...or not if you loathe reality shows, especially the lowest bland denominator X Factor. This showbiz behemoth has dominated Xmas music sales for what seems like forever with it's soulless tat. That strange beast the General Public, who watch this show in their millions and then buy the trash it churns out can't be all wrong can they? YES THEY CAN. I've just watched the Robert Plant Electric Prom that was broadcast on BBC4 last week. Now over 60 and exuding a calm authority coupled with an ongoing enthusiasm for searching out new ways to present some classic old countryfied material, with the odd Led Zeppelin classic thrown in for good measure, this guy has something that X Factor contestants will never have unless they have already "paid their dues" or if they go on to forge an extremely unlikely 40 odd year career in music - soul. Call it mojo, feeling, spirituality, it's something a game show contestant whose only experience in music is squawking along to the latest R&B (new meaning - to me The Stones are R&B, not Rhianna (sic) and her ilk) hit in front of the bathroom mirror before being plucked from deserved obscurity by the dreadful Mr Cowell and his cohorts will never have. It's also something that seems entirely absent in Cowell's persona, which is just as well, for how could he live with this shite otherwise?
I may come across as a snob, if so, tough. Most people who claim to like music have zero idea of what actually constitutes the artform in the first place. Right I'll stop ranting now. This year there are a number of campaigns for alternative Xmas no.1's to whatever tosh is churned out by X Factor, and these are some top picks:
Wagner Carrilho - song to be decided
A Facebook campaign is underway to get a Brazilian former PE teacher with a horrendous mullet, who is a contestant on this year's XF, but awful in a tuneless and leery Working Man's Club way, to win the damned thing, thereby getting him a contract and Xmas record release on Cowell's label. This would undoubtedly annoy Cowell no end, as it would usurp his plan to get this year's pretty boy/girl combo to the top slot, so it has to be approved! Wagner has allegedly said "the show stinks like a set up", so he's not as daft as his haircut might suggest.
John Cage - 4'33''
http://www.facebook.com/cageagainstthemachine
The Situationists and indeed my fave - the idea of having over four minutes of silence at No.1 for Xmas is full of delicious irony, and not just as a poke in the eye for XF. The Facebook campaign goes under the name Cage Against The Machine, no doubt in honour of the successful ruse from last year when Cowell was suitably humbled by being told "F*ck You I won't Do What You Tell Me". Marvellous!
The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairytale-of-New-York-Christmas-Number-One-Mission/156649164374870?v=wall
In honour of the tenth anniversary of MacColl's untimely and sad demise. A pretty straight campaign this one, but you can't argue with one of the best Xmas No.1s ever (or No.2 depending on which chart you believe) making a return.
The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-The-trashmen-surfing-bird-to-christmas-number-1/155704341135932
The original 60s garage rock'n'roll classic, brought to prominence via the cartoon Family Guy. My first contact with this song was The Ramones' version from 1978, but this is better. Definitely the feelgood choice.
The Macc Ladds - Sweaty Betty
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Macc-Lads-to-Be-Xmas-No-1/155203041183142
Has no chance, but is very funny in an unreconstructed fashion - the lyrics have to be seen to be believed! Not for the faint hearted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNG7fgwrWBQ
Also ran....
The Wombles - A Wombling Merry Christmas Why?
Not a Facebook campaign, but in the running...
The Yeo Valley milk advert rap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHAUvbuV4o
According to right wing leave-your-brain-at-the-door rag, The Daily Mail, this in with a chance. Again, why? Bloody awful, but if it keeps Cowell's mits off the No.1 spot, all the better...
Bah, Humbug
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Amplifier - Insider
I want to like this band, I really do. You see, my best mate raves about them and I like to support struggling bands, so I've just pre-ordered their forthcoming labour of love The Octopus, which comes with 70 page book all made without the help of a record label no less. You have to admire ambition like that, and at £30 I'm hoping it's an improvement on their previous full album, Insider, released in 2006.
In preparation for receiving this mighty work, I thought I would give their sophomore effort Insider a spin. This is an album I've often overlooked in favour of their more immediate self titled debut. The three piece make a good fist of wall of noise guitar rock with the odd sound effect thrown in for good measure. The problem I have with this is a distinct lack of light and shade and a lack of dynamics which leads to it all sounding a bit samey from about halfway in. There was only one modern(ish) three piece guitar/bass/drums band who managed to keep my attention for the length of an entire album and that was Sugar, who understood a thing or two about writing a melody and creating a dynamic structure that kept you on the edge of your seat.
However, I don't want to create too much of a downer, as taken individually there is some good stuff on this album, it's just I find it hard work as a whole entity. The opening instrumental Gustav's Arrival is a feisty rifferrama that would not be out of place on a Metallica album. The title track is the best song on the album for me, and lyrically we are seeing a theme develop. Everything is not as it appears, or so we are led to believe. By the time we get to R.I.P. we are told that "only luck keeps us out of the coffin" - well it might if we were all steeplejacks, but this one then veers off into sci-fi territory, as do a lot of songs on this album. Nothing wrong with that, but I think driving force Sel Balamir (guitar/vocals/lyrics) would be better placed writing lyrics that actually have some anchor in the real world. Some of the lyrics on here make no sense at all "o Fortuna" being the maddest of the lot. In places, lyrically at least, they are in danger of turning into Muse, which although good for their bank balances is not something I want to contemplate. I think Sel reads too many comics!* Musically they are close to becoming heavy metal in places, another development I'm not too sure about. Strange Seas Of Thought is a highlight, with a recurring guitar motif woven cleverly into the fabric of the song. The lyrics are not bad either, even if a bit sub-Hawkwind. Elysian Gold brings us back to planet Earth with a hard rock love song no less. Oort is another driving instrumental, thank goodness, as with a title like that, who knows what universe the lyrics would head for!
In conclusion, not a bad album per sé, more a collection of some very good and some less good rock songs. Legend has it that bands suffer from "difficult third album" syndrome, but hopefully Amplifier are through that stage with their second album. I reckon I should have reviewed their much better debut instead!
* I've been told since that Sel does not read comics! He has a strange mind in that case.....
Go here to read about their much anticipated soon come epic, and hopefully not "difficult third album", The Octopus:
http://ampcorp.blogspot.com/
..and go here to pre-order The Octopus:
http://www.amplifiertheband.com/merchandise.php
3 out of 5
#23
In preparation for receiving this mighty work, I thought I would give their sophomore effort Insider a spin. This is an album I've often overlooked in favour of their more immediate self titled debut. The three piece make a good fist of wall of noise guitar rock with the odd sound effect thrown in for good measure. The problem I have with this is a distinct lack of light and shade and a lack of dynamics which leads to it all sounding a bit samey from about halfway in. There was only one modern(ish) three piece guitar/bass/drums band who managed to keep my attention for the length of an entire album and that was Sugar, who understood a thing or two about writing a melody and creating a dynamic structure that kept you on the edge of your seat.
However, I don't want to create too much of a downer, as taken individually there is some good stuff on this album, it's just I find it hard work as a whole entity. The opening instrumental Gustav's Arrival is a feisty rifferrama that would not be out of place on a Metallica album. The title track is the best song on the album for me, and lyrically we are seeing a theme develop. Everything is not as it appears, or so we are led to believe. By the time we get to R.I.P. we are told that "only luck keeps us out of the coffin" - well it might if we were all steeplejacks, but this one then veers off into sci-fi territory, as do a lot of songs on this album. Nothing wrong with that, but I think driving force Sel Balamir (guitar/vocals/lyrics) would be better placed writing lyrics that actually have some anchor in the real world. Some of the lyrics on here make no sense at all "o Fortuna" being the maddest of the lot. In places, lyrically at least, they are in danger of turning into Muse, which although good for their bank balances is not something I want to contemplate. I think Sel reads too many comics!* Musically they are close to becoming heavy metal in places, another development I'm not too sure about. Strange Seas Of Thought is a highlight, with a recurring guitar motif woven cleverly into the fabric of the song. The lyrics are not bad either, even if a bit sub-Hawkwind. Elysian Gold brings us back to planet Earth with a hard rock love song no less. Oort is another driving instrumental, thank goodness, as with a title like that, who knows what universe the lyrics would head for!
In conclusion, not a bad album per sé, more a collection of some very good and some less good rock songs. Legend has it that bands suffer from "difficult third album" syndrome, but hopefully Amplifier are through that stage with their second album. I reckon I should have reviewed their much better debut instead!
* I've been told since that Sel does not read comics! He has a strange mind in that case.....
Go here to read about their much anticipated soon come epic, and hopefully not "difficult third album", The Octopus:
http://ampcorp.blogspot.com/
..and go here to pre-order The Octopus:
http://www.amplifiertheband.com/merchandise.php
3 out of 5
#23
Thursday, 4 November 2010
No-Man - Together We're Stranger
This is No-Man's fifth album originally released in 2003. No-Man is a collaboration between vocalist and lyricist Tim Bowness, and Steven Wilson, or "The Hardest Working Man In Showbiz" and this album is a collection of minimalist near ambient and sometimes avant-garde soundscapes over songs that drift along in a dreamy but never unfocused way.
Tim's lyrics are heartfelt paeans to the break up of a relationship as the title track suggests, and melancholy memories in the gorgeous ten minute Photographs In Black And White, amongst other introspective and abstract delights. His voice breathily wanders in and out of the guitar and soundscapes ambient mix, and a harmonium is in there too....and a clarinet...lovely.
If I were to compare Tim's voice with anyone, it would have to be David Cassidy - I kid you not! He has the same range and breathy style. The comparison is purely in a sonic sense, as there any similarity ends.
Reference points include The Blue Nile, and, well not much else really, as it's pretty unique, and No-Man are waaay more productive than the Scottish band, having released six full length albums as well as numerous EPs, DVDs etc in their eighteen year existence, and along with more well known names such as Talk Talk and David Sylvian have helped invent post-rock as we know it. I suppose if Nick Drake had been around in the 21st century, he may well have sounded like this, it's that good.
The curious and the uninitiated are drawn to this long running two man collaboration probably because of Steven Wilson's involvement. Those who have a desire to search out something different will soon be beguiled, but those who are expecting any of Wilson's rock influence, and are not open to other forms of music, or have a simply short attention span will doubtless be disappointed and wander off. It's their loss.
Together We're Stranger is a delight, and I recommend it highly.
4 out of 5.
Note: In 2009 the album was reissued as a 2 disc set including a 5:1 surround sound mix.
A career spanning double cd was released in 2006, taking its title from a song on Together We're Stranger, and is a great starting point for the curious:
#22
Tim's lyrics are heartfelt paeans to the break up of a relationship as the title track suggests, and melancholy memories in the gorgeous ten minute Photographs In Black And White, amongst other introspective and abstract delights. His voice breathily wanders in and out of the guitar and soundscapes ambient mix, and a harmonium is in there too....and a clarinet...lovely.
If I were to compare Tim's voice with anyone, it would have to be David Cassidy - I kid you not! He has the same range and breathy style. The comparison is purely in a sonic sense, as there any similarity ends.
Reference points include The Blue Nile, and, well not much else really, as it's pretty unique, and No-Man are waaay more productive than the Scottish band, having released six full length albums as well as numerous EPs, DVDs etc in their eighteen year existence, and along with more well known names such as Talk Talk and David Sylvian have helped invent post-rock as we know it. I suppose if Nick Drake had been around in the 21st century, he may well have sounded like this, it's that good.
The curious and the uninitiated are drawn to this long running two man collaboration probably because of Steven Wilson's involvement. Those who have a desire to search out something different will soon be beguiled, but those who are expecting any of Wilson's rock influence, and are not open to other forms of music, or have a simply short attention span will doubtless be disappointed and wander off. It's their loss.
Together We're Stranger is a delight, and I recommend it highly.
4 out of 5.
Note: In 2009 the album was reissued as a 2 disc set including a 5:1 surround sound mix.
A career spanning double cd was released in 2006, taking its title from a song on Together We're Stranger, and is a great starting point for the curious:
#22
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Van Der Graaf - The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome
Van Der Graaf Generator slipped mostly under the radar when I was into prog the first time round, but in the last 20 years or so they have risen to No.1 spot in my list of all time prog acts. This album was the last of the second phase of the band, released in 1977. They would not release another studio album until the third reunion in 2005. Having burnt themselves out physically and creatively by 1972 the first stable line-up split. They reformed in 1975 to release three albums in eighteen months with the same line up. Hugh Banton (customised organs & keyboards & bass pedals) then left again, swiftly followed by David Jackson (saxes, flutes). This prompted frontman Peter Hammill to radically alter the sound and direction of the band, recruiting Nic Potter (bass) who had briefly been in the band at the beginning, Graham Smith (violin), and taking up the guitar himself to become the sonic focal point of the band, and dropping "Generator" from the name to give fans an inkling that this was not what had gone before. This gave the band a more urgent and immediate sound which fitted surprisingly well with the soon to be booming new wave scene.
The Quiet Zone... is the album that most fans flick past when they want to play some VDGG, but it is deserving of more attention in my opinion. Try the twisting funky bass of The Habit Of The Broken Heart, the urgent insistence of Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (Running)...ELO on amphetamines. Hammill was never one for easy song titles! Lyrical themes are as ever, bad relationships, lost love, the meaning of life, and on Chemical World, a bit of environmental concern thrown in for good measure.
Most folk know of a certain John Lydon's affection for VDGG, but another new wave band who most certainly must have been hugely influenced were Magazine. You can trace Howard Devoto's songwriting style back to Hammill, and Barry Adamson's sinuous bass lines took their template from Nic Potter's performances on this album.
Not their best album, but view it as a different band and it's well worth a listen.
3 out of 5
#21
The Quiet Zone... is the album that most fans flick past when they want to play some VDGG, but it is deserving of more attention in my opinion. Try the twisting funky bass of The Habit Of The Broken Heart, the urgent insistence of Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (Running)...ELO on amphetamines. Hammill was never one for easy song titles! Lyrical themes are as ever, bad relationships, lost love, the meaning of life, and on Chemical World, a bit of environmental concern thrown in for good measure.
Most folk know of a certain John Lydon's affection for VDGG, but another new wave band who most certainly must have been hugely influenced were Magazine. You can trace Howard Devoto's songwriting style back to Hammill, and Barry Adamson's sinuous bass lines took their template from Nic Potter's performances on this album.
Not their best album, but view it as a different band and it's well worth a listen.
3 out of 5
#21
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Text Of Festival (6)
First one missed off from last time due to losing the will to live...I'll try harder this time!
Gig no.239 - 27/01/07 - John Cale - Roadmender, Northampton
Exuding the studied menace of a man who has lived most of his life somewhere in the underbelly of left field performance art, Mr Cale enters stage right and launches into his version of Heartbreak Hotel, which if you've never heard it, skewers the original with a six inch switchblade and then tramples on the corpse. Wonderful!
By the second song the heat from the overhead lights was melting his subtle make up, which began to run from his hairline like a new wound. It fitted perfectly, along with his personal aide who stood with his back to the stage at the front staring threateningly at anyone he considered was "looking at my pint" in an unwelcome fashion. High camp but cool with it.
As well as promoting songs from his latest offering, the rather good Black Acetate, he delved deep into his back catalogue and came up with Gun, Paris 1919 were two i can recall, along with a couple of Velvets numbers. A sort of menacing Brian Eno with a Welsh accent. Fear Is A Man's Best Friend indeed.
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Gig no.243 - 25/10/07 - Rick Wakeman - Derngate Theatre, Northampton
Billed as "An Evening With.." a big part of the audience, us included, were no doubt there on the back of Mr W's Grumpy Old Man persona. It works well on tv but tonight his tales of middle aged intransigence were no more than prosaic. The music was a mixture of kitsch classical and a kind of Mr Entertainer Plays Piano that Bill Bailey does so much better.
We left at the interval.
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Gig no.245 - 15/02/08 - The Mekons - The Musician, Leicester
The best gig I'd been to for ages in my current small venue of choice. They serve real ale! The Mekons have a small but loyal following, and over the years they have continued to develop their unique brand of UK folk-protest-punk music, and still manage to turn out deft pieces of political criticism in their lyrics without ever coming across as hackneyed or trite.
Jon Langford & Sally Timms share the spotlight with an ease that comes from working together for thirty years, and their comic banter is worth the entry fee alone. See if you can find Ghosts Of American Astronauts in Spotify and be enthralled by its ethereal beauty.
A great night.
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Gig no.251 - 16/10/08 - Elbow - De Montfort Hall, Leicester
I picked up on this influential post-rock band the album before the Mercury Music Prize winning Seldom Seen Kid. I bought Leaders Of The Free World after reading glowing reviews, and at first I thought Guy Garvey sounded like a more introspective Peter Gabriel. I've since learned that he based his songwriting style on Gabriel having been a big Genesis fan.
The marvellous Seldom Seen Kid is a pinnacle of post-rock writing that the band will find hard to top and it justly deserves all the accolades it received.
This gig was on the tour immediately after the band had lifted the Mercury Music Prize the previous month, and was a triumphal performance powered by the joy of having made it after more than ten years on the fringes. They were very slick; in fact maybe too slick. You could have closed your eyes and you may as well have been at home listening to the album. Still a good gig though. Garvey seemed genuinely humbled by his success, and does not seem to possess much of an ego, which is no bad thing.
Where this band go from here is anyone's guess, but I hope the next album, apparently provisionally titled Lippy Kid, is not simply Seldom Seen Kid Mk2.
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Gig no.258 - 27/11/09 - Martin Stephenson - The Music Garden, Milton Keynes
With his band The Daintees, Stephenson produced some great songs in the eighties and onwards, and their gentle homespun folksy influences are what he trades on today. He also is a really good storyteller, and this evening sat at a table in a cabaret style setting, with a meal thrown in for good measure was just perfect. Ably assisted by long time musical partner Helen McCookerybook, he fed us tales of whimsy and homespun philosophy, in a Geordie accent! Wonderful.
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Gig no.259 - 05/12/09 - The Pineapple Thief - The Musician, Leicester
I've been blowing this band's trumpet for a while now. I think they should be big, as you can tell from my review of their last album Someone Here Is Missing ( http://astoundedbysound.blogspot.com/2010/05/candy-for-ears-15.html ).
This was a blinding gig about three months before that album was released and featured a few songs from it, although at the time they were obviously previously unheard. Their brand of indie-prog crossover music went down a storm that night, and I hope one day to see them do a Porcupine Tree and end up playing prestigious venues.
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Ones that (almost) got away
Back in my metal gig going days I had the pleasure to witness Judas Priest at the good 'ol De Montfort in February 1978. At the time Rob Halford in full gay biker attire (if only the audience of greasers had known that then!) would make his entrance (ahem) by riding a Harley Davidson from the wings to the centre of the stage. This particular time the bike wouldn't start, so he sang the first verse of the opening number astride the bike in the wings, and some roadies pushed him on stage during a guitar solo. Another Spinal Tap moment witnessed! Later in the same tour (I think) he managed to ride the thing straight off the edge of the stage into the orchestra pit, breaking a leg. Twat.
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Reading Festival - either 1978, 79 or 80 - I can't remember, I was drunk, or something! It was very hot. We were all sitting down on the scorched earth getting the benefit of some UV rays. There was a real dodgy geezer wandering around selling scrumpy in gallon plastic containers. I didn't have much common sense then, and neither did my mates, so we bought one. Several hours later having demolished most of the scrumpy as my mates thought it was shite (they were probably right), I have an understandable urgent need to pee, and for a verrry lonnnng time. I attempt to stand up and promptly fall over. Repeat the attempt a couple of times, same result. It was a weird sensation being sober from the waist up but completely pished waist down. My mates had to carry me out of the crowd to the "facilities" where they propped me up against a fence post while I emptied my bladder which was, and still is, the size of a small planet. It seemed to go on forever. When I had at long last finished, I was pissed from the waist up, but my legs now worked after a fashion, so I managed to weave my way back into the fray largely unassisted. My mates micky taking was countered by my new bragging rights as chief piss artist, both in the literal and metaphorical sense!
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Dedications, grovelling...Thanks must be given to the many headed beastie that was and is "The Driver", without whom etc etc....
Thanks to the bands, all 439 of them…..
Nominations for Best Band Name – Jimmy The Hoover, Holy Shit, Root Boy Slim & The Sex Change Band…..
1. 10000 Maniacs
2. 13 Frightened Girls
3. 32120
4. 4 Non Blondes
5. 4ft Fingers
6. 8th Storey Window
7. A House
8. After The Fire
9. Age Of Chance
10. AIIZ
11. Albert King Blues Band
12. All Grown Up
13. Allan Holdsworth
14. Altered Images
15. Amplifier
16. Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
17. Angelwitch
18. Arthur Lee & Love
19. Astronaut
20. Aswad
21. Atlanta Rhythm Section
22. Automatics
23. Bad Company
24. Badlads
25. Bauhaus
26. Beautiful People
27. Bellowhead
28. Belly
29. Benjamin Zephaniah
30. Bethnal
31. Bhundu Boys
32. Biff Bang Pow
33. Big Audio Dynamite
34. Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings
35. Billy “The Kid” Emerson
36. Billy Bragg
37. Bite The Pillow
38. Bivouac
39. Black Grape
40. Black Slate
41. Black Uhuru
42. Blancmange
43. Blazer Blazer
44. Blue Oyster Cult
45. Bob Geldof
46. Boomtown Rats
47. Bow Wow Wow
48. Bram Tchaikovsky
49. Brand X
50. Brave Captain
51. Broken Home
52. Budgie
53. Buzzcocks
54. Caravan
55. Cardigans
56. Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
57. Chas & Dave
58. Cheap Trick
59. Chelsea
60. Chris Barber Band
61. Chuck Berry
62. Climax Blues Band
63. Dave Edmund’s Rockpile
64. David Bowie
65. David Gray
66. Deep Throat
67. Def Leppard
68. Dennis O’Brien
69. Devo
70. Dexy’s Midnight Runners
71. Diesel Park West
72. Discharge
73. Dizzy Heights
74. Doctor & The Medics
75. Dodgy
76. Dogg’n Tank
77. Doll By Doll
78. Dolly Mixtures
79. Dr Feelgood
80. Dub War
81. Dubstar
82. Easy Prey
83. Eat
84. Eels
85. Elbow
86. Elvis Costello & The Attractions
87. English Assassin
88. Evan Dando
89. Fairport Convention
90. Famous Names
91. Felt
92. Fields Of The Nephilim
93. Figuera
94. Filthy Dukes
95. Fingerprintz
96. Fischer Z
97. Flicks
98. Focus
99. Foreigner
100. Frank Zappa
101. Frankie Goes To Hollywood
102. Frankie Miller
103. Fun Boy Three
104. Garbage
105. Gary Glitter
106. Generation X
107. Genesis
108. Ghost Dance
109. Ginger Baker Band
110. Girl
111. Girlschool
112. Goodbye Mr McKenzie
113. Grand Prix
114. Graphite
115. Green Day
116. Green On Red
117. Greenhouse
118. Greg Kihn Band
119. Groundhogs
120. Gruppo Sportivo
121. Happy Mondays
122. Hatfield & The North
123. Hawklords
124. Hawkwind
125. Head Of David
126. Headskaters
127. Helions (Brian James' band after The Damned)
128. Here & Now
129. Holy Shit
130. Huge Big Massive
131. Hugh Masekela
132. Hunter Ronson Band
133. Ian Dury & The Music Students
134. Ian Gillan Band
135. Ian Hunter
136. Ian McCulloch
137. Ian McNabb
138. Icehouse
139. Iggy & The Stooges
140. Iggy Pop
141. Inner Circle
142. Iron Maiden
143. Jackie Leven
144. James
145. Japan
146. Jayne Aire & The Belvederes
147. Jefferson Starship
148. Jenny Darren
149. Jerry Dammers
150. Jerry Dammers & The Spatial AKA Arkestra
151. Jimmy The Hoover
152. Joe Jackson
153. Joe Siegel
154. Joe Strummer
155. Joe Strummer & The Latino Rockabilly War
156. John Cale
157. John Cooper Clarke
158. John Mayall
159. John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett
160. John Wesley Harding
161. Johnny Thunders’ Heartbreakers
162. Jona Lewie
163. Jose Gonzalez
164. Judas Priest
165. Julian Cope
166. King Crimson
167. Kingfish
168. Kiss
169. Kraftwerk
170. Krokus
171. Kula Shaker
172. Led Zeppelin
173. Left Hand Drive
174. Lene Lovich
175. Les Negresse Vertes
176. Lightning Raiders
177. Lindisfarne
178. Living End
179. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
180. Lo-fidelity Allstars
181. Lone Ranger
182. Lone Star
183. Lou Reed
184. Magazine
185. Magnolia Siege
186. Magnum
187. Mahogany Rush
188. Man
189. Manic Street Preachers
190. Marseilles
191. Martin Stephenson & The Daintees
192. Massive Attack
193. McKitty
194. Mekons
195. Melissa Etheridge
196. Mercury Rev
197. Mickey Jupp
198. Microdisney
199. Misty In Roots
200. Molly Hatchet
201. Moondogs
202. More
203. Motorhead
204. Muddy Waters
205. My Bloody Valentine
206. Mythra
207. Nazareth
208. Neil Young
209. New Hearts
210. New Model Army
211. Next
212. Nine Below Zero
213. Nutz
214. One Style
215. Orbital
216. Outfit
217. Pacific Eardrum
218. Page & Plant
219. Pat Travers Band
220. Patti Smith Group
221. Paul Inder
222. Paul Weller
223. Pearl Jam
224. Penetration
225. Peter Case
226. Peter Gabriel
227. Peter Green
228. Philip Rambow
229. Porcupine Tree
230. Primal Scream
231. Priory Of Brion
232. Pulp
233. Punishment Of Luxury
234. Puppy Love Bomb
235. Quartz
236. Rachel Sweet
237. Racing Cars
238. Radio Stars
239. Rainbow
240. Randy California
241. Red Alert
242. Red Noise
243. REM
244. Rich Kids
245. Rick Wakeman
246. Riff Raff (Billy Bragg's pre-solo punk band)
247. Rikki Cool & The Icebergs
248. Robert Palmer
249. Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians
250. Rocket 88 (Charlie Watt's boogie band)
251. Root Boy Slim & The Sex Change Band
252. Rory Gallagher
253. Rose Of Avalanche
254. Roy Harper
255. Run DMC
256. Sam Browne
257. Samson
258. Sarah Vaughan
259. Saxon
260. Scorpions
261. Screech Rock
262. Screens
263. Secret Machines
264. Seth Lakeman
265. Shack
266. Sham 69
267. Simple Minds
268. Supergrass
269. Skua
270. Skunks
271. Slade
272. Something Happened
273. Southside Johnny & The Asbury Dukes
274. Space
275. Spear Of Destiny
276. Special FX
277. Speed’O’Meters
278. Spirit
279. Squeeze
280. Status Quo
281. Steve Gibbons Band
282. Steve Hackett
283. Steve Hillage
284. Stiff Little Fingers
285. Stops
286. Straits
287. Strife
288. Studio Morocco
289. Style Council
290. Suede
291. Sugar
292. Superchunk
293. Suzanne Vega
294. Sweet Leaf
295. Tank
296. Teenage Fanclub
297. Telephone
298. Television
299. Terra Nova
300. That Petrol Emotion
301. The Adverts
302. The Albion Band
303. The Alchemysts
304. The Australian Doors
305. The Australian Pink Floyd
306. The Beat
307. The Beloved
308. The Bevis Frond
309. The Bishops
310. The Blue Aeroplanes
311. The Business
312. The Charlatans
313. The Christians
314. The Clash
315. The Cobbers
316. The Counting House
317. The Cowboy Junkies
318. The Cranberries
319. The Cure
320. The Daintees
321. The Damned
322. The Defendants
323. The Derreros
324. The Fall
325. The Filberts
326. The Flaming Lips
327. The Flys
328. The Godfathers
329. The Heart Throbs
330. The Hives
331. The Hothouse Flowers
332. The House Of Love
333. The Icicle Works
334. The Innocents
335. The J Geils Band
336. The Jack Rubies
337. The Jags
338. The Jam
339. The Jazz Butcher
340. The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy
341. The Jilted Brides
342. The Jolt
343. The Journey
344. The La’s
345. The Love Ambassadeux
346. The Lucky Bishops
347. The Lurkers
348. The Mars Volta
349. The Members
350. The Men They Couldn’t Hang
351. The Meteors
352. The Milltown Brothers
353. The Motors
354. The Movies
355. The New Commander Cody Band
356. The Night
357. The Numatics
358. The O1 Band
359. The One
360. The Pineapple Thief
361. The Pirates
362. The Pixies
363. The Pogues
364. The Police
365. The Primitives
366. The Proclaimers
367. The Promise
368. The Questions
369. The Ramones
370. The Records
371. The Rhythm Sisters
372. The Rolling Stones
373. The Ruts
374. The Screaming Blue Messiahs
375. The Skids
376. The Slits
377. The Smiths
378. The Sneaks
379. The Softies
380. The Soup Dragons
381. The Stone Roses
382. The Stranglers
383. The Strawbs
384. The Strokes
385. The Sugarcubes
386. The Three Johns
387. The Tourists
388. The Tubes
389. The Undertones
390. The Venus Fly Trap
391. The Verve
392. The Waterboys
393. The Wedding Present
394. The White
395. The Wolfgang Press
396. The Wonderstuff
397. The Woodentops
398. Thomas Dolby
399. Time Machine
400. Todd Rundgren & Utopia
401. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
402. Tom Robinson Band
403. Tom Verlaine
404. Tools
405. Trans Global Underground
406. Travis
407. Trevor Rabin
408. Trimmer & Jenkins
409. TV Personalities
410. Twist
411. Tygers Of Pan Tang
412. U2
413. UFO
414. Ultravox!
415. Underneath What?
416. Van Der Graaf Generator
417. Vardis
418. Vaughan Toulouse
419. Vic Goddard & The Subway Sect
420. Voice Of The Beehive
421. Wayne County & The Electric Chairs
422. Weapon Of Peace
423. Whirlwind
424. White Spirit
425. Whitesnake
426. Wild Horses
427. Wilko Johnson’s Solid Senders
428. Wishbone Ash
429. Wishing Stones
430. Witchfynde
431. Wizzard
432. World Party
433. Wreckless Eric
434. XTC
435. Yargo
436. Yazoo
437. Yeah Jazz!
438. Yes
439. Zaine Griff
I know I saw The Pale Fountains, but for whatever reason they did not get listed, so there’s probably other omissions too!
Regrets – Pointless regretting not seeing bands who were at their prime before one was old enough, but two I regret not getting to see when I was old enough are the Peter Gabriel led Genesis, and Be Bop Deluxe.
On the other hand, I’ve never seen Muse or Coldplay or Keane, and long may it continue!
That's all folks. Thank you and goodnight.
Thank Gawd for that!
Gig no.239 - 27/01/07 - John Cale - Roadmender, Northampton
Exuding the studied menace of a man who has lived most of his life somewhere in the underbelly of left field performance art, Mr Cale enters stage right and launches into his version of Heartbreak Hotel, which if you've never heard it, skewers the original with a six inch switchblade and then tramples on the corpse. Wonderful!
By the second song the heat from the overhead lights was melting his subtle make up, which began to run from his hairline like a new wound. It fitted perfectly, along with his personal aide who stood with his back to the stage at the front staring threateningly at anyone he considered was "looking at my pint" in an unwelcome fashion. High camp but cool with it.
As well as promoting songs from his latest offering, the rather good Black Acetate, he delved deep into his back catalogue and came up with Gun, Paris 1919 were two i can recall, along with a couple of Velvets numbers. A sort of menacing Brian Eno with a Welsh accent. Fear Is A Man's Best Friend indeed.
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Gig no.243 - 25/10/07 - Rick Wakeman - Derngate Theatre, Northampton
Billed as "An Evening With.." a big part of the audience, us included, were no doubt there on the back of Mr W's Grumpy Old Man persona. It works well on tv but tonight his tales of middle aged intransigence were no more than prosaic. The music was a mixture of kitsch classical and a kind of Mr Entertainer Plays Piano that Bill Bailey does so much better.
We left at the interval.
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Gig no.245 - 15/02/08 - The Mekons - The Musician, Leicester
The best gig I'd been to for ages in my current small venue of choice. They serve real ale! The Mekons have a small but loyal following, and over the years they have continued to develop their unique brand of UK folk-protest-punk music, and still manage to turn out deft pieces of political criticism in their lyrics without ever coming across as hackneyed or trite.
 |
| Nice'n'blurry does it... |
A great night.
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Gig no.251 - 16/10/08 - Elbow - De Montfort Hall, Leicester
I picked up on this influential post-rock band the album before the Mercury Music Prize winning Seldom Seen Kid. I bought Leaders Of The Free World after reading glowing reviews, and at first I thought Guy Garvey sounded like a more introspective Peter Gabriel. I've since learned that he based his songwriting style on Gabriel having been a big Genesis fan.
The marvellous Seldom Seen Kid is a pinnacle of post-rock writing that the band will find hard to top and it justly deserves all the accolades it received.
This gig was on the tour immediately after the band had lifted the Mercury Music Prize the previous month, and was a triumphal performance powered by the joy of having made it after more than ten years on the fringes. They were very slick; in fact maybe too slick. You could have closed your eyes and you may as well have been at home listening to the album. Still a good gig though. Garvey seemed genuinely humbled by his success, and does not seem to possess much of an ego, which is no bad thing.
Where this band go from here is anyone's guess, but I hope the next album, apparently provisionally titled Lippy Kid, is not simply Seldom Seen Kid Mk2.
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Gig no.258 - 27/11/09 - Martin Stephenson - The Music Garden, Milton Keynes
With his band The Daintees, Stephenson produced some great songs in the eighties and onwards, and their gentle homespun folksy influences are what he trades on today. He also is a really good storyteller, and this evening sat at a table in a cabaret style setting, with a meal thrown in for good measure was just perfect. Ably assisted by long time musical partner Helen McCookerybook, he fed us tales of whimsy and homespun philosophy, in a Geordie accent! Wonderful.
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Gig no.259 - 05/12/09 - The Pineapple Thief - The Musician, Leicester
I've been blowing this band's trumpet for a while now. I think they should be big, as you can tell from my review of their last album Someone Here Is Missing ( http://astoundedbysound.blogspot.com/2010/05/candy-for-ears-15.html ).
This was a blinding gig about three months before that album was released and featured a few songs from it, although at the time they were obviously previously unheard. Their brand of indie-prog crossover music went down a storm that night, and I hope one day to see them do a Porcupine Tree and end up playing prestigious venues.
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Ones that (almost) got away
Back in my metal gig going days I had the pleasure to witness Judas Priest at the good 'ol De Montfort in February 1978. At the time Rob Halford in full gay biker attire (if only the audience of greasers had known that then!) would make his entrance (ahem) by riding a Harley Davidson from the wings to the centre of the stage. This particular time the bike wouldn't start, so he sang the first verse of the opening number astride the bike in the wings, and some roadies pushed him on stage during a guitar solo. Another Spinal Tap moment witnessed! Later in the same tour (I think) he managed to ride the thing straight off the edge of the stage into the orchestra pit, breaking a leg. Twat.
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Reading Festival - either 1978, 79 or 80 - I can't remember, I was drunk, or something! It was very hot. We were all sitting down on the scorched earth getting the benefit of some UV rays. There was a real dodgy geezer wandering around selling scrumpy in gallon plastic containers. I didn't have much common sense then, and neither did my mates, so we bought one. Several hours later having demolished most of the scrumpy as my mates thought it was shite (they were probably right), I have an understandable urgent need to pee, and for a verrry lonnnng time. I attempt to stand up and promptly fall over. Repeat the attempt a couple of times, same result. It was a weird sensation being sober from the waist up but completely pished waist down. My mates had to carry me out of the crowd to the "facilities" where they propped me up against a fence post while I emptied my bladder which was, and still is, the size of a small planet. It seemed to go on forever. When I had at long last finished, I was pissed from the waist up, but my legs now worked after a fashion, so I managed to weave my way back into the fray largely unassisted. My mates micky taking was countered by my new bragging rights as chief piss artist, both in the literal and metaphorical sense!
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Dedications, grovelling...Thanks must be given to the many headed beastie that was and is "The Driver", without whom etc etc....
Thanks to the bands, all 439 of them…..
Nominations for Best Band Name – Jimmy The Hoover, Holy Shit, Root Boy Slim & The Sex Change Band…..
1. 10000 Maniacs
2. 13 Frightened Girls
3. 32120
4. 4 Non Blondes
5. 4ft Fingers
6. 8th Storey Window
7. A House
8. After The Fire
9. Age Of Chance
10. AIIZ
11. Albert King Blues Band
12. All Grown Up
13. Allan Holdsworth
14. Altered Images
15. Amplifier
16. Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
17. Angelwitch
18. Arthur Lee & Love
19. Astronaut
20. Aswad
21. Atlanta Rhythm Section
22. Automatics
23. Bad Company
24. Badlads
25. Bauhaus
26. Beautiful People
27. Bellowhead
28. Belly
29. Benjamin Zephaniah
30. Bethnal
31. Bhundu Boys
32. Biff Bang Pow
33. Big Audio Dynamite
34. Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings
35. Billy “The Kid” Emerson
36. Billy Bragg
37. Bite The Pillow
38. Bivouac
39. Black Grape
40. Black Slate
41. Black Uhuru
42. Blancmange
43. Blazer Blazer
44. Blue Oyster Cult
45. Bob Geldof
46. Boomtown Rats
47. Bow Wow Wow
48. Bram Tchaikovsky
49. Brand X
50. Brave Captain
51. Broken Home
52. Budgie
53. Buzzcocks
54. Caravan
55. Cardigans
56. Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
57. Chas & Dave
58. Cheap Trick
59. Chelsea
60. Chris Barber Band
61. Chuck Berry
62. Climax Blues Band
63. Dave Edmund’s Rockpile
64. David Bowie
65. David Gray
66. Deep Throat
67. Def Leppard
68. Dennis O’Brien
69. Devo
70. Dexy’s Midnight Runners
71. Diesel Park West
72. Discharge
73. Dizzy Heights
74. Doctor & The Medics
75. Dodgy
76. Dogg’n Tank
77. Doll By Doll
78. Dolly Mixtures
79. Dr Feelgood
80. Dub War
81. Dubstar
82. Easy Prey
83. Eat
84. Eels
85. Elbow
86. Elvis Costello & The Attractions
87. English Assassin
88. Evan Dando
89. Fairport Convention
90. Famous Names
91. Felt
92. Fields Of The Nephilim
93. Figuera
94. Filthy Dukes
95. Fingerprintz
96. Fischer Z
97. Flicks
98. Focus
99. Foreigner
100. Frank Zappa
101. Frankie Goes To Hollywood
102. Frankie Miller
103. Fun Boy Three
104. Garbage
105. Gary Glitter
106. Generation X
107. Genesis
108. Ghost Dance
109. Ginger Baker Band
110. Girl
111. Girlschool
112. Goodbye Mr McKenzie
113. Grand Prix
114. Graphite
115. Green Day
116. Green On Red
117. Greenhouse
118. Greg Kihn Band
119. Groundhogs
120. Gruppo Sportivo
121. Happy Mondays
122. Hatfield & The North
123. Hawklords
124. Hawkwind
125. Head Of David
126. Headskaters
127. Helions (Brian James' band after The Damned)
128. Here & Now
129. Holy Shit
130. Huge Big Massive
131. Hugh Masekela
132. Hunter Ronson Band
133. Ian Dury & The Music Students
134. Ian Gillan Band
135. Ian Hunter
136. Ian McCulloch
137. Ian McNabb
138. Icehouse
139. Iggy & The Stooges
140. Iggy Pop
141. Inner Circle
142. Iron Maiden
143. Jackie Leven
144. James
145. Japan
146. Jayne Aire & The Belvederes
147. Jefferson Starship
148. Jenny Darren
149. Jerry Dammers
150. Jerry Dammers & The Spatial AKA Arkestra
151. Jimmy The Hoover
152. Joe Jackson
153. Joe Siegel
154. Joe Strummer
155. Joe Strummer & The Latino Rockabilly War
156. John Cale
157. John Cooper Clarke
158. John Mayall
159. John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett
160. John Wesley Harding
161. Johnny Thunders’ Heartbreakers
162. Jona Lewie
163. Jose Gonzalez
164. Judas Priest
165. Julian Cope
166. King Crimson
167. Kingfish
168. Kiss
169. Kraftwerk
170. Krokus
171. Kula Shaker
172. Led Zeppelin
173. Left Hand Drive
174. Lene Lovich
175. Les Negresse Vertes
176. Lightning Raiders
177. Lindisfarne
178. Living End
179. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
180. Lo-fidelity Allstars
181. Lone Ranger
182. Lone Star
183. Lou Reed
184. Magazine
185. Magnolia Siege
186. Magnum
187. Mahogany Rush
188. Man
189. Manic Street Preachers
190. Marseilles
191. Martin Stephenson & The Daintees
192. Massive Attack
193. McKitty
194. Mekons
195. Melissa Etheridge
196. Mercury Rev
197. Mickey Jupp
198. Microdisney
199. Misty In Roots
200. Molly Hatchet
201. Moondogs
202. More
203. Motorhead
204. Muddy Waters
205. My Bloody Valentine
206. Mythra
207. Nazareth
208. Neil Young
209. New Hearts
210. New Model Army
211. Next
212. Nine Below Zero
213. Nutz
214. One Style
215. Orbital
216. Outfit
217. Pacific Eardrum
218. Page & Plant
219. Pat Travers Band
220. Patti Smith Group
221. Paul Inder
222. Paul Weller
223. Pearl Jam
224. Penetration
225. Peter Case
226. Peter Gabriel
227. Peter Green
228. Philip Rambow
229. Porcupine Tree
230. Primal Scream
231. Priory Of Brion
232. Pulp
233. Punishment Of Luxury
234. Puppy Love Bomb
235. Quartz
236. Rachel Sweet
237. Racing Cars
238. Radio Stars
239. Rainbow
240. Randy California
241. Red Alert
242. Red Noise
243. REM
244. Rich Kids
245. Rick Wakeman
246. Riff Raff (Billy Bragg's pre-solo punk band)
247. Rikki Cool & The Icebergs
248. Robert Palmer
249. Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians
250. Rocket 88 (Charlie Watt's boogie band)
251. Root Boy Slim & The Sex Change Band
252. Rory Gallagher
253. Rose Of Avalanche
254. Roy Harper
255. Run DMC
256. Sam Browne
257. Samson
258. Sarah Vaughan
259. Saxon
260. Scorpions
261. Screech Rock
262. Screens
263. Secret Machines
264. Seth Lakeman
265. Shack
266. Sham 69
267. Simple Minds
268. Supergrass
269. Skua
270. Skunks
271. Slade
272. Something Happened
273. Southside Johnny & The Asbury Dukes
274. Space
275. Spear Of Destiny
276. Special FX
277. Speed’O’Meters
278. Spirit
279. Squeeze
280. Status Quo
281. Steve Gibbons Band
282. Steve Hackett
283. Steve Hillage
284. Stiff Little Fingers
285. Stops
286. Straits
287. Strife
288. Studio Morocco
289. Style Council
290. Suede
291. Sugar
292. Superchunk
293. Suzanne Vega
294. Sweet Leaf
295. Tank
296. Teenage Fanclub
297. Telephone
298. Television
299. Terra Nova
300. That Petrol Emotion
301. The Adverts
302. The Albion Band
303. The Alchemysts
304. The Australian Doors
305. The Australian Pink Floyd
306. The Beat
307. The Beloved
308. The Bevis Frond
309. The Bishops
310. The Blue Aeroplanes
311. The Business
312. The Charlatans
313. The Christians
314. The Clash
315. The Cobbers
316. The Counting House
317. The Cowboy Junkies
318. The Cranberries
319. The Cure
320. The Daintees
321. The Damned
322. The Defendants
323. The Derreros
324. The Fall
325. The Filberts
326. The Flaming Lips
327. The Flys
328. The Godfathers
329. The Heart Throbs
330. The Hives
331. The Hothouse Flowers
332. The House Of Love
333. The Icicle Works
334. The Innocents
335. The J Geils Band
336. The Jack Rubies
337. The Jags
338. The Jam
339. The Jazz Butcher
340. The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy
341. The Jilted Brides
342. The Jolt
343. The Journey
344. The La’s
345. The Love Ambassadeux
346. The Lucky Bishops
347. The Lurkers
348. The Mars Volta
349. The Members
350. The Men They Couldn’t Hang
351. The Meteors
352. The Milltown Brothers
353. The Motors
354. The Movies
355. The New Commander Cody Band
356. The Night
357. The Numatics
358. The O1 Band
359. The One
360. The Pineapple Thief
361. The Pirates
362. The Pixies
363. The Pogues
364. The Police
365. The Primitives
366. The Proclaimers
367. The Promise
368. The Questions
369. The Ramones
370. The Records
371. The Rhythm Sisters
372. The Rolling Stones
373. The Ruts
374. The Screaming Blue Messiahs
375. The Skids
376. The Slits
377. The Smiths
378. The Sneaks
379. The Softies
380. The Soup Dragons
381. The Stone Roses
382. The Stranglers
383. The Strawbs
384. The Strokes
385. The Sugarcubes
386. The Three Johns
387. The Tourists
388. The Tubes
389. The Undertones
390. The Venus Fly Trap
391. The Verve
392. The Waterboys
393. The Wedding Present
394. The White
395. The Wolfgang Press
396. The Wonderstuff
397. The Woodentops
398. Thomas Dolby
399. Time Machine
400. Todd Rundgren & Utopia
401. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
402. Tom Robinson Band
403. Tom Verlaine
404. Tools
405. Trans Global Underground
406. Travis
407. Trevor Rabin
408. Trimmer & Jenkins
409. TV Personalities
410. Twist
411. Tygers Of Pan Tang
412. U2
413. UFO
414. Ultravox!
415. Underneath What?
416. Van Der Graaf Generator
417. Vardis
418. Vaughan Toulouse
419. Vic Goddard & The Subway Sect
420. Voice Of The Beehive
421. Wayne County & The Electric Chairs
422. Weapon Of Peace
423. Whirlwind
424. White Spirit
425. Whitesnake
426. Wild Horses
427. Wilko Johnson’s Solid Senders
428. Wishbone Ash
429. Wishing Stones
430. Witchfynde
431. Wizzard
432. World Party
433. Wreckless Eric
434. XTC
435. Yargo
436. Yazoo
437. Yeah Jazz!
438. Yes
439. Zaine Griff
I know I saw The Pale Fountains, but for whatever reason they did not get listed, so there’s probably other omissions too!
Regrets – Pointless regretting not seeing bands who were at their prime before one was old enough, but two I regret not getting to see when I was old enough are the Peter Gabriel led Genesis, and Be Bop Deluxe.
On the other hand, I’ve never seen Muse or Coldplay or Keane, and long may it continue!
That's all folks. Thank you and goodnight.
Thank Gawd for that!
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Text Of Festival (5)
Last week I said this would be the last part....no it won't, there's too much to cram in....
Gig no.181 - 21/01/93 - Man - Princess Charlotte, Leicester
When I was in seminary school, a man put forth the proposition....hang on I'm getting confused here......
Waaay back in the early 70s my best mate had a cousin who was five or six years older than us and occasionally he used to play us the latest waxings of the time. One of his favourite bands was the Welsh hippy space rockers Man. In 1973 they had one third of the live double album Greasy Truckers (a review - http://astoundedbysound.blogspot.com/2010/02/candy-for-ears-2.html). The main part of their contribution was the side long (that's 20 minutes to those of you too young to recall slabs of black vinyl) psych guitar overload masterpiece that was Spunk Rock. Still one of my all time fave bits of music.
Anyway, this gig was the one and only time I got to see the band, and this line up contained three of the original five members. Sadly Mickey Jones who was one half of the twin guitar attack along with Deke Leonard is no longer with us, but that night they showed they still had the chops. And they played Spunk Rock! Far out maaan.
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Gig no.199 - 23rd to 25th June 1995 - Glastonbury Festival
June 1995 was the last time I ventured down to Pilton to witness what was then still the best festival vibe in the country. Nowadays I reckon it's got too big, and worse than that has become part of the Hooray Henry summer scene along with Royal Ascot, Henley, and all that other nose in the air shite. They've even had a Royal visit! Next year's festival sold out in 4 hours and the tickets were a mere £195 and that does not include booking fees, p&p etc. There are nowadays dozens of much smaller more friendly festivals to choose from. Ok, you might not get the likes of Muse, Coldplay etc, turning up, but is that any great loss?
The '95 festival was a snip at £65 and the line up included The Cure, Massive Attack, Oasis - 'scuse me while I block my ears - I think we saw Massive Attack while the lumpen Manc proles took centre stage, Portishead, Black Crowes, Jeff Buckley (astonishing voice), Page & Plant and loads of others. Highlights were The Verve's modern stoner rock, Pulp who were great entertainment and as last minute replacements for The Stone Roses quickly won over what could have been a hostile crowd. The highlight of the weekend for me was a stunning set by Orbital as the sun was setting. Out There Somewhere was just perfect for the scene.
And it didn't rain!
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Gig no.204 - 28/10/96 - Pearl Jam - Wembley Arena
A big disappointment from a band that made no concessions to vast soulless space that is Wembley Arena. They had no stage set to speak of, minimal lighting, and frontman Eddie Vedder had absolutely no stage presence. I suppose they were making a misguided attempt to stay true to their plaid shirt new punk roots, but it backfired badly. The whole thing was dispirited and a big let let down. I still reckon the Alive is one of the best rock anthems ever though.
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There follows a fallow period - I decided to knuckle down at work, and became a mini property baron into the bargain. Bad timing meant it didn't make me rich, but that's another story. In 1997 I attended two gigs, none (!) in 1998, and only one in 1999.
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Gig no.208 - 30/01/2000 - The Bevis Frond - The Standard, Walthamstow
In the latter two years of the eighties and early nineties I got into The Frond, as the aficionados called them, in a big way. I've got nigh on twenty albums by the band, who were basically psychedelic veteran Nick Saloman (wah & fuzz guitar, vocals, songs) and a revolving door of sidemen centred on Bari Watts (gtr) & Ric Gunther (drums). This music pub in deepest London was their home patch and this was a mini festival featuring other psych bands on Saloman's Woronzow label. Their second album 1987's Inner Marshland is a buried treasure and if you're at all into furious guitar based psych wigouts but with good songwriting thrown in, it's a must.
The Frond eventually arrived on stage around midnight and played for nearly two hours. A sleazy psychedelic stew was dished up by the lads and the small but devoted audience of old hippies and freaks lapped it up. We didn't get home until about 3 in the morning, totally knackered.
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Gig no.209 - 16/02/00 - Yes - Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
The one and only time I've seen the Starship Troopers, although I suppose you could count Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe as being Yes in all but name. This gig featured the amazing talents of Igor Koroshev on keyboards while Rick Wakeman took one of his many sabbaticals from the band. A fine musical evening.
What made this memorable was the weather. The journey up to Nottingham was unremarkable - the night was cold but nothing extreme for February in our sceptered isle. When we left the venue it was as we had arrived, still cold but dry. We spied a welcoming hostelry on the outskirts of the city and decided to stop for a pint. When we left the pub about half an hour later it was snowing hard, and already about six inches had settled. As we journeyed south on the M1 it had turned into a blizzard, to the point where we had to leave the motorway because Phill simply could not see where he was going. By the time we had driven a further 20 or so miles south the snow had stopped, and by the time we got home not a flake was to be seen on the ground! British weather, doncha just love it?
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Gig no.223 - 15/02/04 - Arthur Lee & Love - Roadmender, Northampton
My home town was lucky enough to be graced with the presence of Arthur Lee on his UK tour of 2004. The "Love" of the title were actually an L.A. psych band who had been backing Lee since 1995. Lee, an other-worldly figure who for six years up to 2001 had been in prison for firearms offences, cut a strange but remarkably together figure on stage, led the band through all the classics. An honour to have seen the man before his untimely death in 2006.
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Gig no.229 - 9/07/05 - Van Der Graaf Generator - De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Probably my favourite prog band, and one of few bands of that era who were actually "progressive" in the true meaning of the word, reformed in 2005 with the classic line up. Peter Hammill is one of the most intellectually demanding songwriters these shores have ever produced, and with a new album to promote, they mixed new songs with old classics like Lemmings, Sleepwalkers, The Undercover Man. Brilliant!
Type "Nutter Alert" into Spotify for an example of a skewed pop song. If you like that, delve deeper!
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Gig no. 232 - 30/11/05 - The Mars Volta - Nottingham Rock City
Of recent gigs, the worst I've been to. This band's first album, 2003's De-Loused In The Comatorium is something of a nu-prog classic, but the law of diminishing returns seems to have set in for the most part ever since. I still thought they would be worth seeing though. I need not have bothered. Never in my 36 years of gig going had I seen such a bunch of self-absorbed pretentiousness at work, disappearing up their own fretboards. Not once in 2 hours did any band member acknowledge the audience. To make matters worse we were harangued by a very drunk bloke probably in his mid twenties who kept asking my companion Phil W "What are two old fogies like you doing at a gig like this?" Despite Phil's attempts to offer perfectly reasonable explanations the guy was having none of it. When he started on me I told him to fuck off, and, amazingly, he did!
All in all a horrible night.
.............................................................................................
There follows a few visits to Nottingham's Rescue Rooms, a tiny cramped sweaty pit of a place that makes Northampton's Roadmender look like The Albert Hall. I've been to some dives in my time but this place takes the award for Worst Venue.
.............................................................................................
Gig no.237 - 13/11/06 - The Flaming Lips - Hammersmith Apollo
I used to love this band. From quirky beginnings their career trajectory is similar to REM in that by 2006 they were HUGE having crossed into the mainstream with what is still their best album The Soft Bulletin. Following albums have slowly faded from view sadly. Still, I was looking forward to this gig no end.
First surprise was where we were sat, up in the gods. A word of warning - if you suffer from vertigo, don't get circle tickets at the Hammersmith Apollo. It feels like there's a vertical drop in front of your feet. Two thousand feet down were the band on stage with their usual accompanying dancing eyeballs and other weird costumes. The music was fine, but after virtually every song mainman Wayne Coyne wibbles on like a 60's hippy acid casualty about how we should love each other and how the world is a pea green boat or somesuch. Heard once or twice this fine, but after a dozen times you wanna gaffa tape his twee mouth.
I was offered the chance to see them again on the next tour, but wisely turned it down!
..............................................................................................
Gig no.242 - 24/10/07 - Shack - Barfly, Birmingham
In the 80s I was into the marvellous Pale Fountains (got to see them once, too) who made dreamy pop songs backed by sweeping soundscapes and whimsical strumming. They were lead by Michael Head, and after they split up he formed Shack with his brother John. This was the second time I saw this band who craft the most wonderful pop songs written by the Head brothers. A more appropriate surname is not feasible for these two, at least one of which has gone through heroin addiction. You'd think their songs would be sleaze fests along the lines of Jesus & Mary Chain, but not a bit of it. Classic Byrds influenced shoegazy pop is their bag, and great stuff it is. Time for A Cup Of Tea...
.....back next week...
Gig no.181 - 21/01/93 - Man - Princess Charlotte, Leicester
When I was in seminary school, a man put forth the proposition....hang on I'm getting confused here......
Waaay back in the early 70s my best mate had a cousin who was five or six years older than us and occasionally he used to play us the latest waxings of the time. One of his favourite bands was the Welsh hippy space rockers Man. In 1973 they had one third of the live double album Greasy Truckers (a review - http://astoundedbysound.blogspot.com/2010/02/candy-for-ears-2.html). The main part of their contribution was the side long (that's 20 minutes to those of you too young to recall slabs of black vinyl) psych guitar overload masterpiece that was Spunk Rock. Still one of my all time fave bits of music.
Anyway, this gig was the one and only time I got to see the band, and this line up contained three of the original five members. Sadly Mickey Jones who was one half of the twin guitar attack along with Deke Leonard is no longer with us, but that night they showed they still had the chops. And they played Spunk Rock! Far out maaan.
.............................................................................................
Gig no.199 - 23rd to 25th June 1995 - Glastonbury Festival
June 1995 was the last time I ventured down to Pilton to witness what was then still the best festival vibe in the country. Nowadays I reckon it's got too big, and worse than that has become part of the Hooray Henry summer scene along with Royal Ascot, Henley, and all that other nose in the air shite. They've even had a Royal visit! Next year's festival sold out in 4 hours and the tickets were a mere £195 and that does not include booking fees, p&p etc. There are nowadays dozens of much smaller more friendly festivals to choose from. Ok, you might not get the likes of Muse, Coldplay etc, turning up, but is that any great loss?
The '95 festival was a snip at £65 and the line up included The Cure, Massive Attack, Oasis - 'scuse me while I block my ears - I think we saw Massive Attack while the lumpen Manc proles took centre stage, Portishead, Black Crowes, Jeff Buckley (astonishing voice), Page & Plant and loads of others. Highlights were The Verve's modern stoner rock, Pulp who were great entertainment and as last minute replacements for The Stone Roses quickly won over what could have been a hostile crowd. The highlight of the weekend for me was a stunning set by Orbital as the sun was setting. Out There Somewhere was just perfect for the scene.
And it didn't rain!
...........................................................................................
Gig no.204 - 28/10/96 - Pearl Jam - Wembley Arena
A big disappointment from a band that made no concessions to vast soulless space that is Wembley Arena. They had no stage set to speak of, minimal lighting, and frontman Eddie Vedder had absolutely no stage presence. I suppose they were making a misguided attempt to stay true to their plaid shirt new punk roots, but it backfired badly. The whole thing was dispirited and a big let let down. I still reckon the Alive is one of the best rock anthems ever though.
...........................................................................................
There follows a fallow period - I decided to knuckle down at work, and became a mini property baron into the bargain. Bad timing meant it didn't make me rich, but that's another story. In 1997 I attended two gigs, none (!) in 1998, and only one in 1999.
...........................................................................................
Gig no.208 - 30/01/2000 - The Bevis Frond - The Standard, Walthamstow
In the latter two years of the eighties and early nineties I got into The Frond, as the aficionados called them, in a big way. I've got nigh on twenty albums by the band, who were basically psychedelic veteran Nick Saloman (wah & fuzz guitar, vocals, songs) and a revolving door of sidemen centred on Bari Watts (gtr) & Ric Gunther (drums). This music pub in deepest London was their home patch and this was a mini festival featuring other psych bands on Saloman's Woronzow label. Their second album 1987's Inner Marshland is a buried treasure and if you're at all into furious guitar based psych wigouts but with good songwriting thrown in, it's a must.
The Frond eventually arrived on stage around midnight and played for nearly two hours. A sleazy psychedelic stew was dished up by the lads and the small but devoted audience of old hippies and freaks lapped it up. We didn't get home until about 3 in the morning, totally knackered.
...........................................................................................
Gig no.209 - 16/02/00 - Yes - Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
The one and only time I've seen the Starship Troopers, although I suppose you could count Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe as being Yes in all but name. This gig featured the amazing talents of Igor Koroshev on keyboards while Rick Wakeman took one of his many sabbaticals from the band. A fine musical evening.
What made this memorable was the weather. The journey up to Nottingham was unremarkable - the night was cold but nothing extreme for February in our sceptered isle. When we left the venue it was as we had arrived, still cold but dry. We spied a welcoming hostelry on the outskirts of the city and decided to stop for a pint. When we left the pub about half an hour later it was snowing hard, and already about six inches had settled. As we journeyed south on the M1 it had turned into a blizzard, to the point where we had to leave the motorway because Phill simply could not see where he was going. By the time we had driven a further 20 or so miles south the snow had stopped, and by the time we got home not a flake was to be seen on the ground! British weather, doncha just love it?
............................................................................................
Gig no.223 - 15/02/04 - Arthur Lee & Love - Roadmender, Northampton
My home town was lucky enough to be graced with the presence of Arthur Lee on his UK tour of 2004. The "Love" of the title were actually an L.A. psych band who had been backing Lee since 1995. Lee, an other-worldly figure who for six years up to 2001 had been in prison for firearms offences, cut a strange but remarkably together figure on stage, led the band through all the classics. An honour to have seen the man before his untimely death in 2006.
.............................................................................................
Gig no.229 - 9/07/05 - Van Der Graaf Generator - De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Probably my favourite prog band, and one of few bands of that era who were actually "progressive" in the true meaning of the word, reformed in 2005 with the classic line up. Peter Hammill is one of the most intellectually demanding songwriters these shores have ever produced, and with a new album to promote, they mixed new songs with old classics like Lemmings, Sleepwalkers, The Undercover Man. Brilliant!
Type "Nutter Alert" into Spotify for an example of a skewed pop song. If you like that, delve deeper!
.............................................................................................
Gig no. 232 - 30/11/05 - The Mars Volta - Nottingham Rock City
Of recent gigs, the worst I've been to. This band's first album, 2003's De-Loused In The Comatorium is something of a nu-prog classic, but the law of diminishing returns seems to have set in for the most part ever since. I still thought they would be worth seeing though. I need not have bothered. Never in my 36 years of gig going had I seen such a bunch of self-absorbed pretentiousness at work, disappearing up their own fretboards. Not once in 2 hours did any band member acknowledge the audience. To make matters worse we were harangued by a very drunk bloke probably in his mid twenties who kept asking my companion Phil W "What are two old fogies like you doing at a gig like this?" Despite Phil's attempts to offer perfectly reasonable explanations the guy was having none of it. When he started on me I told him to fuck off, and, amazingly, he did!
All in all a horrible night.
.............................................................................................
There follows a few visits to Nottingham's Rescue Rooms, a tiny cramped sweaty pit of a place that makes Northampton's Roadmender look like The Albert Hall. I've been to some dives in my time but this place takes the award for Worst Venue.
.............................................................................................
Gig no.237 - 13/11/06 - The Flaming Lips - Hammersmith Apollo
I used to love this band. From quirky beginnings their career trajectory is similar to REM in that by 2006 they were HUGE having crossed into the mainstream with what is still their best album The Soft Bulletin. Following albums have slowly faded from view sadly. Still, I was looking forward to this gig no end.
First surprise was where we were sat, up in the gods. A word of warning - if you suffer from vertigo, don't get circle tickets at the Hammersmith Apollo. It feels like there's a vertical drop in front of your feet. Two thousand feet down were the band on stage with their usual accompanying dancing eyeballs and other weird costumes. The music was fine, but after virtually every song mainman Wayne Coyne wibbles on like a 60's hippy acid casualty about how we should love each other and how the world is a pea green boat or somesuch. Heard once or twice this fine, but after a dozen times you wanna gaffa tape his twee mouth.
I was offered the chance to see them again on the next tour, but wisely turned it down!
..............................................................................................
Gig no.242 - 24/10/07 - Shack - Barfly, Birmingham
In the 80s I was into the marvellous Pale Fountains (got to see them once, too) who made dreamy pop songs backed by sweeping soundscapes and whimsical strumming. They were lead by Michael Head, and after they split up he formed Shack with his brother John. This was the second time I saw this band who craft the most wonderful pop songs written by the Head brothers. A more appropriate surname is not feasible for these two, at least one of which has gone through heroin addiction. You'd think their songs would be sleaze fests along the lines of Jesus & Mary Chain, but not a bit of it. Classic Byrds influenced shoegazy pop is their bag, and great stuff it is. Time for A Cup Of Tea...
.....back next week...
Thursday, 21 October 2010
The Orb featuring David Gilmour - Metallic Spheres
There are two tracks on this album. They are - A Sigh At The Gates Of Ennui, and Soporific On The Far Edge Of Snore. Actually they're not called that at all as that would take way too much effort, maaan. The tracks are actually imaginatively monikered "The Metallic Side" & "The Spheres Side", which must've taken some time to think up.
What do you get when a band famous for their innovations in ambient dub music some 20 years ago meet up with their hero, the least adventurous guitarist in the annals of prog? Answer - wibble to the nth degree. Firstly I should point out that this album is billed as The Orb featuring David Gilmour, not the other way round, so don't expect a Pink Floyd guitar wig out every five minutes. Dave's noodlings never get out of first gear and are no more than the kind of thing he used to do in the ambient bit of Echoes, plain dull. In fact anyone who has ever mastered two chords and has access to an array of effects pedals and sound manipulation software could have done this.
After a while of it's nigh on half an hour I expected the music on the first track to fade into a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone viz-a-viz Fearless from Meddle. Actually that would have been quite funny.
After all these years the rhythm programs used by Dr Alex Paterson still rely heavily on repetitive Thump-Thump-Thump on the beat, which after 10 minutes gets very wearing. Sprinkled amongst the soundscapes are the trademark twitterings and warblings of Paterson's fauna from space, which is pleasant enough I suppose.
I don't think I'll be playing this again in a hurry.
2 out of 5
.............................................................
But on the other hand.....
Imagine lying on a deserted beach under the hot sun*, pina colada** in hand, as you drift away on a never ending wave of psychedelic ambience washing across your consciousness via the mp3 player. This album is the perfect companion for chilling out. David Gilmour's swathes of gentle ambient noodling drift in and out of Alex Paterson's cosmic soundscapes like flocks of starlings swooping across an azure sky....pure bliss.
* or, in a hammock on a hot day, or alone at night in a darkened room - ** or, rum'n'coke, jazz cigarette, you get the picture..
4 out of 5
............................................................
Take your pick!
If you're tempted to buy this, the double cd version below features a simulation of surround sound but in normal two channel stereo on the second cd, which sounds rather good on headphones I'm told.
Footnote - the royalties from this album are apparently all going to Gary McKinnon, the Brit the US wants to put on trial for hacking into the Pentagon's computer system, hence the repeated refrains throughout the album for "Justice" and "Freedom".
#20
What do you get when a band famous for their innovations in ambient dub music some 20 years ago meet up with their hero, the least adventurous guitarist in the annals of prog? Answer - wibble to the nth degree. Firstly I should point out that this album is billed as The Orb featuring David Gilmour, not the other way round, so don't expect a Pink Floyd guitar wig out every five minutes. Dave's noodlings never get out of first gear and are no more than the kind of thing he used to do in the ambient bit of Echoes, plain dull. In fact anyone who has ever mastered two chords and has access to an array of effects pedals and sound manipulation software could have done this.
After a while of it's nigh on half an hour I expected the music on the first track to fade into a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone viz-a-viz Fearless from Meddle. Actually that would have been quite funny.
After all these years the rhythm programs used by Dr Alex Paterson still rely heavily on repetitive Thump-Thump-Thump on the beat, which after 10 minutes gets very wearing. Sprinkled amongst the soundscapes are the trademark twitterings and warblings of Paterson's fauna from space, which is pleasant enough I suppose.
I don't think I'll be playing this again in a hurry.
2 out of 5
.............................................................
But on the other hand.....
Imagine lying on a deserted beach under the hot sun*, pina colada** in hand, as you drift away on a never ending wave of psychedelic ambience washing across your consciousness via the mp3 player. This album is the perfect companion for chilling out. David Gilmour's swathes of gentle ambient noodling drift in and out of Alex Paterson's cosmic soundscapes like flocks of starlings swooping across an azure sky....pure bliss.
* or, in a hammock on a hot day, or alone at night in a darkened room - ** or, rum'n'coke, jazz cigarette, you get the picture..
4 out of 5
............................................................
Take your pick!
If you're tempted to buy this, the double cd version below features a simulation of surround sound but in normal two channel stereo on the second cd, which sounds rather good on headphones I'm told.
Footnote - the royalties from this album are apparently all going to Gary McKinnon, the Brit the US wants to put on trial for hacking into the Pentagon's computer system, hence the repeated refrains throughout the album for "Justice" and "Freedom".
#20
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