New To Q Tour - Relentless Garage, 18/05/2010

I had organised to meet an old friend for a catch up when I won these. We both like our music and it's hard  to turn down a free gig. Having recently subscribed to Q magazine I won tickets to the gig, I had heard of the bands in tonight's line up, made up of Detroit Social Club, Tiffany Page and Goldhawks.

We had a meal down the road before rocking up to the venue just before Goldhawks came on. They were allright, energetic, quite nice rocky songs, they gave as good as they got and did well. I wasn't particularly interested though, I am not sure what they will achieve, it may depend on the public's current flavour. Indie-light of sorts, expect them to follow a few bands as support on a few tours or see them on some of the summer's smaller stages but I can't see them going beyond that.

After a trip to the bar for a beer, the sultry Tiffany Page wonders on, she's all gravelly voiced and short black dress. She strums her guitar and sings and makes many a young man's dreams. She's supported the new look Hole which doesnt surprise me, she's going for a grungy sound but has a look of the pretty little girl about her. Her songs arre good enough, I can see her making a few radio playlists, and producing a hit of two. She seems like a nice girl with a good voice.

Finally Detroit Social Club, a band I've read about but don't know take the stage. A georgie six-piece, they fill the Garage's small stage. Their sound seems to comprise of the more trippy and psychdelic of Kasabian's output, long numbers with lengthy instrumentals. The singer doesnt always seem to know what to do with himself during these moments air-drumming and walking around the stage aimlessly.
My friend and I got bored, both lagging and tired and feeling the midweek beers, we took our leave a couple of songs in. It feels easier to leave a free gig  then one you've paid for. I wasn't hugely taken by the night's band, but I will keep an ear out to see if they are worth further investigation.

Born Ruffians @ Old Blue Last, 11/05/2010

I was supposed to see Born Ruffians a few years ago at the Hoxton Bar Kitchen but had another engagement come up that evening so missed out. When I read they were coming over again I thought, that's for me!

I had a couple of tickets but left it late in finding someone to come along so couldn't sell the extra one. I got there early and as they weren't taking returns I hung out outside waiting for touts and other loiterers. None came, it was conspicuously quiet, particularly, I thought for a small sold out gig.

I was joined out front by Steve, another solo traveller, however it was his birthday and his friend had let him down late on. unlike me he wasn't brassic and looking to recoup the ticket price and a few coins to get through the week. He'd bought his two on ebay for less than half the price of one ticket. I was giving up hope of scalping it when as I bought a pint to take in, someone asked if I had a spare and I got a tenner for it.

Due to my salesman-like activities I missed the support, I don't recall their names but people said they were good. I scooched upstairs and took a spot in front of the stage, the band appear on-stage and tune up themselves. Its nice and small in the OBL, it was my first trip there. Some friends of mine had a club night there a few years ago but I never made it down.

Looking around the club it didn't look sold out, it was pretty spacious, I can imagine that place jam packed and heaving, sweat dripping off the ceiling, full on kick ass night, tonight wasn't as adventurous. It was another one of those gigs when the crowd bop their heads merrily along, you want someone to kick it but they don't. Born Ruffians are an affable band, a nice mix of jaunt rock with a slight twang and in Luke LaLonde have one of the best yodels in the business.

The set is a nice mix of their first album "Red, Yellow and Blue" and tracks from the upcoming "Say It". They open with newbie "Oh Man" and follow it swiftly with old favourite "Barnacle Goose". The band play their  songs well, and there's a real sense of the music being enjoyed by both the band and the audience. Steve who had disappeared out for a cigarette reappears with a pint for me but instead of enjoying the music spends his time trying to chat up some of the girls in the audience, he had been convinced he'd find his future wife. He leaves me to find a girl I presume and I am thankful for his having left me.


The music continues with the set focusing on new songs "What To Say" and "Sole Brother" but here are big cheers for the oldies "Hedonistic Me" and "Hummingbird" in particular. The set ends with the excellent "Foxes Mate For Life". An encore never materialises as the minute they finish the DJ strikes up and the crowd dash out of the door and the band no longer have an audience for an encore. I can't decide which is most idiotic, the DJ for trying to sell us his wares and not checking what the last song would be or the crowd for not thinking there might be an encore.

I clamber onto the stage and steal a set list, "I Need A Life" would have been the encore. I chat to drummer Steven Hamelin who says they had thought of putting it in the main set but they thought they'd get an encore.
I listen to "I Need A Life" several times on the way home in some sort of effort to make up for not having heard it live, people have more patience, good things come to those who wait. DJs easy on the trigger finger, do not "just push play".

Darwin Deez @ The Black Heart 13/04/10

I got tickets for this gig when I started hearing "Radar Detector" on a regular basis on the radio. A catchy tune of pure pop brilliance I wanted more. Darwin Deez played a gig at a library while I was away but was able to get to this album launch.

The Allotment Club is a small club night offering live bands and free cake, its hard to refuse the draw of either. A few support bands filled the early evening as the crowd began to swell.

One by one the band squeezed through the crowd top stand at the front of the room waiting for Darwin. He eventually appeared, re-pleat in his tour sweater.

I had heard that about Darwin's live performance, and he himself is a funny guy, his appearance on Lauren Laverne's show the day before was something special; when told this year's theme for Bestival is fantasy he replied "like Cindy Crawford?".

They played a number of songs of their debut album which is out now, kicking off with "Hot Nights" and "Up In The Clouds". I say they, as Darwin Deez is the frontman, singer, guitarist but he is joined by Michelle on the bass, Cole on the guitar and Greg on drums. The songs sound great live and get you bopping, they play "Constellations" and the nicely vindictive "Bad Day". In between certain songs, like every two or so, he plays a sound clip or a bit of a song anything from Genesis (I think) to Beyonce's Single Ladies and the band huddle at the front and bust out choreographed dance moves, there are loads of examples on youtube, and a few from the night itself.

Having listened to the album itself since the sound is augmented by my knowledge of their live act including the dancing,but this is really someone you should catch live and before they end up in too big a venue so that they cant engage the crowd too. Oh yes the crowd are split for one of the dance routines and tasked with following one of the band members through one particular song. Towards the end they jumped into the crowd and dance around before ending the set with "Radar Detector".

That wasn't it, though it was for me, a very early morning wake up call meant i headed for the door immediately only to later find out they had done an encore. Dammit Janet indeed, though I got the bulk of the goodness in a small venue, check 'em out as soon as you can before the intimacy is all gone.

AFI @ Brixton Academy 06/04/2010

It took a while to decide whether to go,  AFI are a bit of a guilty pleasure, you think you should be listening to The Misfits or something a bit more ghoulish, AFI are all silly lyrics and manscara but music never had to be serious to be good. AFI are a band with big choruses, singalongs galore into your imaginary mic in front of an also imaginary big crowd, raise a hand, lean back and lets the euphoria wash through you.

Tonight is also Arsenal's return game at Barcelona and the second day of a radio internship requiring 04.30 wake ups, I'm wondering how I will last and what state I might be in tomorrow.

I meet my wing man Pete outside, toniight's not sold out so there is free movement between up and down stairs. It's got to be a bit embarrassing for a band not to sell out Brixton Academy, AFI are pretty big and have been around for years; you can tell from the fans, it's not full of young'uns its mid 20s, old skool fans, a fair number walk in early like us to check out Sick Of It All.

Sick Of It All are pretty self explanatory hard core punk, the good old skool kind. The band epitomise the punk that came through the late 80s and early 90s. It's no nonsense, its raise a fist in the air, salute with a bird and hit the pit. Guitarist Pete Koller uses one guitar all night, likewise bass player Craig Setari. Drummer Armand Majidi sits low behind his kit and beats a primal rythm. I must talk further about Pete Koller who has the look of a bodybuilder, all huge arms and shoulders topped by a bandana and bleached mohawk he runs endlessly from one side of the stage to another dancing, riffing, skanking and jumping.

The crowd take a while to warm to SOIA some of us know them and appreciate it others are being thrashed for the first time. I only know a few choice tracks off Punk-o-Rama and Warped Tour compilations. They play like they mean it and slowly get the crowd going, they are seasoned pros, they know how to raise a crowd and keep on at their task, this is what punk's about, you play cos you mean it and you don't care if people like it or not.

A little while later it's time for AFI, they have extra little stages at the front of the stage, Pete wonders why they are bothering with the extras when its not sold out, if you play for a living, you need to go all out every day. Frontman Davey Havok runs out and grabs the mic and rips straight into Crash Love's "Medicate". Those of us here for the older numbers are sated soon after as they roccki into "Girls Not Grey".

This is my first time seeing AFI and I had no idea about Havok's flamboyance he acts out the words, throws shapes, flicks hiw wrist, poses and pull shapes. Likewise guitarist Jade Puget pulls little tricks when playing, little poses,  the three of them, run around and pose one foot up using the little platforms at the front of the stage.

It's a good set mixed accross the last four albums curtousy of a "Days Of The Phoenix" thrown in the encore. The stage show and energy make it a grey performance, "Beautiful Thieves" in particular includes a throw your hands up chorus. They have an impressive set of stage lights which dazzle and impress in equal measure.

For a guilty pleasure they are a satisfying one.

Patti Smith @ Union Chapel 21/03/2010

Patti Smith is, by all accounts a grand old dame of rock. She is a priestess of punk, the lady had done it her way all these years and can still draw a crowd to a beautiful church to hear her read a few passages from her new book “Just Kids” and to sing a few songs in a stripped back setting.

This is my first time at the Union Chapel and it is every bit as magical as one might expect, a working church it quite regularly plays host to gigs including Mencap's Little Noise Sessions concert series every November. This is also my first time seeing Patti Smith, I am somewhat of a late comer to her music, I had heard of her and done some investigating when she curated the Meltdown Festival in 2004 and since then listened with an eager ear to Land her best of.

I hadn't read the small print when buying the tickets, I had just seen the Patti Smith and paid my money. Now I am wondering just what she might serve up on this “An Evening of Words and Music with Patti Smith and Tony Shanahan ”.

I bumped into my friend Ronke on the way in and sit with her and Zuki and Elisa on the balcony. There's no support, she just strolls on stage with a black beanie, long black coat and brown boots. She says hi and rambles a little about tonight, she talks off the upcoming costume change for the night, asks people to put money in the tin at the back to help repair the roof “they were repairing the roof when I last played here 10 years ago” she proclaims before pausing and nodding. She introduces Tony Shanahan who is roadie, accompanist, road manager and all round help.

She puts on her reading glasses and begins by reading the opening pages of “Just Kids” the story of her time in New York in the late 60s and early 70s with the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe . Its an enthralling story of growing up and making your own way and finding a true friend with which you spend every moment. She stumbles on some of the words and says this is the bit she'd prepared most, you can see she has marked out a few passages with torn pieces of paper as bookmarks. There is no pretension, she makes no bones about messing up, later on she forgets some of the words to “People Have The Power” it doesn't matter we laugh, she smiles she nods she waves at us to fill in and she remembers the next line and is able to take over again.

After a few words, the costume change, she takes off her hat and coat and dumps them at the back of the stage. After the first passage she sings a couple of songs “My Blakean Year” and "Greateful" before reading another passage. She also apologises for wearing black trousers and brown boots, something she was told not to do when learning to look presentable at school. Ahead of the next song she introduces Patrick Wolf and Seb Rochford of Acoustic Ladyland as back up violinist and drummer. They are an interesting looking couple of guys. They play “Redondo Beach” which gets the first big cheer of the night. Patti sings and shimmies.

She reads another passage before singing “Wing”. Then she tells us of the time Allen Ginsberg spotted her the extra dime for a sandwich in a cafeteria before later realising she was a girl and not the good looking boy he had hoped to be helping out.

She tells the story very matter of factly as if that was life in late 60s New York, which in some cases, it really was.

The songs tonight seem to have been chosen with specific thoughts in mind, she sings “Dancing Barefoot” and it really is beautiful. There's a few other songs, which include My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields on backing guitar, namely "Wild Leaves", "Birdland" and "Beneath The Southern Cross".

Finally she reads a passage about when “Because The Night” came out, about how she and Robert were walking down the street and her song was playing everywhere and Robert turned to her and said “Patti, you got famous before me”. I had not thought she'd play that song, surely its the one she is bored of, but she does play it and it feels quite special to hear her sing it now, here, in this church. It can be weird to be at a gig and see everyone sat down correctly in their seats, or pews as is the case tonight. But it seemed apt for a night of readings and almost acoustic numbers. During “Because The Night” she motions to the crowd, this is the time to stand and they do, people flock to the stage and crowd in to be close to the main lady.

She walks off before walking back on soon after, she talks about her late husband Fred Smith and her children before singing two songs she wrote with Smithabout them “Jackson Song” and “People Have The Power”.

It was a wonderful concert, when an artists invites you to get to know them and speaks to you on an even keel you feel more involved with the performance. On stage Patti Smith is self deprecating, she puts on a funny voice and says “Patti Smith seems somewhat distracted throughout the night, punctuated by some energetic performances, if flawed and atonal” as if reviewing herself. She made no bones about not being perfect but we didn't mind, she was sharing herself with us and singing songs we didn't expect her to, there can be no complaints.

Avett Brothers @ Relentless Garage 16/03/2020

I haven't been here in awhile not since seeing The Drips in 2006. It's been revamped and re-branded, at the Relentless Garage,  you can't buy Red Bull.

Avett brothers is pronounced A-vet, I've been pronouncing it 'av-it like let's 'av it, and the crowd tonight want it, they woop and cheer and whistle and bop and hop and some wafted away the darts that float through the crowd. They stop short however of delirium and woe betide the greasy haired hoarse throated dude who arrives in the midst two songs in, he sings and raises his cup of beer and jumps around, and the quieter older crowd don't like him. People around him move, he spills beer on a lady and gets told off, "chill" he retorts. I'm split, I criticised the crowd at Yeasayer for being boring but this is different and he's pissing me off too. Every song is met with a yelp of "I love this song" and "this is sooo good" before hugging his calmer more rational friend who tries to get him to calm down and has to pull him away from others. An older guy in front of him tells him off and so greasy dude sings loudly in his ear, which goes down a storm, eventually he moves sideways and at some point he stops, he has a come down and just stands there looking morose. I dont quite understand this guy, the crowd are all up for this gig, this is the second time they have played in London and is a bit special, it's sold out and though the performance is energetic most are happy to just soak it up. Greasy dude appreciates it more than most, or perhaps he is pretty drunk or has taken something, the way he suddenly stops. But he could have gone mad somewhere else in the audience? Double standards? I'm not sure.


Enough of him though, back to the music, this should be in a barn, sawdust and spit and loads of booze, it's fun, it's sincere, it's heartfelt. Put 'em on at Glastonbury late one night in a tent or the band stand and people will go berserk, or in the acoustic stage maybe.
They play a range of songs from across their eleven albums during a long set, 19 initial songs followed by a two song encore.  They don't play my faves, notable "Kick Drum Heart" and "January Wedding" but I'll forgive them as the whole package itself was beautiful.

Lead duo Scott and Seth Avett, hence the name swap roles playing guitar, drums, piano and banjo as well as sharing singing rolls. The band is completed by bassist Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon. Joe looks like a hicks Yo-Yo Ma, he has long hair and a big tache and he closes his eyes as he draws out the saddest notes. His cello seems suspended in the air perhaps it is on a harness, he plays like a rock star and  smacks his bow on the strings with such vigour the hairs flail around which he duly rips off from time to time. I imagine he restrings his bow before gigs like a guitarist would.


They open with "I And Love And You" song "And It Spread" before playing a fair few I didn't recognise, I have only listened to four or five of their albums, but enjoyed none the less. It was one of those great concerts where both the band and the audience are up for it and even though a portion of the audience might not know some of the songs, they all enjoy and appreciate it. You couldn't want more from the band, the softer ballads are sung with sincerity and belief and there is a particularly beautiful rendition of "The Ballad Of Love And Hate" sung by Seth Avett on his own with just his acoustic guitar for company. I hadn't heard it before but the way he sings it and the song itself are beautiful and draw a raptured crowd for its duration. They finish the main set with "I And Love And You" via a rocking "Slight Figure Of Speech" and great renditions of "Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise" and "Salina".

Scott Avett particularly gets the crowd, and the girls, going, clean cut and good looking he sings with vigour and throws in observational lines about being in London and having a good time. It's personal and great to have such a link with the band. 

You couldn't want more from the band, I urge readers to check them out and be serenaded.When I say "Let's" you say "Avett"....

Hot Chip @ Brixton Academy 27/02/2010

If you're going to go to three gigs in a week, you'd better end on a high. See a band currently playing around the country to rave reviews and bringing a party. Why not see them at a late night gig, band on at 23.30? Yes please.


I must admit to being a bit worried I'd conk out by the time Hot Chip appeared. An extra work shift with an early wake up call negated the possibility of getting some ZZZs to prep. A swift Red Bull beforehand buzzed it up a little.

After the assholic Jamie T fans the Hot Chip ones were an array of cool kids, rave agents, indie dancers and all sorts who like to get down and don't care what the knob twiddlers look like. Alot is made of Hot Chip's look, and yes they look geeky, particularly de facto frontman Alexis Taylor, but who cares, when the music is fun and makes you move about a bit with a large smile, the face shouldn't matter.

I was pretty excited about this gig, I bought tickets off the back of the knowledge that, at the time, a new album was imminent AND a great set at Glastonbury in 2008, a personal highlight of which was Wiley coming on for a party fuelled "Wearing My Rolex".


Late night gigs can be weird, a mix of rave, it usually seems to dance acts playing, and live set, an audience who turn up after coming out of the pub at closing, a little tanked up or perhaps flavoured on a purple pill or white dust. You get a mix of people who usually go to live shows and want to stand by the bar and nod and those who have come to throw their hands up and shake 'em from side to side. The timings too, can confuse, tonight there is a support act before and after the main act with DJs covering the in-betweens. We miss Zongamin the initial support act and come in to see a DJ playing on a small corner of the stage. The stage time was 23.00 but its a good half hour after until they wonder and take positions behind decks of synths.
I follow Hot Chip on twitter and through the slow flow of tweets on the latest status of their current tour and how the night went the excitement has built. They mention playing with the setlist, which is confirmed by those available online, they have been opening with "Boy From School" but tonight it's "Hand Me Down Your Love" or so I think, I can't confirm it as my memory has faded and no one seems to have published a set list.


Despite not knowing which songs were played in which order I do know that it was a mix of the last three albums, only two made it from "The Warning" "Over and Over" which is big tonight, really massive and finally gets the crowd going like they should be and "Boy From School" which tonight has a new arrangement making it almost unrecognisable at first. One of the problems with the tonight's set list is "One Life Stand"'s slower songs, it seems every time the beat gathers pace and the crowd start to move the more upbeat song is followed by a slower one "Alley Cats" or "Brothers". While the crowd sway, bop and shake to "One Life Stand", "Hold On" and my One Life Stand Favourite "We Have Love".


The Brixton soundsystem is an odd one, it can be hard to find a good spot for the sound to be just right and at times I think the system let Hot Chip down and prevented them blowing the roof off. There are many thank yous, bassist Owen Clarke, dressed in a suit, dances like a dad at a wedding, Alexis Taylor does his timid shimmy and bop and Al Doyle seems to run the stage set up. Live drums as provided by Grosvenor enchance the beat.

There's a pause after the "Thank you and good night" as they appear once again. The set ends with "Ready For The Floor", their mega smash hit that is possibly not their greatest song. Nonetheless Alexis gives a little "Do it do it do it do it now..." and we know what's coming. Two confetti canons lets rip and we are showered amongst the flashing lights by paper scraps twirling through the air. The crowd let loose lose it as you feel they might have had the set as a whole been more up tempo. I think I was expecting more from a late night gig, sure the songs sounded great the arrangements gave new meaning to many of the songs but it could have done with a little more debauchery.

Many depart post haste into the cold February night, we stick around for a little bit of Simian Mobile Disco, two men run around an array of buttons and switches on a stage set of lights akin to Darth Vader's pod. Its freaky, the bass is massive and maybe this is what the 'Chip could have given us.
I want a little delirium, it's not a drug, just a good time.

Mastodon @ Roundhouse 24/02/2010

Last night was Yeasayer, all poppy electro with vocal harmonies, tonight its a juggernaut of chugging riffs and shredded guitar solos. Intensity is a description of a situation which pushes the envelope somewhat. Mastodon for all their hair and brawn are a melodic band, with intricate rhythms. They are large hairy men with an air of hick about them, guitarist Bill Kelliher even rocks a mohawk mullet. They are joined on stage by a keyboardist who looks a little like a Mexican bandit with a shaved head and handle bar tache.

Bassist and singer Troy Sanders is shamanic in his delivery baying lines into his mic while plucking a pulsing beat anchoring Brent Hinds's playing. I enjoy Mastodon's music, I like the fact that they have pushed the boundaries in metal in terms of their subject matter and sound. I don't know them well enough to sing along but I do recognise a number of their songs, I had read about them being a band to be experienced live and I wasn't disappointed.

It was loud and I wore earplugs, again the crowd were a little off, standing stock still at a lively gig. The heavy rock gets to some though, a guy in front of me takes unkindly to being pushed when others are making their way through the crowd and shoves back. He takes exception to one guy who starts a bit of a pit with another and grabs him around the chops for barging around. There some handbags before others intervene and they glare at each other amongst the cacophony.

The band come on with this incredible screen as a backdrop. Initially it's stars flying around a dark screen, then it turns into a mixture of black and white and sepia film clips of an old bearded man looking like a monk walking around, a reference no doubt to Rasputin, about whom part of new album “Crack The Skye” is about. The visuals continue in a kaleidoscopic melange of monotone images with pale colours and samples of their album artwork. Like at Yeasayer it is hypnotic, a number of times I sit back and just tune into the music and watch the visuals tuning in to Hind's solos.

I saw The Mars Volta in the summer at Somerset House, they came on at half eight and played for two hours, it was amazing, the band came on, played their hearts out, and walked off. Mastodon don't play as long, and hour and a quarter or so but they walk on get straight into it and play hard. They play “Crack The Skye” in its entirety before leaving the stage momentarily, and returning for an encore which touches on their previous albums with songs from “Blood Mountain”, “Leviathan” and “Remission”. They deliver great renditions of “Divinations” and “The Last Baron” in the initial set and finish on an epic “March of The Fire Ants”.
Its only at the end that the band finally speak to the loving audience, “Thank you so fucking much”, they are highly appreciative and the crowd are loving in return.

Yeasayer @ Heaven 23/02/2010

Another 3 gig week, I'm still tired from the start of the month and looking forward to March. Not till the end of the week though.

Yea, say yeah! Mastodon and hot shit Hot Chip preclude the rest.

I've wanted to get a load of the Yeasayer live show since having a listen to the first album and here we are, in Heaven, where else?

We get in early to check out Javelin, Richey, tonight’s co-pilot has given them an ear on the hype. Javelin are a gas, two guys clothed a la “American Apparel” synth and bass the hell out of the soundsystem.  All the while they've got a video show going on, it’s all clips of training and how to videos from the 80s. A mulleted Andre Agassi hitting balls around and about, some chick showing you how to break dance, a learning video for scuba diving, jumping cetaceans at Sea World somewhere, interspersed with bright colours.

I meet drummer, George Langford after, he says the video is a shorter version of a longer original. I stand there listening my voicebox vibrating from the bass mesmerized by the short clips.

They got beats and cred, they sell their mix cds in card cases made from other peoples 12 inch covers,  they also sell download codes for their as yet unreleased new album. Its DIY Y2K1000, they are the new beat poets, they probably hang in the new dens wherever will be cool next year, to add to the cred singer Tom Van Buskirk spent seven months at Goldsmith’s.

Yeasayer take their good time but they appear, guitarist Anand Wilder and Chris Keating are both in all in ones, though Anand’s is all colours like he has been on a paint job with a look of a dishevelled Jamie Cullum.  Bassist Ira Wolf Tuton used to be all long curls and facial hair but now sports a short Mohican and has something of the Kurgan about him, he wields his bass like the mighty warrior’s sword and fingers a grooving a bass line.

They start with Odd Blood openers “The Children” and “Madder Red”.  No video backdrop here just a background of lights with the synth stands also light boxes. It’s something of a dream sequence, at times I feel somewhere just below waking.  At one point I phase out during a song, I am not sure which one but when I come to I have no idea how long I have been out, it might have been hours, days, years, it’s more like 3 minutes but when I come back up the groove gets on.

The crowd oddify things further tonight, its a great mix like at Rammstein, older folk, young über cool angular hair cut kids, middle aged types, its all very middle class of course and despite grooves of the second half of a set featuring “O.N.E.”, “Rome” and “Mondegreen” people seldom move instead standing straight faced and serious looking. O.N.E. gets some minor bopping, I feel alone dancing along and try to reduce my swaying to a minimum less I disturb the boring ones.

The lights, the vocal harmonies; Keating, Wilder and Tuton all chip in vocally and mix it up, particularly on the set closing “2080”, mixed with the backing flashing lights, its all beautiful, the soungs and moulded for the live show, pulled, Wilder shows off his musicianship on the Rickenbacker. Chris Keating is a funny frontman, something of Thom Yorke’s wild cat dancing and staccato moves. His one piece is navy and looks like it might be on the small side, he smiles and sips tea from a white mug between songs. 

They walk off after a great “Ambling Alp” but I am steadfast until I hear “Sunrise” and “2080” from All Hours Cymbals. The expected encore comes after the audience stamp their feet, the most some have moved all night. Both are extrapolated beautifully live, particularly the mixed vocal on “2080”.

Songs and encores all wrapped up, it’s a slow journey out, home and onto Mastodon.

Jamie T. @ Brixton Academy 05/02/10

After last night's big show and great mixed audience tonight is a different set up. Brixton plays host to a delayed Jamie T gig. I hadn't thought about what the fans might be like but it's a lads night, lots of young men in Topman attire, Hackett polos, collars turned up, checked shirts all round. Some even smoke during the gig, as if their beer swilling loutish behaviour isn't enough, they are smoking in doors.

Funny how something which a few years ago seemed completely normal is now shocking. I must be coming over all prudish here, perhaps I was a little tired, but after a gig at which I expected a boisterous crowd and was pleasantly surprised to not be carried around tonight seems a little excessive. A case in point is the prick behind me, after a hail of beer is thrown over, he decides to wipe his hands on my coat, I can feel someone touching me and turn to see some bloke wiping his hands on me. His mate laughs heartily.

That's not to take away from the performance. Jamie T eventually appears to great applause and starts with “Emily's Heart” almost as if getting one of the weaker songs out of the way. Third song in “Salvador” really kicks things up, the crowd roar along. The song is a lot faster live than on the album, it sneers and pumps you up. “You up for a night out?” he asks. Yes we are, some more than others. Three gigs in a week and it kicks up on the third.

Jamie is clearly having fun on stage, perhaps it's the privilege of playing at Brixton Academy or perhaps it is finally being able to play gigs postponed due to illness. It is my first time seeing him, perhaps he is always this energetic. If so, great, a lot of bands appear on stage sing, nod, mumble some thanks and go off in the night, I like my bands to give me something on stage. Jamie T runs around, he jumps up onto the speaker stack, during the encore he jumps off and rolls across the stage still singing all the while. His back up band the Pacemakers are tight and really keep the songs going all funky base and crisp chords.

The set is a mix of old songs, pre-Panic Prevention, including "Northern Line" and newer ones from Kings and Queens. He starts singing “Sheila” and is unhappy with the audience's response so starts again. He ends the first set with “If You've Got The Money”. All songs are sung with joy and a cheeky grin.

He finishes with “Sticks and Stones” it is amazing live, the audience go ballistic, there are flailing limbs down at the front. It was a good gig, and, to quote an older member of the audience, “He's good but I don't like his fans much”. I agree.

Rammstein @ Wembley Arena 04/02/10

A sign by the entrance to the arena reads “Please be aware that the following special effects may be in use during the performance:

• 
  
  Strobe Lighting
• 
  
  Pyrotechnics
• 
  
  Loud Bangs
• 
  
  Smoke Effects
• 
  
  Flame Effects”

This was not a gig for those of faint disposition. This was a gig which came with much anticipation, Rammstein's first UK dates for 5 years, I bought my ticket off the reputation of previous live shows featuring flame throwing guitars and front man Till Lindemann setting himself alight and jumping into the audience.

There's a lovely build up when going to a gig at Wembley, the distance from the train station to the venue, in its almost industrial estate bleakness gears you up for what lays ahead. I laughed crossing the piazza thing outside the arena, they were playing Tears for Fears' “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”. Indeed.

Once inside I can hear Combichrist's dire cacophony from outside the arena itself, I don't go in, a look at their website somewhat put me off.

Pint secured and snaking men's queue battled I wander in and take a spot, 15 minutes says the tannoy, ooh yeah. There's that great feeling of hope when a stage is cloaked in a black shroud. When you can see baby dolls feet hanging from the lighting rig. There is a pretty mixed crowd, whole families on outings, dads and their teenage sons, the two white haired men behind me who jump around and point, the leather clad Pole who pumps his fist like Kriss Akabusi and cloaks me once in the jaw with his pointy elbow and the headbanging meathead in front with the “Made in England” tattoo and the two young men who thrash around and shake as if possessed by demons eyes rolling in their sockets.

Lights go out, a roar erupts, nothing happens then something starts breaking through a wall, light pours through the hole, guitarist Richard Kruspe pick axes his way through a wall before swapping the pick for his guitar. Singer Till welds his way through, crash bang wallop, we're off. He stands at his mic a light emanating from his mouth.

During the gig he stalks the stage like a demon headmaster with a look of torturer about him, something about him reminds me of a feared maths teachers of mine from when I was 12, he commands the audience with a flick of the wrist. He stares demon-eyed, he sings, he chants, he roars and we adore. None of them would look far out of place in an S&M club, topless or leather clad with belt chains and boots.

The huge stage rig is all industrial bleakness, there's huge lights, fans, flashing crosses of their logo, lots of pyro, bangs and sparks, rockets. Its a vision of hell via cabaret. Rumours of a Haiti tribute gig are unconfirmed. I wonder if they might play Glastonbury at the same time as U2, out-noise and out-stage each other perhaps...

I'm not sure what the full set list was, truth is I only really started listening to them after buying the tickets, I'm here for the spectacle but I do enjoy the music, its big, operatic, loud and fun. They do play “Feuer Frei”, complete with flame throwers on their faces, “Du Hast” is a big sing-a-long with great pyro, “Ich Will” is evil sounding but magnificent. The babies I had seen earlier descend above the stage and have green lazers coming from their heads. A contraption appears on stage during “Pussy” and is unveiled as a phallic cannon which Till rides from one side of the stage to another as is showers the audience with foam. He thrusts his hips as he does so.

During one song, he has a flame throwing gun in one hand and a flare in the other, a hoodie clad young man appears on stage looking like an audience member, he gets set alight and runs around momentarily, it's set up but looks great, don't mess with the band or you'll get burnt. There's two encores, the second we are made to wait for more than the first but it is worth it. Till appears with large metal wings, they of course have flame throwers on the wing tips, and after sprouting large flames a number of small fireworks on them go off. It is all a lot of fun. Metal by way of cabaret.

Each piece is big, brash and stupendous. At times the smell of phosphorus is stronger than that of the sweat. You can feel the heat from the pyro flames.

During the first encore synthesiser Flake embarks on a trip above the audience in a blow up dingy, he is passed along on a sea of hands pointing the way he wants to go and miming rowing the boat, it's great. All bands should do this, and live music would go from strength to strength.

“We love this very much, thank you” the band look truly thankful to the audience, this is a shared experience. Someone throws a t-shirt on stage, Oliver Riedel, the bassist, who is topless puts it on, it's a Rammstein t-shirt. We are all in this together. The band members walk up onto the podiums on the side of the stage and cheer the crowd.

We may not have sung along, many did know all the words, but music is about feeling just as much as the meaning each song has. This was as much a show as a music concert, but when it is this fun, who cares.

Miike Sow @ Scala 02/02/2010

More tickets bought on the back of a few track listens and the hearing the album a bit. Anyway, NME Awards tour, usually throws up a few bits and pieces. I'm going to three gigs this week and this wasn't the one I was most looking forward to, that award goes to Rammstein on Thursday, pyro here I come!

Anyway, Animal, Burial, Sylvia, Black & Blue are all good songs,  the album is good as a whole and it was a great gig. We got there to see the second support act, the great Theophilus London, check out his myspace and blog. His one aim was to get the audience swaying which he did, his stage presence and moves were great and the booty shacking beats and bass of his music all worked to great effect. One song features a sample of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" a song he had always wanted to hear in clubs. This New York cat has style, never takes his sunglasses off and flirts with girls at the front of the crowd and moves around enough to interrupt his mic which keeps crackling. Theophilus has a touch of the Spank Rock about him, and man I wish they would do another album, bring on the ACTs! Theophilus is fun and should hopefully leave us with some good time party jams, he's doing some more shows in London so check out his blog, including on at Fabric this Friday which also features Spank Rock on the line-up...mystery, mystery, it's all mystery.


After Theophilus's energetic show Miike Snow eventually appear, with a full band, all in matching black jackets and white masks, amidst a lot of dry ice and swirling white and purple lights and it takes a little while for them to kick in, seemingly a little anti-climatic but after the opening song they go straight into "Burial" and follow it up with "Black and Blue". And the crowd love it, and are moving. There's alot to be said for a band that makes the live experience something to savour, the songs are built up live, throbbing baselines and big beats add to the original album's sound. Frontman Andrew Wyatt gets out into the front of the crowd and gives it everything.

On stage Miike Snow's three members are joined by a bassist, who sports an Amish looking hat, a drummer and an extra man on synths. The good but, for me, not extraordinary sound of the album is great live, I don't want to hammer the point but it was great. They ended their main set with "Animal" which really gets the crowd going. Again it is beefed up and the original is expanded, extended, brought out of its mould and turned into something bigger and better. We, the audience jump around and sing-a-long, as you should with such great pop and of course declare in unison, that we too are all animals.

Miike Snow live? Wicked man. An instrumental encore slightly dampens the mood, they are great musicians and sound great but it is a little anti-climatic after the beast that was "Animal". A gargantuan Scala cloakroom queue further dampens the mood but Miike Snow pleasantly surpassed all initial expectations and are in strong contention for my gig of the week.

One down, two to go. Did I mention I love live music?

Brand New @ Wembley Arena 23/01/2010

They don’t make line ups like they used to, arena shows are sometimes difference and this was a case in point. Brand New headlining a line up which included the mighty Glassjaw and Thrice.

I hadn’t originally been all that fussed about going, I caught Brand New at Reading where the fog rolling across the stage and the light wind blowing guitarist Vincent Accardi’s hair around created an appropriate atmosphere for Brand New’s extended melodic songs.

I rarely see support bands these days but I turned up early for tonight’s line up, Thrice were up first and pint in hand they were good, a couple of songs from “The Artist in the Ambulance” including the title track made for a good set. They seemed comfortable in the large setting but ended with a whiney number which I think was a mistake, they could have shaken the timbers with something a little harder. Sticks in the memory better that way.

Next up and hugely anticipated by some of the audience was Glassjaw. Daryl came on stage and took off his jacket and proceeded to jump around and scream for all his Crohn’s worth. Glassjaw are an amazing unit and for me their music remains vital, we are approaching eight years since “Worship and Tribute” and the follow up is almost too late the wait and hype has gotten to a point where anything they produce might disappoint.
Beyond that it was great to see them again. The band all play in a line at the front of the stage with the drummer side on to the audience. Justin Beck is an amazing guitarist and while many of his contemporaries would probably through themselves around playing Glassjaw’s chugging riffs he simple stands on the spot and bops and sways to the rhythm in full control. A sweet set includes "Tip Your Bartender" and "Siberian Kiss". There's some footage from Saturday on youtube with snippets (heavily distorted sound) of "El Mark", "Ape Dos Mil" and "Siberian Kiss".

Finally the main act appeared, Brand New played a great set pulling songs from all four albums, with smiles all round for the songs from “Your Favorite Weapon” to the glum glee for “The Devil Ad God Are Raging Inside Me”. Its the 2006 lbum that is my favourite, from the slow intro of “Sowing Season (Yeah)” to the plaintiff “Degausser” and the buzz of the “The Archer's Bows Are Broken". New album “Daisy” also got an airing and blended in well. Its nice to see a band whose sound has changed so much over the course of their eight years still have a place for their songs across their set. There was no great stage events, no pyro, just simple lighting and a good set. I thought the crowd was a little subdued, many who were sitting remained in their seats, there was no pit, just happy fans having their “must play” lists all ticked off. again there's a bunch of footage on youtube, none of it particularly good, but worth a look if you're curious.

Mc Solaar @ The Jazz Cafe 08/01/2010

I went on a hunch, I saw it advertised in the e-flyer and thought that could be good and for £15 it was hard not to get a couple of tickets. I didn't know that much of his stuff but having been to a French school I know of his influence.

On the night I was reminded of my dislike of the Jazz Cafe, the venue is fine, its layout, one of its principal features is what irks me. You walk in and have to snake through and around a crowded bar area. Don't bother thinking about checking your coat or bag as the small cramped stairs which also lead to the toilets, through a succession of tunnels.
My other beef with the venue is that whenever I have been it has taken a while for the crowd to get going, I don't know if its the people I have seen or just the night's audience. The fact a portion of the audience are sat upstairs eating doesn't make for too raucous a crowd.

The show itself is pretty minimal and stripped back, just Solaar, a DJ, two MCs though one seems to be more of a hype man and a backing singer, the very French Linda.
The set is a mix of songs from his seven albums and includes, Solaar Pleure, Victime de la Mode and Qui Seme Le Vent Recolte Le Tempo for which the MCs try to get the audience to shout out the "tempo" during the chorus, something it takes the crowd a while to do.

I had hoped to hear La Vie Est Belle from 2003's Mach 6 album. This was his first London gig in 5 years and didn't seem sell out until the day. It definitely feels packed inside and the intimate venue helps create an atmosphere to go with the buzz of seeing such an artist up close. MC Solaar is old enough and experienced enough to not be all bravado and posturing on stage, someone could have told the hype man who poses in his sunglasses and throws in the odd line. Solaar himself takes the pose of a crooner, one hand holding the mic the other holding the mic stand. Linda adds something needed in a female voice and acting out some of the songs.

For someone who has been around as long as Solaar it is a surprise he hasn't picked up more English, the large French contingent allows him to get away with only talking to the crowd in French but it does alienate the non-francophones. Early on he tells the English in the audience to ask the French for translations of his quips, saying it in French means they don't understand and so address to the select few continues.

A seasoned performer he is but his set isn't as long as it could be for someone with seven studio albums, and his encore is well received but still leaves the crowd wanting more. A good gig all round though, a good end to the week and start to the weekend.