Despite the one hour delay to start the show, this is one of the better Against Me! shows I've seen (I'm up to 7 now.) There was a good vibe and lots of smiling from the band. I went with friend and fellow Against Me! fan, Janey who's a great concert pal. As opposed to London where they played 7 tracks off the new album, Shape Shift With Me, tonight they only played 5. The new song Norse Truth wasn't done in London and was the penultimate song during the encore. Kind of a lyrical follow up to Delicate, Petite & Other Things I'll Never Be which they also played.
A huge highlight of the night for me was when they played their cover of Clash song Train in Vain. I'd seen videos, but it was cool to get to see and hear it live and jump around like a mad woman. I got the feeling not everyone around me was as familiar, which was strange. Does that make me old?
WUK is a really nice venue to see a show. It has a 550 standing capacity, so a good size, plus good sitelines. It's basically one big square room with concrete floor and a wide raised stage at one end. The room next door is the bar and set up really well. The efficient bar staff were all friendly. They have reusable drink cups, so that's great. Best of all, they stayed open after the gig so we could have another drink or two after the show without being rushed out. What a treat! It was also really easy to get in and out without logjams. Even the bathrooms were easy. Such a great venue really helps improve a concert experience immeasurably.
Setlist:
True Trans Soul Rebel
333
Haunting, Haunted, Haunts
Unconditional Love
White Crosses
Dead Friend
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
T.S.R. (This Shit Rules)
Cliche Guevara
Walking Is Still Honest
Bamboo Bones
White People for Peace
Delicate, Petite & Other Things I'll Never Be
Rebecca
Transgender Dysphoria Blues
I Was a Teenage Anarchist Black Me Out
Encore:
Train in Vain (Clash cover)
FUCKMYLIFE666
Norse Truth
Sink, Florida, Sink
The last four times I've seen Against Me! have been with my concert pal, Janey. (We actually met because of this band, when her boyfriend/my friend wanted to get out of going to see them in London in '14). This concert got announced right after she received a present of tickets to another show on the same night. She was gutted, but we decided to catch another show and took a trip to Vienna for it ten days later, which you can read above. I did briefly consider skipping this show, but couldn't bring myself to miss it, particularly since seeing AM! at the same venue two years ago is possibly my favourite concert memory ever. Nope. I was going.
The openers were Mobina Galore and Milk Teeth, the latter's set I caught part of, and it was reminiscent of 90s indie bands, almost riot grrl stuff, like Veruca Salt. They were a little dull to watch until the drummer stood up to try to get the audience into it.
I'd bought Janey Laura Jane Grace's new autobiography Tranny at the merch table, so with it in a cloth bag tied to my belt, I tried to keep it from bashing those around me, as I can never help myself from jumping around when AM! play. And from the opening notes of the first song, I was jumping! The whole set was full of energy and passion. It was great to hear all the songs of the new album live and it seemed that the band was having fun playing them.
Laura talked to the crowd between songs, with some familiar banter ("this is about self-care, smoking cigarettes and drinking whisky") and some new banter. She commented that Rebecca sure has a lot of words, and how happy she was to play in the UK, where she knows with 100% certainty that no one there voted for Trump. She dedicated Dead Friend to "old friends" and 12:03 to "new friends". Bamboo Bones she prefaced by saying she's an atheist and how performing feels for her is what she imagines going to church feels for others, and she said you can call this song "an atheist's spiritual". She also said that she hopes we are excited to hear new songs, cuz they are excited to play them, but they are conscious that people like to hear old songs, and they played the "deep cut" Tonight We're Gonna Give It 35%.
Really glad I went. Note to self: Never miss Against Me!
Setlist:
True Trans Soul Rebel
333
Haunting, Haunted, Haunts
Unconditional Love
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
White Crosses
Dead Friend
12:03
Crash
Delicate, Petite & Other Things I'll Never Be
Rebecca
Bamboo Bones
Tonight We're Gonna Give It 35%
T.S.R. (This Shit Rules)
Cliche Guevara
Walking Is Still Honest
Transgender Dysphoria Blues
I Was a Teenage Anarchist
Black Me Out Encore:
Baby, I'm an Anarchist! (Laura solo)
FUCKMYLIFE666
Boyfriend
Sink, Florida, Sink
Full Set recorded by fan, pbrook:
Or watch on youtube, with comments and song timing marked.
This was the 25th Anniversary tour for the Levelling the Land album. I saw that original tour in Toronto in 1992, after having LOVED that album and listened to it over and over. So when my concert pal invited me, I had to go.
We tried to get there to see the opener Gaz Brookfield, as I'd seen him in a pub in Camden after a London Faith No More Gig and he was very impressive. Unfortunately we only caught one song, but it was nice to see something more of his. He seemed full of energy and audience interaction, and I will try and see him again. The second openers, Ferocious Dog, I didn't know, but seemed suited to the slot, being folk punk with a touch of hippie (dreads galore).
The Levellers played their album in track order and I found myself singing along with almost all of it, transported back 25 years. Damn if those songs don't hold up! Still such a good album. The band were full of energy and gave their all. Following up the album were a bunch of songs that I'm unfamiliar with, having not kept up with their music. Glad I didn't miss this one.
Setlist:
One Way
The Game
Fifteen Years
The Boatman
Liberty Song
Far From Home
Sell Out
Another Man's Cause
The Road
The Riverflow
Battle of the Beanfield
This Garden
Men-an-Tol
Truth Is
Carry Me
The Cholera Well
Encore:
Julie
Beautiful Day
2nd Encore:
What You Know (with Ferocious Dog members)
