What gigs have you just been to?

For setlists, memories and bootlegs etc...

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runcible
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What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runcible »

Thought I'd start a thread for notes on shows people have just seen as opposed to a whole thread on a particular show (which there is always room for of course)...

I caught The Soft Pack at the Brudenell in Leeds last night. Despite a disappointing turn out it was actually really good and because of the small numbers the evening had a very intimate and informal feel. The band set up on the floor in front of the stage so they were much closer and punters sat a few yards away. I think this piccie kind of captures the feel of the night. I thought they were great. The set was made up of songs new and old and generally featured that energetic pace they favour as well as Matty McLoughlin's rippling surf-edged guitar. Drummer Brian no longer stands and jumps about behind his kit - 'my back and knees couldn't take it' - but he's still a rattling powerhouse that keeps the frantic beat going. Lovely to hear them play 'Mexico' which made my other half go weak at the knees such is her love of that song. Nice bunch of chaps too - all happy to chat merrily away at the end and sign the set list I grabbed. Highly recommended if they come to your town.
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Re: Gigs you've just been to

Post by TheWarmth »

Glad you enjoyed it, Mark. I know you were kinda meh about the new album, but I like quite a few of the songs. They were great last year in Chicago.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runcible »

No way am I giving this its own thread!

Being a dutiful dad I took 2 of my kids to see Rita Ora in Sheffield last night. Man alive - talk about a contrast to the Hookworms show I went to the night before. Largely packed and full of teenage hormones - one young lady tried to elbow me as hard as she could after I had taken my lot into the main crowd and just trying to get out. She went rigid so I couldn't get past her and then lashed out when I persisted in pushing - but she missed.

That's about as unenjoyable a live music experience as I can remember in terms of the music. The insane mania of the crowd was interesting to watch but the cringeworthy stuff Miss Ora came out with to the punters, and the moment where she took one young guy on stage and sat on his lap and cuddled him while singing the next song was quite embarrassing to watch.

My kids absolutely loved it and the adrenaline-driven atmosphere in the car on the way back was hilarious. I just kept thinking about how amazing Hookworms were the previous night and what a huge gulf there is between my own tastes and that of my children!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by moop »

dinosaur jr! :mrgreen:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Dinosaur Jr @ The Ritz, Manchester.

Im relatively new to Jr, although having been aware of them and had the odd album, I thought what the hell lets give it a roll. Decent gig, ram packed, I watched from balcony, I though J was (as Im told he always is) a bit quiet vocally and his guitar playing whilst being on the money, got a bit dull and predicatable. Not so the Murph and Lou who were in tremendous form and seemed to really enjoy the gig. Lou is one hell of a bass player.

Set highlights were Watch The Corners off the new album, Freak Scene and Out There werre great as was a huge version of Gargoyle to close the main set.

Decent gig, put it down to a box ticked, not sure I would see them again, but who knows?
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by moop »

Aquarian-Time wrote:Dinosaur Jr @ The Ritz, Manchester.

Im relatively new to Jr, although having been aware of them and had the odd album, I thought what the hell lets give it a roll. Decent gig, ram packed, I watched from balcony, I though J was (as Im told he always is) a bit quiet vocally and his guitar playing whilst being on the money, got a bit dull and predicatable. Not so the Murph and Lou who were in tremendous form and seemed to really enjoy the gig. Lou is one hell of a bass player.

Set highlights were Watch The Corners off the new album, Freak Scene and Out There werre great as was a huge version of Gargoyle to close the main set.

Decent gig, put it down to a box ticked, not sure I would see them again, but who knows?
Fair point, but i found J's playing hypnotic rather than dull. I could watch that band play all day. but then again, i'm a big fan. Agreed, Out There and Watch the Corners sounded huuuge. Did they play Forget the Swan in Manchester? We had an extended version of that near the end and it was a real standout track. The guitar just kept getting louder and more aggressive. And yeah, Lou's playing is awesome. Funny guy too, chatting away to the audience while J tunes up.

Anyway, i was really pleased to get such a range of tracks, old, very old, not-so-old, and new. would have felt a bit short-changed if it had turned out to be a bug/living all over me only set.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

They have played Forget The Swan most nights, but it seems Gargoyle took its place Friday. Yeah I'm just not as sold on the band as a whole, but i like them if that makes any sense ? I think in my more advancing years I have been much more open to music that I used to disregard without giving it a fair crack, hence me delving into artists I wouldnt normally go for. For the record I love the new album and really like Beyond as well
moop
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by moop »

Aquarian-Time wrote:They have played Forget The Swan most nights, but it seems Gargoyle took its place Friday. Yeah I'm just not as sold on the band as a whole, but i like them if that makes any sense ? I think in my more advancing years I have been much more open to music that I used to disregard without giving it a fair crack, hence me delving into artists I wouldnt normally go for. For the record I love the new album and really like Beyond as well
that's cool you got to hear something a bit different. and good on you for trying bands you're not totally sold on already - usually people's interest just becomes narrower over time, which is pretty boring. actually, i guess a lot of younger people are like that too. it's definitely good to go see something you don't already know you will enjoy.
and it sounds like you want more variation in the dinosaur jr sound. did you hear j's solo album? i would definitely recommend that if you haven't. it's more melodic and song-based. i love it, but obviously he's not gonna play any of that stuff at a dinosaur gig.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by redcloud »

Soundgarden - Feb. 6, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall - Portland, Oregon.

Never a fan of SG's style of grunge. I certainly respected them....loved that album cover from 'Louder Than Love' and I bought it back then thinking it was going to be similar to Mudhoney's 'Superfuzz Big Muff' but was disappointed to find out that SG's album was more metal focused. Also, once I heard The Screaming Trees I knew they were the Seattle band for me. I loved the Trees psychedelic elements and, of course, Lanegan has one of the greatest voices....ever.

Anyway, my son likes Soundgarden so I took him to see them. Great lights, which were used to brilliant effect but musically they were very one dimensional. Song after song of chunky down tuned power chords and lots of wailing/screaming and rock star posing by Cornell. It all reinforced why they never really appealed to me. The place was full though....so nearly 3,000 people in a grand old concert hall with seats. This too added to a somewhat restrained feeling. Everybody stood but because there were seats there was no way one could dance or mosh like people used to do and certainly no stage diving. To their credit though they came on at about 8:20 and played until 10:45. No opener just them ripping through a lot of their new album and back catalog. Also, my son liked it and that's all that matters.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

great show by Michael Chapman and Thurston Moore last night. I'm not a fan of acoustic music generally but it was actually refreshing to go to a gig where I could hear the words for once! lots of rippling and nimble fingerpicking from both, and plenty of stage banter (apparently Michael has been driving Thurston around England, finding old pubs and Oxfam shops for record shopping!)

Michael's songs had a more downhome charm, while Thurston's were a little artier (in fact one slight criticism would be that his songs just sounded precisely like unplugged versions of Sonic Youth songs). the highlight for me however was the joint improv piece they played together at the end- started out as a kind of swampy voodoo piece with Michael on flanged slide guitar, and Thurston producing pinging sounds with the iconic screwdriver! it escalated into a full on noise storm- amazing what feedback you can get with a hollow-bodied acoustic :)
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Shinesalight »

Saw Eat Lights;Become Lights down here last Friday and, I must say, they get better each time I see them. It was a much beefier sound and the couple of new tracks they played sounded great. Managed to catch up with Neil and he was hopeful another album is imminent. He was on top form and I love seeing them live. Fucking great light show too 8)

Here's a vid from gig; La Kraut III off of their last album, Heavy Electrics:-

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IxgUK6xnxYw
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Hofstadter »

There's a weekly night in LA at the Echo/Echoplex called "Part Time Punks," Michael Stock is the man behind it, always spinning great tunes/always have good bands. There are a few annual themed PtPs as well as a Shoegaze fest over the summer - the weekend before Valentine's Day is always My Bloody Valentine night - what awesome timing this year! (the weekend after is usually Smiths nite). But yeah, pretty much just putting of MBV or related wax on the decks, mild dancing, and then the bands playing some of their own stuff and then a bunch of MBV covers. It was good fun this year (first time I could legally go as I'm now 18! I've snuck in by hopping the back wall from the alley and then going in through the smoking area... sorta... hard to explain, but yeah good times).

The bands this year -
Slowness outta San Fran - okay, but not very loud, which I think is what everyone wanted... their own material was pretty good, but the covers were sorta uninspired and just seemed a little last minute. They were older chaps but it just made sense that they were first on the bill.

Then Moonbeams - they played PtP's shoegaze fest in June 2012 but I missed that so I was pretty happy to catch them - they had a pretty cool way of turning sorta dreamy popy reverb stuff into long jams on the back end - they still had that slow, molasses, doped out feel which was nice. Nothing too incredible, but I picked up the 12" they had (only 100 pressed - I will do a rip soon and upload it, some here might be interested - they are also from San Francisco, and definitely sound of the same school as LSDatSfG - talked with the singer - who does all the recording himself - about them afterwards actually). They covered Another Rainy Saturday - they turned this into a real bopper and it was fun to dance with everybody. A few of my friends cancelled last minute (this was supposed to be a mini birthday thing for me :( ) but oh well. They also covered Slow (which was great! really cranked the volume up and the drummer turned his energy from like a 4 to an 11. they got that distorted, overloaded, kill yr eardrums in yer face wobbly sound perfect) and maybe one other...

Tennis System
These guys... I'd been hearing a lot about them for a while and so I was excited to finally see 'em... they sorta are a band on the surface that I just have this instinctual gut reaction not to like... just sort of very "hipper than thou," incredibly good looking doods and it feels like they know it/maybe that played a lot into them gaining traction, first thing the guy says when he takes the mic is "good to know SOME people still like good music and come to shows like this" (seriously man fuck off there is a huge music scene in LA and lots of underground (and not) shows going on all the time and lots of people at them, don't act like yer the last bastion of hope), super dramatically playing the instruments, running around the stage, just sort of lame pretentious stuff like that (maybe it's lame of me to even care about this crap though?) BUT BUT BUT once they started playing... they turned the volume way way up, turned the feedback way way up and turned the fuck you way way up... that's all that mattered... fast, heavy, etc. They covered When You Sleep and You made Me Realise... that might have been the best cover that I saw they went at it fucking HARD, they got all the part time punks to turn into FULL TIME PUNKS first time I've seen people smashin' into eachother PtP that was good fun. For the feedback section in the middle they drew it out super long, got it down to the main guy doing just feedback manipulation, rest of the band members all went and did a shot (eyeroll....) while all the PtPs were catching our breaths, they get back on stage and then fucking tear everybody down again. Highlight of the night. I picked up their LP as well, I'm enjoying it but it's pretty much just sort of boring pop (could throw it on at a vanilla party/put a track in a crowd pleaser mix, but none of that same ferocity from on stage).

Cosmonauts - Burger Records band, very cool, definitely taking off right now. Well actually quite literally taking off now that I think about it as they are leaving for some shows in Europe today I believe. Unfortunately I had to cruise at around 12:15 (class at 8 in the morn' today), however I highly recommend everyone on here checkin' them out - I would not hesitate to give 'em an sp3 comparison - there's really not a huge sp3 style psych scene here in LA (what there is along those lines in Cali is to be found up in San Fran), but they definitely capture some of it and put their own LA garage twist on it. A little less drone and a little more of the garage song structure, but still very promising I think. Yeah I would def recommend you all check out the LP these guys did for Burger last year (If You Wanna Die I Wanna Die - listen to Flowerbomb, California Dreamin' or Psychic Denim for a good taste - Dreamboat is probably the heaviest if you wanna see what they are capable of, it's pretty great) or the s/t debut from 2010. I will post some thoughts about them in the What Are You Listening To Thread soon.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Calexico-Manchester Ritz

Probably not everyones cup of tea on this forum, but Im a big fan of Howe Gelb/Giant Sand stuff which obviously led me to these guys some years ago.
You know what you are gonna get with Calexico, tight as a ducks ass, an amazing drummer, introspective desert blues interspersed with Mariachi Trumpets and the like and plenty of danecable tunes to boot. Never seen a crowd not get into a Calexico gig and Saturday was no exception. Good mix of tunes most albums covered but new LP Algiers obviously providing the bulk.

Hookworms tonight, Exit Calm next thursday and Clinic next Saturday. Reports to follow
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

Mark Gardener/Robin Guthrie, Leamington Assembly Sat 23rd.
as a huge Ride fan and middling Cocteau Twins fan this was too intriguing a gig to pass up. two for the price of one. some of you may have seen Spiritualized in the couple of times they have played this venue and lovely it is too- not too big, ornate, classic feel. Mark commented on what a nice room it was to play music in.
the turnout wasn't great. I think lots of Midlands fans would have been going to Birmingham the next night instead. it didn't really matter to me, infact it made it feel like a private gig for me or something. they put some chairs out so everyone could sit and enjoy.
Mark's set was enjoyable, although I'm not generally a fan of acoustic music, so it wasn't strictly my bag. his voice came across much better than I expected though. as well as some solo tunes, he played 3 Ride songs- Polar Bear, In a Different Place, Vapour Trail. although it was generally a 'one man and his acoustic' set up he did add flavour with some tremolo for Polar Bear, and the riff for In a Different Place was on a loop pedal. also the final song was a brand new 'work in progress' which had a couple of loops in it and some samples that he triggered.
Robin's set effortlessly topped it. I'm not even a Cocteau Twins fan really (Liz Fraser's voice does nothing for me, and it can be a bit New Age-y for my tastes) but I have got one of his solo records, and the show was sublime at times. proper swirly, dreamy, atmospheric guitar and the sound mix was perfect. he had a drummer and a bass player that I worried were going to feel a bit bolted on but they fit in perfectly and added a bit of grit to the sound. Robin's guitar was through a laptop as well as effects pedals and it just sounded perfect. even Nick McCabe-esque at times and there's no higher praise from me. after each song Robin would give a big smile and he seemed to have this whole calm zen aura around him.
Mark also came back on and they performed a new song together from a mooted collaboration..

Exit Calm Birmingham Academy 3 Sun 24th

again this was in a tiny venue with a rather miminal turnout! been following these guys for a while, they are often compared to early Verve and that's not far off the mark, although they have a more rigid feel to the rhythm section and less range, in my opinion. I really enjoy their album, although I do have mixed feelings about it. they have got a particular sound nailed down perfectly but they are a bit of a one trick pony. but what a trick. pulsating bass, surges of spacerock guitar and they really know how to construct a song. they played some new songs which seem more of the same really (if perhaps in a slightly more anthemic direction?).
they played really well- very tight, and a very professional show in such a small venue (had some projected visuals, and walked on stage to Higher Than The Sun) but I wasn't blown away for some reason. could have been louder and I still think I've got the same mixed feelings as with the album.

Robin Guthrie was definitely set of the weekend!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by redcloud »

I just got back from seeing the Psychic Ills. I managed to get down there just before 11pm as they were about to take the stage. I've been enjoying the album this week so despite going to see a play this evening I thought I would do my best afterwards and try and catch them while they are in town.

Somebody on here described their album as being "sun bleached". Interesting. I wouldn't use that description to describe these guys (and gal). They were much darker with a VU/BJM'ish barbiturate stoned vibe. Like they had based their sound on 'Jesus' or 'Anenome' BJM and 'WL/WH' VU. Some nice moments but to be honest live a lot of the songs all seemed to sound the same. Still, it was good to see some live music and the crowd was small (although as soon as they came on it seemed to double in size but then thinned out again during the second half of the set).
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Hofstadter »

barbiturate
Nice word I like that a lot especially to describe music. All I've heard from the new album is the first simg and its suuuuper catchy. I have to say, I thought the first SBR release was sort of "neither here nor there," I definitely think SB are really trying to push this record as a fun poppier record which makes it better than their old stuf, which I font really like cause I like that stuff! As long as the new one is good right? Does it follow the press release or do you think those were written just trying to sell more rekkerds?

They played folkazoid and another band on Wednesday in LA but I just didn't have the time/energy to schlepp out to wherever it was (LA problem...). Can somebody help me out with finding some folkazoid? It has been very difficult and I have been dying to hear em.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by spzretent »

Scared Bones web site. They put it out.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by redcloud »

Hofstadter wrote:
barbiturate
They played folkazoid and another band on Wednesday in LA but I just didn't have the time/energy to schlepp out to wherever it was (LA problem...).
Folkazoid and Kinski opened for them last night but as I got down there later I missed both. Psychic Ills were setting up their gear when I arrived. I am almost positive I have seen both those bands before though (as support with other bands).

I think the sound last night wasn't great either. Nothing (I don't think) to do with the Doug Fir, which is usually pretty good. The keyboard guy was fiddling around with his various effects pedals for ages. Not sure what the deal was...a duff cable? Anyway, finally got it going and they kicked off with the opening track on 'One Track Mind; but the sound wasn't brilliant.

By the way, Hof...I picked up a handful of posters as I was leaving. If you want one I can send it to you. It has Folkazoid listed on it.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by sunray »

redcloud wrote: Some nice moments but to be honest live a lot of the songs all seemed to sound the same.
Funny, i'd have said that about their last few albums.
I saw them a number of years ago when their first album 'Dins' was released. They were peddling an early 80s NY NoWave kinda sound back then. I remember been disappointed at the gig as I hadn't heard any of their material at that point, but every write up I saw mentioned a big Spacemen 3 influence. Fucked if I could hear it :roll: That put me off them for a while but I started listening to them again recently and, to me, they sound like a band reaching for a certain sound/style but not quite achieving it. I get an air of bandwagon hopping off 'em. Or something to that effect. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not convinced.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by spzretent »

Weird. Only two records I like by them are the last two. I like them a lot too. They might sound same-y but they are right up my street.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by redcloud »

sunray wrote: I get an air of bandwagon hopping off 'em. Or something to that effect.
I have only heard the new album so know nothing from their back catalog. I like its thick, soupy, dirty drone. Definitely has a S3 vibe but as I said, very Jeff Davies'esque BJM (which was inspired by S3). Live they had a real VU vibe too though. Dark and brooding drone. I think the songs sounding the same was mainly because of the drop d tuned guitars, the drum/time signatures of the tunes and the stoned (heavy downers) vocals being mainly in the same pitch in all songs.

I'm not hopping on the band wagon...I just happened to noticed they were in town and wanted to catch them as it was a weekend and the album has been on rotation recently.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by sunray »

redcloud wrote: I like its thick, soupy, dirty drone.
I'm not hopping on the band wagon...I just happened to noticed they were in town and wanted to catch them as it was a weekend and the album has been on rotation recently.
I don't hear a thick dirty drone at all. They sound very lightweight to me :?

I wasn't inferring that you were hopping on a bandwagon redcloud, I was talking about the band. Although in retrospect i'm being uncharitable to them. Like i said, i'm not convinced. There's something lacking but I can't put my finger on what it is. I'd still go and see them if they came to Dublin though :wink:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Thursday-Exit Calm @ The Deaf Institute(Manchester)

Now i like this band, having seen them many times, although my reservations about the singers ability to hit the notes on a consistent basis remain. The gig was pretty full and, it was ok. The best songs were the four the played off the first album and the new stuff sounded a bit too obvioulsy reaching for an anthem. My conclusion is the guitarist is excellent the rytham section tight if unspectacular, the singer, so-so. I will give them a miss live for a while.

Saturday- same venue Clinic/Mugstar

Now this was more like it, maybe its my disliking for anything too obvious has turned me off bands such as Exit Calm (not to say I didnt lap up a good anthem back in the day) but this was gig to savour. Both acts I have seen many times, but they both continue to deliver live as a packed venue will testify. Mugstar just pummelled the shit out of the venue with a 35 minute set that captured the majority of the audience and provided an excellent support for the main act.Black fountain being the highlight for me.
Clinic played a fine set covering all bases of their back catalogue. Old favourites such as Walking with thee, Cement Mixer, Porno and IPC were played with equal gusto as were the newer slightly mellower material from the free reign album. The sound was as always here, top draw and there were even a couple of Hookworms moshing away down the front as Clinic did their stuff. The night was preceded with some top beer at the Port Street Beer House, which I would reccomend to anyone with a vague liking for real ale and craft beer
Sigur Ros tonight, report to follow
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Hofstadter »

redcloud wrote:
Hofstadter wrote:
barbiturate
They played folkazoid and another band on Wednesday in LA but I just didn't have the time/energy to schlepp out to wherever it was (LA problem...).
By the way, Hof...I picked up a handful of posters as I was leaving. If you want one I can send it to you. It has Folkazoid listed on it.
Yeah sure that'd be rad thanks man! Maybe throw in the Orange Can CD too... ? :D
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by niamhm »

redcloud wrote:I just got back from seeing the Psychic Ills. I managed to get down there just before 11pm as they were about to take the stage. I've been enjoying the album this week so despite going to see a play this evening I thought I would do my best afterwards and try and catch them while they are in town.

Somebody on here described their album as being "sun bleached". Interesting. I wouldn't use that description to describe these guys (and gal). They were much darker with a VU/BJM'ish barbiturate stoned vibe. Like they had based their sound on 'Jesus' or 'Anenome' BJM and 'WL/WH' VU. Some nice moments but to be honest live a lot of the songs all seemed to sound the same. Still, it was good to see some live music and the crowd was small (although as soon as they came on it seemed to double in size but then thinned out again during the second half of the set).
... "sun-bleached" kinda as faded and wasted ? ... I`m getting a hot,sweaty ,desert sorta vibe of this album anyway, and the one before ,which are the only stuff I`ve heard buy these guys( and gal) ,obviously along with the stoned /narcotic thing.
The songs did kinda sound same-ish to start with , but as they get a few plays they reveal themselves more I think... shame you never enjoyed the show ,sounds like they had a bit of an off night,
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

Aquarian-Time wrote:Thursday-Exit Calm @ The Deaf Institute(Manchester)

Now i like this band, having seen them many times, although my reservations about the singers ability to hit the notes on a consistent basis remain. The gig was pretty full and, it was ok. The best songs were the four the played off the first album and the new stuff sounded a bit too obvioulsy reaching for an anthem. My conclusion is the guitarist is excellent the rytham section tight if unspectacular, the singer, so-so. I will give them a miss live for a while.
you've pretty much hit the nail on the head there and summed up my feelings about the band. there's a lot of elements I like about them, but something in there is stopping me connecting fully with them. the new stuff does sound like they are trying to write anthems (that was there on the first album but seems even more so)
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by redcloud »

niamhm wrote:[

... "sun-bleached" kinda as faded and wasted ? ... I`m getting a hot,sweaty ,desert sorta vibe
Interesting.

They are from NYC. The feeling I get is of a seedy crash pad. Maybe hot and humid with no AC. I don't pick up a dry, dusty open desert vibe.

The vocals are more clear on the record than they were live. Not sure if that was a problem at the venue or if that is in the record mixing?
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by James T »

Saw sigur ros a couple of nights back, bloody great! 2 of the 3 new ones were DREADFUL though. They shouldn't touch that industrial shit.

Anyway, seen them a lot of times and this was up there even despite the last couple of albums being off form. I Gaer was a real treat, and E-Bow, Olsen Olsen... really good setlist and performance, good backing group.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by spzretent »

redcloud wrote: They are from NYC. The feeling I get is of a seedy crash pad. Maybe hot and humid with no AC. I don't pick up a dry, dusty open desert vibe.
Been listening to this in the car today(thank you Redcloud). Sounds like a Spacemen 3/less amphetamine fueled Thee Hypnotics hybrid.
The word "wasted" also springs to mind.

I am liking this more with each listen.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Hofstadter »

spzretent wrote:Scared Bones web site. They put it out.
I just realized why I haven't been able to find anything by them...

For whatever reason, I had it totally ingrained so deeply in my head that their name was Folkazoid (I even wrote that up above!). I had been thinking "damn, why do these guys just not exist on the internet or anywhere??? This is so weird..." :lol: What's weird is how I guess despite seeing their name plenty of times, I just KNEW that it was Folkazoid... strange stuff. Good to have all that sorted out!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

I saw Sigur Ros on Monday @ The Apollo in Manchester. Wow,what a show a great set list with three new tunes, two of which were awesome. Finally got to witness Sfevn-G-Englar live as well. It may of been Monday and not ideal for a gig, but that was one hell of a show. Crowd went balliistic and a standaing ovation greeted the band when they came on oafter the encore to thank the crowd. I agree Olsen Olsen is a tune as well, love that live
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by KingHarry »

Aquarian-Time wrote:I saw Sigur Ros on Monday @ The Apollo in Manchester. Wow,what a show a great set list with three new tunes, two of which were awesome. Finally got to witness Sfevn-G-Englar live as well. It may of been Monday and not ideal for a gig, but that was one hell of a show. Crowd went balliistic and a standaing ovation greeted the band when they came on oafter the encore to thank the crowd. I agree Olsen Olsen is a tune as well, love that live
Think Blanck Mass were supporting - did you see them?
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Afraid not. I only got there 15 mins before the main act. My mate watched them and said, ideal if you want something challenging, maybe a little intoxicated, or off your head, not however condusive to a Monday night !
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

just got back from My Bloody Valentine at Birmingham Academy. it didn't start off so great (I thought the first few songs didn't sound so good), but after a while it clicked and it was a superb show.

vocals extremely low in the mix (I know that's kind of the point, but still...) but the massive churning guitar textures were all present and correct. was most impressed by the rhythm section though. I never knew what a monster Colm was on the drums (especially on the earlier, more rocky material) and Debbie's bass had a great chunky tone.

my only gripe, apart from virtually non-existent vocals, would be setlist-wise. they played some songs off Loveless which I consider 'lesser' ones. would rather have had some more new tunes (they played New You, Only Tomorrow and Wonder 2- the latter of which had Colm on guitar and Kevin using an ebow 8) ). that's just me nitpicking though.

my first time ever seeing them and was very impressed. I can't see a MBV fan not enjoying this tour.

one last thing- don't believe the hype about volume. they were plenty loud, but only to an extreme on the 'who-know-what' bit.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by KingHarry »

angelsighs wrote:just got back from My Bloody Valentine at Birmingham Academy. it didn't start off so great (I thought the first few songs didn't sound so good), but after a while it clicked and it was a superb show.

vocals extremely low in the mix (I know that's kind of the point, but still...) but the massive churning guitar textures were all present and correct. was most impressed by the rhythm section though. I never knew what a monster Colm was on the drums (especially on the earlier, more rocky material) and Debbie's bass had a great chunky tone.

my only gripe, apart from virtually non-existent vocals, would be setlist-wise. they played some songs off Loveless which I consider 'lesser' ones. would rather have had some more new tunes (they played New You, Only Tomorrow and Wonder 2- the latter of which had Colm on guitar and Kevin using an ebow 8) ). that's just me nitpicking though.

my first time ever seeing them and was very impressed. I can't see a MBV fan not enjoying this tour.

one last thing- don't believe the hype about volume. they were plenty loud, but only to an extreme on the 'who-know-what' bit.
Re the volume - last time I saw them (08) I couldn't hear to 2 days. Going tomorrow in Manchester - very much looking forward to it. Support any good?
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

sorry didn't get there in time to catch the support.

maybe they've toned down the volume. they did get louder near the end (and the holocaust bit was huge sounding) but I didn't have to use my ear plugs, and my hearing was fine the next day.

volume or not, they were great!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by helterskelter »

Ear plugs? Its gone ealth and safety
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by sunray »

helterskelter wrote:Ear plugs? Its gone ealth and safety
They were selling earplugs at their 1992 gigs.
As my hearing was perfectly fine back in those days I thought the volume thing was definitely overplayed. They were loud but not THAT loud. I would say the same thing about 2008 too. Unfortunately, as my hearing doesn't seem to be what it was i may no longer be a reliable witness :lol:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by niamhm »

MBV last night, great show , venue was plastered in notices warning of risk of high noise levels and folks handing out earplugs, yes the vocals were pretty indistinct from where I stood for the early part of the show, but to be honest they would have been struggling for space with the guitars no matter what they tried , I thought the set was really well put together old/older/ new stuff and a few b-sides . As angelsighs said the rythm section deserve a mention Debbie on bass is just superb , really driving some songs on , she looked like to be playing chords and strumming on a few tracks ,you could really feel the music at those points, so her and Colm yeah some team.
As for the volume , the first half of the show I kept my ear defenders in my pocket and the sound seemed really raw/harsh but not uncomortable , no wonder, the set up just seemed like a total wall of speakers, any way Cigarette In Your Bed was an early highlight for me accoustic section followed by violent outbursts of noise . the sound seemed to be getting louder as the show went on and for the second half I went towards the front and used the ear plugs( had a bad experiance at a Ty Segal show the end of last year , stood to close , and ears ringing for days afterwords , getting to old for that crap) which weren`t to intrusive considering , in fact they seemed to cut some of the harsher guitar sounds down and I could actually hear the vocals better with the plugs in!! the last half an hour I gotta say was pretty superb, Soon`s circling bass still does the job for me, skyscraping stuff , To Here Knows When sounded kinda strange ,wouldn`t mind hearing a recording of that to hear better what they were doing, of the new stuff, New You was really good, been listening to that all morning, and Only Tomorrow, the one with an actual guitar solo was a highlight as well so really as good a show as I`ve seen them do ,
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by heisenberg »

I was at mbv in Glasgow last night too. From the first song I thought they completely kicked ass. The rhythm section were amazing, the drums way more powerful and hard than on the records. From where I was, I don't think I heard a vocal all night.

To me, the highlight was the performance of the new stuff - I really love the new album, and I'm glad they played the best (most of) the tracks from it. Surprised by how packed the place was. Saw a guy from Franz Ferdinand there, but that didn't put a dampener on things.

I didn't use the earplugs. Hearing is ok today, though,it sounded like I was living inside a seashell for hours after it.

Bilinda Butcher is still very hot. 50 years old? Sheesh.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

heisenberg wrote: Saw a guy from Franz Ferdinand there, but that didn't put a dampener on things.
haha that made me laugh!

agree on pretty much all point's above. Cigarette in your Bed was a highlight for me in Birmingham too, in fact looking at the setlist it's where the set really kicked in for me. it's one of the few MBV songs that goes from quiet to loud (rather than just loud all the way through) which gives it great impact.
I noticed the volume level getting slightly louder as the set went along too. it started out at just normal gig volume (no more than say your average Spz set) and gradually got louder and louder by YMMR. like I said, though, still didn't feel the need for earplugs. I think that's a good thing as high volume can just become a bit gimmicky in my opinion.

re: the rhythm section, they are hardly audible on the records (Kevin has a weird relationship with rhythm, a bit like Jason- LGM and PP barely have drums too) so it was great hear them loud and really driving the music along.

To Here Knows When and Soon were probably the highlights of the set, as they are coincidentally still the key pillars of their catalogue in general too (in my opinion). two totally unique and singular pieces of music.
I wondered how they were generating some of the sounds on the former (although I think i did spot a keyboard player lurking in the wings for some songs), it had a great thumping bottom end too.
and Soon just sounded fantastic and went down brilliantly- loads of people dancing, it was like a rave! :)
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by nickh »

Just back from My Bloody Valentine at Hammersmith.

Great show, as mentioned above mostly old stuff with 3 or 4 new songs played too.

As also mentioned the volume seemed to increase during the show and You Made Me Realise had people putting their fingers in their ears around me (and I was up in the nose bleed seats).

Good to hear the new songs, certainly put some flesh on the album versions.

Couple of things I noticed. Kevin Shields guitar was really trebly and at times almost twangy especially on some of the older songs, it was nicely taking the top of my head off all evening. He always talked about The Byrds and I finally got what he meant tonight.

The other thing I noticed is that Kevin Shields is starting to look like James May!

Definitely not a nostalgia show, still a band that have a point to prove.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

I was at the Apollo on Sunday for MBV and it was awesome, easily one of my top ten gigs of all time. Not as loud as the last time I saw them but loud enough and the crowd lapped it up. Honeypower was a highlight for me and Only Shallow went down a storm. Couldnt hear much from Kev's vox, but Belinda's vocals came over pretty well.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by stevelee101 »

Did anyone else catch Mike Watt with his latest (well, one of his latest!) projects Il Songo Del Marinaio? Saw them last week at the 200 capacity Trades Club in the wilds of Hebden Bridge. Just great - a 3 piece, kinda jazzy at times, AMAZING drummer, brilliant playing all round and encored with a blazing cover of Fun House (Watt's playing with the Stooges too right now).
Watt's a super-friendly guy too, obviously still just doing it for the love of playing, and currently resembling a big, friendly bear.
Inspirational! :D
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by KingHarry »

Aquarian-Time wrote:I was at the Apollo on Sunday for MBV and it was awesome, easily one of my top ten gigs of all time. Not as loud as the last time I saw them but loud enough and the crowd lapped it up. Honeypower was a highlight for me and Only Shallow went down a storm. Couldnt hear much from Kev's vox, but Belinda's vocals came over pretty well.
I was also there - have to admit I felt a tinge of disappointment.
I love the new LP, I love them, I've been looking forward to it for months - and it just didn;t happen that much for me.
2008 same venue + Spectrum was one of the best gigs I've witnessed without doubt.
I don't know if it was the volume - not that it should be a measure of any quality - but last time, it was just jaw-dropping, agressively violently LOUD. It seemed a good 3 notches down this time, and the poorer for it. Admittedly we got in late-ish and relatively near the back - I moved down during Soon and it kicked in more, and the final section was great. HoneyPower also fab. New songs all good additions, although felt that New You stuttered along.
All in was good, possibly very good - but not earth shatteringly fantsatic that I was hoping for.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Couple more gigs to catch up on.

Yo La Tengo at Manchester Ritz, as always, quite simply fantastic, a little more laid back than they used, but they still know how to rock out. Set was split into acoustic/electric and there was great mix of tracks covering most areas of there career. As always Autumn Sweater was delightful and was Ohm of the new album which they opened with acoustically and then played as the penultimate song in the electric set. As with YLT there were random covers, tonight we had Be thankful for what you got by Massive Attack and Action Time Vision by Alternative Vision. Fave song of the night was Moby Octopad, love the bass in that tune. Bit like the Fall always different, always the same. Long Live Yo La Tengo

Eels the folllowing Sunday @: Manchester Academy

Got all their stuff, but live I have found them hit and miss, this was all a bit contrived and seemed more rock show than gig for me (if that makes sense). A band far better on record, the lyrics make more of an impression when im not stood in a sweaty Hall and despite the band playing great, it was a bit too in your face. The new album was given healthy representation as well as a smattering of tracks from Eels back catalogue. A band i like but dont love, probably not going to bust a gut to watch them live again to be honest.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

BRMC, Birmingham Institute 26th March

wow, the band really exceeded my expectations the other night. I've been sort of damning the new record with faint praise, but boy do these guys know how to bring it live.
three musicians making a heck of a racket, good sound with a meaty bass tone, and sufficiently loud to hit the spot.
very mixed crowd with a wide age range, they were loving it, a full on mosh pit developed for songs like Punk Song..

it was also a very lengthy show! this was a double edged sword really- made me realise how similar a lot of their more rocky songs are when they were played back to back (there is definitely a BRMC formula in that area.) but it was also great how they covered all corners of their catalogue. the folk, blues and ballads that's in their DNA was all represented too.

they definitely come from the J Spaceman school of audience interaction (i.e. none!)

will definitely catch them again, even if the records go off the boil.

some personal highlights included:

White Palms- this was like a juggernaut!
Devils Waitin'- big surprise to get this, one of my personal faves- just Peter solo on acoustic. note perfect.

setlist:

Let the Day Begin (The Call cover)
Rival
Red Eyes and Tears
Hate the Taste
Beat the Devil's Tattoo
Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n' Roll (Punk Song)
Ain't No Easy Way
Berlin
666 Conducer
Love Burns
Returning
Devil's Waitin' (Peter Solo Acoustic)
Mercy (Rob Solo Acoustic)
Fire Walker
Conscience Killer
Lullaby
White Palms
In Like the Rose
Weight of the World
Six Barrel Shotgun
Spread Your Love
Encore:
Sell It
Lose Yourself
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Ringo »

Re BRMC Birmingham Institute

Hmmmmm, gotta disagree with ya there. I've seen BRMC some 20+ times over the years and Tuesdays gig for me was a mess. I thought the set last was totally disjointed and lacked any reason or fluidity and for me (and some others I was with who are long time followers) it sort of seemed liked the band 'going through the motions'.
After their last tour, I felt the same and thought that was it for them. I know they've got a good mix of styles in their locker but there's a big shelf full of 'the same' (not necessarily a bad thing if that's your 'trademark') and I agree, they do shift some decibels, also Leah Shapiro is a fantastic drummer and actually a much better fit than Nick Jago (probably more reliable too!)

For me, in the words of my teenage lad 'Meh' but glad you enjoyed it (I was probably the miserable bleeder in front of you back and forth to the bar drinking overpriced piss weak lager)

Oh and another thing, this was the third time I've seen BRMC on a night England have been playing. Judging by the write ups, I was probably better off at the gig, at least they played for a full 90 minutes!

Edit:
Special mention to the support band The Big Pink if only for the lead singers' Ferris Bueller style leopard print jacket and the keyboard players' Cat Woman make up under a pulled up hoodie
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

that's interesting. I was fully prepared beforehand to give it a 'meh' too, but I really enjoyed it!

it's the old 'subjectivity in music' chestnut again isn't it. I remember the first time I saw the Twilight Sad live and they blew me away (I'd never even heard of them before)

me (almost breathless): "oh my GOD was that incredible or what??"
my mate (blank look): "yeh, s'alright"

haha yeah the Big Pink's image got a reaction from us too.. they were alright musically too, nothing special but good enough to warm up the crowd sufficiently.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by niamhm »

BRMC Glasgow Barrowlands

Saw this show on monday night and I`m in a general agreement with angelsighs, the show saw was loud as, the band all looked like they were really enjoying it especially Robert, the set was pretty much as Birmingham listed above , 6/7 new album tracks( which I thought all came across really well) ,an acoustic interlude mid-set and all corners of their career covered as well , seems quite a standard kinda set rather than a mess, not really getting that,

sure they have a sound , a dirty,bluesy ,garage ,rock n roll type sound, I`ve saw them 7/8 times over the years and always felt I got plenty bang for my buck, hope to see them again before the year is out,
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Ringo »

Yes, I think it's down to subjectivity and its always a ripe old chestnut.....

Don't get me wrong, the band have a considerable amount of great material and, in other times I've seen them, have really ripped the place up. Birmingham's a funny ol' place for gigs, the crowd are sometimes up, other times down, I'm sure this rubs off on the band (apols subjectivity again on 2 counts)

I've been to some fantastic shows of theirs over the years and there have been some real corkers (London, Nottingham, Leeds -I.e. not Bham) and wouldn't want to put anyone off going to see them. They're also really nice guys that always have time for people too and are talented in many different styles and know how to get yer ears ringing for a couple of days afterwards
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by shalloboi »

just got back from nick cave. talk about a surreal night- based on our tickets i thought were in the fourth row, but as it turns out we were in front row. front and center, in fact. it was pretty awesome but i also found myself outside of my comfort zone just a bit- i tend to gravitate towards the back at shows and here i was nearly getting kicked in the head by nick cave's incredibly fancy shoes. i forgot that he really engages people in the front even after watching the 'god is in the house' dvd. i don't think i've ever understood the concept of charisma clearer than i have tonight- he is a really great performer.

setlist (subject to my memory)-

we no who u r
wide lovely eyes
jubilee street
higgs boson blues
red right hand
from her to eternity
deanna
jack the ripper
your funeral, my trial
people ain't no good
god is in the house (aborted)
love letter
papa won't leave you henry
the weeping song
the mercy seat
stagger lee

encore-
tupelo
push the sky away

sharon van etten also opened the show, which was a nice perk that i learned right after we bought our tickets. it was just her and her drummer and they played a few new songs and one from her first record (which she doesn't play from much any more) and a few from 'tramp.' she seemed understandably nervy, but it was great. she came out and sang backup during nick cave's set as well.

i'm not sure if it was better than when i saw nick cave in 2008- the circumstances were so different. in 2008 he played two shows at the riviera, which has problems with muddy sound, plus we were surrounded by talkers the second night. at those shows the set was made up mostly of 'dig lazarus dig' and 'abbatoir blues'-era stuff plus a few really old songs. i think the set enders were a bit stronger this time- i never get sick of hearing 'stagger lee.' i also liked that they ended with the title track from the new record- it seemed appropriate. tonight was probably a good deal more intense as well.

the main image i have stuck in my head from tonight is of warren ellis with his violin bow stuck in the back collar of his shirt playing the flute.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

Swans, 1st April, Birmingham Institute

still not wholly convinced by Swans on record (My Father.. doesn't do much for me, The Seer is growing on me) but thought I would check out their live show which comes highly recommended. I am so glad I did. this was a very unique, intense experience, which has elements from their records but was a totally different beast in execution.
it was the loudest show I've ever been to, hands down. I took earplugs and even then my ears are still ringing now (it's kind of a low, bassy hum though rather than the shrill noise I usually get from loud shows). I could feel the bass inside me and my clothes were vibrating. oh god, that bass- the last song had some sort of bass feedback drone threading through it..

their current set seems to be pretty much all new material. I think I may have recognised bits from The Seer's title track, but not sure- the whole show seemed a huge torrent of that sort of material- buzzing drones building into grinding cresendos. none of the more stripped down country-ish material to be seen. that may have given it more variety, but it also would have ruined the flow and stuck out like a sore thumb.

Michael at the front like a crazy preacher, hollering and giving signals to the band members on the fly (i imagine they use the live arena to develop and stretch songs).. I love the noisy layer of pedal steel underneath too.
although the sound was extremely loud, it was also surprisingly textured. the only thing I'd nitpick is that the drummer was often drowned out, and I couldn't really hear what Thor (bells/percussion/clarinet etc) was doing either..

all in all, a totally singular experience. I'm still not sure I would call myself a convert of Swans as a whole. I will say I can't think of a band working in a remotely similar area to them..

I got a live CD from the merch stand, and Michael came out and chatted to everyone, and signed it. he was a total gent.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by toomilk »

Ah, Jon! That review made me smile. That's the kind of live experience that I love and it sounds very similar to the one I had with them recently. A lot of their stuff doesn't translate well onto a normal record. You should check out their more abrasive earlier stuff (esp. Children of God and Greed). Some youtube videos of them in the 80s also gives you an idea of where their sound is coming from. Full-on assault of the senses.

For easier listening experiences, definitely check out Michael Gira's first solo album Drainland (the song "Blind" is a masterpiece) or any of the Angels of Light records (I prefer How I Loved You and We are Him). Both projects take shared qualities with Swans, but add more melody and lighter instrumentation (sometimes).
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

thanks Kevin, yes, total immersion is something I look for from a show and this totally delivered that. :)

it's worth noting that the show finished after about 2 hours, but Michael said that because of the curfew they could have gone on longer. the full set must be even more epic!!

I have got some of the early stuff too actually- Cop/Young God- which I'm not into so much. it's not so much the heaviosity of it (although it is pretty heavy) but the sameyness. the new stuff is more varied and more textured.
thanks for the recommendations- I think I might check out some Angels of Light. they don't seem to be mentioned so much.

I forgot to mention that the support act (Xiu Xiu) was total bobbins- a singersongwriter guy singing over a bed of jungle and traffic noises, just didn't engage me at all.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by mc »

Saw The Wildhearts in Glasgow on Thursday. It was an "Earth vs. The Wildhearts" 20th anniversary gig, and it was honestly one of the best shows I've ever been to. Such a feel-good, loud, sweaty, beery celebration of (IMHO) the best pop-metal album ever written. Ginger, CJ and the others might be pushing 50, but fuck me, they can still rock. I'm still psyched by the memories :D
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Laz69 »

Last night, The White Hills and The Cosmic Dead blew the heads off a small audience in Glasgow. Massively delayed show with a third band who will NOT be mentioned, still resulted in a superb psych-noise-tastic show.

The Cosmic Dead opened late due to a few problems including some stress preparing for their forthcoming roadtrip and a drumkit that seemed to meander all over the stage. Managed to play for about 30-40mins in the end and we got 2 maybe 3 long peices that just layer and grew until it became a wall of noice. The rhythm section once again just pummelled the place into submission and i don't thik the bassplayer stopped once for their entire set. The guitarist just had all the freedom he needed to fill the room with effects and noises before the peices built to a point where he could just unlease some killer riffs. Gutted their set was so short, especially since the band that followed were fucking horrendous. But we bid them fairwell and hope that The Cosmic Dead have a great little tour through to Roadburn. If they pass by, go see them.

The White Hills were just breathtaking as usual. Like The Cosmic Dead, Dave has all the freedom in the world to rip the place to shreds on guitar as Ego's fuzztastic bass, which seemed much more prominent last night, and the drummer, who just seemed to knock the shit out of his kit all night held everything together. Ego looked absolutely stunning as usual and gathered the usual amount of attention, but the music just soared and soared totally captivating everyone who was there. Mixed set gave us some tracks from the recently re-issued Abstractions And Mutations, HP-1 and Frying On This Rock.

I grabbed the setlist at the end:

Intro
Under Skin Or By Name
Robot Stomp
Oceans Of Sound
Conditions Of Nothing
Radiate
Song Of Everything
You Dream You See
Eye To Eye
Forever In Space
Left Behind

My brother was blown away with the show and mentioned that their show was louder than MBV's recent Glasgow show. It may well have been due to the small cavernous venue, but it was hard to imagine anything more intense as the show we'd just witnessed.

For those who are interested, The Cosmic Dead had their debut album on CD and glorious vinyl with them as well as their most recent tape release (Live At The Note) along with a couple of t-shirt designs. The White Hills had a couple of t-shirts, 4 vinyls (reissue of Gnod & White Hills, Live At Roadburn, Abstractions & Mutations and i think the S/T one), a pile of CDs including the tour only Oddity II CDr, a small number of signed posters from the Dublin show as well as the selection of Dave's hand-painted pictures.
niamhm
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by niamhm »

just going to chip in and agree with Laz69 above, White Hills were superb , love that band, Robot Stomp being a particular highlight for me, better turnout this time I think than this time last year? 3rd time I`ve been to Broadcast in the past 4months or so quite a cool little venue,
flokie
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by flokie »

+1!
Got in a bit later than I'd hoped and only caught the Cosmic Dead's last song unfortunately, went back upstairs after half a song by that band who shall remain unnamed, and thoroughly enjoyed White Hills!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Shinesalight »

Laz69 wrote:Massively delayed show with a third band who will NOT be mentioned
flokie wrote:unfortunately, went back upstairs after half a song by that band who shall remain unnamed!

Seeing The White Hills down here in Brighton next Monday and really looking forward to it. These 2 comments are quite intriguing though....who is this band that, by the sound of it, I should avoid at all costs?! :shock: :?
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flokie
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by flokie »

Not to worry, I don't think there's anyone touring with White Hills, it mostly seems to be venues putting on local bands for support.
olan
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by olan »

Went to White Hills at Camp and Furnace in Liverpool last night. This was a new venue for me, comprehensively in the middle of nowhere, but quite a nice space really.

The support was local I missed a fair bit of the first act, Plank, but they had a nice motorik thing going, so I'll have to make sure to see them next time around. Next up was Mugstar, who play Liverpool a lot and do nothing for me really. I quite enjoyed White Hill's set, but have to say that the White Hills have lost the spark a bit. The usual riffing, high volume and ferocious drumming was on display. Thankfully some of the theatrics were left behind (playing guitar behind head etc) and Ego did her thing well. The best thing for me was being able to get out and have a beer or two after a fairly long period of forced inactivity.

Next up in Liverpool will be The Fall on May 10th......
Aquarian-Time
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Anthroproph @ Compass in Chester

This was one of those, "we havent sold many tickets lets get some local support acts on " , I could have coped with 2 supprt acts but not 3, especially when two of them were absolutely dire
In fairness the rent a crowd mob did stick around for the main act, not that they were paying attention, just lots of girls hugging people, walking in and out of the venue and back in again... and so on. Anthroproph were decent but after half hour of it, i wanted to go home. They were good but I was out of the zone as there were way too many people in a very small space just unable to stand still for more than a minute and I just couldnt focus.
Just one of those night, so mhard for me to give a decent review of the might heads guitar shredder as I was all for getting the hell out of there !
angelsighs
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

White Hills at B'ham Hare & Hounds

good value gig here, a mere tenner for 3 bands. it was in the second, smaller room of the venue as well (about 150 capacity if I remember correctly) so nice and intimate.
both support bands were local acts- missed the first band (Bad Moon) but caught Opium Lord's set. I've seen them before supporting Boris and although they were tight and heavy, just not my cup of tea (it's kind of doom metal with that throat style of singing). they did suitably warm the crowd up I guess. the singer did the classic 'coming out into the crowd to sing' technique on the last song too.

first time seeing White Hills for me, I'd heard great things about their live show even though I'm not bowled over by their albums.
they were definitely better live than on record, but wouldn't say they blew me away. definitely elements that of them that I like a lot- the guitar playing was tasty, Ego Sensation is cool as fuck, and there were some more spacey/drone bits and interludes that reminded me of Hawkwind. it just didn't really impress me as a whole. it was a good show but wouldn't go out of my way to see them again.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Shinesalight »

White Hills - Green Door Store, Brighton (Monday 15th April)

Having enjoyed seeing the White Hills last year at the Lexington in London I was really looking forward to this show. And I wasn't to be disappointed. There may have been less make up on Dave W but the sheer energy, volume and full on psychedelic drone rock was there in abundance. Went with a couple of mates who had never heard of them let alone knew their catalogue and they were blown away. It was a set of many highlights with tracks from all of their records. I grabbed Ego Sensation's set list after the show and she even signed it for me when I bought a t-shirt (geek alert! :oops: ). The only downside was that they had run out of the Roadburn live album by the time I approached the merch stand :(

Anyway, here's the set they played:-

Intro
Left Behind
Oceans of Sound
Radiate
Song of Everything
You Dream You See
Pads of Light
So You Are
Three Quarters
Eye to Eye
H-p1
Condition of Nothing
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flokie
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by flokie »

..Trail of Dead at Glasgow SWG3 on Sat.
The wildest I've seen them in years! Jason was definitely well up for it (and so was the crowd!), smashed his guitar during 'Homage' before jumping into the crowd.
Madonna and ST&Cs heavy setlist, a few off Lost Songs too.
I'm not sure when the new drummer/guitarist came in, I don't recall him from the Edinburgh gig in Oct. but he was excellent.
Really fun night anyway!
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