2021 - A Year In Live Music

So, where were we...

It has been over a year since I’ve written one of these. I wrote my 2020 year in live music in April, not being sure if live music would return or not for the rest of the year. There were socially distant gigs (I went to a test event of one), but live music was, for the most part, on pause in the UK from March 2020 until July 2021 (With socially distant gigs returning in some places in June 2021). Throughout the course of the year, I’ve written about the first three gigs I went to (2 socially distant, and one full capacity), as well as Victorious and Bad Pond Festivals. Because of this, I am going to revert to the 2019 format, which is a list of favourite festival sets, and then move onto my favourite gigs of the year.

As a small note, after many years of saying I’m going to write more and then inevitably not, I have abandoned the mikeyt.me domain, in favour of just sticking with an amended .blogspot one. Given how infrequently I write, I couldn’t justify spending £16 on renewing the domain and kicking this can down the road for another year. The blog itself will still be called mikeyt.me...because I am nothing if not uninventive. Anyway, admin over!

Festivals

Honourable Mentions - Feeder, Peter Hook & The Light, Terrorvision, Melanie C (Victorious Festival), False Advertising, FES, Projector, Intechnicolour, Phoxjaw (Bad Pond Festival)

10. Miles Kane, Victorious Festival 2021

Original Words: Miles Kane is the first of a few acts I saw for the rest of the day that I didn’t know much about. I thought the set was really good. As an indicator of how little I know, only when writing this did I look up the set list for a bit of a memory jog and saw that Miles and band played two of The Last Shadow Puppets songs (and that Miles is in that band with Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys, among others). There were some very loud singalongs to some of these songs, particularly the last two of Come Closer and Don’t Forget Who You Are. 

New Words: Not really much to add about this. I’ve not gone back to listen to Miles Kane, but as I write these words (in September 2021), his band have just announced a UK tour and a date on this tour is a Friday night in Southampton. Not knowing much about Miles Kane (same as before I saw him, really), I was surprised to see this is taking place in the Engine Rooms in Southampton. Anyway, this tour being announced made me go back and listen and…LISTEN TO MILES KANE

9. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Victorious Festival 2021

Original Words: I was really surprised, pleased but surprised, to see Pigs x7 booked for the Common stage. Victorious isn’t exactly known for heavy music - there was a side stage a few years ago with a few heavy bands on, and I assumed when Pigs x7 had been announced, there would be another one, but not to be. When it was revealed they’d be on the Common stage, I thought the reaction to them might not be positive but I am pleased to report I was very wrong. There were a few people around me who walked off, but almost everyone else seemed to enjoy it to varying degrees. I did not anticipate seeing a circle pit at Victorious, that’s for sure. For me, I thought it was great. 

New Words: Again not much more to add really. I wonder if Victorious will experiment more with their line up? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Pigs x7 toured the UK in November, and I decided to go to a gig in Portsmouth on that night, rather than travel to Southampton. The gig in Portsmouth got postponed due to positive Covid tests and Pigs x7 sold out so I couldn't get a last minute ticket. Unfortunate for me. 

8. Supergrass, Victorious Festival 2021

Original Words: Much like Miles Kane, I didn’t know much at all about Supergrass really (I knew Alright and Caught By The Fuzz going in). Despite that, I really enjoyed this set. Of course, the songs I knew were the highlights for me (and the singalong for Alright was huge), but it was all really good. 

New Words: I mentioned when discussing the festival in a work meeting that I only knew the two songs I mentioned, and everyone who knew them made it clear how wrong I was. I saw they announced a London show for December at Brixton Academy with Ash supporting, which sounds like a fun night but I wasn't able to make that one. 

7. Alpha Male Tea Party, Bad Pond Festival 2021

Original Words: The final of the instrumental bands that I saw, and they were probably my favourite of the three. They were superb. 

New Words: They certainly were the best instrumental band that day, and one of my favourites of the whole day. Not my favourite though, as this list will make clear! 

6. Manic Street Preachers, Victorious Festival 2021

Original Words: Manics late addition to the bill to replace Richard Ashcroft was, in my view, an upgrade. I very much liked their set. It was peppered with songs I love, which obviously is a good thing. They did an Echo & the Bunnymen cover (Bring On The Dancing Horses) - I’ve never really listened to them but the Manics cover of the song was good. The real surprise on the covers front was a cover of Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses, and a very nice surprise it was as well. The set closed with A Design For Life, a belter of a song to sign off an excellent set. 

New Words: It wasn’t my favourite Manics live set, but I would say I preferred it to the last time I saw them at Victorious, though I concede recency bias may be a factor at play here. I still find it strange that they headlined a stage at a Portsmouth festival less than 3 months before a Portsmouth headline show, but looking quickly at Ticketmaster, pretty much all the seating has sold out - so what do I know?!

5. Beans On Toast, Victorious Festival 2021

Original Words: Maybe it was an error to leave Royal Blood early, but it definitely wasn’t an error choosing to see Beans on Toast. This was a great set full of singalongs and positivity. It was just an excellent way to close out the festival. Towards the end of the set, Beans went out into the crowd to sing two of the last songs which was fun. 

New Words: This was the 3rd of 4 times seeing Beans On Toast in 2021 (!) and they were all great. This one was the most enjoyable until the headline show. 

4. Svalbard, Bad Pond Festival 2021

Original Words: The penultimate band of the day for me and one of the best for sure - their set was superb. I am very much looking forward to their headline run in November now - their latest album When I Die, Will I Get Better? was one of my favourite albums from last year, so it was great seeing some of it live. 

New Words: On reflection, they were probably my second favourite band of the day (but really, it is a cigarette paper between them and Conjurer). They really were outstanding. Their November headline show…

3. Frank Turner (Duo Show), Victorious Festival 2021

Original Words: I don’t think anyone that knows me will be shocked to learn that I loved this set. The 45 minutes just flew by, with the set containing a good mix of his back catalogue. The set closed with I Still Believe, which inspired probably one of the biggest singalongs of the set (though there were quite a few) and featured a brief cameo from Jess Guise on harmonica. Just like Craig David earlier in the day, this set will be another one of the highlights of the festival for me. This set was also neat for me as I’ve seen Frank live with The Sleeping Souls and on his own, but this was the first time in person watching a duo show (I saw a live stream duo show during one of the lockdowns). 

New Words: The duo show format is really good. Frank is one of my favourite musicians to listen to, and to see live, so his addition to the bill at Victorious was a real plus for me. My second favourite set of the festival, only topped by one other act at the festival - of which more will be said later. 

2. Conjurer, Bad Pond Festival 2021

Original Words: I knew Conjurer were good live, having seen them play the 4th stage at Download Festival in 2019, but this seemed so much better (once the initial technical issues were overcome). The new song they opened with sounded immense, so I am looking forward to hearing a new album/EP when it comes. 

New Words: I mean, Conjurer live are just relentlessly heavy. I really enjoyed seeing them indoors for the first time and very much forward to when that can happen again. 

1. Craig David Presents TS5, Victorious Festival 2021

Original Words: The reason I was there some hours early. No idea what the TS5 bit was going to be, but it turned out to be Craig David being his own DJ while remixing songs and singing (not sure if that is what he always did back in the day, and this was just a rebrand). Anyway, his set was quality. Hearing his songs from Born To Do It was ace (also, in typing this and googling the album title to make sure I got it right, I saw it was released 21 years ago and now I am sad). Craig David is perfect for a festival when the sun is out (festival depending, obviously - I reckon it would be a laugh seeing him in the middle of the day at Wacken but probably wouldn’t go down well). He closed his set with 7 Days, which was just a great way to close a great set. One of the highlights of the festival for sure. 

New Words: When trying to work out the placements for this list, the act I thought of the most for the top spot was Craig David. His set really was brilliant - perfect for that sort of setting. The setlist.fm posting of his set still misses out when he did Walking Away remixed over the beat for Dr Dre - The Next Episode, which was a moment I really liked. I’m not sure I’d go see a headline show of TS5, but it was a spectacular special guest slot, and my favourite festival set of 2021. 

Gigs:

And so, onto gigs. I am pleased to report that I didn’t go to a gig that I didn’t enjoy. However, these lists are about the ones I enjoyed the most, so with that in mind, here is the list. I will, as with previous year blogs (aside from the 2020 one, for probably obvious reasons), start with the honourable mentions. Because it has been so long without gigs, and everything was at least varying degrees of good…everything that isn’t in the top 10 is an honourable mention. Some words for each have been added. 

Honourable Mentions:

Beans on Toast - Clapham Grand, London. Saturday 12th June (Socially Distant Matinee show):

Original Words: “On to the gig itself, it was opened by a solo act called Tensheds. I enjoyed his set - more than once it made me think of a stripped back Bruce Springsteen at a piano/keyboard, which in my mind is a compliment. I’ve since gone back and listened to his music on Spotify and enjoyed it, so I’m sure I will listen again. Beans On Toast was the main event and it was just ace. He played a number of his songs that I love, which certainly helped matters. There was a really cool moment where he played a song from one of this new albums that he wrote about a former teacher (positive song!) and the teacher was in the audience. There was also a nice moment where his young daughter came on stage to dance to one of his songs (about her).”

New Words: Nothing much more to add really. This was the first of 4 times I saw Beans on Toast in 2021, and it was ace. 

Fleetingwood Mac - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. Saturday 17th July (Socially Distant Matinee show):

Original Words: “Fleetingwood Mac themselves were excellent. I had only heard good things about them, so went in with high expectations and they were comfortably met and then some. They are an excellent tribute band, and I will definitely see them again (all being well, December!)”

New Words: I didn’t pull my finger out and get a ticket for the evening show in the end. Next time!

Massive Wagons - Engine Rooms, Southampton. Wednesday 15th September:

The main sell for me was to see Chris Catalyst And His Group, who were ace. That said, Massive Wagons were ace live and this was no exception. Had to skip out slightly early to get a train, but what I saw was great. 

Ash - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. Thursday 16th September:

Couple of decent support bands got the night off to a good start. Ash were great live the two previous times I saw them, and this gig was no exception to that. A lovely way to spend a Thursday. 

Sports Team - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. Friday 24th September:

This was a fun gig. It was a warm up show for a bigger tour, but the band didn’t appear to have a ring-rust at all. 

The Subways - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. Saturday 2nd October:

First Subways headline show and it was great. I loved that they played Rock and Roll Queen twice, because that song is an absolute bop (might be too old to say that, jury is still out on that). If this was a top 11…this would have made the main list.

Svalbard - The Dome, London. Saturday 27th November:

The doors were advertised to open at 6 for this. I got there at 6.35 because I accidentally left my earplugs back at the hotel. Doors didn’t end up opening until 7.20…that was cold. Anyway, I really liked this. My one complaint is that the headline set was 45 minutes long, which was ace but I had hoped it would be a bit longer given I saw a very similar set at Bad Pond Festival

Beans on Toast - The Boileroom, Guildford. Saturday 4th December:

This gig was really good fun. Kitty Liv was great in support, and Beans on Toast was excellent. Slipped out slightly early to get a train, but I’ll get to see this tour again in February when it comes to my town, so that’ll be nice. I’ll write about it again in a year’s time. Maybe. 

Orange Goblin - The Joiners, Southampton. Friday 10th December:

The final gig of the year (last night as I write this). The journey to get there was a faff, but I got in for most of Urne, which was ace. King Creature were okay and Orange Goblin were great. Lovely way to finish the year of gigs. 

So without further ado…

Top 10

10. Bob Vylan - The Joiners, Southampton. Wednesday 28th July. 

This was the second “Revive Live” gig that I went to this year. Bob Vylan’s album “We Live Here” is, in my view, excellent - so I was excited for this one. The support band was Witch Fever, who I enjoyed (side bar, the singer called out a crowd member for being sexist/misogynist, which got a deservedly big cheer). Before the gig, I had only listened to the album but not watched any live videos, so didn’t know how many members would be on stage. Turns out Bob Vylan is two members who live are supported by tracks. I haven’t experienced this before in a live setting (well, not so obviously anyway) but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the gig at all. Selfishly, my favourite song of Bob Vylan’s (CSGB) was played, which of course made me happy. This tour was also the live debut (I think anyway) of Pretty Songs, which is another ace song. I am very much looking forward to new music. There is another Bob Vylan show at the Joiners next year - I haven’t yet booked a ticket but I am very tempted to do so. I hope next year's show is a bit longer though - this headline set was the shortest of the year clocking in at 40 minutes. 

9. Bury Tomorrow - The Joiners, Southampton. Friday 5th November

This one I am genuinely surprised it actually ended up going ahead. Postponed 2 or 3 times due to the global plague, I very much expected this one to just be quietly shelved, given it was originally booked as an album launch show for an album that was released in 2020 (and a very good album it was as well). Anyway, the show went ahead and it was really good. The setlist was heavy on the last two albums (making up 8 of the 11 songs played). Despite very much liking both of these albums, the highlight of the gig for me was Man On Fire and Lionheart being played back to back. It was a short gig but it was a real treat to see a band of their size playing a room that small. 

8. Bleed From Within - The Dome, London. Friday 26th November

This was a late call to actually get a ticket for this gig, as I had one either side of it (more about one of them later) and figured it would be cool to do 3 in 3 days in London. I am very glad I did though as Bleed From Within were superb. I was aware they were a good live band, having seen them twice before in support slots, but had never seen them headline. The opening band, Kill The Lights, were decent and the main support Ingested were a lot of fun. Bleed From Within though, their set just felt massive. They had a full stage video backdrop, which was really cool. Their 2020 album was ace and made up most of this set, which wasn’t much of a surprise. I’m not sure what will be next for them - but based on shows like this one, they will surely continue to get bigger and play bigger rooms. 

7. The Wildhearts - Engine Rooms, Southampton. Saturday 25th September

The Wildhearts are one of my favourite bands. I’ve said before (possibly somewhere on this very page) that I was very late to the party when it comes to The Wildhearts (discovering them in 2008). I saw them on their headline tours in 2019 and this one was almost 2 years later after the release of 21st Century Love Songs (another great album by a great band, but I am biased). This show had a very good main support act in Those Damn Crows, and The Wildhearts themselves were on top form. It seemed not that long ago that the band might split up (again), which would be a shame but the latest album and this tour would have been a very good way to sign off - I’d be happier if they didn’t split though!

6. Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls (Lost Evenings IV Night 2) - The Roundhouse, London. Friday 17th September. 

This was night 2 of the Lost Evenings festival, and the theme of the main set was the first three albums + new songs. The main stage (the only stage I went to, due to laziness more than anything else) was Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Jamie Lenman and Pet Needs, which on paper sounded like a lovely way to spend a Friday night. In practice it was a more than lovely way to spend a Friday. Pet Needs had their latest album produced by Frank Turner which is very good - their live set was very energetic and fun as well. Jamie Lenman was ace and this set sold me a ticket for his headline show (which was due to be November 29th, but had to be rescheduled due to positive Covid-19 cases in this touring party). Frank and the Souls set was excellent. I love the old songs and we even got treated to a couple from the first EP, so that was all gravy with me. Essentially, Frank Turner is one of my favourite live acts no matter the format, so this was always going to feature on this list. It is as low as it is because of train issues meaning I had to leave earlier than I’d have liked, but I got to hear the three new songs, so that’s a plus. 

5. While She Sleeps - CHALK, Brighton. Sunday 19th September

The travel for this one was a pain in the sack, but thankfully I set off early enough so that I was in Brighton with plenty of time to spare. This was my first visit to CHALK, though I had been to the old venue The Haunt once before - CHALK is a much bigger venue than The Haunt, but is a bit of an odd shape really (feels to me as though the stage is in the wrong place). Enough about the venue and the travel though, this was While She Sleeps doing an intimate venue UK tour (on their most recent tour, they sold out Brixton Academy). Not only was it While She Sleeps in a small room - they bought Loathe along with them and that, quite frankly, is lovely. Loathe are a superb band who had an incredible set supporting WSS. Sleeps themselves were on fire and had an incredible headline set. 

4. IDLES - Guildhall, Portsmouth. Sunday 12th September

The second album launch show of the list and this one was to launch Ultra Mono, which came out in 2020. It was rescheduled to September 2021 (I have a feeling it was meant to take place in April 2021, which was still a little while after the album came out). Despite it being initially announced to support Ulta Mono, the show’s setlist was almost evenly divided between Ultra Mono, Joy As An Act Of Resistance and Brutalism (Ultra Mono having one more song than the other two albums as part of a 16 song set). Idles were excellent on this night. Would have been number 1 if they had played “I’m Scum”, maybe. 

3. Palm Reader - The Garage, London. Thursday 25th November

Sleepless was one of my favourite albums of 2020, so Palm Reader playing it in full was a must. I’ve seen Palm Reader twice before in support slots and they were superb each time (I was supposed to see them support Employed to Serve in Guildford but me still recovering from Covid put paid to that). For a while on the day I was worried this would get scrapped because the band were robbed on their way to the gig, but thankfully they were able to borrow the equipment needed to play.

Onto the gig itself, Phoxjaw opened and they are another band who are excellent live (I’ve just seen they are supporting Microwave next year which…that is very nice). The middle band was a change of pace in the form of Orchards, but as far as I was concerned a very welcome change of pace as I enjoyed their set. Palm Reader though were on another level. Sleepless live is incredible (not sure if it was being recorded for a live version, but hopefully it was), and it was ace to hear a bit of older material including a few from Braille. Lovely. 

2. Grand Aid 3 (Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls/Beans on Toast) - Clapham Grand, London. Monday 19th July (‘Freedom Day’)

I was convinced…convinced this would be number 1. This was my first gig back at full capacity with no social distancing after the long shutdown. I wrote more about this gig (and two socially distanced ones) here - so I’m not sure there is a lot else I can add other than to say everyone who played was great, and the singalongs filled my heart with joy. Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls headlined the night and they played a best of set which felt very special. It was genuinely life-affirming, and I am glad I went along. 

1. Biffy Clyro - O2 Guildhall, Southampton. Wednesday 3rd November

A Download Festival headliner playing a room that holds 1,750ish? That sounds like a fun time. First things first, Bob Vylan was the support act and just like the headline show, they were ace. There were more people around who didn’t really know what was going on but it was nice to see people being won over as the set went on. The album Biffy Clyro released in 2020 completely reappraised my relationship with the band and their more recent output, so when the chance to grab a ticket for this gig came up, I snatched it up. The first night of the rescheduled Fingers Crossed tour, Biffy played their 2021 B-Sides+ album in full and…well I’m guessing it didn’t work out as planned as for the rest of the tour, they changed to a heavy mix of the 2020 and 2021 albums, with a 3rd of the setlist made up of songs from the previous 4 albums. The setlist for me was great and the performance was outstanding. The gig was nearly 2 hours long as well, which didn't drag at all. . I’ve only seen Biffy live in full once before (I caught the end of their set at Download in 2012) so I didn’t really know what to expect, but they were just so so good. I was worried about how it would sound in Southampton Guildhall (which has previous for not the best sound) but there were no issues to be worried about. This was an incredible gig, and I left it with such a big smile on my face. 

And that is that for 2021, unless Jamie Lenman rearranges for between now and December 22nd, though I am gambling on this not happening. I wrote a lot of words here, and copied a fair few I had written previously, but it was all worth it because having live music back is the best. Hopefully the emergence of Omicron and future Covid-19 variants won’t derail it again. As for 2022, I’ve had Dropkick Murphys, Architects and Faith No More drop off the schedule (the first two due to reschedules, the latter due I think due to a band member’s mental health being the priority - get well soon Mike!). All being well and as things stand, Idles and two lots of Every Time I Die with The Bronx is how my 2022 in live music will kick off. Other highlights will be Frank Turner, Gojira, Evanescence and Within Temptation (finally!), Volbeat in a small room, Hella Mega Tour (finally!), Behemoth/Arch Enemy and Carcass (finally!) and I’ve finally taken the plunge and am going to my first Damnation festival. I’m sure more will be added as time moves on as there are several gigs I have my eye on. 2021 has been a weird and frustrating year at times. Hopefully 2022 will be a better one for us all. 

Some Words On: Bad Pond Festival 2021

Yesterday, I went to Bad Pond Festival in Brighton 2021. It was something I bought a ticket for when the first line up was announcement, and that line up largely remained intact (the final poster is above). I went because I saw Conjurer and Svalbard on the original poster and, liking both of those bands, I was interested in going, but I wanted to listen to the others on the line up. I then spent about a week with the first announced line up by the end of it, had purchased a ticket and booked a hotel. When the above line up was finalised, it meant a couple of the bands I was looking forward to seeing had to drop off, which of course was a shame, but I was delighted that Phoxjaw had been added (I was going to book a ticket to their headline run which sadly got scrapped due to the world being on fire). It was a shame that Bitch Falcon and Late Night Venture both couldn't play - I suspect things like this will become more common until the world opens up properly again. 

The festival was at the Concorde 2 in Brighton - a venue I have a lot of love for on the few times I have visited. I was intrigued how the second stage would work in terms of numbers coming in to see the festival (the second stage was in the bar of the venue, which is a decent size bar for a venue of C2's size, but obviously not as big as the main room). Yesterday as well was a massive (and I do mean massive) motorbike festival on the same road as the festival. I'm not really a motorbike guy, but it was incredible to see that many bikes. There was a food van outside, which I didn't avail myself of because I wasn't sure if you were allowed to leave the venue to come and go as you please - when I left, I saw people leaving the venue just to get fresh air and/or smoke, so that answered that question (and I felt a bit silly not eating and therefore being hungry as the day wore on, no matter though!)

Originally the day was scheduled to run from 1-10pm, which is a long old day in a gig venue if you are there from the off, which I figured I would be. The stage times got announced the day before and it was actually an even longer day, with the first band (Lambrini Girls) being on at 12.30, and the headliner Delta Sleep starting at 10.30pm and finishing an hour later. I had planned to get there as early as possible and stay until the end, but my arrival was slightly delayed due to some shenanigans at the hotel (checked in and given a room that hadn't been cleaned). I also left early because by 10pm, I was done. It probably wasn't the smartest of moves to spend the day prior on a long walk around that London, but that is what happened, and by the end of Conjurer's set, I was ready to leave. Sorry Delta Sleep! 

Anyway, I arrived during Sugar Horse's set, so now seems an appropriate time to talk about the bands. 

Sugar Horse - Enjoyed what I heard of them. I only think I heard two songs in full, which is a shame. 

A-Tota-So - First of two bands on the second stage that I would see. The bar did get a bit cramped as their set started. I liked what I heard. They were the first of the instrumental bands that played that day, which I mention because I don't think I've ever gone out of my way to listen to many instrumental bands in my time, A-Tota-So are an example of why I should. 

False Advertising - Some technical problems were present during the set, but it thankfully didn't ruin it. I very much enjoyed their set. 

FES - The final band on the second stage, and much like False Advertising before them, I very much enjoyed their set. During this set, someone with a very small baby stood next to me, which was unexpected. Equally as unexpected was the person on the other side of me playing peakaboo with the baby. From what I could gather, the baby seemed to be enjoying it! 

Intechnicolour - Intechnicolour were one of the bands that I knew when I first saw the original line up (due to being on, and then having their album reviewed on the Riot Act podcast). Not to sound too much like a broken record, but this was another set that I really enjoyed. 

Projector - Projector had an excellent set. I really liked what I heard from them. Their own material sounded great, and they covered a song by Pixies - I mean what is not to like?! 

Vasa - Vasa were the second of three instrumental bands I saw at this festival, and much like A-Tota-So, they proved to me why I should listen to more instrumental music. I thought they were great. 

Phoxjaw - I'm not sure what happened at the beginning of their set, but it seemed to be delayed due to some sound issues. Anyway, when they got started, they were ace. 

Alpha Male Tea Party - The final of the instrumental bands that I saw, and they were probably my favourite of the three. They were superb. 

Svalbard - The penultimate band of the day for me and one of the best for sure - their set was superb. I am very much looking forward to their headline run in November now - their latest album When I Die, Will I Get Better? was one of my favourite albums from last year, so it was great seeing some of it live. 

Conjurer - I knew Conjurer were good live, having seen them play the 4th stage at Download Festival in 2019, but this seemed so much better (once the initial technical issues were overcome). The new song they opened with sounded immense, so I am looking forward to hearing a new album/EP when it comes. 

As I said earlier in the post, I was very much ready to leave after Conjurer. I was in a fair bit of pain and was tired. I feared if I sat down at that point (as I had done in between all the sets after Intechnicolour) that there was a strong chance I might fall to sleep - which is probably a good time to call it quits really. It was really was a top quality day though, and well worth all the effort required to go. I would 100% go to another of these events if one happens (if I like the line up, of course), though I would definitely not go on a hefty walk the day before next time! Some of the photos I took I collated into one post on Instagram here

In writing this, I've just seen that the 2022 edition of the festival is set for Sunday 1st May 2022, and is on sale now. I'll keep an eye to see who gets announced for it. I find it hard to imagine the 2021 line up will be topped, but I am of course happy to be wrong! 

Some Words On: Victorious Festival 2021

The weekend just gone was Victorious Festival, which is based in my home town. I bought a weekend ticket during the first round of early birds after the first band announcement, as there were quite a few acts I'd be happy to see. I personally tend to lean towards the heavier side of music more often than not, but there was plenty on the bill I would hopefully enjoy.

A quick word on the Covid stuff, seeing as it caused one of the 2020 headliners to not appear at the 2021 event and one of the 2021 Castle Stage headliners to pull out. You had to show a Covid pass to get into the event (along with a ticket, obviously). This was barely an issue for me, as I’m double vaccinated and do lateral flow tests fairly regularly. I entered at a fairly quiet time on Friday  and only saw one conversation about someone having a lack of a Covid pass, but the staff were great with dealing with that from what I saw. Not sure how that would work with a massive entry queue mind. Other than that, and some (very watery) hand sanitiser about the site (and a vaccination station) - you’d be forgiven for thinking the pandemic had ended. By the end of the weekend, it was a case of walking in the arena with the Covid pass visible on my phone, but no-one appeared to be actually asking for it. 

I’ve seen some comments about various organisation issues with the festival this time round, and can only write from my own experiences. The toilet queues at times have been crazy. Friday certainly seemed to be the worst day for them, and I wonder if they might in the future consider opening the toilet block by the Castle Stage just to alleviate the queues a little bit. I live up the road from the festival so this isn’t an issue for me (and, being male, I can use the urinals which barely involve a queue). I would have thought an event of this size would have a bare minimum of toilets required based on anticipated tickets sold, and then you would hope they wouldn’t stick to the absolute minimum. I think more is needed, and I would hope this will be addressed for 2022.

To the bands

Friday:

Terrorvision - Brilliant way to start my festival, absolutely loads of fun. Saw them twice on the Britrock Must Be Destroyed tour, and thought they were superb, and this was more of the same. First time seeing them playing Tequila, which was cool. My only gripe was that they didn’t play Discotheque Wreck, which is my favourite song of theirs - that is a very small gripe though. 

Peter Hook and the Light - Good fun. 40 minutes featuring the best of New Order and Joy Division, what’s not to like? I mean, if you don’t like either of those bands, this set wouldn’t have been for you. I like a bit of each though so this was good for me. 

Feeder - Technical problems plagued this set unfortunately. They were really good despite this and got some (predictably) loud singalongs. It was the first time I’d seen Feeder in a long time (13 years, I think), and it was nice to see them again. 

The Kooks - I enjoyed their set more than I was expecting to. I was there thinking I knew 2 of their songs, and it turns out I know 4. Despite not knowing a lot of it, it was good. 

Madness - In truth, this was a bit of a disappointment for me. It had gotten fairly cold by the time they were due to come on (I appreciate this could be my fault I was cold due to having no jacket/hoodie and was wearing shorts). The stage music stopped, and all the lights went off the stage...and then there was what felt like a 10 minute wait with nothing happening. Even then it still took a long time for them to come on and get started. One Step Beyond is always a great way to start a set, but I thought it was a bit quiet - something which persisted throughout. The next song was Embarrassment, and I think Suggs got it a bit wrong as it appeared to end abruptly. It was okay after this, possibly still a bit quiet and a bit slow but fine. Suggs definitely forgot the words to Wings of a Dove, and there appeared to be a live band debate as to whether they should do it again, plus combined with singing happy birthday to the saxophonist/singer’s daughter. After Driving In My Car, there was a period of the set which contained songs I didn’t know, and seemed a bit slow again. At this point, I was cold and bored, so decided to make my way towards the back to leave. They did a bit of a best of, and that was fun but I was ready to leave at this point. 3rd time seeing them and probably the worst of the 3, which is a shame. I bumped into an old friend on Saturday who said how much she enjoyed the set...so maybe it was just me? 

Saturday:

Turns out I am out of practice being on my feet for so much of a day, as the aches were real. I revisited my original plan for the day and decided on a paired back plan. The plan was to cycle to the festival and head into the arena for about 1pm and get a spot by the Common Stage for Craig David Presents TS5, then come home and chill out for a bit, then cycle back for Frank Turner. Best laid plans and all that. The Common stage times changed, so Bloxx were moved to be on before Craig David. I’m not sure what happened here - not sure if Craig David got stuck in traffic and Bloxx were already on site or...well no point in really speculating because it happened. Not knowing any of Bloxx, I decided to go and grab a beer before heading to watch them - in and of itself was a slight headache as I went to a cafe on site, which I only found out when trying to leave that you had to remain in the cafe grounds to drink alcohol purchased there. Not sure why but whatever - not exactly a hardship to sit outside a cafe in the sun drinking a can of Staggeringly Good.

Bloxx - As said, I don’t know any of Bloxx’s music so I took a spot to the side of the stage and had a sit, and then lie down to listen. I liked their music, and it was nice background music to lie down on the common to. Enjoyed their set.

Craig David Presents TS5 - The reason I was there some hours early. No idea what the TS5 bit was going to be, but it turned out to be Craig David being his own DJ while remixing songs and singing (not sure if that is what he always did back in the day, and this was just a rebrand). Anyway, his set was quality. Hearing his songs from Born To Do It was ace (also, in typing this and googling the album title to make sure I got it right, I saw it was released 21 years ago and now I am sad). Craig David is perfect for a festival when the sun is out (festival depending, obviously - I reckon it would be a laugh seeing him in the middle of the day at Wacken but probably wouldn’t go down well). He closed his set with 7 Days, which was just a great way to close a great set. One of the highlights of the festival for sure. 

This is when I took a break and popped back home. The two main reasons for going home (ignoring my being old and wanting to sit on my couch!) were to get my bike lights and to pick up a hoodie for when it got a bit colder in the evening, and I successfully forgot to pick up a hoodie...ho hum. The good news was that when I headed back to the arena, there was barely a queue to get in. This meant I was in the arena for the end of Morcheeba and able to grab a beer before taking a spot for Frank Turner. 

Morcheeba - I don’t have a whole lot to say as I only caught their last song, but their last song was Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day, and that song is ace, so I’m happy to have seen them play it.

Frank Turner (Duo Show) - I don’t think anyone that knows me will be shocked to learn that I loved this set. The 45 minutes just flew by, with the set containing a good mix of his back catalogue. The set closed with I Still Believe, which inspired probably one of the biggest singalongs of the set (though there were quite a few) and featured a brief cameo from Jess Guise on harmonica. Just like Craig David earlier in the day, this set will be another one of the highlights of the festival for me. This set was also neat for me as I’ve seen Frank live with The Sleeping Souls and on his own, but this was the first time in person watching a duo show (I saw a live stream duo show during one of the lockdowns). 

Blossoms - So after being fairly close to the front for Frank Turner, I moved off to the side for Blossoms as I’m not overly familiar with their music. I enjoyed what I heard. I didn’t stick around for the whole set as I decided to get a bite to eat (second visit to the South African vegan curry stall). While I was queuing, I heard them do what sounded to these ears as a very good cover of Rolling Stones - Miss You. Not sure if it is something they usually do live, but it sounded good to me. Nice nod to Charlie Watts, who recently passed away, as well. 

Reef - I had planned on seeing more of Reef, but I joined what looked like a short beer queue and my word, it took an age to get served! I think I was there for the last four songs, which meant missing seeing them play Place Your Hands, which is a shame. They closed their set with two Duran Duran covers, with a member of Duran Duran on stage, which was unexpected - cool though. 

The Fratellis - I really enjoyed this set. I started watching it from a spot on the hill on Castle Field, which was fine but it seemed a bit quiet (I was quite far from the stage, to be fair) so after a couple of songs I walked into the crowd proper which was much better. I’ve not listened to much Fratellis after Costello Music, but this set made me want to do so. I loved their cover of Yes Sir, I Can Boogie (originally by Baccara) as well as the cover which closed the set, Runaround Sue (originally by Dion). My highlights, possibly unsurprisingly, were Whistle For The Choir and Chelsea Dagger - the latter inspiring one of the biggest singalongs/dance alongs I saw since Baggy Trousers the night before. I’d only seen them once before, and this performance was significantly better. 

Manic Street Preachers - Manics late addition to the bill to replace Richard Ashcroft was, in my view, an upgrade. I very much liked their set. It was peppered with songs I love, which obviously is a good thing. They did an Echo & the Bunnymen cover (Bring On The Dancing Horses) - I’ve never really listened to them but the Manics cover of the song was good. The real surprise on the covers front was a cover of Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses, and a very nice surprise it was as well. The set closed with A Design For Life, a belter of a song to sign off an excellent set. 

Sunday:

I woke up less achy on Sunday, which was a plus, but still a bit achy, so decided to again slightly alter my plan and remove a few of the bands that were in my plan just to fill gaps. 

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - I was really surprised, pleased but surprised, to see Pigs x7 booked for the Common stage. Victorious isn’t exactly known for heavy music - there was a side stage a few years ago with a few heavy bands on, and I assumed when Pigs x7 had been announced, there would be another one, but not to be. When it was revealed they’d be on the Common stage, I thought the reaction to them might not be positive but I am pleased to report I was very wrong. There were a few people around me who walked off, but almost everyone else seemed to enjoy it to varying degrees. I did not anticipate seeing a circle pit at Victorious, that’s for sure. For me, I thought it was great. 

I then took my leave to head home. It was definitely worth the effort to come into the arena for Pigs x7. There wasn’t much of a queue to get in as I was leaving, and this remained the case when I returned. It was a much quieter day all round really. 

Miles Kane - Miles Kane is the first of a few acts I saw for the rest of the day that I didn’t know much about. I thought the set was really good. As an indicator of how little I know, only when writing this did I look up the set list for a bit of a memory jog and saw that Miles and band played two of The Last Shadow Puppets songs (and that Miles is in that band with Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys, among others). There were some very loud singalongs to some of these songs, particularly the last two of Come Closer and Don’t Forget Who You Are. 

After Miles Kane, I decided to go get a bite to eat and drink before heading over to the Castle Stage for Melanie C. Once I’d eaten, I realised I could go back to the Common stage again and watch about 15 minutes of Fontaines D.C, so that’s what I did. 

Fontaines D.C - I stayed for about 3 songs, and thought the band were decent. Glad I went to catch a little bit of their set. 

Melanie C - “We’re fucking out out!” This set was a lot of fun and very good as well. I’m not massively familiar with some of Melanie’s solo material (I know some of it) but everything played was good. The singalongs for the two Spice Girls songs played (2 Become 1 and Who Do You Think You Are) were very loud, some of the loudest I witnessed over the weekend for sure, and indeed they were also loud for some of Mel’s solo material as well.

Supergrass - Much like Miles Kane, I didn’t know much at all about Supergrass really (I knew Alright and Caught By The Fuzz going in). Despite that, I really enjoyed this set. Of course, the songs I knew were the highlights for me (and the singalong for Alright was huge), but it was all really good.

Royal Blood - I knew before Royal Blood started that I wasn’t going to stick around for the full set due to wanting to see Beans On Toast, so I stayed for the first 4 songs, and was in and around the Common stage area for the next 3 songs. From what I heard, they were really good. As I was walking off to the acoustic stage, I did wonder if I had made an error by leaving. Maybe I did, but what I saw was excellent

Beans On Toast - Maybe it was an error to leave Royal Blood early, but it definitely wasn’t an error choosing to see Beans on Toast. This was a great set full of singalongs and positivity. It was just an excellent way to close out the festival. Towards the end of the set, Beans went out into the crowd to sing two of the last songs which was fun. 

And that, as they say, is that. I had a really good time over the 3 days and am glad to have got a weekend ticket. Before the festival, when the first bands were announced, I was sceptical about it going ahead due to the pandemic. I’m so glad I was wrong about this. I would usually sign off a festival review by saying I’ll be back next year or will think about it. Victorious is one of those strange festivals that tries to cater to a lot of people and, pandemic aside, I haven’t been since 2016 (though I would have gone in 2017 if I didn’t have alternative plans). As long as I live in Portsmouth, I will always consider going to Victorious. As for 2022, I wonder, if the world is more back to normal next year (and there isn’t a need for a Covid pass), if the festival will invite Ian Brown and Richard Ashcroft back (or if those bridges have been burned). There were a few acts that were due to play in 2020 that didn’t/couldn’t play in 2021, so I wonder if they will also be invited back (looking over those acts, none of them overly excite me). I don’t know who I’d want to play - I have an eclectic music taste, but I tend to favour rock/metal music and that tends not to appear at Victorious, very often at least (typing this the day after Pigs x7 played and Royal Blood have just closed out the festival, but they are by far the heaviest headliner to date). It won’t happen for 2022 (due to the Hella Mega tour), but I think Weezer would go down really well at Victorious. Possibly headlining the Castle stage or sub-headlining the Common stage - they’d be great. Selfishly, I would love to see Ginger Wildheart and The Sinners get booked to play - I think they’d work well as they appear to be a bit more laid back than The Wildhearts. As for 2022 though, I really don’t know what to expect. As said though, I will always consider going if the line up has enough to appeal to me. 

Final thought - I think it can be a bit boring when people say they have an eclectic music taste (like I just did above). That said, I did have to chuckle to myself while watching Melanie C sing Who Do You Think You Are, because I realised a week on (all being well of course), I’ll be in a small room in Brighton watching Conjurer or Svalbard (give them a listen, they are a touch different to Mel C). Life comes at you fast. 

Joey

Yesterday (as I write this) I saw the very sad news that Joey Jordison, the founding drummer of Slipknot, has passed away aged 46. This news has certainly bummed me out as a fan of Slipknot (despite it being the case that Joey hadn't been in the band for some time). In my mind, I always assumed at some point, he would be invited back, even if it was just as a guest at some live shows or in the studio if not a full member. I never really got into any of his other bands, though this is definitely a case of me not trying to, rather than me trying to and not liking them.

It made me reflect a little bit on my relationship as a fan of Slipknot, and the times I saw Slipknot with him in the band. My first exposure to Slipknot was flicking through the music channels and seeing the video to Wait and Bleed. At this point in my life, I hadn’t really started listening to rock music of any kind (other than what was on the radio when I was in the car with my parents), and I was very much still in the phase of life where I was judging bands and their fans (in this instance, the “goths”) with no real knowledge behind my opinions - I believe the most accurate way to describe this was that I was a prick (I have previously tried to defend how I was then, but there is little point as I was most definitely in the wrong). Anyway, I think this was just before I started listening to Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. I didn’t know anything about this band, but this video captivated me. I might be remembering this wrong, but I recall not following this up for some time afterwards. I was still some way from realising my then-behaviour was moronic, but when I had realised this and looked to rectify it, Slipknot were one of the bands I went back to and realised they had a lot of good music. I didn’t immediately like everything, but a lot grew on me quickly. I seem to recall another music video, this time for Left Behind, particularly striking. I also found My Plague a song I particularly liked as an angsty teenager. 

I really wanted to see them when they sub-headlined Download 2005 - the Sunday was System of a Down, Slipknot and Slayer (a decent way to end a day at a festival, that). All my friends at the time went to Reading festival that year, and I didn’t have the means to attend Download anyway, so this was a non-starter. I was then meant to see them for the first time sub-headlining Reading 2008, but they had to withdraw due to Joey breaking his ankle. My memory of that situation was breaking the news to a friend who was spending that whole weekend at Reading (I was only there for the day), and everyone felt quite sad about it. I had a ticket to see them twice on their December 2008, but I ended up selling one of them as I couldn’t afford the travel to go twice. I saw them for the first time at Hammersmith Apollo supported by Machine Head and Children of Bodom and just loved it. The next time I saw them was on their first tour following the passing of Paul Gray at Sonisphere 2011. The show was incredible and you could certainly feel that it was an emotional one. The final time I would have seen Slipknot with Joey in the band was very fleeting. At Download 2013, they clashed directly with Black Stone Cherry who were headlining the second stage, and I opted to watch the beginning and end of Slipknot’s set, and all of Black Stone Cherry. I don’t really remember much of Slipknot’s set other than thinking the end was amazing. That was the summer of 2013, and by December 2013, Joey Jordison had left/been fired from Slipknot.

As I said above, I always thought he would be invited back, somehow/someway, but this wasn’t the case and now, sadly, never will be. Rest in Power Joey Jordison. 46 is no age at all. 

And We're Live

The last time I wrote, I gave an excuse as to why I don’t write more often - that excuse being that I honestly can’t be bothered in most cases. That remains the case, as actually there have been a few things recently that would have been worth writing something about, but I just haven’t. One common theme, pre-Covid at least and once during, for this blog is now about music and the gigs I go to. Obviously during the pandemic, opportunities for me to go to gigs have been few and far between. It is something that I’ve missed very much, but I don’t think I realised how much until recently. In the last month-ish, I’ve been to 3 gigs. Two of these gigs were socially distant affairs and one was as standard as a gig as you can imagine. I thought about writing three separate reviews of each gig, but instead settled on writing a blog covering all three of them. So without further ado, these are the gigs. 

Beans On Toast (Socially Distant). Saturday 12th June (Matinee) - The Clapham Grand, London. 

Briefly, Beans On Toast’s music is something I only properly discovered during lockdown and working at home. I decided once to listen to his then complete discography in a day or two, and I found that for the most part, I very much enjoyed it. I decided it would be cool to see him live at some point, and then this opportunity came up, and I decided to go. 

I got there far too early, so I strolled around Clapham for a bit, though not too far from the venue.Due to the staggered entry, I didn’t have to queue and was in the venue pretty quickly. The rules were masks on when walking around the venue, but could come off when you were in your seat. Drinks could be ordered to the seat via an app, which I did once and was pretty straightforward. I thought the staff I encountered were all great. In terms of the upper balcony seating, the instruction was to sit on any bench, but to keep 2 metres away from people as best as possible. This wasn’t a challenge really. 

On to the gig itself, it was opened by a solo act called Tensheds. I enjoyed his set - more than once it made me think of a stripped back Bruce Springsteen at a piano/keyboard, which in my mind is a compliment. I’ve since gone back and listened to his music on Spotify and enjoyed it, so I’m sure I will listen again. Beans On Toast was the main event and it was just ace. He played a number of his songs that I love, which certainly helped matters. There was a really cool moment where he played a song from one of this new albums that he wrote about a former teacher (positive song!) and the teacher was in the audience. There was also a nice moment where his young daughter came on stage to dance to one of his songs (about her). 

I was slightly worried about going, because doing so would involve the first train to London since the end of 2019 (I think when I went in 2020, it was by car or coach) and, as well, it wasn’t as if Covid had just gone away. I hoped the gig would make it worthwhile though, and I can say without hesitation that it did. It was the first gig since the test event at the Kings Theatre in September, and the first non-test event since March 2020, and it was a really good first experience. And, I got home early enough to do a food shop on my way home (I was still fucked the next day mind...that’s probably an age thing though!)

Fleetingwood Mac (Socially Distant). Saturday 17th July (Matinee) - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. 

Fleetwood Mac are a band who I’ve never really listened to their albums, but in my view should be in any conversation about bands with the best “best of” compilation albums. Additionally, I’d heard nothing but good things about Fleetingwood Mac as a tribute band, so as an opportunity to see them came up, and at my favourite local venue, I decided to grab a ticket. Firstly, a massive thumbs up to the Wedgewood Rooms - I booked three tickets, a 1 person bubble ticket for me, and a 2 person bubble ticket for 2 friends, and the venue clocked this and put us on a 4 person table together, rather than splitting us up to two separate tables for two. I was very pleased with how that worked out. Again, drinks were ordered via an app and this was a painless process.

The support act were called The Hill Brothers, and I very much enjoyed their stripped down interpretations on some songs I really like, White Stripes Seven Nation Army immediately springs to mind from their set, as well as a cover of a song from The Black Keys (I want to say Gold On The Ceiling but my memory might be failing me now). Fleetingwood Mac themselves were excellent. As above, I had only heard good things about them, so went in with high expectations and they were comfortably met and then some. They are an excellent tribute band, and I will definitely see them again (all being well, December!). 

Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls - Grand Aid 3. Monday 19th July - The Clapham Grand, London. 

When this gig was announced for “freedom day”, I found myself wanting to go, but anticipating it would sell out immediately, I decided initially to not bother getting a ticket. I have a ticket to see Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls as part of Lost Evenings festival in September, and a ticket to see Beans On Toast (main support) in December on a headline run (not mentioning, as I did earlier in this post, that I had just recently been to a Beans headline show). However, when it didn’t sell out immediately, I looked to see if I could get the day after off work, and I could. I then found a cheap hotel room round the corner from the venue and decided to take the plunge. I was nervous in the build up to the gig, which I think is fair enough considering it was to be the first full capacity show I’d have been to since March 2020. I wore a Frank Turner shirt from the “Get Better” range, which out of context could be taken as insensitive during a global pandemic, considering it says “Not Dead Yet” on the front. However, the only comments I had about it (to me, at least) were positive. One note is that the show was a Revive Live show in conjunction with the National Lottery, which meant I could bring a friend for free, however I got my ticket at short notice and the 1 person I asked said they couldn’t make it, which was a shame. I kept my mask on, as I wasn’t sure what the situation would be, and I would guess less than 5% of the crowd had them on. Mentioning this isn’t me being critical, but I was surprised at how few people did. 

I arrived as Ciara Haidar was performing via satellite, which was cool. I couldn’t really hear much of her music as people around me were talking. What I heard sounded good though. Next up was Gerry Del Guercio from SixNationState. I didn’t know any of his stuff, but I enjoyed his set. There was a moment during his set which was cool, as he covered Oasis - Half The World Away, and that was the first singalong of the night - I have missed singalongs! Beans On Toast was next and that was ace as well. It felt very different to the show I saw at the same venue a month earlier, though were you to ask me why, I would struggle. He played a few songs I really like, and some new songs which sound good as well. Essentially, what I’m saying is I enjoyed the set, and there are no complaints from me. 

After a wait that felt like eternity (whereas in actual fact, it was about 30 minutes), Frank and the band came on stage and launched into Get Better and 1933 (which seemed to have an extra bit of venom behind it...can’t imagine why). From the off, every song was accompanied with a big singalong by the crowd, which every so often I would just pause and take in. It was a high energy gig all throughout, which was cool. I think the only time it slightly dipped was when a new song (Punches) was being played for the first time as a full band, which makes sense. There was a moment later on (in my mind, I want to say between the two solo songs in the set, but I might be wrong) where it appeared Frank was very emotional about the whole experience, which is entirely fair enough. The second of the two solo songs was The Ballad of Me and My Friends, a song which is usually well received anyway, but on this night it appeared the reaction it got was something else. The encore of Frank’s set, and the end of the night was a solo rendition of Balthazar, Impresario, and then the full band coming back out for Recovery, I Still Believe (a short video of one of the singalongs for this song can be found here) and Four Simple Words. It certainly will be in the conversation, should I ever have one, about the best times I’ve seen Frank Turner live, that is for sure. I put on social media that the gig was genuinely life-affirming, and nearly a week on from writing that, I completely stand by that. I left the venue with a massive grin on my face. 

Some photos of all three gigs can be seen via my Instagram (as well as other stuff when I remember to post stuff there, which isn’t often). 
And, that is that for now. I was tempted to go and see Black Spiders this week just gone, when they were due to play The Joiners in Southampton on Friday night. However, that gig has been postponed for now due to a member of the band getting pinged (something I suspect will be more frequent in the run up to the date on which fully vaccinated people can test and release if they are pinged). My next gig is scheduled to be at that same venue next Wednesday night to see Bob Vylan - I very much like the album We Live Here, so I’m looking forward to the gig as well as going back to The Joiners - my last full capacity gig before the pandemic was there. There is already chat about restrictions coming back in some form, though as is the case with the current lot in office, messaging has been mixed and confusing so who bloody knows. I have a lot of gigs booked for the rest of the year, so I am hopeful I will be able to write an end of year list - fingers crossed that either restrictions aren’t needed, or something can happen to allow gigs to continue going ahead. 

A(lmost a) Year Indoors

As I write this, it is February 20th 2021, which means in 3 days it will be 11 months since the first lockdown was announced in the United Kingdom as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Admittedly, saying the lockdown was as a result of Covid-19 is probably something I didn't need to write, but thought it worthwhile to provide some form of context, just in case we all forget (laugh out loud). Whenever I renew the domain name linked to this blog, I always promise myself that I will sit down to write more and then inevitably never do. More often than not, it is because I can't be bothered. A small part of it is because, aside from a tweet now and then and quietly having the links on my social media, I don't promote the fact it exists (and so, no-one reads what I write). However most recently my excuse has been there is nothing happening (which I feel is a perfectly valid one). I've considered writing full blogs about new albums I've liked, or books I've read that I've enjoyed, but I always decide against it. The Albums of 2020 post would give an example as to why, just picking something and saying "I like it" isn't exactly enthralling reading (and a bit pointless to write, in my view). 

The point of me writing this now is because I've just completed an update of a spreadsheet I keep, which records what bands I've seen and where I've seen them. A recent update before I bought my Chromebook was to add the years I saw certain bands at festivals. When I purchased the Chromebook, and imported the excel sheet across to my Google Drive, I saw that the comments I had written could now not be edited, and if I wanted to add to them, I would have to reply. This was something I considered a minor annoyance but nothing more. That is until the pandemic started and the only form of live music I was getting came in the form of live streams. Without question, for my tastes at least, the most prolific live streaming artist that I am a fan of is Frank Turner. I asked the question of myself whether I could include the live streams on the list and concluded that I could provided I watched them when they happened (as opposed to a replay of it). How this is all linked is that I was adding the comments on top of the exported comments that were there and it looked ugly as all hell. Given that I am not exactly what you could call busy right now, I decided to re-do the list so it was a fresh list on Google Drive and rewrite all the comments. If you are bored like me, you can look at it here

Doing this was an arduous task, because the list has 817 individual entries on it. I decided as I started to also include, where possible, the year the gigs all took place (to match the festival sets). This isn't always possible (mainly for local band gigs where I don't have tickets, and there are no records online of the gig having ever taken place). but I think the list is as accurate as it can be. The main takeaway from doing it I think is how bad my memory is in terms of thinking when gigs took place. An example of this was me trying to find the year I saw Madness at the O2 Arena. I couldn't find the ticket in my ticket scrapbook, and there were two cleat entries on setlist.fm for Madness gigs at the O2 Arena that I thought either could be plausible - 2014 or 2016. I immediately thought it was 2014, but there was something on the setlist which just didn't look right (that thing being they played My Girl and then immediately played their new sequel for the song, My Girl 2). It was my memory of this that eventually enabled me to pinpoint the gig I went to, and in fact it was actually in 2012 (and sure enough, the ticket was there in my scrapbook, but I didn't think to look that far back). This also happened in reverse as well - I couldn't remember when I saw Stiff Little Fingers in Portsmouth and didn't have the ticket, and setlist.fm again gave options, and at first I chose 2016, which is wrong as it turns out because I saw them in 2019. 

It wasn't the most fun of tasks by any stretch of the imagination, but I am glad it is now done. I did have a few moments of sadness when doing it though because I am still very much missing live music. It is coming up to one year since I went to my last proper gig, a day I imagine I'll be a bit sad on. The chat about when gigs can come back isn't exactly filling me with joy either. That said, I am of the view that everything that needs to stay closed should stay closed until it is safe to open (and the government should support the businesses in this position). I would not be happy if removing restrictions happened too early and shit hit the fan again. I saw some chat the other day about a potential 3rd wave, and yet there are voices in government saying this lockdown needs to be the last one - which isn't exactly reassuring. I guess we'll see what happens. 

Anyway, ramble over.