Gigs gigs gigs

[LittleDaniel]

Might go see Titus Andronicus and Screaming Females on Monday. I like this. I think I've seen these bands before. But maybe not. Definitely Titus, they opened for Los Camp on their first US tour and Baltimore was the first stop of the tour and they broke a couple of their amps that night by jumping on them and toppling them over. Good times.

[Skummy]

hahahah I'm sure you'll have a funny story about The Fall. Mark E. Smith seems to get better with age.

http://www.edinburghguide.com/reviews/music/rockpop/thefallhmvpicturehousereview-9467

Elena comes back on to attempt to explain that Mark is sick, he has bunions(!). It’s met with a chorus of abuse and heckling. People are walking out and mutiny is in the air.

Probably my favourite recent one!

I've never seen The Fall - I was meant to see them in Hull years ago, but MES got drunk, passed out in a gutter and shat himself. As a result, the gig was cancelled.

It looks like Ultramantis isn't coming any more. Sad times

Help me make my mind up RE: a couple of clashes, EWB! I've managed to narrow down most of them to only really being bothered about one band or the other, but there's a few sticklers left;

Robyn Hitchcock vs. Charlemagne Palestine - leaning towards Hitchcock, as I've not seen him before, but I don't know all that much of his stuff. I have a Soft Boys CD, but most of his solo work that I have is cover versions.

The Fall vs. The Raincoats - I love The Raincoats, but almost definitely going to have to go with The Fall on this one. Still hurts to choose, though.

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion vs. Mike Watt & George Hurley performing the songs of the Minutemen - this one is really difficult. I've never seen JSBE, and I can't quite believe they're still a thing, and they were a favourite of mine when I was a teenager. I have seen Mike Watt solo, and playing bass with The Stooges, but to effectively see The Minutemen is probably a chance that won't come up again. Dilemma!

Joanna Newsom vs. Yamantaka - Yamantaka sound really cool, but could just as easily end up being pretentious and dreadful. I saw Joanna Newsom once, and she was actually kind of boring live after the first few songs. Maybe an off night?

Yann Tiersen vs. Earth - Only half an hour of their sets clash, but they're both acts I'd want to see all of, and both personal favourites. Leaning towards just missing half an hour of Tiersen to see all of Earth, but it'll be a hard choice to make.

On top of that, half an hour of A Hawk & A Hacksaw clashes with a book club discussing John Cage, and Boredoms clash with the pub quiz. Nightmare!

[Colly]

After far too long not seeing anyone went to see the Maccabees last night, who despite playing a tad too much off the slightly meh third album (including the most underwhelming encore of all time) were very very good. Gonna have to start saving some money and getting out more.

[Dr. Acula]

only artist i've bothered to see live this year so far was anthony green (with the dear hunter). anthony green is one of the nicest people ever and he played "seven years", which i appreciated a lot.

[Skummy]

I have fallen in love with the drummer from Yamantaka/Sonic Titan.

[Skummy]

To expand on that post - just got back yesterday from ATP curated by Jeff Mangum. Bloody good weekend as ever, aside from a little bit of Butlins-related stress.

The Fall were probably the highlight of the weekend - absolutely incredible stuff. I've been wanting to see them for years, and we managed to get right on the barrier, as we turned up just as the crowd from Joanna Newsom were leaving, but before most of the people there to see The Fall arrived. Mark E Smith was on top form, and actually seemed to be having a good time, laughing and smiling quite a lot - when he was messing about with Eleni's synths, they actually looked really sweet together, which isn't something I thought I'd ever think. Some of their songs were all but unrecognisable, but they finished with "Sparta FC", and played their cover of "Strychnine", and "I've Been Duped", so no complaints whatsoever about the set-list. Awesome, awesome show.

Boredoms were absolutely phenomenal. It's bordering on a religious experience to see those guys live - the first time I saw them they performed "BOADRUM9", which is them performing live with nine drummers. This time round, it was four drummers and fourteen guitarists, on top of EYE doing his electro-whatever he does, and directing the whole thing. Wasn't nearly as noisy and cluttered as I'd expected, and actually came dangerously close to sounding like conventional rock music a few times, which is entirely unusual for Boredoms. Words can't really do them justice, though - if you ever get the chance to see them live, take it. As an aside, seeing them watching other bands all the time and generally just milling around Butlins and having a good time made the weekend much, much more entertaining. I like it when the other bands playing seem to have as much fun being at the festival as I do.

Robyn Hitchcock was incredible - wanted to see him, but I wasn't expecting too much, as I don't know his work all that well. He was brilliant, though - he performed "I Dream Of Trains" in its entirety, and I now need to own that album. He was incredibly funny and a great performer, too. Very much impressed. Plus, he was backed by Terry Edwards, who I last saw perform with Faust last Summer, and is probably one of the best session musicians in the world.

The aforementioned Yamantaka/Sonic Titan were incredible - best new discovery of the weekend. They sounded like they'd be a bit too odd from the description - No-Wave Experimental Kabuki something something - and a lot of the guys I was there with didn't bother going to see them because of that, but I'm so bloody glad I did. Some fantastically heavy riffs, an element of Krautrock-esque repetition, and Kabuki and Noh-theatre influenced theatrics and lyrics. They also turned out to be absolutely lovely people, with the drummer in particular hanging out with me for a while, recommending bands to me, dancing drunk in their chalet, varying degrees of debauchery, and generally being a lovely, lovely lady who has very much stolen my heart. Sigh.

Speaking of recommendations, she suggested I go and watch Group Doueh, who I had never heard of. She described them as being a "Sub-Saharan Amon Duul", which was pretty much the best thing I've ever heard. I wouldn't necessarily agree, but they were fucking awesome. Some kind of mad Afrobeat meets synthpop meets hard rock brilliance. I just wish it hadn't been nearly 1am on Sunday night, and that I'd still been able to get my dancing shoes on.

We managed to get front row for The Magic Band, too. As a lifelong Captain Beefheart fan, it was just an incredible experience - they're a great live show, and don't seem to have any pretence about doing it for anything other than the nostalgia, and to keep the songs of Beefheart alive. Drumbo is a great frontman, too, as close to the Captain as you can probably get in this day and age. Loved the whole set, but it was unfortunately cut short, which sucks. Met Drumbo afterwards, got some stuff signed, and he was a really nice guy, and much more with it than I expected from someone who joined Captain Beefheart's band when he was 17. He told me that after he came off stage, he was greeted by Yoshimi from Boredoms (and of "Battles The Pink Robots" fame), and a cry of "my favourite drummer!", and she went on to tell him how she started drumming because of him, and he seemed really, genuinely moved by it. It was a nice moment.

Thurston Moore was pretty good - not what I expected, as I was sure he'd play a more chilled acoustic set, more in line with this last album, but he played a few Sonic Youth tracks, some old solo material, and barely anything off the last album. He also seemed to be in a foul mood, and generally acting like a dick to the audience, which was a shame, as he's normally the exact opposite.

Sun Ra Arkestra were fucking brilliant. Third time I've seen them, and probably the best. There's not a more fun band in the world.

Mike Watt & George Hurley performing Minutemen songs was just brilliant to watch. Mike Watt is a fantastic musician, and it was such a once-in-a-lifetime gig for me. I love that they never tried to replace D. Boon, too.

Downsides to the festival - missing most of Low, Magnetic Fields, Sebadoh and Yann Tiersen. Missing all of Half Japanese and Olivia Tremor Control. Jeff Mangum was shit, and a cock.

Also, Knoell Scott - member of the Arkestra, jazz maverick and all-round good bloke - gave me his e-mail address and asked me to send him the photos I took of their set. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the photos are all shit.

[VerbalPuke]

I just started getting into the Fall and really enjoy the album "Live At The Witch Trials". Do you recommend anything else? What is their definitive album, what is must have in their collection?

Edited March 13, 2012 by VerbalPuke

[METALMAN]

Skummy will know more than me but I'd recommend the Peel sessions boxset for the Fall. I've got that and their 50,000 Fall Fans...best of. Both are really good. If it's an album you're looking for I'd say This Nations Saving Grace or the Infotainment Scan. Maybe Hex Education Hour.

I discovered this the other day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_-8B5P0MR0

Love it!

[Skummy]

It depends what kind of thing you're after - Live At The Witch Trials is pretty much their most "punk" album, and a lot of the stuff that I really love by them is quite different to that.

I'd definitely recommend Hex Enduction Hour, Fall Heads Roll, The Wonderful & Frightening World Of The Fall and This Nation's Saving Grace, though. More recently, I'm a big, big fan of Imperial Wax Solvent, which is really them showing that they've still got it, and have their own, unique sound, albeit one that borrows from a lot of Krautrock bands. Really awesome stuff, though.

Your Future, Our Clutter is worth a listen too, if just for the fantastic cover of Wanda Jackson's "Funnel Of Love".

[SRN]

You should go see Earth, just for my sake because I am probably missing their gig when they come around here in April.

[Skummy]

You should go see Earth, just for my sake because I am probably missing their gig when they come around here in April.

I did. And they were good.

[SRN]

I am so jealous. Did they play any of their old stuff?

[Skummy]

I am so jealous. Did they play any of their old stuff?

A couple of tracks, but nothing that sounded heavy or drone-y. When they played the older stuff, it was kind of re-imagined to sound more like post-Hex Earth.

[SRN]

Still immensely jealous. But hey, at least another Spleen United gig might be on the way plus Mads Björn and Ulige Numre in April and then Sleep in May. Can't wait to hear Sleep in concert.

[Skummy]

Still immensely jealous. But hey, at least another Spleen United gig might be on the way plus Mads Björn and Ulige Numre in April and then Sleep in May. Can't wait to hear Sleep in concert.

I'm hopefully seeing Sleep in May too - by all accounts they've been fucking mindblowing since they reformed. Really hope I can make it.

[SRN]

I've already got my ticket in hand and my calendar cleared. Now all I need is some weed. Honestly, I don't even care what they play, I just want to see them live. I've been a Sleep/Om/Matt Pike/High On Fire-fan for so long and I just want to see my mystical masters live.

Hey Tristy, can you help me with that?

[METALMAN]

I'm guessing it's the point of this topic's title but whenever I see it I get the Motley Crue song stuck in my head and that annoys me.

[VerbalPuke]

Thanks Skummy and metalman. I'm not necessarily looking for anything too punk by them, I think I became interested in them more because allmusic said that "similar artists" were The Birthday Party, Joy Division, Pere Ubu, and The Saints, all of which I'm a big fan of.

I will definitely check out as much as I can that you guys suggested, especially the Peel Sessions. I love Peel Sessions.

[LittleDaniel]

Ahahaha, cops got called on the house show tonight. First off, when the first cop got out of his car he put it in reverse instead of park, so it started rolling away. Then, the car broke down afterwards, so they just hung out outside the house for a while.

[Skummy]

I will definitely check out as much as I can that you guys suggested, especially the Peel Sessions. I love Peel Sessions.

The Fall were John Peel's favourite bands, so there's a ton of Peel Sessions by them out there, and almost all of them are incredible. The Peel Sessions version of Blindness is The Fall at their absolute best, in my opinion, and definitely has an air of The Birthday Party clashed with something like Neu! or Can in there. Just the most meaty, brilliant bassline repeated endlessly with MES spouting madness over the top of it.