I've been a bit slack on the top 5 front this year. The main reason for that has been me trying to keep on top of my post gig reports. I've realised if I don't knock them out in the first few days following the gig they're a lot harder to write and I've been to a lot of gigs this year. So, sorry if you're missing the top fives, I'll kick off another communal vote soon.
Shonen Knife at Guildford Boileroom on Friday 22nd April 2016 - I'd had an eye on this gig for a while but hadn't bought a ticket and on a cold & rainy evening after a long week at work I almost didn't go. However, in the immediate aftermath of Prince's passing, and considering this was Shonen Knife's 35th Anniversary, I realised if I couldn't force myself to make the short drive to Guildford instead of staying slumped on the sofa I'd never get to see them.
Meilyr Jones at The MOTH Club on Tuesday 26th April 2016 - Meilyr's set was another tour-de-force. The band sounds better every time I see them. Though the songs are more or less the same, there's so much going on in each one that every set has it's own unique freshness. They looked really good in the glittery surrounds of the MOTH Club too.
The Lovely Eggs at Bethnal Green Working Men's Club on Friday 29th April 2016 - On the band's website there's a statement of intent that runs "This is our band. We do exactly what we like. Some of our songs are ten seconds long. Some are four minutes long. We don't care. Because it doesn't matter. We have a lot of different sounding songs. Welcome to our world." I think that nails what's brilliant about The Lovely Eggs.
Lush at The Roundhouse on Saturday 7th May 2016 - I got into Lush in 1990. Along with the Pixies & Nirvana they were pivotal in my conversion from Metal to Indie and other alternative music. They became my favourite band for a spell and my pal Mark and I went to see them live whenever we could.
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2016 is shaping up to be a serious years for gigs, after failing to cut back in the previous two I've let the shackles off a bit this year and I suspect I'll be well over my "no more than 2 gigs a month" limit. It's hard to cut back though when every gig I see is so good.
Laura J Martin at Servant Jazz Quarters on Wednesday 17th February 2016 - This was Laura's first headline gig for sometime though I have managed to catch her once already supporting Meilyr Jones. In her time away from the UK live scene she's been to Liverpool, Japan and most recently Nashville where she recorded her third album and first for new label Kartel. Matt Swanson and Tony Crow of Lambchop fame encouraged her to record out there with producer Mark Nevers who's worked with a host of bands but has a history with both Lambchop and Bonnie Prince Billy.
Ezra Furman at Brighton Concorde 2 on Thursday 18th February 2016 - Ezra and his band have been playing bigger venues than the C2 of late but by some cunning venue selection the C2 is the biggest venue I've seen them in so far. They look like a band that's thriving in the spotlight, growing more confident in their abilities and still having fun. It's a perfect mix and this might just be the best gig I've seen them do.
Savages at The Roundhouse on Thursday 17th March 2016 - Savages proved they are at the height of their powers right now. Tonight was just as good as that 100 Club show. I think I like the new album more than their debut, they've definitely added some really strong tunes to the set. The balcony sound was decent, and though I felt a little dislocated from gig, the view was pretty cool especially when Jehnny Beth went walkabout across the crowd.
Meilyr Jones at Rough Trade East on Tuesday 22nd March 2016 - My very first visit to Rough Trade East and I'm blown away by how big it is. Crikey, I could lose a week in here and quite possibly be bankrupt by the time I got out. This is my second Meilyr Jones gig of the year, it won't be the last, and is another "buy the album/get a free gig" deal which is a fabulous development in modern record purchase schemes.
Kiran Leonard at The Lexington on Monday 4th April 2016 - I saw Kiran a couple of years ago at The Waiting Room in Stoke Newington. That was an enjoyable show but tonight Kiran and his band took things to a whole new level. Opening with the full seventeen minute version of Pink Fruit was a bold move and one that completely floored me.
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Been a while since I posted one of these gig catch ups. I've still got a few to write up from 2015 so am trying my best to knock them out a bit quicker this year. I'm just about keeping up even if it does mean a few additional late nights.
Thee Oh Sees at The Forum on Monday 30th November 2015 - A sold out Forum was fairly rammed but as people rushed to the bar before the main band came on some space opened up and I found myself unexpectedly near the front. I love an energetic band, nearly all my favourite gigs have involved me leaping about like an idiot and leaving the venue soaked in sweat, but I'm getting on a bit and have already come a cropper once this year by getting carried away down the front. Within the first 30 seconds of the first song the front few rows had erupted and I was a lot nearer the back.
Meilyr Jones at Electrowertz on Wednesday 13th January 2016 - Meilyr Jones clicks his fingers and his band launch into a magnificent rendition of How To Recognise A Work Of Art. It's a pop powered kick to the gut. A song so perfect I can't hear it without wanting to dance (as evidenced shopping in Tesco just the other day). One of three singles that caught my attention last year and my 2nd favourite song of the year (Meilyr plays the 1st later in the set).
Savages at the 100 Club on Tuesday 26th January 2016 - A 5:30 alarm call and nothing but coffee to drink beforehand indicated this was not your run of the mill gig. A combined album/concert package via Sister Ray records in Berwick Street which doubled as the launch party for Savages new LP Adore Life. Sister Ray were very clear this would be an early morning show but it didn't really hit home until I was setting my alarm the night before. I don't get up this early for work. This probably says a lot about my life priorities though based on this evidence I've got them right.
Eleanor Friedberger at MOTH Club on Wednesday 3rd February 2016 - Eleanor has a talent for writing great pop songs. She makes great use of words to tell a story but never lets them get in the way of the tune. Considering how much effort it takes me to write these fairly shoddy gig reports I am in awe of someone who can use words so effectively and get them to fit within the limitations of a song. Eleanor seems at ease on stage though being at eye level with a room full of strangers must be a little intimidating. Not that it shows when she's singing.
Sauna Youth at The Forge on Saturday 13th February 2016 - Sauna Youth were a real blast of punk energy and it was a thrill to finally see them. Their 15 song set was over far too quickly though that's no complaint, they managed to play all my favourite tunes, just an indication I had a great time. In fact I spent most of the gig pogoing politely in what was an enthusiastic and friendly crowd.
Also, one gig I didn't make.
Lost Gigs: Motörhead at Hammersmith Odeon - As a teenage Metal Head I didn't really get into Motörhead, I had a best of (the one with the leather sleeve), but that was it. That meant at my peak of Metal and Rock gig attendance I never got to see them play. Oddly it was in the late 90s, when I was otherwise getting into Indie & Punk, that they suddenly caught my ear.
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The latest batch of gig reports, missing the mini festival of mates bands for a work function (unless I've knocked that out before this post goes live on Friday).
Barrence Whitfield & The Savages at Boileroom, Guildford on Thursday 8th October 2015 - After a relentless few weeks at work and a busy time at home I was feeling a bit frazzled on my way to Guildford for this gig but Barrence and the boys blew all that away with another blistering set of top notch pre-decimal R&B.
La Luz at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on Thursday 22nd October 2015 - I was introduced to La Luz via a random tweet on Twitter. I've forgotten who mentioned them now but the description of their style, sixties girl group meets surf rock, suggested they'd be right up my street and so it proved.
Courtney Barnett at The Forum on Wednesday 25th Nov 2015 - Tonight wasn't the best gig I've been to this year. I'm not sure why as I love Courtney's songs and her latest album is in my top 10 of the year. Maybe it was the venue (a bit bigger than my normal), or the crowd (a bit static) or maybe it was just me. Whatever the reason I didn't fully engage which was a shame as I was really looking forward to it.
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Bit of a backlog of these again, 2015 is turning out to be an amazing year for live music which isn't helping my bank balance any.
The Phantoms at The Royal Oak, Hampton on Friday 7th Aug 2015 - I've seen The Phantoms a lot, they're rapidly heading towards the top of my list of bands I've seen the most. They're pals and, despite inevitable line up changes, have been going for over 15 years now. Having previously played regularly at The Grey Horse in Kingston this was their second time at the Royal Oak and I think the new environs suited them.
Mark Lanegan Band at the Concorde 2, Brighton on Wednesday 2nd September 2015 - Mark Lanegan is a relentlessly consistent songwriter and his live band are just as consistent. I'm not sure how steady the line-up is, the last two albums have featured a rolling cast of contributors, but they sound well drilled and very loud.
Brakes at The Lexington on Monday 7th September 2015 - Brakes are a joy to see live. They cram as much fun into an hour as any band I've ever seen. Flying pineapples, false starts, broken drum sticks & audience participation all play a part in the band's return to the London stage and make this a night to remember.
Torres / Du Blonde / Harkin at The Scala on Wednesday 23rd September 2015 - Three singer songwriters all at the top of their game made for a brilliant night of music at one of my favourite venues in London.
I'm flagging behind a little with these posts. In fact there are a couple of gigs I've been to I've not managed to write up yet but here are the latest updates from my Chop's Gigs sister blog.
Trembling Bells at Cafe Oto on Tuesday 30th June 2015 - A fantastic set that was focused on the new album but featured a couple of old favourites too. They've got a classic seventies rock feel live which is really very powerful but still rooted in folk. The extra guitar opened new possibilities without overpowering the songs. Alex did a great unaccompanied tune and Lavinia & Alex brought things to a close with another a capella version of Seven Years A Teardrop.
Ezra Furman at The Boileroom, Guildford on Wednesday 8th July 2015 - Ezra Furman is a star. No doubt about it. Ezra is riding high right now but he will remain a star irrespective of fashion or music fads. He's got a captivating personality that makes you want to hear him talk or sing and his live shows are never less than brilliant fun.
C Joynes & Dead Rat Orchestra at The Laughing Bell on Wednesday 22nd July 2015 - A fabulous night with two leading lights of the contemporary folk scene combining brilliantly in a wonderfully niche venue.
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Only one gig in May which keeps this nice and short. I have been to two gigs already in June but haven't managed to write up the gig reports yet.
Dead Rat Orchestra perform Tyburnia at Apiary Studios on Friday 29th May 2015 - Another interesting project from the Dead Rat Orchestra following last years' wonderful trip along the canals & waterways. This time they were providing a live soundtrack for James Holcombe's Tyburnia film charting the history of public execution and playing in venues as close to the former locations of regional gallows as they could find.
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Did I forget to do this last month? I must have been distracted watching Carry On films.
Sharon Van Etten at Shepherds Bush Empire on Wednesday 29th April 2015 - Sharon Van Etten's recorded voice does funny things to me. Are We There was my 2014 album of the year and I'd been itching to see her live ever since. Turns out her live voice does funny things to me too.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor at Shepherd's Bush Empire on Monday 20th April 2015 - The Sad Miafioso brings the set to a suitably epic conclusion some two hours after it started. The band leave quietly one by one the sustain of guitars and the drone track continuing past the point where the lights are switched on to indicate the curfew has arrived.
Wire at The Lexington on Thursday 16th April 2015 - A brilliant night that left my ears ringing gloriously. My words can't really do them justice so I'll end with a quote from the Guardian's Dorian Lynskey who summed the night up on Twitter "Wire at the Lexington. Fierce, unpredictable, immune to nostalgia, great".
Oops! Normally get these round up links to my gig blog done a little earlier in the month but I guess I got distracted by songs about weather. For some reason all the bands I saw this month had purple light shows.
Hookworms at The Oval Space on Saturday 21st March 2015 - I wasn't expecting a lively crowd, I had my specs on instead of my contacts, but I couldn't resist getting involved with the lively element of the crowd. I love a bouncy gig and once I was down the front I was set for the rest of the night. Radio Tokyo kicked in with an even quicker drum beat and things got really lively. It was a nice crowd though, no aggressive moshing just a bunch of kids (and an old bloke wearing specs) having some fun.
Sleater-Kinney at The Roundhouse on Monday 23rd March 2015 - With my impeccable sense of timing I didn't get into Sleater-Kinney until shortly after The Woods was released and shortly before they announced they were going on an indefinite hiatus. I loved The Woods and used the last 10 years to get the rest of their back catalogue. They were firmly established at the top of my list of bands I wanted to see live when out of the blue they released the Bury Our Friends single.
Bo Ningen at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on Tuesday 31st March 2015 - Bo Ningen were amazing the last time I saw them and tonight is no different. It's a brilliant set, frantic and intense from the start, the band are so tight live they must be one of the very best bands currently touring.
Unusually my intention to ease back on the gigs has been pretty solid, my last being back at the beginning of December but then I guess January is rarely a packed month for touring bands. I managed to sneak two in before the end of Feb though and have some plans for March & April.
Queen Kwong, Upstairs at The Garage 20th Feb 2015 - My first gig of the year and it's a chance to meet a group of my Twitter pals for the first time. This was a free gig at one of my favourite venues with a stellar backing band.
The Wave Pictures at the 100 Club Wednesday 25th Feb 2015 - I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to finally see The Wave Pictures live. I love gigs at the 100 club so I'm always keen to see bands I like play here. It's elongated stage can sometimes make for awkward viewing but it feels like a proper venue, has some lovely staff and oozes history.
The year has ended rapidly and I've failed miserably to get any more top fives completed but I couldn't let the year go without linking to the last two gigs of the year. If all goes to plan I'll try and put up a Christmas themed top five on Christmas Day and then do my end of year lists fashionably late in January to kick off 2015 in style.
Barrence Whitfield & The Savages at The Jazz Cafe on Saturday 22nd November 2014 - My first live experience with Barrence Whitfield and The Savages was a thrilling night of Soul infused, hard Rocking, pre-decimal Rhythm & Blues. A band I guarantee you'd have a good time watching and one that will be high on my list of bands to catch live whenever I can.
dEUS at The Scala on Wednesday 10th December 2014 - dEUS have been around since 1994 and were the first Belgian Indie band to sign to a major international label. I first discovered them through their third album, and major label debut, The Ideal Crash. It was an impulse buy, partly motivated by a very short review I read but mainly due to the cover. Despite the proverb I’m generally of the opinion that judging books by their covers is a fairly successful way of finding good stuff to read. I’m less likely to follow that approach with music but every now and again I’m drawn to an album entirely thanks to the artwork. The Ideal Crash is the ultimate example of this, I’m not sure why (maybe I just really like Orange) but it didn’t really matter what that review said, I knew I wanted this album. In the days before Spotify that meant stumping up hard earned cash too, no opportunity to try before you buy.
[** Warning: This is more a schematic of the venue than a gig review.]
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Yikes! Things have been a bit hectic and I've not had any time to even think about top fives, let alone write one. One of the reasons for that was an increase in the number of gigs I went to, so here are the next batch of gig reports just to tide you over for a few more weeks.
British Sea Power "Sea of Brass" at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-sea on Friday 24th October 2014 - My first British Sea Power since I began writing this blog. This was the first night of the “Sea of Brass” tour, combining the BSP live experience with a 28-piece championship Brass Band. The brainchild of conductor Peter Wraight who arranged bespoke brass parts to accompany a selection of Sea Power songs from throughout their back catalogue.
Hookworms at The Dome, Tufnell Park on Tuesday 28th October 2014 - After starting the month seeing Goat at the Roundhouse I continued the Psych theme with a stunning show from Leeds based Hookworms. Like Goat, this was a gig my pal Chris had wanted to see, and like Goat I found the band suddenly clicked for me in the weeks just before the gig. The single On Leaving particularly caught my attention and I found a new love of the debut album too, which combined to raise my excitement levels prior to the show.
The Godfathers at The Lexington on Friday 31st October 2014 - The first London gig for the new Godfather's line up following something of a bust up that briefly derailed the band earlier in the year. Chris & Peter Coyne have been at this for too long to let the loss of another lead guitarist (and a drummer) hold them back and the new five piece line-up sees them return to a two guitar approach.
Steve Hackett "Genesis Revisted" at G-Live, Guilford on Monday 3rd November 2014 - Part of an extended run of dates for Steve Hackett's Genesis Revisited shows with a few set changes to keep it interesting for those that saw him last year. You know you're at a Prog Rock gig when there are more balding heads than people with hair and the venue runs out of Hog's Back Brewery T.E.A. before the main act arrives on stage.
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My cunning plan of using the Top 50 Debut Albums list as a way to keep the blog ticking over and build up a stash of top fives inevitably failed miserably so I'm back to using my usual space filler of catching up with the gig posts from my other blog.
The Dead Rat Orchestra at The London Canal Museum, Monday 28th July 2014 - During July & August 2014 the Dead Rat Orchestra undertook a tour by boat along the canals and waterways from London to Bristol. This was the opening night in the heart of town at the London Canal Museum.
The Dead Rat Orchestra at Staines-upon-Thames Memorial Gardens, Thursday 31st July 2014 - Day Four & Gig Two of the Dead Rat Orchestra's river & canals tour. I don't live very far from Staines so couldn't resist the short trip to see the DRO play a free lunch time set.
The Bad Shepherds at The Great British Beer Festival, Olympia Grand Hall, Thursday 14th August 2014 - A trip to The Great British Beer Festival coincided with an appearance by Ade Edmondson's Punk Folk covers band The Bad Shepherds. Inevitably after arriving around one o'clock, and despite my best intentions to "take it easy", by the time the Shepherds came on I was a little bit drunk. In fact, if I'm honest, I was SO drunk I can't remember a great deal about the show at all.
Goat at The Roundhouse, Friday 3rd October 2014 - A trip to The Roundhouse for an evening of Psych headlined by Sweden's magnificent Goat. A band who remain tantalisingly anonymous, wearing a variety of masks on stage and creating a feelgood vibe that put a smile on everyone's face.
The Necks at Café Oto, Tuesday 7th October 2014 - The second of a three night residency by Australian experimental jazz trio that gave me my first taste of live improvisational music. This was also my first trip to Café Oto, which is almost certainly the most hip venue I've ever been too with a fairly decent selection of Belgian beers. This review probably not massively aided by my intake of the 6% Brugse Zot.
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The World Cup has slowed me down a little with the Top 5 production so here's the latest batch of gig review links to tide you over.
Laura J Martin at The Ivy House - Thursday 5th June 2014 - I've written about Laura J Martin a lot and was beginning to wonder if I'd have anything new to say about yet another gig but this was another fabulous night and in brand new territory for me too. In fact I'd never been to Peckham before let alone the venue and despite the myriad of public transportation options, found the venue fairly easily. A regular train followed by an overground train (after a few moments of indecision at Clapham Junction) and then a bus ride and a short walk eventually led me to The Ivy House, a smashing pub saved from closure about a year ago and now run by the local community. It used to be known as The Newlands Tavern and seems to have had quite a history of live music. Dr Feelgood played several times and other famous performers to appear include Joe Strummer, Ian Dury and early psychedelic Status Quo.
Dustaphonics at The Jazz Cafe - Friday 30th May 2014 - This was a combined celebration of the 14th anniversary of London retro club night Raison d'etre and the album launch party for the Dustaphonics new album Big Smoke London Town.
Swans at Sub89, Reading - Thursday 29th May 2014 - Swans were so amazing the last time I saw them I almost didn't bother with a date on this tour to avoid the inevitable anti-climax. I needn't have worried, the current line-up of Swans are so good could never be anything less than outstanding & are only really competing with their own high standards. They were fantastic again tonight despite a series of events that would have derailed my enjoyment of most other bands.
Bit of a stop gap post as it's half term and I've not got round to writing a new top five. My other blog was supposed to just give me a place to record gig set lists but has kind of taken on a life of it's own and is rapidly growing into a journal of my complete failure to cut back on live music. I guess there are worse things to be obsessed with.
Kiran Leonard at The Waiting Room - Friday 11th April 2014 - I'd never been to Stoke Newington before. It seems the music industry's current focus on East London is determined to take me to new and unexplored areas of Town. When I was a teenager & getting to gigs on my moped my Dad refused to let me go to Walthamstow as he felt it was too rough. Kiran Leonard is 18 and not only allowed to visit the edgier parts of London but also creating some of the most unique new music I've heard for some time.
School Of Language at The Lexington - Wednesday 23rd April 2014 - I assume you know that School of Language are the band David Brewis has put together as a solo project for the moments when Field Music are on hiatus. Since Field Music went on a break, following their Mercury Music Prize nominated album Plumb, David has put together a live band to back Eleanor Friedberger on her recent UK tour, produced a the excellent new SoL album Old Fears and reworked several songs from the SoL debut LP for release as a pre-order enticement.
The Sonics at Concorde 2, Brighton - Monday 5th May 2014 - I had unfinished business with The Sonics. The last time I saw them live (which was also the first time the reformed line-up played in the UK) was back in 2008. I was near the back and I didn't really connect with the show the way I'd hoped for. Tonight I made sure I was right down the front and the band did not disappoint.
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