🗣 Gigs

Just back from Sufjan Stevens at the Sydney Opera House. Trying to compose my thoughts before attempting to write something more detailed, but for now. Wow. Truly stunning.

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There’s a free music festival at The Hobbit this weekend called Messtival (https://www.facebook.com/messtivaluk) - one for fans of heavier music and student-occupied establishments, but both suit me.

There’s a skate band (as in one from Portsmouth) playing, called Seething Akira - they’re particularly good fun.

Other than that the Summer’s looking a little bereft of gigs for me, although I guess that’s the norm with it being festival season. Already got tickets for Hevy Fest in Port Lympne and am eyeing up 2000 Trees Festival. Seems a bit mad to spend £200+ on something like Download these days when you can do 2 or 3 mid-sized fests for that money.

How was the Bragg-man Bletch?

I’ve been to a few recently. Went and saw The Bohicas in Hackney last week. They were pretty good fun. Also saw The Rifles for their 10th anniversary show. Good nostalgia fun.

Then managed to blag some free Field Day tickets for Sunday. Had a fun day out, on m’tod. All a bit of a blur, but Patti was immense.

Just booked tickets to see Django Django @ the Roundhouse, that should be good fun.

Got a few more booked up now:

28/6/15 - Death From Above 1979 at Concorde 2, Brighton

28/8/15 - Ash at Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea

6/10/15 - Northlane and The Acacia Strain at The Talking Heads

4/11/15 - Skindered and Crossfaith at Southampton Guildhall (or Eagles of Death Metal at Engine Rooms)

22/2/16 - Enter Shikari at BIC, Bournemouth

Didn’t have my wits in check when tickets went on sale. This is better than nothing though:

Patton’s voice still top notch

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I at last got to see Faith No More on Saturday at Download, They also had tickets on the day! They were pretty good and Patton is still completely off his nut and has a crazy look about him. He looked like he was loving it!

Saying this, MUSE blew me away, with their heavy set… Was brilliant!

Also the rain stopped just before Faith No More entered the stage!

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Some good ones in there. Death from above, Ash, but Enter Shikari whip up a frenzy!

Saw JD McPherson @ Koko last night, was quite good fun. Certainly a bit different for me, but that’s always a good thing. I certainly enjoyed the crowd, and some of the outfits going on.

Also managed to jump on the Teenage Cancer Trust offerings for BST. Grabbed a pair of tickets for The Strokes & Blur for £20 in total! No idea why anyone buys ticekts to gigs in Hyde Park @ full price. You can always get them at massive knock down prices. Happy KRG :cool:

Yep, yep. Saw Shikari on their last UK tour, just after The Mindsweep came out. Went absolutely mental - I was so knackered afterwards. Top live band and I find myself agreeing with the lead singer, Rou, on a lot of political topics.

Just been to a Jazz and Soul Night featuring Wyvern Jazz and Soul Bands and the Barton Peveril Soul Band. Also featuring a ‘house band’ with guest vocalists, some of who were brilliant. Particularly enjoyed Tom Hayes singing Disclosure’s Latch and Lauren Somerville singing Jamie Cullum’s Twentysomething.

I’m a bit biased as my Nephew plays alto sax for the Barton Soul band but it was shit hot.

There was me thinking that all the youngsters are out raping old folk and blowing up babies in Syria, but actually they are playing the fuck out of Stevie Wonder, Minnie Ripperton, Beyonce, The Jackson Five, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin and Randy Crawford at the 1865 club.

Happy days.

I escorted Melody Angel to the O2 on Monday for Take That. The amount of 30-40 year old totty was unbelievable, all p!ssed up and all p!ssing their panties. I got plenty of attention as they admired the fact I was putting up with it for the sake of the Mrs.

Saw Stewart Lee last night. Final leg of his tour I think and testing material for his upcoming TV show.

Edgy as ever and a good night

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Originally posted by @Goatboy

Just been to a Jazz and Soul Night featuring Wyvern Jazz and Soul Bands and the Barton Peveril Soul Band.

!!! - blimey - it’s changed a bit since I was there then. Gilbert and Sullivan was radical stuff for the music department then…

Levellers at the 1865 Friday before last. They’ve still got it. Top stuff. Made me want to go join some travellers in a field for the rest of the summer.

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Old 97s!! At the Borderline!

Originally posted by @JBoy

Levellers at the 1865 Friday before last. They’ve still got it. Top stuff. Made me want to go join some travellers in a field for the rest of the summer.

I highly recommend the Levellers’ festival (Beautiful Days) which is in the middle of August nr. Ottery St Mary, Devon. Can’t make it this year but it’s usually the first thing on our calendar.

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When I was there Marcus Black would have had nothing to do with that new-fangled Gilbert and Sullivan.

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Yesssss! I went in 2008, keep meaning to go back.

Originally posted by @KRG

How was the Bragg-man Bletch?

Sorry KRG, I kept meaning to reply to this, but goldfish-like I kept getting distracted by other…

[Bletch just nipped off to create a new thread about debunking myths]

Anyway, the Bragg-man was on great form. I attended with the uncharacteristically, shy Rust Cohle of this parish - and a couple of other mates.

Bragg was playing a benefit for the Joiners as well as using the gig to warm up for the festival season, so he was even more relaxed than normal. It seems that Bill has a soft-spot for The Joiners from years ago, and kept referring to the management by first name.

It had the feel of the sort of gig that after he’s dead and gone 10,000 * people will have claimed to have been there. In reality, there were probably 300 of us crammed in (Wiki tells me that capacity is 200).

You may remember that I originally missed out on a ticket, but mysteriously more tickets became available. As it was a benefit, I reckon they must have printed more than they were meant to. Glad they did.

The only personally disappointing aspect was that in times of personal political nadir (usually during Tory governments) I do look to Bill to re-kindle my interest in politics. As anyone who has ever seen him live would attest, he usually intermingles the odd song amongst his thoughts on current social or political issues.

This time however, he was upfront and admitted that he didn’t have ‘a fucking clue’ what the parties of the left should do next, or how they will get themselves into any shape to address what he sees as the social inequity of the austerity measures. He apparently feels as helpless and as disenfranchised as I do.

What was really lovely to be part of was watching him struggle with some guitar work and forgetting stuff like lyrics or the key of certain songs.

It was very personal, and as a devotee to the man, I loved it.

* OK there might not be 10,000 Bragg fans left alive at that point. Let’s say 1000. 500?

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