Couldn't miss this show, as my concert buddy knows the lead singer, Johnny, in the openers, Pet Needs. He's a massive Against Me!/LJG fan, so extra special to see him opening for her. He was obviously pretty awed about living out his dream.
I remember briefly bumping into him at our first AM! show together, back in 2014, before he formed his band - obvs a huge influence on them.
This is also the first time I've seen LJG, since her new wife joined her ever-changing and renamed band.
About 1/2 and1/2 LGJ newer stuff and then old AM! stuff.
more review to come (maybe)...
Setlist: Walls Mine Me Mine WW3 Wearing Black to the Pride Parade I'm Not a Cop I Love to Get High Hole in My Head Active Trauma Your God (God's Dick) New Years Day 2019 Give Up the Ghost The Swimming Pool Song Karma Too Close RazorBlade Blues White People for Peace Pints of Guinness Make You Strong Walking is Still Honest Don't Lose Touch I Was a Teenage Anarchist Black Me Out True Trans Soul Rebel Encore: SuperNatural Possession Holy Shit! Baby, I'm an Anarchist! Sink, Florida, Sink
Setlist:
Apocalypse Now (& Later)
The Friendship Song
Amsterdam Hotel Room
Conceptual Paths (LJG song)
Dilaudid (Mountain Goats cover)
The Hotel Song
China Beach
Born in Black
I Hate Chicago
Amputations (LJG song)
Reality Bites
The Apology Song
The Acid Test Song
The Airplane Song
Screamy Dreamy
Valeria Golino
Manic Depression
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.
After pouring over the line-up, Janey and I decided to just go to the Reading Fest on Sunday. I live close by which was great for a real bed and shower at the end of a long and tiring day.
We arrived pretty early in the day and managed to just catch the last song by The Skints, enough to peak my interest. We saw all of the Single Mothers set, which was a high point for me. I love discovering a new band. It's what festivals are made for, if you ask me. These guys are from Ontario and the singer is manic. Great performance. We caught bits of Frank Iero, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Jamie T, The Gaslight Anthem, and COASTS all of which failed to interest me much.
On the main stage, I did enjoy seeing The Cribs finally. One show was cancelled and then I bailed on another club gig years ago, and still regret it. I will hopefully remedy that one day. The Maccabees were pretty damn good. I really like some of their stuff, and they managed to sound good in the sonically unforgiving festival environment. Frank Turner gave a good acoustic set in one of the tents, albeit with a crowd I would not expect him to draw. The girls we were squished in next to were busier taking selfies and chatting than appreciating the music. I did not deliver any throat-punches, nor could I enjoy imagining it as both the girls and the fantasy were a distraction from really enjoying Frank's set.
The highlight of the day was Against Me! by far. Not a big surprise. Laura Jane Grace was still rocking her Gender is Over shirt and Inge Johansson was as bouncy as ever. Laura introduced some of the songs with some banter and they did their best to bring a pretty passive audience to life. It's a bit disheartening to see such a great club band have to perform to a mildly responding crowd, but the scope of a huge festival can do that to many but the biggest names in music. I enjoyed myself anyways, but it's the least favourite show I've seen of theirs. They just shine so damn hard in a small venue.
Finally, the closer of the day was The Libertines. They were a little more low key than I expected, but the crowd still loved them. I did see enough to want to see them in a much smaller venue if the opportunity comes up. It was fun hearing some favourites done live, like Can't Stand Me Now, and Boys in the Band. We didn't make the encore as we were just too exhaused by that point and headed out listening to the final songs get fainter and fainter.
Festivals are a mixed bag and not my favourite way to see live music. I've only been to a handful over the years and it takes a lot to get me to one. I'm glad I made the effort to see a Reading date but that might be it for me. We'll see.
Against Me! Setlist:
True Trans Soul Rebel
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
Unconditional Love
Walking Is Still Honest
Cliche Guevara
White People for Peace
FuckMyLife666
Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Dead Friend
White Crosses
Spanish Moss
Thrash Unreal
Black Me Out
I Was a Teenage Anarchist
Against Me! and The Gaslight Anthem were booked to play the Leeds Festival on Friday, August 28th and the Reading Festival on Sunday, August 30th. Being the lazy sods they are, they slotted in another gig in London on their night "off".
The venue was a great size with 3 tiered levels above the ground. We were on the floor and found it easy to get near the front. The show had amazing energy as is usual for Against Me! in a small-ish venue (2000 capacity, but only 1150 on the floor). I did notice that this time Laura Jane Grace had her hair over her face more often than not (she did this at Reading too). They did about an hour with no encore as The Gaslight Anthem were following.
We stayed for most of The Gaslight Anthem, leaving just before Frank Turner joined them onstage. Because we had an early start for the Reading Festival in the morning, and there was some train strike action, we were playing it safe. Our priority was AM! anyway.
I've added some videos I found on youtube, but they are pretty blurry.
AM! Setlist:
True Trans Soul Rebel (video)
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
Unconditional Love
Walking is Still Honest
Cliché Guevara
White People for Peace
FuckMyLife666 (video)
Transgender Dysphoria Blues (video)
Dead Friend
White Crosses / Spanish Moss (short version)
Thrash Unreal
Black Me Out
I Was a Teenage Anarchist
The Against Me! show last November was so damn good, I couldn't resist seeing another show supporting Transgender Dysphoria Blues. Amsterdam's Bitterzoet is a 350-capacity venue so that sounded very cool and intimate, and a revisit (after 20 years) to the Dam was appealing.
Three of us went, including an AM! newbie, so it was fun hearing that she enjoyed it, particularly "Black Me Out" which is a big fave of mine. The vibe wasn't quite as special as the Electric Ballroom, but it was still sweaty and tons of fun. Laura Jane Grace made sure to thank those who'd traveled from as far away as the States to be there, but there was a bit less banter this time. She also launched herself into the crowd again at the end.
When piecing together the setlist, I discovered lots of video from the show, so I've added links to them. I'm certain of two of the encore songs; the other two are best guesses based on other setlists from this tour and remembering them doing a Replacements song at this or the London gig:
From Bitterzoet Facebook page
Setlist:
I Was a Teenage Anarchist (partial video)
True Trans Soul Rebel
12:03
Cliche Guevara
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong (video)
Walking is Still Honest
White People For Peace
Unconditional Love
FUCKMYLIFE666
Don't Lose Touch
White Crosses
Dead Friend
Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists (video)
T.S.R. (This Shit Rules) (video)
Transgender Dysphoria Blues (intro banter video) (video)
How Low
Thrash Unreal (video)
The Ocean (video)
Black Me Out Encore:
Androgynous? (written by Paul Westerberg)
Americans Abroad (video)
Sink Florida Sink (video)
We Laugh At Danger?
Obviously, the band has changed a LOT since I saw them in 2008. That was a good show, full of high punk-energy. This. This was a brilliant show. Same, crazy energy, but full of warmth and real connection with the crowd. Laura Jane Grace looked comfortable in herself and open and appreciative of the vibe in the venue. I don't think I've ever been to a show that just felt this good and was this much fun. I think this may be a rare thing in London, or any big city, where fans are perhaps too cool to really enjoy themselves.
After such an experience, I am now a firm fan. Plus, I can't seem to get the songs out of my head!
Setlist:
FuckMyLife666
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
Cliché Guevara
New Wave
Walking is Still Honest
Drinking With the Jocks
I Was a Teenage Anarchist
Black Me Out
Osama Bin Laden as the Crucified Christ
Don't Lose Touch
Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Dead Friend
True Trans Soul Rebel
How Low
Borne of the FM Waves of the Heart (w/opener Billy the Kid)
Unconditional Love
Thrash Unreal Encore:
Miami
Rapid Decompression
Sink, Florida, Sink
We Laugh at Danger (And Break All the Rules)
Note: Billy the Kid was an excellent opener: energetic, charismatic and a great singer-songwriter. On one of her songs, This Sure As Hell Ain't My Life, Frank Turner joined her in a duet. Plus she's from Vancouver (although I'd not heard of her), so gotta love her.
