What gigs have you just been to?

For setlists, memories and bootlegs etc...

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sunray
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by sunray »

angelsighs wrote:Was the crowd for Pond noticeably young? when I saw Tame Impala the crowd was not only ridiculously enthusiastic but also largely young whippersnappers!

I can understand Earth possibly getting boring at extended length (I certainly wouldn't have wanted the gig to be any longer), but the show really hit the mark for me.
The fact it was just Dylan's guitar meant no 'Thin Lizzy' moments either :)
I think the new album is excellent myself and a perfect mixture of old and new Earth!
There were a lot of young folk but overall a good mixture of teens, 20s, 30s and (ahem) older chaps like myself. Predominantly late teens to mid twenties i would guess. Have to agree on the Tame Impala demographic though, lots of young 'uns at their gig.

Earth don't really bore me live they just relax me too much and i want to sit down. It's not like i'm going to start throwing shapes to their ponderous ways!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

The Jesus and Mary Chain last night at Birmingham Institute. my first time ever seeing the band, I almost gave this a miss too (I saw footage from the 2008(?) tour which looked limp as anything) but after some rave reports for recent dates decided to give it a whirl.

They certainly seemed to have put a lot of work into the show- lights, smoke, projections and trying to be reproduce Psychocandy as closely as possibe (on some songs I think William was triggering samples for some of the feedback and noises)

For some reason though it pretty much left me cold. I think part of the problem maybe was that it so 'professional'. I wasn't expecting the danger and riots of the early days but it just seemed like a box ticking exercise without the extra something that makes a gig special.

The rockier tracks came across better- Upside Down, My Little Underground, The Living End etc all sounded great and had moments where I enjoyed the noise. But the opening set of non- Psychocandy tracks was pretty boring and for some reason Just Like Honey has never come across well live to me.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by sunray »

Same Psychocandy gig as 'Sighs.

I enjoyed it. Thought the first set was a bit flat until Reverence but it wasn't bad either. I certainly won't complain about a new found professionalism. This was the Mary Chain as they should be; smoke and shadows, lights and projections.

The Psychocandy section was very good. Not the mind blowing experience I had hoped for but damn good nonetheless. Highlights were The Living End, In A Hole, Never Understand and It's So Hard. I was very surprised at the latter as it's a song i've never really been a fan of but it had a nice groove live.
I thought the quieter songs worked well too.

Only niggles really were that Jim was too low in the mix, which seems to have been the case for all the gigs, and that it wasn't quite loud enough. Although I suspect that is due to my ears rather than the band's volume buttons.

I would put it down as one of the best 'album' gigs i've been to.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by niamhm »

sunray wrote:Same Psychocandy gig as 'Sighs.

I enjoyed it. Thought the first set was a bit flat until Reverence but it wasn't bad either. I certainly won't complain about a new found professionalism. This was the Mary Chain as they should be; smoke and shadows, lights and projections.

The Psychocandy section was very good. Not the mind blowing experience I had hoped for but damn good nonetheless. Highlights were The Living End, In A Hole, Never Understand and It's So Hard. I was very surprised at the latter as it's a song i've never really been a fan of but it had a nice groove live.
I thought the quieter songs worked well too.

Only niggles really were that Jim was too low in the mix, which seems to have been the case for all the gigs, and that it wasn't quite loud enough. Although I suspect that is due to my ears rather than the band's volume buttons.

I would put it down as one of the best 'album' gigs i've been to.
One of the things I really liked about seeing them was that some of those Psychocandy tracks had never been played live before, I thought it wonderful to hear My Little Underground, Something Wrong and Upside Down and yes Its So hard was great, surprising as I always thought of it as a throw away type thing tagged on the end, did they play Up So High?? another unreleased and unplayed track the times I saw them, shame about the volume, it was f#ckin` deafening at Barrowlands last year :twisted:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

yeah i will agree that Reverence sounded great too- that got into a good psych groove and I remember thinking "now this is more like it". I thought that song and Upside Down pissed on the rest of that first set.

niamh- yeah it wasn't all that loud really, although I was standing fairly far back near the mixing desk.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by mc »

Saw The War On Drugs last night in Edinburgh. Overall, it was a great gig, and it was heartening to see them playing to a huge crowd in a prestigious venue like the Usher Hall. The long instrumental outros to the songs - which are occasionally a little boring on record - worked particularly well live, and the opening rendition of 'Under The Pressure' was truly spectacular. Alas, the sound wasn't ideal at times; the keyboards were inaudible during 'Baby Missiles' and 'Burning', which left those (keyboard-driven!) songs sounding too sparse and hollow. And AG really needs to work on his encores. The band came back for 5 or 6 songs - a very long encore! - and all but one song came from the slower, meandering, duller section of their repertoire. So unfortunately the gig petered out instead of finishing on a high. Frankly, they should have stopped after the second encore song, 'Your Love Is Calling My Name'. It was an astonishing rendition of the song, with a pounding middle section so reminiscent of 'Electric Mainline' I had to cheer :)
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by niamhm »

Hookworms - Glasgow, Stereo.

Pretty good night with Hookworms, brilliant show, really intense stuff in fact, all members going balls out for it in fact. Some technical gremlins with leads threatened to put a damper on things but 2 songs in it was sorted and they just took off. On record I don`t think they`ve quite captured the sheer manic abandon they hit on tonight, The Impasse was quite stunning, if brief, and really their hardcore background shone through all night. Stereo is a cellar type venue and being on a Saturday night and a 1st headline show for Hookworms north of the border it was sold out, 300/400 I would say, but strangely lacking in any obvious security, which seemed to encourage some troglodyte types got go over the score in the slamming/moshing behaviour resulting in the band forcefully stepping in, we then had stage invaders and I found out later that the band were complaining about merch. being nicked as well, always some arseholes trying to ruin it. I must say they failed the crowd was totally up for it, real buzz before hand and enthusiastic dancing all over the venue and a great reception at the end, just hope it doesn`t take them so long to come back next time.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Laz69 »

Last night i had the pleasure of seeing The Mushroom, Club, The Cosmic Dead and finally Dead Meadow in the ABC2 in Glasgow.

My brother and a mutual friend are familiar with The Mushroom Club but it was my first time seeing them. Very much in the vein of Spacemen 3/Brian Jonestown Massacre/Black Angels (clearly big fans of all three) but it all seemed a little one dimensional. The first couple of songs were very basic three chord riffs a la Spacemen (in fact one of them was just the chords for Walking With Jesus i'm sure) and it didn't really win me over. Their last song was more lively and had a good jammed out ending. Their drummer was really impressive and reminded me of a young Danny Goffey of Supergrass fame - energetic and full on. He impressed me a lot.

The Cosmic Dead were their usual selves; heads down and full on. We got a couple of new tracks including a track they put together just that day in tribute to Daevid Allen. Relentless and heavy as ever. Its actually quite punishing to watch at times, but its so good you just can't help lose yourself in them noise. never fails to impress me.

I missed Dead Meadow the last time they paid us a visit due to a clash of gigs (can't recall who with) but they didn't disappoint. I had previously mentioned that i never ask for much when bands come to town other than they simply turn up, but for this show i desperately wanted two things - for them to open up with Green Sky Green Lake and finish with the extended version of Sleepy Silver Door - and i got BOTH!!! Jason's guitar work and use of the wah-wah is just sublime to watch and listen to while bass player Steve is such an amazing talent to watch. His bass lines are really intricate and all over the fretboard which just makes them a joy to watch. Drummer Mark kept everything in check really well although i dunno how he manages to keep up at times. The closer of Sleepy Silver Door was easily a good 10-15mins long with one of the best wigged out solos i've heard in ages... just so bloody good!

A superb show overall. If Dead Meadow are passing through nearby, go check them out. Really worth it.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Shinesalight »

Hopefully seeing Dead Meadow down here in on Wednesday James and very much looking forward to it. Would be better if The Cosmic Dead were supporting them though :wink:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Shinesalight »

Managed to catch Dead Meadow last night and they absolutely blew me away. The guitar solos were immense and all 3 of them were tight as fuck. One of the best gigs in a while and nice to see the Cardinal's reissued Peel Sessions EP on the merch stall (along with a lovely t-shirt that I treated myself to :wink: ). Top, top gig and looking forward to hearing new material as well as tracking down previous LPs on vinyl.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Laz69 »

Glad you enjoyed it mate. Venn listening to the entire back catalogue this week. Forgot how strong some of their albums really are. Track down their CD only "Got Live If You Want It" album. Its a great early live album with some great versions.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by mc »

As Homer Simpson would say, "your ideas are intriguing to me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter". Or in my own words, these Dead Meadow people sound hugely interesting; any advice on which album to start with? :D
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Laz69 »

mc wrote:As Homer Simpson would say, "your ideas are intriguing to me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter". Or in my own words, these Dead Meadow people sound hugely interesting; any advice on which album to start with? :D
Their debut is a great start... shows their real groove and has guitarist Jason's wah-wah skill all over it. However, one of the things that really won me over was Steve's bass playing. Its bloody amazing to be honest. My favourites are definitely their S/T debut, the early live album i mentioned above and Feathers which i think was probably their fourth release and which also features the long extended reworking of Sleepy Silver Door as a bonus track. More recent albums (Old Growth, Three Kings and Warble Womb) are all brilliant too and have some real superb tracks on them, but those other albums were the ones that really caught my attention.

I've seen them twice now over the years and they are just phenomenal live.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

Sonic Boom last night at The Tin in Coventry. part of a season they are calling 'Synthcurious' trying to demystify synthesisers and get people into electronic music. I am the perfect case for this really- I like a bit of electronic stuff but I'm no expert.

the support act- Vieon- were not my cup of tea, it was proper 80s- keytar, vocoders, the lot. they covered Jean Michelle Jarre which says it all really.

Sonic's set was excellent however. One long set of undulating drones coaxed from a table full of gear. I found it surprisingly gripping, I must say. Was quite cool watching him create this music up close (which I assume is partly improvised). Playing an electronic gig must be so different to a rock show.
There were some snatches of vocals from Sonic near the beginning (a repeated phrase something like "I looked for you/and I couldn't find you") but mainly it was synth textures in an EAR stylee. There was also one bit where I was sure he was going to go into Let Me Down Gently but that was probably wishful thinking from me!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Laz69 »

I saw an EAR show a long time ago and it was one of the most enthralling shows I've witnessed. Watching Sonic gradually build up layer upon later of sound, adding bits, removing bits, walking around taking it all in before adding something else was really captivating. He made it all look so easy, but the whole world of sound that he created suggested it was far from it.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

yeah i'd go along with that- it was gripping seeing him generate sounds, listen to it and then add and subtract layers as he went along. He did have a piece of paper which I assume mapped out the different sections of the piece but like I say, I imagine there was a large element of improvisation.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runcible »

Courtney Barnett at the Brudenell. It's cool she can sell out a venue like that on a Sunday night, but it was nicely full and everyone looked really into it.

It was fantastic. The difference between the show I saw in Sheffield last May was considerable. The level of guitar noise she went for last night was immense and at times the place was shuddering with energy as she sent shards of fuzz and guitar squelching all over the shop. Curiously the opening track - Dead Fox, probably the weakest song on her new album - was thin and I was concerned she was going to play a restrained set and avoid the noisy stuff. Wrong. For the second track - Canned Tomatoes - she swapped guitars to a black Telecaster and all hell broke loose. I love that song but it was on another level live. And on it went - really catchy tunes, and if there was a chance to cut loose she went for it. Fabulous versions of Avant Gardener, Lance Jr, Elevator Operator and more. The closing track of the set - Pedestrian At Best - was absolutely monstrous. A massive punky grunge number that upped the intensity to the max - really blistering stuff. Off she went and the lights started to go up, the DJ stuck on a tune but the crowd kept shouting til the band returned and delivered a mighty version of Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party which was like mega fuzzed up Brian Jonestown Massacre. Awesome. For a 3 piece her band is something else - tight as you like and bouncing off each other in fine fashion.

The other thing that made this such a great night is that it was the first time I've taken one of my children to my sort of gig, so I had my 17 year old daughter there too. And she loved it. Bopped away to every song and at the end we hung about hoping to have a word with Courtney, and after 20 minutes she appeared and chatted to anyone who was there. My daughter got stuff signed, had her picture taken and Courtney was really sweet to her, as well as commenting on my Highest Show On Earth shirt.

Can't recommend Courtney Barnett enough. Great tunes, real guitar noise and she's a bit of a sweetie too. Great night all round I'd say!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by clewsr »

Sound like a great night. Will investigate. My oldest daughter is always asking about girls who play guitar. Maybe she will be into this.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runcible »

clewsr wrote:Sound like a great night. Will investigate. My oldest daughter is always asking about girls who play guitar. Maybe she will be into this.
It certainly was. I think a lot of the audience were astonished at the level of power Courtney unleashed. I love her style - she can get a really wild sound going. It's also unusual to see anyone playing lead guitar without a pick.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Glad to here you enjoyed Courtney. I will be in attendance on Friday and looking forward to it all the more now. Grabbed the LP today so will give that a fair few spins as she seems to be playing a good chunk of it.
Forgot to post on my most recent gigs, so an update if you will;

Clinic @ Night n Day, Manchester.

Same set they have been peddling for a good 2-3 years now, decent as always and enjoyable live, but Adie's voice was well off. Now i admit that's not what the band were or indeed are about, but he was off key a lot and it made for a painful listen. Im a big fan of this band but I'm not sure where else they can go with their style of music and this was easily the least inspiring show I have attended of theirs. Not a bad night though, just not as good as I had hoped. venue pretty full and the night n day have invested in hand pumps and beer taps at last !!

Anthroproph @ The Roadhouse, Manchester

Mind mountain added support and they seem to be improving rapidly, really muscular, intense instrumental set that, to my ears anyway, had elements of Pink Floyd in it !
Anthroproph were good as you would expect, but i do find myself drifting off when they play (third time I have seen them), they are musically and technically excellent, but sometimes its just to abrasive for me and it takes them a while to get me back into the gig, on this fair evening, alas it didnt. I left about 50 mins into the set to grab my train and was good to go to be fair. The band went down well, the crowd was approx 60 or 70 odd and again, it wasn't a poor show just the music is too much for me when I'm in a certain frame of mind. Good pre gig catch up with James T nonetheless and a good night all in all.

Shitloads of gigs forthcoming
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by sunray »

Just noticed that Courtney Barnett is playing Dublin on Saturday. I know nothing about her other than Runcible's reviews, but she's obviously well known 'cos the gig is sold out.
I guess I better start investigating and if I like her catch her the next time she's in town.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runcible »

sunray wrote:Just noticed that Courtney Barnett is playing Dublin on Saturday. I know nothing about her other than Runcible's reviews, but she's obviously well known 'cos the gig is sold out.
I guess I better start investigating and if I like her catch her the next time she's in town.
Endless good clips on the web. Like this one:

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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by clewsr »

and this!

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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Courtney was great, similar set as is being played on the tour, maybe a touch short, but it was a club night after so all had to be wrapped up by 10. She is easy on the eye which is probably because she has a guitar strapped to her :wink: But she can play thats for sure. Pedestrian at Best was the show stopper, crowd (older than I imagined) went right off their collectives faces to this !
Ride couple of days ago, in the Ride thread on general forum. Bit good

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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Shinesalight »

I'm still to be convinced by Courtney....can't help but get Elastica in my mind every time I hear her :shock:
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runcible
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runcible »

I don't recall Elastica going for proper guitar noise...
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Shinesalight »

No, its something about the vocals rather than the guitar work. I've only listened to those few clips in this thread and a few times on the radio so prob need to give it more of a chance. Resident Records in Brighton love her and they're usually pretty on the money when it comes to music recommendations. And I know there's a lot of love for her on here.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runcible »

Justine Frishmann never crunched it like this though:

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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

Vibracathedral Orchestra in Coventry last night.

support bands were a mixed bag. opening were Death Shanties who I enjoyed- free jazz of the skronky variety. just sax and drums which were set up on the floor rather than on the stage, also no PA was used!

next up Heather Leigh who wasn't my cup of tea- what seemed like a very long set of siren like vocals over some loops and pedal steel.

finally VCO took to the stage- they taped a picture of Lou Reed to the wall (inspiration?) and they were off- infact what I thought was a soundcheck seemed to morph straight into the set.
one continuous trance like set of drones. the changes within were almost imperceptible but it gradually morphed into different shapes- some bits were relatively rocky but there was also some spaciness. every instrument but the kitchen sink seemed to be used- violin, percussion, all kinds of keyboards and effects, the piano at the side of the room was even briefly commandeered. it's quite hard to describe the band's music. it's obviously droney but also strangely accessible I think. and it's quite ragged but it all seems to hold together.

the merch desk was well stocked including loads of CDRs (being a completist for this band must be a nightmare)!
and the ticket was only £6! great night.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by davedecay »

Sunday night I saw Barrence Whitfield and the Savages open for The Sonics.

Holy cow, what a great show!

Dudes in their 70s kicking more ass than bands half their age.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Last week I watched White Hills supported by Gnod as Islington Mill in Salford.

Gnod played 4 tracks all of which were a pummeling guitar(x2), drums, drones, keys, bass and now and again a saxophone !
It was pretty relentless and I'm glad they have moved on from the sampler/keyboard phase which although interesting for a bit, became a tough watch after 20 mins or so. This I'm afraid to say was the same but with the keys/samplers etc, just relentless and very little in the way of subtlety. No ebb and flow, just noise and Paddy screaming into the mic. On reocrd these guys are often top draw, live they are shown up to be nothing more than average avant garde band who think they are better than they really are. I didn't hate it, just found it dull and predictaable
The jury was out on White Hills after recent releases have been so so to say the least. Faith suitably restored, they played mainly new album material, which was a huge leap from previous work, samplers were in there, no guitar on some tracks, which always made the next track with a guitar ramp up the decibel and anticipation levels. Sound wise it was excellent, old tracks played were Hp1. Condition of nothing, Under Skin Or By Name, eternity and a rare outing on the encore for False Revolution Towards a Sick Mirror, which has a great rumbling bass throughout and lovely chiming psych guitar, went on for ages. Crowd was decent, not full, but probably a 100 in (£5 a ticket!), picked up a tour cd from previous year I missed and there was oodles of Merch from both bands.

A decent night
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by olan »

Jon Angelsighs and I went to see GY!BE last night at the Albert Hall in Manchester after wandering around MCR for a while. I can't remember if I have ever been to the Albert Hall before. If I have, I think it was probably to see The Sisters of Mercy in 1984, but I can't be sure. The venue is a large Gothic revival space, with almost cathedral-like proportions. Add to this a sense of faded grandeur and it is pretty much the perfect venue for the band.

Long before the band took the stage, a low sub-bass drone began, softly at first, but then as the volume increase the depth of the drone changed and the intensity of it increased. The band clambered onstage and tore into The Hope Drone. I felt there was no sense of performance, no light show, just some flickering projections, which was excellent as I could simply drift along, within and through the music. The intensity of focus of the various musicians and the intensity of their physical assault was pretty remarkable. There was no attempt to interact with, or even acknowledge the presence of the audience. I reckon that they played for about an hour and forty minutes, covering some new tracks, the entire new LP, tracks from the the last two and a single track from the first e.p. A brief wave or nod and they were finished.

Suffice to say, I really enjoyed the gig. There was a very different atmosphere compared to the previous occasions I saw them play. I can only describe it as a kind of brooding intensity which added to proceedings. I will look forward to seeing them again.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

can only agree with Olan's assessment of Godspeed's show. the venue was excellent (will definitely be keen to go to more shows there) and its imposing splendour perfectly matched the band's music. only problem was the idiots talking just behind us (we won't stand near the bar next time!)

there was certainly no sense of performance or interaction with the audience, but you can't knock the band's committment to their music. it was just heads down, no nonsense playing for close to 2 hours. the emphasis was on the new material which was great- one new piece was in the rocky, fuzzy vein of the new album, another one had a really cinematic intro with a lovely soft loop and a violin line over the top.

Moya being the only older song played was kinda perfect, as I think of it as the quintessential GYBE song in many ways.

the sound quality was also excellent (essential for a band like this), when they were in full flight it was epic. they really seem to be going for a thick, rocky sound at the moment. At points there were two bass players on stage, and the guitars were fuzzy and full of sustain. At moments like the pounding, rising chords of Mladic (the bit that sounds like Spacemen 3!) or the final crescendo at the end of the new album, it was breathtaking.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

my final gig of a very packed April was The Twilight Sad in Leicester on Wednesday night.

I've seen these boys a fair few times now, the first gig I ever saw them play was a support slot where they totally blew my head off (seriously one of the best gigs I have ever seen), and I've followed them ever since, trying to recapture that first time- they have always been good, but never quite reached those heights.

This gig wasn't near the top of the list to be honest. the venue wasn't great (a long, narrow cellar room where you couldn't really see the band unless you were right at the front), and the sound was a bit iffy too.
In the early gigs I saw them play, the guitar was positively immense (think MBV at times), but since they expanded their sound with keyboards etc the guitar is now just one part of the picture. I kinda miss it, but bands have to develop.

What saved it was James' performance as a frontman. This guy never phones it in. As soon as he steps on stage, he is psyching himself up, and from there he totally inhabits the songs with pure passion. I don't say this lightly, but at times he reminded me of Ian Curtis- that kind of intensity.

Even with iffy sound, hearing songs like Cold Days From The Birdhouse and And She Would Darken The Memory live and loud, can't really fail.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by James T »

So I went to see Luna a few times in Spain, and if you get a chance to see them you should DEFINITELY do it. Played a different set each night, changing 8 or 9 songs from night to night making it a good tour to catch numerous dates of. They even broke out a few from their first album, and gladly ignored their 'days of our night' LP almost entirely. Sean Eden is such an excellent guitarist, and the way he and Dean play off each other is a joy to watch. Band were in high spirits throughout all the shows, interacting with the crowd and even taking some requests (and even playing a few).
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runcible »

Moon Duo at Leeds Left Bank last night.

The venue is a disused church now converted to a community centre. A really nice space but boy it was cold in there! Plus only 2 toilet cubicles to serve everyone so huge queues all the time. Also the stage was about a foot high so you could see bugger all. But with a bit of work that place could be pretty cool.

I wasn't sure how good the band would be to be honest. I know people say they and the Shjips are formulaic and I can see that point, but I really enjoyed the set they played. It was very infectious and everyone bopped along happily. Ripley's guitar solos are immensely enjoyable I think and he was very effective all night. Some of the tracks had a big Spacemen throb at the core, but others were more sparse and atmospheric. A couple of really psychedelic tunes that produced some lovely little electronic noises bubbling about. They played just over an hour and we were home by 11 which was a bonus - I tend to run out of energy at late gigs these days.

They are in London tonight I think (?). Enjoy!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by johnnyboy »

runcible wrote:Moon Duo at Leeds Left Bank last night.

The venue is a disused church now converted to a community centre. A really nice space but boy it was cold in there! Plus only 2 toilet cubicles to serve everyone so huge queues all the time. Also the stage was about a foot high so you could see bugger all. But with a bit of work that place could be pretty cool.

I wasn't sure how good the band would be to be honest. I know people say they and the Shjips are formulaic and I can see that point, but I really enjoyed the set they played. It was very infectious and everyone bopped along happily. Ripley's guitar solos are immensely enjoyable I think and he was very effective all night. Some of the tracks had a big Spacemen throb at the core, but others were more sparse and atmospheric. A couple of really psychedelic tunes that produced some lovely little electronic noises bubbling about. They played just over an hour and we were home by 11 which was a bonus - I tend to run out of energy at late gigs these days.

They are in London tonight I think (?). Enjoy!
Sounds good Mark, glad you enjoyed it. I'm off to see them tonight in London, really hyped up for it. Seen them a good few times before and they've always been great. Infectious like you say. You can't just stand there watching them, they're far too groovy for that. I really do think they'd go down well in an actual club environment, or maybe that's just me. Back in my clubbing days I'd always prefer the more dirtier, funkier, sleazier end of the dance spectrum, something with depth, grind, an attitude, something you'd get lost in at a small club, synapse frazzling lights and the like. I think Moon Duo fit into that vibe very nicely. Shake Ye Hips man!

The Left Bank venue looks great from the pics I've seen. Moon Duo had one up on their Facebook page. Shame about only having two cubicles though! If that was in East London there'd be a sniffy twitchy queue all night long, hehe.

(oh, you asked a while back about letting you know when Destruction Unit were over here playing - so far I've only seen a London date in Sept and the Liverpool Psych Fest. Hope they hit somewhere near Leeds for you to check them out)
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by shalloboi »

Just got back from the JAMC 'Psychocandy' show- I was not prepared for how all-around fantastic it was! I don't feel so gutted that I can't make it to the Austin psych fest now. They picked the Black Ryder to open which couldn't have been more perfect (I've been wanting to see them since 2009 and the only time they've played in Chicago was when they opened for the Cult in 2011). I'm not sure what else to say- I forget about the Mary Chain occasionally since they have so many imitators, but there really is nothing like the real thing! It was a full-on experience too- strobes, projections and loud, loud, loud!

I spent most of yesterday listening to their discography and being reminded that they're one of my favorite bands and even that didn't prepare me for how much I enjoyed the show.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by olan »

Went to watch Moon Duo on Monday night with Dave Aquarian-Time at The Kazimier in Liverpool. The day started early with a free set from Pinkshinyultrablast in the garden at about 6:30. This is a band I knew nothing about, but really enjoyed. My impression is that they are influenced by late 1980's early 1990's 4AD bands such as Lush, The Cocteau Twins and The Breeders, with breathy female vocals and heavily treated lead guitar. Their rhythm section really impressed me producing a series of staccato drum riffs and loping bass lines that drove the music along. There were no gaps between the songs, rather they used guitar and keyboard drones to fill the spaces. I also really like the fact that they made no attempt to interact with the audience.

Following a chilli-filled dinner at a local Asian eatery, we managed to catch the second half of Mind Mountain's set. I've seen them play quite a bit in the last three years. At their early shows I dismissed them at sub-Deep Purple riff merchants. While they are still not averse to a riff or two, their Krautrock influences are more obvious now. Their recent split single on Godunknown Records is excellent. I'm quite looking forward to an LP whenever it emerges.

We watched Moon Duo from the balcony. If I recall correctly this is the fourth time I've seen them play live, and the second time as a three piece. Clearly they have been on the road for a while because the set was really tight, with the usual driving rhythms and sludgy keyboard drones. My impression was that they left out all the poppier tunes and simply went for it with a heavier set of tunes. The Kazimier was absolutely rammed, making for a very decent atmosphere, and an excellent night out. My impression is that Moon Duo need a new string to their bow on record, as they are now becoming a bit repetitive ( but this is bad repetition, not good repetition if you get my drift) on LP. Live though they were really excellent. I couldn't tell you what they played as I simply drifted in and out of the music (and no I was not drunk!).

All in all, an excellent night out. Thanks are due to Dave, who sprung for my ticket. His stamina is impressive as the post non-relegation celebrations had clearly been lengthy the previous day. The Fall and The Pop Group are likely to be my next gigs prior to Ride in Manchester.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Yep Olan is right on the money with the review there. They were outstanding and a far dronier more low down dirty sound live that on record.
They played
1) Wilding
2) Circles
3) Free The skulls
4) I Been Gone
5) Free Action
6) In The Sun
7) I think Motorcycle I Love You but requires clarification
8)Night Beat
9) Goners
encore
10) Set It On Fire

Excellent night chewing the fat post Survival celebrations and many thanks Olan for The feast at Mr Chilli .....wow that was warm work !
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

On Saturday I attended You're Smiling Now But We Will All Turn To Demon at Kraak Gallery in Manchester.

After the now customary beers in Piccadilly Tap and the Port St Beer House onwatds to the venue where Jungfrau were opening. Not my bag, I kind of Sabbath meets Jefferson Airplane. I will leave it there
Dead Sea Apes. arguably the most reliable support act on the local circuit did their thing and then onto the main course.
Crowd was possibly 40 odd, familiar faces aplenty.
YSKBWATTD were ok, i have both records, some of it I like some I don't and thats how I saw the gig really. Some of the set was just overblown rock by numbers, others tracks had far more depth and in fairness the lads can play, they were tight and the drummer was impressive throughout, all I could think about was how much more Carlton Melton do with one less person on stage, I just thought they were a bit standard and unlikely I would watch them again.
Decent night nontheless
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by James T »

Glad you tolerated the evening! I'm not sure about Carlton Melton but I've heard of a belting pop group called 'Night Flights & The Smoke Drip Spectacular'.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

yep heard a rumour, I think this place would be as good as any to start secretly going about promoting that one pal.
I have 4 coming already !!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by James T »

Just waiting on a few emails before that.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by BROKENHEART »

Last week at London V.U. Moon Duo and a great new Russian band Pinkshinyultrablast . Moon Duo never disappoint for me and its always good to hear new bands as good as Pinkshinyultrablast . I had a quick listen to their new album before the gig and wasn't convinced but they certainly did it live. Definately some Cocteau Twins in there.
This week The Warlocks at Sticky Mikes in Brighton. 4 bands Enemies Eyes,Strange Cages,Black Market Karma and The Warlocks.
Strange Cages and Black Market Karma the pick of the bunch for me.Young garage,punk,psyche and lively,nothing new but Strange Cages looked and sounded the part.Black Market Karma , my second seeing of these guys great full sound with lots of influences in there even some harmonica thrown in.
Great evening although i'm still not sure about The Warlocks. :?
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Laz69 »

Daddy Long legs @ Broadcast, Glasgow

Superb show from New York blues trio DLL the other night. They band are friends with my brother and have been staying at is house for a few days as a base for the Glasgow and Edinburgh shows, so much partying has been going on!

Support was suitably provided by another friend's band, Filth Spector, who were also very enjoyable. Lots of 60s garage rockin' going on. Lead guitarist and band leader Wild Al looked a little worse for wear on stage but still managed to put on a good show ably backed up by his band. I imagine with clear heads, they could be really special live. Still a great introduction to the night though, no denying that.

DLL were just superb, and i mean in every possible way. Perfect gents and a delight to chat with and they show a blues understanding and appreciation waaaaaay beyond their years.Their set started at a lively pace and they promptly tore through a dozen tracks of hi-octane blues. Really really entertaining. They are heading southwards now (Leeds, Newcastle and a host of other cities) so if they are passing by, go see them as they are well worth a little of your hard earned cash! Good selection of merch too including all albums on LP.

Highly recommended!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runaway »

The Jesus And Mary Chain, last night in Vancouver, BC. Was my 14-year-old's idea and the closest all-ages appearance. Great show, even if Psychocandy seemed a little "by the numbers" (they must be starting to get sick of playing that whole album by now). The highlight of the night was actually the selection of non-Psychocandy songs they opened the show with, which included April Skies, Head On, Some Candy Talking, Reverance (fuck yeah), and a couple others. The sound quality was nothing short of amazing (and loud as hell), as has been noted elsewhere in reviews of this tour. Here's the kid's pic of Jim-

Image
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by jack white »

Just back from my first ever Swans gig.

Am physically sore. Unsurprisingly my head is somewhere between throbbing & buzzing. In fact that goes for my whole body.
A proper aural assault.
Love it tho! Am going to need a day or two to recover but it was worth it.
gonna burn brightly
for a while
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by olan »

Went to see Ride on Saturday night in Manchester. I really enjoyed the show at the end of a superb day out in sunny MCR with some great people. The pre-gig warm up was a fab cheese platter (sign of age catching up on us??) and snout full of excellent craft beer. Funny old gig really because the venue, the Albert Hall, is a bit of a challenge. The main set started in daylight as the venue is pierced by huge stained glass windows. There is no proscenium arch so Ride could not use a lot of their own stage kit. I believe there were also issues with getting enough PA into the venue. In the end they used the PA and lighting equipment normally hung in the venue.

We (James T., Jon Angelsighs, Dave Aquarian-Time and Dave's mate Chaz amongst others) watched from the balcony at the back of the hall. Great view, but the sound was a bit muddy which may have affected other people's enjoyment of the show ( :D ). In my view, the band appeared on top form and played a belting set. Somewhat surprisingly, I made the last train home for the third time in a row :shock: . I put this down to Jon's navigational skills. 8)
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by James T »

Sounded like henry the hoover :wink:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

I thought Ride were tremendous. even though I'm a huge fan, I was ready to walk away either saying "yeah it was alright" or " not as good as Oxford!", but there was no need.
The sound was maybe slightly muffled for us up on the balcony, but still above average sound! and in fact it kind of 'thickened' the sound up a bit. it was great to see the whole spectacle from up there, including a mosh pit made of "people of a certain age" and people dancing in the balconies like loons.. could also see Loz do his stuff.

they started with a one-two punch of Leave Them All Behind and then Like A Daydream, and from there I was putty in their hands.
they played Sennen and really nailed it.
OX4 sounded sublime, it's a song that has really come alive for me since seeing it played live.
the highlight however was Vapour Trail- the entire crowd sang along to the (missing) cello part, this was proper spine tingling stuff.

the only dip for me was Chrome Waves (I song I still don't really care for)- but took that as a chance for a loo break.

some songs were definitely played tighter and better than at Oxford.
the crowd didn't suffer in comparison either- they were well up for it (in my neutral position as a midlander, northern crowds always seem more energetic than London crowds), even compared to the nutters who went to that show.

are the band as noisy and as edgy as before? almost certainly not, the blowout section in Drive Blind excepted. I still think this is a reunion done properly and they just sounded fantastic. I can't think of anything else I wanted from the gig as someone who has been listening to the band for many years constantly. I was buzzing as I walked out.

great to meet up with the usual crew too- next stop Psych Fest!!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Laz69 »

Earthless.. best live band of the planet. Un-fuckin' believeable. Isaiah Mitchell is easily the best guitar player i've seen in recent years, on a par if not better than J Mascis too. Mario Rubalcaba on drums and Mike Eginton on bass are just phenomenal too. I cannot think of any other band that play anything like them. Oh and they finished the Glasgow show with an absolutely stunning version of Hendrix's Foxy Lady "for a bit of fun" as Isaiah put it... and it was for them.

The band should be renamed Effortless...
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Ride on Saturday was epic, just a great day all round. Grinning like a cheshire cat throughout.

Earthless on the following night and final visit to Manchester Roadhouse for me before it closes its doors at the end of the week.
As mentioned, they are quite astounding live. Relentless fro the off and by jingo he can play Guitar. But then they all can play and for 3 piece they make plenty of racket. I think they played 4 songs (all between 10 and 15 mins each) and then came back on for a rampant run through Cherry Red (Groundhogs). I started the gig at the front but my ears were quickly telling me 2 gigs in 2 nights, and I should head further back! Merch stand had all sorts of stuff, but was pretty pricey.
Good crowd in as well, not full, but not far off capacity.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by niamhm »

Earthless last night in Glasgow, Woah!! I realise 15/20 min jam type numbers wont be everybody`s cup of tea, but if it is? These guys will take some beating, Mitchell is just some player, and the rhythm section are unbelievable, hope I get a chance to see these guys again some time :D
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Shinesalight »

I would have loved to have seen Earthless. They played in London on the Saturday as part of the Raw Power Festival but I was already down to see Ride on the Sunday and Black Bombaim down here last night (both absolute cracking gigs) so couldn't really do 3 in a row. Gutted but hopefully will catch them next time they are over.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

I'd love to see Earthless too. I think they would be a rollicking good live act.
I'm surprised that they haven't played Birmingham seeing as usually anything heavy/metally does pretty well round these parts. maybe one day.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

I must confess it was a slightly different crowd to what im used to.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by angelsighs »

tats and piercings on display I assume?
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by olan »

angelsighs wrote:tats and piercings on display I assume?
I didn't realise Dave had tats and piercings, and am pretty relieved that I did not see him display them finally :wink:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

Yep tats, piercings and either lots of hair or none. No in between!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by runaway »

What?! No glasses, beer guts or goatees? You guys must've stood out like sore thumbs!
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Aquarian-Time »

haha yeah a few of them too !!! I also find with the rockier, less psych bands that the attendees are often circa early thirties to early fifties, but also a huge proportion have their (also dressed in black, with tatts etc etc) other half with them.
This is a good thing, as a women in Black with a plethora of tattoo's I kind a like :wink:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by Laz69 »

runaway wrote:What?! No glasses, beer guts or goatees? You guys must've stood out like sore thumbs!
Hahaha... at the Glasgow show it was a large collection of metal heads... including a young bespeckled ginger bloke down the from who seemed to be summoning the devil himself with the way he was throughing his arms about. Jeez, young heavily metal fans are a excitable bunch... :shock:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by johnnyboy »

Acid Baby Jesus and Velvet Morning at The Railway Hotel in Southend On Sea last night. Great gig for a dead post-Bank Holiday Tuesday night at my local. Never heard nor seen Acid Baby Jesus until yesterday afternoon when I checked out a couple of videos online. Great band, from Athens in Greece. Really got that 60's Nuggets, Black Lips, Velvets, garage psych rock sound going on, with a variety of percussion banging and tinkling on top. Picked up their Selected Recordings LP afterwards. Supported by local band Velvet Morning, very shoegaze influenced but really cool.

Songhoy Blues on Thursday night.
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by olan »

runaway wrote:What?! No glasses, beer guts or goatees? You guys must've stood out like sore thumbs!
:( glasses, beer guts and goatee/beard describe me perfectly until late last year. The facial hair is now gone. At least I still have all my own teeth and hair (very grey though). :cry:
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Re: What gigs have you just been to?

Post by James T »

Had to miss Earthless due to not being well, but after a trip to the nurse and a few days careful carb consumption, I reckon I'm right for Prolapse tonight! Last show at Roadhouse for me, for many.
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