In line with the annual, "Gigs for…" threads, where people post reviews and have general discussion about shows they see throughout the year, I'm starting this off, as we don't have one yet.
I loved Supergrass last night too. Was right up the front. Anyone else notice a few stray bits of confetti falling during the gig? Presumably hanging around since Flaming Lips.
One of my pals made the same Danny Goffey/Paul McCartney comparison as a poster above albeit quite uncharitably calling him “a junkie Paul McCartney”.
Another one at Supergrass last night. Enjoyed it, thought the band played great and the sound was good where I was. Thought it lulled a little coming towards the end of "the album" so much so that the chatter around me was deafening. That was one of the worst gigs I was at for audience chatter. Seriously considering buying seats only for Olympia gigs from now on - it's getting stupid.
Anyway - the gig picked up with the "hits" section of the set and drowned out the arseholes. Overall - great. Think I've seen Supergrass enough times now.
I saw them a few years ago and they played 80% of the debut. I would guess the lull was during "Sofa of my Lethargy" which they didn't play at that gig because it's long and slow.
Standing was very packed on Wednesday , so was great when a few did go to the bar !
Funny I too felt "disengaged" for a good section of the gig. I thought it was just me and put it down to - arriving just before 9.00 after a needless rush so wasn't my usual relaxed self, thought the sound was was subdued (in the Circle) for the first few songs and IMO there is a lot of filler tracks on ISC. The crowd in the circle around me were good, no chatter.
I did get a shock when Gaz said other than Wednesday night the last time they played here was 5 years ago. I was at that gig (my second last before Covid lockdown) and if you asked me I would have said it was only a few year ago - Life is speeding up!
Funny, 'Sofa of My Lethargy' was one of my highlights of the whole night.
Camera Obscura in Whelan's. They were great, but a significant portion of the crowd was an absolute nightmare. So much conversation throughout the show. I was up the front, where people were engaged, but there was an almost constant cacophony of noise from the back. You people don't deserve Tracyanne.
From a few weeks ago, Twenty One Pilots. Great gig. I was definitely the oldest there 😎
Just out of Morrissey at the 3 Arena. What an amazing voice he has, hard to believe he’s 66. Could have sang a few more Smiths classics but impressive nonetheless. Thoroughly enjoyable
GBH were good in Whelans tonight. All the original members, so fair play to them for still possessing the power and pace of their younger days some 40 odd years ago. Someone in the crowd had a pop at them for not mentioning Palestine and the bassist took great exception to this. He reckoned that it was a given that they support the Palestinians. Have to say that's the first time in many years i've seen punks argue amongst themselves. Support came from The Coathanger Solution (great name) and Aoife Destruction & The Nilz; both good fun.
Panda Bear at the Button Factory tonight. Short but excellent show, much heavier and more psychedelic than I was expecting given that his recent album was quite poppy. Great visuals too.
Morrissey ..Voice was beautiful ..impressive .
Enjoyable , maybe few irritations . Very low energy . A lot of long slow songs and so many great songs not on the setlist .
But what a poet . Beautiful lyrics and he sings so clearly and puts emotion in every line .
I shed a tear at I Know It's Over
But man , what comes out of your mouth in between the songs 🙈 and some of those graphics . I know to expect this but he just gets harder to take , for me anyway .
I really love his music , it's a pity .
Morrissey's current band are really good. Would have preferred a few more Smiths songs as well but still, good setlist. The 3 Arena is such a soulless hanger compared to the intimacy of his Vicar Street gigs. From the balcony I had a good view of a fight that broke out. Fists flying. What was that all about?
Drink thrown I think ?
Got a splatter a few times and we were standing half way to the stage .
Where we were it was very civilized 😁but a bit messy back further closer to the bar
We normally are in standing if we can but tonight was so slow I was wishing I was seated !
I can't separate the shite from the artist anymore. I've seen him a dozen times but I haven't been the last few years and doubt I'll see him again. Johnny is just better for the soul. Last time I saw him was in Vicar Street pre Covid and I know it's over was a thing of utter beauty.
Enjoyed Morrissey tonight, his voice is in great shape, but it's a pity he plays such bland solo stuff and so many genius smiths songs don't get heard.
Morrisey - He was particularly powerful with "I know it's over" he was singing from the soul. Other highlights included "One day goodbye will be farewell" and "life is a pig sty". And he gave Iggy pop a run for his money with a topless finale to "Irish blood, English heart" that I was so pleased he finished on as a extra encore
What a joke the Morrissey concert. He hardly played 1.5 hour... 0.5 hours his crap videos and 1 hour the crap support group...
Compare now this with the 3 hour show the Cure throw.
Back to the setlist now. Some amazing songs, some utterly boring ones. He still can sing and his punchlines are sometimes enjoyable but boy… this is it for me and Morrissey, never again
Have a Smiths obsessed teenager. Just couldn't pull the trigger on Morrissey tickets for that setlist. Had a great night with him at These Charming Men last weekend. Will 100% bring him to see Johnny Marr next time he comes here. What a showman.. Was gutted I couldn't go to his gig in Athy last year.
The Rewind Festival in St. Anne's Park was enjoyable. Like last year, it always seems to be a lineup that's missing two bona fide headliners. Billy Ocean was topping the bill, "with special guests," The Boomtown Rats.
Toyah was probably my favourite on the day, but since Midge Ure was on the bill, and it's rare for him and Bob Geldof to share a stage anywhere, Midge was brought out at the end of the Boomtown Rats' short set (we'd been told Geldof was unwell, hence a curtailed setlist) for the inevitable Do They Know It's Christmas?
Was at this also and I concur completely. I arrived about five minutes before they came onstage so was stuck at the back where the worst of the chatting happened. There were three utter dicks in front of me chatting non-stop throughout. I said it to them at one stage, they quietened down for a while and then it was worse than ever. Bizarrely as soon as 'French Navy' started, they lustily joined in. Gig passed me by mostly because of this. Saw them in Leeds last year with a bigger - and much more respectful crowd - and the band were warm and lovely, exactly as a Camera Obscura show should be.
Two weeks later and main man Colin Jerwood has died. I thought he may have been unwell, and he commented himself on the night that he wasn't 100% match fit. I certainly didn't think he was close to death though.
Cola, Mhaol and Junk Drawer tonight in Whelans. About 45 minutes each from all of them with Mhaol closing out the night. Must admit i thought Cola and Junk Drawer were both better last year in the Workmans. Mhaol do what they do, they're grand, but it wouldn't bother me if i never saw them again. Actually i'd pass on Cola from now on also. Twice is enough i think.
.....
Bit raw, needs a few gigs under his belt, but there's potential there.
do we have to guess who it is?
Stood on my football teams pitch last night while Bruce Springsteen sang thunder road...…
Might not have been the best gig I was at this week. The scratch are the dogs bollox.
Another night of Punk. This time it was the turn of anarcho-punks Subhumans in the Grand Social. Very good, still have the energy, political passion and humour. Support was The Gakk and Special Branch. The former are a tight outfit from Dundalk who go for melodic streetpunk while the latter was just basic Hardcore. In the past 3 weeks i've seen Conflict, GBH and Subhumans and they all still possessed the energy, aggression and good nature you would want and expect.
Perhaps even more satisfying was that the gigs weren't just middleaged sausage fests but have all been a mixture of grizzled veterans and fresh faced youngsters, male and female and well attended too. They even took care of one arsehole in the pit who was overly physical. A chant of "Get him out" went up and his mate took him outside. The scene appears to be in good health at the moment. I was genuinely surprised at the size of the crowd tonight.
Steven Wilson - Friedrichstadt-Palast, Berlin 02.06.25 - Absolutely beautiful venue. Sound was superb. Band were on fire with Randy McStine being MVP. Great visuals and encore of Ancestral & Raven That Refused to Sing was just perfect. Only let down was the Merch - didn't like any of the designs.
Steven Wilson - Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg 03.06.25. Old 70's type sports hall but again every thing was spot on - sound, performance. Met Nick Beggs strolling through the car-park before the show - shook his hand and wished him good luck with the show. Steven's pedal board fucked up so we didn't get That What's Life Brings, but delighted with Voyage 34 and Abandoner in the set instead of Pariah and King Ghost.
All in all a superb road trip.
Fair play Ray. You do get around, don't you?
