The more I go The Talking Heads, the more I like it as a venue. This visit I was given a new reason to be favourable to it. Gig venues as a rule charge too much for drinks. If it is a gig venue which rarely hosts gigs and is closed more often than not, then I guess that is fair enough as they won’t get much of a discount on their bulk buying. However, I’ve been to venues in London which charged £4 for a can of beer, and one in Portsmouth which charges £3.95 a pint of beer. The Talking Heads charges £3.20 for a Carlsberg or Fosters pint which is fair for a gig venue I guess. However, they were selling bottles of Fosters Gold for £1.50 a bottle. As a result, I got nicely drunk during the gig which isn’t something that happens very often. However, I have 2 more planned visits to the Talking Heads this side of Christmas, and hopefully at least two more in 2012. I really like the venue.
However, alcohol prices aside, I like the venue as a whole. The layout (aside from one pillar...) is superb in my opinion with a standing area (where there is a table) and a raised area where the bar is, but there are more tables for people to sit if they so wish. The atmosphere when I’ve been before has always been good. I had previously attributed that to people being in a good, relaxed mood as they were going to see Ginger from the Wildhearts. While I am sure that is the case, the people for this gig were also in a good, relaxed mood which meant there was a positive buzz in the room. This is always a good thing before a gig.
I might be crucified for this, but I can’t remember the name of the opening band. I think (!) it was Terraform, but I don’t know that for sure. Damn you alcohol! Anyway, they were really good (which is what makes my memory fail worse). They seemed to be a decent hardcore/thrashy type band that is very tight live. The lead singer kept taking jaunts into the crowd throughout the set which was quite entertaining. They were very enjoyable. The second band one was Savage Messiah who much like Evile were a thrash band. They were also really good. I think their main problem was their lead singer’s banter in-between songs. He was saying things like “here’s a song, you won’t have heard of it” and “you won’t know this one”. Admittedly, I didn’t know a great deal of their set but I did a little research of them before the gig on Spotify. They may not be a massive band by any means, but don’t come on stage saying “hey, you don’t know us!” – it seemed to be a very strange attitude to have. Musically fine, but that bugged me. It was at this point I saw the members of Evile in the crowd, who all walked passed me to get on stage.
The tour was in support of their new album, so unsurprisingly, Evile came on stage and started off with the title track from their new album, Five Serpents Teeth before breaking into the classic that is Killer From The Deep. It was clear that Evile were going to be superb early on. What followed was a setlist made up mostly of songs from the new album with a couple of classics from the previous two albums. In-between some songs, there was some on stage talk which the front man from Savage Messiah should take note of. Firstly, Matt Drake expressed surprised about how many people showed up. Hopefully they had a good attendance at Brighton as well so they’ll consider coming back to the south more often (Wedgewood Rooms next time? Please!) There was also some banter between band members after Ol Drake thanked the venue staff and supporting bands, so Matt promoted him to vocalist – it was funny stuff. The new material all sounded superb but special mentions have to go to Eternal Empire and Cult. Both songs are stand out songs on the album and are stunning live. Cult will probably become one of my favourite songs by Evile. 10 songs into the set, Evile announced they were going to play one more song and it was up to the fans. Now, on previous setlists for this tour (the album launch shows), they finished the set off with Armoured Assault. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it on previous reviews where I’ve seen Evile at festivals but I am desperate to hear them play this song live. It was the song which got me into Evile! Anyway, the choice was Armoured Assault or Enter The Grave. Armoured Assault maybe had 2 or 3 (me included) vote for it so Enter The Grave was played. I love Enter The Grave but come on! Will I ever see Armoured Assault live?! I fear not.
The gig was superb. Evile were on top form and the new album sounds really good live. They said on stage they were very proud of it and from what I heard, they have every right to be. I hope as they do more shows and more headline tours, they play longer sets. They played 11 songs in Southampton and I’m sure they could have played more. Other than that, and them not playing Armoured Assault (again!), I have no complaints. Go see Evile on this tour if you can, you won’t regret it (assuming you like them. If you don’t, well go anyway!)
http://www.evile.co.uk
http://twitter.com/evileuk
Next review will be at the end of the month for The Answer and Volbeat. Probably will be one review as they are 2 days apart. We’ll see
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Rest In Peace Steve
I have pre-ordered myself an iPhone 4S. After much decision making I’ve decided to do this because it is time to upgrade and rather than wait for next iPhone (which might come next year), I’ll get the newer model which is due on Friday. The new model sounds really good as well, which helps matters. It is an upgrade to the iPhone 4, rather than a complete rebuild. It is being released alongside iOS5 which enables the user to do so much more with the phone. It comes with Siri, a voice controlled program which you can send messages via, or just search for information. I am underselling it with that description but from what I’ve read, it sounds like a fascinating upgrade. The new camera looks immense as well and it has the ability to film in HD. It also comes with a brand new processor (used in the iPad 2) which means it will run faster. Basically, the new upgrade sounds awesome. It is just unfortunate that its release is at the same time as a really sad piece of news for Apple and Apple fans alike. Hell, you don’t even need to be an Apple fan to be sad about this news. Steve Jobs has passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Below is the tribute message found on Apple.com
As I am typing this blog, I am listening to music via iTunes. I presently own my 2nd iPhone and am shortly going to purchase my 3rd iPhone. I own an iPad 2 and have previously owned 2 iPods. The creativity of Steve Jobs has changed the way I live my life. I can’t imagine using another phone on a day to day basis. People ask me why I love my iPhone as much as I do and the simple truth is that it just works for me. It has increased my expectations of what a phone should and could do for me. I have previously flirted with other music playing software and always ended up back in the familiar territory of iTunes. iTunes and the iTunes store has revolutionised the way I listen to music. Listening to music on iPods makes you realise why they are the best MP3 player on the market. When they first came out, I didn’t get the point of an iPad. Now, having owned one for 5 or so months, not only do I get it, but I love it. It has changed the way I do things on a day to day basis, whether that is writing a blog or a letter on Pages, or simply playing games while on the train – it has made a massive difference in my life. Put simply, I accept that not everything I have listed here is directly down to Steve Jobs; however he created and saved the company responsible for them. His ideas I’m sure helped create these items which are changing people’s lives. He changed the world as we know it. So from an Apple user, I would just like to say thank you to Steve Jobs. My thoughts and condolences are with his family and his friends. Rest in Peace Steve.
It has been quarter final weekend in the Rugby World Cup and it has been an emotional one it has to be said. It started with Wales v Ireland and it was a superb display by the Welsh. Their defence was rock solid throughout the game and the Irish were sloppy at times. Wales put in a solid performance against Fiji and this one was better. They won the game 22-10 and fully deserved it. The next quarter final was the real emotional one as England played France. I could speak for a long time about this game however I am just doing a summary of the games. I will talk more about England after. In short, France arrived at the game fired up and looked a completely different side to the one that was humiliated by Tonga the weekend before. England, when they had possession and looked threatening, continued to shoot themselves in the foot. They gave away a lot of possession and penalties needlessly. England lost 19-12 to France, and they deserved to lose. Today the first QF was Australia v South Africa and I only caught the second half (damn you alcohol). The second half was a hard fought contest. I do feel South Africa were hard done by due to poor refereeing. They scored a try but the ref said there was a forward pass (which I didn’t see even after the replays) and Australia were tackling very high without punishment. The referee seemed to either be very lenient or not notice. How he could have missed some of them though is beyond me. Australia won 11-9, and as a result the South Africa coach has already resigned; a real shame. The second QF was New Zealand v Argentina. I naturally assumed that this would be a walk over for NZ and they would make it to the semis, no questions asked. However, Argentina were nobody’s mugs and asked NZ some serious questions at times, including scoring the only try of the first half. NZ were more dominate over the span of the game but the final score of 33-10 does not to Argentina any justice at all. The semi finals are now:
Wales v France
Australia v New Zealand
England’s exit from the tournament at this stage is very disappointing. The question is what can be done? I’m unsure about Martin Johnson’s position as head coach. He seems to be good tactically but I just wonder about discipline. I’m not talking about the off the field activities here, I mean purely on-field discipline. I mean that is what let us down majorly. We struggled against Scotland and Argentina and got lucky but our discipline in those matches was shocking. I and others said that as soon as we play a better team, we will be found out. That is exactly what happened against France. Should Martin Johnson stay? I honestly don’t know at this stage. I think we need to see the squad for the Six Nations and how we do at that. By which I don’t just mean results wise, I mean performance wise. If we play like we did for some of that World Cup, we will not retain the Six Nations. I also think a number of big names who are starting to get on a bit need to retire from the international fold. I think we have seen better days from Tindall and Wilkinson. They may have a use for test matches before 2015 but it might be helpful for them to bow out now and let England build a new team. There are a number of other faces who I can’t imagine seeing at the 2015 world cup. These are Sheridan, Mears, Thompson, Shaw, Palmer, Moody, Easter and Cueto. Some of them may have a role to play but I am thinking 4 years down the line and it might be time to feed new blood into the squad for that tournament. We shall see what happens but I am awfully disappointed to see England exit in the QFs when they could have made it to the final (as the Draw was very favourable to them).
Final Thought: In the song Missing by Everything But The Girl, the singer says she misses someone like the desert misses the rain. Does the desert miss the rain at this point? I am not sure why this came to mind other than hearing the song on the radio and thinking “well, the desert probably doesn’t miss the rain, making this entire song moot”.
Steve Jobs – 1955-2011
Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
As I am typing this blog, I am listening to music via iTunes. I presently own my 2nd iPhone and am shortly going to purchase my 3rd iPhone. I own an iPad 2 and have previously owned 2 iPods. The creativity of Steve Jobs has changed the way I live my life. I can’t imagine using another phone on a day to day basis. People ask me why I love my iPhone as much as I do and the simple truth is that it just works for me. It has increased my expectations of what a phone should and could do for me. I have previously flirted with other music playing software and always ended up back in the familiar territory of iTunes. iTunes and the iTunes store has revolutionised the way I listen to music. Listening to music on iPods makes you realise why they are the best MP3 player on the market. When they first came out, I didn’t get the point of an iPad. Now, having owned one for 5 or so months, not only do I get it, but I love it. It has changed the way I do things on a day to day basis, whether that is writing a blog or a letter on Pages, or simply playing games while on the train – it has made a massive difference in my life. Put simply, I accept that not everything I have listed here is directly down to Steve Jobs; however he created and saved the company responsible for them. His ideas I’m sure helped create these items which are changing people’s lives. He changed the world as we know it. So from an Apple user, I would just like to say thank you to Steve Jobs. My thoughts and condolences are with his family and his friends. Rest in Peace Steve.
It has been quarter final weekend in the Rugby World Cup and it has been an emotional one it has to be said. It started with Wales v Ireland and it was a superb display by the Welsh. Their defence was rock solid throughout the game and the Irish were sloppy at times. Wales put in a solid performance against Fiji and this one was better. They won the game 22-10 and fully deserved it. The next quarter final was the real emotional one as England played France. I could speak for a long time about this game however I am just doing a summary of the games. I will talk more about England after. In short, France arrived at the game fired up and looked a completely different side to the one that was humiliated by Tonga the weekend before. England, when they had possession and looked threatening, continued to shoot themselves in the foot. They gave away a lot of possession and penalties needlessly. England lost 19-12 to France, and they deserved to lose. Today the first QF was Australia v South Africa and I only caught the second half (damn you alcohol). The second half was a hard fought contest. I do feel South Africa were hard done by due to poor refereeing. They scored a try but the ref said there was a forward pass (which I didn’t see even after the replays) and Australia were tackling very high without punishment. The referee seemed to either be very lenient or not notice. How he could have missed some of them though is beyond me. Australia won 11-9, and as a result the South Africa coach has already resigned; a real shame. The second QF was New Zealand v Argentina. I naturally assumed that this would be a walk over for NZ and they would make it to the semis, no questions asked. However, Argentina were nobody’s mugs and asked NZ some serious questions at times, including scoring the only try of the first half. NZ were more dominate over the span of the game but the final score of 33-10 does not to Argentina any justice at all. The semi finals are now:
Wales v France
Australia v New Zealand
England’s exit from the tournament at this stage is very disappointing. The question is what can be done? I’m unsure about Martin Johnson’s position as head coach. He seems to be good tactically but I just wonder about discipline. I’m not talking about the off the field activities here, I mean purely on-field discipline. I mean that is what let us down majorly. We struggled against Scotland and Argentina and got lucky but our discipline in those matches was shocking. I and others said that as soon as we play a better team, we will be found out. That is exactly what happened against France. Should Martin Johnson stay? I honestly don’t know at this stage. I think we need to see the squad for the Six Nations and how we do at that. By which I don’t just mean results wise, I mean performance wise. If we play like we did for some of that World Cup, we will not retain the Six Nations. I also think a number of big names who are starting to get on a bit need to retire from the international fold. I think we have seen better days from Tindall and Wilkinson. They may have a use for test matches before 2015 but it might be helpful for them to bow out now and let England build a new team. There are a number of other faces who I can’t imagine seeing at the 2015 world cup. These are Sheridan, Mears, Thompson, Shaw, Palmer, Moody, Easter and Cueto. Some of them may have a role to play but I am thinking 4 years down the line and it might be time to feed new blood into the squad for that tournament. We shall see what happens but I am awfully disappointed to see England exit in the QFs when they could have made it to the final (as the Draw was very favourable to them).
Final Thought: In the song Missing by Everything But The Girl, the singer says she misses someone like the desert misses the rain. Does the desert miss the rain at this point? I am not sure why this came to mind other than hearing the song on the radio and thinking “well, the desert probably doesn’t miss the rain, making this entire song moot”.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Touch. Pause. Engage
The main highlight of the last two weeks for me has been the Rugby World Cup. Before it started, I didn’t think I would watch much of it (just trying to stick to England and Scotland games) but I have found myself really getting into any game I can watch. The first game I watched was actually the second half of France/Japan in which the scores were fairly even until Japan switched off and France just strode ahead, eventually winning 47-21. After that was the first England game of this campaign against Argentina. A particularly ugly affair in which England played fairly poorly but managed to get the win 13-9. The next day, I was only awake in time to catch South Africa v Wales, which has been the second best game of the tournament for me thus far. It was a superb contest from start to finish where the current world champions were given a real scare by the welsh with one point separating the two nations at the end. I streamed a game at work to listen to while working, which was Scotland v Georgia. Scotland were not dominate, but Georgia were fairly poor. This resulted in a Scotland victory 15-6.
I really wish I had caught the game on Friday (work is a right bugger isn’t it?!) as the hosts New Zealand destroyed Japan, running out 83-7 winners. This weekend there has been some fantastic rugby on display. I caught most of the South Africa – Fiji game. It was 3-0 to RSA when I turned it on. It finished 49-3 to the reigning world champions. South Africa is always a strong contender to go all the way. After this match was the match of the tournament thus far for me. Ireland v Australia was an outstanding game of rugby. I don’t support either team but tend to favour the underdogs when I am a neutral. This meant that I wanted Ireland to win and that they did. The two teams seemed really evenly matched and it was just a great match. I think Ireland deserved to win and I was delighted at the end when they won 15-6. I intended to wake up at 4.30am this morning to watch all of today’s rugby. However, my desire to sleep outweighed my desire to watch Wales v Samoa and I stayed in bed until about 7am, waking up to watch England. The game started off slow with England giving away far too many penalties but at HT, England was in front. The second half was significantly better with England scoring 4 tries. The discipline was still a worry though. The final score was 41-10. The final game today was France v Canada. What should have been a walk over for France (5th in the world rankings vs. 14th) was really quite a challenge from the off. Canada took first blood with a penalty, which France reversed by scoring a try but then Canada equalised. The two tries were a result of shocking defending. After the half being fairly level, France scored 3 penalties towards the end and never really looked back. Canada scored a couple of drop goals but never looked like getting back into it which I thought was a real shame.
It is a real shame I have work on Thursday and Friday because I would love to watch South Africa v Namibia and Australia v USA (both games I predict being high scorers...if only for one team!) though I might stream the games and listen at work like I did the Scotland game. Another 7am start next Saturday for England v Romania and I hope that will be a comprehensive win for England as well. The game after that is the first major clash of the tournament really. Two teams from the top 5 of the world rankings meet when hosts New Zealand face France. I might try and wake up on Sunday for the Ireland v Russia game but seeing as that starts at 6, I may fail. I will definitely be watching the Argentina v Scotland game however as that is a vital game in England’s pool. The final weekend of the pool games is the first weekend of October where there is a real chance I will tape all the games and spend all weekend watching rugby if possible. The main match for me of this weekend is England vs. Scotland. A real local derby which usually is a fantastic game of rugby. I will probably also try to watch France v Tonga (6am 1st Oct), Wales v Fiji (6am 2nd Oct) and Ireland v Italy (8.30am 2nd Oct) live as well. I am really into this world cup right now and I am really looking forward to the final stages so much. I haven’t seen enough to convince me that England will win the tournament but I remain hopeful. New Zealand looked unbelievable against Japan, but I have to keep in mind that they were playing Japan! I honestly don’t know who will win, but I think my pick has to be New Zealand.
The more of this world cup I am watching and the more of Bath I am following, the more into rugby I am getting. The truth is I am finding myself caring less about football as the days go on. I still support Portsmouth but I am beginning to wonder if Rugby will become the number one sport that I follow. I mean, I am going to see Pompey next Saturday, and I am really looking forward to it – but at the same time, I am finding myself getting increasingly annoyed with footballers – how they act on the pitch and off of it. I am just growing disillusioned with the once beautiful game. Will this be the case when the rugby world cup concludes? I can’t answer that now.
Anyway, moving away from rugby.
I went to go see Adam Hills at the Wedgewood rooms on his Mess Around tour last Tuesday night. The concept of the tour is that it is different every night (although truthfully, I imagine he will have a bank of stories he can fall back on which will make appearances regularly). He told stories about an American comic, Chelsea Handler, and her show in Australia; meeting the queen and ordering pizza in Australia. There was so much more though, including getting a twitter account set up for an audience member and getting his thousands of followers to guess an audience members job as well as some tribal warfare between Portsmouth and Southampton residents (the concept of “scum” and skate” seemed to be lost on him which made it more funny). There was one awkward bit which I’m sure was supposed to be funny which after a 2 or so minutes really just became awkward. In his 2009 show, he bought an audience member who he met at his Reading gig on stage. They proceeded to have a bit of back and forth banter which really was quite funny, albeit slightly long. This time around, the funny died off quickly and it turned into “hey crowd, turn against the guy you bought a ticket to see” – which didn’t happen. Oh well – his involvement ended and the show continued fine. I hope if Adam Hills comes back to Portsmouth again, it is without the special guest. The show was great though.
My last post on here was about me giving up smoking and the blog it is on (I'm Done With Smoking btw). Today will see me have gone 7 whole days without a smoke if I make it to 9.30pm without going for one. Seeing as I don’t have any and most shops are now closed, I think my chances are quite good. I am proud of myself for doing this and hope to continue and keep it up for quite a while yet.
That’s all folks!
I really wish I had caught the game on Friday (work is a right bugger isn’t it?!) as the hosts New Zealand destroyed Japan, running out 83-7 winners. This weekend there has been some fantastic rugby on display. I caught most of the South Africa – Fiji game. It was 3-0 to RSA when I turned it on. It finished 49-3 to the reigning world champions. South Africa is always a strong contender to go all the way. After this match was the match of the tournament thus far for me. Ireland v Australia was an outstanding game of rugby. I don’t support either team but tend to favour the underdogs when I am a neutral. This meant that I wanted Ireland to win and that they did. The two teams seemed really evenly matched and it was just a great match. I think Ireland deserved to win and I was delighted at the end when they won 15-6. I intended to wake up at 4.30am this morning to watch all of today’s rugby. However, my desire to sleep outweighed my desire to watch Wales v Samoa and I stayed in bed until about 7am, waking up to watch England. The game started off slow with England giving away far too many penalties but at HT, England was in front. The second half was significantly better with England scoring 4 tries. The discipline was still a worry though. The final score was 41-10. The final game today was France v Canada. What should have been a walk over for France (5th in the world rankings vs. 14th) was really quite a challenge from the off. Canada took first blood with a penalty, which France reversed by scoring a try but then Canada equalised. The two tries were a result of shocking defending. After the half being fairly level, France scored 3 penalties towards the end and never really looked back. Canada scored a couple of drop goals but never looked like getting back into it which I thought was a real shame.
It is a real shame I have work on Thursday and Friday because I would love to watch South Africa v Namibia and Australia v USA (both games I predict being high scorers...if only for one team!) though I might stream the games and listen at work like I did the Scotland game. Another 7am start next Saturday for England v Romania and I hope that will be a comprehensive win for England as well. The game after that is the first major clash of the tournament really. Two teams from the top 5 of the world rankings meet when hosts New Zealand face France. I might try and wake up on Sunday for the Ireland v Russia game but seeing as that starts at 6, I may fail. I will definitely be watching the Argentina v Scotland game however as that is a vital game in England’s pool. The final weekend of the pool games is the first weekend of October where there is a real chance I will tape all the games and spend all weekend watching rugby if possible. The main match for me of this weekend is England vs. Scotland. A real local derby which usually is a fantastic game of rugby. I will probably also try to watch France v Tonga (6am 1st Oct), Wales v Fiji (6am 2nd Oct) and Ireland v Italy (8.30am 2nd Oct) live as well. I am really into this world cup right now and I am really looking forward to the final stages so much. I haven’t seen enough to convince me that England will win the tournament but I remain hopeful. New Zealand looked unbelievable against Japan, but I have to keep in mind that they were playing Japan! I honestly don’t know who will win, but I think my pick has to be New Zealand.
The more of this world cup I am watching and the more of Bath I am following, the more into rugby I am getting. The truth is I am finding myself caring less about football as the days go on. I still support Portsmouth but I am beginning to wonder if Rugby will become the number one sport that I follow. I mean, I am going to see Pompey next Saturday, and I am really looking forward to it – but at the same time, I am finding myself getting increasingly annoyed with footballers – how they act on the pitch and off of it. I am just growing disillusioned with the once beautiful game. Will this be the case when the rugby world cup concludes? I can’t answer that now.
Anyway, moving away from rugby.
I went to go see Adam Hills at the Wedgewood rooms on his Mess Around tour last Tuesday night. The concept of the tour is that it is different every night (although truthfully, I imagine he will have a bank of stories he can fall back on which will make appearances regularly). He told stories about an American comic, Chelsea Handler, and her show in Australia; meeting the queen and ordering pizza in Australia. There was so much more though, including getting a twitter account set up for an audience member and getting his thousands of followers to guess an audience members job as well as some tribal warfare between Portsmouth and Southampton residents (the concept of “scum” and skate” seemed to be lost on him which made it more funny). There was one awkward bit which I’m sure was supposed to be funny which after a 2 or so minutes really just became awkward. In his 2009 show, he bought an audience member who he met at his Reading gig on stage. They proceeded to have a bit of back and forth banter which really was quite funny, albeit slightly long. This time around, the funny died off quickly and it turned into “hey crowd, turn against the guy you bought a ticket to see” – which didn’t happen. Oh well – his involvement ended and the show continued fine. I hope if Adam Hills comes back to Portsmouth again, it is without the special guest. The show was great though.
My last post on here was about me giving up smoking and the blog it is on (I'm Done With Smoking btw). Today will see me have gone 7 whole days without a smoke if I make it to 9.30pm without going for one. Seeing as I don’t have any and most shops are now closed, I think my chances are quite good. I am proud of myself for doing this and hope to continue and keep it up for quite a while yet.
That’s all folks!
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Summer 2011 - Who Was The Best?
As September starts, it is reminder that the summer has come to an end and sadly that means so has my summer, which was pretty busy. This has been arguably the best summer I’ve had since I’ve started going to festivals. I went to a number of different festivals and saw a number of bands. The question I have been asked occasionally is “who was the best?” That is a very tough question but I am going to deal with it now the best way I know how. I will list the top 10 of what I have seen, justifying their place on the list. The list will compromise of bands only. I am discounting the comedy and spoken word sets I have seen. The bands on the list are all ones in the various reviews I have posted to this blog scored a 10 rating.
Before dealing with all the positivity of the best 10 of summer 2011, the negative aspects must be dealt with as well. The first list is the worst of 2011. This list is made up not just based on ratings but on personal feelings of disappointment as well. The second list is the bands I didn’t see that I wanted to and why I didn’t
The Worst of 2011:
• The Hot Rats (supporting Foo Fighters) – Rule one for a covers band, do good covers. This band was mediocre at best.
• Mambo Kurt (Wacken) – I said in the review that I fully accept that the majority of people who saw him loved him, so it must just be me that doesn’t get it.
• Exquisite Pus (Wacken) – Emulating Job for a Cowboy in your music is just like shagging your sister – DON’T FUCKING DO IT!
• Crashdiet (Wacken) – Big ole’ bag of dull.
• Mayhem (Wacken) – Big ole’ bag of shit! I don’t like the band, I’ve since decided. But their set just got painful as it went on.
• The Offspring (Reading) – Performance wise not poor, but they just weren’t interested, which sucked.
• 30 Seconds to Mars (Reading) – Not a fan of them anyway, but they were also pretty dull.
• Warpaint (Reading) – The worst band of the summer. So awfully dull.
The Ones That Got Away 2011:
• Bowling For Soup Acoustic (Download) – Damn you Dan Reed for being on stage before them and sucking enjoyment out of the entire arena. I needed good music, and fast so I had to get out of there!
• Alice Cooper (Download) – System of a Down was on. Enough said
• Weezer (Sonisphere) – Wanted to make sure my headache had passed before heading to see Ginger
• Gojira (Sonisphere) – Headache was still present after Ginger so left the arena
• Watain (Sonisphere) – See Gojira
• Hamatom (Wacken) – Decided at the last minute to see Mayhem. MISTAKE!
• Bedouin Soundclash (Reading) – They can’t have been as fucking bad as Warpaint....surely?!
That is all the negativity dealt with. Now it is time for the very best. There were 22 bands that scored a 10 who are eligible for this list (Motorhead at Wacken discounted due to me not being in the arena and listening from the tent). The ones which did not make the top 10 are Down (Download), Richard Cheese, Ginger Wildheart, Volbeat, Alestorm (Sonisphere), Hayseed Dixie, Sirenia, Skindred, Iced Earth, Kreator (Wacken), Does It Offend You Yeah and Noah and the Whale (Reading). It was a very tough call to cut some of them when trying to get the best 10. I went back and forth over the no.10 slot as well and truthfully, a number of these bands filled it at one point, however eventually losing out. They were all superb, but this is about the very best 10 – so let’s get to it.
10 – TRIVIUM – WACKEN OPEN AIR 2011
Trivium makes the list simply because they were superb. As a live act, they were noticeably tighter than they were the previous year when I saw them. Performance wise, they were flawless and they dealt with being on the main stage for their Wacken debut very well. They played some songs from their new album which was all fantastic while mixing their set list up – dropping former favourites and closing out in a new way. Trivium did everything right in this set, and it would be hard to deny them a spot in the top 10. It was the best time out of 6 that I’ve ever seen Trivium, and that justifies their spot on this list.
9 – PULP – READING FESTIVAL 2011
Pulp did everything a festival headliner should do. They delivered a strong performance, backed up by an even stronger stage show. When it comes to this genre of music, the stage show can really add to the overall enjoyment of the set. The atmosphere for them was one which few bands can replicate live. Seeing Pulp live is an experience I am happy to have had.
8 – MADNESS – READING FESTIVAL 2011
This was just complete and utter fun. Here is this band that my dad saw before I was born on stage, playing mostly classic songs and creating a party feel. From the opening lines of One Step Beyond, some people didn’t stop dancing. Part of the reason Madness are on this list is nostalgia – it was great fun hearing songs I love like Baggy Trousers and Our House live. The rest of the reason is simply that they are still absolutely kill on stage.
7 – JUDAS PRIEST – WACKEN OPEN AIR 2011
I wasn’t going to include these at first as their set did get off to a slow start. We saw 3 songs before heading off to catch Sirenia and only one was good (Metal Gods). When we came back though, Priest had changed gears and were absolutely superb. Everything from when we came back to the last note in Living After Midnight was fantastically flawless. The end of their set alone gets them a place on this list. It is as if they got together, chose my favourite 7 Judas Priest songs, and played them back to back. Utterly outstanding they were.
6 – SLIPKNOT – SONISPHERE FESTIVAL 2011
This set from Slipknot got everything right. It combined aggression with raw emotion over the passing of Paul Gray. It combined a tight live performance with a fierce stage show. A superb set list always helps a set and this truly was great. The atmosphere benefited from the weather – as Slipknot were playing, sheets of rain drenched the crowd. It was quite a sight seeing that stage show amongst sheets of rain. If this is the last tour I’ll see Slipknot on, it was a hell of a way to go out.
5 – SYSTEM OF A DOWN – DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2011
Seeing System has been something which I have wanted to do since 2005. So when they went on hiatus in 2005 that was upsetting. As the years went on, it didn’t look like I would see SOAD all together (I saw Serj Tankian solo, which was good). Then rumours started flying round they would tour in 2011, and they did. I almost didn’t go and that would have been a terrible mistake. They were superb. The setlist had pretty much everything I wanted to hear in it and they were technically superb. They got 5Ks from Kerrang but a 6 from Metal Hammer, saying they were technically superb but lacked on-stage chemistry. I really don’t think this took away from how fantastic it was to see SOAD live. They have been removed from my bucket list of bands and added to the “oh fuck they were splendid” pile.
4 – METALLICA – SONISPHERE FESTIVAL 2011
Anyone who knows me might be slightly surprised to see Metallica so low down on this list. Indeed, it was a tough call to put them 4th, especially considering they turned up as a part of the Big Four and played a stunning set list. Was this the best I’ve seen Metallica out of the 8 times? No. Was it top 3? Absolutely. The jam with the Big 4 and the guitarist from Diamond Head playing Am I Evil will be a favourite memory of mine when I look back at the times I’ve seen Metallica live. Plus on top of everything else, they played BATTERY!
3 – FOO FIGHTERS – MK BOWL, MILTON KEYNES 2011
I saw them in February. I knew what they were capable of live. They are a stunning live band. What I didn’t know was how much better they were when playing a massive gig. Wembley Arena was big, MK Bowl was massive. Not only were they superb technically, but they kept it going for over 2.5 hours. They had special guests and cover songs filling a set crammed packed with everyone’s favourite Foo Fighters songs. The new album material just glides into the set list perfectly. That plus a decent but not overdone stage show equalled a superb gig. Only actual gig I’ve been to this summer, and it was fantastic.
2 – MUSE – READING FESTIVAL 2011
Everyone I’ve ever spoken to about Muse live has good things to say. I spoke to a complete Muse fan boy who simply said “you have to see them to understand”. I now understand. Performance wise, they were pretty much perfect. The stage show was out of this world as well. I’ve not seen a better stage show other than Rammstein (hey, I’m a sucker for pyro). Massive tuning forks coming out the stage in the style of Origin of Symmetry with a constantly changing video screen backdrop. Playing the album “Origin of Symmetry” in full caught a lot of people off-guard when it was announced I think but they pulled it off superbly and when they finished it, just played massive song one after another. It was exceptional how simple they made it look. That is another one off the bucket list.
1 – AVANTASIA – WACKEN OPEN AIR 2011
Words cannot describe, even now, how excited I was when the slot machine graphic showed Avantasia’s logo. There was a curtain across the stage (which is one of my favourite ways for a band to start, SOAD did it as well) and from behind it, the opening bars of “Twisted Mind” emerged. The atmosphere from then until the end was electric but also constantly changing. From sheer excitement to 60k+ people all swaying in unison, it was a fun crowd to be a part of. As for the band? It was unbelievable seeing them pull off this project live. For those that don’t know, Avantasia isn’t just a straight band – it is a vast number of musicians and seeing it all in front of me was amazing. The set list was pretty much perfection. Since the gig, I’ve got their set list as a regular playlist and I still listen back and think it was incredible. I can’t list the best moments as it was all stunning. I’m sad to say that it was the last show (or it was announced as the last one, who really knows) but I was there. Getting the chance to see them made my Wacken festival. Seriously though, fuck you Corvus Corax for being so bad in 2008 that I left the arena and missed Avantasia. You have a lot to fucking answer for! Don’t think I’ll ever forgive them for that.
That is my top 10. It was a tough list and looking back over the bands that didn’t make the top 10, all it says to me is that I had a fucking good summer. Now that summer has finished, it is time to look forward. I didn’t go to many gigs before the festivals this year (5 to be exact). However the end of the year is pretty damn busy gig wise! I am pleased about this. Upcoming for me on the live music front is the following:
• Evile @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
• The Answer @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
• Volbeat @ HMV Forum, London
• Fozzy @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
• Rise Against @ Guildhall, Southampton
• Alter Bridge @ MEN Arena, Manchester
• Dimmu Borgir @ Academy 3, Manchester (to be confirmed tomorrow)
• Every Time I Die @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
• Ginger Wildheart @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
• Manic Street Preachers @ The O2 Arena, London
I can’t wait for what will be a very good conclusion to this year, when it comes to live music.
Before dealing with all the positivity of the best 10 of summer 2011, the negative aspects must be dealt with as well. The first list is the worst of 2011. This list is made up not just based on ratings but on personal feelings of disappointment as well. The second list is the bands I didn’t see that I wanted to and why I didn’t
The Worst of 2011:
• The Hot Rats (supporting Foo Fighters) – Rule one for a covers band, do good covers. This band was mediocre at best.
• Mambo Kurt (Wacken) – I said in the review that I fully accept that the majority of people who saw him loved him, so it must just be me that doesn’t get it.
• Exquisite Pus (Wacken) – Emulating Job for a Cowboy in your music is just like shagging your sister – DON’T FUCKING DO IT!
• Crashdiet (Wacken) – Big ole’ bag of dull.
• Mayhem (Wacken) – Big ole’ bag of shit! I don’t like the band, I’ve since decided. But their set just got painful as it went on.
• The Offspring (Reading) – Performance wise not poor, but they just weren’t interested, which sucked.
• 30 Seconds to Mars (Reading) – Not a fan of them anyway, but they were also pretty dull.
• Warpaint (Reading) – The worst band of the summer. So awfully dull.
The Ones That Got Away 2011:
• Bowling For Soup Acoustic (Download) – Damn you Dan Reed for being on stage before them and sucking enjoyment out of the entire arena. I needed good music, and fast so I had to get out of there!
• Alice Cooper (Download) – System of a Down was on. Enough said
• Weezer (Sonisphere) – Wanted to make sure my headache had passed before heading to see Ginger
• Gojira (Sonisphere) – Headache was still present after Ginger so left the arena
• Watain (Sonisphere) – See Gojira
• Hamatom (Wacken) – Decided at the last minute to see Mayhem. MISTAKE!
• Bedouin Soundclash (Reading) – They can’t have been as fucking bad as Warpaint....surely?!
That is all the negativity dealt with. Now it is time for the very best. There were 22 bands that scored a 10 who are eligible for this list (Motorhead at Wacken discounted due to me not being in the arena and listening from the tent). The ones which did not make the top 10 are Down (Download), Richard Cheese, Ginger Wildheart, Volbeat, Alestorm (Sonisphere), Hayseed Dixie, Sirenia, Skindred, Iced Earth, Kreator (Wacken), Does It Offend You Yeah and Noah and the Whale (Reading). It was a very tough call to cut some of them when trying to get the best 10. I went back and forth over the no.10 slot as well and truthfully, a number of these bands filled it at one point, however eventually losing out. They were all superb, but this is about the very best 10 – so let’s get to it.
10 – TRIVIUM – WACKEN OPEN AIR 2011
Trivium makes the list simply because they were superb. As a live act, they were noticeably tighter than they were the previous year when I saw them. Performance wise, they were flawless and they dealt with being on the main stage for their Wacken debut very well. They played some songs from their new album which was all fantastic while mixing their set list up – dropping former favourites and closing out in a new way. Trivium did everything right in this set, and it would be hard to deny them a spot in the top 10. It was the best time out of 6 that I’ve ever seen Trivium, and that justifies their spot on this list.
9 – PULP – READING FESTIVAL 2011
Pulp did everything a festival headliner should do. They delivered a strong performance, backed up by an even stronger stage show. When it comes to this genre of music, the stage show can really add to the overall enjoyment of the set. The atmosphere for them was one which few bands can replicate live. Seeing Pulp live is an experience I am happy to have had.
8 – MADNESS – READING FESTIVAL 2011
This was just complete and utter fun. Here is this band that my dad saw before I was born on stage, playing mostly classic songs and creating a party feel. From the opening lines of One Step Beyond, some people didn’t stop dancing. Part of the reason Madness are on this list is nostalgia – it was great fun hearing songs I love like Baggy Trousers and Our House live. The rest of the reason is simply that they are still absolutely kill on stage.
7 – JUDAS PRIEST – WACKEN OPEN AIR 2011
I wasn’t going to include these at first as their set did get off to a slow start. We saw 3 songs before heading off to catch Sirenia and only one was good (Metal Gods). When we came back though, Priest had changed gears and were absolutely superb. Everything from when we came back to the last note in Living After Midnight was fantastically flawless. The end of their set alone gets them a place on this list. It is as if they got together, chose my favourite 7 Judas Priest songs, and played them back to back. Utterly outstanding they were.
6 – SLIPKNOT – SONISPHERE FESTIVAL 2011
This set from Slipknot got everything right. It combined aggression with raw emotion over the passing of Paul Gray. It combined a tight live performance with a fierce stage show. A superb set list always helps a set and this truly was great. The atmosphere benefited from the weather – as Slipknot were playing, sheets of rain drenched the crowd. It was quite a sight seeing that stage show amongst sheets of rain. If this is the last tour I’ll see Slipknot on, it was a hell of a way to go out.
5 – SYSTEM OF A DOWN – DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2011
Seeing System has been something which I have wanted to do since 2005. So when they went on hiatus in 2005 that was upsetting. As the years went on, it didn’t look like I would see SOAD all together (I saw Serj Tankian solo, which was good). Then rumours started flying round they would tour in 2011, and they did. I almost didn’t go and that would have been a terrible mistake. They were superb. The setlist had pretty much everything I wanted to hear in it and they were technically superb. They got 5Ks from Kerrang but a 6 from Metal Hammer, saying they were technically superb but lacked on-stage chemistry. I really don’t think this took away from how fantastic it was to see SOAD live. They have been removed from my bucket list of bands and added to the “oh fuck they were splendid” pile.
4 – METALLICA – SONISPHERE FESTIVAL 2011
Anyone who knows me might be slightly surprised to see Metallica so low down on this list. Indeed, it was a tough call to put them 4th, especially considering they turned up as a part of the Big Four and played a stunning set list. Was this the best I’ve seen Metallica out of the 8 times? No. Was it top 3? Absolutely. The jam with the Big 4 and the guitarist from Diamond Head playing Am I Evil will be a favourite memory of mine when I look back at the times I’ve seen Metallica live. Plus on top of everything else, they played BATTERY!
3 – FOO FIGHTERS – MK BOWL, MILTON KEYNES 2011
I saw them in February. I knew what they were capable of live. They are a stunning live band. What I didn’t know was how much better they were when playing a massive gig. Wembley Arena was big, MK Bowl was massive. Not only were they superb technically, but they kept it going for over 2.5 hours. They had special guests and cover songs filling a set crammed packed with everyone’s favourite Foo Fighters songs. The new album material just glides into the set list perfectly. That plus a decent but not overdone stage show equalled a superb gig. Only actual gig I’ve been to this summer, and it was fantastic.
2 – MUSE – READING FESTIVAL 2011
Everyone I’ve ever spoken to about Muse live has good things to say. I spoke to a complete Muse fan boy who simply said “you have to see them to understand”. I now understand. Performance wise, they were pretty much perfect. The stage show was out of this world as well. I’ve not seen a better stage show other than Rammstein (hey, I’m a sucker for pyro). Massive tuning forks coming out the stage in the style of Origin of Symmetry with a constantly changing video screen backdrop. Playing the album “Origin of Symmetry” in full caught a lot of people off-guard when it was announced I think but they pulled it off superbly and when they finished it, just played massive song one after another. It was exceptional how simple they made it look. That is another one off the bucket list.
1 – AVANTASIA – WACKEN OPEN AIR 2011
Words cannot describe, even now, how excited I was when the slot machine graphic showed Avantasia’s logo. There was a curtain across the stage (which is one of my favourite ways for a band to start, SOAD did it as well) and from behind it, the opening bars of “Twisted Mind” emerged. The atmosphere from then until the end was electric but also constantly changing. From sheer excitement to 60k+ people all swaying in unison, it was a fun crowd to be a part of. As for the band? It was unbelievable seeing them pull off this project live. For those that don’t know, Avantasia isn’t just a straight band – it is a vast number of musicians and seeing it all in front of me was amazing. The set list was pretty much perfection. Since the gig, I’ve got their set list as a regular playlist and I still listen back and think it was incredible. I can’t list the best moments as it was all stunning. I’m sad to say that it was the last show (or it was announced as the last one, who really knows) but I was there. Getting the chance to see them made my Wacken festival. Seriously though, fuck you Corvus Corax for being so bad in 2008 that I left the arena and missed Avantasia. You have a lot to fucking answer for! Don’t think I’ll ever forgive them for that.
That is my top 10. It was a tough list and looking back over the bands that didn’t make the top 10, all it says to me is that I had a fucking good summer. Now that summer has finished, it is time to look forward. I didn’t go to many gigs before the festivals this year (5 to be exact). However the end of the year is pretty damn busy gig wise! I am pleased about this. Upcoming for me on the live music front is the following:
• Evile @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
• The Answer @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
• Volbeat @ HMV Forum, London
• Fozzy @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
• Rise Against @ Guildhall, Southampton
• Alter Bridge @ MEN Arena, Manchester
• Dimmu Borgir @ Academy 3, Manchester (to be confirmed tomorrow)
• Every Time I Die @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
• Ginger Wildheart @ The Talking Heads, Southampton
• Manic Street Preachers @ The O2 Arena, London
I can’t wait for what will be a very good conclusion to this year, when it comes to live music.
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Review: Reading Festival 2011
The Reading festival has just concluded and it was a pretty good festival. This is all the bands, comedians and only some of the mud. It would really be impossible to include all the mud; there was a lot of it.
THURSDAY
After a Wetherspoons breakfast, we set off from Fratton and headed to Reading via Southampton. The journey was painless until getting to Reading, when my trolley decided to crap out. It was still useable but it was also an asshole, tipping over all the time. Arriving at the gates, someone remarked they couldn’t believe I was at Reading (in all fairness, I was wearing a Wacken Open Air shirt). At this point, the feeling was pretty much mutual. Getting into the festival itself was fairly easy and pretty well organised (Rob, having been to the festival before, said it was a vast improvement on the times he had been before). It was quite a step from the main gate to Brown Camp, where we eventually camped but the camping spot was pretty good and quite close to the arena. We walked to Reading town centre, along the Thames, to get some beer. Quite helpfully, Sainsbury’s ran a free bus back to the festival if you bought something there. After getting back to the tent, we sat and drank beer until the rain came. It was very slight at first and we hoped that it wouldn’t get that bad.
FRIDAY
Holy shit! The rain was really bad overnight. The ground in the campsite was a swamp. As a result, the boots I was wearing and trousers were covered in mud. This day also marked the first visit to the long drops. They were bad but it could have been much worse. Anyway, the first band of the day was the first band of the festival.
CHERRI BOMB (8)
Really good set from this all-girl band. Some of their stuff was really catchy. Seemed to be a damn fine mix of pop-infused rock with a healthy dose of sleazy rock and roll in there as well. Cherri Bomb is a very enjoyable band.
We headed over to the NME Stage at this point to see the next band. Upon entering, we discovered a serious fail on the part of whoever set the tent up. Part of it had given way and was leaking water. Considering the recent events at Pukkelpop and that US State Fair where the stage collapsed, couldn’t help but be concerned.
Anyway...
PULLED APART BY HORSES (7)
Pretty good set by this band. Really full of energy which was matched by the crowd response.
DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? (10)
Despite some initial sound trouble, DIOYY delivered a fantastic set and the atmosphere was superb. When they announced they were from Reading, the audience damn near exploded. Really enjoyed this set and loved “We Are Rockstars”.
NEW FOUND GLORY (7)
First band on main stage for me this weekend and they were pretty good. I enjoyed their pop-punk filled set and actually knew a lot more of their stuff than I thought I did. The nostalgia box was ticked with their last song “My Friends Over You”. They also did a pretty great cover of “Blitzkrieg Bop” as well, which was the first of quite a few awesome covers over the weekend.
We headed over to the Alternative Stage for the first bit of comedy for the weekend. We only intended to see one comedian but got there slightly early. The compere came on stage and said a legend of comedy was coming on stage. That made me quite excited about Stephen Williams set. However, the compere announced someone different.
MILTON JONES (9)
Well that was unexpected! He was very funny. He had some fantastic interaction with the crowd and tended to pick on someone slow from Nottingham. Really glad I turned up early now.
STEPHEN WILLIAMS (9)
Very funny set from this guy. Completely different from the one-liner comedy style from Milton Jones. He had some fantastic festival-related material. It was awesome.
RISE AGAINST (8)
Genius set from Rise Against. Really enjoyed them. Set highlights for me include “Prayer Of The Refugee” and their cover of The Clash’s “White Riot”.
PETEBOX (9)
Considering I just went into the tent to make sure I got a spot for Rollins, and didn’t expect anything, this was a nice surprise. He is sickeningly talented when it comes to making all sorts of noises from his mouth, crazy.
HENRY ROLLINS (10)
Rollins is always superb whenever I see him. He covered his trip to Pyongyang and some stories from his days in Black Flag. His story about meeting Metallica was pretty awesome. I might have to go see him in London next year.
THE OFFSPRING (6)
From a nostalgia sense, they were pretty good. However, they looked disinterested and were just going through the motions. They didn’t have any stage show which is pretty poor for a band 3rd from top. Anyway, the songs seemed a bit flat aside from their absolute classics. A real shame.
NOAH AND THE WHALE (10)
Considering I just checked out this band to avoid seeing all of 30 Seconds To Mars, they were fantastic. I knew some of their material before going in, which was all superb and apparently I knew more than I thought I did. The atmosphere was superb the entire time and they were great.
As I headed back to the main stage, I saw in the dance tent there was a band that seemed to have a really flashy back drop. All sorts of different lights in the logo of the band I’m guessing. If that can be achieved in one of the smaller tents, The Offspring have no fucking excuse. Lazy asses...Anyway!
30 SECONDS TO MARS (4)
I had to see the last ¾ of their songs and to be perfectly honest, it was dull. I heard the end of the one song of theirs I don’t mind and it didn’t sound great. Jared Leto then started talking about his faith and I blocked out the rest of what he said. The rest of the material seemed preachy and dreary. Jared Leto dragged loads of people on stage, put on someone’s bear suit and then announced the band was going on hiatus. From what I saw, it looks like they need a break.
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE (9)
They were really good and had an impressive stage set-up. The band was on top form but the sound seemed a bit on the quiet side from where we were. They were particularly enjoyable and played a good set. However the conclusion to the set was something special. Brian May coming out to join in with a cover of “We Will Rock You” and stayed on stage for the powerful set closing “Welcome To The Black Parade”. A very enjoyable set from MCR.
A headache sort of ended the day’s proceedings. Having finished Friday, it seems almost appropriate to then move on to Saturday.
SATURDAY
The weather seemed alright today but the ground around the arena was still really sloppy. Another trip to the long drops was a touch worse but the smell was bearable (although it stayed with me for a while afterwards). I was thinking I might get away with not smelling them at their worst. The day started in the Alternative Stage for what I thought would be some stand-up.
MARK THOMAS (10)
This was more spoken word than comedy but was still funny. Mark Thomas spoke about the walk he went on. He walked the route of the wall which will surround the West Bank and the Palestine people in Israel. It was a superb set which was very serious and insightful while being devastatingly funny at the same time. He has detailed the walk in his book “Extreme Rambling: Walking Israel's Separation Barrier. For Fun”. He was selling them at the festival and signing them as well. I would have bought one there but didn’t really want to carry it round all day. Definitely buying the book though.
DANIEL SLOSS (10)
The compere of the day came out and announced there would be more comedy and bought out Daniel Sloss. I’ve seen some of his stuff on TV and thought he was pretty funny. He was just awesome in the short time he was on stage. He seemed genuinely impressed about the reaction some of the jokes he was telling got considering it was 1pm and he was telling jokes about masturbating while his girlfriend slept. Hilarious guy and not even 21 yet, a very bright future I reckon.
SEASICK STEVE (8)
A very enjoyable set which had me amazed at the instruments he had made himself. These included a 2x4 with string and a guitar which had a broomstick as a neck. He had a special guest for the set in John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin who played all but one song with him. Really awesome to see JPJ again, especially for more than just one song.
STREET DOGS (7)
Pretty fun set by Street Dogs. A good mix of punk and ska. They served as a suitable warm up for the next band I was planning to see.
MADNESS (10)
Absolutely stunning and so much fun. Starting with One Step Beyond, the entire hour of Madness was just a party. The atmosphere was superb around where we were. People just dancing and having a great time. Madness are still awesome live and I am really glad to have got to see them. The set finished with a sheer onslaught of classics – House of Fun, Baggy Trousers, Our House, It Must Be Love, Madness and Night Boat To Cairo. They were just superb.
JIMMY EAT WORLD (7)
Jimmy Eat World were very good but seemed a touch flat. As much as I like the material from them, it was hard for me to enjoy their set anywhere near as much as Madness. They had some technical issues which the lead singer joked about, saying “Jimmy Eat World are a professional band, folks!” IT didn’t hold them back much and the set closed on my 3 favourite songs of theirs, which was nice.
CAPDOWN (8)
Much like Street Dogs, they delivered a very enjoyable set. They were much more of a ska band than Street Dogs though so that is where the comparisons end. They got a good reaction from the crowd which helped. I liked what I heard and was glad to have seen them. Granted, I’d have been glad to have seen anything other than The National, but it helped Capdown were really good.
It was then time to head back to main stage for a band I’ve wanted to see since they announced they were doing summer gigs. It seemed like every time I had the chance, something clashed. This time though, nothing would stop me from seeing Pulp.
PULP (10)
Absolutely superb, both in performance and in stage show. The show consisted of quite a lot of screens flashing different colours and patterns between songs complimented by a complex lighting show. The band themselves were on top form, with Jarvis Cocker sounding particularly good. Opening with the great “Do You Remember The First Time”, they came out on fire which continued throughout the set, made of the very best of Pulp. Predictably, it was the bigger songs such as Disco 2000 and Common People that got the biggest crowd responses, but the rest of the set was really well received and created a great atmosphere. They were everything I hoped they would be, and it was spectacular.
The plan was to then go and see Jane’s Addiction. Dave Navarro came out on stage and said the band couldn’t play as Perry Farrell was unwell and was receiving medical treatment. The crowd booed which Dave acknowledged saying that no-one was more bummed than them they couldn’t play. It was a shame that happened but what can you do? If Perry falls sick and can’t sing, they can’t play. I was disappointed sure, but getting angry was a waste of time. People leaving the tent were livid they couldn’t play. If you’d gone to the festival just to see them, then I could understand being livid. However people were cussing the band for cancelling which I didn’t get. What can they do? Shit happens. Anyway, could have seen The Strokes but decided that as I only know 3 songs or so not to bother. Headed back to the campsite to beat the rush.
SUNDAY
The day started off with a very brief trip to the long drops. I say brief as they were fucking grim. The smell was so awful. 3 days of use plus the heat equals horrific-ness. Long drops really are vile. Sonisphere have portaloo and Wacken has toilets you have to pay for but are well kept all weekend. Figure it out Reading! Anyway, got into the arena early enough to be able to get right near the front for the first band. Not that I overly like them, but hell why not get down the front if you can.
WE ARE THE OCEAN (8)
A great way to open the day. We Are The Ocean are a really good hardcore band. One thing which I thought was odd was the seemingly main vocalist only handled the screaming vocals, while the rhythm guitarist handled main singing duties. In my experience, it is usually someone with an instrument in hand who does backing vocals. Oh well, they were still bloody good. The screaming vocalist went out into the crowd to sing the last one, which was cool. It seemed like security told him to come back at one point, so he jumped further in and got crowd surfed back, nice touch.
TAKING BACK SUNDAY (6)
“We are Taking Back Sunday, and we are the greatest band in the world!” – Nothing wrong with a bit of cockiness (in fact I would say it is important when you are the front man of a band). To march on the same stage that so many great bands have played already this weekend, and Muse would be playing later on and declaring you are the best band is bold. I would even say the singer acted like a bit of an arrogant prick here. It was a tag they did not live up to either. I enjoyed their set but there was nothing which really made them stand out from the pack.
FRANK TURNER (7)
This was a very good set from Frank Turner and his band here. His first time on the main stage was a success for what I saw (I didn’t see the whole set). His music sounds like perfect background music to a good drinking session. Really good stuff from Frank Turner here.
We left the set early to head to the alternative tent to see Tim Minchin. However there were some other comedians first. It was a right Down Under moment.
STEVE HUGHES (9)
Very funny bloke who seemed a touch out of place as a heavy metal fan at Reading. I could relate to that somewhat. He told jokes about drugs, festivals and how gay straight people are. Hilarious stuff here.
JARRED CHRISTMAS (9)
Some more hilarious comedy from a man who I’ve seen in small doses at Sonisphere as an MC. He was very funny, telling stories from bad gigs and bemoaning the fashion world not making 37 inch waist trousers. It led to a story about a dry roasted peanut ending in his arse. Amazing stuff here.
TIM MINCHIN (10)
Tim Minchin is such a showman. He was outstanding. He played songs from all of his shows, including one from the orchestra tour (Cont) which was hilarious. Other songs played included Rock and Roll Nerd, Prejudice and The Pope Song. The tent was absolutely rammed when he was on but that lead to a superb atmosphere. There was one moment where he addressed the crowd and someone called him a cunt. That led to some fantastic banter in which the yeller got destroyed. Apparently he was fucked out of his face, which I hope was true. No-one can honestly call Tim Minchin, a man who nearly sold out the o2 Arena, a cunt and mean it. Awesome stuff again and a true festival highlight.
At this stage, I got food and something to eat and headed over to the Lock Up Stage to see Bedouin Soundclash. They, however, were fairly dull so a decision was made to go see whoever was on the NME Stage, citing that we’d be there for the following two bands anyway.
WARPAINT (2)
Dear fucking god, they were awful. Performance wise they may have been solid but the music coming from them was not good. Imagine Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, played over and over again – but much more dull. I didn’t know that was possible until I saw Warpaint. I almost wanted a refund after seeing them. Copying the style of Metal Hammer for this one, Warpaint fucking suck.
PANIC! AT THE DISCO (9)
Granted, I could have seen anything after Warpaint and probably enjoyed it but Panic were really good. I didn’t think I knew much by them at all but apparently I do. They were a lot of fun and a damn good live band as well. The atmosphere in the tent was pretty epic as well. As I said to Rob, I am not a fan of Panic, but I am a fan of the genre. It would be impossible to deny that this set was great. As a side note, some strange stuff was happening in the crowd during this set near us. Mostly, it was because of someone who was drunk and/or on drugs. He hi-fived me 6 times for having a beard, so I am leaning towards on drugs. Entertaining, but weird all the same.
DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 (9)
The crowd for Panic emptied out but a new (smaller) crowd arrived for DFA1979 and it was still a good atmosphere. However the set was awesome. It is amazing that two guys were able to make such a glorious racket as they did. I really enjoyed the set. There were a group of guys dressed as monkeys going round, finding random people and dancing round them. This was quite humorous.
FRANK TURNER (8)
The special guests slot on the Lock-Up Stage was Frank Turner (world’s worst secret) and he was much better in the smaller, more intimate surroundings. The set was packed with more of the music I sampled earlier with a fantastic cover of Queen’s Somebody To Love. I am glad to have seen most of this set as I had to leave the earlier one for the comedy, and Frank Turner now has a fan in me. Then, this happened on main stage
While there were some good bands this weekend and a lot of good times, there were none that were on my bucket list of bands that I had to see. There is only one band that were on my bucket list before the festival started, and that was Muse. I was really excited to see Muse anyway but then they announced they would be playing all of Origin of Symmetry, and that would be awesome.
MUSE (10)
Sometimes, a band’s live presence is hyped up so much, that it can never match it and winds up being disappointing. Muse matched it, and then some. Performance wise they are flawless. The three of them have amazing stage presence and are very faithful to their songs when replicating them live. As for the stage show, it was just mind blowing. I thought Pulp’s was one of the best I have seen but Muse’s completely outshone it. The setlist following Origin of Symmetry as well was awesome. I would have liked to have heard Sing for Absolution but you can’t win them all. An awesome setlist + a stunning performance + a mind-blowing stage show = Muse at Reading 2011. They were the best band of the festival, without doubt.
Following Muse’s set, my faith in humanity was tested a number of times. A massive crowd moving slowly out of Reading’s utterly retarded way of letting people out the arena (hey 60k people all leaving at once, here’s 3 tiny exits all next to each other. That makes sense!) Seems like the perfect time for people to decide to change direction without warning, or to stop to kiss. Here’s a thing, when there is a lot of people behind you who just want to get out of the crowd, don’t stop unless it’s fucking important! Anyway, we got back to the campsite and....that was it. I’ve heard many bad things about Reading on the last night and experienced it a little in 2008, but there was nothing in Brown Camp. A good end to the festival.
MONDAY
We woke early to avoid the masses when leaving. We left the festival no later than half 8 and walked along the Thames. The weather was nice and my trolley wasn’t being a cunt, which helped matters. We arrived at the station which was surprisingly quiet (considering a major festival just finished) and left Reading. The train was also pretty quiet which made for a pleasant journey home. The festival was a good one, capped off in amazing style by Muse. Will I go to Reading again? Absolutely with the right company (the right company this year helped make a good festival). Will I bring wellies? Definitely!
BEST BAND OF THE FESTIVAL – Muse
HONOURABLE MENTIONS – Madness, Noah And The Whale, Tim Minchin, Does It Offend You, Yeah? Henry Rollins.
I blogged quite a lot, saying how excited I am about my summer plans and I am sad they have concluded. I will blog soon with a list of the best things from this summer. Until then
Friday, 12 August 2011
So, who is the best?
As it won’t have escaped your attention if you read this blog, I happen to quite like going to gigs. Whether it is seeing a friend’s band play a little venue in my hometown or travelling to Germany to attend the biggest and most famous metal festival in the world – I love almost everything that comes with live music. One thing that I have been asked a lot though is “who is the best band you’ve seen?” or “which gig/festival have you been to is the best?” The best is quite a title to give to one event. I don’t even know if it is possible for me to say that one band is the best I’ve seen live. I just don’t know. What this blog will do is go part of the way to answer that question by talking about my absolute favourite bands to see live and where was the best I’ve seen them. Most of them are festival headliners, but some are not. This is the best of everything I’ve seen. Also, as a side note, I have now seen 230 different bands live. This number will increase by the end of the year, seeing Rise Against and Theory of a Deadman along with all the new bands I’ll see at Reading. Anyway, the best of (in alphabetical order):
AIRBOURNE (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – Portsmouth Guildhall, 2010
They are very faithful to their songs live while making all their material fun. In certain songs they extend solos and make songs even more fun. They are loud and lively, and all 5 times I’ve seen them have been great, with Guildhall being the best.
ALICE COOPER (Seen Once)
Best Time – Sonisphere 2010
Alice Cooper is a legend. A lot of the hype that surrounds Alice Cooper live is to do with his stage show. However, he still has it live. It was a superb set and I’ve heard that other gigs he has done since have been better (including a truly memorable performance at Club 100 – no stage show at all, just Alice Cooper with band).
AVANTASIA (Seen Once)
Best Time – Wacken 2011
This could and should have been “seen twice”. Fuck you Corvus Corax for being so bad I had to leave the arena at Wacken 2008. Anyhow, they were absolutely stunning at Wacken this year and were my favourite band over the whole weekend. The show was perfect from the beginning to the end.
DREAM THEATER (Seen 3 Times)
Best Time – Wembley Arena 2007
They are flawless live, or if not flawless then damn near close. What they do is show you just how damn good they are with their respective instruments in their hands and that is enough. Some people say it is just them showing off, but to me it works. Absolutely stunning.
FOO FIGHTERS (Seen 2 Times)
Best Time – Milton Keynes Bowl, 2011
From start to finish, Dave Grohl and friends are just superb. When I saw them earlier this year, they were perfect from the word go. Now it is one thing to be perfect for a short burst, but the Foo Fighters can do it for really long times. This set at MK was 26 songs long and was about 2.5hrs if memory serves. Dave is the perfect front man, knowing exactly how to speak to a crowd and how to hold a crowd, no matter the size, in the palm of his hand. It is a fine art that not many can do, but he can do it perfectly.
GINGER WILDHEART (Seen 3 Times)
Best Time – Talking Heads, Southampton, 2010
The front man of The Wildhearts has been touring solo since 2009 when The Wildhearts went on hiatus. It is unknown if they will come out of it, but Ginger is touring solo with a group of his friends and they are superb. The Talking Heads gig was amazing. It was a superb set list (like it is every time) and Ginger is a master at banter, making the crowd laugh in-between songs and dealing with hecklers sublimely. The only disappointment to me is that it isn’t The Wildhearts touring, but even that is becoming less of an issue for me each time I see him live (the latest being Sonisphere 2011).
IRON MAIDEN (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – Twickenham Stadium, London 2008
Iron Maiden are one of, if not the best band the UK has offered to the metal genre. They are superb live, regardless of the set list. This gig was the best because it was my favourite set list along with the most memorable performance.
METALLICA (Seen 8 Times)
Best Time – Sonisphere 2009
They are just superb. Metallica mix their set lists up every gig so you can go twice on the same tour and see a different gig. They were stunning in 2009, just like they have been every time I’ve seen them.
MOTLEY CRUE (Seen 2 Times)
Best Time – Download 2007
The second time I saw them was at Sonisphere 2010 and it was ok at best. There were strong parts of the set but it was dominated by poor aspects. Download 2007 was Motley Crue on form, and they were utterly superb and fun. They created an amazing atmosphere in the tent and solidified their position of one of the best live bands out there.
NINE INCH NAILS (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – MEN Arena, Manchester, 2009
NIN are mind-blowing live. Even on the Wave Goodbye tour, where they were calling it a day, they were superb. They would always choose the perfect set list and performance wise, it is hard to say that any other band is better live. When they stopped touring, they left a massive void in the live circuit.
RAMMSTEIN (Seen 2 Times)
Best Time – MEN Arena, Manchester, 2010
Rammstein are much like Alice Cooper. When people speak of Rammstein live, they talk about the live show. Just like Alice Cooper, Rammstein not only deliver a fantastic stage show, but they back it up with an awesome live performance. Crowd interaction with them does not need to take place at a Rammstein show for the crowd to feel involved.
SKINDRED (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, 2011
How this band play such small rooms on their headline tours is beyond me. However, they are absolutely stunning live. I have never seen them do a poor gig or festival set. Their music live is immense and that is coupled with a very energetic gig, lead by Benji Webbe who is one of the best, and could be the best front man of this generation.
SLIPKNOT (Seen 2 Times)
Best Time – Sonisphere 2011
Seeing Slipknot live is mayhem. The band are always on form, lead by Corey Taylor who is a dominating front man. The show is something which needs to be witnessed to be believed. It is carnage of the best kind.
STONE SOUR (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – Dingwalls, London 2010
Hey its Corey Taylor’s second entry in this list. Seeing them in the tiny Dingwalls highlighted how good they are live as we were so close to them. Even when they seem miles away on a festival stage, they are superb live. They don’t need a stage show like other entries on this list; they just turn up and dominate the stage, no matter the size.
VOLBEAT (Seen Once)
Best Time – Sonisphere 2011
I saw Volbeat at Sonisphere play for about 40mins and truth be told, it was amazing. This entry can be updated more when I see them at their own show. This is coming in October.
So, who is the best? I cannot say, but to me, it is one of these bands. I fully expect to be able to add at least one more entry to this list by the time this month has ended, and that would be Muse
AIRBOURNE (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – Portsmouth Guildhall, 2010
They are very faithful to their songs live while making all their material fun. In certain songs they extend solos and make songs even more fun. They are loud and lively, and all 5 times I’ve seen them have been great, with Guildhall being the best.
ALICE COOPER (Seen Once)
Best Time – Sonisphere 2010
Alice Cooper is a legend. A lot of the hype that surrounds Alice Cooper live is to do with his stage show. However, he still has it live. It was a superb set and I’ve heard that other gigs he has done since have been better (including a truly memorable performance at Club 100 – no stage show at all, just Alice Cooper with band).
AVANTASIA (Seen Once)
Best Time – Wacken 2011
This could and should have been “seen twice”. Fuck you Corvus Corax for being so bad I had to leave the arena at Wacken 2008. Anyhow, they were absolutely stunning at Wacken this year and were my favourite band over the whole weekend. The show was perfect from the beginning to the end.
DREAM THEATER (Seen 3 Times)
Best Time – Wembley Arena 2007
They are flawless live, or if not flawless then damn near close. What they do is show you just how damn good they are with their respective instruments in their hands and that is enough. Some people say it is just them showing off, but to me it works. Absolutely stunning.
FOO FIGHTERS (Seen 2 Times)
Best Time – Milton Keynes Bowl, 2011
From start to finish, Dave Grohl and friends are just superb. When I saw them earlier this year, they were perfect from the word go. Now it is one thing to be perfect for a short burst, but the Foo Fighters can do it for really long times. This set at MK was 26 songs long and was about 2.5hrs if memory serves. Dave is the perfect front man, knowing exactly how to speak to a crowd and how to hold a crowd, no matter the size, in the palm of his hand. It is a fine art that not many can do, but he can do it perfectly.
GINGER WILDHEART (Seen 3 Times)
Best Time – Talking Heads, Southampton, 2010
The front man of The Wildhearts has been touring solo since 2009 when The Wildhearts went on hiatus. It is unknown if they will come out of it, but Ginger is touring solo with a group of his friends and they are superb. The Talking Heads gig was amazing. It was a superb set list (like it is every time) and Ginger is a master at banter, making the crowd laugh in-between songs and dealing with hecklers sublimely. The only disappointment to me is that it isn’t The Wildhearts touring, but even that is becoming less of an issue for me each time I see him live (the latest being Sonisphere 2011).
IRON MAIDEN (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – Twickenham Stadium, London 2008
Iron Maiden are one of, if not the best band the UK has offered to the metal genre. They are superb live, regardless of the set list. This gig was the best because it was my favourite set list along with the most memorable performance.
METALLICA (Seen 8 Times)
Best Time – Sonisphere 2009
They are just superb. Metallica mix their set lists up every gig so you can go twice on the same tour and see a different gig. They were stunning in 2009, just like they have been every time I’ve seen them.
MOTLEY CRUE (Seen 2 Times)
Best Time – Download 2007
The second time I saw them was at Sonisphere 2010 and it was ok at best. There were strong parts of the set but it was dominated by poor aspects. Download 2007 was Motley Crue on form, and they were utterly superb and fun. They created an amazing atmosphere in the tent and solidified their position of one of the best live bands out there.
NINE INCH NAILS (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – MEN Arena, Manchester, 2009
NIN are mind-blowing live. Even on the Wave Goodbye tour, where they were calling it a day, they were superb. They would always choose the perfect set list and performance wise, it is hard to say that any other band is better live. When they stopped touring, they left a massive void in the live circuit.
RAMMSTEIN (Seen 2 Times)
Best Time – MEN Arena, Manchester, 2010
Rammstein are much like Alice Cooper. When people speak of Rammstein live, they talk about the live show. Just like Alice Cooper, Rammstein not only deliver a fantastic stage show, but they back it up with an awesome live performance. Crowd interaction with them does not need to take place at a Rammstein show for the crowd to feel involved.
SKINDRED (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, 2011
How this band play such small rooms on their headline tours is beyond me. However, they are absolutely stunning live. I have never seen them do a poor gig or festival set. Their music live is immense and that is coupled with a very energetic gig, lead by Benji Webbe who is one of the best, and could be the best front man of this generation.
SLIPKNOT (Seen 2 Times)
Best Time – Sonisphere 2011
Seeing Slipknot live is mayhem. The band are always on form, lead by Corey Taylor who is a dominating front man. The show is something which needs to be witnessed to be believed. It is carnage of the best kind.
STONE SOUR (Seen 5 Times)
Best Time – Dingwalls, London 2010
Hey its Corey Taylor’s second entry in this list. Seeing them in the tiny Dingwalls highlighted how good they are live as we were so close to them. Even when they seem miles away on a festival stage, they are superb live. They don’t need a stage show like other entries on this list; they just turn up and dominate the stage, no matter the size.
VOLBEAT (Seen Once)
Best Time – Sonisphere 2011
I saw Volbeat at Sonisphere play for about 40mins and truth be told, it was amazing. This entry can be updated more when I see them at their own show. This is coming in October.
So, who is the best? I cannot say, but to me, it is one of these bands. I fully expect to be able to add at least one more entry to this list by the time this month has ended, and that would be Muse
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Hazel
Hazel Blears, the former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, covered herself in glory today. On Sky News, the hot topic of the week was being discussed which was the trouble that has been happening in this country this week. She said of the kids involved in the rioting and looting “people need to ask, why are they not at school?” So if anyone has the answer to this question, then lets hear it.
Oh wait, its August, its the summer holidays. Schools are closed.
Well played
Oh wait, its August, its the summer holidays. Schools are closed.
Well played
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