Venue:

Thekla, Bristol

Date: 09/02/2023

Haven’t logged in here for a while because I haven’t done much for a few years (for obvious reasons) but finally getting back on (off?) the wagon…..and what a great way to start. I think a @Rigid_Digit mention here got me onto HH, and it was love at first listen (thanks Ridge!) A new album and tour just launched and last night he was playing the Thekla – like many acts he seemed surprised it was actually a vessel. Anyway. Back on the boat for the first time since 2018 for me….and great to be back. Brilliant show – characterful, clever indie pop (you can find the songs online if you are interested), and much rockier live than I was expecting. Left feeling hot, sweaty and excited … in a good way. More please!

The audience:

Usual Thekla crowd, 6 Music types, couples.

It made me think..

This, whatever it is, is improving.

Venue:

Thekla, Bristol

Date: 24/05/2017

Not quite sure how I stumbled across the Pains of being Pure at Heart – probably an obscure connection to a temporary flame. But I did last year and was pleased after three nifty indie pop albums to find them playing close by – first night of a short UK tour in advance of new album in July. So why not? And then…suddenly going to even a minor show, by a minor band, in a minor venue feels a tiny bit edgy? Defiant pose? Obviously not, the most dangerous thing I did all day was drive to work but It did feel like the tiniest gesture of solidarity with the light against the darkness.

Whatever. POBPAH are at the poppier end of indie guitars a jangling and we loved them last night – reminded me of the Delays (RIP) also rocking out a bit more than expected. Main man Kip very impressed to be playing in Bristol home of Sarah records (see below) and on a boat…aren’t they all? we all took to him very quickly – liked the way that he came off stage and rather than retiring for a well earned » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Picturehouse

Date: 30/04/2017

A couple of years after it’s original release a one-off cinema showing of the black & chrome special edition of Mad Max:Fury Road, to coincide with a dvd reissue. Supposedly this was director George Miller’s preferred version – not sure about that but it might have been in his mind; “You will ride eventual shiny and chrome!”. It remains a high-octane adrenaline blast. The monochrome is particularly good at picking out details like Charlize Theron’s eyes, and seems to enhance the whole gotterdamerung feel of the big trucks roaring like dinosaurs in the desert – on the rubber road to Valhalla.

The audience:

wide awake

It made me think..

What a lovely day

Venue:

Thekla, Bristol

Date: 26/04/2017

The return of big, bad, Barry…former bass player with Magazine, ex Bad Seed and all round cool guy. His latest album “Know Where to Run” slipped out late last year, missed by many (including me to begin with) and now he’s touring it, pepped up with a nifty EP “Love Sick Dick”. You do the meaning. A solo show, BA plays guitars, keyboards and i-phone. And it’s a seriously good show. He may be a bit greyer round the muzzle (aren’t we all all) and thicker at the hips (aren’t we all) but sunglasses and a fedora and he is seriously cool. And some seriously good new songs. First time he played Bristol was 40 years ago at the C*****n Hall as part of Magazine. A fair few in the audience were there(not me sadly) and as a reward he closed his encore with that great f*** off fascist anthem “The Light Pours Out of Me”. Glorious.

The audience:

Blokes mainly, but cool with it.

It made me think..

Heart beats up love

Venue:

Trinity, Bristol

Date: 06/04/2017

British Sea Power – indiest of Brit (make that English) indy bands have just started touring their rather fine new album “Let the Dancers Inherit the Party” and this was the first night – a triumphant return (album and gig). You get the big anthems (and the new album contains a couple of potential classics) with glorious riffs and choruses which will no doubt go down a storm at Glastonbury (Remember Me, No Lucifer, Waving Flags – ha!) but underneath that and at the same time there is a home-knitted, plaintive emotional quality that is magnified when they use brass (Machineries of Joy) – sadly only one cornet (?) tonight. And then there are the endearing eccentricities – Marsha the owl, the bears, the foliage – which lets you know you are in a someone’s fully formed world, some of which has yet to be explained. It was a great show – nearly 2 very hot hours and they even had special suits for the encore – you wait.

I’m not sure if BSP are going to get any bigger – and selfishly I’m not sure I want them to if I can » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Thekla, Bristol

Date: 02/04/2017

Moonlandingz have had quite extensive coverage recently, mainly focussed around the scuzzier end of their stage antics. A band created to perform the role of a fictional band on someone else’s concept album – I found the original concept resistible enough not to pursue further. Likewise Fat White Family who provide some of the beef, or Slow Club who provide some of the more decorous elements. On reflection a psychotic(demonic?) glam rock band from the wrong side of Sheffield has to have something going for it? Some serious patronage too (Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and others). And now we have an actual album (Top 10 definitely), and an actual sold-out tour, even on Sunday. Leading to less than 60 minutes or so of over refreshed mayhem. Oh and a fistful of glorious songs. An unholy mixture of Glitter Band, The Cramps, Baby Bird, early Human League and Uncle Lou Reed and all. Some bloke called Adrian appears to be the evil genius behind it all(aren’t they always) – who knows what dark secret the shades and beany are hiding? Go and see them (if you can get a ticket) if you want some raucous » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Thekla, Bristol

Date: 28/03/2017

Got this ticket on a bit of a whim and almost didn’t go after a hard day and rubbish weather but very glad I did.

FatAM are very French – play French pop with a strong North African influence – who would have guessed from the name? You couldn’t mistake them for Brits/Americans – even before they did a couple of little mini Shadows steps/2 man can-cans. A great party night. Full of joie de vivre. As someone who gets quite engaged with song lyrics (and only has CSE French) the fact that they were in French didn’t really matter. Partie!Partie! Partie!

The audience:

Europeans. Those I could see were a much better M:F ratio and a much nicer atmosphere than other gigs recently.

It made me think..

Formidable! Manifique!

Venue:

The Lantern, Bristol

Date: 09/03/2017

“Hi, I’m Hamilton Leithauser from New York City”. ….Obviously! HL is the former lead-singer of post-punk cult faves The Walkmen (even you must have heard The Rat or Angela Surf City?) – now solo and touring his second album “I Had A Dream That You Were Mine”, co-written with Rostan Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend, whose contribution presumably stretched further than a few VW-ish harpsichord flourishes. It’s a really good album that has grown on me as I’ve listened to it on repeat over the last week or so – I should have rated it higher last year. Hamilton is a big guy with a big voice and he really belts ‘em out as he did in the Walkmen– I wonder how his throat stands it. That said he has some great songs on his own album – much subtler and wistful than might first appear. HL and his band (which included a big piano tonight possibly thanks to the slightly more upmarket venue) rock out for a good hours worth of his current album and its predecessor(“Black Hours”), finishing with a lovely version of 1959 which is a duet on the album but » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Marble Factory, Bristol

Date: 22/02/2017

Horrible weather but this was only second gig of the year so awn we go….First heard of Teleman through the ridiculously catchy “Skeleton Dance” and they now have 2 fine albums of clever guitar pop. Brilliant Sanity was one of 2016s best. Missed them when they played last year so was pleased to get another chance in a reasonable venue.

Support band Girl Ray have been very busy since I last saw them in a much smaller venue but still pleasantly self-depreciating. Niceness is under-rated.

As I say Teleman have 2 excellent albums full of arty, quirky, slightly off-key guitar-pop songs and they played quite a lot of them tonight for a very appreciative audience. Loved it. Glory Hallelujah indeed. Go and see them soon.

The audience:

Mixed. Enthusiastic. Big Jeff obviously

It made me think..

Once again glad I made the effort to get out on a miserable night.The art school dance goes on…