Back to Hyde Park, and in 24 hours, the weather had changed completely from nice to utterly awful, with huge black clouds looming overhead to make it almost completely dark at 5pm.
Nevertheless, I made it into the venue in time to see The Others start their set - although they fairly obviously played their normal indoor set, with the music only stopping once or twice, it had nothing like the same effect outdoors - with much of the sound getting lost by the wind swirling around the venue, and the distance between crowd and band too great for any interaction.
Soulwax had been promoted from the tent to the main stage, as the billed "Special Guests" did not materialise, presumably because of a lack of budget to book anybody else! They played for 45 minutes, but struggled to keep the interest of the audience for all that time - a set for more committed Soulwax fans only!
After Soulwax, there was a decision to make - whether to watch 2 Many DJs in the tent, or brave Babyshambles on the main stage. I took the 2 Many DJs option, and made my way into the already heaving tent, where Ladytron had just started playing. During the wait for Babyshambles outside, it started teeming with rain, which sent hundreds of people towards the tent trying to get in. Unfortunately , the bouncers wouldn't let anybody else in, which was slightly irritating for anybody that needed to step outside the tent for the toilet, being completely unable to get back inside.
Not waiting for Babyshambles seemed to be the wise move, they showed up 45 minutes late, and played for only around 25 minutes - less than a minute for every £1,000 they had reportedly been paid, with Pete apparently looking at his most strung out and useless.
2 Many DJs are well known for playing amazing DJ sets, mixing rock and dance music together into a compelling new sound. At Glastonbury a couple of years ago, I saw them play a set that bowed to the Indie kids in the audience, and had some great riffs in it. Not so this time, with a predominantly dance set, and comparatively few moments of rock mixed in.
Kasabian came on and it started raining!! They sounded good, but the wind was blowing the sound around far too much, and the PA wasn't loud enough to contend. A great set, but the weather was just too awful to make it really go off with a bang - a real shame because it wasn't the band's fault.
30 June 2005
29 June 2005
Keane, Supergrass, Brendan Benson, James Blunt, Echo & The Bunnymen - Wireless Festival, Hyde Park, London - Wednesday 29th June 2005
In their inability to sell tickets, the Wireless Festival decided to send me a load, without me asking, which was much appreciated!! After getting back from holiday, I decided to at least go along and check it all out. The festival occupied a large site in Hyde Park, which would later (minus the tents, minor stages and other attractions) be used for Live 8. But my first thought on entering the venue was how empty it was - the organisers had advertised that it was deliberately like this, but I suspect that ticket sales must have been poor too. The arena was great, not too big, not too crowded, and with some very interesting minor stages, food stalls and diversions to make it a really relaxed festival. A good effort considering it is in the very centre of London.
Given that we had Keane and James Blunt playing, I suppose that a fairly boring crowd was to be expected - I didn't quite expect the number of people with picnics, wine, olives, breadsticks and houmous though - very posh for a music festival. After catching a bit of Echo & The Bunnymen (very predictable, I have heard their greatest hits a hundred times before, and they don't sound different now!), some of the crowd even managed to stand up for the arrival of James Blunt.
An incredibly posh man who used to be in the army, James Blunt came across as extremely smug and annoying, as anybody that's heard You're Beautiful (which much be everybody in the UK by now) will probably know. Between songs, he remarked that he could see a girl's breasts in the crowd - it sounded like he'd never seen a pair of tits before in his life. He did also swear at one point, but he's such a nice chap that the middle aged Keane fans forgave him! Jolly japes!!
By the end of James, I was getting ready to go and see the one act actually worth trekking across London for, Brendan Benson. Recently with a second album, and a reportedly well-received set at Glastonbury under his belt, he treated us ("us" being an almost-empty tent) to a mixture of old and new album, and some friendly chat between songs as well. After Brendan finished, there was time to catch a bit of the Supergrass set, which is considerably more polished than the last time I saw them play.
Keane came on stage at about 9pm, and, as they played the first song, I noticed that James Blunt was standing about 2 yards away from me. I also noticed that he is a midget!! After about 3 or 4 songs of Keane, I could take no more, and left to go home - a great festival in that you sleep at home and have a shower in the morning. Overall, a good festival in a nice, relaxing venue, with some great "festival" attractions - unfortunately today, the bands (with Brendan Benson notably excused) were barely worth the £0.00 I paid for the ticket. Better bands on offer tomorrow.
Given that we had Keane and James Blunt playing, I suppose that a fairly boring crowd was to be expected - I didn't quite expect the number of people with picnics, wine, olives, breadsticks and houmous though - very posh for a music festival. After catching a bit of Echo & The Bunnymen (very predictable, I have heard their greatest hits a hundred times before, and they don't sound different now!), some of the crowd even managed to stand up for the arrival of James Blunt.
An incredibly posh man who used to be in the army, James Blunt came across as extremely smug and annoying, as anybody that's heard You're Beautiful (which much be everybody in the UK by now) will probably know. Between songs, he remarked that he could see a girl's breasts in the crowd - it sounded like he'd never seen a pair of tits before in his life. He did also swear at one point, but he's such a nice chap that the middle aged Keane fans forgave him! Jolly japes!!
By the end of James, I was getting ready to go and see the one act actually worth trekking across London for, Brendan Benson. Recently with a second album, and a reportedly well-received set at Glastonbury under his belt, he treated us ("us" being an almost-empty tent) to a mixture of old and new album, and some friendly chat between songs as well. After Brendan finished, there was time to catch a bit of the Supergrass set, which is considerably more polished than the last time I saw them play.
Keane came on stage at about 9pm, and, as they played the first song, I noticed that James Blunt was standing about 2 yards away from me. I also noticed that he is a midget!! After about 3 or 4 songs of Keane, I could take no more, and left to go home - a great festival in that you sleep at home and have a shower in the morning. Overall, a good festival in a nice, relaxing venue, with some great "festival" attractions - unfortunately today, the bands (with Brendan Benson notably excused) were barely worth the £0.00 I paid for the ticket. Better bands on offer tomorrow.
28 June 2005
Trip to Barcelona, Spain - 23rd to 28th June 2005
Less than a week after returning from Valencia, I went to Barcelona, for a long-arranged weekend away. I had been there once before, but that was at the end of a long bout of travelling around Europe, so I didn't fully appreciate it. I remembered it as a great city, but one that I just didn't have the energy and enthusiasm for when I was there last.
The good memories I had before were more than justified, and I think Barcelona shot up during this trip to be one of my very favourite European cities, probably even beating Paris. The fact that you have everything there, a great city, the beach, the mountains, makes it a complete playground, and a place of great enjoyment.
A tour of the Nou Camp went down well, as did many nighttime strolls through the Barri Gothic, stopping off for beers and tapas on the way - there aren't many better ways to spend a 25-degree evening than that. A very good few nights, and a perfect way to ignore Glastonbury going on back in the UK (you either have to go there, or try to ignore it completely)- although I did see the horrendous floods on TV!!
The good memories I had before were more than justified, and I think Barcelona shot up during this trip to be one of my very favourite European cities, probably even beating Paris. The fact that you have everything there, a great city, the beach, the mountains, makes it a complete playground, and a place of great enjoyment.
A tour of the Nou Camp went down well, as did many nighttime strolls through the Barri Gothic, stopping off for beers and tapas on the way - there aren't many better ways to spend a 25-degree evening than that. A very good few nights, and a perfect way to ignore Glastonbury going on back in the UK (you either have to go there, or try to ignore it completely)- although I did see the horrendous floods on TV!!
21 June 2005
Kings Of Leon - Hammersmith Apollo, London - Tuesday 21st June 2005
Not even halfway through the year, but the award for "hottest gig of the year" has already been won. In fact, if there is a hotter gig anywhere, I won't be there for long, as some fainting will be happening instead! A very hot day indeed, a venue packed to capacity, and a brilliant band that were excellent at whipping the crowd up, all contributed.
Kings of Leon are from the south of the USA, and there are very few bands better at playing the dirty, sweaty, but very cool rock music that they do. They sound like they've smoked a field full of weed, very lazy indeed; but the sound, and the songs, are absolutely incredible. Very few songs last longer than 4 minutes, and many of them run one into another, meaning a pretty much non-stop riot. Amazing live band, as well as one of the hottest gigs of the year, it was one of the best gigs of the year all round.
When I got home after the gig, a thick envelope was waiting for me. A few weeks ago, I entered a competition to win tickets for a day at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park. I chose tickets for Thursday 30th, if I won. In the envelope were a pair of tickets for each of the 4 days (2 of which I can't even go to because I'm off out of the country). Either a mistake, which I won't complain about at all, or a symptom of great difficulty in selling tickets. I suspect the latter, but will go and have a proper look next week.
Kings of Leon are from the south of the USA, and there are very few bands better at playing the dirty, sweaty, but very cool rock music that they do. They sound like they've smoked a field full of weed, very lazy indeed; but the sound, and the songs, are absolutely incredible. Very few songs last longer than 4 minutes, and many of them run one into another, meaning a pretty much non-stop riot. Amazing live band, as well as one of the hottest gigs of the year, it was one of the best gigs of the year all round.
When I got home after the gig, a thick envelope was waiting for me. A few weeks ago, I entered a competition to win tickets for a day at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park. I chose tickets for Thursday 30th, if I won. In the envelope were a pair of tickets for each of the 4 days (2 of which I can't even go to because I'm off out of the country). Either a mistake, which I won't complain about at all, or a symptom of great difficulty in selling tickets. I suspect the latter, but will go and have a proper look next week.
20 June 2005
The Subways - Islington Academy, London - Monday 20th June 2005
This gig was a cheap ticket (in some cases free in fact!) launch party for The Subways' second single, Rock N Roll Queen, expected to be their major breakthrough. And, at the same time, a useful warmup for their 2 scheduled appearances at Glastonbury later in the week.
With no support, The Subways arrived on stage early, and played pretty much a full headline set (given that they probably only have around 50 minutes of material). The venue was only about 2/3 full, but the gig was far and away the most ear-splittingly loud that I have been to for a very long time indeed. Coupled with the energetic jumping around from the singer, the quality of their songs (especially live), and the fact that this was a "special" gig, it all made for a very enjoyable evening.
With no support, The Subways arrived on stage early, and played pretty much a full headline set (given that they probably only have around 50 minutes of material). The venue was only about 2/3 full, but the gig was far and away the most ear-splittingly loud that I have been to for a very long time indeed. Coupled with the energetic jumping around from the singer, the quality of their songs (especially live), and the fact that this was a "special" gig, it all made for a very enjoyable evening.
19 June 2005
Trip to Valencia, Spain - 16th to 19th June 2005
This was a stag weekend, also known as an excuse to drink obscene amounts of alcohol over 3 nights. The venue was Valencia, a city with amazing nightlife, that my friends and I have been visiting for a while, mainly because one of our mates from school now lives there. In June, the place was clearly guaranteed to be scorching hot, so with the heat and the alcohol, the scene was set for a good weekend.
Our nights out in Valencia tend to be divided into 2 parts - before you start drinking the Agua de Valencia, and afterwards. So, a civilised bar crawl, on the beers, soon turns mad after midnight, when the rounds of this stuff start arriving. The main nightlife area of Valencia, Barrio del Carmen, is packed with people every night, and only really comes alive at midnight - a great place for a really big night out, in the way that we just don't match up to in the UK.
So, 3 big nights out, with lots of tapas in between, and even a full game of cricket during the day, in Valencia's main park (which is actually a dried up river bed in the city centre) - that certainly drew some strange looks from passing Spaniards, although it was all a good education for them. A brilliant weekend, in the way that you can only get by being out drinking for 72 hours with 15 great lads.
Our nights out in Valencia tend to be divided into 2 parts - before you start drinking the Agua de Valencia, and afterwards. So, a civilised bar crawl, on the beers, soon turns mad after midnight, when the rounds of this stuff start arriving. The main nightlife area of Valencia, Barrio del Carmen, is packed with people every night, and only really comes alive at midnight - a great place for a really big night out, in the way that we just don't match up to in the UK.
So, 3 big nights out, with lots of tapas in between, and even a full game of cricket during the day, in Valencia's main park (which is actually a dried up river bed in the city centre) - that certainly drew some strange looks from passing Spaniards, although it was all a good education for them. A brilliant weekend, in the way that you can only get by being out drinking for 72 hours with 15 great lads.
08 June 2005
The Tears - Islington Academy, London - Wednesday 8th June 2005
The Tears (basically Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, the more talented 2 from Suede) released their debut album this week, and played this gig for XFM to showcase it. Tickets were free to people that entered XFM's competition, and judging by the space in the venue, not that many people did!
Bands like this, essentially a reformed Suede with different backing musicians, are not always a good idea, and The Tears are no exception. I appreciate that they give themselves a different name to distance themselves from Suede, and also to avoid having to play Suede songs, but that would really have worked best if their new songs were of equivalent quality. They are very far from it, so they would actually have played a better gig if they'd just played old Suede songs.
The new album is passable, and inoffensive enough, but just does absolutely nothing to capture the imagination. It would be a fairly turgid debut album even from a completely new band, but when you can still remember the music these guys used to make, it could (and arguably should) be a career-killer of a comedown.
Worth the admission fee (just), but I would run a mile from this if I saw it happening again.
Bands like this, essentially a reformed Suede with different backing musicians, are not always a good idea, and The Tears are no exception. I appreciate that they give themselves a different name to distance themselves from Suede, and also to avoid having to play Suede songs, but that would really have worked best if their new songs were of equivalent quality. They are very far from it, so they would actually have played a better gig if they'd just played old Suede songs.
The new album is passable, and inoffensive enough, but just does absolutely nothing to capture the imagination. It would be a fairly turgid debut album even from a completely new band, but when you can still remember the music these guys used to make, it could (and arguably should) be a career-killer of a comedown.
Worth the admission fee (just), but I would run a mile from this if I saw it happening again.
06 June 2005
Magic Numbers, Loose Salute - Barfly, London - Monday 6th June 2005
The last opportunity to see the Magic Numbers in anything like this small a venue, for the medium term future at least. A chance look at the Barfly website revealed this date, so I duly bought 4 tickets. 2 other friends went the eBay ticket route, so there were 6 of us in total, probably a decent (if small) percentage of the Barfly!
On the way into the venue, we were given special "backstage" passes (they looked like them, but didn't have the same powers, unfortunately!
Support band Loose Salute featured something I've never seen before, a heavily pregnant woman singing lead vocals. She was, according to reliable females that know this kind of thing, over 8 months pregnant. I hope her baby liked her music, because it was OK but really nothing special at all.
The Magic Numbers were milling around inside the venue until about 2 mintes before they went on stage, and when they finally appeared, the crowd erupted. Seeming to know every word to every song, (the band were surprised by this, because the album wasn't out - little do they know about downloading music!!), the crowd truly appreciated that, next Monday when the album comes out, seeing the band in a venue like this will not be possible for a good while. For their part, the band finally seemed to be grasping the extent of the affection for them, and that, once the album is released, their lives won't be the same again.
A magic moment, seeing a band close up that are just on the brink of big commercial success, but that are already the finished article in front of your eyes. An "I was there" gig of the year.
On the way into the venue, we were given special "backstage" passes (they looked like them, but didn't have the same powers, unfortunately!
Support band Loose Salute featured something I've never seen before, a heavily pregnant woman singing lead vocals. She was, according to reliable females that know this kind of thing, over 8 months pregnant. I hope her baby liked her music, because it was OK but really nothing special at all.
The Magic Numbers were milling around inside the venue until about 2 mintes before they went on stage, and when they finally appeared, the crowd erupted. Seeming to know every word to every song, (the band were surprised by this, because the album wasn't out - little do they know about downloading music!!), the crowd truly appreciated that, next Monday when the album comes out, seeing the band in a venue like this will not be possible for a good while. For their part, the band finally seemed to be grasping the extent of the affection for them, and that, once the album is released, their lives won't be the same again.
A magic moment, seeing a band close up that are just on the brink of big commercial success, but that are already the finished article in front of your eyes. An "I was there" gig of the year.
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