffer in the set.

The venue was really civilised for a pop up thing too. We were standing next to Paul Morley, for added JD/NO colour.

That was the fourth time I've seen them since they reformed and each time there has been something special about each of the shows. It is such a marked contrast to the workmanlike slog of some of their outings in the noughties. I really hope that they can maintain this level of enthusiasm and accomplishment for a while to come.

[MsD]

That sounds great.

I've been to some small gigs (the Fleshtones) and saw Toots and the Maytals for free on Saturday at Walthamstow. Which was nice.

[Benjm]

How was Toots? I saw him a few years ago and he was in good nick but dissipated some of the energy from the performance with one too many call and response routines. (I may just be a miserable sod, of course.)

[Giggler]

It was absolutely fantastic, really, really, enjoyable. The set and lighting, the synth players bopping away in their compartments and a bunch of songs no-one can ever have expected to hear again. Dream Attack, Shellshock and Subculture were my particular faves of the newly revived numbers but there wasn't a duffer in the set.

The venue was really civilised for a pop up thing too. We were standing next to Paul Morley, for added JD/NO colour.

That was the fourth time I've seen them since they reformed and each time there has been something special about each of the shows. It is such a marked contrast to the workmanlike slog of some of their outings in the noughties. I really hope that they can maintain this level of enthusiasm and accomplishment for a while to come.

We were literally feet from each other. I was about five yards from Morley with my back to the wall.

Ultraviolence sounded absolutely incredible.

[Benjm]

Yes, All Day Long too, although it seems almost churlish to place any of the set above the others really; even the songs with less history/emotion invested in them sounded fantastic.

We should develop this Morley-based positioning system to a point where it can be used by air traffic control and emergency rescue services.

I'm quite excited to see what they do next. Take a year off to go sailing, probably.

[WOM]

Elvis Costello and The Imposters last night. Always fantastic. That was my fifth or sixth (or seventh) time seeing him/them, and it's always a great show. Last night was Imperial Bedroom, plus a smattering of must-plays crammed in at the end. Really long set, too.

Saturday night, Dwight Yoakam. No, really.
And in September we're seeing Yes and Alison Moyet on the same weekend.

[Sits]

Nice to see you Hamish!

[Hamish! Dougal!]

It's good to be back.

Mention of Toots And The Maytals up there, they've just had to move a gig here from the City Hall to the smaller Welly Club due to poor ticket sales. Probably because they were asking £32, which is bloody steep, especially this year and the pressure already on local people's wallets forking out for cultural enlightenment.

On a slightly similar note, a few weeks ago the Hot 8 Brass Band were due to play the aforementioned Welly Club, and sales of tickets at £20 were somewhere between poor and non-existent. They drafted in local funksters Pearl's Cab Ride as support 2 days before the gig, who proceeded to offer a £5 cheap guest list, and the place was rammed.

[Snake Plissken]

Bloody hell. Best stadium gig I've ever been to.

https://twitter.com/pburgoyne75/stat...58798043148288

[WOM]

Dwight Yoakam at the Danforth Music Hall. Damn, that was good. First we've seen him. Talk about packing a lot into 2-and-a-bit hours. I'm going to ballpark it at 35 songs, which is Springsteenesque, but in half the time. Very little chit-chat, just wall-to-wall songs. Glittery suits, polite appreciation of the crowd coming-on-out, decent opening act.

Bonus: knew more songs than I thought I would.

Would see again.