Gig 'whores

[Spiteface]

So I went to see The Smashing Pumpkins last night, in Birmingham at the O2 Academy.  It was awesome.

Not much change in the sets they've been playing so far on this tour, much the same as the recent US leg, with a few omissions/changes (I was disappointed that "Obscured" and "Suffer" were gone from last night's set). Kicking off with two new songs "Quasar" and "Panopticon" was a pretty bold move seeing as the album's not due out for a few months, but made for a good start. Those songs sound very old-school Pumpkins, like they could have been on "Siamese Dream" or "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness", the rest of the newer songs are slightly less traditional, but fit in the Pumpkins canon rather well, continuing on where Billy Corgan appears to have gone since re-activating the band. "Pinwheels" is becoming my favourite of the new songs, sounds lovely. "Oceania", the title track from the forthcoming new album, is vintage Billy Corgan expanded proggy jam thing.

As for the old songs, this was a tremendous set.  Most of the old songs were actually taken from the Gish/Siamese Dream era, with a surprising blend of album tracks and B-sides - singles like "Today" and "Disarm" were notably absent, with the band instead pulling out gems like "Starla", "Geek USA" and "Silverfuck" with plenty of jamming and extended bits (chucking bits of "I am One" onto the end of "Thru the Eyes of Ruby" was a great touch).  Interestingly, there was only one song from "Adore" ("For Martha" closed the main set) and nothing from Machina.  Maybe it was because they didn't fit or something, I don't know. Billy didn't say a word between songs all night aside from the encore where he thanked everyone for coming and gushed about how great Birmingham was as the birthplace of Metal, before roundig off the night with "Zero" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings".

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The current line-up is every bit as good, if not better in some regards than the "classic" line-up with James Iha, D'arcy Wretsky and Jimy Chamberlin.  New drummer Mike Byrne does have big shoes to fill, but he's still young and is only getting better.  Jeff Schroeder's more then proven himself as a guitarist, easily able to keep up with Billy, and Nicole Fiorentino is probably the best bassist Corgan's had in his band.  She also is in the great tradition of hot female bassists that Billy's had in the Pumpkins and Zwan.

All in all, awesome night, even if my legs are killing me now. I can't walk.

[Famous Mortimer]

You answered the question I had at the start of my post (what the lineup of the band was now) but it seems odd to keep the name of the band if you ditch the rest of them, especially as he'd already recorded under a new band name. Ah well, doesn't matter if the new stuff's good, I suppose.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Saw The Dutch Uncles in a small, low room above The Rescue Rooms in Nottingham last night and was very, very impressed. The phrase "influenced by Talking Heads" has been much - and often unjustifiably - bandied about over the past few years, and it's been applied to The Dutch Uncles too, but this time it's justified. If, like me, you're a sucker for twisty, turny music with a bit of a prog edge and slightly off-kilter rhythms all done in a poppy context, then this band comes highly recommended. I just hope they don't fizzle out like most of the bands I've got excited about over the past couple of years! Yes, I'm looking at you, Indica Ritual!!!

[Pie Pie Eater]

I love that band. Their cover of Electric Counterpoint (X-O) is probably the best pop appropriation of Steve Reich that I've heard.

If, like me, you're a sucker for twisty, turny music with a bit of a prog edge and slightly off-kilter rhythms all done in a poppy context, then this band comes highly recommended.

I am indeed one of those.

[alan nagsworth]

i like them even if they do remind me a bit too much of foals but, much like foals, the vocals are very off-putting. they totally ruin that steve reich interpretation, for example! sigh. that's me disappointed with vocals and it ruining everything yet again.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Know what you mean, nags. I'm very much someone easily put off by vocals above all other aspects of a band's sound, but I've no problem with the Dutch Uncles in that respect.

[Pie Pie Eater]

I can definitely see why you wouldn't like the vocals. For me though, the ones in X-O are the only thing that give it a point, otherwise it would just be a tedious rehash.

On general gigness, I'm very excited about the next couple of weeks: going to see Pinback in Leeds tomorrow, supported by the brilliant mathy emo of Crash Of Rhinos from Derby, then on Friday it's Panda Bear supported by Stellar Om Source (who is my main reason for going to that gig, although I'm interested to see Panda Bear). And next week Nightmare Before Christmas ATP. (I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HOT SNAKES)

[thepuffpastryhangman]

Posted, like a sad boy, while my chums are either at the bar or outside foolishly smerkin tabs...during the half time intermission, awaiting the second half of The Magic Band.

Denny Walley is here. The amount of times I've heard Frank say his name at the end of Muffin Man, and here he is. I won't be overusing the term legend. Denny Walley FFS!

[thepuffpastryhangman]

They were note and tempo perfect throughout. So much so, that like the initial Record Club album, it's hard to contemplate the playing beyond that.

[Neville Chamberlain]

^

Really wanted to go to that, but frustratingly had to put in a late shift last night - even more frustratingly in my office about 2 minutes' walk from the bloody Rescue Rooms! Bah!

[thepuffpastryhangman]

They played a broad span of stuff, right from Diddy Wah Diddy to Ice Rose, oh to Run Paint Run Run even. The set included Click Clack and Grow Fins though not back-to-back.

John "Drumbo" French said they were enjoying being there and that certainly looked to be the case. Only six UK gigs I think, last one at Leeds tonight? All d'Yorkshire massif, get yer sens down.

I don't get out much, and, entirely unconnected, sometimes, usually even, I'm aware of the time, conscious how much of a film or show is left, or how long the meal take to finish, but last night it sailed past. I was really sad when it ended, and no encore either. I completely fanboyed it up and shook hands with Drumbo and Rocket Morton, telling them the show was brilliant, because it was, and that, brilliance, in anything, is bloomin' rare. Denny Walley wasn't around afterwards.

[holyzombiejesus]

I went to see Euros Childs last night and he was soooo good. Just him and a piano and he did loads of Gorky's stuff; Freckles, Humming Song, Lady Fair, Patio Song, Hodgeston's Hallelujah, Let's Get Together. He also played a variety of stuff from his solo albums, a brilliantly poppy upbeat new song, a song from his new band (Cousins, formed with one of Racehorses) and an Idle Race cover. It was just such a lovely night. Then again, I'd quite happily pay to go and see an hour of his in-between songs chattering, let alone one of my favourite singers ever palying some of my favourite songs.

[Paaaaul]

I saw Duchess Says tonight, and they were pant-wettingly good.
I must've seen about 200 bands so far this year, and they were by far the best.

Punky, dancey, motorik music by a tight band with one of the most amiable lead-singers I've seen. She made the crowd a part of the show without it seeming forced or cringeworthy.
A genuinely great euphoric show - I can't remember the last time I saw a band produce so much love in an audience.

[/hyperbole]

[boki]

Punky, dancey, motorik music by a tight band with one of the most amiable lead-singers I've seen.

You have my attention.

*skuttles off*

[djtrees]

She

You have my attention

*skuttles off*


Oh also I'm going to see Windmill Moth Glue on Friday in Liverpool. I hope they are as chaotic and crap and awesome as their record - Wizard Entrails - which you can get here

[Pie Pie Eater]

Ah yes, Duchess Says supported Yeah Yeah Yeahs last year, and mighty fine it was too.

[alan nagsworth]

Two gigs on the horizon that I am super fucking pumped for:

of Montreal @ the Koko in London, April 25th

EARTH (with Mount Eerie and Ô Paon) @ UNION FUCKIN' CHAPEL, March 11th

So to reiterate, that's the booming slog of Western drawl-drone that is the mighty EARTH, bouncing around the phenomenal acoustics of the Union Chapel, witnessed from the comfort of a god damned blessed seat. After seeing them last year at the Hare and Hounds, standing up and sweating uncomfortably, swaying softly to the music to keep some blood circulating around my legs, me, the missus and our friends are unanimously agreed that it would be better to sit down and watch the gig. Well... my prayers were answered in literally the most awesome way imaginable. Oh man. At £15 a ticket it's an absolute steal.

[ThickAndCreamy]

I saw Pantha Du Prince perform a live set the Saturday just gone. Combined with a great mate, some excellent strangers and being utterly off my tits it was the greatest live experience I've ever had.

I don't know whether I can call it a gig though, it was much more a club night. Still, it was absolutely sublime, and made me appreciate his music even more than I did originally.

[alan nagsworth]

COME AT ME LEEDS. Seriously right look at that poster. Look at it!! ARRGH YES.

I can't quite afford the Ally Pally ATP despite it being possibly the most epic metal excursion I've seen to appeal to my current tastes so a one-off Sleep gig will have to suffice. This year's shaping up to be a nice return to gigging form for me. I feel great.

[Paaaaul]

I went to see New York band The Men on Wednesday.
The poster promised a band that sounded like Ramones and Jesus Lizard which appealed to me, but they in fact sounded much more like MBV with lots of very loud waves of riffage with beautiful melodies washing over them. One of the few gigs where I've felt hypnotised by a band, and the couple of times I looked around I could see they had done the same to the entirety of the audience.

[alan nagsworth]

I really like that band but I can't help feeling like I will have forgotten them in a months' time due to their deliberately piss-awful name. In fact until you mentioned them just now I'd completely forgotten that I'd heard their album at all!

[Paaaaul]

Their bass player is a woman. LOL

[alan nagsworth]

The fucking nutters!

[RickyGerbail]

now playing: The Men - Batallie.

sounds like kings of leon.

[RickyGerbail]

i mean black rebel motorcycle club. and pissed jeans.

[Paaaaul]

I couldn't comment on what their records sounds like 'cos I haven't heard any yet, but BRMC aren't that far off the mark, though The Men's songs are longer and dreamier.

I often go to gigs without listening to the bands beforehand as I prefer the visceral rush I can get from finding a new favourite band in the live environment rather than on record.
In the last year I've seen Deerhunter, Duchess Says, Steve Mason, Crystal Stilts and Khan - none of whom I had heard before - and I loved all of them. I am sure my enjoyment was greater because of my lack of preconceptions.
Other bands I've seen that I knew beforehand have probably suffered because of it, most notably Eels, who played a weird Blues Brothers style set at Latitude subverting all their hits, and especially ruining, for me, Saturday Night which is one of my favourite songs.

[Famous Mortimer]

I went to see New York band The Men on Wednesday.
The poster promised a band that sounded like Ramones and Jesus Lizard which appealed to me, but they in fact sounded much more like MBV with lots of very loud waves of riffage with beautiful melodies washing over them. One of the few gigs where I've felt hypnotised by a band, and the couple of times I looked around I could see they had done the same to the entirety of the audience.

This is why I need to register with some sort of service that tells me when good bands are going to be playing in this country, because I think The Men are top-drawer.

[alan nagsworth]

Last.fm has a thing for that doesn't it? Recommends gigs based on what you've scrobbled and where you live (the location is optional though I believe). Have you used that before? It's come in handy a few times for me in the past.

[Dead kate moss]

Oh I saw the reformed Telescopes the other week. Very good, check them out if you can. Bit anarchic, like.

[Crabwalk]

This is why I need to register with some sort of service that tells me when good bands are going to be playing in this country, because I think The Men are top-drawer.

I use Songkick, which works well:

http://www.songkick.com