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The big gig thread 2015 edition

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    The big gig thread 2015 edition

    Artist: The Stranglers
    Venue: Le Laiterie, Strasbourg. Excellent small - medium place in an old dairy, Very good acoustics, nice space industrial deco, about 500 , all standing and all pretty much sold out, seeing as it was the day after Friday's horrors , damn good show.
    Tickets: €30 - at first I thought this was a bit steep.
    Support: Yeallow - Local Strasbourg outfit - sang in anglais ; actually OK but came over too smug, and quirky - sort of a sixth form band who never grew up in their mid forties, filled some time anyhow.
    Drinks .: 3€ for a mid sized Heineken, missus had something called a Desperado (something you young people drink i guess) for a whole 0.50 cents more.;. Well poured,
    Audience annoyance: People moving all the time, the same ones, always squeezing past to go to the bar/toilet/smoke, fuckit people watch the fucking band and stop getting in my way.
    The main event : The Stranglers - at last after over 36 years since the Wembley debacle, repaid me. Fantastic stuff, OK no Cornwell for a long time; but the bald fella Baz fills in pretty well. JJ was , well JJ, doing his dumb dead eye stares.
    But as he is pretty damn fine bi lingual was very chatty , gave a great speech about the Paris happenings and was alright.
    The set was a greatest hits, with some of the odd things from Norfolk Coast thrown in to confuse - although the title track got a great reception.
    Low point was "Tank " (waste of an encore slot) and they played "Feel like a wog" which no matter which way I look at it has never sat well.

    Audience were not so lively, and we all kept looking occasionally at the main entrance - but overall we all left in fine spirits
    Jet Black did not make an appearance and old Dave Greenfield is shrinking before our eyes; but can still play, like well Dave Greenfield can.
    Amazingly they played for just shy of 2 hours , were tight , serious and seemed to actually care about putting on great show. Something I was a bit fearful of before I went was they could be going through the motions.
    My wife even enjoyed it.
    Overall a very satisfying 10/10 gig.

    Comment


      The big gig thread 2015 edition

      Artist: Garbage - their #20YearsQueer tour

      Venue: Manchester Academy (2nd gig for me there; different room but equally awful venue)

      Tickets: £27.50

      Support: Dutch Uncles. Missed half their set but not sure I really missed anything. They were one of those bands you know will never be big as soon as you've heard one song with it's unnecessary tinkly piano in it. Most of their embellishments sounded like something that's been added because that's what proper musicians do.

      Drinks etc.: None

      Audience annoyance: Usual insanely tall fucker waited until the gig was about to start then decided to stand right in front of me. I amused myself by blowing on the back of his neck. It was depressing looking around and realising the audience were probably all the same age as me and ye gods we've grown old together.

      The music: Well, it was the first album and the b-sides they recorded around then, the only one of which is genuinely good is Girl Don't Come.

      They played the entire first song backlit behind a sheet so it was like watching a shadow puppet show. Was a bit worried they'd do that all night, maybe as a way of preventing people from seeing how haggard Shirley Manson had gotten, but they dropped the curtain for Supervixen, which was the first album track they played. And Shirley didn't look too bad considering she's pushing 50 and has lived rock and roll for about thirty of those years.

      Shirley really benefits from being in a band with three produces. She mumbles and shouts rather than singing. The gig took a while to get going but towards the end when they played Only Happy When it Rains, Stupid Girl and Vow the audience were bouncing along.

      She also likes to talk drunk nonsense at the audience. We had two different stories about how she met the other members of the band for the first time. She went on for ages about what a wonderful musical city Manchester is, which, well, yeah, a lot of bands have come from there, but got a bit boring after a while. An ill-advised attempt to cover a bit of I Am the Resurrection didn't really work as a way to end the show.

      The encore was great - When I Grow Up from the second album. Apparently they have a new album out next year. I'd think twice about travelling so far to see them again. If they play closer to where I live then I might.

      Overall it's one of those gigs that I'm glad I went to, more for the nostalgia and to say I've been rather than because it was a transcendental experience or anything.

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        The big gig thread 2015 edition

        Artist: New Order
        Venue: Brixton 02
        Tickets: Wife bought them as a wedding anniversary present, so not sure, but I think they were about £45.
        Support: The Horrors. Didn't see any of their set as I'd arranged to meet friends in the pub.
        Drinks etc.: Couple of pints beforehand then three cans of Tuborg (5.25 a can!!!). Sprinkling of MDMA (should have taken more and taken it later in the gig). Mid-life crisis or what?
        Audience annoyance: None really. Gig was sold out and absolutely rammed, but everyone was very polite. To say it was a mature audience would be an understatement. I was quite near the back so some youngsters might have been nearer the stage where it was quite lively, but most people around us looked mid 40s to early 50s. Probably 80 per cent male. By the end most of the audience were dancing. I went with four others and each of us bumped into someone we knew. It was kind of nostalgiac in that way. A reunion of old mates.
        The main act: They played to their strengths. The new album is surprisingly good. They played a few songs from it, mainly the livelier dance tracks but the backbone of their set was the hits. Ceremony, Bizarre Love Triangle, Perfect Kiss, True Faith (a personal highlight) etc. The night began with a French tricolour projected on the stage and the message Vive La France. It ended with a huge nod to their past and an encore dedicated to the victims of the Paris comprising Atmosphere, Love Will Tear Us Apart and finally, inevitably, Blue Monday. Bernie still can't sing, but the music still sounds great. My wife's not a massive New Order fan, but by the end even she was dancing along. 9/10

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          The big gig thread 2015 edition

          Artist - John Grant
          Venue - Atelier, Luxembourg (see description of Laiterie above and move it north)
          Tickets - EUR 30 bought at the door
          Support - Fufanu - caught the last moments and glad I didn't hear more
          Drinks - 1 beer, don't like drinks at gigs any more, distracts from the band
          Audience Annoyance - when I came in, I seemed to be the only bloke who didn't have a beard which made me think of the stoning scene in the Life of Brian
          Main Act - I went to the gig on the strength of one song (Fly to Marz?) that he didn't play while I was there. It was a bit like being at mass in a foreign language where you appreciate that it is profound but you don't understand why, he's an imrpressive presence on stage but the strobe lights began to irritate me that I had to shield my eyes, so much so that I headed off. I had a taste, it was interesting but not enough to hold me.
          I timed my exit to grab a bus only to find the stop had been moved so the bus motored past and I had to walk home...

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            The big gig thread 2015 edition

            Artist - Mercury Rev, supported by Nicole Atkins.

            Venue - Oval Space, London. A new venue, and given the name I had expected it to be in Kennington. I only realised that it was near Cambridge Heath, East London by going on Google Maps. Odd little place, situated amongst gas holders. Looks like a semi permanent exhibition space. Show was a sell out, but no idea how many it holds 1,000 - 1,500? Sound was good, though bit of a crush exiting the building - they may want to widen the doors.

            Tickets - Can't actually remember how much it was £25 at least I expect.

            Support - I was aware that Nicole Atkins was supporting, and I like her stuff so was really delighted to catch her. She may have come on earlier than the 8.30 stage time (there was an earlier support act, I didn't see her). For most part she played solo with guitar and the songs all sounded pretty new to me, despite having her last album. May have recognised one from a show at the Lexington she played last year. She got the audience involved in some singing, and they did respond at least. She's from New Jersey but said she resides now in Nashville and will be writing country music for other acts. I hope she continues to record for herself as she has a beautiful voice. For her last song she introduced Jim Sculvanos (sp?) from the Bad Seeds on stage and stated that they were recording an album of duets together, so at least that's something to look forward to.

            Drinks - Pre-gig at the Sebright Arms round the corner. Was just going to have one, but bumped into my colleague, whom I hadn't seen for some time (happens to be Simon from The June Brides), and was good to catch up. He hadn't seen MR before. At the gig, it was tinned Estrella I think at £4.50 a can, £5 for cider. I had the one.

            Audience Annoyance - Nothing really to report. We were packed in quite tight.

            Main Act - Regardless of their recent output, which can be hit and miss, MR are always brilliant live, and this was no exception. Whilst their new album is ok, they restrict themselves to playing about 4 songs off it, mixing in half a dozen from Deserter's Songs and four (I think) from All Is Dream. They play Car Wash Hair fairly early on in the set, as well as Frittering. Jonathan Donahue throws his arms about as if he was a great magician or conductor in charge of an orchestra. Only he and Grasshopper remain from the original band, and there is lengthy discourse on what early MR gigs were like, with David Baker often leaving the stage to make his way to the bar, and the band playing A and E notes for 20 minutes in order to stretch their gigs out to 75 minutes ("we only had 6 songs!").
            All in all, a triumphant night, finishing with 'Goddess on a Hiway' and 'The Dark is Rising'.

            Comment


              The big gig thread 2015 edition

              Artist: Ulrich Schnauss
              Venue: Das Bett
              Tickets: €16 on the door
              Support: Picture Palace music - Thorsten Quaeschning (Tangerine Dream) side project. Walked in while this was on and there was a skinny bloke with a mohawk dancing on stage with them. I thought he looked like something out of a Fritz Lang film. Later I discovered that the whole reason behind this project was to make music inspired by Fritz Lang. It was all brilliant - I'm so glad I dragged myself out on a wet night away from the easy comforts of Champions League on the box. And the main reason I managed it - I couldn't bear an evening of sitting on my arse refreshing Twitter to keep up with the Borehamwood-Lincoln game.
              Drinks etc.: 2 x Krusovice
              Audience annoyance: Sparsely enough attended gig (50-60 people) to escape from the Token Tall Twat filming it on his mobile. Bizarrely, after both acts there was a bloke probably in his late 50s repeatedly barking "ZUGABE!" (encore) at the top of his lungs, more as a command than a request, while everyone else spattered out a little applause. Picture Palace music looked suitably embarrassed and mooched off stage. I didn't wait around to see how Ulrich Schnauss reacted - his sole acknowledgment of the audience was a quick smile at the end of his set before he nipped out back. That's the way it should be.
              The main act: So there's Ulrich and his co-player leaning over a couple of laptops, a keyboard and synth, with some obligatory footage of industrial mechanics, alienated urban landscapes and dubious modern architecture projected on to the wall - about time electronic acts changed the visuals, I reckon. Still, the music again was just perfect for zoning out, each track blending into the next, 80 odd minutes with no applause and minimal movement. It all felt and sounded very 80s, but that's not a complaint at all. I don't know enough about electronic music to categorise or place it any better. I just know what I like - endless, multi-layered synthetic sounds and rhythms. 10/10

              Comment


                The big gig thread 2015 edition

                Late November round up. Keyboards very much to the fore. Firstly New Order, first time I've seen them live and as meregreen suggests the new material is strong enough to blend well with the crowd pleasing older material. Could have done with curtailing some of the outros, but if I'd been on anything stronger than a single pint of Tuborg I might have appreciated an extended outro a bit more.

                I'd wanted to see Chvrches for a while but wondered whether (and I think it's been said on here previously) her vocals would be overwhelmed by their music - but it wasn't an issue, and she seems more of a stage presence then when I'd seen live footage of them before. Thing Two accompanied me, and we're already planning to see them again next year. Marina and the Diamonds was/were more showy and less bouncy than Chvrches, and unusually had a set list which involved playing 5-6 songs off each album, one album at a time rather than mixing them.

                Both of the above were at Newcastle Academy who, post-Bataclan, have introduced full pat-downs on entry, leading to huge queues outside in the bitter north east weather.

                Finally with Thing One to The Prodigy supported by Public Enemy. I booked a seat ticket for myself and a standing ticket for him. He came out declaring it to be the most violence he'd ever seen (he wasn't necessarily objecting to this though). Apparently during a Flava Flav speech about peace and unity, a circle opened up in the crowd near him to reveal, in his words, 'a blonde lass beating fuck out of some lad'; later during the Prodigy, someone decked someone next to him, and he stepped in to stop the decker finishing off the deckee, only to be shoved out of the way by a fourth party and advised to, 'just fucking let them get it oot man', but he got in the way long enough for the deckee to get away. The seats weren't quite so eventful, though a woman in front of me fell backwards while dancing in heels, and landed perfectly on my lap. You don't tend to get that at, say, Sharon van Etten gigs.

                Guitars feature more prominently in December's schedule.

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                  The big gig thread 2015 edition

                  Artist: The Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra featuring Julian Rachin (violin)
                  Venue: Alte Oper
                  Tickets: €52.60
                  Drinks etc.: None. Got there too late to join my fellow members of the bourgeoisie for an apéro.
                  Audience annoyance: My Mum's visiting, so I've finally got round to going to the classical venue almost on my doorstep. Not my kind of folk, to be honest. Obviously, classical audiences aren't annoying in that they don't hold up cell-phones, don't stand right in front of you just before the gig starts, and they don't sing along. They're annoying in a completely different way. They're docile. They're knowingly superior. They're largely old and white. And then at the end they applaud like the fury, letting out all their appreciation in such a controlled and coldly sustained fashion that you find yourself mistrusting their sincerity. A woman two rows in front of was applauding with such determined verve it was like she was spanking a particularly truculent schoolboy who needed to be taught a very severe lesson in manners and culture. Oh, and the German classical audiences love their encores - one before the interval, and three at the end. Fucking interminable applause as the conductor and/or soloist comes on and leaves and comes back on again, and we were penned in, so there was no escape. And when you stop applauding you feel the implied reproachfulness all around you (though I just can't do it for long. My arms start to ache and my soul starts to wither).
                  I should add that I was the cause myself of some audience annoyance. During one very quiet violin solo during Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, I fell asleep for a moment, then jerked awake, knocking my right leg against the wooden panel to my right (I was at the end of a row), causing it to judder loudly for maybe as long as two seconds. Several disapproving heads turned my way. Tsk.
                  The music: On the upside, I love Tchaikovsky - as well as the violin concerto, there were extracts from Eugene Onegin, the Nutcracker Suite, and the Romeo and Juliet fantasia. Didn't know much of the material, but using my finely tuned classical ear I can say - erm, it all seemed top quality. Was the violinist good? He sounded like it to me, though his solo encore was masturbatory in the extreme. Still, applaud applaud. And be a good chap and applaud some more. 9/10.

                  Comment


                    The big gig thread 2015 edition

                    The wonderful Giuda at the Lexington last night. Great energy, great fun, singer is sex on legs if you like that sort of thing (I do) guitarist and second vocalist is also fab. Squeeee.

                    Not sure how they can be so macho and swaggery without being at all threatening. They're fantastic.

                    Ably supported by Thee Jezebels. They are really really good.

                    Thursday, I saw the Priscillas at an intimate (private gig) and they too were great fun and on point. Slightly eclipsed by last night, plus I was jetlagged to fuck so it all seemed slightly surreal. They's great gals though.

                    Sorry not much of a review, not got a writing head on and am knackered, but felt I should pay some tribute to three fine bands.

                    Comment


                      The big gig thread 2015 edition

                      Artist: Lane 8 featuring Solomon Grey
                      Venue: Peckham Liberal Club
                      Tickets: Free.
                      Drinks etc.: Several pints of Kronenburg plus a couple of rum shots.
                      Audience annoyance: None. It was a small gathering, fewer than a hundred with everyone sitting down. The most polite, orderly crowd I've ever come across.
                      The main act: Bit of a strange one as I hadn't planned on this at all. I was in the Peckham Liberal Club with a group of mates participating in a darts tournament we arrange about twice a year. Wandering into the bar I noticed the place was full of hipsters. Bit later after being eliminated from the darts, me and a mate went to investigate. After chatting to the wmoan on the door, she let us watch from the sidelines and explained that it was a fan invite only gig for Lane 8, who I'd never heard of. Basically, it was a bloke on a synthesiser and another sitting on a stool (who I took to be Solomon Grey) on vocals. Music was really melodic, mellow house tunes and the vocalist had a beautiful soulful voice. Bit like the XX I guess. At the end, the smallish (under 100) audience politely applauded and the lights came on. And that was that.

                      Anyway, it put us in the mood and we ended up going going clubbing at nearby Canavans. Which on reflection, might have been a mistake.

                      This is the kind of stuff they played.

                      Comment


                        The big gig thread 2015 edition

                        And finally.

                        A fine Courtney Barnett performance, in front of a sell out crowd, her three piece making a fair racket.

                        Saint Etienne in front of a less than half full Sage main hall, which was a shame as it flattened the atmosphere hugely. Last time I saw them was at Newcastle Poly and they played for 25 minutes, this time they did over three times that. This time, they announced a song as being a Cilla Black tribute and the bloke next to me, who was talking far too much to his mate throughout, shouted 'Surprise Surprise!'. Flushed with success at the merriment this produced in the audience, he followed it up by shouting 'Blind Date!', which wasn't such a big hit, leaving him looking both confused and disappointed.

                        The Twilight Sad's Christmas homecoming show was never going to be a jolly affair, but it was more upbeat than you might expect - they, and the singer in particular, were chuffed to bits at selling out the Barrowlands. Their sound is quite expansive when they get going and they have a big year ahead, supporting The Cure in arenas around the world.

                        Took son and his gig-chick to Lower Than Atlantis and watched with pride as I picked out the silhouetted shape of the former, rapidly followed by the latter, rising out of the pit and crowd surfing during the last song. I congratulated them both afterwards, while pointing out that it's ok for them, in our day we had to get on the stage and dive off and hope the crowd caught you. As well as general taxi duty, I was there mainly to see main support Moose Blood.

                        I wasn't in the best of shape for Chameleons Vox on Saturday, and the fact that they fair cheered me up says something about my fragile state. Although they (or he) were supposed to be winding down, they've already announced dates in Europe next year.

                        And finally Madonna last night at the Hydro with Thing Two, who at 12 going on 13 was not quite age appropriate for some of the content, but to be expected I guess, and there were younger than her there. It started late, there were technical problems during the support DJ set, and the venue screens warned of an 11.30 finish time. As 11.30 approached I checked the setlist and saw there were still about five songs to go so we left at 11.30 and then missed the fun when either the venue or the crew (they are blaming each other) cut the power before the final encore.

                        My own power levels are low after all that, but will be back out in a few weeks.

                        Comment


                          The big gig thread 2015 edition

                          well for the first time ever, I finally kept a record of the gigs i went to this year and here's a list of my 30 favourites:

                          Alvvays / Moon King @ Bristol Thekla
                          Wing Eyed Victory For The Sullen @ The Lantern Bristol
                          Gruffy Rhys / Gwenno @ Bath Komedia
                          BRNS @ Crofters Rights Bristol
                          Spectres / The Naturals @ Old Malt House Bristol
                          Vacant Lots @ Bristol Stag & Hounds
                          Martin Carr @ Cardiff Moon Club
                          Courtney Barnett @ Bristol Fleece
                          East India Youth @ Bristol Exchange
                          Martha @ Bristol Roll for the soul
                          Lonelady @ Bristol Louisiana and the Barbican Centre and Thekla - she rocks :-)
                          Twilight Sad / Man on the Moon @ Bristol Fleece
                          Pinkultrashinyblast / Flyying Colours @ Cardiff Ifor Bach
                          Bully / Kid Wave @ Bristol Start the Bus
                          Twerps @ Start the Bus
                          Sleaford Mods @ Bristol Exchange
                          Young Fathers @ Cardiff ifor bach
                          Desperate Journalists @ Bristol stag and hounds
                          Goldie @ Bristol ampitheartre
                          Roni Size @ Arcadia Queen Square
                          R.E.S.T Room Festival: Container / Fckg Bstds / Spectres @ Bristol storage unit!
                          Blank Realm @ Start the Bus
                          Vryll Society @ The Louisana
                          Ride @ Anson Rooms
                          Asian Dub Foundation live soundtracking THX1138 @ Colston Hall
                          Lusts @ The Louisana
                          Ultimate Painting @ Start the Bus
                          Thought Forms @ James Street Wine Vaults, Bath.

                          And worst gig: Ibeyi at Trinity, beautiful voices but about as dull a gig as I've ever had the misfortune to stand through, the songs were so lifeless and devoid of anything.

                          Comment


                            The big gig thread 2015 edition

                            Tony Wright at Gullivers, Manchester.

                            Acoustic set from the Terrorvision front man accompanied by TV keyboards player Milly Evans. Some reworked TV classics, with a good spread of stuff from his solo albums.

                            Good fun, especially as Wright is absolutely hilarious between songs just chatting away. (For instance asking if anyone had paid for the ripoff cancellation insurance for AC/DC - "I had to think twice, because look at the state of them. By the time the gig comes around half of them might be dead.") So a nice, enjoyable pre-Christmas gig.

                            Support act was Serious Sam Barrett, who was pretty good too.

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                              The big gig thread 2015 edition

                              Instead of starting a 'Just When You Think You've Heard It All' thread, I'll leave this here.

                              I was onstage last night after the band had finished wrapping up mics and leads, as you do, when a guy shouts 'here, mate! Is that an Ian Curtis t-shirt?'
                              Normally I just ignore whackjobs shouting stuff as it's invariably requests for plectrums/ plectra/ set-lists/ bottles of water left by the acts/ stupid shit, but as he'd recognised Curtis I said 'yeah' fully expecting the 'oh, I saw Joy Division in 1977 at'... blah blah blah, but not this guy.
                              'I GOT A TIT-WANK ON HIS GRAVE BY SOME BIRD I'D JUST MET THERE!'

                              I mean, that's just fantastic and you literally couldn't make something like that up.
                              I feel Ian would've approved too.
                              It fairly brightened up my evening, I can assure you.

                              Comment


                                The big gig thread 2015 edition

                                People grieve in their own way.

                                Comment


                                  The big gig thread 2015 edition

                                  I guess.

                                  He was talking to a girl at the side of the stage for a while after and I shouted across 'tell her the story you just told me'
                                  'Ok'
                                  He fucking did and all!

                                  She just stood there with a bemused look on her face while myself and the band's guitarist were creasing up with laughter.

                                  Comment


                                    The big gig thread 2015 edition

                                    Oh, it's for Paris.

                                    Ah, but it was still shite. He's talking 4th year French, at length now, but no-one's cheering ...

                                    Comment

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