What gigs have you just been to?

[suskind]

(+) I wanted to read some of the fans' reviews about the gig but I can't find the forum on Hope Sandoval's official website. Does anyone know what happened to it?

i think that the band have shut down all unofficial sites- mazzy star boulevard is gone too.

what happened at the end of the detroit show?

Thanks for that, I didn't know.. Shame it's all gone! As for what happened at the gig, purespace and burningwheel said it better than I would. Thanks. I wish I went to Chicago or Toronto instead.. oh well. Next time if they do leave out Detroit then I'll have no choice but to make the trip then.

Clearly the PA system wasn't the best, especially for Mazzy. I was at the right side of the stage, not too front but not too far back. It was way loud in the beginning but after Cry Cry I could hear all of them at least. What did bother me the most was the audience who were wasted and didn't really listen to the music. A woman next to me shouted something offensive to Hope (can't remember) and said 'it feels so good', giggling... unbelievable.

[runcible]

Bloody hell that Mazzy Star Detroit show sounded like a nightmare!

[spzretent]

Isn't it universal though. There have been so many posts about people talking at gigs. Problem here was it was a friday night most likely filled with drunks and pissheads. Dont know for sure because I decided not to go. A fight at a Mazzy Star show? Wow.
I have been to shows at the Majestic that were ok sound wise. Usually its not. I thought Luna sounded good there. The Lips sounded good there even though I hated the show. Sonically it was good.

[jack white]

A fight at a Mazzy Star show? Wow.

it takes all sorts doesn't it. i was at queens of the stone age in dublin last night & one of the things i found remarkable was the lack of aggression in the audience.
there was harmony in the crowd & everyone seemed to be looking out for each other. even tho there was plenty of moshing & mucking about going on nobody went too far & not too many were pushing their way to the front.
i mean someone else could have a different interpretation of it & maybe thought people were being dicks or bumped into a random asshole but i have to say it was one of the best crowds i've been in for a while, it was a really good atmosphere.
but it's the kinda crowd you'd have expect would attract some idiots & that's why it was so surprising the overwhelmingly positive energy in the room whereas at mazzy star you'd expect a respectful coffee house crowd..
in a sense i actually missed some of that menace to be honest.. it just didn't quite feel like a hard rock gig should.. which is kinda representative of qotsa as a whole. there should be a strict no hugging policy at gigs. romance bromance any kind - unless you're absolutely so shitfaced stoned you're unaware of anyone else, but people who aren't insane then no take it somewhere else.

Queens Of The Stone Age last night, a top drawer big rock show and all that entails big light show and stage setting , which was just as well as seat were up in the gods ,been a fav. of mine for a while but haven`t seen them since 2003 for one reason or another , and this is a totally new version of the band to the one I last saw, Nick Oliveri the most obvious change but this band rocks fuc#ing hard , no slouches. Most of this years superb ...Like Clockwork was played leaving plenty of career spanning greatest hits to make up the set, highlights for me Burn The Witch, No One Knows ,Go With The Flow and the ballad Like Clockwork. The venue , the all new ,purpose built Hydro concert hall , looks surreal from outside ,inside its concrete and steel , functional I suppose, but queuing for toilets? not good , the sound was superb, clear and loud, a massive step up from the SECC next door, picked up a nice t-shirt and `Black On Black` RSD version ... Like Clockwork,

like i said caught them in dublin last night, going to belfast show tonight.
am pretty wrecked after dancing for 2hours
i'm glad i decided to do the 2 nights after seeing the first show. really top class show. like i said above the energy in the room was good. people were glad to see josh & obv loved the songs.
& the band were great. think they maybe used a backing track on a few numbers & i didn't care too much for the ballads. but overall it was a great rock show the hits are fired off w/a confident nonchalance & are still so awesome - i swear to god the stuff off the first 3-4 albums reads like a greatest hits & i mean you could replace them w/a dozen equally as clinical such is the brilliance of that back catalogue.
the new stuff is highlighted. i found some of it hit & miss. i love vampyre but it didn't completely convince me live conversely the opposite react to fairweather friends. sat by the ocean was a snooze whereas if i had a tail they could've jammed for 20mins & i wouldn't have minded.. they fluffed i appear missing but salvaged it, it was p neat i thought esp w/the video.
i thought the stage show could've used some work but for the price it was decent enough i guess.
the show was great overall tho & am looking forward to seeing if they do anything different. it'll be interesting to see how the shows compare, see if they can match it or do better.

[burningwheel]

The fight happened during their most famous song too. They threw beer during it too

[burningwheel]

Hope asked at one point, "can't you just listen?"

[shalloboi]

Bloody hell that Mazzy Star Detroit show sounded like a nightmare!

sure does. i'm sorry to hear that it was like that- there's nothing more frustrating than paying $30 for a show and having it turn out like that...

[runcible]

Second slice of The Icarus Line, this time at The Harley in Sheffield. I wore my new 'Highest Show On Earth' shirt with pride!

I stayed at the place last night - £29 for a single room, including full English breakfast and gig ticket, is quite a bargain - and watched the band soundcheck as I sat and ate my supper in the hotel bar. That was interesting.

Any doubts I might have had on whether they could cut it a second time evaporated as Joe Cardomone stood in front of the stage at the start of their set, absorbing wobbling feedback before taking the stage and lighting the blue touch paper of Laying Down For The Man. This song might well be the the most incredible live thing I have seen in 2013. On both occasions I've seen these boys play this it's been so totally and ridiculously powerful it's made my jaw drop.

Pretty much the same experience as before. The amount of sheer fucking power on show was incredible. The twin guitar attack is mind-blowing and the eager stomping of wah-wah and and fuzz pedals galore just made me smile wider. Sadly, as in Leeds, hardly anyone there - maybe 30 or so. At one point some guy walked across the front of the sparse audience to the toilets and Joe, unimpressed, jumped off the stage and followed him. Later on as he did his rounds through the audience he stretched his mic lead tight so it was across the door of the gents and some guy was trapped behind it. Joe isn't the biggest bloke - five foot something, scrawny and innocent looking - yet he's a complete frontman. Some crazy build of Lux Interior, Iggy Pop and Alan Vega, he runs the stage when he's on it and has such presence. Plus his voice is well intense which adds one hell of a lot.

Managed to meet the rest of the band this time - everyone really nice and happy to babble away after. What a sweet bunch of chaps. Their punishing schedule continues until they go back to the States. I really admire people who work as hard as this and can still deliver the goods to small audiences. I know it hasn't been like that everywhere but when a band is this good you do wonder why they don't attract higher numbers.

The Icarus Line are at ATP. If you like aggressively intense guitar shit that brings in Suicide, Stooges, Spacemen 3 and LA hardcore you'll love these guys. I know I do.

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[angelsighs]

not technically a gig but went to a Q & A/book signing last night with Alan McGee promoting his new book. quite interesting and funny with lots of stories from the Creation days...
as a bonus not only was Mark Gardener there (who graciously signed my copy of Smile. when I praised the gig he did with Robin Guthrie he said a full album collaboration is on the way..) but John Leckie too! legend!
one interesting tidbit was that Alan said Slowdive were reforming and "playing quite big venues". afterwards I asked him for clarification whether it was true and he said "yeah, apparently". make of that what you will..

[James T]

Would be nice if that was true, lets hope.

[olan]

I have heard the Slowdive to reunite rumour from a mate of mine who is a professional lighting engineer. He is not a fan of Slowdive so really wouldn't be bothered to wind me up. I saw them play a lot as I lived in Reading from 1990-1995 so might be inclined to go along. I guess they could reform Mojave 3 at the same time and play two sets.

[angelsighs]

cool, the signs are good then! I wasn't sure whether Alan was getting confused with the Neil/Rachel shows.

what were they like live then Olan? was too young to see them but saw Mojave 3 who were immaculate.

[Aquarian-Time]

Little update on activities recently

Low @ The Anglican cathedral, Liverpool.

In short spellbindingly good. I have seen Low about 4-5 times and they are always great value, but this was something else. Probably helped by the most amazing venue you could ever wish to stage a gig at, albeit Low's style suited this perfectly.
Setlist was nicely mixed and a real treat to hear they open with 'Words' an old classic if ever there was, the night was pretty much perfect to be honest.

Mark lanegan @ RNCM, Manchester

Again, a cracking venue, basically a mini theatre, probably hold 350 to 400, I did think this would be largely acoustic but it was effectively a full band gig minus drums, although it was less loud than your normal Lanegan affair, with added strings and some lovely guitar playing by Duke garwood (who also was excellent support) and another chap who was straight of the top draw. The crowd were deafly silent all night, apart from a slightly over enthusiastic young chap next to me who couldnt contain himself...I will leave that there to be honest ( I nearly socked him one !) The set was again a lovely mix. Kicked off with selctions from the great mans back catalogue, before delving into his album with the aforementioned Garwood, then the curve ball (for me anyway) and his random selections from his imitations album, which for me just sound odd, they were played well but Mack The Knife ??, nah not for me. Anyway sanity prevailed and we had some more solo stuff before a fine duo rendition of Halo For Ashes to seal the deal and 1 hour 40 mins had flown by. Mark was out signing stuff after the gig but I unfortunatley had to make tracks.

White Denim @ Gorilla, Manchester

Curse of Sound Control venue here, oversold, way too expensive drinks and dodgy sound, shame as the band were on fire and are a treat to watch. Their Rock, indie, jazz improv is something to behold in the flesh and I was enjoying things despite feeling like i was at an oasis gig at times. Crowd talking or shouting, beer throwing, couldnt move, so i Fucked off after an hour. Maybe Im gettig old.

Television @ Academy 2, Manchester

Finally get to see these guys albeit minus Lloyd. It was good, very good if not great. The Academy 2 or Debating Hall, as was kmown is another Manc venue that feels overcrowded at the best of times, but I was in the zone for the most part of this gig. Tom Verlaine seems a prickly chap though, telling the snappers after one song to do one effectively and constantly complaining about the sound (sounded great as it often does in that venue), even stopping songs short and in one instance not re-starting it !. Set was heavy on Marquee Moon as one would expect, everything playted other than Friction but did include Little Jonny Jewell, 1880 or so and a new tune called Persia, which kind of went on a bit. Great to see them, but I doubt i would bother again

Dead Meadow tonight...

[Laz69]

Dead Skeletons @ Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh last night.

First support, Vladimir, were not good. Really poor. Glasgow's Helicon were not bad. Some good noisey stuff but nothing groundbreaking.

Dead Skeletons came on and after a minor hiccup with the first song, hit their groove and just blew the place apart. Always wondered how it would sound with the backing tracks that are so prominent on the album, but everything WORKED more than i could imagine. Will's bass playing was phenomenal. He REALLY has to work and was playing some amazing stuff as well as having to play it fast! Both guitarists really sounded great too, but the one nearest me, William Reid lookalike Hennrik, was just incredible. He was stomping on pedals that were literally drilling white noise straight through my ears only to explode in the centre of my brain. Loved it! Jon, the singer, even managed to paint a huge skull mural while the band played on. Set finished with the smoke machine on full to the point where nothing was visible... but their onslaught continued on. Great gig and was really impressed with their live show. They had lots of merch available too, including some great t-shirts and vinyl. Was gutted its not payday until end of this week. Will need to get hold of one of their tees once i get paid.

Caught up with Will after the show and blethered for about 30mins or so. Picked up a copy of his self-penned book of poems. He was in good spirits and, apart from being a little peeved at the journeys the band were making to get around the cities on this tour, he was enjoying things. He spoke of possibly organising a little spoken word tour at the start of 2014 - poetry, some songs, and storytelling if he can get some interest. He admitted he's been kinda missing these shores! I've told him to get a Glasgow show organised. Christ, he can stay at my house if he wants! Don't imagine it would be too difficult to arrange a few venues up and down the country for him to host one of these. I'm pretty sure there is enough interest here for him to find places.

Gig pet-peeve: Young "hipster" people who clearly cannot control their drinking. Had some fool last night falling about in front of me right at the stage. Spilt half a pint of beer over me and the other half over the monitor in front of Hennrik. When i pulled him up about it he just shrugs his sholders and continued to flail about ridiculously. His stupid girlfriend was not much better but she did have the sense to move him away from me when i threatened to kill him. I don't think i've ever come so close to actually knocking the shit out of someone at a show for their complete lack of consideration. Wasn't a big venue and althought the crowd were placed right up to the front of the stage, there was plenty of room for people to stand and/or dance without being too much of a pain to others, yet this idiot was just all over the place.
Rant over.

[Shinesalight]

Gutted I never got to see Dead Skeletons down here in Brighton....still none-the-wiser as to why they cancelled to be honest. Glad you enjoyed their show though Laz. Would have loved to have got my hands on some of their merch.

As for me, well I saw White Denim last Sunday down here and they totally blew me away. Made a bit of a change from all the psychedelic, dronier end of the spectrum of the bands that I usually go and see. They were so good in fact that, along with the White Manna/Carlton Melton double-header, it was probably my gig of the year so far. These guys are so musically adept and you can clearly see that they just love playing live. As my girlfriend said to me after, you can see on their faces that even they can't believe how they are making music so fucking good. I don't think you can pigeon hole them with one particular music genre, they just seem to flit from psychedelic rock, through a more kind of Latin feel, to a more soulful sound. Some of the duelling guitar work was phenomenal. Just a really great, thoroughly enjoyable gig

[Aquarian-Time]

Dead Meadow

Didnt go. Couldnt be bothered. Having seen them 4 times previoulsy, I came to the conclusion I find them fairly boring and uninspiring to say the least. Sound ok on record at times, but I couldnt be arsed standing in a sweat box for an hour listening to them if I'm honest

File that under unused ticket stubs

[sunray]

White Denim @ Gorilla, Manchester
Curse of Sound Control venue here, oversold, way too expensive drinks and dodgy sound, shame as the band were on fire and are a treat to watch. Their Rock, indie, jazz improv is something to behold in the flesh and I was enjoying things despite feeling like i was at an oasis gig at times. Crowd talking or shouting, beer throwing, couldnt move, so i Fucked off after an hour. Maybe Im gettig old.

As for me, well I saw White Denim last Sunday down here and they totally blew me away. Made a bit of a change from all the psychedelic, dronier end of the spectrum of the bands that I usually go and see. They were so good in fact that, along with the White Manna/Carlton Melton double-header, it was probably my gig of the year so far. These guys are so musically adept and you can clearly see that they just love playing live. As my girlfriend said to me after, you can see on their faces that even they can't believe how they are music so fucking good. I don't think you can pigeon hole them with one particular music genre, they just seem to flit from psychedelic rock, through a more kind of Latin feel, to a more soulful sound. Some of the duelling guitar work was phenomenal. Just a really great, thoroughly enjoyable gig

Saw them in Dublin Saturday night, sold out gig. Have to agree, they are fantastic musicians, totally on the money but always sounding loose and free. I picked up a big Southern Rock vibe with occasional snippets of Grateful Dead type guitar mixed in with the elements mentioned above. Like Aquarian Time though I was done after an hour, not because of the audience but I just got bored. I stayed for the whole gig, as I always do, but they couldn't hold my interest for the last half hour at all. If they finished after 60 minutes i'd have enjoyed it more I think. Would like to see them in a late afternoon/early evening slot in a tent at a festival.

Funny, I took a lot of the facial expressions to be portraying a certain smugness. Had to dock them marks for the Tom Cruise lookalike guitarist grinning too much.
Man, i'm a miserable git!

[olan]

White Denim @ Gorilla, Manchester
Curse of Sound Control venue here, oversold, way too expensive drinks and dodgy sound, shame as the band were on fire and are a treat to watch. Their Rock, indie, jazz improv is something to behold in the flesh and I was enjoying things despite feeling like i was at an oasis gig at times. Crowd talking or shouting, beer throwing, couldnt move, so i Fucked off after an hour. Maybe Im gettig old.

As for me, well I saw White Denim last Sunday down here and they totally blew me away. Made a bit of a change from all the psychedelic, dronier end of the spectrum of the bands that I usually go and see. They were so good in fact that, along with the White Manna/Carlton Melton double-header, it was probably my gig of the year so far. These guys are so musically adept and you can clearly see that they just love playing live. As my girlfriend said to me after, you can see on their faces that even they can't believe how they are music so fucking good. I don't think you can pigeon hole them with one particular music genre, they just seem to flit from psychedelic rock, through a more kind of Latin feel, to a more soulful sound. Some of the duelling guitar work was phenomenal. Just a really great, thoroughly enjoyable gig

Saw them in Dublin Saturday night, sold out gig. Have to agree, they are fantastic musicians, totally on the money but always sounding loose and free. I picked up a big Southern Rock vibe with occasional snippets of Grateful Dead type guitar mixed in with the elements mentioned above. Like Aquarian Time though I was done after an hour, not because of the audience but I just got bored. I stayed for the whole gig, as I always do, but they couldn't hold my interest for the last half hour at all. If they finished after 60 minutes i'd have enjoyed it more I think. Would like to see them in a late afternoon/early evening slot in a tent at a festival.

Funny, I took a lot of the facial expressions to be portraying a certain smugness. Had to dock them marks for the Tom Cruise lookalike guitarist grinning too much.
Man, i'm a miserable git!

Not miserable at all.That is simply common sense IMHO. With very few exceptions, the best gigs I have seen are all 40-60 minute duration. This list would include New Order in 1981 and 1982, The Smiths in 1984, Spiritualized in 1990 and 1991 and a plethora of Durutti Column gigs and a couple of recent Carlton Melton shows. I get really bored after about 75 minutes unless the band nail every tune (or run them all together a la Spiritualized post 1995). Facial expressions (especially the "pain face" while playing a guitar solo) or talking to the audience a lot (Bono being the extreme) also piss me off.

[runcible]

Dead Skeletons at Manchester's Band On The Wall last night.

That band are so much fun and so enjoyable I can't see how people can fail to have a good time. They look pretty cool - a ramshackle bunch of guys all of whom look like they have some stories to tell - and sounded absolutely terrific.

Similar set to last time although the opening track sounded unfamiliar. The whole thing was a big psychedelic tribal throb with krauty elements and big power surges at various points. Great versions of Om Mani Peme Hung, Psychodead and When The Sun Comes Up that squeezed the character of the songs on record onto another level. Singer Jón is a great frontman too - handfuls of joss sticks start his ritual with various bits of painting, singing bowl sounds and more accompanying his performance. He's quite a commanding figure and is a great focal point. Guitarists Ryan (Asteroid #4 hero!) and Henrik are a brilliant pairing that added very contrasting sounding guitar styles, with crunching walls of noise at the climax of quite a few tracks. What a treat to see our own Will Carruthers on bass. The man is a fucking colossus and added so much to the sound. He just bounces rubber notes off his bass with ease and looked to be having a great time. Everyone around me was grinning and dancing like idiots and the infectious vibe was hard not to get caught up in. What a band.

Caught up with Will after. Always a pleasure - he's great company and full of smiles. I think I got one of the last copies of Will's books which is a fine thing in itself. He had a lot of sweet things to say about you James after you met up with him in Scotland which was nice. Also had a natter with Ryan who was a lot of fun and a little more with it than when I caught up with him at the Shacklewell Arms Asteroid gig! Mind you I suspect I've had more coherent moments that at the end of both of those shows...

This is a band I would make a point of seeing again if I had the chance. 2 stonking sets out of 2. Don't miss them!

[Laz69]

Dead Skeletons at Manchester's Band On The Wall last night.

That band are so much fun and so enjoyable I can't see how people can fail to have a good time. They look pretty cool - a ramshackle bunch of guys all of whom look like they have some stories to tell - and sounded absolutely terrific.

Similar set to last time although the opening track sounded unfamiliar. The whole thing was a big psychedelic tribal throb with krauty elements and big power surges at various points. Great versions of Om Mani Peme Hung, Psychodead and When The Sun Comes Up that squeezed the character of the songs on record onto another level. Singer Jón is a great frontman too - handfuls of joss sticks start his ritual with various bits of painting, singing bowl sounds and more accompanying his performance. He's quite a commanding figure and is a great focal point. Guitarists Ryan (Asteroid #4 hero!) and Henrik are a brilliant pairing that added very contrasting sounding guitar styles, with crunching walls of noise at the climax of quite a few tracks. What a treat to see our own Will Carruthers on bass. The man is a fucking colossus and added so much to the sound. He just bounces rubber notes off his bass with ease and looked to be having a great time. Everyone around me was grinning and dancing like idiots and the infectious vibe was hard not to get caught up in. What a band.

Caught up with Will after. Always a pleasure - he's great company and full of smiles. I think I got one of the last copies of Will's books which is a fine thing in itself. He had a lot of sweet things to say about you James after you met up with him in Scotland which was nice. Also had a natter with Ryan who was a lot of fun and a little more with it than when I caught up with him at the Shacklewell Arms Asteroid gig! Mind you I suspect I've had more coherent moments that at the end of both of those shows...

This is a band I would make a point of seeing again if I had the chance. 2 stonking sets out of 2. Don't miss them!

Glad you enjoyed it Mark. Its really is much more of an "event" than a list of live songs. And, as you say, the contrasting styles of the guitars really comes to the forefront when they play live. Will is a star. His bass playing is incredible as always. Hoping to have him back sooner rather than later. Nice to think he mentioned me!

[angelsighs]

forgot to post about Califone the other night. bit of a gamble, this gig. I only have one of their albums which doesn't exactly blow me away but thought I would give them a try. I came away fairly impressed. very small room behind a pub, but pretty nice venue overall (low lighting, wine bar feel).
support was Tony Dekker from Great Lake Swimmers, just one man and his guitar deal. got me suitably warmed up- really nice voice and quite haunting songs.

Califone's set began by setting up a really gorgeous drone (I'm a sucker for drone!) on guitar pedals and keyboards, with the first song rising out of that. they mix up quite rustic sounding folk songs with experimental trimmings- keyboard drones, abstract lyrics, and the drummer was impressive- shakers, mallets, weird rhythms etc.
lots of rather surreal stage banter too.
it was an enjoyable night and they are obviously talented, but I can't help but wish their songs had a bit more 'oomph' or something. the songs just sort of start and end.

[The Dr]

Dylan walked onto the Royal Albert Hall stage, unannounced, approximately 7.40 with his band and tore into Things have Changed. From the opening lyric I knew that I was in for a great night. Followed by She Belongs to me- all song reworked from the originals but the band was smoking, dirty blues, waltzes, things I couldn’t even name. He worked through his latter catalogue, focusing on the latest album Tempest, with the great thrill of Tangled up in Blue (reworked lyrically)

‘She lit a burner on the stove
And brushed away the dust
Well she look at me, and she said to me
"You look like somebody I can trust"
And she opened up a book of poems
And she said "Just so you'll know
Memorize every one of these lines
And you can use 'em when you're walking to and fro"

Now I’m goin’ back again
I've got to get to them somehow
All the people that we used to know
They’re an illusion to me now
Well, some went up the mountain
And some of 'em went down to the ground
Some of the names are written in flames
And some of them they just left town’

Followed by the growl of love sick, Dylan walked to the mic

‘uh hmm err huh errr we’re talking a quick break, be back in about 15 minutes’

Coming back with high water Dylan then moved into simple twist of fate, again with slight variation

He woke up and she was gone
He didn’t see nothing but the dawn
He got out of bed and put his shoes back on, and he pushed back the blinds
He found a note she’d left behind – what’d it say? It said, “You should have met me back in ’58.
We could have avoided this little simple twist of fate.”

Then more of Tempest and then the lights came up, quick bow and then he scurried off stage to come back and play All along the Watchtower and Blowin’ in the Wind, followed by a self-conscious, awkwardness, no bow and a scurry of stage


For those of you who want to know what he was wearing, I was up in the gods so couldn’t tell you although his trousers seemed to have a civil war stripe, and he was hatless. He alternated between centre stage, legs apart, facing the audience with his mic on a stand or blowing his harp (man, can he blow), or his hands on his hips, or standing, legs apart, behind a grand piano, side on, like a young Jerry Lee Lewis, occasionally standing side on, playing one handed with his other on his hip.

His voice, well his voice. There were murmurs and detractors but I thought it was a force of nature. I caught 90% of the words and I think his voice has now become, like Leonard Cohen’s, one of the definitive voices in music. Whilst Mr Cohen’s is now like a seismic shift, Mr Dylan’s is now like mount Rushmore or a cliff face. Jagged, raw but awesome.

I saw sat on the edge of my seat all night, listening so intently that by the end I was soaked in sweat. The night was perfect, as Dylan said once ‘throw my ticket out of the window, ‘cause tonight I’ll be staying here with you’

Set list

· Set 1:
· Things Have Changed
· She Belongs to Me
· Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
· What Good Am I?
· Duquesne Whistle
· Waiting for You
· Pay in Blood
· Tangled Up in Blue
· Love Sick
· Set 2:
· High Water (For Charley Patton)
· Simple Twist of Fate
· Early Roman Kings
· Forgetful Heart
· Spirit on the Water
· Scarlet Town
· Soon after Midnight
· Long and Wasted Years
· Encore:
· All Along the Watchtower
· Blowin' in the Wind

[redcloud]

^^^^^^ Great read, Dr. I especially loved these two snippets:

His voice, well his voice. There were murmurs and detractors but I thought it was a force of nature. I caught 90% of the words and I think his voice has now become, like Leonard Cohen’s, one of the definitive voices in music. Whilst Mr Cohen’s is now like a seismic shift, Mr Dylan’s is now like mount Rushmore or a cliff face. Jagged, raw but awesome.

I saw sat on the edge of my seat all night, listening so intently that by the end I was soaked in sweat. The night was perfect, as Dylan said once ‘throw my ticket out of the window, ‘cause tonight I’ll be staying here with you’

[shalloboi]

Califone's set began by setting up a really gorgeous drone (I'm a sucker for drone!) on guitar pedals and keyboards, with the first song rising out of that. they mix up quite rustic sounding folk songs with experimental trimmings- keyboard drones, abstract lyrics, and the drummer was impressive- shakers, mallets, weird rhythms etc.
lots of rather surreal stage banter too.
it was an enjoyable night and they are obviously talented, but I can't help but wish their songs had a bit more 'oomph' or something. the songs just sort of start and end.

i love some of califone's stuff- don't listen to it much any more due to bad associations. have to agree with what you're saying about their songs. i've listened to 'quicksand: cradlesnakes' a lot, but i don't remember much about it apart from the first track- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWQBQIoiEhM which is amazing.
i would love to go see them live- they're local and play around town constantly, usually in great venues that i love. like i said bad associations- i always worry the person who got me into them would be there and they are someone i must avoid like the plague.

[The Dr]

^^^^^^ Great read, Dr. I especially loved these two snippets:

His voice, well his voice. There were murmurs and detractors but I thought it was a force of nature. I caught 90% of the words and I think his voice has now become, like Leonard Cohen’s, one of the definitive voices in music. Whilst Mr Cohen’s is now like a seismic shift, Mr Dylan’s is now like mount Rushmore or a cliff face. Jagged, raw but awesome.

I saw sat on the edge of my seat all night, listening so intently that by the end I was soaked in sweat. The night was perfect, as Dylan said once ‘throw my ticket out of the window, ‘cause tonight I’ll be staying here with you’

thank you, my highest show tshirt lived up to the billing... have been wondering how different the cultural landscape would be if dylan had met sara in 58...

[runcible]

Saw Jonathan Wilson at the Brudenell on Wednesday.

I haven't seen the place as crowded as that since Julian Cope. Having said that this was the Brudenell so it was still much more comfortable than any other sold out venue - room to get to the bar and back to where we were set up.

It was good but my attention began to wane after an hour and I am reminded of Olan's view that 75 minutes is about as much as he can take. I'd agree to some extent - a band has got to be shit hot to keep going after that. JW is a fine musician and he's got a good voice too. Bit of Dylan in there, lots of West Coast influence. I knew a lot of the songs from his recent album but the highlight was from the previous release - Desert Raven was incredible, with a highly complex guitar melody played by both guitarists and I couldn't work out how they did it so perfectly as one mistake would have ruined it. But that didn't happen - instead they nailed it.

If you like good guitar rock with a mild hippy vibe, without it getting too heavy, and enjoy stuff like the Dead, CSNY and even a bit of Echoes style Floyd this ought to appeal. The audience lapped it up in Leeds and everyone looked to be well into it. I was impressed that an artist I hadn't heard of until a few weeks ago could pack a place like that...

[beaker73]

I'm going to see Jonathan next sunday here in Utrecht. Can't wait, seen him before and really enjoyed those gigs.

[Noddy]

Most recent gigs I have attended (luckily as part of the support with my band):

A Place To Bury Strangers @ London The Shacklewell Arms (10th November): Incredible! Toured with these guys before but this show was off the scale by their very high standards. Not seen (obviously my reference is videos) the effective use of fog and strobe like that since Spiritualized 1992. Perhaps up there as show of the year for me alongside Clinic (Newcastle Cluny).

Dead Skeletons @ Manchester Band On The Wall (26th November): Fantastic. Really took on another live and the songs came into their own live. Had a good chat with Will, Shaun and Henrik (we have toured with his band Singapore Sling before), all absolute gentlemen. Spotted a couple of new songs in the set I think??! (as well as 'Kundalani Eyes', which appeared on the Reverb Conspiracy compilation). Must say the sound at Band on the Wall is exceptional.

[olan]

Waiting for the train back to Liverpool from ATP. Really enjoyed the weekend and putting faces to names/aliases from this Board. By far the highlight for me was Kandodo. Also really enjoyed Goat, who had Paul Allen from The Heads along to provide some wah-wah fuzz lunacy to their closing number. I have to admit to being very sad to see all four members of The Heads play this weekend and not hear a single The Heads tune. Comets on Fire were great, seriously over the top nutty fuzz guitar assault which I would love to hear again in a headlining show. Slint and Loop were very good. Loop delivered really pounding, driving music which was just seething with feedback and distortion. Mogwai played a bunch of new tunes, most of which were very promising, but they also dropped Helicon,Like Herod (including a massive mistake from Stewart) and an epic Fear Satan to close the show.

The only downside to the weekend was the Pontins venue which is a bit like a Gulag, but without the charm, and also really appalling food and beer that was literally undrinkable. Having said all this, I had a brilliant time and am paying for it now! Oh and Shellac did nothing for me so I had a Dad- nap down the back while they did their thing.

Cheers to all the folks I met, the weekend was a blast. If I never go back to Pontins, Camber Sands I shall count my blessings.

[flokie]

It was a smashing weekend and great to meet you guys! It was a long journey back and after sitting on a bus + 5 trains I was happy when I finally got back home at 9pm.

Highlights for me were Goat and Follakzoid. Goat were all I expected and more, I was down the front at the start and people were really going wild. I was glad when they eventually played Goatlord for a bit of a breather! Follakzoid were relentless too, the album is good, but that was something else.
I wasn't well on Sat. but was glad to finally see Hookworms - and will go see them again this weekend. Still kicking myself over missing most of Loop, Edinburgh tomorrow should be do-able thankfully.
I also really enjoyed Om (until the last song), Wolf People (and I got that pint glass back home in one piece!), A Winged Victory for the Sullen, and Mogwai. Fear Satan was definitely a fitting end to ATP.

[James T]

Was great to catch up with some of you! A fantastic first (and last) ATP for me.

After my rant against Mark Stewart they did indeed turn up and play an incredible show. The rest of the band more than make up for his ridiculous behaviour.

LOOP were the highlight for me, absolutely incredible. Was lucky enough to spend a little bit of time with Robert after he came over to say hi during Michael Rother's set (that was a great set too), got to have a drink with a couple of the chaps from Mogwai with him also. A really nice guy, made my weekend that bit better. Also got to meet Michael Rother, a true gent.

Winged Victory For The Sullen were great and the sparklehorse cover was really quite emotional, I know Mark and Adam were close.

I can't really remember all the bands I saw because there were so many! I managed to keep away from getting too drunk until after the bands each night. Slint were really really great but the crowd was way too noisy!

The last day was difficult for me to get in to, so exhausted. Goat were really good but the outfits are kinda stupid still. Looks impressive but you've gotta just say WHY? The guy wearing a burka? not sure about that style!

I love mogwai, but I found it kinda boring this time round. Maybe it's because I've seen them so many times and it was late in the weekend, but I thought for this occasion the new songs should've been cut down on a little. I'm all for seeing new tracks and have seen mogwai do near full albums before their release and loved it, but it wasn't right for the last set of an ATP. Am I alone on that? People loved that set, so I guess i was just too tire for it. Enjoyed Like Herod and Helicon a lot. Missed fear satan at the end.

[runcible]

Loop at the Brudenell last night.

Massively disappointing. I just don't get it. They came on to a wall of feedback. That can be good - I've seen bands do that to great effect. But this was horrible screaming feedback that had a few people blocking their ears. It was really unpleasant. They opened with Soundhead which should have been triumphant. It wasn't. They were all over the place and Josh's guitar sounded terrible - not in terms of overall sound as the Brudenell's sound system coped easily with the onslaught. It's just that it was so badly played. Like the guy hadn't picked the thing up in over a decade. Their overall sound was pretty good - you could hear everyone and that growling guitar buzz should have been overwhelming. But they did nothing with it so it remained a thick lump which they nudged about aimlessly.

We managed The Nail Will Burn, Straight To Your Heart, Fade Out and then left during Collision. Never liked Fade Out but the other songs here are all absolute classics, but they ruined them. Josh was trying to bend the notes like he did the first time round but he was just making these terrible wailing noises that sounded truly awful. My other half grabbed me and said 'doesn't this sound out of tune?' and indeed it did.

Gutted. I was a big Loop fan back in the day and so wanted this to be the mark of quality. I expected so much, particularly after the reports from others. But that goes down as one of the worst headline slots I can remember. And a first for me - after over 35 years of gig going I have never left a show as early as that. But it was that bad I couldn't stay.

[James T]

Wow, surprised to hear that man! Robert's guitar sounded near enough spot on to me at ATP, but I'm sure he is also still getting to grips with the tracks again. There's another run of shows next year so maybe if you can bring yourself to give it another try it might be better for you?

Kinda glad I didn't use my place at the show now and stayed in Manchester! Sounds like something was majorly up with that.

I kind of agree that soundhead didn't have the kick it should have even at ATP, but I enjoyed it. The set seemed to really take off after a few tracks though and by the time they got to Mother Sky for the encore... Wow. That was an incredible ending, I'm sure Kevin can back me up here, right??

[angelsighs]

also big shout out from me to all the outpatients at ATP. what a great weekend. I'd agree with Olan that the site is pretty grim (Minehead is no Ritz but still better and with more to do) but the company was great and the musical highlights numerous.

my favourite new discovery were Follakzoid who really got the first day going (after what I thought was a lacklustre Om set)- hypnotic krautrock rhythms with rippling guitar on top really got the whole crowd bopping. exhilarating.

Goat were so feelgood and full of energy.. gradually getting louder and more forceful until a wah wah blowout at the end.
Mogwai were predictably fantastic- epic as ever. I saw Helicon for the first time so was a happy bunny. also thought Rano Pano sounded gigantic, and Fear Satan was the perfect closer.

however the overall highlight for me was Comets on Fire. their set was totally intense, wild, mindblowing, loud... just what I wanted from them. perhaps lacking subtlety in places and occasionally sloppy (thought the beginning of the Bee and the Cracking Egg sounded a bit of a dogs dinner) but they seemed SO into it and hit a totally packed Stage 2 with a full on assault. I wanna see them again asap!!

caught most of Loop's set and was very impressed. It's sad that runcible seemed to catch an off night, as the set I saw was so tight, grinding and loud I remember thinking that if I was a proper Loop fan rather than a newbie, I would be in utter heaven.

EDIT: PS.. I forgot to say that Comets also slipped in a bit of Six Organs' Close To The Sky.. their setlist was pretty damn perfect actually!!

[James T]

I did a great job on Karaoke, also..

[robotoilet]

EDIT: PS.. I forgot to say that Comets also slipped in a bit of Six Organs' Close To The Sky.. their setlist was pretty damn perfect actually!!

they played it @ netil house too and that was a great gig!

[James T]

Dean Wareham in Manchester last night, what a great show! Only downside was just 1 Luna song, but that said it really isn't the same hearing it without Sean on guitar. Got to have a chat with Dean & Britta after and picked up the latest 7" which I hadn't gotten yet. They had some Luna shirts at the merch table, shame I couldn't afford one!

[clewsr]

Yo la tengo in Liverpool last night. Really good night. First time I'd seen them sine they played the Liverpool Philharmonic quite a few years ago. The supported themselves and played a quiet acoustic set first following by some proper noise and guitar freakery in the second set.

[flokie]

After shamefully missing pretty much all of the Loop set at ATP, I travelled to Edinburgh for their gig at the Liquid Room last night - I probably would've been kicking myself for months otherwise!
Glad to report they didn't have an off night, excellent gig. Soundhead could indeed have had a bit more of a kick to it, but things got going pretty quickly. Straight To Your Heart was immense. Maybe a little lull after that, but that didn't last long, and the second half of the set and encore were just great.

[James T]

So glad to hear the Loop set last night was a good one! Can't wait for next years shows so I can check them out again, hopefully not just at a festival.

[niamhm]

[quote="flokie"]After shamefully missing pretty much all of the Loop set at ATP, I travelled to Edinburgh for their gig at the Liquid Room last night - I probably would've been kicking myself for months otherwise!
Glad to report they didn't have an off night, excellent gig. Soundhead could indeed have had a bit more of a kick to it, but things got going pretty quickly. Straight To Your Heart was immense. Maybe a little lull after that, but that didn't last long, and the second half of the set and encore were just great.

agree with most of that, some sign of `ring rust` in Roberts solo`s in Fade Out & Breathe Into me at the start , but after that ... awesome, growling . distorted, ear drum bursting garage/psych/ kraut excellence , punishing rhythms from a superb back line , big reminder why Neil Mackay is one of my fav. bass players , fucking slaying it all night, effortlessly , highlights? considering only Robert played on Heavens End they played half of it amazingly , second half of the set a double blast of Too Real To Feel & Fix To Fall was breathtaking and probably worth the money alone, and had the hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention, goes without saying the volume was punishing/deafening , oh yeah, Burning World was a treat , slow and low for 5 min. them blam!!! just like everybody on stage jumped on a big 100% volume/ tension pedal all at the same time , the whole room seemed to recoil at least 2/3 ft. , if this is them warming up the band , they come back next year? back in a flash

[Aquarian-Time]

Well I did write chapter and verse on ATP but I pressed submit and in the ether it went and that was that... so I will give you a less in depth take.

Great group in our chalet flokie, angelsighs and olan, also great catch ups at regular intervals wit toomilk, James T and shinesalight. All laid back, no stress good bunch of people with impecable music taste. The accomodation was akin to what I imagine a prisonor of war camp, the beer was awful, the food not much better. The music was outstanding.

Goat, I think seal the title of band of the weekend, closley followed by Follakzoid (how good was that ?), Comets on Fire and Mogwai. Loop were good, especially after a dodgy Soundherad opening, things really picked up after that and things got louder and louder, Slint were also decent, notable mentions for Wolf People, Michael Rother, Hookworms and Kandodo.

then last night met up with james T in front of a sparse crowd to watch one of my favourite artists, Dean Wareham. Lovely gig and I very nearly just had to rescue Dean and the band from Bramhall station where the train had been stood for ages and things looking bleak for their London gig tonight, howvever i was just about to set off when I put a call into Dean and he confirmed his train was on the move again...lets hope they get there. (Im still on standby)

[olan]

In my ATP roundup I forgot to say what a damp squib the Fuck Buttons set was. Just at the point their set usually lifts off they decided to play a bunch of mid-paced, boring tosh. Very, very disappointing IMHO.

Also, I can't cope with the thought of James T giving it the full wallop at Karaoke now, let alone after a skinful of Pontin's beer and Saturday morning full English. There are some things a man of my advanced years and girth should not be exposed to.

[James T]

You wanted the best, you got it...

[sunray]

Yo La Tengo last night. I reckon I'm done with this band.
Nothing wrong with the gig but i've always found them hit and miss live, plus they just don't play the stuff I want to hear anymore, and haven't done for quite some time. The ace tone organ was criminally underused so i found myself in the strange position of finding the acoustic set far more satisfying than the electric. Great versions of Ohm in both sets though. But yeah, I think I'm out.

[James T]

Update on Loop in Leeds; it seems that it was a pretty difficult show because they couldn't soundcheck properly due to a problem with the mixers software or something (I'm not too technical). Maybe this is why it wasn't the greatest performance? I read this on the sound guys facebook page, they also had the van window smashed. Sounds like a great trip, that one...

[Greeny]

Loop in Brighton. Bloody Hell.

Makes me even more perplexed how I completely overlooked them first time around...

[The Dr]

the bootleg of the dylan show i went to...

http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=1656

[runcible]

Update on Loop in Leeds; it seems that it was a pretty difficult show because they couldn't soundcheck properly due to a problem with the mixers software or something (I'm not too technical). Maybe this is why it wasn't the greatest performance? I read this on the sound guys facebook page, they also had the van window smashed. Sounds like a great trip, that one...

The sound was fine to my ears - it was pretty good in fact. It's just that they did nothing with it.

Sorry James but nothing anyone says will convince me that this gig was rubbish because of technical or other problems. It was the band - they were simply awful and Josh's guitar playing was absolutely terrible. You don't play out of tune because you can't soundcheck properly - I just don't buy that.

[James T]

I dunno man, I'm just trying to think of reasons why it could be so bad cause all the other reviews have been great so far. Although admittedly it was a slow start which got a lot better later in the show I saw. There's a live recording of the leeds show but I only heard a couple of tracks, one sounded great and one not-so-great.

Hopefully it tightens up a bit for the later shows, I guess it's difficult starting that whole jive up again.

[runcible]

Hopefully it tightens up a bit for the later shows, I guess it's difficult starting that whole jive up again.

Christ I hope so. They are at Roadburn next April. I can't even think of playing a Loop album after the debacle I saw last week.

[redcloud]

The Black Crowes - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland Oregon.

Last night the Crowes were, yet again...outstanding! The new guitarist didn't miss a beat and the trade off of leads between he and Rich were perfect. Chris sounded fantastic as well.

Fantastic set too. The show kicked off with 'Sting Me' and eventually they blasted through a raucous version of 'Good Morning Captain' and to my wife's delight they played both 'Remedy' and 'She Talks To Angels'. But, for me, the highlight was 'Ballad in Urgency > Wiser Time' that stretched out very long with a lot of Allman's style dual guitar jams being traded off from the left and right side of the stage and a groovy keyboard solo that was divine! During all the stretched out jamming Chris was in between dancing in his Jagger'esque/effeminate hippie "I'm fucking baked out of my skull" way. Ha! Love it!! At one point Chris pulled out a harmonica and wailed a bit before throwing it into the crowd. They also threw in a few covers including 'Hush' (fantastic as it segued out of 'Hard to Handle' and then flowed back into it at the end) as well as 'Oh Sweet Nothing' (w/Rich singing) and a couple Stones tunes for encore.

I think Portland's show came on the heels of a week or so break over Thanksgiving. So, they were (or seemed well rested). They came on stage at 8:30 (no opener) and finished exactly at 10:30. Once again, the Arlene Schnitzer, which is our beautiful old classical musical hall, was overrun by hippies and the entire venue enveloped in a heavy smell of skunk weed. The crowd were great...everyone dancing and having a great time. The ushers had a hard time keeping the aisles clear (fire reasons) but, they were respectful and smiling with the crowd who were just enjoying a great night of live music on a bitter cold Friday evening.

Have to say, the band are looking more and more every bit the part of a band that stepped out of 1970. Long hair and beards, bandanas, hats, large belt buckles etc. Projections on the back screen were trippy psychedelics, large mandalas or images of suns, moons, trees, stars etc. It all added to the heady atmosphere and long southern boy guitar jams.

I love this band and think they have only become better and better with age (both their age and mine).

Set List:

Sting Me
Twice As Hard
Good Morning Captain
High Head Blues
Remedy
Ballad in Urgency > Wiser Time
Oh Sweet Nuthin' (VU)
She Talks To Angels
Thorn In My Pride
Soul Singing
Jealous Again
Hard To Handle > Hush > Hard To Handle

Encore:
Torn & Frayed (Rolling Stones)
Happy (Rolling Stones)

[Shinesalight]

Not quite a gig I've just been to, but life commitments have so far prevented me from reviewing my time at my first/last ever ATP at Camber Sands last weekend.

Firstly, it was great to meet up and chat with Angelsighs, Olan, Aquarian-Time and Flokie. I also had a couple of brief encounters/handshakes in the crowd with James T. It's always great to put faces to names of fellow board members and confirm that we're not a bunch of complete losers

I had a rather odd weekend of it all. For me it was a kind of pre-stag-do kind of affair and I was gutted when I came down with some kind of sickness bug on the Friday (and it wasn't even drink/drug induced). I've just had to check the ATP website to see who I actually saw on the Friday...I caught most of OM (they were ok...a bit doomy though tbh) and the first song or 2 of Follakzoid's set before having to retire to my chalet. Gutted not to see and enjoy more of Follakzoid as, by all accounts, they were one of the highlights of the first day.

Luckily, after a night of throwing up I woke up on the Saturday feeling a million times better. Kandodo, Hookworms and Comets on Fire were all fantastic. I still haven't made my mind up on Loop. Having never seen them and very rarely heard them I guess it was always going to be a strange gig for me....maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had more insight into their material. That said, they put on a pretty good show and James T, in front of me, was certainly enjoying it. I guess I'd be stating the obvious if I said I found some of it a bit ploddy and samey. I'd like to pick some of their stuff up on vinyl and give it a go.

Sunday was my favourite day of the whole weekend. Michael Rother was great, Braids were an unexpected find, Goat were great fun and Mogwai just blew everyone else at the festival away. The new stuff fitted in well to the set and the classics (Helicon, Friends of The Night, Jim Morrison, Like Herod and Mogwai Fear Satan) were exactly that. They really showed Loop what loud is

Anyway, great weekend, albeit in a prisoner-of-war camp kind of environment

[angelsighs]

same here Shines, it was great to meet up and have a natter, put a face to the name. kind of sad ATP is ending but not gonna go back to Camber Sands in a hurry!
anyone up for ATP Iceland?

yeah Om were disappointing, seen them before and they were much better.
shame you missed most of Follakzoid, it was a blinding set.. I will be procuring the album.
and totally agree, Mogwai were superb. how do they sound so loud, but also so textured, and so clear? pure class.

[James T]

Mogwai brought additional PA for their set, which is why it was so fuckin' loud!

And yeah, I enjoyed myself at Loop. At times it was a bit embarrassing, but fucking great.

[flokie]

And yeah, I enjoyed myself at Loop. At times it was a bit embarrassing, but fucking great.

Hah, you didn't see me dancing to Goat!

Glad to report the ATP weekend was also a good work-out for the office christmas night out. I mean I didn't grow up in this country, but I still managed to keep up with the guys over a 7-8 hour drinking session on Fri. and make it home in one piece. And then on Sat. I also managed to get back out for Quasi + Hookworms.
Unfortunately I forgot my earplugs, and this is never a good idea at Broadcast. Thankfully Hookworms weren't quite so loud as White Hills were there in April (that was louder than MBV at the Barrowland. Which in turn was louder than anything at ATP) but my ears still took a pounding.
Due to a tight schedule at the venue, it was a very short set by Hookworms, only 30mns - disappointing considering that was their first Scottish gig in 2 years. But great set anyway. Just way too short!
I'm not very familiar with Quasi. I think I saw them at a festival maybe back in 98-99, but I wasn't even aware they were still going on. Some excellent stuff in their set (don't ask me for song titles, but my highlight was one she starts solo on the drums) but also some that didn't work for me (Crazy-ELO style keyboards).

[runcible]

Wooden Shjips at the Brudenell.

Just what I expected really. I love that whoosh sound Ripley makes and their music just syncs into me as soon as they get going. In the way that bands like Mugstar and The Icarus Line know how to pound the Shjips have this infectious bounce which I just can't resist. Loved all of it. Not that much for the new album really but they played Ruins which I absolutely love from that record. I happily stood and bopped all the way through the set. Plus they played Falling which is one that makes Mrs. Runcible go weak at the knees so we were both smiling.

And, as ever, what an incredibly sweet bunch of people. All 4 of them were so smiley and friendly after and remembered us from previous shows. They happily signed the album I bought and chatted away merrily to anyone who was up for it.

Quality and a fine way to sign off an exceptional year for live music.

[johnnyboy]

Wooden Shjips at the Brudenell.

Just what I expected really. I love that whoosh sound Ripley makes and their music just syncs into me as soon as they get going. In the way that bands like Mugstar and The Icarus Line know how to pound the Shjips have this infectious bounce which I just can't resist. Loved all of it. Not that much for the new album really but they played Ruins which I absolutely love from that record. I happily stood and bopped all the way through the set. Plus they played Falling which is one that makes Mrs. Runcible go weak at the knees so we were both smiling.

And, as ever, what an incredibly sweet bunch of people. All 4 of them were so smiley and friendly after and remembered us from previous shows. They happily signed the album I bought and chatted away merrily to anyone who was up for it.

Quality and a fine way to sign off an exceptional year for live music.

I saw them at the Scala and feel pretty much the same as you about them. Totally addictive hypno-boogie! I love them live. They had a brilliant backdrop and projections too http://thefourohfive.com/review/article ... n-10-12-13 . I only had one vodka beforehand but the projections of TV static all over them was quite a mind bender. I can't help but smile when I see them, you know what you're going to get and they never fail to deliver. It may all sound the same but there are variations, though I wouldn't be able to note down a setlist. Dusty the bassist gets so into it! I went with 4 friends to the Scala, 3 of whom had never seen them before, and they all loved it, Dusty getting a big shout out for his playing and moves. The drumming appears simple but is rock solid and driving throughout. When I've seen them before the organ always tended to be way down in the mix but it was great this time, really droning and adding a wall of sound to the mix. As for Ripley, well, not a lot you can say really, he really is the man! Joy to watch, hear and experience.

Kandodo weren't too bad either. Bit boring to begin with but the last 3 songs took off a lot more. Could've done with more volume. My friend did keep leaning over and saying "they need a lead guitarist to break out some psych wah wah or something". I know what he meant but I like them, picked up their new album. I have them down as more of a head band, more mediative.

[olan]

Kandodo weren't too bad either. Bit boring to begin with but the last 3 songs took off a lot more. Could've done with more volume. My friend did keep leaning over and saying "they need a lead guitarist to break out some psych wah wah or something". I know what he meant but I like them, picked up their new album. I have them down as more of a head band, more mediative.

Your friend recognises 3/4 of The Heads. The remaining 1/4 being well known for being able "to break out some psych wah wah or something". I can understand why people who don't know their music might find it dull. I saw them at ATP recently and thought they were magnificent.

[niamhm]

Wooden Shjips SWG3 Warehouse

almost 4yrs. since Wooden Shjips were in Scotland , you folks who see them once a yr. consider yourself lucky , 1st time at this venue for me , in the West End of the city and a bugger to find if truth be told, but very spacious and well laid out, the sound was pretty good , mad, rolling, garage boogie , complemented by a crazy static and fuzz light show, only complaint was I could have done with more from the new album , but fuck it that's a minor gripe, love the rhythm section in this band , they get you moving for sure, people dancing away all over the venue, picked up a nice t-shirt as well , good night, but old head is fairly thumping this morning,

[Giggsy]

And yeah, I enjoyed myself at Loop. At times it was a bit embarrassing, but fucking great.

Hah, you didn't see me dancing to Goat!

.
Unfortunately I forgot my earplugs, and this is never a good idea at Broadcast. Thankfully Hookworms weren't quite so loud as White Hills were there in April (that was louder than MBV at the Barrowland. Which in turn was louder than anything at ATP) but my ears still took a pounding.

Never found Broadcast loud in truth. Poor sound on occasions though.

[Greeny]

Well, Ryoji Ikeda in Brighton, as was requested on the other thread.

I was probably one of the few people there who'd seen him before. The venue was far from full, the side stalls and entire balcony were empty, but the main stalls were busy.

Thing is, this is an audiovisual installation, not a gig. You never see him, in fact I'm not sure he was even there. The "music" is not played live, it's a soundtrack to go with the digital images, which are projected onto a giant, square white screen that fills the entire stage area.

They were giving out earplugs and there were big signs up warning us the volume was over 100dB in parts... 100dB? Pah! That's just the roadie's tapes for many bands I like.

Anyway, I reckon the volume was just about spot on, the bass shook you like a ragdoll and any sudden bursts of static were enough to have me jumping out of my skin! The images were all monotone computer graphics, broadly related to the solar system but also clrearly founded in mathematics. At times the combination of electronic noise and imagery was utterly hypnotic and disorientating - if I wasn't sitting down I reckon I'd have toppled over a couple of times.

There were no tunes at all. Think Pan Sonic at their most discordant and you won't be far off.

I really enjoyed it but it was quite strong medicine... I'd had sufficient by the end of the 55 minute performance and I wouldn't have fancied another 55 minutes, it was a bit like going 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.

There were clearly people there who hated it, a few left along the way and others couln't get out of their seats fast enough once the final image died away. Just my sort of show!!

[Hofstadter]

Excellent!! Thanks for the post, can't wait to get to see one of his installations in person.

[Hedspace]

Wooden shjips in the grand Social last Saturday.

These lads were supporting.
Dublin band TWINKRANES.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPtSbC7F ... dfSu0xBSmW

the whole evening was a sonic delight and not a bad little venue

[angelsighs]

Warpaint on Saturday night in Oxford. these guys seem on the cusp of a mainstream breakthrough, it's the first gig I've been to in a long while that was sold out! lots of idiots talking throughout too (and I was fairly near the front!).
I really enjoyed their previous work, but am finding the new album rather dull. the gig only reinforced that opinion really. although none of their songs are really pulse racing, the new songs just became a indistinguishable blur and it was old favourites like Undertow and Composure that I enjoyed the most.
the sound was good, and although it could have been a bit louder, it was great for the songs to be given a little bit more oomph. I particularly enjoyed the rhythm section- the bass tone was great and I really like the drummer.

[TheWarmth]

I tried to listen to the new Warpaint and turned it off after five songs. Really disappointing effort, IMO. They seem to have lost all sense of melody.