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The Big Gig Thread 2017

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    The Big Gig Thread 2017

    I thought that the year had peaked early when Charlotte Church did Hometown Unicorn tonight at The Lexington, but by encoring with Last Night A DJ Saved My Life she proved me wrong.

    I'll try to post a more reasoned critique later but, basically, Charlotte rules!

    #2
    The Big Gig Thread 2017

    Sad news for anyone going to see Adam play in the US or Canada this week.

    Tom Edwards, the guitarist has died, aged 41, so shows are postponed for now. Philly and NYC are off.

    They played Boston, Chicago and Washington, all great shows.

    Edit: Back for Toronto, apparently.

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      #3
      The Big Gig Thread 2017

      Been a slow start to the year for me, but made up for it by attending 4 IVW gigs this week, 3 at the Adelphi and a trip to Hebden Bridge Trades Club on Thursday to witness the ever increasing momentum being gained by Cabbage. 1st night of a UK tour that's as good as sold out every venue, the lads had the small room captivated amidst a great atmosphere. Support from Avalanche Party, a band I've seen enough times to know that they're potentially another phenomenon waiting to happen, and Goa Express, young shavers who made a reasonable noise, and whose bass player had magnificent hair.

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        #4
        The Big Gig Thread 2017

        Adam Ant blew the roof off the joint. Stellar. Full review tomorrow when the ringing in my ears stops.

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          #5
          The Big Gig Thread 2017

          Well, that was a blast. And yes, Hugh Fatbastard was in attendance.

          Surprisingly good openers Glam Skanks (LA Girl/Glam/Punk outfit) started with a few of their duds and saved the barnburners for the end. Good response from the crowd.

          Adam came on to a sold-out house at 9 sharp. Place was packed with slightly pudgy old punks in leather who were up for it. Played the standard tour setlist, but really tight and energetic. After KOTWF, Adam finally spoke to the crowd, dedicating the night to guitarist Tom Edwards (RIP) and then playing his favourite song, Beat My Guest.

          Never seen AA before, so wasn't sure what to expect. Apparently he's not big on the audience chit-chat. A random 'thank you' to the crowd brought the house down. Wildly energetic set and tight band. No idea who they are, as they weren't introduced and the internet apparently doesn't contain that information.

          L was pleasantly surprised and my daughter had a good time. Apparently she thought we were going to see "some Barenaked Ladies sort of thing", but the t-shirts in the lobby and the "old people in leather pants" quickly changed her mind. She also said her "ears feel funny" after the gig. Yeah...they'll do that.

          Recommended.

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            #6
            The Big Gig Thread 2017

            Glad you enjoyed it, and HB got to go.

            A friend who knows Adam said he didn't seem himself, which is understandable, and was crying when he mentioned Tom.

            The band are Will Crewdson on guitar, Joe on bass, and Jola and Andy on the drums. I wonder if the guitar was turned up to try to fill in the sound? They've all been with him for a couple of years now. Joe and Will play in other bands - Will has a few projects and plays for The Selector and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

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              #7
              The Big Gig Thread 2017

              Is he normally chatty with the crowd? He didn't seem inclined that way at all. Yeah, the dedication was emotional and the crowd understood.

              The guitar levels were indeed way up, but the sound was full and robust regardless. Even the pseudo horn fills on G2S.

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                #8
                The Big Gig Thread 2017

                He hasn't been super chatty for the last year or so, but he's said a few things, once the Kings album is done. And always introduces the band, usually very nicely.

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                  #9
                  The Big Gig Thread 2017

                  No band intro last night, but I'm sure he was just trying to keep it together after the death and the cancelled shows. Damn, but those drummers are a tight unit.

                  Honestly, taking my 14 year old daughter was the fun bit.

                  "Wait...what does this guy look like?"
                  "Uh....sort of like a punk....pirate....Indian sort of thing."
                  "Seriously?"

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                    #10
                    The Big Gig Thread 2017

                    Anthrax at the Kentish Town Forum next Friday. They're playing Among The Living in full, start to finish, then presumably will hit us with a few from the new album.

                    Don't even care that I'm going on my own. I'm going to rock the fuck out.

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                      #11
                      The Big Gig Thread 2017

                      WOM wrote: "Place was packed with slightly pudgy old punks in leather..."

                      Reminds me of a Dead Can Dance gig I was dragged to a couple of years ago at the Strathmore in Bethesda. Wardrobes had been ill-advisedly ransacked and fans were bursting out of their gothballed leathers and t-shirts - particularly tight and challenging were those long skirts that were already impossible to walk around in back in 1983. It was more like a Fetishism for the Over-50s fair.

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                        #12
                        The Big Gig Thread 2017

                        Toby Gymshorts wrote: Anthrax at the Kentish Town Forum next Friday. They're playing Among The Living in full, start to finish, then presumably will hit us with a few from the new album.

                        Don't even care that I'm going on my own. I'm going to rock the fuck out.
                        Got that wrong, it's next Friday. Anyway. Excitement remains at record levels.

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                          #13
                          The Big Gig Thread 2017

                          So. How to sum that up?

                          I'll go with "fucking hell".

                          You won't ever see a tighter, more disciplined band than Anthrax. Seriously. What a unit, and what a back catalogue.

                          Such a fun evening. I've sung myself hoarse and I don't even care.

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                            #14
                            The Big Gig Thread 2017

                            London OTF types, if you find yourself at a loose end tonight, and aren't that far away from Brixton, you could do no worse than venture to the Windmill and catch Avalanche Party, a band I've mentioned before around these parts. I guarantee it will be worth an evening of your time.

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                              #15
                              The Big Gig Thread 2017

                              Anyone aware of the Senseless Things reunion gig at Shepherds Bush Empire? Turns out they're doing a warm up here at the Adelphi. I've got a ticket purely to placate my older brother, who's stupidly excited.

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                                #16
                                The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                Lots of small gigs for me, lately.

                                This Friday saw a choice of three mates' bands playing over town, but I opted for Jim Jones and friends at Big Red. It's a looser format than the JJ Revue, lots of covers and guest singers.

                                Nigel Burch and various other acts at my local, the Mascara Bar, last night.

                                All excellent.

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                                  #17
                                  The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                  Canadian white-bluesman Colin James last night at Massey Hall. The sort of thing I tend to enjoy compared to, say, a kick in the nuts, a poke in the eye or dysentery. Lots of dreary, tired, hackneyed blues riffs layered over dreary, tired, hackneyed blues lyrics. Two hours that felt like eight. You know you're in for a treat at a 'blues' show with no unhappiness to be seen and no black people in the audience.

                                  Blech.

                                  Lisa loved it, mind, which is why we were there.

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                                    #18
                                    The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                    A bit late for you, WOM, but Adam is really loosening up towards the end of the North American tour and starting to chat a bit.

                                    Here he's having fun with Get It On/Physical.

                                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At6BfZPGRNg&feature=youtu.be

                                    They're touring Oz and NZ later in the year.

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                                      #19
                                      The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                      For the first show back after the death of his guitarist, he can be forgiven. It was a lot of fun.

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                                        #20
                                        The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                        Bloody hell, I completely missed the news about his guitarist. Terrible.

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                                          #21
                                          The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                          Hamish! Dougal! wrote: Anyone aware of the Senseless Things reunion gig at Shepherds Bush Empire? Turns out they're doing a warm up here at the Adelphi. I've got a ticket purely to placate my older brother, who's stupidly excited.
                                          It's been all over my Facebook timeline as my old band used to play with them a lot (indeed, gave them some of their early supports), we shared management and and friends and we came from the same area. Indeed we shared musicians. Ben from the Senseless Things was - and still is - our guitarist's borther and he stepped in on bass and, for our last reunion, guitar for his brother who lives in NZ. In thinking about it, we shared girlfriends as well.

                                          I am not their biggest fan and, certainly, preferred some of their earlier stuff but am no expert. While I get on well with Ben and Morgan, the bass player, Cass the drummer was a mouthy git (as was I) and I never got on greatly with Mark the singer at the time. Never really thought about it until, in an odd FB exchange, he had an unsolicited pop at me a couple of years ago. I thought it was odd that he even particularly remembered me - especially as he had taken up being a junkie in the interim - and, especially, the rather mundane domestic events that he had a pop at me about.

                                          Even though I say this - and I say it for context to my next point, I know that Cass, Ben and Morgan - having all played with big professional acts such as Gorillaz, Muse, The Who - are going to treat rehearsing seriously, what I have heard is that they are having a great time rehearsing and apparently Mark is clean nowadays. I reckon that, if you liked them then, you will like them live now especially at a smaller place like the Adelphi which is very similar to the sort of places they started out.

                                          Enjoy but check out Ben's current band, Thee Faction, who are great.

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                                            #22
                                            The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                            Here's hoping, then. Cheers for the insight.

                                            It seems that the City Of Culture tag is starting to bear musical fruit, as earlier this week a couple of blinding gigs were announced to take place in Zebedee's Yard, a relatively new art space which was a school courtyard. Primal Scream supported by Echo and the Bunnymen on Friday 23rd June, with Flaming Lips and Public Service Broadcasting the following night. Got tickets for both, and am as happy as a dog with two cocks.

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                                              #23
                                              The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                              Bought tickets for two for the Best Kept Secret festival this June and the North Sea Jazz festival this July, when the only announced names were Radiohead and Arcade Fire for the former and nobody for the latter. The last two weeks we heard that we are additionally going to see:

                                              BKS: Run The Jewels, James Blake, Metronomy, Soulwax, Thundercat, STUFF.
                                              NSJ: Usher & The Roots, Gladys Knight, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Jamiroquai, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Mavis Staples, Kamasi Washington and The Next Step, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

                                              Some big gigs indeed. Very pleased with that.

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                                                #24
                                                The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                                Saw the Gloaming (Irish trad Super Group) in the Philharmonie, Luxembourg last night.
                                                I have their album but only gave it one listen and wasn't impressed, I had also watched a youtube video of one of their performances that did not raise may hopes of a great concert. It looked like Martin Hayes provided the musical narrative and the other band members would go off on musical benders from there, sometimes it works but on the video I watched, it seemed to degenerate into 5 separate simultaneous solos. But hey, they are critically acclaimed and the like of them are mighty rare in this part of the world.

                                                Anyway they came on stage looking pretty cool, the first four members looking like they had walked out off the Reservoir Dogs film set, bringing up the rear was a bloke carrying a wine bottle and wearing what looked like a sleeping gown, he turned out to be the pianist..

                                                Iarla O'Lionard kicked off with a sean nos piece that was then picked up by Hayes and the others - I liked it, it was trad but re-invented, re-arranged, tunes being explored and developed in ways not heard before.
                                                But after the first two sets the pianist took off his man-burqa to reveal his t-shirt and low cut jeans. He tended to sprawl across the piano, when he wasn't playing he was slumped on the keyboard, exuding all the energy of a washed up jellyfish. It didn't help that his low cut jeans and posture meant that he was exposing his builders bum to the audience, I was glad that I was far enough away that I didn't have to stare into the crack of his arse. If his pants had been any lower, he would have been mooning at the crowd. Maybe it was his intention, a statement of his opinion of the punters behind him. Or a sly dig at the rest of the band who looked like armani models while he was a wine drinking bohemian which he proved by topping and draining his glass at every interval between tunes. On the quieter pieces when he was reduced to playing one subtle note, his vertebrae appeared to dissolve to the point that it seemed a matter of time before he would slide off the stage like a human blob and land in a heap in front of the stage. It was pretty disconcerting which was unfortunate because the concert was great, one of those evenings that you wished would go on and I had to check my watch when they announced the last number because the time had flown.
                                                Well worth catching if you can but don't sit too close or on the left side of the hall (unless you really want to stare at a pianists fundament).

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                                                  #25
                                                  The Big Gig Thread 2017

                                                  Teenage Fanclub this evening, outdoors, a lovely evening on the edge of Sydney Harbour at Taronga Zoo. They were absolutely great.

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