Bloc Party @ Alexandra Palace - October 24, 2018

This was my first time seeing Bloc Party, a band that were part of the Post punk revival circa 2005 that got me re-excited about music after one of my lulls. And Silent Alarm was the debut album that was core to this sound. I had many of its tracks on heavy rotation along with Arctic Monkeys, Interpol, Editors, The Cribs, The Libertines, The Hives, Clinic, Art Brut, and so on and so on...

This was a solo show for me. I've recently discovered an informal group called Solo Armada for people wanting to meet up with other solo gig goers. I was hoping to spot someone with one of their badges, but no luck.
I thought I might have spotted one when I was in a bar line up, but abandoning a drink to chase after a stranger disappearing into the crowd was a bit beyond me. Maybe next time.

After being fucked over by some Facebook chick who was going to buy my spare ticket - I should have known better when I saw all the hen party pictures on her profile - I made it in a bit later than I wanted, but in time for most of the opener's, Middle Kids, set. I'd checked them out ahead of time and liked their songs, even if they are a bit mellow. Their performance was dull. Four people standing still and playing. The lead singer reminded me of one of those thrift-store-sweater-wearing geeky girls with her guitar strung high and played awkwardly. They could keep growing though; the potential definitley seems to be there.

In the wait for Bloc Party, I found myself standing next to a young woman who was doing all the pre-gig physical arrangements that marks you as a regular gig-goer: layers off and tied around waist, hair in pony tail, etc. I asked her if she was here solo as well, and we chatted for 15 minutes or so. She summed up the evening perfectly: "do you get the feeling every 30 year old male in London is here tonight?" She was spot on. It was a predominantly white male 30-ish crowd of the type that don't seem to go to tons of shows. The ones nearer the front would be more the die-hard fans, but in a 10,000 capacity place (is Ally Pally really that big?) there were far more of the former, trying to recapture their late teens and early 20's passion, and mostly forgetting how. In other words, it was a well-behaved and mostly dull crowd.

Bloc Party's arrival was preceeded by a tape playing Every time is the Last Time, a hidden track off the Silent Alarm album. This show is a revisit of that album (one of 6 in European cities), albeit in reverse order acknowledging a tracklist ending with slow songs that wouldn't work in a live environment. So, the band comes on and quickly gets through the slow tracks. Things start to get a bit more interesting (in live terms) with Luno and build from there. I necked a few drinks and then started to make my way towards the front with each song. Tons of singing along and excitement from the crowd. It was nice, despite my snarkiness as a show like this isn't going to bring out the curious, but more established long-term fans and that makes for an engaged, happy audience. This Modern Love kicks off the really uptempo part of the show, culminating in the last song, Like Eating Glass, before the pause and encore.

more to come....



Setlist:
Compliments
Plans
Luno
So Here We Are
Price of Gasoline
The Pioneers
This Modern Love
She's Hearing Voices
Blue Light
Banquet
Positive Tension
Helicopter
Like Eating Glass

Encore:
Two More Years
The Marshals Are Dead
Little Thoughts
The Prayer
Ratchet
Flux

British Summer Time @Hyde Park - July 7, 2018

 

Editors were on first after we arrived at 4pm and we missed the first couple of songs as we tried to secure the first-come first-serve access wristbands for the fenced area in front of the stage.

Once in, I was pleased to see that singer Tom Smith was much more animated than how I remember him from 2008. He moved from keyboard to guitar to microphone, sometimes quirkily twisting his body to the music and making use of the extended stage sides to get closer to the whole audience. His red-check trucker hat and scraggly beard was a slight shock, as I think of him in a tailored suit, but the performance is far more important and that was great.

 

The sound at the Great Oak Stage was good for all the bands, and I particularly enjoyed hearing Munich and The Racing Rats live again. (I was still lined up during Smokers).

Setlist

Hallelujah (So Low)
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
Blood
Munich
Violence
No Harm
The Racing Rats
Papillon
Magazine

The Twilight Sad

First time seeing this Scottish band. They came to my attention following the sad death of Frightened Rabbit singer, Scott Hutchison. The bands have a long history being on the same early label and collaborating on things, so when I saw they performed a cover of a FRabbit song at a recent performance, I knew I didn't want to miss it if they did it again. I wasn't disappointed, as they closed their short set with Keep Yourself Warm. Never seeing a FRabbit concert, I was grateful to at least see one of their songs live and was moved by the tribute and the added lines at the end: "it's not the answer."

It's a very fitting song for Twilight Sad to cover, seeing as how singer James Graham provided extra vocals on this song for the live album Quietly Now, recorded in Glasgow in 2008.

Setlist
Last January
Don't Move
The Arbor
VTr
There's a Girl in the Corner
And She Would Darken the Memory
Keep Yourself Warm (FRabbit cover)


Interpol

I also saw Interpol live in 2008, at an outdoor festival as well. I don't think their performance has varied much since then, and (unlike Editors) was a bit disappointed that it was a similarly rather dull performance. Still, they played lots of their songs that I like and the sound was good, so I still enjoyed it.

Setlist
Not Even Jail
All the Rage Back Home
Take You on a Cruise
Obstacle 1
Rest My Chemistry
The Rover
Length of Love
Roland
Lights
Success
The New
Evil
Slow Hands

The Cure

One of the major highlights of this time seeing The Cure live was that they played Killing An Arab. This song has been omitted as too controversial for years, but was an early fave of mine from the Standing on a Beach album, and being a fan of existentialist fiction and Camus' The Stranger.

Robert Smith was gracious and endearing as he chatted to the fans between songs. He was obviously touched that this was their 40th Anniversary concert, and seemed humble and grateful for such a lengthy run.

The visuals behind the band, were good, especially after the sun set, and worked well in the vastness and open air of the festival setting. They made good use of splicing live camera shots into the effects. The sound was one of the better I've heard for open air, which I think must be so tricky. The fans were obviously international with many accents and languages and ages around us represented, but all seeming thrilled to be there.

The setlist had lots of well-known favourites in there. I remember from my first Cure concert being amazed at how long the set was - 33 songs. Although this was close at 29 songs, I never felt like it was going on too long.

Setlist
Plainsong
Pictures of You
High
A Night Like This
The Walk
The End of the World
Lovesong
Push
In Between Days
Just Like Heaven
If Only Tonight We Could Sleep
Play for Today
A Forest
Shake Dog Shake
Burn
Fascination Street
Never Enough
From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea
Disintegration
Encore
Lullaby
The Caterpillar
Friday I'm in Love
Close to Me
Why Can't I Be You?
Boys Don't Cry
Jumping Someone Else's Train
Grinding Halt
10:15 Saturday Night
Killing An Arab

Arctic Monkeys @ Malkin Bowl - September 20/09

A very subdued show, and very different in feel to their PNE Forum appearance in September/07.

Perhaps it was the smaller outdoor venue, or that they are touring to support Humbug, a very different sounding album to Favourite Worst Nightmare. All that southwest US/Tarantino/Western themed music. I'll confess I'm not a big fan of their direction this album, but don't mind it in small quantities. Crying Lightning is awesome and I LOVE the Nick Cave cover Red Right Hand. That's been a fave song of mine for 15 years and is a perfect example of the sound the Monkeys are aiming for on Humbug. Hearing those live was a treat, but I was there to hear the stuff of their first two albums.

I wasn't disappointed by the setlist. Quite clever actually. Woven together, the Arctic Monkeys played all ten tracks off Humbug and ten songs from the first two albums, seven off Nightmare and three from Whatever People Say I Am. I would have loved to hear Teddy Picker, A Certain Romance, and Fake Tales of San Francisco but I heard them last time. I was happy they included This House is a Circus and, of course, Dancefloor, which was amusingly modified.

These boys are not what I would call showmen, standing rooted to one spot during the whole show, and very few words to or acknowledgment of the audience, but I have to concede the music is great to experience live. The Monkeys are musically acclaimed for a reason.

Setlist:
Dance Little Liar
Brianstorm
Crying Lightning
Potion Approaching
Pretty Visitors
This House Is A Circus
Still Take You Home
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
If You Were There, Beware
Sketchead
My Propeller
Red Right Hand
Dangerous Animals
The View From The Afternoon
Cornerstone
Only Ones Who Know
Do Me A Favour
Secret Door
Fluorescent Adolescent
505

The Killers @ UBC Thunderbird Arena - April 24/09

Feeling a bit tired tonight, so skipped the openers. This was my first time at Thunderbird Arena. Apparently it's been renovated in preparation for the Winter Olympics. Sorta like the PNE Forum, but nicer. We didn't have great seats, near the back on the right side, but all seats seem to have a decent view due to steep seating. The only reason I'm sharing these moans is because some of this may have coloured my impression of The Killers show.

I'm glad I got to see them, and the show was okay, but it certainly didn't blow me away. And I thought the sound was a bit muffled, particularly on one of my favourite songs, Read My Mind. And while I'm not a huge fan of the Jumbotron, it certainly would have helped those at the back more fully appreciate the show.

The set decoration was pretty fun: palm trees, and a great layout of lights, where hundreds of lights in a grid pattern blanketed the backdrop and some of the stage fixtures, like the monitors in front. These were different for every song and sometimes during it, giving each song its own visual wash of colour.

The Killers launched right in to Human and then This is your Life off their new album, "Day & Age". In fact they played the first seven songs off the album, mostly in the first part of the set, sprinkling in some early songs and the Joy Division cover Shadowplay, complete with stills from Control, the biopic on Ian Curtis, which is a nice nod to one of their post-punk influences.

Other than the obligatory shout out to Vancouver, Brandon Flowers dedicated one song, I Can't Stay, to Nardwuar and nanaimo bars, making me guess they were interviewed earlier in the day. This song was a departure from my impression of The Killers, adding a full on Vegas show feel, complete with a sax player, and caribbean percussion. Very loungey. And hopefully very ironic. The palm trees didn't help at this point.

A Dustland Fairytale, apparently the new album's third single, brings the set to its first apex, soft teasing parts, followed by catchy and building crescendos. This song looks and sounds like its fun for the band to play, and I guess they'll be doing this live for a long time, maybe as a break from some of those hits they'll have to keep playing whether they like it or not.

This was followed by the highlight of the night, for me, Sam's Town. A super slowed-down and haunting version begins with desolate Las Vegas images projected behind the band, the stage awash in red. And with perfect timing, just as Flowers sings the final words of the line "But I know that I can make it / As long as somebody takes me home", up pops a motel "Welcome" sign. Take me home, indeed. I got shivers.

The main set is rounded out by a trio of hits, thrilling the now hooked and engaged audience. All but a few people are on their feet and dancing or singing along. At least the Killers got the set list down perfectly. Even from a distance it's clear that Flowers is an energetic and interesting front man, skinny in all-black, like the rest of the band, he bounds and dances around, across the stage and up on the monitors, occasionally playing a bit on the keyboard behind the stylized "k" centre stage. But, from our seats, it still felt a bit like watching a show on a 14" TV.

We ducked out before the encore, so we stood a chance at getting back home on the bus without being squashed, but it's pretty likely they played Bones, Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, and When You Were Young, as their setlist has been pretty consistent so far on this tour.

So, an okay show. Certainly got me listening to the new album more, which is slowly growing on me.


Setlist:
Human
This is Your Life
Somebody Told Me
For Reasons Unknown
I Can't Stay
Joyride
Bling (Confessions of a King)
Shadowplay
Smile Like You Mean It
Spaceman
Losing Touch
A Dustland Fairytale
Sam's Town
Read My Mind
Mr. Brightside
All These Things That I've Done
Encore (Probably):
Bones
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine
When You Were Young

Editors/Hot Hot Heat @ The Commodore Ballroom - Feb 5, 2008

A little thrown off by an earlier start time due to it being a weekday show, the three band lineup, and a friend who needed a smoke or two before the show, I managed to miss the openers, Louis XIV. I’d been really looking forward to seeing them, but will soon be able to rectify this when they come back to town on March 28.
The first thing I noticed when Hot Hot Heat took the stage is the new lighting system at the Commodore. Vibrant colours light the stage and the musicians from a myriad of spotlights adding to the spectacle of the performances and the mood of each song played.
Hot Hot Heat are immediately energetic despite the initially tame crowd. Originally from Victoria, but now based in Vancouver, they are currently recording an album in town, and the singer tells us they're happy to be home.
Steve Bays warns us that his doctor advised him to take two weeks off for his voice, but he declares "we wouldn't let Vancouver down!" Despite the good intentions, his voice does sound weak at times and even fades away to nothing at others. Hot Hot Heat cut their set short, but have still managed to get the fans warmed up.



Hot Hot Heat's approximate Setlist:
Dirty Mouth
Harmonicas and Tambourines
Oh, Godamnit
No, Not Now
Middle of Nowhere
Goodnight, Goodnight
Bandages
My Best Friend
Talk to Me, Dance with Me


I never got around to writing a review on the Editors (this is added in 2018). My memory is of a pretty dull show, but enjoyable music. I believe they were wearing suits, which has changed over the years. There wasn't much audience interaction or showmanship. But the lights and sound were good as this was the Commodore. I recall loving hearing the Editors music live and that it was very faithful to the recorded versions.

Setlist (very partial):
Smokers Outside the Hospital Dorrs
The Racing Rats
An End Has a Start
Munich