The Gresham Flyers - Buffalo Bar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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