Live gigs - Who you've seen were they good, bad etc.

[Losing my hair]

Melt Yourself Down at Bedford Esquires last night - absolutely bloody amazing.

Spoke to Pete Wareham after the gig and they are "talking" with Glastonbury and hope to be there 🤞

[The Clearest Blue]

Saw Gang of Youths at O2 Academy in Bristol Wednesday night and they were bloody fantastic!

[anditmakesmesmile]

Saw Kae Tempest on Tuesday. Their 2017 West Holts performance definitely in my all-time top ten Glastonbury performances. New material is really good - album out in April. Surprised they’re not on the line up. I spoke with them after the gig, and annoyingly didn’t ask if they were playing Glastonbury this year 

[ClementsMike]

Saw The Coral at the Marble Factory in Bristol last night. Cool venue, and an awesome gig. I saw them in Bristol 20 years ago! They deserve all the success 🙂

[Tartan_Glasto]

Chvrches gig last night in Glasgow. I’ve seen them a few times live now but last night was their best yet. The evolution of their live show from when they first started to now is just incredible.

 

[benali]

On 3/7/2022 at 2:45 AM, MrZigster said:

Yeah I feel you. Arse end of Kent here.

Went to Tommy Emmanuel in London last Friday. Decided to make an evening of it and got there early to have a bit of a wander. Overwhelmed by feelings of, "I've really missed out on a certain type of life, being from where I'm from", with the busyness and, well, just so much stuff. Plus it's been a few years since a London visit. I get the same feeling with local bigger places such as Canterbury or Maidstone. Lived in Canterbury for a few years but was a worse than skint student at the time so couldn't really take advantage of it. And that thought brings me back to earth. City living? At those prices?

The train ticket was almost as much as the gig (fuck driving into London. Seriously? Plus I like a pint). Spent hours researching prices and times and best options etc. Waterloo East was a direct line and turns out a five minute walk to the gig if that (google maps was telling me over twice that) but the last train back was 22:46. A bit tight. HS1 to St Pancras was nine quid more but last train home is gone midnight and gets back home about the same time. Train changing involved though. Plus the price for the tubes. Lots of faffing about. Got to the station and the ticket seller informs me that the last train home from WE is at 22:30. That really is deffo too tight. So I pay the extra nine quid to be safe so if it finishes late I can get home (work the next day) but get the straight line to WE.

A great gig (here comes the review):

We basically got his YouTube greatest hits, an acceptable amount of new numbers, intimate chit chat about rehab (Didn't know that. He didn't strike me as the type to be honest, but as he said, "like so many people in my industry..."). Special guest from that story.

I didn't think it was possible to play Classical Gas sooo fast!

A wonderful venue as well (Royal Festival Hall at The Southbank (which coincidently rhymes with pretentious w*nk). Those boxes. Seated gig, so a bit less lively than his Acoustic Tent performance at Glastonbury that I was privileged enough to be on the rail for.

Great support from Jerry Douglas (love a bit of slide on a dobro) who came on for a duo at the end.

Well, I'm guessing it was the end.

Panicked a bit about trains and the changes and negotiating the new to me monster that is Waterloo that was unavoidable however I played it (Oh. So Waterloo and Waterloo East are basically the same station? OK. Typical tourist). So I left during the second TE and JD tune. Massively disrespectful and I feel a bit ashamed tbh. Apologies to anyone who was also there if it was distracting (and do you know if that was the last tune?). Massive credit to the couple sat next to me who shuffled up a seat each at the interval so I could sit at the end after I explained my possible predicament (I was centre block Row C Seat 3. Privileged again).

And the direct train home from Waterloo East was at 22:46.

Lying ticket selling bastard.

A waste of the extra nine quid, which only bought me about five minutes of extra leeway anyway.

You live and learn.

Tl;dr: No. That took ages to type.

Nor sure whereabouts in Kent you live but there's loads of good gigs in Margate. Tunbridge Wells also get some at the Forum. Maidstone is a cultural vacuum though.

When I lived in a village about 6 miles south of Maidstone we used to go to Brixton Academy a lot, easy drive up and parking wasn't a problem.

[charlierc]

3 hours ago, Tartan_Glasto said:

Chvrches gig last night in Glasgow. I’ve seen them a few times live now but last night was their best yet. The evolution of their live show from when they first started to now is just incredible.

 

Oooo I'm seeing them in Birmingham on Friday. You know, assuming a storm doesn't cancel my plans again. Good to hear they're sounding in good shape.

[Quark]

Youth Sector at Green Door Store in Brighton last night with support from Comforts and Ciel, both decent.

Comforts were a solid indie guitar 4-piece, lead vocal had a similar feel to the bigger songs from The Lathums. Almost an old-school stadium rock type sound, bit like Inhaler in places. Not reinventing the wheel, but really enjoyable. And the guitarist had some decent fills and solos.

Ciel are somewhere between dream pop and shoegaze, lots of feedback and guitar noodling.  But with a couple of quite rocky numbers as well, and at least one track that made me think of Joy Division. Took them a couple of songs to settle into their rhythm, but picked up as they went on.

Youth Sector were top notch.  Saw them as a support act in 2020, back with more material and a couple of line up changes. Talking Heads / Parquet Courts / DEVO vibes, loads of energy and the tracks translated really well live.  And the bass player is on another level.  Had a blast, would definitely recommend catching them if they pop up.

[Gingerfish79]

A while ago now, but I went to a punk night at the Green Door Store in Brighton at the end of January and saw Monakis and Snayx. Very good, especially Snayx who I think could do something this year. It was so good to be at a raucous, sweaty gig again!  

[Quark]

6 minutes ago, Gingerfish79 said:

A while ago now, but I went to a punk night at the Green Door Store in Brighton at the end of January and saw Monakis and Snayx. Very good, especially Snayx who I think could do something this year. It was so good to be at a raucous, sweaty gig again!  

It's a great little venue right?  Think it used to be the equine treatment / veterinary yard for the station, haven't exactly done much to tart it up since then 😂

[Gingerfish79]

5 minutes ago, Quark said:

It's a great little venue right?  Think it used to be the equine treatment / veterinary yard for the station, haven't exactly done much to tart it up since then 😂

It's fantastic, I was really impressed, spit and sawdust but that's exactly the way I like it! Really cool atmosphere. We stayed for the club night afterwards which was possibly a step too far after nearly 2 years out of the game!

[spg]

On 3/12/2022 at 9:16 PM, ClementsMike said:

Saw The Coral at the Marble Factory in Bristol last night. Cool venue, and an awesome gig. I saw them in Bristol 20 years ago! They deserve all the success 🙂

Off to see hooky there next month, oddly never been to that venue. Ticked off the louisianna at the weekend seeing funke and the two-tone bady and she, robot. Both were brilliant 

[ClementsMike]

14 hours ago, spg said:

Off to see hooky there next month, oddly never been to that venue. Ticked off the louisianna at the weekend seeing funke and the two-tone bady and she, robot. Both were brilliant 

Its basically a massive shed! Very basic but pretty cool in a stripped back urban hipster style. If its cold, wear a coat!

[MEGABOWL]

On 3/13/2022 at 8:15 AM, Tartan_Glasto said:

Chvrches gig last night in Glasgow. I’ve seen them a few times live now but last night was their best yet. The evolution of their live show from when they first started to now is just incredible.

 

Gutted I missed out on tickets for that. Also surprised they’re not on the Glasto bill so far.

[Riggins]

Gang of Youths last night - they seemed great but the sound was a bit whack. Ranged from really tinny, unbalanced, abnormally loud for some xylophones, just all round a mess. Took away from the band themselves. 

[Padjeq]

5th March 2022. Academy Birmingham

Wasn't till I logged them on setlist.fm that I discovered I'd seen Destroy Boys before. They made more of a mark this time, with a tight, confident performance the type you get from guitar yanks who have done a lot of shows to all manner of crowds.

Co-head Taking Back Sunday started late due to the massive crowd still outside the venue, forcing them to cut their Weezer cover. It'd been 18 years since I last saw them, and I expected a band going through the motions, but they still clearly love being up there playing to a crowd screaming everything back at them.

Between acts I realised just how full it had gotten. I'd observed the lower deck from the hectic balcony at IDLES 5 weeks prior. It looked disgustingly full. This was no different. The queues for toilets, bars, merch and simply existing were one homogeneous lump. A girl bashed her tailbone on successive steps when she slipped coming back from the loo, as even the stairs were full with people camped out trying to stake a place. One woman asked if she could hold my hips as I cut through to the wazzers, as she could not break through at all, and I 'looked like no one to mess with'.

Massive fan of Alkaline Trio when I was a student. Had to see them again. Singalong after singalong of songs about murder, drug overdoses and arson. Proper feel good pop punk for lads who draw spiderwebs and skulls in their art books.

 

[deepkittycaz]

4 hours ago, ClementsMike said:

Its basically a massive shed! Very basic but pretty cool in a stripped back urban hipster style. If its cold, wear a coat!

And thick socks. Coldest venue in Bristol!

[fred quimby]

5 hours ago, ClementsMike said:

Its basically a massive shed! Very basic but pretty cool in a stripped back urban hipster style. If its cold, wear a coat!

Great venue   imagine raves yhere for some reason. Caught Quantic there but looks like they are having more gigs

[bexj]

Saw Tangerine Dream last night at the Brudenell, originated in the 70's, pioneers of Electronic music.  They were fabulous and would go down a storm at the Glade!

[JonnyG]

Recently I've caught Stone (baggy/hip-hop influenced punk from Liverpool - energy to spare), Wolf Alice (decent, but verging dangerously close to slick) supported by Lucia And The Best Boys (who made the step up to the big stage effortlessly - all the ingredients to be a big mainstream band), Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard (the best '70s glam and soft rock sounds played with the energy and joy of a band born in the late '90s) and, tonight, Alfie Templeman (indie tyro, who is developing his sound with splashes of funk, but who was not quite ready for the size of the Shepherd's Bush Empire).  After many cancelled and postponed gigs for covid, it's great to be back out there again.

[Brownie30]

Chvrches at Brixton Academy tonight - absolutely brilliant. Best I've seen them, and the new songs sound so good live. Joined on stage by Robert Smith for the encore for How Not to Drown, and Just Like Heaven - a real treat and a great gig. Would love to see them on the farm.

[El Matador]

5 hours ago, Brownie30 said:

Chvrches at Brixton Academy tonight - absolutely brilliant. Best I've seen them, and the new songs sound so good live. Joined on stage by Robert Smith for the encore for How Not to Drown, and Just Like Heaven - a real treat and a great gig. Would love to see them on the farm.

They were incredible last night. I've always been a huge fan but their live show has gone up a notch.

Assume if they were playing the festival this year, they'd have been on the first poster though. 

[zahidf]

Was at Chvches as well, and yeah, was GREAT

[gigpusher]

On 3/12/2022 at 11:53 AM, anditmakesmesmile said:

Saw Kae Tempest on Tuesday. Their 2017 West Holts performance definitely in my all-time top ten Glastonbury performances. New material is really good - album out in April. Surprised they’re not on the line up. I spoke with them after the gig, and annoyingly didn’t ask if they were playing Glastonbury this year 

I'd say they will be there in some capacity. Think they have gone every year. In 2016 they didn't have anything out they did 2 Thursday night shows and they said that was just to get tickets. 

On 3/13/2022 at 8:15 AM, Tartan_Glasto said:

Chvrches gig last night in Glasgow. I’ve seen them a few times live now but last night was their best yet. The evolution of their live show from when they first started to now is just incredible.

 

Seems that Chvrches are getting a lot of love on this tour. I'll always hold a soft spot for them just for giving Lizzo a support slot many years ago. Fingers crossed they do make it to the farm. 

[fred quimby]

16 hours ago, bexj said:

Saw Tangerine Dream last night at the Brudenell, originated in the 70's, pioneers of Electronic music.  They were fabulous and would go down a storm at the Glade!

Damn, had not seen they were touring. Would love to have seen them  , not near me for anymore of the dates.

Always thought I would have one of their tunes as a Desert Island Disc as they are so long 😃

Edited March 17, 2022 by fred quimby