Next Gig you are going to go to...........

[unc.si]

Mary in the Junkyard on Monday and JJerome87 (lead singer of Alt-j) on Tuesday. David Byrne on the 18th and I've also managed to double book Yard Act and Flaming Lips on the 21st

Will have to miss out on Yard Act but I am seeing them later in the year as well so no big deal I guess. Think I need a gig spreadsheet

[unc.si]

Mary in the Junkyard were excellent. Just a small early evening album release gig but they played a pretty full set, just over an hour, of 13 songs, mostly from the album but some older tracks as well (Role Model Hermit is their debut full album but they've released a few EP's over the last few years).

Great album and definitely one to watch out for.

Going to need to get there early tomorrow for JJerome87. Tickets sold out fast so its going to be rammed

[Spinynorman]

We are seeing Kate Rusby on Thursday.

[unc.si]

Was that the one at the Cathedral? What a great setting. It’s a massive space though - tough gig for a folk singer but if anyone can pull it off it would be her.

[Spinynorman]

Been to a few at the cathedral. It is impressive.

[maxi123]

The Cologne cathedral is the coolest.

[murf]

The Cologne cathedral is the coolest.

I went there with my mate Dom

[unc.si.]

Great album release gig from JJerome87. Fantastic to hear some of the inspiration behind the songs and lots of chat with the audience. He’s a great singer as well. No alt-J stuff, just songs off the new album (which is a contender for album of the year for me). Had a good chat with him afterwards as well.

Nothing now until a week on Saturday. David Byrne at the Piece Hall

[morganb]

Madness at Windsor Racecourse in August

[maxi123]

The Cologne cathedral is the coolest.

I went there with my mate Dom

Yes! I went in Cologne cathedral with friends. I saved photos, it's really the coolest murf.

[Jester]

The Cologne cathedral is the coolest.

I went there with my mate Dom

Yes! I went in Cologne cathedral with friends. I saved photos, it's really the coolest murf.

I was there recently (around 45 years ago!) and my most vivid memory is the climb up the tower - back then it was an open scaffold tower of a staircase, and I'm not the best with heights. Had to be done though! Is it still the same?

[murf]

Was only slightly more recently that I was there!

We travelled on to West Berlin (pre unification but wall had just come down). Not many stops in between for some reason!

Bringing it back on thread(ish), we went to see Roger Waters perform The Wall. Momentous occasion. Rubbish concert.

[Spinynorman]

Was that the one at the Cathedral? What a great setting. It’s a massive space though - tough gig for a folk singer but if anyone can pull it off it would be her.

She was wonderful. The band with her were incredible as was the sound.

[unc.si]

David Byrne tomorrow at the Piece Hall, supported by Anna Calvi.
Can't wait. One of the great creative musical forces of the last 40 odd years. Fantastic venue as well so hopefully it will be a spectacular visual performance as well as musically.

[unc.si.]

David Byrne gig a strong contender for best gig I’ve ever been to. Utterly fantastic from start to finish. The Piece Hall is a brilliant venue as well

Next up Flaming Lips on Tuesday. Supposed to see them tomorrow as well but decided to do family stuff instead

[murf]

Saw David Byrne at some hall in Nottingham 30+ years ago. He was OK...

[unc.si]

Just got to Wolverhampton for the flaming lips gig. Seen some clips of their shows before but never experienced it live. Feels like it’s going to be pretty wild

[unc.si]

Flaming Lips were insane Brilliant gig but totally batshit crazy.

[morganb]

Saw David Byrne at Brixton Academy 30+ years ago. He was great - We were on the front row of the balcony and he started off just him and an acoustic guitar for 10 minutes then pulled the curtain away to reveal a massive band.

[unc.si]

Saw David Byrne at Brixton Academy 30+ years ago. He was great - We were on the front row of the balcony and he started off just him and an acoustic guitar for 10 minutes then pulled the curtain away to reveal a massive band.

I've seen a few clips of older post talking heads gigs where he's got the large band with strings etc. Pretty typical of him that he started experimenting with different staging ideas right from the start (possibly a big part of why TH broke up - was moving away from the CBGB / Mudd Club roots more towards a Byrne solo project in the later albums).
Since then he's moved towards more dynamic staging. The last 2 tours he's deconstructed the band completely. The stage is completely bare. Drum kit split into separate parts, all played by different drummers each carrying their part of the drum kit. Similarly synths are carried by the keyboardists etc. So there are 13 of them on stage, all in matching orange boiler suits, each carrying their own wireless instruments (apart from a few who just dance) and in perpetual motion. The backdrop is 3 huge screens, which play images relevant to the song, or sometimes are just blank. The imagery isn't over used - there are more times when the backdrop is plain than showing images.

All makes for a remarkable spectacle. He's also still got a good voice, even at 74, and the musicians are all top class.

It's part gig, part performance art, part Broadway show (American Utopia was actually adapted into a Broadway show). Add to that the setting of the 18th Century Piece Hall in Halifax (or next weeks Cardiff Castle) and you've got something that really is remarkable.

Feel very privileged to have seen that and The Flaming Lips full on psychedelic pink-robot-alien-wonder-woman-confetti-cannon-laser-strobe-zorb-balloon craziness in the same week. 2 of Rock's true innovators

[SUZYKINS]

David Byrne tomorrow at the Piece Hall, supported by Anna Calvi.
Can't wait. One of the great creative musical forces of the last 40 odd years. Fantastic venue as well so hopefully it will be a spectacular visual performance as well as musically.

Amazing venue that, saw tickets at last minute

[unc.si]

Just managed to get a ticket for Geese in October. Couldn't get a ticket for their gigs in the spring for love nor money so very happy about getting this one

[unc.si]

Man/Woman/Chainsaw tonight

[unc.si]

Man/Woman/Chainsaw tonight

was a great gig. It's a brilliant album but even better live.

nothing now until Ratboys in early September, unless anything crops up last minute. Looking forward to that one. Their latest, Singing to an Empty Chair, probably my album of the year so far

[unc.si]

Ratboys up next in just under a week.
Booked Fontaines this morning. Another one for November! I know it’s peak gig season then but I’m up to about 8 or 9 gigs so far.