Venue:

St George’s, Bristol

Date: 07/12/2016

St George’s – a former church – seems a fitting venue for Low on their Christmas tour of the UK. Weather was unseasonably mild and miserable. No snow but night falling fast…

Support acts Eric Koskinen (US folkie) and Harkin (Leeds folkie) both play engaging short sets with just their electric guitars for company. They return to stage to join Low for the first half of their set which is a canter through their own Christmas classics. All in black and concentrating hard; acoustics in the hall suit their noise. Harmonies and distorted guitar, brushes and bass. Intense and about as cheery as they ever get. After a break the band return as a 3 piece and blast through some favourites. Describing Low can make them sound a bit miserabilist but there is a kind of dogged and chilly joy to their performance that is quite hypnotic – I find myself holding my breath and I’m not alone in this. Once again I keep thinking of icy waste and deserts and lines from Robert Frost. Let’s go home…

“They cannot scare me with their empty spaces Between stars–on stars where no human race » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Thekla, Bristol

Date: 05/12/2016

Back in town again after appearing only a few months previously at the smaller Louisiana, following a common pattern this year. With a solid band in tow, and decked out in film noir red velvet, Marissa returns to Bristol to warm up a chilly Monday night with her intense, guitar-based, moody pop. Seemingly relishing going electric lead she has plenty of good songs of her own and has time to fit in a couple of covers – Cortes the Killer, and an encore of Famous Blue Raincoat.

The audience:

Respectful, hushed, snap happy

It made me think..

Monday night…I like where I’m living…

Venue:

Thunderbolt, Bristol

Date: 26/11/2016

The Thunderbolt is an engagingly scruffy pub slightly away from the bright lights of town and doesn’t attract the usual cool-cats you see elsewhere (present company excepted). It’s become the established setting for the annual pilgrimage to see The Monochrome Set – always Saturday, always stand in the same spot, always manage to avoid the enthusiastic dancer.

So here we are again. Beloved of all the right people TMS have enjoyed a stop-start 35 years of making wonderfully clever twangy guitar pop music. The latest incarnation is down to 2 original members – main man Bid and impassive man-in-black bassist Andy Warren. JP Moran on keyboards now making his own the spot recently vacated by fondly remembered guitar hero Lester Square. TMS have some shared DNA with the Art School gene pool that produced sundry members of Wire, Ants, Slits, Banshees and Vibrators (check out Pete Frame’s Family Tree). Taking themselves far less seriously than any of their contemporaries has endeared them to loyal fans and probably ensured they can’t give up their day jobs. So here we are again – a spiffing new album “Cosmonaut” recently out and as usual they play » Continue Reading.

Venue:

The Fleece, Bristol

Date: 23/11/2016

More of a double bill than headliner/support this was a chance to catch up again with a couple of bands first seen last year. PINS are a Mancunian 5 piece playing punky-pop with a touch of northern sturm und drag detectable even before the Joy Division cover. They are obviously quite persuasive – first time I saw them (here) was supporting Wire who they joined for a thrashing encore of Drill – have Wire ever done this before? Next up were Honeyblood – 2 piece with a rather good album just out. Quite in yer face songs drugs, gangs, vilolence (plus some Corrs) but rather charming banter – tonight it was singer/guitarist Stina Tweedale’s birthday so she was got a round of Happy Birthday from the audience and regular presents from drummer/co-pilot Cat Myers. Mittens and fluffy slippers. Aww. And for the encore – why its PINS joining them on stage again. Obviously party time.

The audience:

Sold out. Young Guns. Smily face. (No sign of Jeff – busy night in Briz)

It made me think..

Was tempted not to go out after a rubbish day but very glad I did. Time to » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Louisiana, Bristol

Date: 28/10/2016

The Louisiana is a wonderful small venue – 100 or so (?) upstairs in a trad pub, and sold out tonight. Support band Girl Ray were very likeable. Haley Bonar plays tuneful, slightly twisted guitar based pop. Some really good songs – see below. Some of her stuff puts me in mind of Chris Isaak for some reason – a bit of grit beneath the glitter. Seemed very taken by visiting Stonehenge on the way from Brighton – personally I’m more impressed by the Clifton Suspension Bridge. She is already booked to come back to a bigger venue next April and I have bought my ticket.

The audience:

100 or so., mainly behind me so not sure who they were. Big Jeff obviously.

It made me think..

YouGo Girl(s) – its stamped on the back of my hand. Roll on Thekla next April.

Venue:

Thekla, Bristol

Date: 16/10/2016

Well if you were a certain age in the mid 80’s (say mid 20’s?) and a certain disposition (say moody romantic with slightly pretentious reading tastes)then Lloyd Cole (& the Commotions) may have hit you head-on. Twangy guitars, clever lyrics, moody looks – take me I’m yours. In pre-internet days a reference to Arthur Lee or Renate Adler took some following up. Well worth it. Well he’s back again. this time with son William. He may look a bit grumpy in photos but in person LC is funny and self depreciating and very polite. The Classic Songbook 1983-1996 will do me just fine ..bit of Prince & Bowie thrown in…It was a hot night but if you loved Rattlesnakes you would love this.

The audience:

Hot, appreciative. No big Jeff?

It made me think..

I want a diamante crocodile. Another box set next year – put me down for one. OK @ Tiggerlion?

Venue:

Thekla, Bristol

Date: 29/09/2016

A few months seeing him playing to an audience of 100 or so at the Louisiana at £8 a shot. Meilyr is going upon the world – starting out a new tour and this time playing the boat with an audience or 300 or so paying £9. He hasn’t let this leap in status go to his head – he’s still playing the same endearingly gauche and unfiltered emotional pop songs. If anything he’s working harder than ever – the sweat was pouring off him. The harpsichord and brass evokes the likes of Divine Comedy and some songs are equally ethereal (while others are beefy Teardrop Explodes style pop)but it feels a lot less “knowing” while equally smile-inducing. And the band all seemed very pleased to be there playing such great songs. He’s touring over the next few weeks – go see him if you get the chance.

The audience:

Very Happy. Big Jeff obviously

It made me think..

2013 definitely in this year’s Top 10, Lovely

Venue:

Thekla, Bristol

Date: 13/09/2016

“One of the most exciting new indie bands of 2016…” – according to the weekend paper. Be that as it may they certainly put on an exciting show last night. Coming on stage to “Ghost Rider” suggests a certain confidence and they had plenty of New York attitude….luckily they have some good songs to back it up. They also seemed quite sweetly pleased that the audience recognised and sang along to a few of them. They look like pop stars goddamit! Boy guitarist in a cool white outfit which suggested access to better laundry than many touring bands – girl bass player/singer quite dowdily dressed by comparison but some good playing…she dived into the audience at one point…there was a drummer too (beard and shorts I think) – couldn’t see much of him, will probably turn out to be the driving force. If you want more jangly, thrash guitar pop with a bit of psych-punk and catchy hooks thrown in this could be for you – it was for me.

The audience:

Younger audience tonight (freshers week I guess), Big Jeff is back. Luckliy he didn’t crowd surf although a few girls did. I » Continue Reading.

Venue:

British Library

Date: 12/08/2016

A free exhibition at the British Library, featuring a random but (to me) quite enthralling selection of memorabilia (much of it very carefully looked after). A good way to spend 30 minutes while you wait to do something else – go into the Reading Room or try their very reasonable cafe. They have a wall of singles and I reckon I had 75%+ of them, that copy of Zigzag too…and genuine punk graffiti (see photos) courtesy of Viv Albertine). No photos allowed apparently but I took one anyway – see it worked?! The pop-up shop was selling framed prints of the Clash for (I think) £800. Turning rebellion into money…hahahaha. Then onto see the Shakespeare in 10 Acts Exhibition – highly diverting

The audience:

Tourists mainly.

It made me think..

It certainly did….reminded me that while it may have happened anyway, for this provincial teenager punk was about experiencing things and thinking thoughts above my station – and today that Station was Euston but I did go down the road to marvel at St Pancras.

Venue:

Tramshed, Cardiff

Date: 02/08/2016

Didn’t arrive in the best of moods for this – horrid driving weather and confusing parking directions. ended up parking on the street which i noticed was Resident’s parking so I resigned myself to a fine…and then got to the Venue and the band had started early – unheard of!

Anyway, the Tramshed is a nicely done up shed – and the politest security ever. As the band had just started I may have missed any introductions but there wasn’t a lot of chat with the audience until the end. No matter. Slowly Low got me unwound with their strange mixture of guitar thrash and fragile melody. No support they played 2 sets – most of last year’s album Ones & Sixes plus a popular selection from the back catalogue. Not many laughs or histrionics (the odd puff of dry ice and coloured lights felt almost sarcastic) but highly atmospheric – makes me think of stopping by woods – lovely dark and deep. The feel exemplified for me by one of my favourite songs from last year “What Part of Me”(which I discovered very late) – a brilliant pop song.

The very polite » Continue Reading.