So, the Buzzcocks performing three sets firstly with their current line-up, then with their 'classic' line-up, and finishing up with their original line-up (featuring Howard Devoto) seems too good to miss right? I thought so anyway, and being absolutely determined not to miss a bally moment, I arrived at a somewhat sparsely populated Brixton Academy at about 7.30pm. No problem - gave me time for a pint.
A DJ who looked unsettlingly like Peter Buck (but wasn't) played a pretty inspired selection of punk and post-punk classics. It turned out that this was actually veteran music journalist and author Kris Needs. He did get a cheer when The Clash's White Man In Hammersmith Palais got stuck and he swiftly managed to remedy the situation.
At 8.15pm four shadowy figures loped onto the stage, and the current line-up of the Buzzcocks tore into What Am I Supposed To Do from the All Set album. Steve Diggle is still a complete guitar hero, making an immediate connection with the audience. Pete Shelley has a somewhat less animated stage presence, whilst the rhythm section give a workman-like performance. The more recent songs (and by that I mean post-1990) compare well with the songs from the band's heyday, but frankly they're not what the audience have come to hear, and gradually people start disappearing to the bar and not coming back. It's actually a bit of a relief when this section of the gig ends. This is not really the band's fault, but the material in the first set was probably unknown to the greater part of the audience. Still, I suppose they got the kind of response that most support bands receive.
The second set is a completely different story. If the Academy isn't sold-out it gives a damn fine impersonation of somewhere that is. The contrast between the performances of the two line-ups is astonishing. You realise in retrospect that bassist Chris Remmington in particular looked as if he was just doing a job. He could almost have been playing The Birdy Song for all the enthusiasm that he conveyed. Steve Garvey's stage presence in comparison is only slightly less flamboyant than Steve Diggle's! John Maher definitely appears to be feeling the music, and his drumming in Moving Away From The Pulsebeat is superlative.
Something else that hits you is the sheer quality of the Buzzcocks' back catalogue. Not only did they have an impressive run of singles between 1977 and 1979, the album tracks they play could also have been singles: Fiction Romance, Fast Cars, Hollow Inside, Get On Our Own and Autonomy to name a few. Then there's the singles that have become classics: I Don't Mind, What Do I Get?, and Everybody's Happy Nowadays get given a good seeing-to. There's even the latter day hit that wasn't: Why She's A Girl From The Chainstore from 1980.
Pete Shelley seemed less entertained by Steve Diggle's antics than the audience was. Somebody chucked a plastic pint glass onstage and Diggle asked him to come up onstage if he was so brave, and he'd "wrap one of these champagne bottles around yer head". It did appear that he got through two bottles of champagne during the course of the gig, and he was noticeably more pissed as it progressed. Still - it didn't affect his singing or playing, and he windmilled like Pete Townshend! The classic line-up finished their main set and encored with Harmony In My Head, Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) and Orgasm Addict.
Now it was the turn of the original line-up (comprising Pete Shelley on guitar, Steve Diggle on bass, John Maher on drums and Howard Devoto on vocals) to perform the Spiral Scratch EP. Pete Shelley used the guitar (now missing about a third of its body) that he used for the recording of the EP. I don't know whether it's age, but Howard Devoto's vocals sound much richer than in the past. They still suit the songs though, Breakdown and Boredom working particularly well. They encore with what sounds like I Can't Control Myself bringing an excellent gig to an end.
However, this may have been a worrying evening for Shelley and Diggle, as there is a definite gulf in terms of quality between the current and classic Buzzcocks line-ups. I don't know what Garvey and Maher are doing for a living now but playing in the Buzzcocks must be a lot more fun, and probably just as lucrative. Well lads? How about it?
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
25th May 2012 - The Primitives + The School - London Borderline
The Primitives re-formed last year to play in memory of their recently deceased former bassist Steve Dullahan, and enjoyed playing again so much that they decided to continue as a band. They recruited new bassist Ralph Moore and recorded an album of carefully chosen covers entitled "Echoes and Rhymes".
However, before we get to see the 21st Century version of The Primitives we are to be entertained by The School. The School are a seven-piece from Cardiff who have been supporting The Primitives for the last five dates of their tour. The band comprise a singer (Liz Hunt) who also plays keyboards, electric and acoustic guitarists (the acoustic guitarist also plays recorder and xylophone), bassist, violinist and trumpeter.
The plethora of instruments on stage makes one fear that this could all get a bit messy, but nothing could be further from the truth. The band's performance is both tight and deservedly assured. The set is reasonably varied. The first song comes over all jangly-pop with the guitarist's Johnny Marr indebted sound, Liz Hunt's honeyed vocals and farfisa sounding keyboard. The next song however has a real Stax / Motown feel powered along by insistently choppy chords from the Tele. Yet another song has a clear Velvets influence.
Something all of the songs have are great pop hooks. Liz Hunt's vocals have a certain purity which emphasises the melodies. She has very confident inter-song banter too. The band's assured performance is all the more surprising when it emerges towards the end of the set that the drummer and guitarist are standing in!
The School are an excellent pop band with loads of potential, if only as providers of a great night out! See for yourselves when they play at The Queen Of Hoxton on 12th June.
Finally it's time for The Primitives! Ralph Moore takes the stage first, followed by Paul Court and then Tig Williams. They start up a riff and then they're joined by Tracy Tracy. If it wasn't for the grins on the band's faces this could all be a bit showbiz, but it's obviously tongue in cheek.
They start off with Till You Say You'll Be Mine (by Jackie De Shannon) from the new album and it's like they've never been away. They're tight and energetic. Tracy is in great voice and has lost nothing as a frontwoman. She is still very kittenish, though this perception may have been helped by the bow in her hair which looked like ears!
Although Spacehead and Sick Of It follow, the set is heavily weighted in favour of the new album. This is no bad thing as it makes the point that The Primitives are alive and kicking as a band and not just an oldies act. However, this thought was swiftly barged out of the way by Thru The Flowers "from the old indie days"! This was followed by "Single Girl", which my mate tells me is a classic from 1965 by Sandy Posey. Obviously a classic that I haven't heard. It's a cracking song - good choice Prims!
Their disappointing third album Galore isn't ignored and You Are The Way gets an airing, sounding way better live than it did on vinyl. We get a run of three songs from the new album (including Panic for which the band are joined by the ladies from The School on backing vocals) before the band dip into the classics from their back catalogue: Stop Killing Me, Way Behind Me and an absolutely storming version of Crash (which is preceded by Nico's I'm Not Saying). Apparently The Primitives were huge in Japan and there are a large number of Japanese fans present, some of whom hold aloft 12" single sleeves of Crash when that's performed. The set ends with two more songs from the new album, but it's not long before they come back to crash through "Buzz Buzz Buzz" and "Really Stupid".
All in all this was a great evening for both band and audience. If the covers they've chosen for their new album are an indication of the direction they'll take when they record some new originals then we're in for a bit of a treat. The band have obviously matured, but their new material sits well with their effervescent classics.
However, before we get to see the 21st Century version of The Primitives we are to be entertained by The School. The School are a seven-piece from Cardiff who have been supporting The Primitives for the last five dates of their tour. The band comprise a singer (Liz Hunt) who also plays keyboards, electric and acoustic guitarists (the acoustic guitarist also plays recorder and xylophone), bassist, violinist and trumpeter.
The plethora of instruments on stage makes one fear that this could all get a bit messy, but nothing could be further from the truth. The band's performance is both tight and deservedly assured. The set is reasonably varied. The first song comes over all jangly-pop with the guitarist's Johnny Marr indebted sound, Liz Hunt's honeyed vocals and farfisa sounding keyboard. The next song however has a real Stax / Motown feel powered along by insistently choppy chords from the Tele. Yet another song has a clear Velvets influence.
Something all of the songs have are great pop hooks. Liz Hunt's vocals have a certain purity which emphasises the melodies. She has very confident inter-song banter too. The band's assured performance is all the more surprising when it emerges towards the end of the set that the drummer and guitarist are standing in!
The School are an excellent pop band with loads of potential, if only as providers of a great night out! See for yourselves when they play at The Queen Of Hoxton on 12th June.
Finally it's time for The Primitives! Ralph Moore takes the stage first, followed by Paul Court and then Tig Williams. They start up a riff and then they're joined by Tracy Tracy. If it wasn't for the grins on the band's faces this could all be a bit showbiz, but it's obviously tongue in cheek.
They start off with Till You Say You'll Be Mine (by Jackie De Shannon) from the new album and it's like they've never been away. They're tight and energetic. Tracy is in great voice and has lost nothing as a frontwoman. She is still very kittenish, though this perception may have been helped by the bow in her hair which looked like ears!
Although Spacehead and Sick Of It follow, the set is heavily weighted in favour of the new album. This is no bad thing as it makes the point that The Primitives are alive and kicking as a band and not just an oldies act. However, this thought was swiftly barged out of the way by Thru The Flowers "from the old indie days"! This was followed by "Single Girl", which my mate tells me is a classic from 1965 by Sandy Posey. Obviously a classic that I haven't heard. It's a cracking song - good choice Prims!
Their disappointing third album Galore isn't ignored and You Are The Way gets an airing, sounding way better live than it did on vinyl. We get a run of three songs from the new album (including Panic for which the band are joined by the ladies from The School on backing vocals) before the band dip into the classics from their back catalogue: Stop Killing Me, Way Behind Me and an absolutely storming version of Crash (which is preceded by Nico's I'm Not Saying). Apparently The Primitives were huge in Japan and there are a large number of Japanese fans present, some of whom hold aloft 12" single sleeves of Crash when that's performed. The set ends with two more songs from the new album, but it's not long before they come back to crash through "Buzz Buzz Buzz" and "Really Stupid".
All in all this was a great evening for both band and audience. If the covers they've chosen for their new album are an indication of the direction they'll take when they record some new originals then we're in for a bit of a treat. The band have obviously matured, but their new material sits well with their effervescent classics.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Last Week's Boat Floaters
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Bowie's debut as an icon.
Big Brother and the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills
The wider world is introduced to Janis Joplin.
The White Stripes - Icky Thump
Who would have guessed that it would be their last album???
The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
The spirit of the Ramones with added guitar solos.
Bowie's debut as an icon.
Big Brother and the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills
The wider world is introduced to Janis Joplin.
The White Stripes - Icky Thump
Who would have guessed that it would be their last album???
The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
The spirit of the Ramones with added guitar solos.
Record Store Day 21st April 2012
Record Store Day is an annual celebration of independent record stores that started in the USA in 2007 and took place in the UK for the first time in 2008. The event is marked by bands playing in record shops and artists issuing special (and often limited) releases chiefly on vinyl.
I attended for the first time last year, when I went to Brighton and visited record stores there. I was struck by the enthusiasm and excitement that the event generated, and decided that it was a 'must do' for my calendar this year. Last year I didn't see any of the live music related to the event, so decided that I would make sure that I did this year.
Therefore, I ditched my original plan to go to Brighton as there was only one gig taking place (Big Deal, who I would actually have liked to see) at Resident Records, but it was at 8am, and I wasn't convinced that I would have been able to fully appreciate them at such an hour! So London it was then.
I arrived at Sister Ray in Berwick Street to find a queue stretching halfway around the block. This did not inspire me with confidence. There was another shorter queue snaking the other way out of the door. This was for a signing session for Simple Minds, but as I've always found them at best intensely annoying I didn't join it.
As I was aware that live music at Rough Trade West commenced at 12.00, and I had arranged to meet a friend there at 11.30, I hot-footed it over there. When I arrived I found another queue with my friend already in it, but it was nowhere near as fearsome as the one at Sister Ray. However, it still took over half an hour before we made it through the door.
My partner Carole had decided that she wanted the Bat For Lashes one-sided 7", and the Kate Bush 10". Sadly both had sold out. I had opted for the double 10" of Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia demos, provided that it wasn't too expensive. There was one copy left, but I didn't think that I could justify the £39.99 asking price. Eventually Carole settled for a heart-shaped 12" of The Supremes' "Baby Love", and I bought Richard Hawley's "Leave Your Body Behind You" 10", and 7"s of The Bevis Frond "Hard Meat At The Midnight Court" and Elbow "McGreggor".
It was then time to track down some lunch, and also attempt to also track down Carole's vinyl requirements. We tried Intoxica and Honest Jon's on the Portobello Road, but to no avail, so we decided to head back to Rough Trade West for some live music. When we arrived Cate Le Bon was in the basement playing songs from her new album "CYRK". Cate has a wonderful voice which seemed to swoop and soar around the room. She only had her acoustic guitar for accompaniment, but you could hear a pin drop in the audience as she played.
It was decided to take the live music outside as the basement was uncomfortably hot, so we went outside to await 'Allo Darlin', who were due to play at 2.15pm. 'Allo Darlin's appointed hour came and went with no sign of the band, but Smoke Fairies who were due to follow them had already arrived, so they played first. By this time the sun had come out and it was quite warm, so Smoke Fairies performance felt for all the world like a sunny afternoon festival slot. Their music is rather ethereal with gorgeous harmonies and intricate finger-picking and slide guitar. Their delivery is very serious and nothing if not professional. It was a surprise to hear that most of the songs that they were playing were from their new EP and hadn't been played live before. It sounded as if they'd been playing them to audiences for years! Their final song was the most interesting, as at times it slipped into a riff that apart from the fact that it wasn't distorted and was finger-picked could have easily been a heavy rock riff. A very good band worthy of further investigation.
'Allo Darlin' had arrived just before Smoke Fairies commenced their set, and I overheard Elizabeth Morris commenting, I thought rather gloomily, that they would have to "play after them" (Smoke Fairies). She needn't have worried. What they may have lacked in comparison to the Smoke Fairies' finesse, they more than made up for in fun and spontaneity. They were minus their drummer and by Elizabeth's own admission were "busking". Paul Rains' unamplified acoustic guitar was all but inaudible, but other than that say sounded fine. We got "Dreaming", "The Polaroid Song", "Woody Allen" and the title song of the new album "Europe" amongst others. Elizabeth's promise that the band would play until we all went home didn't quite come to pass, but it was a reasonably lengthy set.
That was the end of the live music at Rough Trade West, but a band that I had never heard of called the Fair Ohs were playing at a shop in Islington called Flashback (of which I was also unaware) at 7pm. Well, it would be rude not to go and have a look wouldn't it? After a brief stop-off at the Old Queens Head on Essex Road for a little refreshment, we arrived at Flashback. The band were sound-checking behind the counter where there was a tiny stage with the drum kit and the bass player on it. The vocalist/guitarist was tucked behind the counter near a till. As it got nearer to 7pm the front door was closed and the shop staff passed amongst the audience handing out beers. What a great shop!!!
The band themselves had a distinctly lo-fi sound but with great musicianship. There was none of the thrashing that may have been expected. The bass playing was both fluid and powerful, whilst the guitar had some pretty impressive lead lines. Fair Ohs have a new album coming out next month which will certainly be well worth a listen. With the music over there was time to have a look around the shop (and drink another beer which was thrust into my hand!) and what a place it is! Loads of good quality second-hand vinyl but without the ludicrously inflated prices of some establishments. I bought the first Icicle Works single ("Nirvana" on the Troll Kitchen label from 1982) and vowed to return when I had more money to spend. We then headed for the Mucky Pup for a too short visit to the Flashback after party before we returned to deepest Sussex, and so ended a great Record Store Day.
Record Store Day is a great idea as it raises awareness of the existence of independent record shops. However, you don't need to wait until Record Store Day 2013 to enjoy these establishments. In these days of HMV, Amazon and Downloads they need as much support as they can get. Use them or lose them.
I attended for the first time last year, when I went to Brighton and visited record stores there. I was struck by the enthusiasm and excitement that the event generated, and decided that it was a 'must do' for my calendar this year. Last year I didn't see any of the live music related to the event, so decided that I would make sure that I did this year.
Therefore, I ditched my original plan to go to Brighton as there was only one gig taking place (Big Deal, who I would actually have liked to see) at Resident Records, but it was at 8am, and I wasn't convinced that I would have been able to fully appreciate them at such an hour! So London it was then.
I arrived at Sister Ray in Berwick Street to find a queue stretching halfway around the block. This did not inspire me with confidence. There was another shorter queue snaking the other way out of the door. This was for a signing session for Simple Minds, but as I've always found them at best intensely annoying I didn't join it.
As I was aware that live music at Rough Trade West commenced at 12.00, and I had arranged to meet a friend there at 11.30, I hot-footed it over there. When I arrived I found another queue with my friend already in it, but it was nowhere near as fearsome as the one at Sister Ray. However, it still took over half an hour before we made it through the door.
My partner Carole had decided that she wanted the Bat For Lashes one-sided 7", and the Kate Bush 10". Sadly both had sold out. I had opted for the double 10" of Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia demos, provided that it wasn't too expensive. There was one copy left, but I didn't think that I could justify the £39.99 asking price. Eventually Carole settled for a heart-shaped 12" of The Supremes' "Baby Love", and I bought Richard Hawley's "Leave Your Body Behind You" 10", and 7"s of The Bevis Frond "Hard Meat At The Midnight Court" and Elbow "McGreggor".
It was then time to track down some lunch, and also attempt to also track down Carole's vinyl requirements. We tried Intoxica and Honest Jon's on the Portobello Road, but to no avail, so we decided to head back to Rough Trade West for some live music. When we arrived Cate Le Bon was in the basement playing songs from her new album "CYRK". Cate has a wonderful voice which seemed to swoop and soar around the room. She only had her acoustic guitar for accompaniment, but you could hear a pin drop in the audience as she played.
It was decided to take the live music outside as the basement was uncomfortably hot, so we went outside to await 'Allo Darlin', who were due to play at 2.15pm. 'Allo Darlin's appointed hour came and went with no sign of the band, but Smoke Fairies who were due to follow them had already arrived, so they played first. By this time the sun had come out and it was quite warm, so Smoke Fairies performance felt for all the world like a sunny afternoon festival slot. Their music is rather ethereal with gorgeous harmonies and intricate finger-picking and slide guitar. Their delivery is very serious and nothing if not professional. It was a surprise to hear that most of the songs that they were playing were from their new EP and hadn't been played live before. It sounded as if they'd been playing them to audiences for years! Their final song was the most interesting, as at times it slipped into a riff that apart from the fact that it wasn't distorted and was finger-picked could have easily been a heavy rock riff. A very good band worthy of further investigation.
'Allo Darlin' had arrived just before Smoke Fairies commenced their set, and I overheard Elizabeth Morris commenting, I thought rather gloomily, that they would have to "play after them" (Smoke Fairies). She needn't have worried. What they may have lacked in comparison to the Smoke Fairies' finesse, they more than made up for in fun and spontaneity. They were minus their drummer and by Elizabeth's own admission were "busking". Paul Rains' unamplified acoustic guitar was all but inaudible, but other than that say sounded fine. We got "Dreaming", "The Polaroid Song", "Woody Allen" and the title song of the new album "Europe" amongst others. Elizabeth's promise that the band would play until we all went home didn't quite come to pass, but it was a reasonably lengthy set.
That was the end of the live music at Rough Trade West, but a band that I had never heard of called the Fair Ohs were playing at a shop in Islington called Flashback (of which I was also unaware) at 7pm. Well, it would be rude not to go and have a look wouldn't it? After a brief stop-off at the Old Queens Head on Essex Road for a little refreshment, we arrived at Flashback. The band were sound-checking behind the counter where there was a tiny stage with the drum kit and the bass player on it. The vocalist/guitarist was tucked behind the counter near a till. As it got nearer to 7pm the front door was closed and the shop staff passed amongst the audience handing out beers. What a great shop!!!
The band themselves had a distinctly lo-fi sound but with great musicianship. There was none of the thrashing that may have been expected. The bass playing was both fluid and powerful, whilst the guitar had some pretty impressive lead lines. Fair Ohs have a new album coming out next month which will certainly be well worth a listen. With the music over there was time to have a look around the shop (and drink another beer which was thrust into my hand!) and what a place it is! Loads of good quality second-hand vinyl but without the ludicrously inflated prices of some establishments. I bought the first Icicle Works single ("Nirvana" on the Troll Kitchen label from 1982) and vowed to return when I had more money to spend. We then headed for the Mucky Pup for a too short visit to the Flashback after party before we returned to deepest Sussex, and so ended a great Record Store Day.
Record Store Day is a great idea as it raises awareness of the existence of independent record shops. However, you don't need to wait until Record Store Day 2013 to enjoy these establishments. In these days of HMV, Amazon and Downloads they need as much support as they can get. Use them or lose them.
Friday, 20 April 2012
11th April 2010 - Bad Company + The Joe Perry Project - Wembley Arena
With Aerosmith being on hiatus due (allegedly) to Steven Tyler having dramatically fallen off the wagon, Joe Perry has recorded an album ("Have Guitar Will Travel") and revived The Joe Perry Project. Perry is joined by (amongst others) original bassist David Hull and the very impressive German singer (who sounds to all the world like an American) Hagen Grohe.
On taking the stage the band immediately tear into the title track of their 1980 album "Let The Music Do The Talking", something that could very much be said to be Perry's modus operandi. The cover of "Walkin' The Dog" seems a little superfluous when Perry has so much great original music at his disposal, however a subsequent cover of Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man" shows that other people's music can be treated with a degree of imagination. The covers do seem to have been chosen imaginatively - who expected Jeremy Spencer's Fleetwood Mac song "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonite" (also covered with distinction by The Rezillos) to get an airing? However, even a support act as respected as Joe Perry only gets barely an hour to play with, and after a romp through "Train Kept A-Rollin'" and "Walk This Way" Joe and the Project are heading backstage.
The phrase "follow that!" springs to mind, but Bad Company's first London gig with Paul Rodgers on vocals for (if my memory serves me correctly) around twenty-eight years is going to take some beating, and there can't really be many more emphatic opening numbers than "Can't Get Enough". Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke both look in fine fettle, but I can't get over how goddamn old Mick Ralphs looks! He looks like a portly retired English gentleman who has treated himself to a Gibson Les Paul on which to noodle away his twilight years. Nothing wrong with his playing though - if you close your eyes it could almost be the old days.
Paul Rodgers' voice remains the impressive instrument that it always has been, and the setlist is pretty much what any Bad Co. fan would have chosen. "Seagull" is sublime and "Feel Like Makin' Love" has all the raunch of yore. During "Shooting Star" pictures of Paul Kossoff and other dead rock stars are projected onto the backdrop, making for a particularly poignant moment. The only real negative criticism is Paul Rodgers' cheerleading through the whole set. The crowd were loving the gig and there wasn't really any need for further encouragement for people to get into it. Mr Rodgers at times was just trying too hard. However, that's a minor point. A great gig, and something that they'll hopefully repeat before they're too much older!
On taking the stage the band immediately tear into the title track of their 1980 album "Let The Music Do The Talking", something that could very much be said to be Perry's modus operandi. The cover of "Walkin' The Dog" seems a little superfluous when Perry has so much great original music at his disposal, however a subsequent cover of Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man" shows that other people's music can be treated with a degree of imagination. The covers do seem to have been chosen imaginatively - who expected Jeremy Spencer's Fleetwood Mac song "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonite" (also covered with distinction by The Rezillos) to get an airing? However, even a support act as respected as Joe Perry only gets barely an hour to play with, and after a romp through "Train Kept A-Rollin'" and "Walk This Way" Joe and the Project are heading backstage.
The phrase "follow that!" springs to mind, but Bad Company's first London gig with Paul Rodgers on vocals for (if my memory serves me correctly) around twenty-eight years is going to take some beating, and there can't really be many more emphatic opening numbers than "Can't Get Enough". Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke both look in fine fettle, but I can't get over how goddamn old Mick Ralphs looks! He looks like a portly retired English gentleman who has treated himself to a Gibson Les Paul on which to noodle away his twilight years. Nothing wrong with his playing though - if you close your eyes it could almost be the old days.
Paul Rodgers' voice remains the impressive instrument that it always has been, and the setlist is pretty much what any Bad Co. fan would have chosen. "Seagull" is sublime and "Feel Like Makin' Love" has all the raunch of yore. During "Shooting Star" pictures of Paul Kossoff and other dead rock stars are projected onto the backdrop, making for a particularly poignant moment. The only real negative criticism is Paul Rodgers' cheerleading through the whole set. The crowd were loving the gig and there wasn't really any need for further encouragement for people to get into it. Mr Rodgers at times was just trying too hard. However, that's a minor point. A great gig, and something that they'll hopefully repeat before they're too much older!
9th April 1984 - The Kinks + The Truth - Leicester De Montfort Hall
The Truth were Dennis Greaves' band after Nine Below Zero split. I had seen Nine Below Zero a couple of times and enjoyed them very much, and I was pleased to discover that The Truth were worthy successors. However, apart from the fact that the personnel were different, the differences between the two bands were minimal. Doubtless this was a factor in Greaves later re-forming his former band.
Despite the fact that The Kinks were playing to a shockingly quarter empty De Montfort Hall, the sparseness of the crowd did not detract from the atmosphere. There were lots of young mods in the audience, who swarmed to the front to pogo wildly during "David Watts", and then returned to the back to stand around sulkily in their parkas and striped blazers.
The Kinks played quite a bit from their then current album "State Of Confusion", but they by no means neglected their back catalogue; "You Really Got Me", "All day And All Of The Night", "Waterloo Sunset" and "Lola" particularly standing out. However, for me the encore was a highlight: the played "I Gotta Move" which was the b-side of "All Day And All Of The Night", a childhood favourite of mine.
The band played with a great degree of tautness and energy and deserved a far bigger and more enthusiastic audience. Rumours abound that they are going to return in some shape or form, if only the Davies brothers can bring themselves to speak to each other.....
Despite the fact that The Kinks were playing to a shockingly quarter empty De Montfort Hall, the sparseness of the crowd did not detract from the atmosphere. There were lots of young mods in the audience, who swarmed to the front to pogo wildly during "David Watts", and then returned to the back to stand around sulkily in their parkas and striped blazers.
The Kinks played quite a bit from their then current album "State Of Confusion", but they by no means neglected their back catalogue; "You Really Got Me", "All day And All Of The Night", "Waterloo Sunset" and "Lola" particularly standing out. However, for me the encore was a highlight: the played "I Gotta Move" which was the b-side of "All Day And All Of The Night", a childhood favourite of mine.
The band played with a great degree of tautness and energy and deserved a far bigger and more enthusiastic audience. Rumours abound that they are going to return in some shape or form, if only the Davies brothers can bring themselves to speak to each other.....
7th April 2001 - Show Of Hands - London Royal Albert Hall
It is not the first time that Show Of Hands have sold out the Royal Albert Hall. The Devon folksters have a loyal following who seemingly are quite happy to shell out to see the band at the venerable venue. They are fine musicians (Phil Beer has previously played with the Albion band and Mike Oldfield amongst others) who produce pleasant and melodic folk music. However, I found their music ultimately rather bland. They don't have the edge of others of their ilk such as Fairport Convention for example. They're basically just too 'nice'.
However, they do stand out for providing the most toe-curlingly cringeworthy moment that I have ever witnessed at a gig: when Steve Knightley proposed to his girlfriend who was in a box towards the back of the venue. The young lady responded with a decidedly uncertain 'maybe'. Let's hope it all ended happily ever after for them.
The highlight of the gig was when they were joined by Ralph McTell who sang (what else?) "Streets Of London". All in all it the Show Of Hands experience was a reasonably pleasant one, but not one that I would necessarily want to repeat.
However, they do stand out for providing the most toe-curlingly cringeworthy moment that I have ever witnessed at a gig: when Steve Knightley proposed to his girlfriend who was in a box towards the back of the venue. The young lady responded with a decidedly uncertain 'maybe'. Let's hope it all ended happily ever after for them.
The highlight of the gig was when they were joined by Ralph McTell who sang (what else?) "Streets Of London". All in all it the Show Of Hands experience was a reasonably pleasant one, but not one that I would necessarily want to repeat.
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