Last Night From Glasgow Indie Eyespy

Indietracks 2011 in video

2011-08-06T12:39:00.003Z

It is the weekend after the Indietracks music festival in Derbyshire and I have finished editing my videos. I've made three videos, one is 14 minutes, one is 5 minutes and one is 3 minutes. Please watch whichever one you feel is most appropriate to your time.

More about Indietracks here
Their blog here
The Indietracks flickr photopool here

For those with an interest in the history of my videos of Indietracks, here are some of the videos I made in 2008 and 2009
Indietracks 2009 in 7 minutes
Indietracks 2009 in 3 minutes
Indietracks 2009 in 1.5 minutes

Indietracks 2008 in 7 minutes
Indietracks 2008 in 3 minutes
Indietracks 2008 in 1.5 minutes

Betty and The Werewolves - Buffalo Bar

2011-01-16T23:19:00.000Z

Well, that was odd.

First time at the buffalo bar in months. This time on my own. I stand at the end of the bar to watch Betty and the Werewolves set, clutching a £3.20 bottle of Tiger, feeling awkward. I've seen them play before a couple of times, and the Werewolves tracks on my ipod always sound good when they come up on shuffle.

The place is busy tonight. John the mohawk guy from every gig ever is at the front taking photies. The longhair photographer from every other gig is stood to his right. At the back of the room I catch a glimpse of Ria the Blogger. My beer runs out and I feel awkward.

The acoustics at that end of the bar are never good, but the view of the stage is great. I wish I'd stood further back.

Between bands I head outside to wander the streets of Highbury and Islington for a while, to escape my feeling of awkwardness inside.

I've been to plenty of gigs on my own before, easily hundreds, maybe 50% of my total. Did it feel this uncomfortable before?

Am I just getting old? I used to find myself in the middle of the moshpit at huge gigs at the Apollo and the Barrowlands. I broke my foot, got a black eye and a huge lump on my shin after Idlewild shows in the nineties.

I dunno why, but the last moshpit memory I have is two rows from the front during Suede at the Barrowlands, maybe six years ago. The memory of being jammed up again fellow man, at one with the throbbing of the crowd, that's the last I remember.

Back to the Buffalo, waving my stamped hand to sister Delia on the door, and then taking up a position behind tall people at the back to watch 14 Iced Bears and The Wolfhounds.

Dan from Pocketbooks is a yard or so to my right, sideburns all magnificent. Ian How Does It Feel mans the merchandise table behind me. Sean from Fortuna Pop arrives at my elbow, I migrate left, forfeiting my view of the stage.

I used to be a lot more comfortable feeling awkward at gigs, I used to rudely embrace it, cuntly so. Justifying it with my notebook, blurry photies and blog.

Time passes and I'm still writing this, now at the Lexington, two days later. I went to Currys, Staples and Maplin, earlier and was thoroughly underwealmed. Years ago I'd browse such shopped, brimming with ideas and creativity, with this printer I could make books, with this set up a record label, with this camera I could have a whole new career. But now I just think "meh", no point, tried that, failure or moderate success. Why try again.

I have become more cynic.

Do Betty and Teh Werewolves gaze at the icebears and Wolfhounds thinking the same thing? "That's what I wanna be in twenty years time"?

Gronk and the Body Doubles - Fox and Duck

2010-07-17T11:24:00.007Z

The missus and I were taking a pleasant drive in country, well, the banks of the mighty Thames down through Richmond. Its nice round there, big houses with high walls, winding roads, fields with cows. More like Cheshire than London.

Anyhoo, we stopped off at a pub called Duck and fox, it reminded me of the place I was a glass collect at in Manchester, 1995. Tonight we found there was a band playing, Gronk and The Body Doubles. A six-piece, three guitars, drums, bass and a trumpeter.

The bass player wore a cowboy hat, so I was wary. Some might say three guitars is two too many, but here it sounded okay.

Gronk, the lead singer, stood centre-stage, looked tiny, this was cos of his over-sized guitar and taller bandmates.

The songs are bluesy rock, at times a halfway house between Bruce Springsteen and Supergrass. There are nice friendly harmonies and some rather neat lead guitar noodles from at least two of the guitarists. The guitar especially gives them that FM Rick Rubin sound.

The audience seemed quite into them too, judging by the ages it was a friends and family sort of show, but folk were dancing and I was a little confused how people continued dancing even when they wandered outside for a smoke. That doesn't happen at the gigs I usually go to.

Not much on Songkick, just one of Gronk's gigs at The BarFly in Camden. From their website, they've played other gigs, but they're hardly the most prolific, or scenesterish, are they even part of a 'scene'?

Extra cheese points for using the line "Gonna take it down a little bit " before a slower number.

Ooh, trumpet takes it up to a whole nother level. I do like guitar bands with trumpets. More of that sort of thing.

Anyhoo, so Gronk is there centre stage, doing some fine blues, mincing a bit like he's practising in front of the mirror in his bedroom, but strangely he's relaxed as he's in front of a the crowd. Its a breath of fresh air, he's completely unaffected on stage, hardly up himself at all. I'll chalk that up as being another difference to the usual gigs I go to.

They ought to gig more.

Keith TOTP - The Lamb

2010-04-21T08:12:00.002Z

See, Keith TOTP on guitar is backed up by three indiepop guitarists and a really cool geeky girl playing a saw, to stop their sound drowning out his vocals he is positioned in front of them.

This one time I had Mouse Eat Mouse doing an acoustic session in my flat in Glasgow, their sax player was mighty loud so we had him playing away in the kitchen and the vocals chap was stood by my front door. You gotta work it out with unamplified stuff.

A song about about masturbation. The amassed ranks of guitars (four of them) blur together a wee bit, but the saw is over-arching warbling from the right.

The usual venue for Totally Acoustic has been refurbished a little, the walls plastered with pre-war photography and portraiture, more tables, the place seems quite full. I'm by the door, and more people are trying to cram in behind me.

Dominik Diamond is here, despite having emigrated to Canada in 2007.

The vast majority of Keith TOTP's songs are negative "We hate your band" and "Fuck the Manic Street Preachers", entertaining stuff nontheless.

The Bombadier tastes a bit funny this evening.

Superman Revenge Squad - The Lamb

2010-04-20T20:07:00.001Z

Was briefly trying to remember if and where I'd seen Superman Revenge Squad. I recalled slagging them off cos of over-pimping from God Is In The TV, but it turns out I'd only seen them before at a previous MJ Hibbett's Totally Acoustic night.

Can I write about this any differently than last time. Probably not I don't recall last time too well, so this review may be identical. Although tonight he has a cello player which on the one hand adds more depth to the songs, but on the other hand, from where I'm sat at the back by the door, the vocals are overwhealmed a wee bit, but I could still make out the words, maybe if the chap sat in front of the cello player, or on his knee, no, that wouldn't work.

I like his song about seeing an old man flicking through a porno magazine in the newagent, probably looking for someone who looks like his dead wife. It reassures my search of RedTube for anyone who looks like girls I knew a decade ago.

But, I hear you cry, what does it sound like? Weel, its acoustic guitar with breathy fast spoken/sung vocals. Not much in the way of fancy guitar noodles, but nimble chords. Songs played in the bedsit style, introvert and imaginative, well, songs about thoughts, day dreams and something someone once said or saw. Like The Streets minus the hip-hop.

Ah ha, a song inspired by a half remembered Oink comic strip, Mark Riley would be so proud.

Witness to the Beard - The Cavendish Arms

2009-09-28T20:14:00.003Z

The Mighty Beard are mightily funked up tonight, with obligatory welcomes to friends and family who've travelled a long way to be hear tonight.

They're fast, they're urgent, they are storming. Tonight they are basement punk.

Less grunge than last time, more polished to, starting to come into their own, more confident. The sound of wearing wellies and jumping in muddy puddles.

"Come on strap, don't fail me now!"

The Beard Army in attendance whipped into their chant of "Witness! Witness! Witness!" Will one day Wembley echo with the same?

Aw man, Hayley, the drummer, singing a sultry cover of the Saved by the Bell theme tune, that's gotta go down in the history books of tv theme cover versions, with Clockwork Bear's cover of the Raccoons theme and The Red Bull Dozer's Littlest Hobo.

Kalorie - The Cavendish Arms

2009-09-28T05:45:00.003Z

Aw man, this place is packed. Maybe picking a seat at the back to look moody and mysterious was a bad idea. Its a nice seat, but there's plenty of folk standing in front of me.

The band on stage look like Girls Aloud with guitars, sequins are in. They sound like commercial rock, raw but well designed. There's something a little disjointed about the first song, the way the guitar cuts out when the backing vocals kick in, or the quiet bits for the bass riffs, it leaves you hanging in mid-air.

I'm not sure if they actually sound like Sugarcoma or if its just my futile grasp of teengirl soft rock.

Surprised that they have a Myspace page and a busy Facebook group but there's no sign of them on Songkick. I'll soon sort that out... One show now and a couple blurrycam shots.

Well-informed howling guitar riffs, bits of soul in the vocals and mid-eighties epic soundtrack too. The mix is a little clunky, a bigger venue and more time sound checking could do them wonders.
They swiftly turn the crowd into converts.

They lose three points for using the cliche "Now we're gonna take it down a little bit".

I'm still wondering who they remind me of. Not The Sahara Hotnights, Kalorie are too commercial for that. Shakira? The one with the glasses? Anastasia?

Ooh, who were that bunch of teenage girls who played last year's Indietracks? Kalorie are better than them.

They lose another two points for a fast rock cover of 'Fever'. It probably seemed like a good idea in rehearsals, but really, even I've recorded my own version.

HDIF presents: White Town - Jamm

2009-09-28T05:40:00.001Z

When I heard that White Town were playing, Jyoti Mishra's first gig in about ten years and, oddly, his first show in London, I jumped back in time to hearing 'Your Woman' on the school bus in the late nineties. It was raining and the folk on the back seat were making a racket, but the song cut through it, the trumpet sample easy to get, as we strained our ears to follow the story in the lyrics. Blonde girls trudge past wearily, the bus slowly pulls away from the stop outside the pub where I was to get my first glass collecting job a few months later. Someone far away making music on his own, in his bedroom on a laptop, wait, did they have laptops that long ago? Probably in black and white, in mono.

Tonight, Jyoti looks much like I remember seeing him in Smash Hits, he hasn't aged. He's sat centre stage with and acoustic guitar, I fear that the sample/loop/laptop original songs will be played in a stripped down acoustic MJ Hibbett style, but luckily he has backing tapes.

Its gentle friendly music, laid back and a little sleazy, but in and unthreatening way. The guitar's through handful of effect pedals and the vocals have a touch of reverb.

The songs all sound kind of familiar although I swear I've only heard two of his tracks before, Undressed and Your Woman which are saved until the end of the set. The crowd goes a little wild, cameras a videoing, singing along.

"Free gigs, you can always get your money back,"

HDIF presents: Arthur and Martha - Jamm

2009-09-25T22:24:00.001Z

According to some sources, I'm Arthur and Martha's biggest fan. I like them, but I feel my friend Robbie would like them more, if only he didn't live hundreds of miles away from any gigs they play.
They have great grooves. You know, a little krautrock, a little disco, a little twee. Lots of wires, they probably know arcane arts of programming too.
Neat between song banter too; chess and Gary Kasparov reference; NME reference, "They said this was our best song, and they know more about music than we do."
"The only song you'll hear tonight inspired by the works of Rachel Stevens"
They announced that this was going to be their last gig for a while as they have to write new songs. Of course if you haven't seen or heard them before they're all new songs. Or they could play mixed sets of old and new songs, there are ways and means.
Cover of Johnny Cash's Jackson, where have I heard a cover before? Was it last time with Arthur and Martha or The 10p Mixes in Sheffield? The krautrock veneer cracks slightly as they seem to be enjoying themselves a little too much.
We patiently await the new material and the return of Arthur and Martha.

HDIF presents: Cavalcade - Jamm

2009-09-25T19:20:00.001Z

Aw man, it took me so long to get here. I have to make a quick getaway at the end so I drove here and forgot that I have no sense of direction.
When I finally stumble in, I've missed the first band, and I guess the first few songs of Cavalcade's set. Very lush and pastoral, a little bit jangly too, I can imagine listening to this whilst cycling through forests. Hmm, I hear drums, but see none on stage, just three chaps with two guitars and a bass. I hear keyboards too.
The place is quite full, but quiet bits between songs give way to lots of background conversations. Its a bit of a mixed crowd too, some young, some old, tonight's headliner is from the nineties. A couple of familiar faces here too.
Halfway through the set I start to hear the spirit of Muse in the lead guitar and vocals. There's a little of the Joe McAlinden to the vocals too, that breathy trailing thing. Some of the finest whammy bar work I've heard on the lead guitar in a long time.
Cavalcade have something special about, well worth catching the whole set next time they play.

The Martial Arts - The Legion

2009-08-31T11:23:00.003Z

Its a loud indie rock night from the mighty Tasty Fanzine.

My attractive young ladyfriend thinks the venue is nice, like a department of an All Saints shop, the clientel all wearing black white and shades of brown.

Its rock, not too hardcore, but rock, amongst other fashion vibes, in attendance.

A hushed silence falls over the audience as they take to the stage, The Martial Arts have traveled a long way to be here tonight.

Few people believe the story about how the got to number three in the Swedish album charts but I swear its true. How their MySpace page demos were picked up by a record label and they were flown by helicopter to Stockholm to record the album and then returned to semi-obscurity in Glasgow.

Green Day urgency in the vocals and drums, but fronted by Paul Kelly (who's looking more and more like David Tennent every time I see him).

They started off with their heavier tracks which some found it jarring compared to the rest of the set.

I was trying to explain how I thought The Martial Arts sound like Elvis Costello, but tonight they're not so much, with just Paul's scratchy vocals and 'woah woah wah's.

Nic Denholm joins them on keyboards for a couple of songs, introduced by a convoluted story about The Owsley Sunshine and Joe Kane. Only a couple of people in the crowd know or care. I do, I like the Venn diagram of the Glasgow bands overlap. Pete Frame could do a cracking rock familytree.

Stand out tracks of the set have to be 'Duality' and 'Exploding Crushing Inevitable'. The whole album is available to download for free from here. It was a cracking night, I'm wondering if it was the first time they've played London and will The Martial Arts be back soon?

Inspirition - Dusk Till Dawn

2009-08-22T10:56:00.004Z

Inspirition appear to be a woman with a splash of pink hair and a turquoise shawl over a Katie-Jane Garside dress, and a grey bearded gentleman on guitar.

Could have been a jazz singer in a previous life, but tonight Matthew she's going to be Kate Bush. The chap is going to be the tuition cover CD from Total Guitar magazine.

They've come from the west country to be with us tonight and left the rest of the band at home. They could have done with bringing a backing tape with them, rather than this. Its not mixed right, the vocals make you wince occasionally and the guitar needs reverb and the treble turned down a smidgen.

I've heard Kate Bush-alikes with lone axe accompaniment before, and its rarely done well. Here its abrasive when it ought to be more gentle.

There's something of the Tortoise Shout about her and the introductions to the songs, she's got a good voice, its just tonight its packed wrong, I bet they sound great on record

Hang on a moment, shouldn't this place be called "Dusk 'Til Dawn" rather than "Dusk Till Dawn"? For typographic reasons I'll let them off the missing apostrophe but misspelling the abbreviated 'until' seems a bit more wrong. Hmm, oh my mistake. As you were.

Witness To The Beard - Dusk Till Dawn

2009-08-22T10:48:00.003Z

Officially the finest band name of 2009, Witness To The Beard are a London-based three-piece, I know the drummer off of the internetz.

Dusk Till Dawn is an odd wee venue, in the middle the Archway roundabout. Its a warm night so there's a crowd drinking outside, but inside its starting to fill up for Witness To The Beard's second ever gig. Some day these people will be proud members of 'the Beard Army.

They start off a little grungey I thought, but then it carries you away on a wave of roughed up Kingmaker riffs and Longpigs howling. They've got a rare appreciation for guitar hooks, and the tall bass chap does some neat noodling.

The grunge gives way to some nice warm fuzzy bluesy numbers, like a duvet soaked in hot totty. But the White Stripes cover felt a wee bit flat, aiming to be like the original version when they could have made it more their own.

Then a weird thing happens that catches me off-guard, the guitar and bass players swap round, the drummer swaps round her drum sticks and they start to sound like The Fall.

All shouts and jagged chord changes. Hammering into yer heid like rusty railroad spikes. Its wondeful.

The Beard Army's chanting 'Witness! Witness! Witness!' between songs is strangely infectious.

Some songs come over like The Hector Collectors have grown a set of balls. A final cutdown medley of rock hooks, kind of like the Witness equivalent of !!!!111!!roflcopter!!

Truly they are the future sound of London rock, and one day we shall all bear Witness To The Beard.

Indietracks in 7 minutes

2009-07-29T08:09:00.001Z

I'm still hammering away at trying to shorten this video to make it more manageable and digestible. This is a seven minute version.

Indietracks long video - Part 2

2009-07-28T13:51:00.004Z

Part 2 of the Last Night From Glasgow Indie Eyespy full length video of Indietracks 2009

This video feature the following bands recorded on Sunday

Cola Jet Set
Zipper
The School
Nick Garrie
The Smittens
Lucky Soul
Pocketbooks
BMX Bandits
Stereo Total
Help Stamp Out Loneliness
Pete Green
Cooper
Art Brut
Teenage Fanclub

My plan has been to do a full length video in two 10-minute long parts, these have now been completed. I also plan to make a 7-minute cut, a 3-minute cut and then finally somehow distill 40 minutes of footage of Indietracks 2009 into a 30 second clip featuring all the bands.

Videos from Indietracks 2008 last year are here, here and here

Sorry the sound quality is pants, I recorded it all on my trusty Canon Ixus 50 camera and built-in microphone with a 2Gb memory card in black and white, and used Windows Movie Maker for editing and subtitles. Its not high definition, its not even DVD quality, it's barely YouTube quality. I'm not a professional, I'm an unemployable wretch, so its got to be quick, easy and hassle free.

There were loads of other video folk at Indietracks, the Scottish mob, the pretty girls with professional equipment and the thousands of folk thrusting cameraphones at the stage, there's got to be some higher quality videos out theremost of them are listed in performance order on this page here, but this video is what I saw and what I heard, and it was great, I know cos I was there. Was There Then.

Videos from Indietracks 2008 are here, here and here

Indietracks long video - Part 1

2009-07-28T09:28:00.002Z

Part 1 of the Last Night From Glasgow Indie Eyespy full length video of Indietracks 2009

This video feature the following bands recorded on Friday and Saturday

Modular
Rose Elinor Dougall
Au Revoir Simone
Little My
Lets Whisper
Friends
Tender Trap
Fitness First
The Frank and Walters
Labrador
The Specific Heats
Butcher Boy
Camera Obscura
Alaska
Emmy the Great
La Casa Azul
'Allo Darlin'
The Smittens
David Pope from The Just Joans
Moustache of Insanity
The Vegetable Assembly
Images of Mathematicians on Postage Stamps
Pete Green

My plan is to do a full length video in two 10-minute long parts, this is the first one, the second one with cover bands from the Sunday. I also plan to make a 7-minute cut, a 3-munite cut and then finally somehow distill 40 minutes of footage of Indietracks into a 30 second clip featuring all the bands.

Videos from Indietracks 2008 last year are here, here and here

Sorry the sound quality is pants, I recorded it all on my trusty Canon Ixus 50 camera and built-in microphone with a 2Gb memory card in black and white, and used Windows Movie Maker for editing and subtitles. Its not high definition, its not even DVD quality, it's barely YouTube quality. I'm not a professional, I'm an unemployable wretch, so its got to be quick, easy and hassle free.

There were loads of other video folk at Indietracks, the Scottish mob, the pretty girls with professional equipment and the thousands of folk thrusting cameraphones at the stage, there's got to be some higher quality videos out there, but this is what I saw and what I heard, and it was great, I know cos I was there. Was There Then.

Videos from Indietracks 2008 are here, here and here

La Casa Azul - Indietracks

2009-07-27T14:16:00.001Z

There a chap on stage on his own singing with a video of five of his mates on a big screen behind him.

He's dressed in white and wearing a motorbike helmet, kind of like half of Daft Punk, as Kraftwerk.

Rather thumping sample-based dance music and some neat synchronised video effects.

Lots of people in the crowd are singing along, which surprises me a wee bit, half of its in Spanish.

Emmy the Great finishes on the indoor stage so crowds of people are flocking out to watch La Casa Azul in their thousands.

He kind of cuts a Moby-like figure, when Moby is at his Jesus Christ-est.

But it just goes on and on and on. Its so loud and thumping, the music permiates the whole festival site now, there's no escape. I just want a quiet corner somewhere ans happy quiet music. But instead I must wait for La Casa Azul to finish.

Fifteen years ago, I would have loved it, the mysteriousness od having a band that no one has seen in the flesh, samples and covers and dance music for hours on end, but I'm old tired this century, I have wish for simpler pleasures.

Emmy The Great - Indietracks

2009-07-27T14:11:00.001Z

I stumble in when she's playing a cover of Hallelujah, which gets increasingly faster, and its pretty pleasant more upbeat than the usual versions.

Its the busiest I've seen the diesel shed all day, its just getting dark outside, still no sign of rain. Everyone seems to be really into what's going on on stage.

I'm afraid that I'm not all that familiar with the work of Emmy the Great, its sounds almost exactly like bog standard generic acoustic guitar with girl singing, maybe at the high end of that division, deserving of her Indoor Stage headliner placing. Maybe I should have been a fan before I wandered in.

Alaska - Indietracks

2009-07-27T11:50:00.001Z

Alaska aren't quite as chilly as I was expecting. A little whiny maybe.

A couple of guitar chaps and synth.

Its got a little of the Joe MacAlinden about it, but the singer from Wheatus too.

The festival program says they have dedicated themselves to the fine popsong as a sensitive carrier of beauty and memories. I guess that pretty accurate, but its too personal and sophisticated to get from popping into the Church Stage for five minutes between bands elsewhere.

Camera Obscura - Indietracks

2009-07-27T11:39:00.001Z

Why is Camera Obscura's album artwork pants this time? Behind them the album cover looms as a backdrop, what happened to the gorgeous photies of Chris and Katie Just Joans, ah weel.

Its been a while since I saw or heard the mighty 'Ob, they've a new album 'My Maudlin Career' and world tours and all kinds of stuff, they're just back from America where they went down well and are loved by college radio. I heard a couple of their new tracks on YouTube and at the time it didn't strike me as much of a step forward from the previous album 'Let's get out of this country', but here today under the sunshine its all quite dandy.

The ladies on stage look swell, Carey momentarily smiled, the gents are looking very dapper in suits. The set's a fine balance between old and new stuff. Razzle Dazzle Rose is great for this kind of weather.

They ought to be headlining, that would have made the day perfect.

Butcher Boy - Indietracks

2009-07-27T11:16:00.001Z

Whilst Butcher Boy are gods in some circles, mainstream success still escapes them, they'll never be on Top of the Pops at this rate.

They're nice, warm and fuzzy and remind me of gigs my parents would drag me to in the north of Scotland as a wean. Still a little too folksy, not pop enough, no killer hooks, nothing for the postman to hum in the mornings.

The Indoor Stage is pretty crowded and there's dancing and revelling, but no more so than usual.

The Specific Heats - Indietracks

2009-07-27T11:04:00.001Z

The Specific Heats start off their set with their reverb box bursting into flames and smoke, people screaming and running round until the sound engineer takes it out like a spent ghostbusters trap. On the second attempt at starting the singer chap breaks a guitar string and then whilst that gets sorted they tell a joke about scottish people which mock riles the mad scotish camera crew at the back until they realise that they're fans.

Third time lucky.

They start off all wearing capes but these are dispensed with quite soon.

From where I'm sat I can only see the cute bass player. The way she plays, she looks really dirty. Its the hair, eyes, mouth combo and dancinf whilst playing.

Lots of reverb despite the earlier damage. Have I seen these chaps before? The vamp garage sounds familiar, the Munsters theme tune smoking a wolfknuckle. But the melody reminds me of something else, like the odd bit of melody you could dig up in Jesus and Mary Chain tracks. There's something buried deep in there.

Labrador - Indietracks

2009-07-26T08:08:00.001Z

Ginger acousticy chap with a neat drum machine that kicks in halfway through. Its a bit jangly and rattley.

But its nice.

The program reckons its '60s / 70s inspired lounge pop', but compared to the other lounge acts this weekend, he's not so much. Admittedly I did only catch the last few songs, so maybe.

The Church stage has been pretty packed all day so far, and I've only just been able to fight through the press of people round the door to find an empty pew inside.

The Frank and Walters - Indietracks

2009-07-26T08:05:00.001Z

My brother was into The Frank and Walter more than I was back in the early nineties. They have that early nineties sound to them.

Driving synths with desperation vocals.

Amusing Irish banter between songs. Trying to remember if that time we saw them play The Winchester Club we thought the Irish banter was too hammed up.
Occasionally it sounds a bit too shindig for my tastes.

There are some dark dark clouds gathering overhead. Probably just here for the music, they don't rain or anything.

A wee ladybird landed on my finger and as we got to know each other I was in my own little world with The Frank and Walters just background music. Until it did that pooing thing that ladybirds do, and we parted company.

Fitness First - Indietracks

2009-07-26T08:03:00.001Z

Another Spanish mob. Very lounge-core with lots of relaxed la la laa vocals. Disco-funk too towards the end.

The singer chap looks like Ron Jeremy, and the singing girls are pretty too.

I think they would have been better playing the indoor stage rather than outside, they need an enclosed space of people standing around chatting rather than lounging around on grass.

Tender Trap - Indietracks

2009-07-26T07:44:00.001Z

Tender Trap are very far away. With and audience of thousands, squinting in the sunlight and still there are people queuing to get into the festival site.

Its sunshiny music, the ba ba baa backing vocals perfect for the scene.

There are more people here than Amelia was expecting so she's a bit anxious with new songs. They go fine, she had nothing to worry about.

Friends - Indietracks

2009-07-26T07:41:00.001Z

Friend on stage, six of them, rocking rather heavily. They looked like they've escaped from the rock and blues festival down the road.

They seem like a good, tight, professional, hard-working sort of band. Just too bland for my tastes, not twee enough, or hooky.

Let's Whisper - Indietracks

2009-07-25T20:50:00.001Z

It was a bit of a mad rush to get into the Let's Whisper carriage, they certainly have some eager fans. The WeePop massive, the Moustache of Insanity crew, even the Motherwell film makery people.
Its awfy warms and difficult to see the front, but it sounds okay. Wee Colin's stood in the middle, fresh from his song writing workshop, Dana is stood to the right and on the left is that chap from One Happy Island on ukulele.

Sugar sprinkled pop with harmonies and people singing different things at the same time. Its magic.

The train stopped for fifteen minutes whilst the engineers swap which end the engine goes gone. During which we ponder what if we're stuck there all day and who do we eat first.

The yelp of 'holy shit' as Dana realises that the train's returned to the platform halfway through 100 Roses which is why Colin's been trying to get them playing double-time.

"They were all right" says Robbie.

Little My - Indietracks

2009-07-25T20:34:00.001Z

In their element with a a huge stage, and the sun all shining through the skylights. Little My with animal costumes.

Did they play the same stage at the same time last year? Possibly. I think I preferred last years set, the sound was better then.

Its a bit boomy, the levels could do with tweaking. But the crowd seem happy enough.

I couldn't stay for long, I had a train to catch.

Au Revoir Simone - Indietracks

2009-07-24T22:15:00.000Z

Three girls with keyboards.

A bit droney, they make my sinuses rattle.

A bit disco too, the kids at the front seemed to like them a lot.

Rose Elinor Dougall - Indietracks

2009-07-24T20:09:00.002Z

The sun's just setting as she takes to the stage, everyone squints. Near to where I sit a girl draws pictures in her notebook. The rain has gone and its all summery.

People are queuing to enter the Indietracks site on a Friday night.

Rose Elinor Dougall on stage is pretty neat. She suits the wide stage and huge audience better than she does the confines of venues like the Enterprise.

There's a dark air of celtic about her sound. Could do with more overdrive for my tastes,but its still has that arch sound to it, the rest of the band is kind of secondary to her voice. Although the leopard print cat-suited bass player is pretty neat.

She has a little of the Help Stamp Out Loneliness to her vocals, that it could be used for opera, but right now its indie.

Modular - Indietracks

2009-07-24T18:24:00.002Z

Its gone all corporate, there's a fence round the place, the trains are one side, the burger vans and stages on the other.

Its Friday night and on stage are Modular from Buenos Aires.

The program says soundscapes of retrofuturistic and fantastic feeling, which is about right. It music that makes you smile. And eep, they're singing in Spanish. I've no idea what they're saying but it sounds lovely.

Its kind of sunny with on and off rain, some people wearing shorts, some in raincoats. From where I'm sat, behind the toilet block, I can see four people wearing striped jumpers.

Ooh, on stage they have some spacy reverb going down and vocoda vocals, its like 1999 in the future.

Maybe its just the language thing, but its very background musicy, rather than some I can really sink my teeth into. Having said that, soke of the trumpet / drum lines are a bit shoegazery early Boo Radleys, with a bit of Moody Blues psychedelia.

Chris TT - Wilmington Arms

2009-07-22T11:47:00.002Z

I think this could be the first time I've seen Chris T-T, although Songkick has it that he's played with MJ Hibbett a couple of times.

Tentative piano improv. Lots of arpaggios, its almost magical.

The room is full and the people silent, although a little music is leaking in from the pub next door.

There a strained pauses between each piece as Chris works up the mana to continue. You can see his eyes glaze over when he begins to lose himself in the music.

Quiet chortle as people recognise the outro riffs from Bohemian Rhapsody and Layla.

He finishes up by playing a handful of song requests from the audience on his acoustic guitar.

Sweet Baboo - Betsey Trotwood

2009-07-20T11:53:00.001Z

I reckon Sweet Baboo are a bit dub gospel. Like Johnny Cash's spaceship had crashlanded in North Wales rather than Smallville. He even does that pointing guitar thing that JC did.

I'm not sure if might not be a carefully scripted and rehearsed comedy act.

Warm and delicate acoustic guitar with like the biggest electric I've ever seen.

No doublebass player tonight "the twat's gone to Latitude instead." I love the banter, "no, I didn't go to the same primary school as you Steve", "Sorry that I've jabbled on. Jabbled?"

The songs have a little of the surreal about them, snow in a vietnamese field with your legs blown off. Backing vocals supplied by the reluctant keyboard player and some ghostly voices to the left of me in the crowd.

Allo Darlin' - Betsey Trotwood

2009-07-20T11:52:00.002Z

I arrived late and missed Lets Whisper. Lots of familiar faces in the crowd, the WeePOP massive, the Moustache of Insanity crowd, Monster Bobby.

With the rest of the band set up in the corner, Elizabeth Darling lifts her microphone stand and steps to the centre of the room.

The place is packed and its mighty warm. For once I'm in the upstairs room at the Betsey Trotwood, usually the gigs I go to are in the basement.

The first song she plays on her own, just a girl and her ukulele and the whole room falls silent.

Its happy music. Music for small rooms of quiet people listening rather than big rooms with people talking.

Ooh, I've never noticed the Just Joans namedrop in a song before.

Some of the songs are available on iTunes, I'm not sure how to link to them, but if you search for 'Allo Darlin' they're easy to find, and well worth purchasing, I did.

WeePOP: Colin Clary - Buffalo Bar

2009-07-16T13:58:00.004Z

Like a Tickle-me-Elmo with a guitar, this evening with part-time Elvis mutton-chops and the earnest dial cranked up to eleven.

Colin Clary is a jolly chap, the venue's quiet, its late and people are drifting home tired but spirits are high, and the few who remain are enthusiastic fans.

His set this evening involves lots of tuning up the guitar, and tweaking his wee practise amp, needlessly I'd say, but I am tone deaf.

Actually it is a little tinny and hurts my ears, sorry, I should have said.

Its very cutesy music, twee, but in a slightly different axis to the twee of the Bobby McGees, like you wouldn't see Colin wearing face paints and throwing paper aeroplanes to the crowd. Maybe its just Americanism.

Ooh, I love the solo version of Sapphire that he treats us to, a chap in the crowd videoed it so that'll be a treat for later.

WeePOP: Secret Charisma - Buffalo Bar

2009-07-16T09:27:00.002Z

A chap on his own, centre stage with his head at a jaunty angle playing a cow-print ukulele, Secret Charisma.

He plays a number of songs from a self-penned rock opera. I gather the story's about a guy who jacks in his job and goes travelling looking up old friends.

Aw man, its the guy from One Happy Island. Oh, he was anecdoting and mentioned Orange Nicole, I saw her earlier this year, she was all right.

For the last song he drags on stage Colin Clary and another quarter of One Happy Island, for a jaunty little number.

WeePOP: Ich Bin Finn - Buffalo Bar

2009-07-16T09:26:00.005Z

They're an odd looking bunch, Ich Bin Finn. Tonight without their drummer and so are playing an acoustic set.

Acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, ukulele and occasional harmonica, two singing girls.

Folksy, hella set of lungs, London twang, a bit Kate Nash in a leopard print dress, and shaved bits in her hair, a somewhat rockabilly look perhaps. "I'm not in a band and I'm not from Harrow" she cries in the song Delusions of Grandeur, I don't think that's quite accurate.

A little bit shambolic, giggling and corpsing during songs but having a whale of a time at it.

WeePOP: The Sunny Street - Buffalo Bar

2009-07-16T09:26:00.004Z

Hang on, are The Sunny Street the same band as Electrophonvintage? They've got like the same members, well, no drummer, but a backing track with drums and synth and the girl does most of the singing and the singing chap stands at the back.

It would be nice to have songs in French. The girl singing sounds like Sarah Cracknell tonight, my attractive young ladyfriend notes that she's wearing a retro early nineties tight black lacy mini-dress.

Sounds a bit boomy where we're sat at the back. The vocals low in the mix. Could just be cos of the acoustics, and if we stood up and moved forward it would sound better, but its comfy here.

Its gets lovely and shoe-gazery towards the end, I liked Ian's lead bass guitar, that was neat.

Twee As Fuck: The Days - The Victoria

2009-07-12T01:04:00.002Z

Four skinny lads, I'm wondering if they are the nominal headline act, the final band of the night after Comet Gain cancelled.

Do Comet Gain always cancel? I lost faith in them a long time ago.

On stage, The Days, from Gothenburg. Breezy and jangly, with just a smidgen of quirky.

Some very gentle hooks in the melody, those wee descending guitar lines, and last night in the city vocals.

Some people at the front really getting into it. But its too relaxed for me, if I could find a seat it the music would lull me to sleep.

Its been a long day, there are lots of big scary drunk people here, staggering and bumping.

I've been listening to lots of early-era Franz Ferdinand recently. This mob on stage, their vocals sound like the more quiet and less arty bits of the Franz.

Twee As Fuck: Tender Trap - The Victoria

2009-07-12T01:02:00.002Z

Fast, exciting, yelpy music, as usual, from Tender Trap. I don't really know what to say. They sure look like they're enjoying themselves on stage, if a little hot and sweaty.

Nice backing vocal 'ba ba baa's, which today I shall describe as yummy.

Setlists dissolving into pulp beneath their feet, the previous band spilt beer on stage, and mopping can only do so much.

They were still undecided which new song to play, the one that half the band know or the one that the other half of the band know. It turns out okay anyhoo.

Twee As Fuck: Slow Club - The Victoria

2009-07-11T21:15:00.003Z

Slow Club are a two-piece, bloke on guitar and girl standing playing drums. Both singing harmonies, a bit country really, there's a twang in the girl's vocals.

Crikey, the young Jane Fonda is in the audience, that's somewhat unexpected. And there's a chap who looks like Skif45 off of Songkick, which is less unexpected.

Occasional harmony whistling solos, and bumbled songs restarted halfway through, but done nice.

The girl's got a mighty fringe.

Ooh, in the absence of a lead for an additional guitar, the duo wander into the midst of the crowd to play an un-mic'ed acoustic number. A dozen cameras are thrust into the air trying to snatch a shot. Nice harmonies, they silence the yakking at the back of the audience a little, but it soon rises again.

The band grow on me mightily through the set, its the contrast between the twang in the vocals and the between song banter that really makes it. Luv it.

Twee As Fuck: The Bobby McGees - The Victoria

2009-07-11T20:00:00.002Z

I've never noticed the apostrophe in McGee's before, it could just be a typo I guess.

There was a hella debate on the Anorak forum recently about the nature of 'twee', and how lazy journalists (mostly from The Guardian) brand the whole of the indiepop/DIY scene as twee, and how it really pisses off some of the non-twee folk. Today is the Twee As Fuck 2nd birthday Alldayer, and whilst many acts that play at the Twee As Fuck clubnight are far from the twee end of the spectrum, the Bobby McGees are the very epitome of twee.

They wear facepaints and throw sweeties and paper aeroplanes into the crowd, they have scottish accents and blow bubbles, they have songs with audience participation, songs about being scared your girlfriend is going to dump you or that you're not going to find a girlfriend. They play glokenspiels and ukuleles, they host a series on youtube teaching how to play the ukulele. There are none more twee than this mob.

Its a bit sickly sweet for some. According to Songkick I've seen the Bobby McGees play live fifty seven times, but sometimes I can't look in the direction of the stage lest I wee myself and try to enroll back at primary school.

Christ, Jimmy has glitter in his beard.

They played a new song, which was very nice and soulful, it'd be nice if there was more of that sort of thing and less hamming up of the twee. Actually the one that come next using the closure of Woolies as a metaphor for the loss of innocence, that was beautiful and just a little majestic. The majesty of twee.

Twee As Fuck: Veronica Falls - The Victoria

2009-07-11T19:22:00.002Z

Traffic was hell, I arrive late at the Twee As Fuck alldayer and manage to catch the last song from Veronica Falls.

Its swelteringly hot in here, not quite Wood Side Social sweat dripping off walls yet, there's plenty of time for that later. The band are a lot heavier than I remember from the other week, thunderous you might say. Patrick's standing up behind his drums when he's not singing, the others rocketing along.

Outside its overcast, raining a little bit, all warm and humid as though a storm's about to break, and on the corner stage in The Victoria this evening, its like the storm has broken.

All raw and youthful energy blasting off the stage.

Ballboy - Roxy Bar and Screen

2009-07-05T22:27:00.005Z

Bit of a nightmare getting to the venue today, one day the London underground will be running okay, at some point in the mythical future, not today though.

Luckily cos of the Wimbledon final everything's running late.

Tonight there's a screening of a Ballboy documentary / gig footage, “Trying Not To F**k It Up”. I was trying to figure out if I was with my attractive young ladyfriend at the time. A quick snatch at Songkick shows that the gig was a few months before I met her, alas.

I've seen Ballboy quite a few times, Songkick reckons four times, but I swear there was a show at The Arches in Glasgow, well, it was his laptop-based spin-off project Money Can't Buy Music. I'm disappointed that the internet has no record of that show. I always figured that in the mythical future, everything in living memory would be recorded somewhere, somehow. Every gig somewhere out there on a list, in a database. But no, its exactly the same as if the show didn't happen and I'd just imagined it.

There used to be this club night at The Arches, The Funk Room. Flatmate Alan used to take me along to see acts like The Soul Destroyers and The Dap Kings, but again, those shows are lost in the mists of time, no record of them accessible via google. Almost like it never happened.

So, aye, this film of a gig tonight, I was there then.

Its my first time at the Roxy Bar and Screen, the front half of the place is like any other bar in the world, but there behind curtains at the back is a dark and wide seating area with a big screen on the far wall and people from London's Indiepop gigs sat round the fringes.

There's a bit of a self-referential vibe going on, about half the audience here tonight, were at the show last year. There's Andy, there's Ian, there's Crystalball, and crikey, there's me. Result! Was there then!

Hmm, the sounds good on the recording, I thought it was a bit bass heavy at the start, but further in it sounds okay. Lots of lingering shots of the band, a couple of slightly shakey shots from the stage.

I think when I'm marauding round Indietracks later this month with my camera this year I'm going to try and get more portraits of folk in the crowd. From a 'was there then' perspective that's really important.

Actually, I don't think that is me in the crowd, whoever it is is in almost every shot of the stage, its quite unnerving, he keeps looking down. He's got my hair, but the nose looks different. I could have sworn I was stood at the back and to the side.

The film's a bit long. Feels longer than the show was, there are at least twelve songs there and I'm sure a couple missing that were played live that night, there was that one about Godzilla and the one about dumper truck racing, I think it was called Dumper Truck Racing. But it accurately mapped the gig, only missing out on how blisteringly warm it was that night last summer.

The lights come back on, Gordon takes to the stage, on a small chair set up next to a lamp stand, with acoustic guitar.

The vocals are a bit woolly in real life compared to the film, maybe its cos this place isn't set up so well as a music venue. Gentler than the film too, as is the nature of stripped down acoustic guitar numbers.

His hangover song has something of the Tom Snowball about it, here listen to this and tell me what you think, I wonder if they've ever heard each.

Ooh, someone videoed bits of the evening, via StringBeanJen:-

Gold Sounds - The Lexington

2009-07-03T08:08:00.003Z

Gold Sounds started off a little bluesy, a little americana. Ooh maybe I'm thinking of Kingmaker, he's wearing glasses and there are some neat hooks in the melody. I think I'll stick with them projecting Kingmaker thing. My attractive ladyfriend reckons shades of The Lemonheads, but with the caveat that she has a limited frame of reference. Or the Shins, she adds.

On stage the singer is hoping to invoke Springsteen, but with literary influences such as Marlow and Fields.

I like their use of keyboards, I'll stick with the Kingmaker thing though, maybe Neil Hannanish vocals.

Ooh, my ladyfriend is dancing, they must be doing something right.

Terris?
The La's?
Adam J Smith lyricism?
Madnessy harmonies ska?

Guitar straps set to four-fifths? Seems a bit dodgy to me, can't trust bands who can't decide between full length and three-quarter lengths. The beast must die.

The singing chap sure can holler. He looks like he's just come from the office, hasn't had time to change but has been looking forward to the show all day, the boss had been moaning at him to get the end of month stats done, but there was no way he was going to be working late tonight.

The clapping intro is a bit iffy. Yeah, everyone was going clappity-clap or clap-clap-clappity, with timing all over the shop, even on stage. Just when I thought shambles would be the word, it started to turn out okay.

It was just the last song with tonnes of reverb, had something of the epic about it, all sparkly and magical. More of that sort of thing, please.

Monster Bobby - The Lexington

2009-07-03T08:07:00.007Z

Arrived in time for the last three songs and one chord. It was a fine chord, sounded like a D.

Monster Bobby's on stage on his own, with guitar, synth, and sampler, wearing a retro jacket from Shoreditch borrowed from his big brother.

My attractive young ladyfriend reckons he's a bit experimental and avant-guard, she knows what experimental and avant-guard is cos she likes Mike Patton, but Monster Bobby is more twee than him. Essentially he's a bit electro-pop, she says.

I liked his shaggy hair.

Half-arsed Talking Heads dancing, must try harder. Here, take a look at this video.

That sort of dancing would enhance the Monster Bobby experience by at least an order of magnitude

Electrophonvintage - The Lexington

2009-07-03T08:07:00.006Z

I've always been aware of Electrophonvintage's slightly FM sound, veering towards the Semisonic. Or Beautiful South, suggested my attractive young ladyfriend. Either perfect for a long car journey to the one you love, or I've been watching their 'Where you're not' video too much.

Liked them better when the girl was a full time member of the band, she spends half the show sat at the side of the stage, looking radiant, but not doing very much.

Its magic when she cranks up the melodica. Then again the more upbeat numbers are growing on me.

Their humour was lost in translation tonight. And the lyrics were a bit mumbly, difficult to make out, or maybe I'm going deaf, which is more likely to be honest.

HDIF : Veronica Falls - Jamm

2009-06-26T01:17:00.002Z

Well, the deadpool's almost overflowing this evening, Swells, Farrah and now Michael Jackson. I had wacko jacko pegged to last until a ripe old age, its a shame really.

Anyhoo, on with this evening's show...

A generation ago I bumped into the junior lifesaver one evening at the 13th Note, I vaguely recall him conspiring to form a Tallulah Gosh tribute band, ginger Allen was to play drums and Enzo Menoni was going to play bass. God knows what happened to those guys, but Wee Patrick followed through and tonight Matthew, Veronica Falls are going to be Tallulah Gosh.

I know its just the reverb on the vocals that makes it sparkly, and Patrick's motown drumming. Or maybe its the girls in the audience stomping along, but its all magical.

I love the way Roxanne is so deadpan when she's singing, then there the merest hint of a smile when she plays guitar, and her little bewildered expression after each noodly bit.

HDIF Ian's championing them, and I reckon there's still time to get them slotted on the Indietracks bill.

HDIF : The 18 Carat Love Affair - Jamm

2009-06-25T21:51:00.003Z

There's a poster that says Utah Saints are playing at Jamm soon. I've never seen them, should I make an effort to, twenty years too late? They were always a less pretentious KLF, more dance, less art. It'll be worth it for completiests sake.

On stage this evening, The 'Affair are missing their drummer, he's a Glastobore, so we have guitar providing rhythm. The vocals are that boy/girl shouty thing that Sons and Daughters do. They are very relaxed on stage, I guess without the drummer, its not quite a proper gig, but its nice.

The bass player is forgoing his axe and just bears a tamborine and some pink plastic sunglasses.

There used to be this Irish band called Turn who hung around with and were consumed by Idlewild. 18 Carat Love Affair sound like them this evening, but with melodica. Piano and engrossing, stark vocals. They sound like Scunner too, but without the makeup and costumes.

My favourite song of their set is the one where Nobby the guitarist plays a bicycle pump, the atmospheric side of it tramples over any novelty value.

HDIF : Mascot Fight - Jamm

2009-06-25T20:58:00.002Z

The second band tonight are Mascot Fight. Five lads with this year's answer to indie haircuts, and broadly jangly guitars, bass player with his strap-length set to 'short'.

The wee noodly guitar bit are nice when the rest of the band go quiet. Some at the back shouts out "I like that one". I do too.

I also like the way the keyboard jockey looks comfortable on stage during the songs where he doesn't play. Its usually difficult to pull that off.

Its been so long since I was at a gig, that I've lost all sense of reference points. With that in mind, this mob are 15% tighter than the last band, but 5% less fun. I imagine if they had a CD, it would be mostly brown with blue and gold trim.

I think they sound a little like Wake The President, storming guitars, but with a good sense of space, and wailing.

HDIF: The Give It Ups - Jamm

2009-06-25T20:28:00.003Z

Its a blisteringly hot day outside, flying ant day in some parts. My first gig since the start of May, it feels like along time.

That songkick website's made me miss live music so much. Going to gigs is such a big part of me, there's a hole that needs filling. And I need another gig under my belt to beat Gloomboy. Its not supposed to be competitive, is it?

So I'm at Jamm in Brixton, was going to bring the missus along, but she's off shopping in Watford this evening, so I'm on my own, crouched at the corner of the bar, beer nearby, head buried in writing.

The first band of this How Does It Feel night are The Give It Ups, still soundchecking, but the weather's nice out, its almost a shame to herd everyone indoors.

I vaguely recall them being jolly good fun last time I saw them, vague memories of songs about dinosaurs.(or was that MJ Hibbett?)

Not sure if this is relevant to the review, but shortly before the 'Ups start I move from the corner of the bar to a dark corner near the sound guy. Here's hoping that before I stick this online, I edit out all the non-reviewy bits.

They start with a new song, a shouty little number called "Why won't you go out with me". The ghost of The Supernaturals would be spinning in its grave, if it wasn't busy haunting The Hussys. I think I'm trying to say the song sounds like 'Smile'.

I like the way the drummer and the bass player swap round between songs, they're like both new band members or something, right?

Also, the band rock out just a little more than I remember from last time, and occasionally invoke the spirit of a Weezer b-side, there's a little of the slacker hip about them.

Aw man, I've got it: -

A cross between Rivers Como and Victoria Wood.

Totally Acoustic: The Lime Chalks - The Lamb

2009-05-01T21:52:00.003Z

One of the chaps at the front is called Duncan, I follow his twitter feed. I'm not sure which chap is Duncan. They both look it, the tall one and the short one, they both have Duncannish hair.

I think they're nice and dreamy. Ukelele, guitar, melodica, glockenspiel and cello. The same sort of droney sound as Wintergreen.

Okay, not droney, just the way the cello goes with 'Duncan's' vocal harmonies. I guess droney is close enough.

A little serious and musical. I love the occasionally noodley uke, it reminds me of Trumpton.

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Totally Acoustic: The Fighting Cocks - The Lamb

2009-05-01T21:52:00.002Z

So aye, years ago there was a thread on the old Jockrock messageboard about The Fighting Cocks, debating whether they were a real band or just taking the piss, some kind of spoof. I never clicked on the link, I think I was in an internet cafe and couldn't hear owt. Anyhoo, that was years ago, and now here I am in the presense of The Fighting Cocks.

Almost 'crimping'. Kind of a bit like playground rhymes. Nineties Manda Rin write it?

Lots of giggling.

Played the first song again at the end, which was nice.

Its the combination of dyed hair and undercut that makes me think 'Troll'.

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Totally Acoustic: MJ Hibbett - The Lamb

2009-05-01T21:51:00.001Z

Who is Black Bolt? Some sulky comic hero, I think.

In 'Lesson of The Smiths', I've always wondered, isn't it pronounced 'eh pit oh me' instead of 'eh pit oam'.

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HDIF: Butcher Boy - The Luminaire

2009-04-29T14:15:00.002Z

My ladyfriend thinks that Butcher Boy sound nicer than Cats on fire, more gentle, its elegant. Its the strings and the melodica that do it.

Some tunes are bouncy and some lull you to sleep.

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HDIF: Cats On Fire - The Luminaire

2009-04-29T14:14:00.002Z

Cats on Fire a little better than they were the other night.

Oh aren't I the prettiest boy in the playground.

Does a pouty thing like what an ex- in Glasgow used to do.

My attractive young ladyfriend was giggling and blushing after every song, but she did say she thinks I look like the guitarist, so thats kind of okay.

Keyboard girl looks like a twelve year old, that can't be right.

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HDIF: Pocketbooks - The Luminaire

2009-04-29T14:13:00.002Z

We wander in a few moments into Pocketbooks's first song, the sound guy still tweaking the vocals.

Hmm, there's something awkward about the gaps between songs tonight.

Ooh occasionally flashes of Saint Etienne, their projection of London.

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Cats On Fire - The Windmill

2009-04-24T13:57:00.002Z

They're a gaunt looking mob, Cats On Fire from Finland. Kind of sound like The Smiths minus Gene, with plinky plonky keyboards. A little bit of Runrig too, when they have vocal harmonies kicking in.

I'm not sure how much like them playing live compared to how they sound on Spotify. At times the sound's a lot richer, but other times the vocals have lost something.

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Je Suis Animal - The Windmill

2009-04-24T13:38:00.001Z

Have I seen this mob before? Je Suis Animal don't look familiar, they're like one of these PopFest or Indietracks bands. Someone stood nearby is wearing strong perfume. It smells like sherbert, aw man, I should have bought some in the between band gap.

I think Je Suis Animal are from Oslo, they're a five-piece, two guitar girls from the sixties at the front and St John McKeown from the Yummy Fur on guitar on the left side of the stage. Aw man, four of them are on guitars. Its a bit of an overwealming wall of guitars sound, a little Sons and Daughters-ish, but more upbeat, with thems indiepop girl vocals.

Occasional flashes of Stereolab too, it'll be the keyboardy noodles that do it and throbbing driving bass.

The singing girl looks a bit rockabilly.

I imagine seeing this band with the sun shining rather than at night.

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Little My - The Windmill

2009-04-24T13:15:00.001Z

There was debate earlier this month with my attractive young ladyfriend, about whether they are Little My or Little My pronounced Moo as in the Finnish or Russian pronunciation of y as ooh.

Tonight only on chap in an animal costume, but the rest of them wear animal ears. They verbally confirm the My pronunciation. My ladyfriend will be disappointed.

More strings, treble and reverb than I remember from last time.

They're on form tonight, with twenty-sic people on stage, seventeen of them guitarists, no drummer, and still the violin was audible. Vocals could have done with being a touch louder and the toy megaphone, that I couldn't hear at all. Maybe it was where I was standing.

They're jolly good fun, mind. I rank this as one of the top five shows of their's that I've seen.

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Electophonvintage - The Windmill

2009-04-24T11:35:00.001Z

In addition to the usual ubiquitous french Electrophonvintage kids, the guitar and drummer chaps from Pocketbooks take to the stage, but Ian's on bass.

It must have been at least six months since I was at The Windmill, its a summer venue, for gigs where its warm enough to sit outside between bands. Familiar faces in the crowd tonight, the rest of Pocketbooks, Camilla from WeePop, Marianthi from Spiral Scratch and El Presidente from Fortuna.

Its very pastoral music on stage. I think I said that first time I saw them, that 'Country where you're not' is probly their most pastoral, everything else seems heavier tonight, more driven.

And I've never noticed how often the girl leaves the stage, did that always happen? I think I prefer the songs she plays on to the ones where she doesn't. The sound man had a little trouble with her melodica, it was like there were wolfnotes where you could only hear it sometimes.

I'm going to have to scrape some of their recordings from somewhere, its good music for car journeys in the summertime with someone you love.

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Lost Music : Rose Elinor Dougall - The Enterprise

2009-04-18T11:13:00.001Z

Its really loud in The Enterprise tonight, or I haven't been to any gigs in weeks, dark and moody, always reminds me of the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks. On stage is a five piece, really skinny people. Sassy dark-haired girl center-stage surrounded by keyboards, killer cheekbones and sparkly bustier.

The music is overwealmingly loud and strangely hypnotic. Like what I'd heard on Rose Elinor Dougall's Myspace page but with the overdrive pedal firmly pressed.

There's something of the early era Johnny Greenwood about their left side guitarist, I wonder if anyone else though so.

The crowd is a little sparse tonight, the only familiar faces I can see are Trevor and Tom the promoters and the woman on the door. Trevor let's me know that he's going to be winding up Lost Music after four more shows. The recession's biting and folk aren't coming out as much as in the halcyon days of 2007 and 2008.

Anyhoo, Rose Elinor Dougall was mighty fine and gets extra bonus points in my book for sticking around to see the next band.

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Shrag - The Lexington

2009-04-02T22:48:00.002Z

This one time someone left a snotty comment on here or possibly my other blog, complaining that I'd spelt Shragg wrong, so I'm starting off here remembering them as being quite snotty, rather than any preconception of what they sound like.

Its quite clunky painful music. Piercing girl vocals, organ-like keyboards from two keyboard players, and then the obligatory electric guitar, bass and drums.

The crowd seem to like them, roaring after each song and occasionally after hearing the opening chords of songs.

Ooh, painful microphone feedback.

Hmm, maybe I'm getting old, but how can anyone find these vocals nice to listen to? Maybe its supposed to instill pain and flinching? If it is, then they're very good.

I'm getting deja vu, is this what I wrote last time?

According to the last review I wrote, I fancy the one on the right, she's alright I guess.

Lily Allen-like in the slower more reflective numbers, also a little like The Deirdres occasionally, but with a bit of sandpaper stitched to the side. The girlie vox are a mile less 'cutesy' than I had them down for last time.

People are shouting out reviewish adjectives: 'sub-standard' - nah, they're better than last time, just still not my cup of tea.

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Tender Trap - The Lexington

2009-04-02T22:13:00.002Z

Its my first time at The Lexington. I was being all political earlier in the evening so I arrived here late and missed Arthur and Martha.

The place is like King Tuts but with a higher ceiling. Its dark and its full, there is a glitterball disorientating me. But I see lots of familiar faces. I must break from standard operating procedure and speak with people I know.

Tender Trap are on stage, they are currently a five-piece band, electric guitar, bass, standing uppy drummer, Elizabeth Darling on keys and melodica, and singing Amelia Fletcher.

Former members of the legendary Talulah Gosh and Heavenly. Definitely shades of them in the sound, all bright-eyed and innocent not just the singing, but the melodies and lyrics and stuff. Does she qualify as a national institution?

Very English sounding. Slightly dischordant and a little nervous-sounding, which must be just a thing rather than for real, all things considered.

The ladies on stage look like they're enjoying themselves. Which is nice. I wonder why? Is it cos of the warm appreciative crowd, the venue or just euphoria?

Obligatory mention of them playing Indietracks this summer. Its going to be great in the sunshine.

Ooh, that girl who looks like Heather Graham is here. Its been years since I saw her at a gig.

So aye, my three year old niece is named after the singing girl, warm fuzzy feelings.

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HDIF presents: Hexicon - Jamm

2009-03-26T22:06:00.003Z

I'd nipped out to get a kebab, my first food of the day, small lamb donner, it was very nice and meaty.

This means I missed the first song or two from Hexicon. Four-piece, two guitars, bass and drums, vocals remind me of Joe MacAlinden. Indiekids probly have a better reference, but I've been listening to Superstar all day, the rhythms sound and the brief snatches of passion come from that place. Although without the keyboards or the epic solos.

Its a bit navel-gazingish and laid back. Ooh, the other guitarist, who played with last band, Allo Darlin, he does vocal duties for some songs.

As the set progresses the more I of a mind of Superstar, the guitar becomes more like wee Jim's, and the monster wig-out at the end just builds and builds and gnaws into your head, with a feedbacky drum avalanche climax.

HDIF presents: Allo Darlin - Jamm

2009-03-26T21:10:00.002Z

Elizabeth Darling and three chaps on stage, she's stood in the middle with her ukelele and her head tilted slightly to the side as she sings.

Its a kind of breathy dreamy singing that holds the room enraptured. Friendly and smilie.

Her first song comparing a relationship to a Woody Allen movie ticks the sames boxes as usual: pop culture references, characteristic rhymes.

When the chaps on guitar, bass and percussion join in it punctuates the delicate melodies

Ooh, slide guitar.

And for the next song Monster Bobby takes to the stage. "When I wrote this song I thought it sounded just like The Field Mice, even though it sounds nothing like The Field Mice". Monster Bobby sounds like a budget Nick Cave when he sings.

I like the way Elizabeth occasionally lifts one foot off the ground when she sings.

The last song is very upbeat, it starts with drums that sound like The Strokes, its going to be released by WeePop as an orange 7" single. It has amusing falsetto backing vacals from Will the bass player.

Endispiece - North Harrow

2009-03-01T13:31:00.001Z

Its just about two years now.

Two years since I started this site, since Steff messaged me about starting a music webzine, me agreeing and then nothing coming of it except me scrawling in my notebook at the back of whatever gig I was going to, typing up whatever ramblings and slinging them online.

God knows how many bands I've seen, how many gigs and venues and promoters. How many people I've stood next to, who've read my scrawl days later.

Why the crap photos, blurred and black and white, head in the way, too dark. Why not from closer to the stage, in colour with the flash switched on, holding the camera still? I'll leave that the professionals and the nice girls with the expensive cameras.

Its all getting to difficult. I'm not having as much fun as I used to.

This website gives me doubts, is it helping or hindering the bands or having not affect at all, which is worse?

Am I too old for all this? Have I done it for too long? Or just losing faith.

I dunno, but this is the end, this is me signing off. No more half arsed gig reviews, no more warm and blisteringly enthusiastic reviews or just crap photies from me.

Of course, there's the remote chance I'll do Indietracks, videoing photoing and scrawling about the dozens of bands and reminiscing about 'the old days' with Camera Obscura, but its just a remote chance.

I can't go to gigs any more, I can't arrive stupidly early and find the perfect position to view the stage, scrawl notes and wonder why thingi who I used to hang out isn't even making recognition. I can't do this any more.

Sorry.

If anyone else reckons they can, if you have just enough enthusiasm to write reviewy thing of every band you see every week, with photies and links and vitriol, but not quite enough enthusiasm to start your own blog, then let me know, you can have you keys, here's the wheel, you can drive from now on.

I can't.

Stats
393 bands
6 cities
4 writers

23,256 pageloads
15,804 unique visitors
2 years
£1,500 paid on the door

Bands what I saw most
The Plimptons - 13 times
Pocketbooks - 11 times
The Just Joans - 10 - times
Pete Green - 10 times
MJ Hibbett - 9 times
The School - 7 times
The Gresham Flyers - 6 times (well, 7 reviews but there was that one time I didn't actually see them)
Darren Hayman - 5 times
The Deirdres - 5 times
The Hermit Crabs - 5 times
The Loves - 5 times

Popfest : Zipper - Buffalo Bar

2009-02-27T23:24:00.000Z

Pleasant.
Sound a little like The GoGos and like the more poppy end of Talulah Gosh.
I thought they were a bit run of the mill, but my companion was in a coma, really she almost stopped breathing of boredom.
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Popfest : Betty and the Werewolves - Buffalo Bar

2009-02-27T23:23:00.000Z

They sound more hurried than they are punk. Unrelentingly like Town Bike's faster riot grrl tracks.
We're stood right at the back, I see singing bass player girl and a bobbing about guitar girl by her side. And lots of familiar faces in the crowd, either more so than last night or its just better lit in here.
Heh, technical problems as they've written the set list in the same colour as the stage lights so its invisible.
Betty and the Werewolves sound better than Hotpants Romance by a wide margin. Tighter and more polished, and occasionally invoke the spirit of Talulah Gosh.
By the end of the set they've won me over, a rich and diverse tapestry drawn from their pop punk pallet.
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Popfest: The School - Jam

2009-02-27T09:04:00.001Z

Lighter and less rocky than the previous band according to my burd, and she's never seen this mob before.

Ooh, Simon Love from The Loves is playing drums, that's a bit different. Heavier than the previous chap.

And they seem to have lost Spud, the wee glokenspeil chap. I miss him, he disarmed a little of their rock edge.

Its like with My Drug Hell, where you've been listening to the recorded version of Girl At The Bus Stop then you see then play it live and they do it invoking the spirit of rock, is all wrong. Okay, with The School its just a little like that.

Hmm did I write exactly the same thing last time I saw them? Possibly.

"Ah laik it" says my burd.

Popfest: Pocketbooks - Jam

2009-02-27T09:03:00.001Z

Aw man, I've seen them about a zillion times before, and I still stand by my earlier reviews.

This evening I seem to be stood a bit close to a wall, so the music is very bass and drum heavy.

They announced Camera Obscura are headlining Indietracks.

Ooh, and they have new albums for sale. I've been listening to them play live for a while and their new material has been getting stronger and stronger.

Its a fun crowd tonight, subdued head-bobbing nearby and some genuine jumping around at the front.

Popfest: Let's Whisper - Jam

2009-02-26T21:17:00.002Z

A little like REM says my missus

Nice

Colin sporting a fulsome set of sideburns.

The 'nummy nom nom' refrains made my girlfriend smile.

Ukelele duo!!

The Gresham Flyers - The Gramaphone

2009-02-16T20:41:00.002Z

Kelman - The Gramaphone

2009-02-12T22:40:00.002Z

First struck by the ace Doors-esque keyboards, then the laid back relaxed drawl from the singing guitar chap.

They seem easier on stage than the last mob, but the audience has thinned out a wee bit, more t-shirts than the becoated crowd earlier in the evening.

Very slow paced and more erm... musical, with a little of the driven shoegazer drone we love at Lost Music gigs. Soundman has his head on.

Ooh, absolutely magic track that rips the pounding of of B&S's Sleep the Clock Around, is that the trusty E-B-C#-A sequence, there have never been any crap songs that use those chords in the entire history of recorded music.

Broken string, slows the momentum of the set a wee bit, but a replacement guit is provided by a helpful audience member.

A storming finish to the set too, I'm going to have to look up this Kelman on MySpace.

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Hari and Aino - The Gramaphone

2009-02-12T22:00:00.001Z

Its freezing outside, the was snow just starting to lie when I set out. The Gramophone tonight is pretty fullish, people standing around in coats and scarves.

Five-piece band on stage, singing girl sounds a little like Sonia from Echobelly, angular chap weirdly dancing and flailing away on melodica but his mic is barely picking it up.

Sounded very bass heavy when I came in and where I was stood to the left. The vocals buried under the drums and bass. New Order / King of Partick bass and pretty alive drums, noodly Britpop guitar, and I'm more convinced the vocals are Echobelly covers.

Oh, some painful cracks, where's that coming from? Maybe its the synth violin.

Nice groove, could do with cranked up vox.

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Beake - The Torrino

2009-02-01T13:00:00.001Z

Some curly-haired troubadour guitar busker chap on stage with Steve accompanying on trumpet. Playing covers, I think the first one is Bob Dylan.

Aw man, its freezing outside. The missus had convinced me to wear my cool jacket instead of my warm jacket and now I'm suffering. I wouldn't like to be sleeping rough tonight.

Its a Camden Calling night, all homeless and vulnerable musicy folk, with a wee accompanyment of local musicians. The gig's kind of free, donations accepted, to support paying for courses and studio time for the bands.

The chap on now has a very mellow voice, turns out its laryngitus, so the vocals are very smokey and Rod Stewardish. 'Good, I liked his spirit'.

Interesting venue, its a wee basementy place, red walls, reminds me of Sleazy's or the 13th Note, that kind of vibe. It smells a bit, I think its the toilets, but there's debates about whether its garbage or low-lying stink of eggs.

Nice twelve string guitar sound. As always the trumpet gives a whole different dimension to how it sounded.

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Daydream Parade - The Torrino

2009-02-01T12:57:00.002Z

Ooh, I've seen this chap before, he's funny.

Aye, acoustic guitar, sat on his own, and singing a song about deaths caused by eggs. Surreal stuff, Edward Lear would be proud.

'Its been ten years since I saw my penis' ah, a song about chidhood obesity. It would be funny if it was true.

'Comedic, but socio-political' appartently, I'm get the comedic side of things, but the funny voices play down the other. There was that scene in the League of Gentleman movie with the theatre company, there are shades of that here.

'Was very comical political original'. One of the songs was very poignant, all finger-picked and nice.

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The Lyrebird Sings - The Torrino

2009-02-01T12:56:00.000Z

Ooh jazz girl singing, with a lone electric guitar, very bassy.

Soul.

All kind of kooky, with jazz singer dancing and vocal riffing.

Some nifty guitar work going on. I wish I'd paid more attention to the tutorial section of Total Guitar magazine.
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Mada - The Toriano

2009-02-01T12:26:00.002Z

The compere introduces, the band improvises and after a few moments Mada takes to the stage.

Mada's almost overcome with emotion as he thanks the organisers for this, his first headline shot. The songs sound a little more polished than usual, and it was a weird experience to hear the crowd singing along to everything. Mada was just loving it, holding the microphone out for the crowd.

Too much faffing, trying to get things just right. And then half the audience's view being blocked by the compere or the cameraman. Aw man, and the drunk clapping dancing girl.

Steve on trumpet has a new friend in the sax girl, she seemed kind of nervous, especially when Mada slings her to mic to sing a chorus. But Steve is a reassuring influence. Musically it was best gig so far, with the extra horn and keyboard player, they came up with decent horn parts.

Here you can really see what Camden Calling is about, you can sense the feeling of achievement in the room, the recognition of Mada from his peers.

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The Hillfields - The Buffalo Bar

2009-01-25T21:31:00.001Z

I wrote this review once before, just while the band were on stage but deleted it by accident. To be honest the review was more about my girlfriend's absence and me glancing at the stairs in case she appeared. The main bit of the review about the band was that the photographer chap's camera flashed a green checked pattern before taking photies, I hadn't seen that before. I know my camera does a red thing before the autoflash, so I keep it switched off.

Also I love the Hillfields. The matching shirts. The singer who looked a little like he'd been Gomez in the 90's. The stark instrumentation. If I were in a band with other people I'd want to be the Hillfield's bass player. Aw man, if The Deep Fried Wolfknuckles hadn't been on a garage trip we could have been the Hillfields. Even the guitar was neat, all open chords, and half-set capos, I'd never seen that before.

The set seemed a tad short.

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The Plimptons - Ocean Colour Resurrection

2009-01-24T12:15:00.002Z

And then, almost right on cue, you've got the Plimptons's new single launch at The 13th Note in Glasgow. Its one of these ones where they give out the CD for free and there's a screen set up for the video.

Kind of like a Mighty Boosh skit, there's something odd about how the sound is mixed though.

The Gresham Flyers - Buffalo Bar

2009-01-24T02:34:00.003Z

Its been ages since I last saw the mighty Flyers, I love those guys so much it hurts right here.

This has got to be the largest sector of my Facebool friends gathered in one place since the ole Blueveins alldayer, and at least two of my top five favourite bands playing.

The mighty Flyer, a swift run through of their new material. Shaza's keyboard noodles still send my head two steps to the left.

If my girlfriend were here she'd get the lyrics. And then a selection of their regular numbers, day I'm going to find out the name of that one that starts like Another Girl Another Planet.

For more objective review, please see this one. For something more specific, they had more treble than usual and the crowd were more familiar with their material than usual, dancing and singing along.

Their final song was a Bruce Springsteen cover, a more recent number 'Magic', which is on a soon to be released tribute album (hmm, did uncle Darren play one the other night, or am I thinking of Ballboy). Quite a departure from the acoustic original, but well worth a listen.

I'm writing this on the bus home, its been a weird night, starting off with a little turmoil, but an interesting safety-net. Its so cold right now, but my head's stuck in the mid-decade, we were there then, aye.

Other photies here

Town Bike - The Buffalo Bar

2009-01-23T23:00:00.003Z

Not sure about new drummer, a bit stuttery.

I just wrote this great exhaustive review of the last band, the Hillfields, but then clicked delete instead of send. Then I got this really long and deep text from the girlfriend. She's not here and no matter how often I glance at the door, she's still an hour away.

Ooh I recorded me a cover of this song, Trouble Fucken Rocks, its here.

So I've seen this mob too often to review them objectively. All the songs so familiar, its just a matter of finding the sweetspot to stand in, where the acoustics are just right.

I wish she was here,

So much

Other photies here

Jeans Goes POP - The Buffalo Bar

2009-01-23T21:44:00.002Z

I so want to get drunk tonight, booze and booze and booze. I've got something in my eye.

Floppy haired chap in a velvet jacket, seated, playing keyboards with a kick snare and two kick bass drums. A couple of mics too, one all compressed, one more normal.

My girlfriend isn't here, I'm sad.

Christ, who does his banter sound like? One of these apologetic midlands comedians.

Sings a little like Jack White and more so when he straps on a guitar.

Ooh taping down keys, that's clever, gives a droning backdrop to his struming. The compressed microphone reminds me of White Town, but with a Livin' On The Edge Aerosmith bass drum.

Young Stacy is here, Jona from Wintergreen and from earlier in the decade, Dr Debbie of Scotland.

I feel like '95, I don't know what happened with the girlfriend. Its the doubt and insecurity that gets me.

Jeans Goes POP's Chaz n Dave-ish moment isn't exactly the best soundtrack. And also count really do with a rabbit rabbit rabbit refrain, but Jeans' chickens out.

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Goonite: The School - Bardens Boudoir

2009-01-16T23:17:00.001Z

The DJ puts on B&S's immortal 'Lazy Line Painter Jane' and for a few seconds I got that was there the feeling of nostalgia for Glasgow, same as when I hear 'The only one-eyed gnome' by The Charlatans, I think of Manchester. Hmm, DJ follows up with Feelgood Factor. Anyhoo, so me and Pnos were bestest mates in school in Bolton, he headed to Cardiff for uni and I headed to Glasgow, some time at the end of the last century he joined The Loves. Time passes and Liz from The Loves leaves to form The School. Has it really been 36 years?

Right now, I love The School, I'm all soppy and loved up in real life and when they roll up on my ipod I go gay for them.

Crikey, the crowd are noisy. Folk near the stage, Shoreditch girls mostly, they're doing the cheek-thrusting dance step.

Aw man, I love The School, but the crowd are so painfully noisy, chattering over the music, I'm going home.

Sorry Goonite.

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Goonite: Voluntary Butler Scheme - Bardens Boudoir

2009-01-16T22:16:00.001Z

He's got his keyboard painted red and has the sockets he doesn't use taped over.

Pretty sure last time I saw him he was a one man band but this evening there's a whole mob on stage, takes away some of the magic. It sounds a chunk more bombastic then when was solo. The drums, the drums.

Is it still in the same spirit as before? Maybe.

Its less of a change then Just Joans had when they went from bedroom composer to six-piece.

Its less mechanical than before.

I was chatting to Camila WeePop earlier, well she's stood just next to me now, she was saying in this venue you can feel the bass in you stomach. Right now, leaning against a wall, its giving the music a hypnotic quality.

As I understand it, the VBS come from the same stable as The Loves and The School, I hear shades of the Orgon Box. Ooh I've got it, 'Robert Johnson meets Jackson Five' or maybe Jackie Wilson, damn, I typed that before they started a cover of 'your love takes me higher'. It sounds great mind, all retro future 21st century.

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Hands On Heads - Bardens Boudoir

2009-01-16T21:53:00.001Z

First time I came to Bardens, I wasn't impressed with it as a venue, the space in front of the stage is too small and everywhere else in the venue provides a crap view of the band. This evening I'n here early and have found a perch just to the left of the stage.

I recognise no one, but its still early doors and there's four bands to get through.

First up are Hands On Heads, a four piece, fast lead guitar noodling, wee Korg keyboard, bass and drums. The singing chap occasionally sounds like late Britpop's Space, but the over all sound is more like Urusei Yatsura.

They're fast and noisy and a little poppy.

Ooh, did I mention the lumberjack shirts? They wear them.

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MJ Hibbett - The Lamb

2009-01-16T20:45:00.001Z

As I said earlier, its been a while since I came along to one of MJ Hibbett's totally acoustic shows, could be some new songs. To my right sits my beautiful girlfriend, I'd forced her to listen to my ipod for months so she should be familiar with some of the vibe, to my left sits a chap I recognise from the crowd at Indietracks, not sure if I've ever seen him online. We mutter something about 'the other place'.

MJ Hibbett's in a jolly mood, he swiftly briefs the audience about what we're going to hear old and new songs, some stuff off the new not yet released album.

'Theme from Dinosaur Planet' is better than last time I heard it, the audience participation and prog solo have improved.

The wee song about what happened to Main Site IT Guy after 'It only works because you're here' fills my heart with sunshine. I'd always identified more with him than the main protagonist, like Gunter from Friends.

I've to say, the newer songs he played 'Where do all the women go?' and 'Where are all the good men?' has got to be some his strongest material yet, the latter even has a Tim Berners-Lee reference. Or it could just be I've reached a snug station in life and these songs resonate more now than they would have done five years back.

He finishes the set with 'Easily Impressed', a jaunty upbeat number which my girlfriend points out is a marked contrast to the night's first act, Superman Revenge Squad.

She also described Hibbett as rapacious and says that I'm a recidivist.

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Orange Nichole - The Lamb on Lamb's Conduit Street

2009-01-16T17:02:00.001Z

Two American people performing, they say there's usually more of them, but this evening we have standing up singing acoustic guitar girl and seated guitar chap. Ooh, make that twelve-string guitar chap.

Lots of songs about travelling.

Quite nice. Very pastoral and laid back.

Towards the end there's a neat song about Larry Tate from Bewitched played by David White. Eight quirky points I reckon, and then some more points for the song about being a fan of unspecified Britpop stars.

It would be interesting to hear them play with the full band, we're promised harmonica and hurdy gurdy.

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Superman Revenge Squad - The Lamb on Lamb's Conduit Street

2009-01-14T12:51:00.003Z

Aw man, I haven't been here in months, I got off at the wrong station, Goodge Street instead of Russell Square, and had to run several blocks to get here. Luckily I'd just downloaded the re-issued Grand Theft Auto 2 so I was well prepared. Just got to fight the urge to pull over a car and wrestle the driver out.

There was quite an eye-opening discussion going on about Oyster cards. The frequencies they go at and the call and response crypto business rather than them just being like a magic barcode thing. And that mob who cracked the technology, but they used electron microscopes which is kind of cheating.

The first act tonight Superman Revenge Squad, I'd heard of them before via God Is In The TV website thing.

The songs all follow the same theme, a bit self-involved. Very white.

He's just a young chap sat with acoustic guitar. Sounds like that Stuart James chap who did that 'Waifs and Strays' song kind of like rapping but with more guitar.

If you like down-beat thin navel-gazing acoustic guitar stuff, you'll love Superman Revenge Squad.

Other blog posts
Superman Revenge Squad

Camden Calling: Adrian Roye and the Exiles - The Cavendish Arms

2009-01-11T23:16:00.003Z

I swear I've seen this mob before, possible at Monkey Chews. Cello, drums, electri-acoustic guitar chap with dreads singing and cute girl on five string bass. Ooh and I spy bongos on stage, this could be fun.

Its smooth luxurious flowing music, the chap sings almost like Dave McAlmont or terence trent darby mixed with other influences. Brief moments of boy/girl harmonies.

They do bit of the old instrument swapping -they are obviously professional musicians so cello chap plays the bass that he's always wanted to, bass girl's on guitar and singing chap straps on the bongos. I wonder if the drummer chap is sad about missing out.

Ooh, three person harmonies, wasn't expecting that.

"I really like them" says the girl to my left. She's videoing them too.

Eep, brief snatches of uncalled for vocal riffing. Luckily its just in one song.

Its pretty chilled out stuff, I see early computer graphics of lush landscapes flying by with this as the soundtrack. Does that make sense?

A bit funky towards the end of the set, kind of neat with a monster bongo wig-out and a mellow Kate bush cover . I swear I've seen them before.

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Camden Calling: Mada and Wolfgang - The Cavendish Arms

2009-01-11T22:19:00.002Z

Its a bit arty. So you've got your band providing some stable rhythm, Nina's friend Steve on trumpet centre stage, whilst stood to the left is Mada, dressed in black, hair unruly, clutching a shef of notes and lyric sheets.

He's like a howling gale outside, branches druming against a window during a nighttime storm.

The trumpet makes it somewhat jazz, but I can't help but think of the more darker numbers from Jesus Christ Superstar.

Camden Calling is an organisation. to improve the access of homeless and vulnurable people have to mainstream music and popular culture, aye.

This mob on stage are doing an improvised set, its Steve's first time with them, but I recognise some of the tunes from the other month. Gnatty guitar noodles and yeah, the trumpet adds depth, but its all in the shadow of Mada's booming lyrics.

After Mada's set, the backing mob, Wolfgang, minus trumpet, just a three-piece, they go solo for a couple of songs.

Some neat guitar effects pedal-work. They sound like eighties hard rawk, wee moments of Springsteen.

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Darren Hayman and the Secondary Modern - The Luminaire

2009-01-08T00:20:00.001Z

Ooh, its one of those gigs, Andy from Pocketbooks is here with Nat, and Alice from Arthur and Martha, behind me is Enid Coleslaw and off to the left is my favourite particle physicist.

On stage is Dazza and four members of the Secondary Modern. Some stonking work on the fiddle and spazzing out on guitar.

I've had one or two pints and ma heid is drifting away from the task in hand. Is this to be Darren Hayman's gift to me, not the music or the sound, but the power of time travel. To lose myself in memories?

For more on what they sounded like please refer to previous Darren Haymen reviews here. A couple of Hefner songs, b-sides and a-sides alike, keep the crowd on fire

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The Wave Pictures - The Luminaire

2009-01-07T21:23:00.001Z

Missed the first song or two, nattering outside in the cold.

Storming rock n roll, with arch nasal vocals like Suede or Kingmaker or something.

Ooh, uncle El Presidente from Fortuna Pop is here, and I think I spy the ladies from Twee As Fuck.

Reverb-rich American FM guitar solos from the wagon train, with extra noodles.

Songs for the people who had a bad Christmas, stressing its not a 'fuck you' to those who had a good Christmas.

Maybe tones of Hefner in the style of the songs. Aw man, that's not right, who do they sound like.

Chap stood nearby in a flatcap, looks like Dennis Pennis.

Is it wrong to like the drummer's singing a little more than the guitarist singing? Or it could just be my ears prefer the lack of drums.

On-stage banter comes across as a bt smug to me, but witty so that makes it okay.

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The Loves - The Luminaire

2009-01-07T20:23:00.000Z

Aw man, I think I've arrived at the venue. The only people here are from the bands or young John Lennon from The Beatles who is working on the bar tonight.

I've recently started going out with a girl from another planet, like she's not off of Bowlie or from the indiescene or anything. With her, everything is new and exciting, the gigs she goes to the people she knows, its all out of my sphere.

So here I am to see The Loves once more, how many times have I seen them, how long have I been a fan? Crikey, I wrote them into my novel Shag Times about eight years ago, and still I follow them. Likewise tonight's headliner Darren Hayman, regulars to this blog will have followed me following him for years. This is the sort of gig I go to.

Its really cold in here, but the place is starting to fill up.

I'm quite like the Flight of the Concords's fan, but I guess I'm near the line.

They're looking very dapper tonight, all suits and cleanly shaven. They're playing tighter than usual too.

Same songs as the other month when they played the Buffalo. All on fire from last night's 6Music session.

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Ryland Bouchard - Wilmington Arms

2009-01-07T13:58:00.001Z

Loud, stompy music from Ryland Bouchard. Sounds like The White Stripes Hotel Yoba. Stabby acoustic guitar and bum tish drums.

Richer and warmer sound than the other bands, quite a contrast.

Ooh, he's got a beard and not one of those stubbly one's like the other bands. I wish I could grow a decent beard. And he's got one of those guitars with violin hole in it.

Gentler songs later on in the set, almost lulling me to sleep, drummer taking it easy.

Allo Darlin - Wilmington Arms

2009-01-06T22:15:00.001Z

Joined tonight by a guitarist Hexicon, centre stage is the pixie Elizabeth Darling armed with ukelele.

Very stark songs, starting of with her Stephen Hawking song, science and uke, yay

Aw man, they floor us with a killer cover of the Ramones' 'I wanna be sedated' its going to be on a Atomic Beat Ramones compilation CD at some point. if you've heard Allo Darlin's version of 'you shook me all night long' you know what to expect.

There's a whole blanket soaked in warm honey load of friends and associates joining them on stage, usual percussionist Virginia, Will from the previous band, the other chap from the previous band, then some othe chap possibly from the Pipettes on vocals for the penultimate song.

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Moustache of Insanity - Wilmington Arms

2009-01-06T21:20:00.001Z

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen the Moustache of Insanity. Although Will, the beardy chap, was one of the chaps playing on the platform at Indietracks last summer.

Crikey, its cold out.

On stage its "Sparkly, and cosy" according to the missus. Will's got a loud electric guitar, the other chap, wearing a bear hat, and clutching a Casio VL One starts off on vocal duties. Ooh both wearing cardigans, tight trousers, floppy hair.

The 'bom bom bom' refrains are neat and used frequently. I thought "Cheese and freckles" was my favourite song until they played "My baby's sixteen thousand kilometers away", it was the build up and the starkness that made it.

If I had a job and money and stuff I'd buy the Wee Pop compilation CD with them on it. As it stands I' d feel awkward quiding the missus for it.

Verdict from the missus - "Eighties pop rock"

LNFGIES TV 2008 Week 01

2009-01-04T22:16:00.001Z

Videos of bands playing next weekend's gigs, on Last Night From Glasgow Indie EyeSpy TV

Its like a TV channel of your favourite bands you can actually see in real life.

You've got...
On Tuesday at the Wilmington Arms

On Wednesday at The Luminaire Courtesy of Track and Field

On Friday at The Luminaire courtesy of HDIF:-

Also on Friday at The Buffalo Bar courtesy of Twee As Fuck:-

and then on Saturday at The Buffalo Bar courtesy of Guided Missile:-