Gig 'whores

[Bobby Treetops]

I was surprised to find that the spectacle of This Heat's Charles Howard playing the snare drum continually for half an hour could be so absorbing, but you live and learn.

[alan nagsworth]

I've had a fucking rollicking weekend of gigs. My friend co-runs the exceptionally shit-hot Church of Sound night at St James the Great church in Clapton and I had the immense pleasure, stoned out of my gourd, of watching veteran performers The Cookers deliver two blinding sets. They had a couple of stand-ins as two of the members had suffered minor strokes and one had to have his bloody leg amputated(!), but it was scorching nonetheless. These dudes are getting old, but my god can they play.

On Friday I copped Rina Sawayama at the Garage, a rising pop artist who already has all of the glamour and swagger of a stadium-filling mega-star. Backing dancers, outfit changes, sensational dance routines, a fantastic voice and a crowd of people going absolutely wild for the whole thing. I've been waiting to see her since I discovered her debut mini-album RINA last year, and I loved every minute. She is superb. After that, I dashed home, got changed and swung over to Seven Sisters for a couple of hours of techno courtesy of the Dont collective, which was also very good.

Finally, last night after some delicious Vietnamese food, I saw Ben Folds play a solo set at the Barbican. It was everything I'd hoped to see and more: story-telling between every song, perfect performances, oozing tender charm and rich musicality throughout. The most surprising part of the evening was at the end of Steven's Last Night in Town, where a drum kit was assembled on stage and Folds ran over and hammered out this massive drum solo. The audience were beside themselves. Oh, and he played Brick, and I cried.

Phew honestly, quite the emotional comedown I'm enduring today as a result!

[non capisco]

I saw Deerhunter debuting new material in Brighton last night. If the songs they played are any indication then the next album is going to be a noisy, woozy delight. Sounded like they've re-embraced those gorgeous hazy guitar washes that were all over 'Cryptograms'. 'Futurism' and 'No-One's Sleeping' in particular sounded like instant Bradford Cox classics.

[hermitical]

I was surprised to find that the spectacle of This Heat's Charles Howard Hayward playing the snare drum continually for half an hour could be so absorbing, but you live and learn.

I saw Jon Mueller do a similar thing at the Arnolfini in Bristol, maybe about 45 minutes, it was thrilling.
I nearly went too see the Hayward/Cannell thing in Bristol the other night but couldn't be bothered to do the hour drive

[hermitical]

Actually I also saw saw Sarah Hennies perform a couple of solo drum sets at Cafe Kino in Bristol a few years back
https://vimeo.com/124915570
https://vimeo.com/124953433

[king_tubby]

Chris Corsano playing solo drums is one of the best things I have ever seen.

[hermitical]

Yeah, I can imagine. I think I've only seen him as part of a duo and in a group setting.

[Bobby Treetops]

I saw Deerhunter debuting new material in Brighton last night. If the songs they played are any indication then the next album is going to be a noisy, woozy delight. Sounded like they've re-embraced those gorgeous hazy guitar washes that were all over 'Cryptograms'. 'Futurism' and 'No-One's Sleeping' in particular sounded like instant Bradford Cox classics.

I loved the woozy elements to the earlier stuff so really looking forward to the new material now, did they play a brilliantly long version of 'Nothing Ever Happened'?

[Bobby Treetops]

I saw Jon Mueller do a similar thing at the Arnolfini in Bristol, maybe about 45 minutes, it was thrilling.
I nearly went too see the Hayward/Cannell thing in Bristol the other night but couldn't be bothered to do the hour drive

The vibrations of the room and my brain produced underlying drones beneath the drumming and all in all it was a rather relaxing experience. I found myself drifting off into sleep at one point, or maybe that was just the night before catching up on me. Laura Cannell was good as well.

[Blinder Data]

Well, I enjoyed my time at All Points East on Sunday. Björk's show was pretty spectacular, especially with the thunderstorms in the background. I'm glad I was pretty close to the front so I could appreciate the staging, and had listened to Utopia beforehand as there were few classics on the setlist. The new album is hardly banger-tastic but there is some strong stuff in there. Human Behaviour and particularly Isobel sounded great though.

Flying Lotus' 3D was flipping brilliant. The visuals were so arresting I barely danced a jig. I pity the poor people who saw it on drugs as it was overwhelming even for me, dehydrated and slightly tipsy. Best 3D show I've ever seen.

Kelala was disappointing sadly. The sound felt way too bassy for me, though despite that I'm not sure what live setting would suit her music. Never heard much Sylvan Esso but they certainly showed her how to put on a show in the "one female vocalist and dude behind the decks" stakes.

Khruangbin, Kelly Lee Owens and Parcels (despite their dress sense making me want to hate them) were all very enjoyable. The tiny bit of Beck I saw seemed like a proper good show, as did Friendly Fires. That would be my main complaint about the festival tbh - all the acts I wanted to see seemed to have their sets scheduled to clash.

[non capisco]

I loved the woozy elements to the earlier stuff so really looking forward to the new material now, did they play a brilliantly long version of 'Nothing Ever Happened'?

No 'Nothing Ever Happened' but they played  extended versions of 'Desire Lines' and 'He Would Have Laughed'. The guitar pile-on outro of the former sounded COLOSSAL.

[holyzombiejesus]

Chris Corsano playing solo drums is one of the best things I have ever seen.

He's playing at my local in a few weeks. Saw him once in a tiny upstairs room in Fallowfield and then at Blackpool's Empress Ballroom with Bjork.

[king_tubby]

He's playing at my local in a few weeks. Saw him once in a tiny upstairs room in Fallowfield and then at Blackpool's Empress Ballroom with Bjork.

Todmorden? Lucky you, that Golden Lion place gets some amazing gigs. He's playing with Mick Flower isn't he? I've seen them do some amazing sets here in Leeds.

[king_tubby]

Saw the Breeders last night and they were life affirming, especially as I haven't really listened to anything they've done since Pod.

Leeds Stylus is an awful venue though.

[holyzombiejesus]

Todmorden? Lucky you, that Golden Lion place gets some amazing gigs. He's playing with Mick Flower isn't he? I've seen them do some amazing sets here in Leeds.

Yeah, it's surprising and brilliant the amount of good stuff they put on there. I used to hate the venue as it was all a bit random, decor and beer-wise. I ordered a pint of ale there once and they served it in a Stella goblet and they don't even sell Stella. Once I went in and there was blood all over one of the tables and a nearby bookshelf housed an empty connect 4 board, an old fashioned hooter and an empty plan pot. I forgave all that when they did their 'pay what you can afford' Christmas dinner, along with games and presents and a lift home and now I really like the place. There's a little side bar now that sells loads of nice beers and has folky stuff on of a Sunday afternoon. They've got Michael Hurley on next week. Jane Weaver in about a month with Jarvis Cocker DJing.

[hermitical]

I've seen Flower-Corsano - lovely stuff

[non capisco]

Saw Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds tonight. He clambered over to where we were and intoned down to us in that pointy way he does. I was staring right into the actual boat race of yer actual Nick Cave, CaB, weathered by tragedy but still devastating. He don't half have a great fizzog, old Nick. Absolutely spellbinding from start to finish. They played 'Girl In Amber' with that haunting back projection of Brighton Beach and I realised NO-ONE WAS TALKING. The whole of a Victoria Park festival crowd had just shut the fuck up and were rapt. Not many acts could pull that off. With this and Sparks I have been spoilt this month, two of the greatest gigs I think I've ever experienced. By fucking Christ I love live music.

[Josef K]

I was there too, incredible experience. I've only ever seen him at the 02 and last night in Victoria Park, potentially awful venues but he turned them into intense, weirdly intimate experiences.

10/10, would Cave again.

[jobotic]

Good wasn't it? Weird when it looked like he was about to go all Jonestown.

I thought Patti Smith was Gloriaous too. Not really my thing and when she started with a Ginsberg poem I thought oh here we go. By the end I wanted to hug everyone in the world, or at least the white middle class part of it I was, and punch some world leaders. She was brilliant. More of a legend than a bloke with an empty pint on his head and his cock out at a rugby club.

Courtney Barnett was good, didn't know her. Referred to her as Courtney Barrett all day.

Trains are cunts though. Horrible journey home.

[non capisco]

I thought Patti Smith was Gloriaous too. Not really my thing and when she started with a Ginsberg poem I thought oh here we go. By the end I wanted to hug everyone in the world, or at least the white middle class part of it I was, and punch some world leaders. She was brilliant. More of a legend than a bloke with an empty pint on his head and his cock out at a rugby club.

Yeah, Patti closing her set with Gloria was fantastic. That and when Cave played Jubilee Street were two occasions when I almost didn't feel I was in charge of my own essence. I was just flailing about in music land. Absolutely magic. Bo Ningen earlier in the day were also a thrill. A grand day out and the only time I've ever seen outdoor live music at Victoria Park which didn't sound like a muffled fart.

[Spiteface]

Off to see My Bloody Valentine in Birmingham 2 weeks from Friday. Last time I saw them 5 years ago was great, and You Made Me Realise live is something that has to be experienced in person. Never felt sound like that before or since.

[alan nagsworth]

Bagged tickets for Blonde Redhead in August at Islington Assembly Hall, based solely off the remembrance that Misery is a Butterfly was stunning and beautiful when I heard it some years ago, and that In Particular is a phenomenal song. Went back and listened to Barragan, Misery and 23 and am just constantly blown away by how much they've evolved their sound over the years and how fucking gorgeous their music is. So bloody excited now.

[king_tubby]

Yeah, should be off to see them when they play here. Sea & Cake tomorrow, Blonde Redhead on Friday, but no-one else I know is going so might not bother.

[alan nagsworth]

Fucking go you knobhead

[king_tubby]

Heh.

[boki]

Annehbuggoh goin' Download, then?  I've just bought a Sunday only ticket.

[New Jack]

Going to Kaleidoscope in Landan end of July... finally gonna see Ghostpoet live! Been having a listen on Spotify to the rest, think I'll enjoy The Go Team as well. The 2 Bears also caught my ear, could be a larf.

[Artie Fufkin]

The Go Team as well.

Desperate to see The Go! Team

[sevendaughters]

Saw John Maus absolutely obliterate Leeds last night. Super crowd, total self-annihilation from John, band are on song, ten on ten. Preoccupations in the big room just before were just fine.

[king_tubby]

Heh, yeah, I saw that Nathan had sorted the times so people could go to both gigs.

Low next week, and I am definitely going to this as I've forked out for a ticket and we've got a babysitter booked.