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What a relief! At last I've experienced the Slade Rooms packed to the gunwales and jumping, albeit in the dark. But for the fact that the gig was slated as a warm-up this should have been taking place at a bigger venue and five hundred odd Weddoes fans feeding off the energy generated by David Gedge and the band made this a memorable UK debut of the Bizarro Live tour. |
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As angry clouds of volcanic ash sweep across the country from our dear friends in Iceland (presumably in part-payment for the £400 gazillion they owe us?), an (at times) equally angry Kate Nash is doing likewise, bringing her all new Riot Grrrrllllllllll act to the Hairy Hounds. I can’t believe it’s been three years since her debut but I guess, looking back, all the signs were there. Beneath the cutesy talky talk vocals there was plenty of bitterness...sorry bittahness (yep, must be all those lemon’s she’s been eating). Now she’s come out in praise of Le Tigre and Bikini Kill and, at times, tonight’s gig reminded me of those far off days when Riot Grrrl’s Voodoo Queens reigned supreme (was anyone else out there at their Edwards Gig in 1993? Oh. Just me then). |
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Being a big John Mayer fan for a long time it was a great pleasure to be able to finally get to one of his gigs. The anticipation had set in earlier in the day and I was "up for it". Awesome seats, 3rd row middle balcony gave a great view of the stage. I've never sat down at a gig but I was liking the feeling of a Roman Emperor at the Colosseum (in my strange fantasy world). A great night was to be had. |
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The last time that I saw the Twang was back in May 2007. It was in a room full of hot and sweaty post 25 year olds and the only real material that anyone had heard were the singles that they had released. More than two years down the line and two albums on I was really looking forward to seeing how far they had developed, and I certainly was not disappointed.. |
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Leaning on the barrier at the front row of a Mcfly concert is not somewhere I ever pictured I would be, but there I was and as the trio ventured out to the tones of YMCA it was clear that I was going to enjoy it. For me Mcfly epitomise everything great about festivals. They are there to enjoy it and more to the point you’re gonna enjoy it. “Who got laid last night?” asked their bass player… |
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For me festivals fit into a number of brackets. You’ve got the raucous end of the spectrum with T in the Park – full of inebriated Scots having a ball and puking everywhere, through to the mystical Glastonbury – Hippies, circus acts and all that jazz. Weston Park's V, sits somewhere in the middle. If you had to pick one word to describe V it would be ‘nice’. The situ is great – smack bang in the middle of country, there’s a balanced mix of ‘beered-up’ revellers and families which makes for a great vibe and if the weathers good – as it was this weekend, and there’s a decent line-up (hey – it’s organised by Mr Branson – it’s gonna be a good line up!!) then you really are geared up for a ‘bostin’ weekend. |
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Perhaps a torrential downpour is not exactly what you would wish for on your way to a gig in a garden! Thankfully the garden in question belongs to The Rainbow pub in Digbeth with its marquee-style courtyard and I am here to see what I would term a line-up of bands with a neo-punk persuasion – not so much emulating the good old punk of yore but certainly a genre of music having its roots firmly planted there. |
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Walking into tonight's gig I am certainly amazed by the amount of teenage girls wandering about, the average age of tonight's crowd seems to be around 15 years old and as I look around I see that many of them have parents with them standing around looking out of place... |
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“We're not doing this for the money – we're doing it because we love playing for you guys” - a good job too because it takes dedication to put in a blistering performance on one of the hottest days of the year. The Academy 2 is like a reverse TARDIS; it always seems smaller on the inside and gets hot and sweaty very quickly and tonight was no exception. |
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Dave Matthews Band are probably the biggest band on the planet that most of the UK population have never heard of! Having sold close to 35 million albums they are listed in the Top 100 highest selling music acts of all time. Their last five albums all debuted at No.1 in the US charts. So tonight's gig to a mere 3000 enthusiastic punters could be considered an intimate affair compared with the stadiums and amphitheatres the band usually perform in. |
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I am a big Steely Dan fan. I think Fagen and Becker are amongst the greatest songwriters of our generation, who are often overlooked and underrated. Their recorded work of the 1970’s is timeless, edgy, well-crafted and beautifully produced, the albums that followed that along with Fagen’s solo work is clever and polished. I suppose you are waiting for a but… well I guess there is: I am not convinced this genius translates especially well to the stage.. |
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Entry to tonight’s gig was difficult, due to the box office staff trying to force me to have both a ticket and photo-pass (which I had to sign for). After some considerable explanation the photo-pass was taken back and I made my way to my seat, which was centre-stage and offering a superb view. The stage had been brought forward making the NIA quite cosy, but even so there were empty seats. |
