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.