My gigography (and I'm back)

I have posted on here for a long long time. While in London, I found that I just didn't have time to post anything, and had enough people around to chat about music with that I didn't feel the need to vent anywhere. Back in October though, I moved to the States (Boston to be exact) and I don't have that same outlet any more so I feel like writing a bit more about gigs that I'm going to and that kind of thing. Who knows if I'll keep it up or not, but here goes.

While I'm at it, being the geeky guy I am, over the last few months I've been trying to compile a list of all the gigs I've been to over the years. Such a male thing to do, but here's the work-in-progress. Some of the details of the earlier gigs are, well, somewhat sketchy.

1997-10-10 / Mansun / Norwich UEA
1997-12-13 / The Seahorses / Corn Exchange, Cambridge
The Bluetones / Norich UEA
Stereophonics / Cambridge Junction (NME)
Travis (+ Ultrasound + The Hybirds + Unbelievable Truth) / London Astoria
Supergrass / Corn Exchange, Cambridge
The Bluetones / Kentish Town Forum, London
Unbelievable Truth + Sunhouse / Junction, Cambridge

Embrace / Brixton Academy
Travis / Brixton Academy

V98 (The Verve, The Charlatans, James, Sterephonics, Gomez et al)

Spiritualized / Corn Exchange, London

V99

2000-05-06 / Bob Dylan / Zurich Hallenstadion
2000-03-20 / Bob Dylan / Birmingham NEC
2000-09-25 / Bob Dylan / Portsmouth Guildhall
2000-10-05 / Bob Dylan / Wembley Arena, London
2000-??-?? / Paul Simon / Hammersmith Apollo, London
2000-??-?? / Jackson Browne / Hammersmith Apollo, London

2001-??-?? / Mercury Rev / Shepherd's Bush Empire, London
2001-??-?? / Doves / Astoria, London
2001-06-29 / Bob Dylan / Gothenburg, Sweden
2001-07-01 / Bob Dylan / Helsingborg, Sweden
2001-07-12 / Bob Dylan / Liverpool, England
2001-07-13 / Bob Dylan / Stirling, Scotland
2001-07-?? / Radiohead / South Park, Oxford
2001-10-17 / Ryan Adams / Shepherds Bush Empire, London
2001-11-20 / Ryan Adams / Astoria, London

2002-04-10 / Ryan Adams / Brixton Academy, London
2002-05-10 / Bob Dylan / NEC, Birmingham
2002-05-11 / Bob Dylan / Docklands Arena, London
2002-05-12 / Bob Dylan / Docklands Arena, London
2002-??-?? / Beth Orton + Ed Harcourt / Shepherds Bush Empire, London
2002-11-11 / Ryan Adams / Royal Festival Hall, London
2002-11-15 / Bob Dylan / Philadelphia, PA, USA
2002-11-16 / Bob Dylan / Boston, MA, USA
2002-11-17 / Bob Dylan / Hartford, CT, USA
2002-??-?? / Ben Christophers / The Spitz, London
2002-??-?? / Ocean Colour Scene / Astoria, London


2003-??-?? / REM / Brixton Academy, London
2003-??-?? / Jeff Klein + Matthew Ryan / Borderline, London
2004-10-23 / Rosie Thomas / Borderline, London
2003-??-?? / The White Stripes / Brixton Academy, London
2003-??-?? / Cambridge Folk Festival (Martin Simpson, Steve Earle etc) / Cambridge
2003-??-?? / Thea Gilmore / Islington Academy, London
2003-??-?? / Thea Gilmore / Scala, London
2003-11-15 / Bob Dylan / Wembley Arena, London
2003-11-21 / Bob Dylan / Birmingham, England
2003-11-23 / Bob Dylan / Shepherds Bush Empire, London
2003-11-24 / Bob Dylan / Hammersmith Apollo, London
2003-11-25 / Bob Dylan / Brixton Academy, London
2003-11-26 / Ryan Adams Killers / Kentish Town Forum, London
2003-11-27 / Radiohead / Earls Court, London

2004-01-19 / Joan Baez + Josh Ritter / Cambridge Corn Exchange
2004-01-?? / Ryan Adams Killers / Cambridge Corn Exchange
2004-01-?? / Josh Ritter / 100 Club, London
2004-07-?? / Snow Patrol / Somerset House, London
2004-??-?? / Gillian Welch and David Rawlings + Old Crow Medicine Show / Shepherds Bush Empire, London
2004-??-?? / Josh Ritter / Scala, London
2004-??-?? / Josh Ritter / St. James' Church, London
2004-??-?? / Cara Dillon / Union Chapel, Islington
2004-??-?? / Kelly Joe Phelps / Union Chapel, Islington
2004-06-20 / Bob Dylan / Finsbury Park, London
2004-07-06 / Bob Dylan / Montauban, France
2004-07-07 / Bob Dylan / Barcelona, Spain
2004-07-09 / Bob Dylan / Placa del Toros, Benidorm, Spain
2004-07-15 / Wilco / Astoria, London
2004-??-?? / Cambridge Folk Festival (Gillian Welch) / Cambridge
2004-??-?? / Martin Simpson / Purcell Room, London
2004-??-?? / Jackson Browne / The Palladium, London
2004-??-?? / Gomez / Kentish Town Forum, London
2004-11-04 / Jim White / Bush Hall, London
2004-11-10 / Steve Earle / Hammersmith Apollo, London
2004-11-17 / Old Crow Medecine Show / Borderline, London
2004-12-02 / Ed Harcourt / St. James' Church, London

2005-??-?? / Jet / Brixton Academy, London
2005-??-?? / Martin Carthy / Cambridge Folk Club
2005-03-14 / Wilco + Martha Wainwright / Hammersmith Apollo, London
2005-04-25 / Bob Dylan / Beacon Theater, NYC
2005-04-26 / Bob Dylan / Beacon Theater, NYC
2005-04-28 / Bob Dylan / Beacon Theater, NYC
2005-04-29 / Bob Dylan / Beacon Theater, NYC
2005-04-30 / Bob Dylan / Beacon Theater, NYC
2005-05-05 / Tom McRae / Cargo, London
2005-??-?? / Bruce Springsteen / Royal Albert Hall, London
2005-??-?? / Cambridge Folk Festival (OCMS + Kate Rusby etc) / Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge
2005-??-?? / Beck / Brixton Academy, London
2005-??-?? / Kelly Joe Phelps + Paul Curreri / Bloomsbury Theatre, London
2005-06-09 / Ed Harcourt / St James' Church, London
2005-07-?? / Coldplay / Crystal Palace, London
2005-10-05 / Martin Simpson / Vortex Jazz Bar, London
2005-10-10 / Editors / Astoria, London
2005-11-08 / Paul Curreri / Mau Mau Bar, Notting Hill, London
2005-11-09 / The White Stripes + The Greenhornes / Alexandra Palace, London
2005-11-20 / Bob Dylan / Brixton Academy, London
2005-11-21 / Bob Dylan / Brixton Academy, London
2005-11-22 / Bob Dylan / Brixton Academy, London
2005-11-23 / Bob Dylan / Brixton Academy, London
2005-11-24 / Bob Dylan / Brixton Academy, London
2005-12-?? / Coldplay / Earls Court, London

2006-01-25 / The Strokes / Shepherd's Bush Empire
2006-02-24 / Ryan Adams / Apollo Victoria, London
2006-02-27 / Beth Orton / Shephers Bush Empire, London
2006-03-23 / The Kooks / Mean Fiddler WC2, London
2006-05-08 / Bruce Springsteen / Manchester Arena, Manchester
2006-06-22 / Wireless Festival (Strokes, Raconteurs etc) / Hyde Park, London
2006-09-18 / Ryan Adams / Bush Hall, London
2006-09-30 / Ryan Adams / Shepherds Bush Empire, London
2006-10-01 / Ryan Adams / Shepherds Bush Empire, London
2006-10-09 / Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins / Berklee Theater, Boston, MA
2006-11-11 / Bob Dylan + The Raconteurs / Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
2006-11-12 / Bob Dylan + The Raconteurs / Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
2006-11-20 / Bob Dylan / NYC City Center, NYC
2006-11-29 / Martin Simpson / The Arts Depot, Finchley, London


2007-02-02 / Josh Ritter + Dawn Landes / Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
2007-02-10 / Matthew Ryan + Tim Easton / The Grey Eagle Taverne, Asheville, NC
2007-02-11 / Old Crow Medicine Show / Charleston, SC

Some Ryan Adams mp3s

I'm very into Ryan at the moment, partly due to having seen him at the Apollo Victoria a couple of weeks ago. Here are some choice mp3s from the "Bedhead" series of bootlegs, some being from shows I was lucky enough to attend...

"Helpless" with Gillian Welch, Nashville 1999
One of my absolute favourite Adams recordings. He does a hell of a Neil Young impression, but it's unquestionably gorgeous, and Gillian adds her own special touch.

"Hard Way To Fall" from Tilburg, NL 2002
An early solo version of this gem from Jacksonville City Nights.

"Sweetest Decline" from Dublin 2002
I'm also enjoying Beth Orton at the moment. Ryan has certainly held a candle to her over the years, and this is a beautifully fragile version of one of her best songs.

"World War 24", Brixton Academy 9th April 2002
The first time I and many other people heard this song. The strings are a little out of tune and the lyrics are far from finished - he could well have written it while drunk and fucked up with Beth Orton on this very London visit.

"Jacksonville Skyline" from Kentish Town 2003
Unquestionably the oddest RA gig I've seen. He played RnR pretty much start to finish, most of the crowd gave up and went home and then he came out and played a spellbinding solo set for about an hour. Crazy man.

"One By One" from Cambridge 2004
From one of the best Adams gigs I've been to, despite being part of the Rock N Roll tour and his crazy orange haircut. This unrecorded song was the opening number.

A Personal Never Ending Tour #1: "Roving Gambler", Zurich 6/5/2000

This will hopefully be the first post in a series looking at what I see as landmark performances in Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour, as I have experienced it over the last six years. The NET is a strange beast - most Dylan afficionados agree that in his twilight years Dylan's performances have been through something of a renaissance, to varying degrees. Yet no two people experience it in the same way. Everyone attends different concerts, listens to different recordings, and has their own favourite performances. Attention to setlists and recordings can wax and wane as much with the mood of the individual as with the quality of the performances. While no one (or no one in their right mind) would cite the NET as the peak of Dylan's recording career, it's understandably a period I identify with most on a personal level. I mean, 1966 was wonderful, but unfortunately I wasn't there...

I have so far seen over 30 Bob Dylan concerts since May 2000, in the UK, Europe and the US, and I've been lucky enough to witness some rare and fairly noteworthy performances on the way. I thought it would make sense to begin at the very beginning, with the first song of the first gig, in Zurich's cavernous Hallenstadion in May 2000. I had travelled to Switzerland especially for the concert, and was there with my girlfriend at the time, my constant Dylan companion (and the man responsible for this particular addiction of mine) Ed, and his girlfriend. It was exciting enough for four 18 year olds to be on a jaunt in a strange European city, but seeing Dylan for the first time was an incredible experience. I'm sure everyone can remember the moment they first saw that iconic silhouette emerge on stage, and on this occasion as no other since, the heart-in-mouth excitement continued throughout the show. It helped of course that Dylan and co were incredibly on form in the Spring of 2000.

So, back in the day, Bobby would generally open with a traditional song, done acoustically in a great jug-band style by what I think were one of his finest backing bands. "Roving Gambler" is a song that Dylan sang way back in the early 60s before his first album came out, and it was resurrected in the early years of the NET as a solo piece. Like the other openers at the time, "Roving Gambler" always made for a great start to a Dylan gig - over recent years he has often seemed most engaged with singing traditional material, and so starting like this gets his attention much more than slogging through another version of "Maggie's Farm" does these days. The rambling spirit of the song epitomises the romantic, hard travellin' side of the NET, and in this performance it is so much an ensemble piece; in those days seeing Bob Dylan really was about seeing the band as well. The backing vocals of Charlie Sexton and Larry Campbell, in particular, are much missed in recent years.

You can download an mp3 of this performance here:
Roving Gambler (Zurich 6th May 2000)

The Strokes: Shepherd's Bush, 25/1/06

I went to my first gig of the year last night, a fairly last minute dash to see The Strokes at Shepherd's Bush Empire. They're not a band I would say I'm necssarily a huge fan of, but a friend of mine had a spare ticket, and since there's generally quite a lot of hype around them I thought it would be good to see them first hand; I often think that seeing a band live is the best way to see if you like them or not.

I obviously knew the old favourites from their breakthrough album, and songs like "Last Nite" were the best moments of the night for me. There are some cracking songs on the new record as well - "You Only Live Once" and "Juicebox" stand out in particular. It wasn't a show that had much change in dynamics - it's pretty straight rock 'n' roll really, there's nothing revolutionary or even original about them, but much of it was very good fun. "New York City Cops" was the standout, though I don't actually know what record it'There more teenyboppers there than I've become accustomed to at gigs (more a reflection on the types of concerts I attend these days than anything else, methinks) with even a bit of the old crowd-surfing, not something I've indulged in for many a year. Christ, I'm sounding older than 24...

I noticed about halfway through the gig that the band look almost exactly the same as they did when they burst onto the scene 5 years ago - same clothes, same hair, same strut. For such a seemingly image-conscious group, it's slightly perplexing that they haven't evolved in that department too. There was a time when they first arrived when it seemed like they would be one of the bands to define the noughties as Oasis, Nirvana and Radiohead had defined the nineties. They're miles away from that now though... I wonder which bands will go down in history as defining this decade? Coldplay, certainly. The White Stripes, hopefully. The Arctic Monkeys, possibly. We shall see.

Here's the setlist, from nme.com:

'Heart In A Cage'
'The Modern Age'
'Juicebox'
'Evening Sun'
'The End Has No End'
'Barely Legal'
'Hawaii'
'On The Other Side'
'Red Light'
'Last Nite'
'Hard To Explain'
'Razorblade'
'Trying Your Luck'
'What Ever Happened?'
'You Only Live Once'
'Someday'
'15 Minutes'
'Reptilia'
'12:51'
'New York City Cops'
'Under Control'
'Soma'
'I Can't Win'
'Take It Or Leave It'

New music charts

I've added some new music charts to the right sidebar - these show what I've been listening to last week and overall, fed from my profile at www.last.fm.

Last.fm is this wonderful site that keeps a record of everything that you listen to through iTunes, and creates charts, makes recommendations on what you might want to listen to next, let's you set up listening groups etc etc. A wonderful concept.

And now that I've got my lovely new 60GB iPod (mmmm... Christmas presents to yourself are always the best) it can keep track of everything I listen to on that as well.

Martin Simpson - Vortex Jazz Bar, 24/10/05

I went to see Martin Simpson, the fabulous folk guitarist and singer, the other day. It was at the Vortex Jazz Bar in Hackney, which had all the ambience of a commmunity centre, but couldn't detract from what was a masterful solo performance from Martin. Over the last few years, Simpson has firmly staked his claim to
the crown of the likes of Martin Carthy, as one of the pre-eminent interpreters of traditional song in this country, if not the world.

His repetoire is a wonderful mix of traditional English ballads, American folk and blues, classy originals and
Dylan covers - which is more or less what I like to play!

As an acoustic guitarist, he is unmatched if you ask me. Beautifully clear and deft picking, and arrangements that are as intricate as they are moving. He began, as he has on the other two occasions I've seen him, with a well judged melody of "Air For Maurice Ogg" (a self-penned instrumental), "One More Day" (don't know what it is, but a gorgeous tune) and his arrangement of Dylan's "Boots Of Spanish Leather". I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that Simpson's rendition of this song is my favourite Dylan cover, full stop. It never fails to get my attention, in a way not many songs can.

The evening had a reasonably strong Dylan theme - Martin admitted to have been caught up in the excitement of "Dylan Week" a few weeks ago. We got a sizzling, slide-driven take on "Highway 61 Revisited", and a wistful "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go".

There were many readings from his most recent record, Kind Letters. As well as the enchanting "Here's Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy", he played what my companion described as "the best folk song, ever, full stop" - "When First I Came To Caledonia". The tale of a chap who goes to work in a mine on a Scottish island, it's beauty can't be communicated on the page, but here are some snatches of lyrics:

When first I came to Caledonia
And I got loading at number three
And I got lodging with Donald Norman
He had a daughter who could make good tea

and later...

If I had pen from Pennsylvania
And I had paper of snowy white
If I had ink of a rosy morning
A true love letter to you I'd write

And I'd set my head to a cask of brandy
It's a dandy I do declare
For it's when I'm drinking I'm seldom thinking
How to gain that young lady fair

As Martin said when I chatted to him in the interval, there's something about the way the girl in the tale can "make good tea" that tugs at the heartstrings so.

I also mentioned to Martin that I had two wishes - first, that he should record a Dylan cover album, and second that he should record it with Larry Campbell, the former Dylan sideman who is apparently a good friend. I can think of few things more mouthwatering than a duet between Simpson's guitar and Campbell's
fiddle or mandolin on that arrangement of "Boots Of Spanish Leather"...

For more information: www.martinsimpson.com

The Editors @ the Astoria (10/10/05)

I went to see one of those hot new-fangled bands last night, The Editors, at London's Astoria. Someone had a spare ticket. I kind of put them in the same bracket as Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, The Thrills, Hard-Fi etc etc; all the fashionable bands that my workmates seem to listen to. You know the sort of thing; choppy guitars, get to the chorus within 20 seconds of the song starting, drainpipe jeans and all that gas.

They were actually pretty good fun. We stood upstairs, which was a novel experience at the Astoria when I've nearly always been on the sweaty floor. It meant we had better access to the bar though. They were fairly no-nonsense, just running through the dozen or songs they have in just under an hour, with no real chat between songs, and seemingly (though I'm not overly familiar with their songs) not much "exploration" of the songs. But that doesn't seem to be the way at the moment. It's bizarre - if I was 16 or 17 right now, they would probably be one of my favourite bands right now, but since I seem to be impervious to fads I find it hard to care that much. It's good to go to the occasional loud, sweaty rock gig though - it's almost as good as a game of squash for a stress reliever...

Bright Eyes - "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning"

I'm listening to this album for the first time in quite a while. I bought it when it came out (back in January?) and listened to it to death, as you do. I'm still really annoyed that I didn't see him on either the tour for this album, or the "Digital Ash..." tour this summer, but he's young and I guess there will be other chances...

It's an incredible album, one of my absolute favourites from the last couple of years. So many cracking tunes and apt lyrics. It's "First Day Of My Life" at the moment, ripping off "Don't Think Twice", to some sweet (though just the right side of sickly) lyrics - a beautiful portrayal of young love...


I'd rather be working for a pay cheque
Thanks waiting to win the lottery

The exuberance of "Another Travelin' Song" and it's depiction of a chap in a hurry to get whatever it is out of his head ("Now my ashtray's overflowing/I'm still staring at a clean blank page"); the hushed confessional of "Lua" (When everything is lonely I can be my own best friend/I get a coffee and a paper have my own conversations); the riot that is "Road to Joy" - and through it all the album flows together, making more than the sum of it's parts. Album-making like this is becoming a lost art.

And then there's the show stopper - "Land Locked Blues". Part "protest" song, part love song, and including my favourite lines on the record:

A good woman will pick you apart
A box full of suggestions for your possible heart
But she may be offended, and you may be afraid
So don't walk away, don't walk away

Emmylou Harris' duet is just the icing on the cake, as well. I haven't been too blown away by her solo work, but whether singing with Gram Parsons, Dylan, Steve Earle or Conor here, she's just beautiful.

This is still my album of the year, and time is running out for something else to offer much of a challenge.