Kaiser Chiefs @ O2 Academy Brixton - February 8, 2019

So, this won't be a fair review. I'd just come off a Dry January and drank too much so my memory is fairly fuzzy.

I will say that Ricky is a great front man, so his energy and showmanship is in no way to blame for my finding this a weird show.

I never thought I would see Kaiser Chiefs live for the simple fact that the venues they have played for the last decade or so are too massive or are sit-down or are some weird outdoor event. So, when I saw the O2 Academy Brixton listing I thought "finally, a great way to see these guys." Some of their songs I really loved back in the mid-naughties, and I'd heard they put on a good show. But I went in being wary about the kinds of fans they must be drawing now.

And I was right. It was WEIRD. We made our way (easily) to the front and found ourselves among what seemed to be big groups of, maybe, college-aged kids, mostly female, and very basic-seeming. Since we were right at the front, if there was any kind of mosh-pit behind I missed it, but I'm doubtful there would have been much.

Smattered throughout the show, and building more towards the end were several stage-props and pyrotechnics: a lit-up shallow staircase for Ricky to mount, Projectors, confetti-cannons and the like. So, they put on a SHOW, but I'm here for the music not the fireworks.

And about the music. Faithful renditions, performed with gusto and met with surprisingly passive singalongs. It was the tamest audience I've seen at what alleges to be a rock show. Poor Chiefs. It reached a crescendo of absurdity to my inebriated (so easily amused) brain during the I Predict a Riot / The Angry Mob back-to-back portion of the show. This "mob" wouldn't riot over a Black Friday sale at (what's a shit store?)... ASDA!

So...sorry for the snarkiness. Glad I've seen 'em, I guess. Wished I'd seen 'em long, long ago. Awful fans. The End.

Telling anecdote: Overheard while returning from getting a drink, "How sad they have to play such small places now." Fuuuuuuuuuuck.


Setlist: 
Saturday Night
Never Miss a Beat
Parachute
Wait
Na Na Na Na Naa
The Factory Gates
Cannons
Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)
Target Market
Coming Home
Golden Oldie
Everyday I Love You Less and Less
Ruby
Take My Temperature
I Predict a Riot
The Angry Mob
Retirement
Encore:
Hole in My Soul
Time Honoured Tradition
Oh My God

Art Brut @ Garage - January 17, 2019

My first show at Garage, but a nice little space, which I'm pleased about as I already have another gig lined up there.

Found out Art Brut were doing 2 shows in London before and after Xmas, unfortunately after they had both sold out. Twickets to the rescue where I bought 2 tickets, hoping to sell the other. I was going to go solo, but a fellow Solo Armada member was interested in the ticket and ended up being an enjoyable companion for the music intervals.

We met at doors opening and were some of the first to enter the cold room. A couple of hours earlier I was amused by tweets from Eddie Argos scolding anyone who wasn't going to arrive early for the openers. He was chatting with some friends at the merch stall and stayed out front to hear the first band, practicing what he preached, and standing directly in front of us.

Fightmilk were first up. A four member band with two guitars, one being female who doubled as lead singer. She had good stage presence and her between-song banter was amusing. Having checked out both openers beforehand, I recognized a couple of songs, but it was their energy that I appreciated more than the actual songs, although Your Girlfriend was pleasing in a Weezeresque way.

Gaffa Tape Sandy were fairly similar to Fightmilk, except they had three members, the female member was on bass and the two guitarists split vocal duties. While their stage banter wasn't great, it wasn't bad, but their energy was really great and some of their songs are really growing on me, particularly Water Bottle and Beehive.

Eddie Argos bounded onto the stage after the other band members had taken their places, and it's indisputable that he is the focal point of Art Brut. I believe only the guitarist, Ian Catskilkin, is an original member, with the drummer, apparently being brand new.

 They opened with Hooray! from their new album, Wham! Bam! Pow! Let's Rock Out! Argos then led into My Little Brother with some banter about the song being written when his little brother was 22, and how at 36, with a condo and a job and a nice car, that their mother is no longer more worried about her youngest son. This was followed up by a hilarious lengthy ramble (almost the sprechgesang of his song delivery) about his Mum telling him that shouty bands are now in fashion, like Sleaford Mods and Idles and Shame, and isn't that great.

Argos introduced Axl Rose by telling us that his two favourite singers are Morrissey and Axl Rose and isn't it unbelievable which one turned out to be the liberal and which the right-wing fascist.  The back-to-back "hit" songs played next were the closest they can get to saying they are going to play one of their hits, he joked. Then Hospital! and Alcoholics Unanimous were presented as 'effect' and 'cause'.

The increasingly energetic set with attendant high leg kicks focused mainly on their amazing debut and their newest release with only one or two songs from their three middle albums. Requests were screamed out, and Argos responded several times that they don't play Modern Art anymore, but the crowd kept trying. Delivering Emily Kane slightly before they left the stage for the first time certainly placated their fans and the mosh pit finally started to get a bit animated.

After a brief absence while the crowd chanted "Art Brut: Top of the Pops", the encore kicked off in similarly energetic fashion with Formed a Band. By the time Art Brut left the stage, most of the crowd seemed sweaty and satisfied. But they quickly reemerged and we were treated to a monster encore of Modern Art with a very extended stream-of-consciousness tale of visiting an art gallery as Argos waded into the very middle of the crowd. He got almost everyone to sit down on their haunches with him at the eye of a huge circle of fans, as he asked us to envision our favourite work of art, before at last releasing us to jump up to the repeated chorus "Modern Art! Makes Me! Want to Rock Out!"

Argos's showmanship is terribly entertaining and winning and I've only seen an encore bettered by Nick Cave at All Points East. And that's some high praise by association.

Setlist:
Hooray!
My Little Brother
Axl Rose
She Kissed Me (And It Felt Like a Hit)
Direct Hit
Hospital!
Alcoholics Unanimous
Too Clever
Arizona Bay
Emily Kane
Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out!
Encore:
Formed a Band
Kultfigur
Bad Weekend / Demons Out!
Post Soothing Out
2nd Encore:
Modern Art

Adam Ant @ Roundhouse - December 20, 2018

On a recent show in London with my usual concert buddy, we saw a poster for the upcoming Adam Ant shows at the Roundhouse. We laughed about it and then, being drunk, proceeded to sing Adam and the Ant songs all the way home, with requisite dance moves thrown in from time to time. You know, the signature Adam Ant sexy skip-in-place move.

We joked about it a few more times: "It would be so fun, but oh my god we can't!" "It's too expensive just for the nostalgia." And so on. But a few weeks later, she texted to say a job she had lined up in December fell through and why don't we just go for it.

We both were on the cusp of being teenagers during Ant's big years with the Ants and then as a solo artist. We couldn't resist the thought of getting to see the man himself live, and particularly seeing Stand and Deliver, Antmusic and Dog Eat Dog played. The opportunity had to be seized.

Not interested in the openers, we arrived to a packed floor full of 30- to 60-somethings all holding their ground with fierce determination. There was none of the squeezing-down-front possible that is our usual M.O., at least not until much later. We began by finding a fairly okay viewpoint on the left flank and were pleased to see the two drum kits set up speaking of faithfulness to the old Ant sound.

The crowd ratio was more male than we expected, making it about 50-50. But we noticed with amusement how many couples there were and how many of the (let's be honest) middle-aged women were dressed to the nines and looking hot. We speculated that this event would be a good early-date litmus test for a prospective mate, but once the show started we were surprised by just how many of the (straight-looking) men were really into the show. Assumptions...

We were similarly surprised and delighted by how much energy Adam Ant had throughout the entire show. He came out looking dapper in his recent-years look of straw hat, bandana and all-leather, and still as slim as ever. And I was truly thrilled by all his moves, the aforementioned skip, the 360-twirl, the air-sucked-through-teeth face, the flashing eyes. It didn't strike me at all as pastiche, but genuinely his natural performing mannerisms. He's lost little of his aloof charm as an entertainer.

The jacket was removed part-way through the set to reveal one of his own tour shirts. In fact the whole band, bar the female drummer, was wearing the same, which I thought was a bit much. But I guess we know who would call the shots on and off-stage.  Despite the double drums, on one song (wish I could remember which) two of the guitarists picked up marching snare drums to really pump the percussion up to the max. At about this time, Ant also gave a shout-out to the punk legend Jordan, his early manager, who was in attendance somewhere on the balcony.

The setlist was heavy with older material and each song elicited cheers of excitement from different parts of the audience. People clearly had their favourites they were there to hear. Unfortunately, the crowd were pretty unanimated. Certainly zero mosh pits appeared. There was very little movement, as no one would allow people through; mostly just dancing in place. My friend and I jumped up and down to Stand and Deliver, but I think we were the only ones.

All in all, a good night's entertainment, and a good time reliving some of those amazing songs that blew my young mind apart, all those years ago.

Setlist:
Plastic Surgery
Dog Eat Dog
Vive Le Rock
It Doesn't Matter
Friend or Foe
Antmusic
Beat My Guest
Ants Invasion
Killer in the Home
Lady
Fall-In
Room at the Top
Desperate But Not Serious
Cartrouble
Prince Charming
Zerox
Whip In My Valise
Strip
Puss 'n Boots
Kings of the Wild Frontier
Christian D'or
Stand and Deliver
Encore:
Goody Two Shoes
Red Scab
Physical (You're So)

New Model Army @ O2 Forum Kentish Town - December 13, 2018

Arrived at the Forum in time to see most of Shattercones set. It gave me a Nick Cave, David Lynch vibe with a twangy old-fashioned rock weirdness.  I really liked them. They played about 6 songs including A Cheat and In Relief, and I believe The Butterfly Song, all of which you can find on youtube or through their FaceBook page.

I'd heard a lot of good things about Seán McGowan from comments on Solo Armada's social media pages. Tonight he was doing a solo acoustic set which I believe is his norm rather than backed by a full band. He was chatty and personable and funny and seemed genuinely grateful to have been asked to open for NMA. He did a short set of mostly upbeat catchy songs that didn't fully win over the talking audience, but seemed to please quite a few.

Setlist:
Spancil Hill
Off the Rails
Romance Ain't Dead
Springhill
Cuppa Tea
No Show

New Model Army came on at 9:15. This London gig is one of their shows for their annual Winter Gatherings, but it's my first time seeing them. I discovered them sometime around 1991 and became obsessed with their Son of Cain album, and to a lesser degree some of the following LPs like Thunder and Consolation. Unfortunately they played nothing off my favourite album, including 51st State which was a staple on mixed tapes for years, but I realized how much of their other work I really like, so I didn't mind too much.

They have many albums to chose from and seemed to select songs that worked with the winter theme and the current political climate. The later in the set, the more the setlist seemed to be off the cuff with requests from the crowd that it was unclear if the band could hear or not, since many were shouted out in a jumble.

I had agonized a bit about whether to brave the cold evening to see another show alone, but knew I would regret missing a band I have liked for so long, and as always, was happy to have seen them finally.  They have a nice rapport with the fans, who seemed to be a touch on the crusty side, but less so than I feared. Most were in the mid 30- mid 50 age range I would guess, and there were many, many New Model Army T-shirts being shown off. I even dug out my old "Get Me Out" one for fun, and after a wash to shake off the years of musty box smell it was good to go. There was some fairly mellow moshing and a few people not just sitting on shoulders but standing on shoulders, which would have annoyed me, had I not been down the front with a good view.

Justin Sullivan the main and only persistent member of the band repeated a theme of political divisiveness a few times as he spoke to us between songs. His main message being that the politicians will only achieve their selfish aims if we let ourselves become divided; a fitting message for such a divided mid-Brexit country. Nice to hear that NMA's political messages haven't softened any.

Setlist:
Whirlwind
Burn the Castle
Drag it Down
Devil
States Radio
A Liberal Education
Brother
Winter
225
Better Than Them (as a tribute to Pete Shelley)
Too Close to the Sun
Guessing
Today is a Good Day
Autumn
Fater
Green and Grey
Encore:
Drummy B
Waiting
Island
Encore 2:
Stupid Questions
Betcha

shame @ O2 Forum Kentish Town - November 30, 2018

After the Touts debacle, we got to the venue with plenty of time to get a drink and a position in front of the stage before the 1st opener's start at 7:45 p.m. We were some of the first to get there and it was nice to see the Kentish Town Forum with the lights up and not jammed with people. It's a beautiful old Art Deco cinema that now has a 2300 capacity.

Not wanting to miss out on a great band, I did my research ahead of the show and thoroughly checked out both Sorry and Fontaines D.C. I'm really impressed by the Fontaines D.C., a young sort of post-punk meets 50s surf band from Dublin City (thus the name). Their sound is fresh and infectious with a Irish literary and cultural influence in the lyrics. I was so looking forward to seeing them and was even more impressed with them after their compelling eight-song set.

They did a great job winning over the initially tame audience, having them whooping and clapping by the end and sounding like they would be happy for more. They didn't play my favourite track of theirs Winter in the Sun, but ran through just about everything else I'd heard and couple I hadn't and had to look up after the show. They only have 4 singles (all double a-sides if you ask me) released, but I read they have recently been signed to Partisan Records (Idles are their new label-mates) and hopefully we'll see their debut album soon rather than just an EP. For such a young band they seem plenty prolific, so fingers crossed.

Their look is very interesting if initially a tad bizare. Four-fifths of the band remind me of 70s rock fans looking out-of-date by the 80s with straggly hair, some dodgy beards and questionable thrift-store gems.  I think I remember a Velvet Underground tee. The singer, Grian Chatten, seems to be chanelling Ian Curtis with his sad eyes and frenetic energy; a throw back to a working class past where your da's hand-me-downs would have to do, and you're just going to have to pull off that dress shirt and corduroy pant look. He paced the stage repeatedly looking as though he were about to go ten rounds with the audience. Quite mesmerizing.

While the rest of the band had a bit of a dazed, or overly-chilled, look to them, the sound they produced was the opposite: tight and driving. Several of the early songs (like Big) began or were driven by Deegan's bass and then layered upon. You then can't help but hear the influence of the Beach Boys and other surf sounds (Link Wray) as well as Buddy Holly in the dual guitars and be thoroughly charmed. The cherry on top is the Irish accented voice of Chatten, echoey and atmospherically droning in the best post-punk sense. Fontaines D.C. have created an exciting, new sound out of some stellar and diverse influences.

After the show I bought an awesome band T-shirt of a grubby, little kid smoking a roll-up, and within a couple of days had bought tickets for their next available local show at the Garage in April.

Setlist:
Chequeless Reckless
Big
Sha Sha Sha
Too Real
The Lotts
Liberty Belle
Boys in the Better Land
Hurricane Laughter


shame review and setlist coming...

Trampolene @ Dingwalls, London - November 28, 2018

This was a last minute decision and exactly why I am loving living in London: a midweek show in a small venue cuz I was in the mood and have wanted to check out Trampolene.

Dingwalls is awesome; a 500-capacity club cum live venue that's been around since 1973 and has hosted some legendary musicians including plenty of punk bands. The photographer Roger Morton called it "low and dark and full of life" and that is a perfect description. It's a bit seedy and has a great feel with it's multiple layers stepping down to the concrete floor in front of the small-ish stage. There are plenty of great sightlines no matter how close you want to get to the action. The staff were good, especially the bartenders, and the crowd was mercifully not super young as I'd feared, but mainly 20s to 40s and attitude-free.

First on were Lacuna Bloome, a very young band with some pretty good songs, but a fairly dull stage presence. They were definitely shown up in that department by the headliners and the other openers, The Surrenders, who were energetic and fun to watch.  The latter's music skews a bit southern US rock (Black Crowes, Jack White, early Stones) for my taste, but they sound great live and were electric and winning, particularly the lead singer, Connor who has a great sense of style and physical presence, and the lead guitarist.

After a couple of songs, including the really catchy Maybe There'll Be Blood, we got an introduction to the band: "We're Connor, Richard, James and Scott. And you're London." Their seven song set (also including the memorable No Paper) warmed the room up perfectly and must have won them some new fans if there's any justice in the world.

After a pause, plenty long enough to get another drink and get repositioned for the main act, a taped recording of Artwork of a Youth came on. It's spoken pattern of "Alicia Pitson was the first girl I ever fancied..." and so on gave me a giggle, when I noticed that some of the names were bleeped out, leading to thoughts of old friends awkwardly asking to not be named so publicly.

Trampolene's front man Jack Jones came on stage in a fuzzy hooded coat, looking like a crazy but adorable muppet and was quickly joined by his bandmates, bassist Wayne Thomas and drummer Rob Steele, who immediately launched into Under the Strobe Light. I'm glad I took a quick photo, because the coat came off as soon as they were warmed up.

I first heard Trampolene last year when they made a big impression on me mainly with the spoken word poetic pieces Ketamine and Saving My Life in A & E. Jack Jones has a prodigious lyrical ability and an almost embarrassing truthfulness about drugs and sex, his ego and his ambition. By the end of the night and witnessing his tremendous showmanship and connection to his fans, it is clear that he could be a very big rock star in the making. I'm surprised that it didn't click in my brain that he and the band are Welsh until this show. The drum kit was draped with the Welsh flag and suddenly I heard his accent as he chatted to and charmed the crowd. He certainly possesses that loving genuineness I've noticed in the Welsh.

So, I mentioned that this was a last minute gig for me, and it's because I was worried that Trampolene may be another youthful band aimed at winning teenage girls as fans, similar to how I now see The Kooks or Razorlight. And while it's inevitable they will appeal to a young, female fan base, this show demonstrated that they deserve a much wider and critical audience. Jones' lyrics can sometimes be romantic and slow and deal with love, but it's done with a genuinely deft poetic skill. Somehow the Welsh heritage makes this an easier conclusion to come to when I think of Dylan Thomas. And then they just rock out much more than you might expect from their recorded material.



During several of the set's songs, Jack easily got the crowd singing along, and at one point read a poem written by a regular show attendee, Alex, called "This Wednesday's Different". Bassist Wayne's little brother then joined the band on guitar for Imagine Something Yesterday. The final song of the night was introduced by Jack with "my grandad always said that if you want something you can't pray for it, you have to Storm Heaven", and during the guitar solo, Jones played his guitar while crowd surfing. The amazing performance was topped off by a now very drunk-seeming but still coherent Jones reciting the spoken word Pound Land to a crowd that were hanging on his every action and word.

What a night. I bought a T-shirt before heading home, not so much because I liked it, but I just felt that this gig was worth so much more than the mere £10 ticket price. Definitely one of my musical highlights for 2018, and yes, I really hope to see them again before too long. If you like their music at all, I strongly suggest you go experience them live.

Setlist:
Taped Intro: Artwork of a Youth
Under the Strobe Light
It's Not Rock and Roll
You Do Nothing For Me
Alcohol Kiss
Adrenaline
Ketamine
The Gangway
Beautiful Pain
Tonight We'll Be Fine
Imagine Something Yesterday
The One Who Loves You
Dreams So Rich, Life So Poor
Storm Heaven
Encore:
Pound Land (Jack's spoken word)

TOUTS @ Electric Brixton - November 17, 2018

Looking forward to seeing TOUTS since first hearing them on Radio 6, I believe. They're from Northern Ireland and definitely share a punk sound with Stiff Little Fingers. They were the first openers for this show, and as far as I can tell the only thing in common is the fact that they are all teenagers or their fans are.

Doors were at 7 and I figured we should be okay getting there at 7:30. Unfortunately being a 14+ ages show, there was a long line-up to get in, with tons of kids eager to hang out with their friends. There were lots of wasted kids which slowed down security as well, so we didn't get inside until 7:45 to hear the TOUTS were already playing.

We plowed to the front of an already packed floor and disappointingly only managed to catch one and a half songs. I was bummed, but saw enough to know I am eager to see them again. The whole of Bombscare was energetic and fun and helped redeem the night.

We got drinks and found a spot upstairs on one of the balcony levels to watch grandson. He was very energetic, but seemed perplexed by the crowd of kids. As they repeatedly formed several circle pits that uncertainly crashed together, he asked the crowd if they were even there to see a rock show. It was clear they were there only for Rat Boy and to have a fun time with their friends.

I was actually rather impressed by grandson's music and performance. The Rage Against the Machine influence was evident but his political comments fell on deaf, insensate ears. Not sure he won any new fans this night, but he deserved to.

Rat Boy was boring, sophmoric rubbish. He had hardly any stage presence and his songs were pedestrian, good-time nothings. We gave him a good chance to win us over but left about 1/2 way through his set. This is not music aimed at us, 40-something punk fans.