Tag: Music (Page 3 of 6)

I believe that brandy’s mine…

I was going to title this post ‘abundance of arseholes’ but I think I’d regret it in the morning and I really don’t think it is representative of the post as a whole and is possibly due to my stressed state of late. I do like the title though, I’ll have to find something to use it for…

Interesting gig at Space 2 in the custard factory tonight. The first gig I’ve been to there outside of Supersonic.

It was the Amanda Palmer gig, a part of the ‘Who killed Amanda Palmer‘ tour. I have to say I’m really glad I caught the pre tour show in London after tonight. The venue sound was pretty much awful throughout, on quiet songs there was low end hum all the time, and if you were any more then three rows back all you could hear was chatter – though I couldn’t see people taking anywhere – from the bar area. Then the heaters – over the stage and very very noisy* Odd. It made it very hard to get involved in the music, mostly it just made me grateful I’d caught the ICA show.

*this is not just because I got shortchanged at the bar, again – I was sober I really should pay more attention to what change trainee bar staff deliver. It is most probably a coincidence that the last three gigs I have been to here someone in my group has been shortchanged…

The all the acts were great though, Jason Webley and Zoe Keating and also someone I missed, who was in the toilets all night arranging his postcards, and Amanda was great, even with a broken foot. Jason Webley reminded me of a specific period of Tom Waits, so much so that I kept expecting one song to break into ‘Strangers, Talk only about the weather,’ but there was more than that too, it was great. I enjoyed Zoe Keatings set too, though it wasn’t the best environment with lots of people chatting or at least the sound of that – was there a ‘the sound of people at gigs talking’ CD on the PA? – It reminded me of some of the US Warren Zevon bootlegs I have – but this is the UK, we don’t talk over musicians we’ve paid to see here, do we?

All in all I’d say buy Who killed Amanda Palmer, its a great album, and do catch the tour if you can, but to whoever put this gig on at space 2, what about the Town Hall. It seems a woefully underused venue since its been re-opened, and it would have been preferable in both character and professionalism from tonights experience…

HOME OF METAL

coming up soon from Capsule, Home of Metal

For too long Birmingham and the West Midlands have failed to celebrate what is rightfully theirs, to claim the city and the region as home of “heavy metal”. With 2008 being the 40th anniversary of when the phrase “Heavy Metal” was coined it seems like a crucial time to start celebrating!

One of my photos on there too, I do believe (I would have made some more effort if I’d’ve known no one else was taking pictures. As it was my attention was diverted slightly by the free nibbles and wine. I can but apologise).

Sunburnt return*

after a fantastic show from Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls in London on thursday night (Birmingham diary date October 3rd) it was off to the Isle of Wight where they secretly still hold the british summer…

Ah, thats what sunshine looks like.

More photos here

*Actually I don’t have sunburn; but the skin on my forehead is peeling slightly, leaving me with that science teachers dandruff effect all down my black shirt, however thats not really a snappy**, or particularly pleasant, title I didn’t think.

**Not that any of the previous titles have been that snappy…

Late Supersonic write up…

well, Its been two weeks since another fantastic Supersonic Festival. Memorable moments in the order of occurrence included…

Arrival on Friday to find the TV set in two pieces in our Etap ‘The key to a good nights sleep’ hotel room, which was a definite health and safety failure I think. The pies at the Old Joint Stock were as good as always, though I still miss Pie Minister.

On arrival at the Custard Factory the entrance and wristband situation was speedily delt with, they were even kind enough to cut off everyones over long wristband ends, though again, waving a pair of scissors at every patron seems to be asking for trouble, but with a weekend that involves glass, beer cans and blood being discharged into the audience from some of the performers, this has to be a small worry.

Drumize we’re great, I was disappointed that they weren’t a band as such but a collective as other bands, as this meant there was no record to buy and my chances of hearing hem again we’re poor. Having said that I see they have a myspace page so I guess you never know. Dalek were enjoyable though I found standing at the back of the Medicine Bar Factory Club Stage to watch the Osaka Invasion uninvolving, If I’d’ve arrived early enough to be stood at the front I dare say I’d’ve felt different. We’d been looking forward to DJ Rupture who came on stage a little before 2am. Strangely the entire place emptied at this point, I’m still not sure why. I guess a lot of people had come from work or maybe people don’t stay up that late in Birmingham, see Sunday night, either way it meant the atmosphere was lost somewhat. Rupture played on and seemed to enjoy himself none the less, its just a shame there were so few left to see it.

Saturday kind of drifted in, there we’re some nice folk acts but in the bright light of day it you could see it was hard to really get the audience involved. The Courtesy Group got things going in the Warehouse/Space 2 Stage. With a front man Part Beefheart and Part Mark E Smith. They were great fun and very entertaining. We then watched Justice Yeldham, which really defies description. Oxbow were a definite highlight for me this year, I only caught part of their set in the Medicine Bar, as it was then, last year and again, I was at the back so it was hard to enjoy, this year we had a decent view and the set was pretty amazing. You can view a recent live set online, here, and also buy a recording from last years show from Capsule themselves. Harvey Milk we’re also worth a mention, I confess that despite the fact the bars ran out of draught beer, the end of the evening did become a bit of a blur, but I do remember it being a very enjoyable blur

Sunday was quite noisy to be sure. Never have I seen so many earplugs employed at a festival.

Max Tundra was good fun, a good way to get some energy back into the proceedings. I confess having seen him a couple of times before, we moved toward noisier climbs. Pierre Bastien and his wonderful machines, image, were very entertaining, creating a kind of noir soundtrack from the clicks and ticks developed by his models, and a few instruments, was also nice to sit down for five minutes! Fucked Up were great fun, image, noisy and raucous and a little scary, well, at least when you find yourself stood next to the front man as, like many bands at this years festival, he decides to perform in the crowd rather than on the stage. Earth sounded fantastic, I confess I didn’t watch that much of the set as its more music to listen to than to watch and there was so much else to do. Julian Cope gave everyone something to gossip about by not playing with Grave Temple as advertised, none the less they we’re most enjoyable, I can still taste the dry ice while I remember it. Harmonia finished things off and then if was round the corner to the Rainbow for an afterparty that petered out after about an hour. Probably for the best, it was a very tiring weekend all in all.

Next year I hope another Supersonic occurs in Birmingham and

  • a. The acts are as well chosen, obscure and entertaining
  • b. The venue remains the Custard Factory complex
  • c. The Staff/Helpers/Volunteers are as helpful and friendly as this years were.
  • d. Me and my mate at least discuss staying somewhere other than the Etap [though the random meetings in the coridors and lifts in the early hours almost made up for the stange aray of stains in our room. Almost.]
  • e. The Draft beer supply lasts longer than eight hours

Actually, it was enough fun to ignore points d and e, but you can always hope…

business opportunity for ailing record shops…

I know a lot of record shops are struggling to compete with the Competition of the internet, are suffering a fall in sales and then further have eBay and bands that selling direct.

So this new idea of starting up a traveling ‘Record Fair’ – And charging people an entrance fee to come in and look at the stock, stock that previously would have been free for all to browse, but that would be costing rent and other overheads if stored in a traditional shop. Then price the stock a good £3/4 over what things would cost in a normal independent ‘actual’ shop, which means if you should sell something, you make a damn good profit, and if not, you’ve still made a few quid from all the browsers… who would normally have walked in, and out, for free. Win win.

On a separate note, I went to a Record Fair in Tamworth today. Some fantastic stock there from the single stallholder in the back room of some pub, but I didn’t think £15 a CD was really a ‘Record Fair’ type price. The stock was v good though. Next one is in July apparently…

When is a Record Fair not a fair Fair?

Supersonic Festival 2008

I‘m very much looking forward to the fast approaching Supersonic Festival in Birmingham.
Last years event really was fantastic. Dates are 11th-13th July 2008 and if I list them here, it’ll save me looking them up later.

Supersonic Festival Poster

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