So, I’ve been to three gigs in three weeks; something I’ve not done in a long time. Only because I don’t get a lot of time away from the bar right now.
Anyway, all three were great. There’s nothing more to say really.
CMAT, the Rescue Rooms, Nottingham.
Kip Moore, the Sage, Gateshead.
Interpol, O2 Academy, Edinburgh.
So, a few days ago, we set off for Nottingham in the van.
Needless to say, it broke down. Maybe that’s a little harsh. It wasn’t exactly a breakdown. We stopped at Wetherby services for coffee.
And then the van wouldn’t start.
After 20 minutes, a twelve year old RAC guy turned up. And fixed it in five minutes. A wire had fallen off. We both made the obvious judgement that someone so young wouldn’t have a clue.
And we were so wrong.
And we made it to Nottingham and back.
While we were there, we visited (among a couple of other places) the Partizan Tavern; a lovely micropub. We’ll, they’d been to our bar a few months ago. If you ever find yourself in Nottingham, it’s worth a visit.
And Neon Raptor’s just around the corner.
Weirdly, a cool T3/25 (depending on which bit of the world you’re from) drove pass when we were there.
Oh yes, CMAT was brilliant.
We went to our first gig in a while the other night. The surprisingly good Kiefer Sutherland.
Surprisingly because I’d assumed that music was a bit of a hobby for him. Sometimes it’s good to be wrong.
We made a trip to Leeds the other day, for a gig; Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats.
Unfortunately, the gig was cancelled at short notice due to illness.
With train tickets and a booked hotel, we decided that beer in Leeds was the best option. And at least that meant we didn’t need a dog sitter.
While we didn’t get to a gig, the evening was most pleasant. We even found a bar with a campervan.
The dog had a good time too.
A late decision to go to last night’s Divine Comedy gig proved troublesome when there wasn’t a working card machine at the City Hall. However, all ended well after a dash to a cash machine. And a discount for the hassle.
Unplanned gigs are the best.
Went to see Idles last night; the third time I’ve seen them live. They have to be one of the best live UK bands right now.
It feels like just last year (it wasn’t; it was 2019-19) that we saw the New Year in with the Divine Comedy at the Sage. It was possibly my most enjoyable New Year’s Eve.
It certainly beat the Millennium, when I was chair bound with broken ribs. Not to mention this year.
Ok, I will, this New Year I have Covid.
Anyway, The Divine Comedy on the New Year’s Eve Graham Norton Show.
I was (very mildly) disappointed that, in the following interview, there was no mention of the Father Ted connection.
Still, a most pleasant end to a year.
I was a huge Madness fan in my (and their) younger days. Since their Ladykillers tour brought them to Newcastle yesterday, I had to grab some tickets.
Squeeze, who I’d (weirdly) never actually seen live before, were supporting, and they were a huge bonus. Particularly since I’d not known that Glen Tilbrook had rejoined the band.
I’d actually watched the Ladykillers, the classic old film, on TV yesterday afternoon. I’d assumed that the tour of the same name was unconnected, but the gig definitely had something of a theme, with images and clips from the film. There were also, unusual for this band, pretty open criticisms of UK politics.
Yes, they’re getting on a bit, but they do still put on a good show.
It was also clear that they’d had some coaching in the Northeast dialect, when they performed Wor House. There was also the correct pronunciation of Newcastle, as opposed to the inappropriate Newcarstle.
I went to see Karl play in Durham the other night; well, Two Wise Guys.
It’d been over two years since I’d last seen them, thanks to Covid and the associated lockdowns.
Although I did have to rush off soon after the gig to catch a train, I really enjoyed the music.
To be honest, I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing the Libertines last night. I’d seen them a couple of times before and hadn’t been too impressed.
But a mate (Ian) had bought tickets months ago, so I really did have to go. If anything, it’d be a chance to catch up with a good mate.
At the end of the day, it was a great night; the band were actually ridiculously good. We ended up staying out pretty late afterwards too, something I’d not done in ages.
