The Metros, The Wallbirds, The Belgrave Scandal - Forum, Tunbridge Wells - Friday 29th February 2008

Off to the Forum in Tunbridge Wells, for the latest in a fairly long line of decent bands playing there lately. Their band booker seems to be doing well at the moment, getting bands like The Courteeners, I Was A Cub Scout, Late of the Pier, and now The Metros - all in the last month or so. The Metros have been getting lots of good press recently, and are on The View's record label, so I was interested to see them.

The opening band of the evening were The Belgrave Scandal, the first time I'd seen them for a while. They played a half hour set, which was by far the best I've ever seen them play. Many of their songs had been re-arranged, invariably for the better - so that they were sounding like more rounded and polished songs. They played a new song that sounded (on first hearing) like the best song they have. And, they sounded professional and tight. They actually sounded like a "proper" band, albeit one that nobody seems to have heard of (yet). The promoter described it as bewildering that they are not signed yet, and on tonight's performance, I'd have to agree. They are getting better and better all the time, and seem to be becoming a really good band.

The main support band were called The Wallbirds, a three piece band from Doncaster. They played the second excellent set of the night, combining folk, country, and skiffle influences. They reminded me of the Rumble Strips in many respects, the singer playing an acoustic guitar, but really whipping the crowd up into a frenzy. Their set was really entertaining I thought, with quite a few good songs, and a very engaging live show. I suspect that they may be one of those bands who don't really translate to CD too well, but that can put on a consistently excellent live set.

After 2 excellent support bands, it was the turn of the Metros to headline. Hailing from Peckham, they weren't too far from home, and had a small but dedicated crowd at the front. Having heard 8-10 of their songs recorded, and playing a few fairly often on my iPod, I was looking forward to seeing them. So, the expectation may have contributed to the sense of disappointment when they actually played.

They really didn't sound all that great live - to the extent where their recorded songs actually sound better than the live experience. The singer seemed to be a bit of an arrogant tosser, and the set generally let me down somewhat. I've been disappointed by a few new bands lately (like Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, and One Night Only), and The Metros definitely join that list. The kids seemed to love it, but I just had the feeling that I'd seen it before - nothing special at all, and like a poor rip off of The Ordinary Boys (and the long line of bands that went before them). I won't be rushing back to see The Metros, but I'd definitely like to see their 2 support bands again.

The Hold Steady, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Haze - Koko, London - Wednesday 27th February 2008

The last NME show (for me), of a busy February, and it was off to Koko to see The Hold Steady. They had a decent year last year, but even so, didn't quite make the leap from being something of a quiet cult band, to getting wider appeal. When I saw them at Shepherds Bush Empire, that was the biggest gig they played in the UK all year - and even that was not sold out, came after tickets had been on sale for 3 months, and came a week after a televised Glastonbury appearance that would have only increased the band's fanbase. Strange really, because I think they are great, and can't understand why more people don't like them!

First band on were called The Haze - they seem to be from the West Country, possibly even near Glastonbury. They sounded OK - they seemed to be quite good at what they were doing, but I just didn't really like what they were doing. They were definitely at the harder rock end of the spectrum, with leather jackets to match - and whilst that wasn't bad in itself, at times they did seem a bit like a cliched rock band. Not bad, but not altogether my cup of tea.

The main support band were Bombay Bicycle Club, a band of 16 or 17 year olds from North London. They, along with Cajun Dance Party, are part of a decent music scene involving sixth formers in London, and they were thoroughly excellent tonight. Despite their young age, they seemed to be very accomplished musicians, and they had several really good songs. In fact, I thought that almost all of their songs were excellent, and their live sound was very good indeed. Definitely one to watch out for, a very good band even now, who surely have lots of potential to get better too - I will be seeing them again as soon as possible.

After a fairly short changeover, the venue seemed to fill up very rapidly (with fools who had presumably missed the excellence of Bombay Bicycle Club), and the Hold Steady's big black banner appeared at the back of the stage. They came on to rapturous applause, and went straight into Hot Soft Light, followed by a mental version of Stuck Between Stations. The set was more like the last time I saw them in the UK, rather than their more comprehensive US set. However, generally, most of the songs from Boys And Girls in America were all present and correct during the set.

The set did also give the opportunity to hear some songs from the new album, which generally sounded like very good, straightforward rock songs - most promising. As the set wore on, more people got covered in beer, and the feeling of having a good time spread through the venue - one thing that The Hold Steady are very good at. An encore which wound up with a medley of Southtown Girls and Killer Parties brought the set to an excellent, if familiar close. A very good show, and great to see them again.


So although the band(s) were very good, something has to be said about the venue, and Koko is one of the worst "big" venues in all of London. Shepherds Bush Empire is bad, but Koko is far, far worse. The flat floor, and fairly low stage don't help anybody to see at all well, but the real killer is the bar.

You expect that beer might not be cheap inside a gig venue, but £3.70 for a can of Fosters, inexpertly thrown into a plastic pint pot, is quite frankly a joke. And when the bar staff ROUTINELY (as in, not just occasionally, but every time I went to the bar, and with different bar staff), short change you by skimming £1 off the top, then you know you are in a venue that treats its customers with utter contempt. I wasn't keen on the place before, it has always been expensive, but something definitely seems to be wrong there.

I am going to avoid setting foot in the place from now on, and will avoid going to see bands that are playing there, if I can possibly help it. The live music market may be on a high right now, but bad apples like this don't help the many good venues out there. Good bands, good show, but a rubbish venue.

The Kooks, One Night Only, Blood Red Shoes, Pete & The Pirates - Astoria, London - Monday 25th February 2008

Another of the excellent NME Awards Shows in London, and another of those that puts pretty big bands into venues much smaller than they would usually play. This time it was The Kooks at the Astoria, a venue they haven't struggled to sell out for almost 2 years now. As well as the big name headliner, this gig also boasted one of those support bills that make NME Awards gigs so good - a chance to see some of the best new bands around.

The first of those bands were Pete and the Pirates, who hail from Reading, and are having nice things written about them at the moment. I really liked their set - although quite short (as expected for an opening act), it contained lots of good, catchy indie pop songs. Most of them were nice and concise too, meaning lots of short but perfectly formed tunes. Recent single Mr Understanding, and a couple of others, really stood out - but the set overall was really enjoyable, and the first great discovery of the evening.

After a short changeover, the venue lights went down, and the PA started playing Bombtrack, the old Rage Against The Machine song, very loudly. Usually when this happens, you expect the band to walk on after the first riffs, but Blood Red Shoes played the whole song before coming on stage. A nice blast from the past, and the "in your face" nature of the song proved to be a fitting introduction to a memorable Blood Red Shoes set.

I had seen Blood Red Shoes before, so kind of knew what to expect, but I was really impressed with them again. For 2 people, they make an incredible amount and quality of noise, and have some decent songs to go with that. Both guitarist (the girl) and drummer (the boy) are amazing musicians, and they make an entralling sight when you see them in full flow. I think that Blood Red Shoes are very underrated, which is a real shame, as their quality as musicians and songwriters means that they deserve to be much more successful. They seem to have got somewhere in their career since I last saw them, hopefully they will continue going onwards and upwards. Their set ended with a frenetic version of I Wish I Was Someone Better, before guitarist Laura-Mary took her guitar off, and threw it onto the floor. Exciting stuff.

The main support band were One Night Only, who are certainly working very hard at the moment, as they seem to be popping up on lots of support bills, as well as having 2 long tours of their own in the diary for the spring. They sounded like posh boys, and the singer had the required skinny jeans, hooded top and a tie - which all seemed a bit identikit. Generally, though, they looked like the Kooks, which of course went down really well with all the teenagers at the front, who probably couldn't see that it was a bit of a deliberate copy.

One Night Only's set was good in parts - one song called You And Me really stuck out as being decent - but largely it was quite forgettable. I remember thinking that a few of the songs were ruined a bit by excessive keyboard use, but that may be just my guitar indie prejudices! Nothing they were doing seemed at all original - they did all of the obvious moves on stage, but it all seemed a bit contrived. Like Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, who I saw on Friday, I would be surprised if they get all that far before people start to work out that they seem like an indie band that a big record label has manufactured in the mould of The Kooks and Razorlight.

And so to The Kooks. They came on stage to screams from the girls in the audience (they always attract a very girly crowd), and ploughed straight into See The World, Eddie's Gun, and the excellent new single Always Where I Need To Be. Generally, they sounded excellent, they really rocked, and the guitars sounded brilliantly dirty and trashy throughout the gig. The show really reminded me how much better The Kooks are live, compared with their rather safe, radio friendly sound on record (being a bit like Razorlight in that respect).

There were a good few new songs played during the set, which sounded quite blues influenced at times - but were a great sneak preview of what should be an excellent second album. The new songs were well received, but of course it was the older stuff that sent the crowd, who were well up for it anyway, completely mad. As the set wore on, Naive had everybody singing along, and the venue became very hot indeed. An encore including a brilliant version of Jackie Big Tits, a new song, and Sofa Song, which saw Luke Pritchard in the crowd, and the show was over. A brilliant set from The Kooks, whose new album should see them become truly huge this year.

The Cribs, Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong, Does It Offend You Yeah?, The Ting Tings - Brixton Academy, London - Friday 22nd February 2008

In recent years, the NME Awards Tour has been a hot ticket. In truth, much of this is because of past glories, like 2005, when The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party played. Or maybe 2006 instead, when Maximo Park headlined, but the Arctic Monkeys were the band everybody wanted to see. Since those 2 amazing line-ups, the tour seems to have flagged a bit in terms of the quality and depth of the talent on show. This possibly reflects the fact that music (and live, new music in particular) isn't anywhere near as exciting as it was a couple of years ago - fewer bands, and not as many truly exciting new bands perhaps. Still, a gig with 3 decent up and coming bands, plus a headliner that are responsible for some incredible live shows, is still a gig that's well worth seeing.

Having had Tube and other logistical issues, I arrived in the venue very near to the end of The Ting Tings' set. From what I heard, though (which was set closer This Is Not My Name, plus the song before it), they sounded really quite good. A shame I didn't get there earlier, because I really liked what I heard for the 5 minutes that I caught of them.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? were on next, and had a huge backdrop with their logo on it at the back of the stage. They emerged into a huge cloud of smoke, and started playing their set - the band comprised a drummer, keyboardist, and a couple of guitarists. They are not exactly a mainstream taste, and I don't think I would ever listen to their recorded stuff - they reminded me a bit of seeing The Prodigy live about 10 years ago. The noise was amazing (and there was a lot of it), and the crowd really got going to it. One thing I did think was that they didn't really have that many decent songs (in the normal sense of the word "song") - like a lot of dance-ish bands, everything seemed to blend together into one long set of quiet bits, loud bits, slow bits, fast bits and mental bits. An interesting band to have seen, a good laugh, and a good live show - but not exactly my cup of tea.

Next up, and the main support act, were Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong. Kind of a "manufactured" indie band that were born quite famous, mostly because the singer used to be the drummer in The Pipettes. They have a couple of songs recorded, both of which sound quite good. However, I had heard before the gig that they tend to sound better on record than they do live - the star of the band is their record producer. Despite having expectations that weren't huge, I still managed to be disappointed by them - they just didn't seem to have any decent tunes (beyond the few I'd heard before).

Whether their songs need time to grow, I don't know, but the very obvious highlights were Lucio Starts Fires, and new single Lonely Buoy, which is a very good song indeed. But, if this band manage to sell out Brixton Academy as a headline act, any time in the next few years, I would be truly amazed. And, when you consider that they are in a good slot for promising new bands, previously occupied by Arctic Monkeys and The View, they are not in the same league. I don't want to write them off completely, but I wasn't impressed at all really.

The same could not be said of The Cribs, however. In fact, quite the opposite. From the moment they walked on stage, and opened with Don't You Wanna Be Relevant, followed by Our Bovine Public, they tore the place down. Last time I saw them was on a windswept outdoor stage at Glastonbury, in torrential rain, and they weren't bad then! This time, in a pack Brixton, with not much lighting but lots of smoke, they were incredible. The moshpit went all the way back to the mixing desk, and people were generally going cranky throughout the venue. Even for a really popular and mental band at Brixton, I don't think I've ever seen a moshpit so big there before.

Song after song that The Cribs played were excellent, Moving Pictures and Hey Scenesters getting predictably rave reactions. Then, the special surprise moment of the gig. Johnny Marr walked on stage, the band played Panic, and he stayed with them for the rest of the set. Panic sounded incredible, Marr's guitar obviously being fantastic, but Ryan Jarman's vocals also excellent. The gig ended with a sweaty mass of people in a pile in the middle of the floor, and was a pretty good summary of how intense, mental, and just generally brilliant it had been. Much credit to The Cribs, they certainly know how to put on a great show. Despite having only 3 members, no stage set, and not moving around much at times, they brought the house down. A crowd that was well up for it certainly helped, but The Cribs played their part and put on an amazing show.

Arsenal vs AC Milan - Emirates Stadium, London - Wednesday 20th February 2008

After the total disaster of the FA Cup game against Manchester United at the weekend, but also given that Arsenal are 5 points clear at the top of the Premiership, it has been an up and down few weeks for Arsenal fans. Things are seemingly getting better and better in the League (although our rivals dropping points always helps there), but 2 catastrophic exits from the domestic cups - first 5-1 at Spurs, and then 4-0 at Manchester United - really make you wonder. Losing and being knocked out is one thing, but the abject performances, the total lack of heart, and the fact that we just didn't show up for either game, have caused significant concern. Maybe we are concentrating on the League and Champions League, but that could turn out to be a risky strategy, especially if we end up winning neither.

Anyway, tonight was the long awaited resumption of the Champions League, after our draw against AC Milan. Another one of those times where you question the wisdom of "throwing away" certain games, as we seem to have done this season. Had we won our group, we could have played Fenerbahce, Lyon, Celtic or Olympiakos - hardly the scariest ties out there. But, after a defeat for a reserve team in Seville, we came second in the group, and got drawn against the reigning European Champions (oh, who also happen to be the most successful club in the history of football).

Given the draw, we may live to regret not taking the Seville away game a bit more seriously. Despite poor form this season so far, and trouble with injuries (but then, so do we have injuries), AC Milan are a top, top side. Just looking at the big screen in the stadium made you think "wow". All household names, people like Maldini, Nesta, Kaka, Seedorf, Gattuso, and the new boy wonder Pato.

The game itself showed the best and worst of Arsenal. We outplayed the European Champions for the vast majority of the game, creating at least a dozen very good opportunities to score. Philippe Senderos was awesome in defence, coming on as a very early substitute after an injury to Kolo Toure that looked worrying. Our passing and movement were incredible at times - Milan were keen to let us play football, and we took full advantage, playing some amazing stuff for parts of the game. And finally, we emerged with the all important clean sheet, denying Milan an away goal, and meaning that we do not have a mountain to climb in the second leg.

Having said all that, we failed to score any of the chances, and failed to leave something lasting (like a goal, or the win) to show for the utter dominance we had at times. Adebayor missed a sitter at the end, which kind of summed the night up. We outplayed the European Champions, but have nothing much to show for it, which is something Arsenal tend to do from time to time - and leaves you with mixed feelings as a fan. I am very pleased with the performance, very frustrated that we couldn't score, and somewhat worried that Milan will be quietly pleased at the result today.

No English team has ever beaten Milan in the San Siro - luckily, we don't need to, because a score draw will be enough - and we have faced the same stat before playing Inter there (which we won), and also Madrid in the Bernabeu (which we won). All is still to play for, we are definitely good enough to beat Milan - just a shame we aren't already most of the way towards doing it.

Work trip to Paris, France - 12th to 13th February 2008

A good work trip to Paris, which included all the usual ingredients of nice food, trips on the Metro, and nearly getting run over by cars coming at you very fast and from all angles. An obscenely early start, in time to get the Eurostar at 5:25am, meant for a very long first day there. Having been to Paris so much, there is not really much to surprise any more, but it always good to get off the Eurostar and out into the city - I always find that it doesn't take very long at all to get into the swing of things.

Amongst the meetings I had on this trip, one was in an office very close to the Arc de Triomphe. Our taxi swung around the deadly looking roundabout that surrounds the arch, one of the few in France (or the world) where cars that are on the roundabout have to give way to those that want to get onto it. Very strange, and it results in some amusing near pile-ups as cars come to a very abrupt halt. An entertaining ride, and definitely one best made whilst wearing a seatbelt.

After the meeting, I walked out into a lovely sunny day. It was lunchtime, and I had 45 minutes to kill before needing to be back in my office, so I walked - round the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs Elysees, and past a lot of posh Government buildings to get back to work. In the sun, despite being February, it was lovely and warm, an early preview of "Paris in the Springtime". A few meetings later and it was back onto the Eurostar home - a good trip, and always a pleasure to visit Paris.

The Charlatans - Le Trabendo, Paris, France - Tuesday 12th February 2008

Going to Paris for a work trip, I noticed that The Charlatans were due to play there. So, a quick trip to a friendly ticket agency (especially friendly given that they don't seem to charge booking fees on top of the ticket price), and I was going to the gig. The venue was a small club called Le Trabendo, a place that probably held 500 people at most - but which was half full (or half empty, depending on your outlook) for this gig - there can't have been more than 200 people there.

When I arrived, a band called Lipstick Traces were playing, 3 young French kids, who seemed to have a fixation with British indie music. The singer played a Union Jack guitar, some of the lyrics were in English, and they generally looked and sounded - 100% deliberately of course - like a French version of the Libertines. It looked and sounded a bit contrived, and definitely not very original, but they actually sounded OK - the riffs were all present and correct, and they scored top marks for effort in their impersonation of an English indie band.

I hadn't seen The Charlatans for years and years, although I used to see them regularly during the 90s. So, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. When they came on stage, and I saw the length and floppyness of Tim Burgess's fringe, I wasn't thinking that things were boding well! Obviously with a new album to promote, they played a few of their newer songs in this set, but generally, they concentrated on a greatest hits set. Which was good, as some of the new songs were a bit hit and miss - many, like set closer This Is The End, were very good, but others sounded distinctly ropey.

The gig reminded me of seeing Ash last year - a band that just has loads of classic songs, and seeing them again for the first time in a while was a real revelation. Hearing The Only One I Know, Telling Stories, Weirdo, and especially Here Comes A Soul Saver (an amazing song, that I hadn't heard for years), was fantastic, and the band played them like it was 1996 all over again. They were clearly doing well with a small but very devoted crowd, on their first gig in Paris for a decade. The hits kept coming, sounding great, and when the encore wrapped up with How High, and an incredible version of Sproston Green (always brilliant live in any case), my fuzzy memory of how good The Charlatans were was fully restored. A very good gig, from a classic but sadly forgotten band.

Arsenal vs Blackburn Rovers - Emirates Stadium, London - Monday 11th February 2008

Two weeks ago, after the game against Newcastle, Arsenal were sitting in a good position. Joint top of the League, on the same number of points as Manchester United, but with a slightly worse goal difference, it looked tight but promising. Then, we had 2 weekends in a row with near perfect results for Arsenal. We beat Manchester City away, then watched as Manchester United could only get a point at Spurs (and they didn't really even deserve that). Chelsea could only draw on the same day, which was an added bonus. Then, the day before this game, it happened again - Manchester United lost at home to Manchester City (who looked unrecognisable from the Manchester City that we beat the previous week), and Chelsea drew again.

So, going into this game, we were 2 points ahead of Manchester United, with a game in hand, and with the chance to go 5 points clear at the top if we beat Blackburn. This may be remembered as the 2 week period where some Arsenal fans started to believe that we might win the League. Not wanting to get carried away, though, I reminded myself of the situation a month ago, where Arsenal seemed to have surrendered the initiative completely. With 13 games to go, 2 points is absolutely nothing, so there is still a very long way to go.

Before the game, Arsenal had something of an injury crisis - with rumours of only 11 fit players available to play. In many respects, it seemed as though both Arsenal players and fans were somewhat nervous, waiting to see if we could take advantage of the opportunity that had presented itself. But, Arsenal got started quickly, and were ahead inside 5 minutes - big Phil Senderos rising to meet a corner, and head unchallenged into the net. His celebration reminded me of Stuart Pearce in Euro 96, the kind where you are a bit scared of the player, but can see how much it means to them. Despite looking really dodgy in his one off appearances earlier in the season, Senderos has been very solid during Kolo Toure's absence, and so fully deserved that goal.

If Arsenal started well (which they certainly did, for the first 20 minutes), Blackburn definitely suffered from a slow start to the game, and were a goal down before they knew what was happening. Arsenal dominated the first 20 minutes or so, during which Blackburn gradually came into the game - if not by creating much, then at least by getting hold of the midfield and being a nuisance. Arsenal for their part started to ease off completely towards the end of the first half, which helped allow the visitors back into the game.

The second half was more of the same for the most part. Arsenal were so laid back, it was uncomfortable to watch at times, especially given the narrow lead, and the enthusiasm with which Blackburn were approaching things in midfield. Gilberto in particular looked out of his depth and totally unable to cope with determined opponents, as well as being unable to find a red shirt when he did try to pass the ball out. Having said all this, Blackburn created absolutely nothing, Lehmann was virtually a spectator for the majority of the game, and despite the nervous feeling that something would go wrong, Blackburn just didn't create enough
in the end to pose any threat.

As the game wore on, and into the last 15 minutes or so, Arsenal gradually stepped things back up a gear, creating half a dozen good chances - although with the score at 1-0 still, it was tense throughout. When the second goal came from Adebayor, in the first minute of added time, it was a huge relief, and the 2-0 scoreline was a decent reflection of the game - Blackburn's total lack of willingness to go forward meant that they certainly deserved no more goals than they got, and 2 goals wasn't an unfair return for Arsenal.

So, five points clear at the top, with 12 games to go. Predictably, the media immediately started saying that Arsenal won the title tonight, and can of course only lose it from here. Things do look good, and this weekend was the first time this season that I have believed it might be possible. But, there is still an awful long way to go, and Manchester United were in a similarly good position a few weeks ago. Plus, with the relative lack of depth of Arsenal's squad, the rest of the season is going to be tough still. If we do end up winning the League this year, this will probably be the game where most Arsenal fans started to believe that it might happen. So, possibly important beyond just 3 more vital points.

The Pigeon Detectives, Black Kids, The Rascals - Astoria, London - Thursday 7th February 2008

Its the NME Awards season of gigs again, always a good way to get rid of the January and February blues, and start going out again! This time, the NME have lined up shows from Hard Fi, The Kooks, Babyshambles, and a load of others - invariably in much smaller venues than the big bands would usually play; in some cases being the first step up to big venues for some of the smaller headline bands; and in every case boasting really interesting support bills. This gig was no exception - a chance to see the Pigeon Detectives (who have sold 15,000 tickets for Brixton in June, and another 15,000 in Leeds in May), playing to 2,000 people in their first show of the year.

Before all that, the support bands. I missed the opening act Grammatics, kind of on purpose and kind of through bad planning. Listening to their stuff on MySpace, I wasn't all that impressed anyway, so I wasn't too upset to have missed them.

So, the first support band I saw were The Rascals. They are best mates with the Arctic Monkeys, having supported them on their last UK tour, the frontmen of both bands are making a new album together this year. Their set was not bad, with a few really good songs, and a few others that didn't stand out quite as much. The set was rounding off quite well, then for the last song, the singer introduced an unscheduled appearance from Alex Turner. To wild applause, he played guitar and sang on the final song, Is It Too Late - which uncoincidentally, was by far the best song they played. Having Alex Turner show up and play with you is a bit of a coup, eh?

Next band up were Black Kids, a band who I'd seen a bit of before, and been quite impressed. This time, I got to see the whole of their set, and it was excellent. They have a real "good time" sound, which is very reminiscent of The Go Team at times, but also reminds you of Arcade Fire at others. An initially sceptical and quiet crowd seemed to be totally won over by the end of the set, so it is fair to say that they went down really well. The kind of songs they make, I can see them doing really well at the summer's festivals, in the afternoons in tents, when people just want some music that they can have a good time listening to. I really enjoyed their set, and am looking forward both to hearing some records by Black Kids, and to seeing them again soon.

Now that the support bands had finished, a quick word for the book called Velocity, by Dean Koontz. It must be a really good book, because a middle aged woman sat through all of the support acts reading it, never looking up at the stage at any point. Even when the lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys walked on stage to huge cheers, and even when the singer from Black Kids was behaving pretty crazily, she didn't look up from the book. But, as soon as the support acts finished, she got up like a shot, and went downstairs to the front. Strange behaviour from a middle aged woman.

The Pigeon Detectives came on for a set lasting just over an hour, and seemed very pleased to be back playing gigs again, after a break of a couple of months. Last time I saw them play a proper, electric gig, they seemed a bit subdued, but tonight they were on fire, and in full flow. The singer was bouncing around all over the place, in the crowd, and was chucking his microphone around all over the place. The set included all of the expected mental songs from the debut album, plus about 3 new songs, all of which sounded very promising.

So, a good Pigeon Detectives set, up there with the best I've seen from them, although Glastonbury remains the best of the lot. The crowd at this gig was strange - lots of girls that seemed not to like music very much, although they had clearly heard a few of the bands' songs before. And, lots of twatty blokes that were up for fighting. At least one fight broke out in the crowd during the gig, there were lots of idiots around apart from that, and when a band starts to attract a following like that, you know it may be time to stop going to see them (see also: Kaiser Chiefs and Kasabian, and Arctic Monkeys to some extent). A shame, and TPD will do really well with their live show this year, but I left the venue feeling glad that I'd seen them at their best one last time, before the idiots take over completely.

Work trip to Stockholm, Sweden - 5th to 6th February 2008

A fairly quick trip to Stockholm this week, to see a colleague there. Having previously been to Stockholm in November, and now going in February, I was sensing that I haven't exactly had the rub of the green in the timing of my 2 visits. I'm sure that the place is lovely when it doesn't rain, and there is daylight for more than 3 hours a day - but I haven't had the pleasure of seeing it like that yet.

Arriving from Heathrow to Arlanda airport, one of the first things that strikes you about Sweden in general is that everything works. The airport is very efficient, you get your bags back quickly, you walk about 50 yards, then a purpose built train service takes you to the city centre in 20 minutes. The Arlanda Express train station seems to be dug into the ground, so the walls of the station look like they are cut out of bare rock. Generally, things are very efficient, like they are in Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and, most places except the UK really.

The full day that I was in Stockholm was a rainy, cold, grey and depressing day - much like most of the days between October and March, it seems. It was raining big, fat raindrops, the kind that find their way down your neck. And, of course, it started to get dark at around 3pm. All this, added to the fact that alcohol is stupidly expensive, gave me the distinct impression that Stockholm is not a particularly fun place to be in winter. It seems like it is at the end of the world (and probably is) - I'm definitely going to try to make my next visit in summer, to at least have a chance of seeing the best of the place.