Top 5 Gigs of 2016

2016 was shit for many reasons but it was absolutely brilliant for live music. After a few years of failing to cut down I let the shackles off and, to be honest, got a little bit carried away. I managed 40 gigs in all making 2016 my most giggy year since 1991.

1. Thee Oh Sees at The Coronet (Friday 2nd September) - I very nearly didn't go to this after a busy week and a lot of travelling. Thank heavens I did. Thee Oh Sees were magnificent and the night was made all the better by two great support acts in The Blind Shake & Magnetix. Despite my comments about gig number 3 THIS was technically the most jumpy up and down though I avoided the chaos and watched from a "safe space". Full gig report

2. Meilyr Jones at Village Underground (Thursday 6th October) - I saw Meilyr five times this year and he was never less than excellent. This gig, the last of the bunch, was the best night by fractions. Full gig report

3. Japandroids at Birthdays (Thursday 20th October) - The most jumpy up & down gig of the year. After being on holiday when tickets went on sale I snagged a ticket the day before and got in early to make sure I was right down the front. It was another wild night, undoubtedly the most sweaty I got all year. Great support from Slowcoaches too. Full gig report

4. Low at Union Chapel (Tuesday 6th December) - I saw Low twice this year. This show was a little special with Low playing a set of their Christmas tunes and a more regular set in one of my favourite venues in London.

5. The Masonics, Ye Nuns & The Baron Four at The Lexington (Wednesday 21st December) - Garage Punk triple bill in aid of War Child. A boozy pre-Crimbo night made exceptional by the brilliant Ye Nuns set.

Top 5 Gigs of 2015

If 2015 was a wonderful year for new recorded music (and I think it was) it also mirrored this in the standard of gigs I went to. Another year where I intended to cut back, another year where I averaged two a month. I'm not going to bother even suggesting cutting back next year. Almost without exception every gig I went to was fantastic which made it all the harder to pick my top five. In the end these five were the ones I think I'll remember the most (though a special mention for Brakes at The Lexington for missing out by a smidge)

5. Barrence Whitfield & The Savages at The Boileroom, Guildford (Thursday 8th October) - The Boileroom managing a pretty good hit rate, two gigs both in my top five (and not just because I could get home at a reasonable time). The crowd was a little sparse for these Garage Punk R&B titans but they didn't let that stop them putting on a belter of a show that literally set the hairs on my neck on end.

Read full report at Chopper's Gigs

4. Hookworms at The Oval Space (Saturday 21st March)- The most energetic gig of the year, and the one time I let myself get really carried away leading to aggravating a calf muscle injury and spending most of the next week limping. It was totally worth it though.

Read full report at Chopper's Gigs

3. C.Joynes & Dead Rat Orchestra at The Laughing Bell (Wednesday 22nd July) - A contender for the smallest venue I've ever been to, and almost certainly the hardest to find. Effectively a studio flat in Bermondesy. I've seen the DRO plenty of times now but this was my first experience of their collaboration with guitar maestro C.Joynes. The cosiness of the venue made the evening feel very special and the music was spellbinding. A magical night.

Read full report at Chopper's Gigs

2. Ezra Furman at The Boileroom, Guildford (Wednesday 8th July) - My first trip to the Boileroom proved to be very successful. Ezra is a joy to see live and this show left me with a huge smile on my face. A few months later he was playing a sold out Shepherd's Bush Empire but a short UK tour of much smaller venues provided me with one of my best nights out this year.

Read full report at Chopper's Gigs

1. Sleater-Kinney at The Roundhouse (Monday 23rd March) - My first chance to see a band that had become one of my all time favourites during their period of hiatus since 2006. Although the venue and audience provided some challenges the band completely overcame them with a fantastic set of new and old songs.


Read full report at Chopper's Gigs

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Top 5 Gigs of 2014

Another year in which I intended to cut back on gigs but failed to resist the lure of exciting new bands (and a few exciting old ones). Technically I did go to less but only by 3 so not really the reduction I was aiming for. I managed a total of 23, just one short of two a month, which is too many though were on the whole all fabulous nights and a large reason why I failed to keep this blog ticking over.

1. Status Quo at Hammersmith Odeon (Friday 28th March) - Roughly a year on from the first time I saw the classic "Frantic Four" line up here was one last chance to catch them live. So, Quo grab the prize two years in a row. That may seem a bit repetitive (ironically) but this was genuinely the best gig of the year for me. They played pretty much the same set (bar a couple of songs) as the previous year but I was significantly less drunk and enjoyed it all the more. Tonight had the added bonus of the Wilko Johnson Band as support and Wilko was in fine form, a real privilege to see him strut his stuff and, following the news about his successful operation, hopefully not the last.

read full report at Choppers Gigs

2. The Sonics at Brighton Concorde 2 (Monday 5th May) - I had unfinished business with The Sonics. The last time I saw them live (which was also the first time the reformed line-up had played in the UK) was back in 2008. I was near the back and 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. In fact they were on blistering form, which was pretty impressive for a band made up largely of septuagenarian's. I also got to meet Gary from BBC's Big Allotment Challenge.

read full report at Choppers Gigs

3. Goat at The Roundhouse (Friday 3rd October) - A band who remain tantalisingly anonymous, wearing a variety of masks on stage and, so far, eluding my attempts to Google their names. The two female vocalists never stop to chat to the audience but kept the crowd captivated with their harmonious vocals and non-stop dancing. Goat have a brilliantly feelgood vibe that put a smile on everyone's face and got everyone dancing.

read full report at Choppers Gigs

4. Mogwai at the Royal Festival Hall (Friday 24th January) - Very few things match the buzz of getting a ticket for a sold out show on the day of the gig. With new album Rave Tapes dominating my playlist I made a late decision to try and get tickets. Magically the RFH came to my rescue by releasing a few extra restricted view tickets in the week of the show. This worked out brilliantly for me as I ended up in a fantastic spot and saw a spectacular gig from one of my favourite bands.

read full report at Choppers Gigs

5. Dead Rat Orchestra at The London Canal Museum (Monday 28th July) - During July & August 2014 the Dead Rat Orchestra undertook a unique tour across the canals and waterways that run from London to Bristol. This was the opening night of a 273 mile odyssey that really captured my imagination. They planned to gather stories and write songs as the journey progressed, incorporating these into their live set as the journey progressed. This first night was wonderful and ended with the band playing as their small cruiser sailed off into the dark ...

... then they came back, still playing the same tune. Having formally launched the tour there was time for one last encore downstairs, which I watched from behind a coat rack. I had hoped to catch them again further down river but in the end only managed one other performance, a free gig at Staines Memorial Gardens a few days later.

read full report at Choppers Gigs


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Top 5 Gigs at the University of London Union

A very quick top five this week as I've not had a lot of spare time. I found out through Twitter that the University of London Union, known colloquially as ULU, effectively closed down as of Wednesday night. After some fifty years of student control, the University of London Union building is to be unceremoniously prised from student hands.

There is no guarantee that the notorious central London venue (that has played host to everyone from Arcade Fire to Coldplay and from Tinchy Stryder to the Foo Fighters) will remain an active music venue. This is a great shame as I've been to some cracking gigs there. Actually, as it turned out I've been to precisely five gigs there but they were all good enough to leave a lasting impression and make me sad that it might be a venue I'll never visit again.

1. The Dirtbombs (2008) - Second time I'd seen The Dirtbombs but the best and a utterly brilliant gig. I was a little bit drunk by the time they came on stage and had a fantastic night. Lots of pogoing down the front and a night I made a lot of new friends too.

2. And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead (2000) - Another sweaty night of uncontrolled abandon as the Trail of Dead tore the roof of the venue. this gig was in support of the phenomenal Madonna album and was the first time I saw them live. Bizarrely they were supported by Snow Patrol who went on to have a little bit of chart success.

3. Detroit Cobras (2004) - I was very very drunk this night. Considerably more so than the Dirtbombs gig, to the extent I lost my glasses in the melee down the front and only found their shattered remains at the end of the show. Totally worth it though, an amazing live band.

4. New Fast Automatic Daffodils (1990) - Early nineties baggie influence here. I discovered the New FADS thanks to an incredible session for John Peel. They never quite achieved those heights again but this was a fabulous gig and the first time I'd been to ULU. Back then you still had to pay a £1 fee to gain temporary Student Union membership so you could get in.

5. Hope of the States (1993) - HotS were one of the first British attempts at post rock. Clearly influenced by Godspeed You Black Emperor they ploughed a more commercial furrow that could have taken post rock to a whole new level. They were supported by Razorlight who will forever be famous for hoisting Johnny Borrell and the Hoxton Mullet on an unsuspecting audience.

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Top 5 Gigs of 2013

I was supposed to be cutting back but 2013 turned out not just to be my most frequent gig year since the peak of my addiction back in the early 90s but also the best. I give each concert a mark out of ten with eleven (hat tip Spinal Tap) reserved for the very best. Last year I saw seven gigs I consider worthy of an eleven, which must be a record though did make compiling this top five all the harder.

1. Status Quo at Hammersmith Odeon - Yep, the original frantic four back on stage for the 1st time since I started going to gigs. Quo were the band that got me into music & one of the first bands I saw but this was my first show with Alan on bass & John on drums.

Full gig report at Chopper's Gigs

Best. Night. Ever.

2. Swans at the Concorde 2 - My first brush with Mr Gira & my first gig wearing earplugs. This was an astonishing assault on the senses but also a fantastic gig.

Full gig report at Chopper's Gigs

3. The Breeders at The Forum - The whole of Last Splash followed by the whole of Pod made for a magical evening that will live long in my memory.

Full gig report at Chopper's Gigs

Kim Deal photo courtesy @substandardnerd

4. Japandroids at Dingwalls - I love Japandroids but wasn't expecting this to reach the heights of previous shows. Turned out it was another absolute blast and also their last London show for some time.

Full gig report at Chopper's Gigs

5. Pixies at Hammersmith Odeon - Rattled through more songs than you could resonably expect to fit into 90 minutes and were as good as any time I'd seen them before. I also think this was their last ever show with replacement bassist Kim Shattuck. Shame, I kind of liked her.

Full gig report at Chopper's Gigs

And, seeing as it was such an amazing year (and I've already posted this on Twitter), here are the rest of my top ten.

6. Low at Cambridge Junction - Just misses out. A 3 hour drive to get there but worth every second. A simply stunning set that confirmed I must ALWAYS go and see Low in future.

7. The Jim Jones Revue at The Sebright Arms - Always amazing live & doubly so in a tiny pub in the East End of London.

8. Bo Ningen at The Scala - An explosion of colour & elbows & huge riffs. Totally blew me away.

9. Euros Childs at Boston Music Rooms - Great set from Euros with added Laura J Martin in his band and as support. I also laughed more at Euros' between song chat than at any other gig I can remember.

10. Desaparecidos at the Electric Ballroom - A blistering set from Connor & pals at their much delayed (10 years after their only album came out) 1st UK gig.

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Top 5 Gigs of 2012

I'd intended to cut back a little on gigs last year but somehow that ended up with me going to more than I'd managed for a good ten years. I also started a new blog under a similar false impression that doing so would help me spend less time blogging. To be fair to myself, it was only supposed to be a way to capture set lists but typically spiraled into something more extensive. My number one was never in doubt but picking the other four was hard as I had at least seven good contenders for the remaining places.

1. Japandroids at Upstairs at the Garage (29th May) - It seems it doesn't matter that I'm now in my mid-forties, I still enjoy a gig that involves leaping around like an idiot in the middle of a bunch of sweaty strangers. Japandroids are a great live band and this was the second of three times I saw them in 2012. It was also my first visit to the Upstairs venue at The Garage. I was really impressed. The sound was really good and the band were on top form.
Chopper's Gigs: Japandroids Upstairs at the Garage

Photo courtesy my crappy HTC camera phone - it's of a bloke from the crowd singing Darkness on the Edge of Gastown

2. The Jim Jones Revue at The Concorde 2, Brighton (24th October) - The Jim Jones Revue proved they'd lost known of their rock'n'roll swagger despite broadening their horizons on the latest album. I went down with a car load of pals to this one and had a fantastic night.
Chopper's Gigs: The Jim Jones Revue at The Concorde 2

Photo courtesy @TrevorMakey

3. Laura J Martin at The Little Chapel behind The Galley Cafe (9th May) - I'm pretty sure anyone who's read this blog will be familiar with my ongoing obsession with Laura. I saw her three times last year too but this show, in the tiniest and most intimate of venues, was my favourite.
Chopper's Gigs: Laura J Martin at The Little Chapel, Gallery Cafe

Photo courtesy Annie Hall

4. The Low Anthem at Bush Hall (29th August) - A gig of two halves would you believe? The first part saw the band crank out some of their rockier numbers alongside a couple of Tom Waits covers. The second saw them turn on the "Moth Machine" and everything taking a turn for the psychedelic. To be honest the strobes gave me a bit of a headache after a while but I was no less captivated. There was even time for a comedy interlude sung by drummer Jeff Prystowsky, including a brilliant tune in praise of Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants.
Chopper's Gigs: The Low Anthem at Bush Hall

Photo courtesy @Boring_Craig

5. Trembling Bells with Bonnie Prince Billy at The Union Chapel (6th May) - Another special show. I'd not seen Bonnie Prince Billy before so that was a bonus but I was really here because I was desperate to catch Trembling Bells live. Their joint set spanned the best of their collaborative LP as well as a fine selection of tunes from Will's back catalogue and a couple of cracking covers. For those that got there early, there was the added treat of seeing Alex & Lavinia (of Trembling Bells) perform an a capella set with Harry & Katy of Muldoon's Picnic.
Chopper's Gigs: Trembling Bells at The Union Chapel

Photo courtesy of vicaviber on Twitter

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Chopper's Gigs and a brief hiatus

I got off to a bit of a flyer this year and had most of the last few posts written comfortably before the end of February. Since then life has somewhat taken over again and I find myself without any completed top fives.

Rather than rush a couple of short posts out I've decided to take a short hiatus from regular Friday posting. This will give me a bit of time to do some other writing (I've promised Richard at Craven Cottage Newsround I'll get my bit for the next Fulham Review done nice and early for a change) and try to stack up the next batch of top fives.

In the meantime you might like to check out my other blog, Chopper's Gigs. This is an attempt to create my own version of Ray's Gigs now that SongKick has disappointingly removed all the cool stuff from it's website.

So far I've only covered gigs I've been to this year but eventually I hope to record all the bands I've ever seen in one huge multimedia frenzy *.

(* That's if I haven't smashed my monitor into little pieces due to my frustration with Tumblr in the meantime.)

GIG 1 Field Music at KCLSU - In which I get too drunk to remember anything about the show.

GIG 2 Neil Cowley Trio at the Queen Elizabeth Hall - In which I attend a sophisticated Jazz night and try not to appear too much like a stalker of my former neighbour.

GIG 3 Spiritualized at Hackney Empire - In which I marvel at the Victorian splendor of this magnificent venue.

If you fancy writing a guest top five then please do send them in. I'll try not to leave it too long before my return.

Top 5 Gigs of 2011

An odd year as far as my gig going was concerned. I had been trying to cut back a little, if not on the quantity of gigs I went to, certainly on the price I paid. This meant I saw an odd mixture of shows from cheap Indie shows at Banquet Records' New Slang in Kingston to a former Strawbs Guitarist playing a pub roughly 300 yards from my front door.

1. Jim Jones Revue at The 100 Club (12th July 2011) – The Jim Jones Revueare undoubtedly the loudest band on the planet. Through a quirk of unusual good luck I saw them live twice last year for free. First I won a competition for tickets to their Concorde 2 show in Brighton (which strictly speaking was my 2nd favourite show of the year but I decided to give someone else a chance) then my mate won tickets for this Glenfiddich sponsored “MOJO Honours Award” show at the historic, and still wonderful, 100 Club in Oxford Street. A few pre-gig beers helped get us in the mood, a bunch of old punks going mental down the front added to the ambience and the JJR powered their way through a cracking set of tunes from their first two albums. Afterwards there was time for a late night drink and a bit of Jazz at the Alley Cat club in Denmark Street before a dash to Waterloo, after some confusion caused by the closure of Tottenham Court Road tube station, arriving with minutes to spare before the last train going anywhere. A great night out.

2. British Sea Power at The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (25th February 2011) – I’d seen BSP play the tiny Camden Barfly in January, a venue that has a track record, for me, of slightly disappointing shows by major artists. BSP had been OK that night, an album launch for Valhalla Dancehall, but despite the intimate surroundings it was not the best gig I’ve seen BSP play. However, I love the Wedgewood Rooms, it’s a venue that seems to bring the best out of bands, so I felt a trip down the A3 was still worthwhile. The band did not disappoint and it turned out to be a brilliant night. Probably the best show I've seen from BSP. A lot of jumping up and down at the front, the band clearly enjoying themselves and a fantastic set list that didn't flag (other than for a few well needed pauses for breath). Best gig of the year in any other year.

3. The Go! Team/Field Music/Dutch Uncles/Colourmusic at Koko (30th November 2011) – This was a celebration of Memphis Industries' 13th anniversary as an independent record label. I’d originally considered going to see The Go! Team in October at the Coronet. Rolling Blackouts had been a terrific return to form and I had long been intrigued to see if they could reproduce their chaotic blend of influences in a live environment. Looking for tickets to the Coronet show I discovered the gig had been cancelled and this multi-band bill lined up instead. This was a bonus as one of the bands, Dutch Uncles, were one of my new favourites thanks to constant plays by Marc Riley on his 6Music radio show. They were second band up and their quirky prog inspired pop didn't disappoint live.

I had arrived early to find Colourmusic already on stage. I knew very little about them, but had seen a few Twitter based recommendations that convinced me I needed to get to Koko earlier than normal. From the top balcony I could tell they were loud and by the time I’d collected a pint and gone to stand down the front I genuinely feared for my ear drums. I’ve since picked up a copy of My ____ Is Pinkand it’s a brilliant album.

I’d seen Field Music before but not been moved enough to investigate their records so they were the surprise of the night with a smashing set of tunes from their forthcoming album and extensive back catalogue. In fact I so enjoyed them that I went out and bought tickets for their headlining tour in February.

The Go! Team were an explosion of noise and colour. Like watching a manga cartoon spring to life in front of your eyes. They played a tight set of their best tunes from all three albums, Ninja keeping the crowd on their toes whilst the rest of the band swapped instruments and kept things interesting on stage. This was a fine night which enabled me to see four bands with very different sounds at the top of their game. I hope I’ll see all four again some time soon.

4. Dananananaykroyd at Kings College London Student Union (Friday 4th November 2011) – Regular readers will know the ‘Naykroyd are one of my favourite live bands so I’d been disappointed when I saw them earlier in the year in Kingston and they hadn’t seemed on form. A poor turnout didn’t help, partly due to coinciding with University holidays, but I had a feeling that the new songs weren’t quite as good as the old ones and missed the double drummer set-up of their early shows. Despite that, I picked up tickets for this gig in the hope a bigger crowd would help restore my faith. A few weeks prior to the gig they announced the tour was going to be their last and they’d be splitting up afterwards. This made the show their last ever London gig and added a bit of excitement to proceedings. They did restore my faith, frenetic activity on stage, good crowd reaction and a final wall of cuddles. In “cool aging rocker mode” until that point, I couldn’t resist joining in and grabbed two unsuspecting whippersnappers as I dived into that final mass cuddle moment. Sweat & joy & loud music!

5. Feltstock in a Field in Feltham (Friday 10th June 2011) – Can you believe a rock festival at work? We’ve had regular summer music sporting events to coincide with our retired staff reunions for many years now but this was taking it to a new level; a proper stage, a second stage in the bar marquee and some 15 bands, with some link to work, playing live music. Unfortunately I have a habit of getting horribly drunk at these affairs and this year was no exception. Apart from being slightly embarrassing, as I find myself dancing like a loon on my own in front of the stage, it has also made my recollections of the music a little, shall we say “hazy”.

Missed the first couple of acts as I was down the pub with the Wolfmen but dragged myself away in time to catch long time favourites The Shed playing their usual fare of classic seventies rock but also managed to sneak in a song composed by their sublime lead guitarist Gary. JB & The Wolfmen eventually returned from the pub in time to scare the bejesus out of an unsuspecting audience with their blend of Garage Rock and Punk. My JJR ticket winning pal was on Bass and the band played a corking set including covers of Shot By Both Sides, Strychnine & Brand New Cadillac.

Phantoms Drummer Al was the driving force behind this event and his band took to the stage around 8:00. A point at which my memories were still largely intact. My friend & fellow Fulham F.C. sufferer Mark was on vocals & keyboards and they played a crowd pleasing show which included Parklife, I Predict A Riot and Chelsea Fulham Dagger. As the evening wore on my recollections begin to fade. The 17 piece Jazz band did make a mark and got everyone bopping with a bit of swing. Fused played a tight set of Rock & Pop and I vaguely remember dancing on down the front to The Beautiful Losers but after that it was a bus ride home and fade to black.

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Top 5 Gigs of 2010

A cracking year for gigs. Plenty of contenders for the top five and a couple of enjoyable nights watching bands of my friends (here & here).

1. youthmovies at The Borderline (26th March) - Second to last gig ever and final London appearance by the sadly overlooked Oxford based uncategorizable combo. A really special night in which they played just about everything I could have asked for. Support from Adam Gnade was excellent too.
Picture courtesy of Drowned In Sound.

2. Les Savy Fav at The Electric Ballroom (22nd November) - Second gig of the year at the Electric Ballroom. A Silver Mount Zion were a little under par, in March, but Les Savy Fav were absolutely mental. Lead singer, Tim Harrington, spent most of the night in the audience (par for the course for LSF) whilst the band played as tight a set as you could possibly ask for.

3. Japandroids at The ICA (23rd February) - First of two trips to see Japandroids who totally rip it up on stage. Crowd reaction was a little disappointing, possibly due to a "too cool for school" scenester crowd. Saw them do a similar show at the Garage in May in which the crowd got a little more involved but the band energy at the ICA made for a stunning night.
Picture courtesy of catgirl at SongKick.

4. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan at The Barbican (10th September) - After a number of sweaty "jumping up and down" style gigs it was quite pleasant to see a more sedate sit down show. I'd been wanting to see Isobel & Mark for a while and they didn't disappoint. Very little interaction with the audience (none at all from Mr Lanegan) but a brilliant set of songs taken from all three albums. Willy Mason supported and came on mid-way through the main set to do a couple of numbers with Isobel.

5. The Godfathers at The 100 Club (17th June) - Close run thing between the Godfathers and Arcade Fire at the O2 for the final place. This was a celebration of the Godfathers 25th anniversary and a chance to see them in a great venue. Having seen them a few times recently I probably wouldn't have bothered otherwise but it turned out to be a cracking show and one of the best I've seen them do.
Picture courtesy of Daniel Luis Garcia at Flickr

Check out this summary of my gig year from the good folk at SongKick.

Top 5 Gigs of 2009

My lowest gig tally for some time, I think I only managed 8 or 9 all told. The quality remained high though so there were no shortage of contenders for the final five. All gigs were in that there London unless stated.

1. Dananananaykroyd (Hoxton Bar & Grill) - So, if I was being strictly accurate the 'Naykroyd would be at numbers 1 and 2. I saw them twice and they were head and shoulders above any band I've seen in the past ten years. Possibly ever. The Hoxton show edged out the Scala show by a gnat's whisker. It was the first headline show I'd seen them do and a cracking night for many other reasons. If you like your music at the spiky end of the scale do yourself a favour and see this band live.

2. Bill Callahan (Union Chapel) - First time I'd seen Bill live and first time I'd been to the Chapel. Bill was on brilliant form, playing songs mainly from his 2009 album (2nd in my albums of 2009) as well as a nice mixture of old favourites. The Union Chapel is a proper working church, which means it's first come first served for the best spot on the pews. I'm at an age where I can enjoy a venue that provides cups of tea in a proper mug and has little tubs of ice cream on sale.

3. Neko Case (Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth) - Likewise, this was my first live experience of Neko Case. Alternative country if you don't already know. Neko has a stunning voice which was all the more impressive in the cosy environment of the Wedgewood. It seemed a little like this was a warm up for the following nights show at the Barbican but the relaxed atmosphere only aided my enjoyment. A cracking mix of new songs from "Middle Cyclone" and the best of her back catalogue.

4. Pixies (Brixton Academy) - Playing the whole of "Doolittle" in order plus a selection of b-sides from the same era and some old classics. Fantastic show which I slightly regret being too drunk to fully appreciate. Thankfully they're selling live CD's of the tour so I still have the chance to listen to the show more attentively. Despite my state of sobriety I had a fab time and thoroughly enjoyed the night.

5. Stiff Little Fingers (The Forum) - I haven't seen the SLF for a very long time so having heard they were touring again was keen to check them out. This was the night after the eventful evening in Hoxton (see above), so I was a little jaded and not particularly expecting to enjoy it. However, Jake Burns and the boys blew me away. They played a cracking set of greatest hits that sounded as good as I have ever heard them before.

Top 5 Incidents with my Glasses at Gigs

OK. Something a little different this week. I hope this might act as a useful reminder to myself that a) I am stupid, b) Beer only serves to make me more stupid and c) I should NEVER wear my glasses down the front at a gig - it's only going to end one way. I guess anyone who knows me has a pretty good idea where this is heading. These are in chronological order.

5. Pendragon at The Marquee (Late 80's)
I was a big fan of prog rock at the time and a regular at The Marquee when it was based in Charing Cross Road. It was a popular venue for the new wave of prog bands that continued to eek out an existence in the shadow of the mini-revival boom that had been stoked by Marillion. For all their faults you could rely on a prog band for a good bit of pogo-ing down the front. It was in the midst of one of these nights that my specs came off. This was the first time it had happened and I remember shouting "No! My Glasses!" as they tumbled in slow motion through the air. Amazingly the people nearest to me heard and we were able to create a small pocket of space in the surrounding chaos. There on the floor, almost lit from above like some holy grail, were my specs. I scooped them up, stuck them in my pocket and we all carried on bouncing. Huzzah!

4. The Georgia Satellites at The Town & Country Club (Early 90's)
I was being careful. I'd learnt my lesson. I stayed further back and avoided the tempting crush down the front. Nodding my head to the music what could go wrong. Then the music got to me and my head nodding became more rigorous. One big flick and - ping! - glasses gone. I turned around to find where they'd fallen and saw the bloke behind me holding them in his hand. Gratefully retrieved my specs and shuffled off quietly to the bar.

3. The Phantoms at The Fighting Cocks, Kingston (12th May 2004)
Watching some mates play what may have been their first proper pub gig I was somehow goaded into making things a bit more lively. Following my last incident I'd purchased one of those spongy straps to keep my specs on at gigs and for a while they did the trick. They did make me look a bit spoddy though, so by the early 2000's I was wearing them less. This was just a pub gig anyway so I wasn't expecting to get involved. In the midst of a jumping frenzy I "sensibly" decided to tuck my glasses out of harms way by placing them just behind one of the front monitors. Perfect. All went well until the gig finished. I'm chatting with a mate and one of the guitarists comes over to say hello. As he stepped off stage there was a crack under his foot and my glasses were no more.

2. Detroit Cobras at ULU (8th September 2004)
Note the date. A mere four months after my previous incident. New specs in place. This was a cracking gig. I was well sozzled by the time the Cobras hit the stage and there was no way I could resist the lure of their blend of classic soul and garage rock. Mid-pogo my glasses did that familiar mid air somersault off my nose and disappeared into the dark below. Unlike the Pendragon gig I couldn't find them. They had completely vanished from view. Enjoying the rest of the gig I had a minor epiphany - realising that if I'm moshing about down the front I didn't actually need to be wearing my specs at all. When the bands had finished I had a root about to see if I could locate my specs and found just one single lens. It was heavily scratched and not much use but I took it home as a reminder that I needed to be more careful in future.

1. Dananananayroyd at Hoxton Bar & Grill (2nd April 2009)
This was a fun evening of beer and hijinks, missed last trains, an overnight stay in that there London and getting trapped in a corridor the following morning. Five years on and it looked like I'd got the message. I took a hard case to most gigs and stuck my specs away if I felt the urge to mosh. The specs I'd got after the Cobras gig were still going. They were a great pair of glasses, the coolest I'd ever owned, but were a little bent out of shape from the normal rigours of family life. That's no excuse though. I should have taken them off before the music took control. We'd had a fair bit to drink and not very much to eat. We'd come up straight from work and I'd forgotten to bring my case. The music started, the crowd went wild, I couldn't resist. Thirty seconds in and - spoing! Another pair of glasses hit the deck and disappear for ever. Another brilliant gig means I'm having too much fun to care. Again one of my mates went in search of my ruined glasses and amazingly found them amongst the dust and detritous at the front of the stage. They weren't in good shape.

This doesn't read too well for me does it. Over twenty five years attending gigs and I still haven't learnt my lesson. I'm over forty now, a father of two, I really should know better. Despite that, these were all great nights out. Maybe I just have to accept that this is inevitable. I also know that I should try contact lenses. I have had a couple of aborted attempts but it's the whole sticking your finger in your eye thing. Its just unnatural.

The shattered remains of my lovely OWP spectacles.

Top 5 Gigs of 2008

Managed fourteen gigs last year, all good nights. Near misses included The Godfathers & The Jim Jones Revue at Islington Academy, Youthmovies at Kingston Fighting Cocks, The (legendary) Sonics at The Forum and the Black Lips at the 100 Club.

1. The Dirtbombs (University of London Union) - OK, so I was a fairly sozzled by the time they reached the stage. An afternoon in the pub followed by a few at the venue had me in a very good mood and ensured I spent most of the time pogoing like a maniac. The Dirtbombs would make my top five current live acts and I'd recommend seeing them at every opportunity.

2. A Silver Mt. Zion (Scala) - Post rock live isn't always the most enthralling of prospects but ASMZ continue to amaze me with every tour. This was the best show I've seen them do and the last few have all been excellent as well.

3. British Sea Power (Koko) - A packed out Koko and BSP at the height of their powers, built to a magnificent conclusion with the guitarist Noble climbing the walls.

4. Les Savy Fav (Astoria) - First time I'd seen them live and they lived up to their reputation. It's all about front man Tim Harrington who really steals the show spending as much time in the audience as he does on stage. An icon for fat bald blokes everywhere.

5. Johnny Foreigner/Dananananaykroyd/William (Madame Jo Jo's) - A triple bill of new Indie bands which provided another, slightly alcohol fuelled, great night out. William and Jo Fo were decent enough but it was Dananananaykroyd who stole the show. Another sweaty night for me including being right in the middle of the "wall of cuddles". Top time.

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Top 5 Gigs I wish I'd been at

The slightly delayed (due to the evils of drink!) second part of this gig related topic. This one is a bit tougher. There's plenty of gigs by bands I have subsequently seen that I'd have liked to have gone to; The Pixies pretty much anywhere, Pink Floyd with Syd at the UFO club or the Roundhouse, and Guns & Roses at the Marquee in June 1987 (A gig I was very close to going to and regretted not bothering for quite a long time afterwards). The Sonics would definitely have been top had I not just got a ticket to see them in April but I've gone with bands that I have never seen and in almost all cases never will.

1. Mudhoney, Nirvana & Tad (Astoria) 3rd Dec 1989 - Breaking my rule straight away as I have seen Mudhoney, but this was the very first appearance by Nirvana on these shores. Much like the G'n'R gig I even considered going but didn't make it. A great three band bill much like the following years headline appearance where Nirvana played with Godflesh & L7 (Astoria - 24th Oct 1990). To complete a trio of Nirvana gigs I failed to attend their Reading Festival gig on 30th August 1992, would have been decent too.

2. Ramones (Roundhouse) 4th July '76 - This was the original line up and, I think, their first ever show in the UK. The one that the guys from The Clash and The Sex Pistols and many other British punk bands were said to have attended. Would have loved to have seen the Ramones in any incarnation but this would have been something special. Like Nirvana, another band I'll now never see until I get to that great rock'n'roll gig in the sky!

3. Rolling Stones (Royal Albert Hall) 1966 - This was their last tour with Brian Jones and would have been at a point when I reckon they'd have really found their stride and been playing a cracking little set as well. Just edges out seeing them play The Crawdaddy in Richmond (probably around March 1963), the site of which I often pass on my way up to town. I can't quite bring myself to pay the ridiculous price it would take to see them now.

4. Jimi Hendrix Experience (Marquee) 24th Jan 1967 - Back in the early 90's I was a regular at the Marquee, though by then it was past its prime. I spent far too much time there watching second wave prog rock bands and was briefly even a member! I went a few times to the Wardour Street site (before it moved to Charing Cross Road) and often wondered just what it would have been liked packed with the 1,400 people that had crammed in to see Hendrix play in 1967.

5. Sex Pistols (The 100 Club) Sept 1976. I think this date was with The Damned, but any of the Pistols '76 appearances at the 100 club would have been great to see.

Top 5 Gigs I went to, but wish I hadn't bothered

Never look a gift horse in the mouth. There's just been a mini revival of the focus group with two related topics. I think I missed the boat on both so may as well share them here with my many regular readers. Here's part one.

1. Genesis (Earl’s Court) February 1998 – The point at which I realised it was time to move on from Prog Rock and explore other avenues of music. This was the tour when the bloke out of Stiltskin was signing vocals and only Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford were left from the original band. An atrocious show made worse by our seats being at the very back of the floor area in Earls Court and seemingly a good 3 feet below the level of the seats nearer the front. We did complain and get moved to the side but it was still crap.

2. T’Pau (Hammersmith Odeon) March 1988 – As so often is the case with bad gigs this involved a girl. A girl who suggested going and I felt obliged to say yes to. It was as expected dire and made worse by the fact that the following night they ended up cancelling the gig due to Carol Decker’s throat problem. So near and yet so far.

3. Jimmy Page (Hammersmith Odeon) November 1988 – This was the closest thing I had got to a Led Zep gig and I was very excited. Jason Bonham was on drums and I was looking forward to an evening of Page songs interspersed with Zep classics. I think it was in support of a Page solo album that I had got but this meant sitting through a couple of hours of these new songs, and only the occasional classic. Without doubt the most bored I have been at a gig, having just about the survived a ridiculously long guitar solo, the Bonham drum solo and 8 minute instrumental version of Stairway to Heaven finished me off and we left for the bar.

4. Spiritualised (Astoria) January 1998 – One of those awful NME “awards” shows. I’ve subsequently seen Spiritualised quite a bit and like them a lot, but this was not a great gig. There were four bands on the bill and they got progressively worse as the evening wore on. Dawn of the Replicants (interesting), Jonathon Fire*eater (ok), The Crystal Method (really f--king dreadful) and then the big headliners hit the stage and were … dull as dishwater. I think one of the guys from Suicide joined them on stage for a few numbers, which I probably should have appreciated more than I did, but by then it was just an un-listenable noise.

5. Dio (Hammersmith Odeon) December 1987 – Shockingly bad yet fondly remembered. By the time the lead guitarist was shooting lasers from the end of his guitar at a giant silver spider hanging from the ceiling we were in hysterics.