David Sedaris: I like his funnier later show

The Hottest ticket around
To Broadcasting House with the wonderful A&E (we meet  at last) to see a recording for Radio 4 of David Sedaris reading from various of his books including his diary.  Not sure the security measures were entirely necessary, taking your belt off  and having your stuff X-rayed just to see a small Greek bloke reading pithy heart warming stories is over the top.

Not sure I have much more to say about Sedaris other than if you get the chance go and see him you won't regret!
Couple of points about broadcasting house we know it looks great (sorry my pic of the church next door came out better) but considering how much they pay the senior staff could we not spend some of money ripping out the bland 1990's interior and taking the theatre back to it's art deco glory.
Oh and one minor gripe why does the BRITISH Broadcasting Company only sell  beer from Canada or hell (and curiously unlitmately Canada!)  ie. Coors and Carling, get a grip and get some Pride fellas as well.

My Lunch time with Epic45 & July Skies

Epic45, July Skies & Yellow Six Union Chapel Islington 10/10/09


12 noon prompt the email said and not too long after that the studded doors of the Union Chapel swing open. It seemed a little shame to heading inside on such a bright sunny day thankfully the next couple of hours proved worth missing a few milligrams of vitamin D for.

As we shuffled in music was already playing, the last few bars of the sound check. While people took a pew and after a little bit of tweaking July Skies begin. Now before we start this is a huge vaulted church all the bands today play looped swirling intense guitar music so the only problem with using the “cathedrals of sound” cliché is I think the Union Chapel is a nonconformist congregation and so they don’t have bishops!

All the bands today are from the Make Mine Music label, July Skies and Epic 45 being linked by personnel.
July skies music is an open gently intense guitar sound mixed with keyboards and recorded found clips. They are unashamedly nostalgic , the impetus for some of their songs coming from their responses to visiting old air force bases, costal defence stations etc and even the building of Harlow new town. Live and on record their music feels like it’s playing in down the other end of echoey dusty corridor, adding to the dislocated atmosphere their singer Antony Harding half whispers in a high register. The music is very beautiful and fills the space wonderfully. After 4 or 5 song and with the odd “thanks” and “cheers” they finish and pack up.

Next up is Yellow 6 (I have a confession to make I was cueing for tea and bacon rolls* when this set started) but heard most of the songs. Yellow 6 turns out to be a solitary chap Jon Attwood, hidden beneath the brow of a black army hat playing looped and swelling repetitive chiming sometimes twanging guitar instrumentals. I think oddly this kind of music is better to listen to than to watch. There is something slightly disconcerting about seeing the only musician on stage stoop to have swig of tea while all the time his delicate music continues to play. I’m afraid I spent some of the set wondering why the frieze of stone behind the alter had Romanesque arches and not pointy Norman ones like the rest of the church. I feel Yellow 6’s music like a lot on ambient tunes may be better after it’s had time to seep in a little.

Then in short order on amble Epic45,  two or three members already familiar from July Skies (singers Benjamin T Holton and Robert Glover). The way to separate the two bands sounds is the “the Epics” have more beats and grooves than the more palatial JS and although they have a similar semi-rural “edgeland” feel to their music it feels more modern. Mixing familiar songs and at least one new one their swirling (there’s no other word for it) sounds and vocals build magically, the drummer mixing with the electronics beats and synth sounds organically. There’s even some toy xylophone which never fails to please.

Sadly just as they were hitting their stride and with the glow of the autumn sun still bursting through the dusty stained glass they finish and amble off again to warm applause of the couple of hundred strong crowd.

Short and sweet all round.

Good things:
July skies and Epic45 both have new lps out.
Free gigs on Saturday lunch time must be a good idea, as is using spaces like Union Chapel out of hours.

Not so good things:
The hard pews!
Onions in a bacon sandwich!!!
Oh and I was in such a good pleasant relaxed mood that coming out into the bright sunshine into the "yummy mummy" fancy bakery random cuisine eatery 3 wheeled pram foccacia stuffed hell that is Upper street was a bit of a shock. Fortunately jumping on a bus lead to better things elsewhere.

*yes I’ve reached the point where the gig staple overpriced luke warm pint of Carling in a plastic glass is no match for a brew and some salty hot pork,

flag day

flag day
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

.........It's all nonsense really when tonight has been so remarkable. Not sure where to start I was on George Formby's boat no that's not right, i was in this bar in no no.

let's see when I was seeing 400 blows I found out that Sea Power where playing the BFI tonight it was of course it was sold out but G suggested there'd be some returns. And wonderfully there was the marvelous J sold me his spare for the cover price J was excellent company (he'd seen the Truffaut at the same times as we did!) as well potato picking with soft machine which is maybe how he lost his finger.

Anyway some genius had organised British Sea Power to play the soundtrack to Man of Arran. by Robert J. Flaherty which was inspired to say the least. Not only are they the most maritime of power pop combos, they already have the sweaters!

They played a half hour set based loosely on The Great Skua from their last lp, to some excellent bird footage followed by the main film.

Sorry this is getting like a film class (I hope your taking notes as there's a test on Monday)round here but basically Man of arran is probably as good as film as 400 blows.!

It's an early docudrama, it's much discussed so I won't go into the the debate but basically Flaherty understood that sometimes truth is as important as fact and basically the film is really beautiful shot and surprisingly gripping. Some of the scenes of men fishing are incredible and seem to made up entirely of silver and black. a Remarkably poetic film.

BSP music matched really well with the right the dynamics , drama and lightness of touch some parts where quite moving.
I'll stop now great films are one thing but seeing my favourite band as well is rendering me monosylabic. Suffice to say it was good.

oh and on the warm evening with people laughing and ambling along the south bank I was reminded of what day it was by the office in the picture and looking down on the wine (more like stout)dark river, what wth Boris Johnson putting on folk gigs? and people in knitted chain mail handing out beer?
Are you more English when the tides out?
Are you less when the Thames comes rolling in?
and if I get my faced painted do I have to drink Becks?
and are you going to tell the lads on the train or should I that it won't still be the 23rd in the Bromley walkabout because "it's still yesterday in Australia".

Bless 'em they'd had a good day which is all you want really, it beats collecting sea weed off the sea shore or boiling up sharks for lamp oil or being chased through France with hammond organ player and a stolen case of the 45 you could loose a finger doing that...

Anyway night all.

James Taylor and the woman in caramel

his & hers
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

What we learnt from early this morning's TV

James Taylor in concert BBC2

After watching the Wire again last night I was about to turn in when up pops a concert film initially I almost turned it off because even though he just passed a way I had confused John Martyn film (I’m a bit echo effected out I’m afraid) with James Taylor. This confusion I‘ve had for a while. I’ve come to James Taylor only recently I think years ago someone in cool leather jacket said he was a bit MOR and I just accepted this opinion coming as it did from behind some knock-off Camden market Raybans and in cloud of Marlboro light. I’ve heard his most famous songs but not much else. Anyway my computer was doing some down loading so I stayed watching. It was really good concert film (I think in general what with better cheaper cameras most concert films have got better all).

I didn’t realise he was so funny and engaging. He has a PowerPoint going behind him with funny suitable pictures to illustrate songs.
This was a home town gig so was a bit of a love in (which isn’t a crime) and some the material was clearly been road tested (but that again isn’t offence) if you not heard a line before it’s still as funny even the teller used it 100 times.

So it was a good show, I’m not sure if he did any “new” as I don’t know his back catalogue but it was entertaining and very human show. The audience were on the prosperous side. They were dressed in that smart casual way that Americas go in for, you know iron polo shirts tucked into ironed chinos coordinated down to their toes. In was probably at the time I’d listened uncritically to the leather jacket’s opinions that I first encountered this sort American uber coordination.

There was this rich American lass at Uni who was coordinated in a way no British person even the girls I knew were, with her clothes shoes, scarf even her eye make up all of a piece. She was a symphony in tasteful Armani brown like a character from a John Hughes film. I imagine she may even had had some James Taylor playing in her room, she was terribly exotic she ate popcorn with salt on it (I’d only recently moved from butterkist toffee to sugar), could afford to pay for scalped tickets for concerts and made international phone calls oh and she’d had been to Iceland to buy gold!

Not sure this all amounts to anything other than maybe black leather jackets don’t have all the answers despite their glamour.

Last night I dreamt of the valleys

Late Night Music:

I’m still not sure it wasn’t a lucid dream.... A little awash with HPA and stepping out into the silence of a Welsh town. Not quiet like the hush in New Cross as I write, where there’s still the rattle of trains and the wail of sirens but the silence of no cars, no distant shouts, not even a robin defending its patch, the sort of silence that makes you tap your ears to check they are still working.

Then I wander along the empty high street and still nothing breaks the spell, it’s almost unnerving, won’t someone make some noise. Nearing my bed I’m glad to turn into my street and then it happens, a wisp of sound the aural equivalent of brushing past a lavender bush or a seeing a fleeting face in a crowd. A few more steps and it gets stronger until I can make out the tune, of all things “Hymns and arias”. As I get up close I find an entire male voice choir packed tightly into the low slung bar of my B&B. Packed as tightly as their matching blazers, faces shiny and flushed as they sing. Inside the hallway, staff and guests peer round the door listening to the men sing.

Joining them I am soon ushered into the bar to have a drink and then spend the following 30-40 minutes surrounded in the most wonderful of sound. Not a proper concert (that had been earlier across town) but a social post gig sing.

After each song finishes the talking and joking springs up, rounds are ordered and toilets found, then unbidden someone will start another verse or blow a tuning harmonica to set the key and it starts again, songs old and new, religious and profane.

The biggest joy is just standing in this tiny low space and being enveloped by the sound, a rare thing even for a live music fan. And then their coach arrives and slowly pints are sunk, bladders emptied, goodbyes said, and one last cheeky round bought and then they are gone singing their “so longs” as they leave. The beaming faces of the young bar staff testament to the power of the music.
It is the sort of event tourist boards would love to promote but like most of the perfect moments in life it came up out of the silence unsort, unplanned, unexpected and doubly welcome for being so.

Winter wonderland

Snow Drops & Clumps of John Nettles
Off to Oxfordshire for the weekend to see friends and had an excellent time thanks folks!

And in tribute to all the awards given out here are my nominations for last 48 hours:

Time team comes alive before your eyes panorama of the weekend:

We had an excellent walk on some local hills called "the Clumps" it was an astonishingly beautiful snowy day, clear and sunny so you could see for 10-20 miles all around.

The clumps themselves contain Iron Age hill forts as did every other ridge and vale we could see. The whole area seemed to be full of Christmas card vistas filled with nestling pretty Saxon churches or Norman abbeys. I did like the contrast to Deptford which has plenty of history what with the river, the docks, railways etc. But Oxfordshire's history seems almost geological and the view with the exception of Didcot power station unchanged (if you squint) for centuries. I was looking up the Clumps on wiki and Tony Robertson and the mad one in the hat have already been their which makes sense.

Grand tour of Britain cultural landscape big tick of the winter schedule: Having been to Goatslands or "Heartbeat country" and had some chips in Holmfirth and being born near the original Coronation st I was delighted to find out that Wallingford is officially "Midsummer Murders land"and that half the town has been in the series as extras some of them several times, so much so they have to wear wigs to avoid recognition . Next on my list the Howard's Way coast and Catweazel's hamlet....

Home decoration tip of decade:

To add a hint of "theatre" to any room why not put up a framed picture of 18th century Astronomer. This essential advice is brought to you by Museum Of Art Oxford (well a slightly gushing description of one their exhibitions). I am thinking of going for Tycho Brahe for various reasons chiefly his silver nose not pictured!

(Not sure their other exhibit naked South American woman gets hosed down with high-pressure jet helps with what to do with that dark corner in the hall way though).

"I think you've got too many ingredients on your plate Belinda" aka Masterchef is seeping into every aspect of my life menu of the week:
We had an excellent meal in on Saturday, some delish fish soup was followed for me by the roast lamb with Savoy cabbage, various tasty mashes and a Jus. But also nestling on the plate like a John Torrode fake indignation magnet was what the French (?) menu writer had called a "Cornish Pie". This had intrigued us thinking it might a timbale of veg or some such. But no it was tiny pasty it was delicious, but I fear G&J would have exploded by now.

Having said that why stop at pasties why not have a little chicken & mushroom pukka pie with coq au van or maybe a teeny tiny lasagne with the spaghetti vongole. Food should be fun and it did make me smile.

Gigs I wished I'd attended of the season:

Over at Ms Woo site she's talking about gigs you regret not attending I'm quite fortunate in that I've seen most people I like and the only ones I regret I'd need a time machine to see. But I do wish the Snowdrop Teas had been being served in Swyncomb yesterday. Please do accept that I'm not being the least bit ironic here what so ever, I genuinely love the idea that there are places were people can go to see at drifts of snowdrops (and wolf's bane!), admire an 11cth century church, listen to choral evensong and probably best of all eat home made cakes and drink tea. Sadly the bad weather had meant it was called off doh!

That being said walking in the crisp utterly beautiful woods around the church, checking out rabbit and deer tracks, seeing a hare dash across the snow, the woods alive with rustling leaves as the sun melted the ice, the crunch and squeak of the virgin drifts under our boots was more then wonderful. The exercise sans cake was probably good for me to. Also it pleasing on the way to station to see the sign for "Christmas Common" (as it should be) covered in snow.

If you are Watlington way next week and it doesn't snow again, the snowdrop teas may well be rescheduled but get their early for the pick of the best cakes!

Just Like Christmas?

Low
Koko Camden
19th Nov 2008

To Koko with PB to see Low . Now I am wary of this but it was labelled “Christmas Concert”, I’m only wary as I like to keep discussion of Yule to December but I imagine that they wanted to be home for Xmas and so toured the UK now.

We got there at the start of the support who were called Ida and who both agreed where strange support as they were very similar to Low almost like a cover band. They had guitarist, a fiddle player and a harmoniumist and singer. They played very pretty precise folky acoustic numbers very similar to a none electric low songs. They weren’t too bad and the crowd listened intently I just think some variety was needed. One of the reason they were supporting it turns out is that they formed part of Low later in evening.

After a short break Low came on much like Granddaddy without us noticing.
As an intro Alan Sparhawk started to dedicate the gig to john Peel and the Obamas but got interrupted by a loud mouth in crowd. That being said Sparhawk has the slowest discourse in the history rock whole seconds go by between words giving pointers to their slow contemplative style.

Big mouth Strikes again
The first 40 minutes of the gig was recent material played as a 3 piece guitar, bass and drum and cymbal. Which was excellent with good range of songs from across their lps. Then Ida and another drummer joined them for the trance like Shots and Ladders followed by the Christmas portion of gig to great effect. I’ll even allow them their reggae tinged up beat number (as it’s that time of year) they did a new song called Come Santa which was marvellously mad (and almost metal) in that they made Santa coming seem like threat. After this another loud mouth in the crowd shout out his complaint that Low weren’t the low he knew which was strange as the gig was much like every other I’ve seen and that it did say Christmas show on the ticket any way he was well put down by the band. Anyway they continued with the Christmas songs including Just like Christmas their stone cold classic.

As to why Low work is the way that Sparhawk's and Mimi Parker's voices harmonise and meld to form a continuum, it has a slight stark hymnal quality (which isn’t surprising) and which really like the sparse and the dynamics of the songs bring them alive thus saving them from falling into shoegazing introspection.

Highlight for me: was Canada, Shots and Ladders and One perfect Gift.

Anyway especially after Lambchop the other week Low where excellent it might not have been just like Christmas but it was certainly a good advert for advent.
I wrote a bit about miserable Camden pubs but PB beat me to it!

Lambchop with a side order of curate’s egg

.... Oh and Hold the Noodles

4th Nov Union Chapel Islington.

To the Union chapel with BLBW (who's got a new book you can order to have delivered next year).

Can I say from the start that I’m not a Lambchop aficionado but I enjoy going to gigs that are unknown territory every now again.

The support were “Paper Cups” who area young lad (the son of the piano player from Lambchop) who treated us to half an hour of vocalless “bedroom guitar”. Lots of intricate picking and effects which although technical accomplished was strangely uninvolving, it didn’t help that the last tune was called “Crystal Palace” which probably sounds ethereal to an American freed from it’s associations with Penge and the Eagles.

In short order Lambchop ambled on almost unnoticed and we had to be encouraged to give them a cheer!

This is where the curate’s egg comes in as the first 50 minutes or so were new songs (all their songs are mostly new to me) which unfortunately seemed to all played on a laid back noodley jazz country vibe. The first part of the set lacked any dynamic and sort of blended into a mass.
Kurt Wagner more so than on record has a vocal style that’s going towards affectation where he swallows the last word of every line, which to my ears grated. It was all slightly passionless which was strange as between songs Wagner would whoop and cheer as if he’d just finished singing “Born to run”.
Between every other song we also got the sort of intra band wackiness that American bands seem to do which is endearing if you are enjoying the band but annoys if you are not. You know the sort of jokes that would get you bottled off at comedy gig but get roars of laughter at music venues. It was all good natured and the crowd enjoyed so it may have been just me.

Luckily the music picked up in the last 5-6 songs which were older material and covers. This is not just because they were recognisable but because the band realised there were 7 people on the stage and put some oomph some energy into their playing. I’m not saying we need 10 minutes guitar works out all the time but as PB said if you’ve got 30 plus strings on stage why not use them? You do have to wonder about a gig where the drummer doesn’t even break sweat.

So in the end a patchy evening and one maybe for more ardent fans I doubt Lambchop will change having been a round for ages but maybe they can save the noodling and joshing for the rehearsal room and bring more groove to their live performances.

Woodland fun

Latitude
Suffolk
2008

Festivals: where else can you sit in a cloud of reefer smoke, deafened by loud music, surrounded by people in garish clothing at 8 in morning? Well Deptford train station as it turned out. In the midst of London’s most chilled plasterers, randomly listening to music on their speaker phones , clad to a man in hi vis vest, was me lumbering up the stairs with my rucksack, off to the estuary to wait for a lift, while an old gaffer did slight of hand tricks with coins. My friends arrived before he could explain how he lost his eye!

You see festivals are another world after all, in this case "Latitude "which is in Suffolk (which after 20 years in the south I now know is the one near Essex and not the one, Sussex where Brighton is).

Latitude is near Southwold and the sea of which we got glimpses on the way down. We stopped on the way at the world’s nicest Budgens having already seen an airship there was the chance we were going back in time. Thankfully Latitude is very now.
It is meant to be the most middle class of festivals but as I’ve said before listening to rock music in fields is by definition a middle class pursuit (for good or ill and I haven’t got time for a long piece on Britain’s relationship with Arcadia…). I think this (pejorative) tag comes largely because it’s near Southwold and that it’s not just drunk teenagers who go to it.

It seemed a relatively normal festival; you had to hike across fields with your kit, put up your tent up in the rain, queue to get in, pay too much for beer etc. Some of the food was organic (the only noticeable difference with organic chips is that you get less of them), but you can still get donuts and pies, so some things don’t change.

One noticeable thing about Latitude is that a range of ages attend, families with toddlers but also older people with their kids and on their own, which is all to the good.
In fact down the front at Sigur Ros was like night school for 16 years olds with us explaining who The Ros were to some worried girls (they didn’t want to get moshed again) while another older guy was showing a yoof how to use his Hubble telescope of a camera!

Anyway the compactness of the site was great, making nipping round easy and also bumping into your mates more likely. The sylvan setting is nice particularly at night when you can see glimpses of “happenings” beneath the branches.

We had a great time, we got sunburnt and frozen, had a laugh, had a cry, occasionally had a nap, some people danced until dawn, others nattered on about obscure novels and the pipkins. The House of Love took us back in time, grinder man got medieval with our ass, there were loads of new bands who may be the future and some that might not see out the summer. And by Saturday evening it was just like every other festival lots of people having a good time in relaxed if slightly fuzzy way.
Oh and the toilets weren’t bad either.

for more pictures go here



High Lights:
Sigur Ros: The papers reviewer must have missed the ending and is in Icelandic cliché mode describing them as “glacial” and “downbeat” that for a band who had finale involving a marching band of dressed as Droogs, 5 madly dressed string player mashing on drums, a leader singer (Jonsi) dressed like Captain Mark Philps meets a turkey in a storm of exploding confetti, all to a sound track of feedback, mad drums and toy pianos.

Grinder man: top marks to the wildest of Nick Cave’ wildman Warren Ellis, few people can hit cymbals with maracas with such menace.

Elbow: Humanly brilliant as ever; as predicted “one day like this” is the feel good hit of the summer
The House of Love: a poem to beautifully lost chances
The Breeders: Cheery low-fi and endearing ramshackled fun.
Simon Armitage: funny and engaging and he finished with my poem of the year.
Milton Jones: Just plain funny
Interpol's NYC in the rain
Bunkhouse boys: surf twanging suited and booted music.
Great wooded location: do you hear rustling in the hedgerow
Nice seated area: where you can hang around late at night having a pint, putting the world to rights
Absolut Raspberri vodka: it grows on you and then warms your cockles.


Downsides
The random rain showers.
Julian Cope’s rotten self deluded show:
30 mins. late and then he only did 2 songs and spent the rest of the time ranting about paganism wearing a Nazi-looking cap
A lack of brown sauce at the breakfast stall
People with cameras waving them in front of you when you trying to watch bands

Having to go back to work

The best gig ever.

The Blue Nile
July 13th
Somerset house
London

One of the purposes of art is the revelation of the sublime, it’s everywhere in the way that Aretha passes the note and hits another, its being with Otis at 4.30 in the morning, it’s in the light of a Cezanne. But I am a northern soul in part and as much as I love the lime in a mohjto, the spark in the eye of a Goya or the warmth of the sea off Valencia my heart cleaves at times to a different light.

It’s a salt bleached road, the rasp of sandstone on your fingers, in the flat vowels of Hughes and Auden, in Hooky’s low bass, it’s in that moment as your lungs flatten out on the top of a hill in the heat of summer and the smell of grass washes over you, it’s the bang of a saloon bar door and the blue light of a minster’s rose window, the surge of taxi, the laughter of my nephews and nieces, the gentle breath of an intimate on your ear, their hand on your chest, it’s in Blake and Keats it’s the everyday come alive and dissolved into air like, like, like….

The first line of Easter Parade by the Blue Nile
“The line of traffic comes to a stand still”
It may sound banal in Arial 12 point but with the music and Paul Buchanan’s voice no traffic jam ever sounded so good as this one and this is just one verse of their 50 or so songs.

Last night at Somerset House was as near as perfect gig as I’ve ever seen, no second was wasted and in fact they sped by so fast it was heartbreaking.
Why a band so good and so seemingly so at ease on stage don’t play more often is perplexing? However although The Blue Nile’s tardiness is legion I’m not sure I would change it, as it would like having a fast growing oak or drinking day old Port something essential would be lost.

The Blue Nile are great for all of the above and much more, for their human failings and their ability to over come them.

I’ve been to many gigs and few were better than last night there maybe no future in Britain’s dreaming but while me may let’s just turn over one more time and dream a while longer.

touched

My Bloody Valentine
24th June 2008

What can I say we had to wait along time...
Firstly they had to rename this place.....

Then they had to rebuild this place...

it's not too shabby ....

















These were useful to...

I started writing a review but I slipped into "cathedrals of sound" territory and then I read this and Alex P said most of what I wanted to say...

More pictures here....

What goes on in Guildford stays in.....

Glasvegas

5th June

Boiler room

Guilford

To the pride of Surrey (probably) with A to see the heavy hot young sound of Dalmarnock

Firstly nice venue: beer garden with hanging baskets, comfy seat and more than acceptable Chinese food. Far better than the deep fried fat at the Brixton academy

Beer: usual range for £3 pint also sell haribo and chuppa chups!
Clientele: students, indie emo-types, rotund 40 somethings solo and with partners and a first for me blokes in shirts with cuff links (possibly it turns out from the record company). There was guy talking to himself and quite a few posh kids. One kid seemed to have come with his mum he was dressed immaculately rock kid wise in a leather jacket and knowingly scruffed big hair, we thought he was the next act but obviously the nice women next to him in the fleece was making sure he didn’t get led astray by the likes of evil old me. Kudos as ever to the vain witch gobby at the bar who talked loudly through the main gig cheers luv.

Support:
Frank Hammond (?) usual indie fare, songs about day time telly, nice “inept” stylophone solo though. A bit like the Jack Penate .

Next bloke (name forgotten sorry) played twangy surf music on his own. Sadly he forgot the golden rule that like surfing it’s not rock and roll if you’re sat down, oh and he needs a drummer.

A sad vignette as we left this chap was at the door trying to flog his CD it harsh to walk past so quickly but we did.

Glasvegas:
Looked like a proper band matching hair cuts, similar clothes and crucially all stood up including the drummer!
Lead singer looks like a a cross between Ricky Gervais and late period Joe strummer, guitarist seemed to be drinking buckfast wine, the bass player would redeem himself in the movie by jumping on a grenade, and the drummer had an endearing way of looking at the drum she was going to hit next.
Basically they looked like a gang which is exactly as it should be.

On the whole even with a break for a dodgy lead, Glasvegas where wonderful.
I think they played all the songs they have, but with real passion and energy. I can see them winning over festivals with their “heart on ya sleeve Proclaimers” thing.

The music is driving loud-quiet indie rock but sung in at times in a dense vernacular that adds to the whole thing. Lyrics the usual really love, life and social workers.
Stand out songs:

Geraldine and one about ice cream.

Conclusion: Glasvegas were excellent and the Boiler house is a good friendly venue too. All in all a good night even the train ride home wasn’t bad peaceful in near empty carriage.

Ps: The “Too much information” award goes to the lads in the bogs talking about their urinary tract infections. Come on boys this is Guildford after all.

Monday with Sauce and sprinkles

Mr Whippy in Soho....

I do like these I must be into double figures by now with them. If you fancy a lick and you're in the centre of town this ones at the bottom of Charing Cross road!

I think the old lady I saw in Gaby's went there after her meal to cool off, she finished off her falafel and then polished off the dish very hot chillie sauce like it was tomato soup, hardcore!

UPDATE:

I set up a Flickr group featuring pics of Plastic Ice cream cones here. Join if you want to and post your own pics.

The boy looked at Johnny!

I relaxed my fatwa against taking pictures inside gigs to take this rubbish picture of Johnny Marr playing with the Cribs on friday night at Brixton Academy! He really lifted their set, mainly because everyone can sing "Hang the DJ" and they can't sing anything by the Cribs or the rest of groups playing! It was a good gig except we where in the balcony and not only can't you stand up, you have strange cut off view of the stage.

Long live Los Campesinos!

Astoria

Feb 10th

Les Savy Fav

Future of the Left

Los Campesinos!

Lo-Fi Culture scene

The show was part of the NME Awards show .

First up.

The Lo-Fi Culture scene: they all seemed to be less than 17 years old with excellent public schoolboy hair (as long s you like as long as it doesn't touch your collar boy), good swirling guitars, lyrics need working on, oh and they have really rubbish name.

Best song: The one that went " read the script and learn your lines"

Third on where "Future of the Left", the “angry sound of young Wales” a 3 piece power rock trio they were all very upset (those extra shifts at the warehouse probably did it) most of the were songs about war (probably), the bassist seemed to be embarrassed about wearing a “Slits” t shirt.

Best song: the one I missed heard as " the best way to get them is sucking coal"

The main attractions were Les Savy Fav, who I knew nothing about and were largely saved by their singer. Their music is slightly arty shouty punk metal. Most of the band look like Microsoft middle management. The lead singer however is a barrel chested chap who spent the entire gig amusing the crowd. Mainly by running around the stalls and at one point riding a member of the crowd.

My favourite bit was were he donned a pith helmet and safari suit and ended up looking like the bastard son of Prof. Wilf Lunn and Viv Stanshall. Their songs did leave me a little cold.

Best song:apparently they played Debaser by the Pixies after we left doh!

Best of the night (for me) were the second on Los Campesinos “ the happy sound of young Cardiff” a Belle and Sebastian like gang of girls and boys who play jangling shouty indie (so good they could be from Sweden). They have that excellent quality of looking like the best gang in town. Also some quality toy xylophone playing some starange jumping dancing and duelling lead guitarist (who should get a room).

They did however introduce one song as being about “misogyny in the mainstream music press” that’ll be the NME then (who sponsored the shows!). They were really good their album is out soon and I think shall be getting a copy. Google their name and check out their songs the BBCWales ste has several good tracks.

Best song : Death to Los Campesinos! all though they were all good.

Lastly two questions:
What’s the most bizarre on stage introduction you’ve heard?
Does anyone know the future of the Astoria; wasn’t it being sold for flats?

I should Koko more often.....

British Sea Power
Koko
Camden
31st Jan

At least 9 Good things.

1. I love the inside of KoKo: the hyper gold and red colour scheme is great and the velvet and light panels bar area is very dramatic and glamorous makes a change from the usual London rock pits. The sounds good too, as is the world's biggest mirror ball.

2. Value for money: When people are paying the thick end of £40 quid to see the Portishead in a shed in West London. It’s good to go to gig for around £16 quid where you get 4 acts all worth seeing.

Supports were:
Jon & Jehn (French organ driven, Velvets tinged, yelping boy girl duo)
Best song: “Make your mum proud”

Eamon (muscly shouty bald BSP affiliate singer song writer)
Best songs: “comma comma comma full stop.”

These New Puritans: Who tick all the usually Neo post punk boxes i.e. most of them look like Franz Ferdinand, they sound like Wire and the Fall sort of.
Big bonus the lead singer was for some reason wearing some plate mail armour like the bastard son of Tenpole Tudor and Sam Gamges!
Best song: Well actually they all sounded a bit like “ ‘ello John got a new motor” by Alexi Sayle

3. Cheek bones: Bonus points to the keyboard/weird electronic noise purveyor from “These New Puritans” who was a striking young women with excellent cheek bones and a frosty glare, which she kept studiously for the entire set. A look so archly sour there wasn’t a fresh pint of milk in all of Camden.

4. Big chords: Then on came British Sea Power, the stage was already set with branches of fresh laurel, flags maritime and other. Straight into 'Lights Out for Darker Skies', the drama and dynamics of Sea powers records perfectly come over live and they play most of their new LP. In fact recent single Waving Flags goes down well as does Atom.

5. Light and shade: The sets not all anthemic crowd pleasers and obscure terms of references, half way through the set out comes “The Great Skua”. This largely instrumental piece gave a striking break mid gig. The song was backed by stunning film of the sea, Albatrosses nesting and just like “Blue Planet” a huge shoal of sardines. This could have been cheesy but if anyone can pull of maritime imagery its BSP!

6. Masks and uniforms: a mix of British military garb, flags, Ian Hamilton Finlay and also a weird form of 1920’s art school fauvism. Their films etc involve weird human animal hybrids, sort of Wicker man meets that Bunny man thing from “Sexy Beast “.

7. Noble: The lead guitarist the one who isn’t a brother is a striking stage presence looking like a young Stanley Baker, in the films he would be a steely Para NCO, tonight we got an impressive traverse across Koko’s equally impressively camp gilded rococo plaster work and some excellent crowd surviving oh and bear wrestling.

8.Easy, Easy, Easy: Speaking of wrestling tonight’s one of highlights was the appearance of a muscly shouty bloke wearing a white helmet wrestling belt and some strident tight briefs for what is becoming a live classic “No Lucifer “with it’s Big Daddy Chant of “easy. Easy. Easy” (it’s surprising that no one has used it in terrace chant pop song before.)

9. Lastly the gigs not over until the man in the bear suit dances. If you are going to end a gig, end it with more flag draped wrestlers, weird domino masks and a 10ft Ursine-homosapien monster.

Best songs: oh I can’t decided they were all excellent:
'Lights Out For Darker Skies''Atom''Fear Of Drowning''Remember Me''Canvey Island''Down On The Ground''Leaving Here''Blackout''Waving Flags''The Great Skua''Please Stand Up''Favours In The Beetroot Fields''The Spirit of St Louis''A Trip Out''No Lucifer''True Adventures''Carrion''Rock In A'

One last bad thing: having to queue for 20 minutes to get out, up some tight stairs and tunnel. It makes you nervous if you had to get out quickly, sort it out koko please.

British Sea Power
Amersham Arms
New Cross
Nov 21st 2007

>

Bugger the footy I'm off out to watch SEEEEAAAA POOOWWEER at the end of my road, how cool is that, literally just round the corner.

I haven't been to the Amersham since it's been relaunched, it hasn't changed much. The gig was supposed to be secret but in this age of the t'web, it was a bit of an open secret and was sold out. Inside the crowd slowly swelled, the usual mixed of Deptford diehards, the younger college crowd and BSP fans from farther a field, one chap seemingly from the States, oh and the obligatory duo of Japanese female fans (there’s at least 2 at every gig FACT).

I missed the first support act but caught French duo John & Jehn, who were intriguing, starting off with guitar and organ. A striking sexy pair, he tall and gaunt, she chic and cute (is there a law that say’s all French female pop singers are gorgeous? No just centuries institutional systemic Sexism Feminist Ed!) They play drum machine driven Velvet tinged pop rock, with added yelps. Jehn then moved onto bass , cue more driving rhythms, more yelps, bops and screams and a really good song called “sister” (?).

>

Next in short order come T’ Power, what to say, this is where I start to admire music journos, because I like the band so much and had such a good time I won’t make much sense. Here goes:

it takes a while to warm up the crowd, the (on record) storming new song “Atom” not fully taking flight. Quickly though everything comes together, new and old songs meld together, there’s storming version “Carrion” and a personal fave “Larson B” (the only song ever about an iceberg?).

The band bring their striking stage craft, Yan and Hamilton aloofly avoiding the mire of the mosh pit, contrasted with onstage interventions by Jack Black look a like Phil their screeching cornet player and guitarist Noble being carried shoulder high through the crowd. The whole show ended with a riotous rendition of “Spirit of St Louis”.

One of the best gigs of the year.

>

Oh and I got home and got those curtains closed and the big light on in under 5 mins bliss, now are there and bourbons left…..

>

Yan – vocals/guitar.

Noble – guitar.

Hamilton – bass/vocals.

Wood – drums

a rainy night in Soho....

Edwyn Collins and friends:

the Arts theatre 19 th Nov

Dodging the puddles and the spray from surging taxis, we splashed our way towards the Arts theatre, the pavements brightly reflecting the west end lights. My friend L was trapped in Wales so a friendly German Subway Sect fan took my spare ticket. The bar filled with slightly grizzled couples in their 40's, leather jackets with hoodies beneath, sequined berets and quiffs, late comers at the back would've been dazzled by all the bald pates and the swamped bar quickly sold out of Guinness.

I was curiously nervous about the gig having looked forward to it for so long. I was worried it would be mawkish, the musical equivalent of hospital visiting. The support Vic Goddard thrashed and shouted his way through his set, throwing away his hit before most people had settled into their seats, a dapper high waisted chap in a suit with pen in his pocket.

After the break (during which a first at a gig the queue for the men's was longer then the ladies), the lights went down and a curious bunch ambled on stage, dapper to a man, Roddy Frame sharp looking and friendly , some younger guys (one alarmingly Eddy Grundy like) backed by a marvelously waistcoated drummer (did anyone catch his name?),

Then after a short wait and an introduction, the main man. Helped along by his roadie Edwyn eased on to stage and his seat at a lectern, the crowd on their feet cheering and clapping.
What followed was marvelous; the most telling thing was that it was great gig regardless of all that has happened to Edwyn in the last 3 years. I knew this because for long periods I was taken away totally by the music with no thoughts but the playing and singing.

It helps that Edwyn has a brilliant pool of work to draw on, any gig that starts with "falling and laughing" is never going to be shabby.

This morning on start the week the famous psychiatrist Dr Anthony Sachs was telling of the restorative nature of music on the damage mind. This was clearly the case with Edwyn, who stumbled over simple words in his between song banter , but was transported by particular his older songs. The odd high note may have not been there but richness of his baritone shone through particularly when he sang just accompanied by Roddy Frame.

It's strange when we live in a world were you don't hear or see what you like for large parts of the time, to go to a concert we you can sing every song is just bliss. There was one of his new songs which faltered a little and the sound could have been a tad sharper but considering this gig could well have never happened, nothing worth dwelling on.

If I had to choose a highlight it would be a close run thing between "rip it up and start again" and the finale of "Blue Boy". After which Edwyn carefully stood up and left aided by his old (and selfless) mate Roddy, the rest of us on our feet whooping and cheering . A perfect gig.

One marvelous bonus in an already great evening was meeting up with the delightful Ms Woo and her long lost friend. We retired to the mirrored cosiness of the Salisbury and as they say on test match special, drinks were taken.

concert pics

Excellent pictures from the National concert the other day, very nicely done b/w.

Squalid Victorians

The National: Shepherd Bush Empire 8th Nov 2007
To west London (relax I’ve had my jabs) to a concert. I’m going to commit the crime we all accuse the rock press of doing, in that I had no clue what the National were like until they first struck up. It might seem odd but my friend A invited me along and I hadn’t been to gig in a while, so I went along. And boy am I glad I did. (To continue the clueless theme I haven’t looked up anything for this review so it will be short on song titles etc.)

We got to the venue late and saw only a bit of the support act Broken Family band who were good but didn’t really engage. One clue guys if you want to win crowd over maybe the bass player should stand up and look a bit more interested! Just an idea!

Bass how low can you go?

After the usual wait The National ambled on. I’d heard from A that the lead singer had a deep voice and was expected something like Stuart Staples from the Tindersticks but he sings slightly higher and is less pub singery. That being said he was quiet a character, a tall fair type who had a lot of Forrest Gump about him with strange stiff arms sort of like autistic kid at an air show. But for all this shyness and stiff clapping he could sing and move with the crowd impressively. I’ll need to hear the lp to get the lyrics clearly but at one point he seemed to be shouting “squalid Victorian” repeatedly, along with tales of having painted finger nails, astronauts and waiting for "the English" to arrive. The vocals went from light crooning to cathartic screaming it was truly impressive, he seemed to just let go.

"Now do some pointing.. "
The singing was backed by an excellent band, anchored by a tight rhythm section. Next was your standard looking but excellent sounding American indie guitarists and last but not least a keyboard/viola player. The later had the air of an adult Ed pottery teacher, but played his fiddle closer to John Cale than the devil came to Georgia, which was very good. Sadly he’d taken keyboard lessons from School of Rock jerking about as if his synth was badly earthed. The National's music was the whole post Joy Division, Elbow, Doves loud quiet raga thing and was stunning. I was really impressed. They must be doing something right as there wasn’t the annoying hubbub at the bar and even the morons texting and chatting in the crowd were reduced. So in conclusion the National are great and I must go and listen to their album now!

Here’s a idea for their next album cover a top café just of the Bush.