Laura Jane Grace and the Trama Tropes w/Pet Needs @Scala - November 27, 2024

 

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

 

Yet Another Music Hiatus

 This time, the start of my last concert hiatus was not my doing. Yup: Covid.

When it hit, and we were about to go into lockdown, I had 3 shows booked:

Fontaines D.C. (Feb 25/20)

Cabbage (March 5/20)

Faith No More (June 16/20) 

If memory serves, the news about Covid was building, and I just didn't think it was a good idea to be in a crowded audience. I went to one play in February (Taming of the Shrew at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), which was barely half full and realised that many people were already skipping public events. Even with plenty of space around us, I felt uncomfortable. We just didn't know anything about Covid yet and it was a nervous time.

I had seen Fontaines DC three times, including recently in November, so, as much as I love them, it was my first skipped event. Then Cabbage were opening for Blossoms, but again, I'd seen them once so missed it. Alas, they have since disbanded. Finally, I had seen FNM twice in 2015, and they were so good, I immediately bought tickets when they announced they were playing London again. This one was cancelled. I just did a search to see if any shows have been played or planned since, and read an article about how Mike Patton pulled out due to agoraphobia and they haven't played together since. Although Patton has played quite a few shows with Mr. Bungle in the past 3 years, including a 2024 London date I didn't even hear about. It's looking like FNM won't reform, but I hope I'm wrong.

After all the lockdowns and restrictions were officially over, I stayed more socially distanced than most, and was in no rush to resume going to events or taking holidays. We didn't travel overseas again until 2023! We moved to our new house at the end of 2010, so being homebodies has been nice for awhile. Lots of new middle-aged hobbies: bird watching, photography and gardening.

It was finally a Laura Jane Grace show in late 2024 that got me out of this hiatus. She'd only visited the UK for one festival in 2022 since covid, so I couldn't miss this one. 

Fittingly, it was her band Against Me! that made me end my last music hiatus in 2014, and even more importantly how I met my great concert friend, Janey - whom I've now seen more concerts with than anyone else, including seeing LJG together nine times and counting.

But wow! Five years between shows? Oof.  

The Libertines w/ Trampolene @ O2 Academy Brixton - December 19, 2019

Couldn't resist this show once I saw a second date was added in London with different openers, which included a fave of mine, Trampolene.

 

This was my second time seeing each band, and as I'm typing this up way after the fact, I'm re-checking out whenyoung (the other opener) and trying to remember if I actually saw much of their set. I have a song of theirs "The Others" in my favourite Spotify songs - a kind of Cranberries meets Glasvegas sound (they're Irish). Relistening, I recognize it well, but was I that interested on the day? Perhaps we chose that moment to get drinks if they were slotted between the other two bands which I wouldn't have wanted to miss any of. Anyways, I listed it on my setlist.fm tally, so must have caught some of it, but obviously not memorable for me. (A shame, because the more I listen to their stuff, the more I like them. Some research shows, the band may be on permanent hiatus as the couple behind the band have moved back to Ireland and opened a restaurant.)

 

The singer of Trampolene, Jack Jones, has performed with The Libertines and particularly Pete Doherty many, many times (he was in the Puta Madres). They seem to have an almost brotherly or mentor/mentee relationship. The adoration is plain. So, I'm pretty sure they would have got onstage together, probably Jack joining The Libertines for one track, maybe during the encore. But I can't find any footage, so perhaps I'm projecting from something else I've watched online.

 

Following a couple of other solo performers (Luke Wright, then Ed Cosens), Welsh band Trampolene are a lot of fun live, and Jack Jones is an endearing and charismatic performer. I was completely won over seeing them at Dingwalls with a crowd of adoring fans about a year before this. It was lovely to see them again, but if you're not familiar with any of their stuff, not sure this performance would have won you over. Funny how sometimes a band can hit so different on different occasions.

 

I saw The Libertines at the 2015 Reading Festival, and while I was happy to have at last seen them, I'm never fully convinced this is the best way to see any band for the first time. So, of course, I was hoping for a much more memorable show at the Brixton Academy. And while it was great to hear some well-loved songs like "What Became of the Likely Lads" which I was shocked to not hear at Reading, it never quite had the vibe I somehow expected from a Libertines show. I wanted to be blown away, but I wasn't.

 

Perhaps, I (fittingly?) drank too much. Or perhaps the band were more subdued than they might have been. I had a look at a review chatting about how poorly the crowd received the spoken word poems of Luke Wright, who also made an appearance right before the Libertines came on. The article speculated that the band limited crowd interaction and chat, perhaps to punish us. Maybe it was end of tour fatigue, or the fact this was night two in the same venue. Maybe the Libertines are just one of those bands who can only create magic sporadically and unreliably. I have no doubt of that magic, and for some they might be a favourite concert memory, but I can't say they're one of mine based solely on the two shows I've seen. Maybe, I'll get another chance down the road.

 

Setlist:

The Delaney
Heart of the Matter
Horrorshow
Barbarians
Fame and Fortune
Boys in the Band
You're My Waterloo
The Saga
Last Post on the Bugle
Can't Stand Me Now
The Ha Ha Wall
Dead for Love
Gunga Din
Up the Bracket
What Became of the Likely Lads
Death on the Stairs
Time for Heroes
Encore:
Music When the Lights Go Out
What Katie Did
The Good Old Days
What a Waster
Don't Look Back Into the Sun

 

Idles @ Alexandra Palace - December 7, 2020

review to come...

Setlist:
Set 1:

War (Live Debut)

Never Fight a Man With a Perm
I'm Scum
Mother
Faith in the City
Divide and Conquer
Heel/Heal
Gram Rock
Queens
Slow Savage
Danny Nedelko
Rottweiler
taped: Dylan Thomas reads "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Set 2:
taped: Drone Intro
Colossus
Grounds
Love Song
1049 Gotho
Benzocaine
Samaritans
Television
Danke (Live debut, w/openers METZ & Giant Swan)

Fontaines D.C. @O2 Forum Kentish Town - November 27, 2019

review to come...

Setlist:
Hurricane Laughter
Chequeless Reckless
Televised Mind
Sha Sha Sha

Lucid Dream

Television Screens
The Lotts
Roy's Tune
Too Real

Liberty Belle

Boys in the Better Land
Dublin City Sky
Big

The Mountain Goats @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire - November 15, 2019

My first time seeing the Mountain Goats. I grabbed tickets as soon as they were available as I've been wanting to see them for a couple of years now. I'd heard the name for yonks, and assumed they were some folksy hipster shit (given the animal name), but then I learned about Laura Jane Grace's obsession with them, and finally gave them a listen. And of course: "wow!"

For some reason this date had a bunch of great concerts in London. It really hurt to turn them down, particularly the Sleaford Mods/Viagra Boys/Stewart Lee show (!!!), but I could not pass up seeing John Darnielle et al live after falling in love with his astounding lyrics and songwriting.

I went with Steve, who has come to like some Mountain Goat songs from the amount I play certain songs at home on drinking/hanging out/cooking nights. Since I knew it would be a tame, mostly quiet night, I didn't feel I could ask him to go too early, as we were standing and the openers were very chill as well (I had a quick listen). It's a good thing too. The first 3/4 of the show was very mellow. I'd never before heard drinks being ordered and made during a headliner's set.

It was great to listen to so many new songs I wasn't much, or at all, familiar with, as Darnielle is a winning performer. He had a story for most of the songs as he introduced them, and it was clear that this was natural one-off banter, not word-for-word rehashed stories. He told a funny anecdote about a friend seeing Leonard Cohen and loving his stories so much that she went back a 2nd night, and heard the exact same stories again. Not surprising, but it's clear that being authentic is deeply important to Darnielle.

As I listen to the Mountain Goats mostly on spotify and just let them go, several songs were familiar but not their names (fortunately someone else figured out the exact play list), but I was really happy to hear some of my favourites: Dance Music, Wear Black, Waylon Jennings Live!, Younger, Up the Wolves and This Year. But the highlight for me was getting to hear No Children live. The feeling was universal among the audience as it was one big shout-along. Tremendous! I captured one minute on video, not being able to help myself capturing my favourite verse, although I now understand that Darnielle is no fan of mobile phones at shows. I've already rewatched it about 5 times, so I'm afraid I can't say I regret it!

Setlist:
Estate Sale Sign
No More Tears
Hebrews 11:40
Heretic Pride
Younger
Goblin Wizard in the Crawlspace of my Heart
Transcendental Youth
We Shall All Be Healed

(John solo:)
Dance Music
Waco
Matthew 25:21

(Matt Returns:)
Wear Black

Waylon Jennings Live!

Magpie

(openers Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards joins:)
Tianchi Lake
Doc Gooden
Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Up the Wolves

Encore:
Possum by Night
You or Your Memory
No Children
This Year

LIFE @ Moth Club - November 6, 2019

w/Italia 90

My first time at the tiny Moth Club in Hackney, even though I was thinking of going before now (should have dragged my butt out to Cabbage in April!).

Caught most of the opener's, Italia 90, set. Originally from Brighton, but now living in south London, they have an interesting early punk sound. I'd checked out a couple songs ahead of the show and was glad to hear them live. The singer had a predatory, prowling skinhead look, but without much feedback from the crowd, didn't give us much energy back. Definitely a band to watch as their sound is right up my alley, and a good fit for LIFE.

This was my 3rd time seeing LIFE, and the first as headliners. (Saw them open for Slaves (now called Soft Play) and then Idles). I've liked them from before that 1st show, checking out opening bands as I like to, and being really impressed. Also love wearing my long-sleeve Popular Music shirt to shows, which endears them to me.

I think this is the first time I've seen their new female bassist, Lydia, who bops from side to side making faces, and fits in well with  their offbeat, kinetic performances. Singer, Mez, is as mesmerising to watch as ever, channeling a young David Byrne with original off kilter moves and detached but demented expressions.

I'm very relieved by the new album they're supporting, A Picture of Good Health. It's lost none of their energy and drive, and moves their sound forward in a direction that totally works for me. I like a few new bands whose 2nd and 3rd albums I'm nervous about, but these guys haven't let me down one whit. Having said that, I was chuffed that they closed with Popular Music, that chugging and droning ironic masterpiece.

Love them live, and will definitely see them again.

Setlist:
Excites Me
Good Health
In Your hands
Half Pint Fatherhood
Never Love Again
Grown Up
It's a Con
Euromillions
Don't Give Up Yet
Hollow Thing
Bum Hour
Ba Ba Ba
Moral Fibre
Popular Music