Venue:

The Garage, Islington, London

Date: 28/05/2015

And lo, the Prophet sang “Shake Some Action, That’s What I Need….” Action well and truly shaken and needs abundantly met.

The audience:

Followers of the Prophet.

It made me think..

Yes he’s honoured, but not nearly enough

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Venue:

Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Date: 30/05/2015

Look, I’ll be honest – I’m one of those Manics fans: their Richey work is infinitely superior to the stuff they did after he disappeared. I lost touch with them after “This Is My Truth…” However, for my money, The Holy Bible is one of the greatest rock albums ever recorded, by anyone, anywhere, in any decade, and this 20th Anniversary Tour was always going to be a must-see. I’ve seen the Manics a few times, and only ever heard Archives Of Pain and PCP from THB played live before, so this was an immense thrill: that perfect, harrowing record from start to finish. As I type this, I’m still hoarse from howling along to it with 2000 or so others. James Dean Bradfield still seems surprised that we want to hear these songs – glowing, he thanked the Usher Hall for “enduring” them, but it wasn’t a question of that: every syllable of those impossible lyrics was barked to the rafters in unison with him.

No support necessary: they played The Holy Bible, took a break and came back for a high-energy set of greatest hits and rarities. Quite a bit there » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Fibbers, York

Date: 26/05/2015

The Ukrainians are one of my favourite bands and this was their first time playing in York but sadly I’d be surprised if they came back. Whilst they accept that their musical style is somewhat ‘niche’ this was still a pitifully small audience. The venue felt empty and even when the band started playing many people stayed well away from the stage, preferring to sit in the dark – why ? It does help a band’s performance if they can see the audience ! I’ve seen the Ukies in other venues and usually people are much more enthusiastic – our North Yorkshire reserve I guess.

To the uninitiated, The Ukrainians (initially an offshoot of The Wedding Present) play westernised versions of traditional Ukrainian songs and cover versions of other songs in Ukrainian language and style. Their albums and live sets have always featured an interesting selection of covers, notably The Smiths and the Sex Pistols, but the current tour is promoting the new album ‘A history of rock music in Ukrainian’ and, you’ve guessed it, it’s all cover versions and it’s great. Some are old favourites but many are new and the fun » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Cadogan Hall, Chelsea, London

Date: 27/05/2015

That was outstanding! I’ve seen Thea Gilmore, ooh, at least 15 times in the last decade and this may have been the best. Her new album is a strange beast which sprawls over 26 tracks, some new songs, some re-recordings of old favourites, including duets with fans ranging from Joan Baez to John Cooper Clarke. Happily this has given her license to dig deep into her back-catalogue for a thrilling set, from the brand new opening track Copper to the encore’s closer Inverigo, from 2001, whose hushed final notes were followed by a brief pause and then a thunderous standing ovation. This was the last gig of the tour and there was a jaunty, end-of-term air about the crew, in contrast with a polite and quiet Chelsea audience. Thea’s glorious voice somehow sat proud above a 7 piece band, and the rockier new songs, a bit muffled and over-produced on the CD if truth be told, were full and dynamic. That said, my favourites were the quieter moments where we could give Thea on the beautiful Cadogan stage the undivided attention she deserves.

The audience:

Polite and appreciative, largely couples with a » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Glasgow Barrowlands

Date: 22/05/2015

Last time Ride played at the Barras, I was a floppy-fringed fourteen year-old with no chance of getting in to see my favourite band. And 23 years later, the setlist probably hadn’t changed much: Black Nite Crash was the only song featured from their last two albums, although I doubt anyone was much bothered. Some of the criticisms levelled at ‘shoegaze’ bands possibly still stick – they’re not the most dynamic performers, and there’s not a lot of chat with the audience. But the music is great. Vapour Trail and Twisterella are great jangly pop songs, and they seem to enjoy stretching out the noisier numbers like Seagull and Drive Blind. Loz Colbert is a brilliant drummer and drives the whole thing. Andy Bell keeps his Oasis-regulation parka zipped up to the neck throughout. Mark Gardener’s ever-present George Galloway hat suggests his floppy fringe has gone the same way as mine. They end with an epic Leave Them All Behind, and I head home like a giddy 14 year old again.

The audience:

Mainly 30 and 40 somethings, with a few younger faces.

It made me think..

I thought twice about going to this » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Nottingham Rescue Rooms and Northampton Roadmender

Date: 14/05/2015

How many bands have had a panicky Transit dash along the M1 after turning up at one of these venues when they were supposed to be at the other? Ford has avoided the problem of map-mangling drummers and bass players who wander off at Newport Pagnell Services by sacking the sidemen and doing everything himself on this One Man Full Band Tour.

Using three (I think it’s three) loop units, Ford builds a full band backing on his own – guitar, bass, keyboards, drum and percussion. As well as the musicianship involved, there’s enormous technical skill in the timing, the stops and starts of each loop to create dynamics in the song. There’s also a lot of balletic footwork on a starship bridge of a pedal board. It looks like spinning plates while riding a unicycle on a tightrope in a hurricane, and sounds like a band who’ve been playing together since the day they were born.

The audience:

In 17 years of watching our boy play sticky-floored dungeons and end-of-the-earth arts centres I’ve seen the audiences change from gawky fairy-winged minigoths, to trendies twenties, to gotta-go-got-a-babysitter young parents. Some » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Manchester Apollo

Date: 16/05/2015

An Alabama Shakes song is typically dramatic and intense. They stretch and warp the normal song structure; time signatures are irregular, hooks are disguised, melodies meander. There are few clap along moments.

They create a platform for Brittany Howard to express herself and she is an absolute star. She is the sole focus of attention. She hollers, she prowls, she arches her back, she thrashes her guitar, she whispers, she screams. She puts so much into her performance, I fear her heart will burst from her chest. The rest of the band simply stand and gawp, amazed at their good fortune working with such a charismatic front person.

Their first album is more conventional and sounds more muffled. I had thought those songs might jar with the ones from Sound & Color, but live, they are given the same crisp, spacey dynamism and they mix extremely well. The net result is a gripping hour and a quarter set, leaving me with the belief I had just witnessed the greatest living rock singer in her prime.

The audience:

An extremely high proportion of ladies (I’d say 50/50), lots of hair (we baldies were a » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Westminster Methodist Central Hall

Date: 11/05/2015

It’s hard to believe that the svelte, Peter Pan-like figure of Stuart Murdoch has been fronting Belle and Sebastian for nigh on 20 years. At a venue that I last visited aged 11 for a model railway exhibition and which more recently featured in one of the pre-election leaders’ debates, he led the band through a fine blend of old and new.

Preceded by a short, 1971 documentary on a big screen above the stage, about the plans for the redevelopment of Glasgow, the ten piece band, plus an underutilized and under amped four piece string section kicked off with “Nobody’s Empire”. This well-crafted tale of Murdoch’s struggles with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was accompanied by a beautiful montage of black and white images on the display above him.

The third song in, “Party Line”, allowed Murdoch to unleash his Disco Stu persona early in the evening, as keytars were wielded amidst the effortlessly swapping of instruments. Half way through the set a couple were invited on stage so that a proposal of marriage could be made whilst the band serenaded them with “Piazza, New York Catcher”. What they would have » Continue Reading.

Venue:

New Theatre, Oxford

Date: 09/05/2015

A Saturday night out in Oxford, Bryan Ferry and his young, lean band of musicians and a back catalogue of 40+ years to choose from. What could possibly go wrong? Absolutely nothing. Banana Ferrini belies his near 70 years and looks fantastic. His voice my have lost a bit at the top of it’s range but he has the vocal skills to compensate. The set had 4 or 5 songs from the new album (very good), Avonmore, as well as a good trip back down memory – lane to delve into plenty of Roxy classics. Ladytron, Beauty Queen, More Than This, Avalon, Love Is The Drug, Do The Strand, Virginia Plain and Editions Of You were mixed with album cuts like Stronger Through The Years, Tara and My Only Love. The band are fantastic, Neil Hubbard on second guitar supporting Jacob Quistgaard, the young lead player, perfectly. The star of the show is Jorja Chalmers, a tall girl playing the Andy Mackay role. She looks like she has walked straight out of the Addicted To Love video and she played like a dream. A really good sound, a fast-paced show and an audience » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Nottingham Rescue Rooms

Date: 08/05/2015

This was a riot, the most fun I’ve had at a gig in ages. Katzenjammer are a bit like a pop folk Spice Girls – each one with their own personality, and presumably their own following. For 90 minutes they traded vocals, instruments, and put on a real show. Though a couple of the slower numbers showed that they’ve got real musical chops too. I’ve loved the records for a few years, but the live experience is something else. They left the stage to the strains of Kiss’ ‘Crazy Nights’. Indeed.

The audience:

Impressive spread. Indie kids, grey haired men, and a rather charming middle aged couple from Oxford in front of us who’d brought their teenage kids with them.

It made me think..

I spent years going to see indie guitar bands who stare at their shoes. I was wrong.

Venue:

Manchester Academy 3

Date: 29/04/2015

It’s no good shouting “Do Some Old” at a Wire gig . In spite of their ‘heritage’ status Wire have always refused to be a nostalgia act. It would be easy, and far more lucrative, for them to do what their peers like New Order, The Cure, Buzzcocks and so forth do, and play sets that lean heavily on their glory days or play classic albums in full…but Wire have never liked looking back. Even back in the 1970s they would promote their latest album by showcasing the songs that would make up the next one.

They’ve got a new, eponymous, LP out and true to form they pretty much play every track from it. Fortunately, Wire have been at this long enough that most people know what to expect and nobody is shouting for 12XU or I Am The Fly. It helps that the new LP is marvellous. The record showcases, on the whole, the more dreamy, poppy side of Wire but live these songs get amped up to another level. The sound is very loud and powerful but also crystal clear so even if the material isn’t familiar it is delivered with » Continue Reading.

Venue:

The Foundry, Sheffield

Date: 28/04/2015

Never been to this venue before, in Sheffield University Student’s Union. Struck me as being a cut above the Leadmill, where I last saw PSB. The latter may have more “atmosphere” (ie, it’s seedier) but the Foundry has much better sound and is easier to get to.

PSB just get better and better. Their recent album The Race For Space broadens their palette into more electronic and even ambient/dance-y sounds. This, coupled with their trademark Brit-Krautrock, really works well live. By necessity much of their music is backing tracks or live loops, but this is carried off so well you barely notice. Helps that they now have another pair of hands on stage, as well as a brass section. And supporting Heppo’s theory that every band is about the drummer, Wrigglesworth was top-notch throughout.

Head, heart and feet were moved throughout their set. What more can you ask from a gig?

The audience:

As I was walking up to the venue, I met eyes with my dopplerganger. Middle-aged, manbag, headphones, double denim. I like to think we understood each other. Audience was a a pleasing blend of such types, with young beardy hipsters » Continue Reading.

Venue:

The Stables, Milton Keynes.

Date: 27/04/2015

A setlist based around the wonderful new album, and then peppered with ‘the classics’ and some lesser known tracks, was right up my street. Josh and his 3-piece band were obviously in a good mood. They had walked into the little restaurant at the venue, ready for their pre-gig nosh, as Carole King’s Tapestry album played. Josh began singing his lyric from ‘1972.’ “She was feeling 1972 Grooving to a Carole King tune.” I nearly fainted. He sat down opposite me, poured his water and caught me watching. ‘Hi.’ he said. I think I did faint. The gig was joyous. Almost the whole of the new album, plus Love Vibration, 1972, Comeback, It’s The Nighttime, Winter In The Hamptons, Carolina, Why Won’t You Tell Me Why, Quiet Town, Lemon Tree, I Will Live On Islands, The Ocean, Julie….most of the set called out ‘on the hoof’ as his mood got ever happier. I was in the centre of the front row and didn’t stop grinning all night. I’ve been gigging for 44 years, hundreds of gigs, and this went into my Top 10 of all time. Wonderful.

The audience:

Afterword types to » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Clifton Cathedral, Bristol

Date: 21/04/2015

Take three extravagantly talented women, all at the top of their games instrumentally and vocally, all of whom have been a part of stellar acoustic bands of one sort or another and equally successful as individuals, all of whom have worked with some of the very best musicians playing today. Put them in a room together and watch a band form. Hear their uniquely individual voices form a beautiful new identity when their perfect harmonies mesh. Put them on tour in their homeland, the USA, and watch them grow and develop a group performance that really works as an entity in its own right. Let them hone their act and learn how to play the room together. Send them to Europe for their first ever real tour, and let them start the UK tour proper with a gig in Bristol’s wonderfully airy and light modern catholic Cathedral in the leafy streets of Clifton on a balmy April night. Give them the deft skills of some of our very best home grown sound engineering talent in an enormous reverb heavy space that lets a falling pin splash across the soundscape with clarity and depth. » Continue Reading.