The Cribs, Adam Green - Forum, London - Thursday 15th October 2009

Having just released what is possibly the best album I've heard in 2009, I snapped up a ticket to see The Cribs at the Forum in London. As the gig approached, I was even more pleased to see that Adam Green was supporting them - they certainly seem to have a knack for picking incredible support bands sometimes. All of this, plus Comet Gain opening up, meant that the area around the venue was pretty busy much earlier than normal for a gig there.

We got into the venue just after Adam Green had come on stage, so got to see most of his set. He seemed to be playing most of his hits, and I was very pleased to catch Jessica soon after I came in. He had something of a band with him, so it seemed like a full (but a bit short) Adam Green show. He seemed to go down quite well with the audience, and I certainly enjoyed his set.

Then to The Cribs. This was a relatively small gig for them (certainly by comparison to what they had lined up for later in the year), and it was all the more exciting for it. They are certainly one of the more exciting bands out there at the moment, especially when you watch the obvious chemistry between Johnny Marr and the rest of the band. They walked on stage to cheers, and launched straight into the fantastic opening track from their new album, We Were Aborted.

Cribs gigs are always full of nice surprises in the setlist, and this was no different - Hey Scenesters coming along right after the opening song. They play two or three songs at a time, without speaking in between, which just adds to the sense of delight when they kick into a song you really love. And a lot of people really do love a lot of their songs - the earlier ones especially getting great reactions from the hard core.

By the time the set was breaking down to some of the later songs like Ignore The Ignorant, Be Safe, and Men's Needs, you got the feeling that you were watching a truly exciting band, playing at the peak of their excellence. The crowd loved it, the intensity never seemed to dip for a minute, and the whole thing was quite brilliant from start to finish.

Setlist: We Were Aborted / Hey Scenesters! / I'm A Realist / Emasculate Me / Girls Like Mystery / Last Year's Snow / Cheat On Me / We Share The Same Skies / We Can No Longer Cheat You / Direction / Hari Kari / Save Your Secrets / Our Bovine Public / Another Number / Ignore The Ignorant / Be Safe / Mirror Kissers / Men's Needs / City Of Bugs.

The Pixies, Art Brut - Brixton Academy, London - Thursday 8th October 2009

As reforming bands go, there aren't many bigger than The Pixies. They had a crack at reforming a few years ago, and played a load of concerts to generally rapturous audiences and reviews. This time, they got back together to play a series of "20th Anniversary" gigs, to celebrate the release of Doolittle - their most popular album. With tickets at £30 a go, merchandise at high quality and high prices, and £15 CDs of the gig on sale - it was safe to say that they were being paid quite well for their efforts.

This was one of four shows at Brixton Academy, each of which had a different support band. The support for my night was Art Brut - they played to a half empty venue, most of whom had never heard of them before, but I enjoyed every minute. Eddie Argos shambled on stage during thr opening riffs of Formed A Band, in a suit which looked like he'd just come from work (like most of us actually had). He looks like a very unlikely band frontman, but the cleverness of their lyrics and the quality of the guitar riffs, make them a mesmerising band to see live - if you "get it". I do, but I suspect that a majority of this audience did not, and were probably thinking "what the hell is going on here". So, I really enjoyed the set, but it played out in front of quite a few bemused onlookers, especially those in their late 30s as most Pixies fans seem to be.

After what seemed like an eternity, during which anticipation in the venue was almost reaching fever pitch, the film Un Chien Andalou (or at least an edited version) started up - at the end of which the band walked on stage and played a couple of b-sides. They then proceeded to play the whole of Doolittle in order. The opening bars of first track Debaser witnessed cheers the like of which I don't think I've ever seen at a gig before, it was like the venue was going to explode with happiness. One of the good things about this particular album is that the "hits" are fairly evenly spaced throughout, so there was never too long to wait for a real crowd pleaser.

Overall, I have to say, the album sounded great, the band really seemed to be enjoying playing it, and the crowd certainly enjoyed listening to it. After Doolittle, we were treated to a couple of encores - some more b-sides, and a couple of hits from other albums. This was a pretty expensive night out, to hear some admittedly fantastic music - you get the feeling that the Pixies could spend a good many years yet, just milking the cash from an adoring fanbase. Gig review here.

The Lemonheads, The Loose Salute - Forum, London - Saturday 19th September 2009

It never seems like often enough that The Lemonheads visit the UK. The last time the full band were over here was last summer, for an outdoor gig on a blazing hot day. Before that, the last time I had seen them was in a bar in Chicago, on a freezing cold December day. Although it always seems like too long between chances to see them, luckily they always seem to come back to play another gig - hopefully they will never retire.

The audience at this show, unsurprisingly, were a bunch of 30-somethings who were reminiscing 1992 by coming to the show. The support band, The Loose Salute, played their set to general indifference, given that few would have heard of them, and that they weren't all that similar to The Lemonheads in terms of their songs. But then again, support bands are fairly irrelevant at shows like this, it is all about seeing the main band.

So, after what seemed like a very long wait for the roadies to set up 3 instruments, the band appeared. Evan said hello, then they started playing Tenderfoot - a song which, when it is the first song of a gig, always bodes well for the rest of the gig. How good Lemonheads gigs are can depend on Evan Dando's mood when he is on stage - they only really vary between "utterly amazing" and merely "good", but how up for the show Evan is can have quite an impact. Luckily for this gig, he seemed to be having a good time! The first half of the set was drawn mainly from Its A Shame About Ray, Come On Feel The Lemonheads, and Car Button Cloth, before the band showcased three songs in a row from recent covers album Varshons. The highlight of the three for me was undoubtedly Layin Up With Linda, for which Evan's vocals were outstanding.

As is usual for Lemonheads gigs, there was a short acoustic interlude, where we were treated to Different Drum - a rare pleasure indeed. With the band back on, they finished up with a fantastic version of Rudderless. Fairly standard Lemonheads show - but when your standard is that good, its always going to be a good night. Please come back to London soon!

Setlist: Tenderfoot / Down About It / Confetti / Pittsburgh / My Drug Buddy / Alison's Starting To Happen / Style / Bit Part / Its A Shame About Ray / Big Gay Heart / Hospital / Layin Up With Linda / I Just Can't Take It Anymore / Dandelion Seeds / Its About Time / Hannah And Gabi / If I Could Talk I'd Tell You. Acoustic: The Outdoor Type / Frying Pan / Favorite T / Being Around / Why Do You Do This To Yourself / Frank Mills / All My Life / Different Drum. Encore: My Idea / The Great Big No / Rudderless.

Mumford And Sons, King Charles - The Scala, London - Wednesday 16th September 2009

Mumford And Sons gigs in London are like buses in London - you wait ages, then they all come at once. Only a few weeks since their excellent Borderline gig, the band were back, this time at the Scala for what is probably their biggest headline show to date. The show had actually been set for April, and almost sold out since then, so it is fair to say that anticipation was high. You know you are getting somewhere as a band when there are touts outside your gig, and by this yardstick, evidently Mumford And Sons are starting to get big.

Inside the venue were a lot of what seemed to me to be London students - lots of checked shirts, cardigans and floppy haircuts, and a fair few female fans. I wrote after their Borderline gig that Mumford And Sons reminded me of the Magic Numbers in the early part of their career - and the crowd at this gig definitely seemed to bear that out. There were lots of couples there to see a band that will probably become a very acceptable band to take a girl on a date to see.

Anyway, enough about the audience. I managed to catch a few songs from the main support band, a band whose name makes them quite difficult to find with a simple Google search. King Charles isn't the easiest band name to find online, but there we go. Their singer was wearing a very tight and bright stripy leotard type thing - and with crazy dreadlocks, he looked generally very "alternative". No, actually, he looked like a total state. So, at first glance, I thought "I am going to hate this lot" - which meant it was a very pleasant surprise when I heard their songs. They played some decently catchy, quite funky songs, with a drummer that looked a bit like Boris Johnson, and this singer leaping madly around the stage. He generally seemed a bit needy of attention, and everything he did screamed "LOOK AT ME" - but the songs sounded good, and that's all that matters I suppose.

By the time Mumford And Sons ambled onto the stage, there had been quite a wait since the support band, which meant that the anticipation had built to quite a level. They walked on stage, and stood fiddling with their instruments for a minute or so, as the spontaneous cheers and applause filled the venue - without them even having played a note. When they did play a note, it was to kick off with the incredibly powerful and atmospheric Sigh No More, the title track and opening track from their new album. The way that this (like many of their songs) starts off quietly, then builds to such a rich finale, can send a shiver down your spine when you are watching and listening. Fantastic band.

This was one of the first gigs where the band have been touring their album as such, so it gave a good opportunity to hear how those excellent early demos and EP tracks have been translated into an album. They had an extra 5 musicians at the back of the stage, so the sound was definitely deeper and more complex - but for me, this took something away from the beautiful simplicity of 4 people playing acoustic instruments. In a way, the extra musicians added bits to the songs, and meant that the real band had to work a bit less hard - but it seemed to take away from the intensity of it all, to some degree. Still, with songs as good as they have, I'm sure their album and their live set will win them a huge number of fans on this tour. I'll definitely be aiming to come back, the next time they play in London.

The Hold Steady, Nic Dawson Kelly - Islington Academy, London - Thursday 10th September 2009

After an enforced travel ban, during which I haven't been to America for 9 months, a Hold Steady gig was always going to make me nostalgic. As part of a short trip to the UK to play the End of the Road festival, they also managed to find time to squeeze in a London date - and it was a relatively small one, at Islington Academy. Knowing that when they are in London, they stay at the Jury's Inn around the corner from this venue, I couldn't help thinking that this played a big part in the choice of venue.

I got into the venue just in time to see a bit of the support act, a guy called Nic Dawson Kelly. He played typical singer songwriter fare, leading with his guitar and some interesting sounding vocals. His voice didn't seem to be all that powerful or distinctive (although of course this could have been thanks to the sound), but a couple of the songs were interesting enough. Whilst his set was going on, the venue was slowly filling up with a few hundred balding men in their 30s or above - just the core audience for a Hold Steady gig then!

When the band arrived on stage, it was pretty obvious from the outset that they were very up for the gig, and were on very good form. Kicking off with Constructive Summer and Hot Soft Light, the venue became suitably hot and sweaty within five minutes of them starting the show - and of course, that was the way it all continued. Just what the doctor ordered. The band seemed to be having fun from beginning to end, so the gig became one large party, soundtracked by Hold Steady songs.

We also got to hear a couple of new songs in this set - a couple of which sounded really rather good indeed. Presumably this was a warmup for their festival set a couple of days later, but hopefully the new songs may mean there is a new album coming in the not too distant future. Good though the new stuff sounded, it was the old favourites that really sent the venue crazy, Your Little Hoodrat Friend in particular seeing bodies flying around at the front. As the encore drew to a close (including a rare treat of a rendition of How A Resurrection Really Feels - one of quite a few songs from Separation Sunday that were played), Craig Finn left us all with the words:

We're The Hold Steady, you're London, England, and we fucking love you.

On this showing, there is an increasing number of committed people that love this band too. This was a relatively small gig for them, but their fanbase seems to keep on growing in size and fervour. Quite justified it all is too, The Hold Steady on their day can put on a live show that few bands can top. This was one day where they were on incredible form, and it was a fantastic gig as a result.

Setlist: Constructive Summer / Hot Soft Light / Multitude of Casualties / Magazines / Our Whole Lives (NEW) / Sequestered in Memphis / The Swish / Massive Nights / Party Pit / Goin' On A Hike (NEW) / Stevie Nix / You Can Make Him Like You / Heaven (NEW) / Sweet Payne / Same Kooks / Separate Vacations (NEW) / Little Hoodrat Friend / Stay Positive / Slapped Actress. Encore: First Night / Stuck Between Stations / How A Ressurection Really Feels / Killer Parties.

England vs Australia (1st ODI) - The Oval, London - Friday 4th September 2009

After completing the Ashes victory at The Oval, it was (almost) straight back there for the first of a seven game one-day series. I say "almost", there were 2 T20 games, neither of which produced a result, so we had been starved of cricket for a couple of weeks. Obviously, some of the personnel were different for this game than for the tests, with people like Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara back in the lineup. Joe Denly sadly missed out, after being tackled in a football kickabout the previous day (by the aforementioned Mr Shah), and Adil Rashid was somebody that most fans were looking forward to seeing.

After winning the toss and putting Australia into bat first, England did a decent enough job of restricting them to a not too damaging total. The Aussies started well and finished well, but the middle of the innings saw England restricting them from scoring too much. Rashid and Swann were the pick of the economical bowlers, and Paul Collingwood weighed in with a couple of useful wickets. They picked it up at the end of the innings, but 20 overs in the middle where they hardly scored ensured that England had a very gettable total of 261 to chase.

Having done some of the good stuff first, England then did what they often do in 1 day cricket - failed to finish the job. The target of 261 was always in sight, but we were always behind the pace in trying to chase it. It meant that England were never out of the game (literally until the last ball, where they needed a six to win), but we never really kicked into gear and started scoring quickly enough. So, there was the hope that we might make it, but an ever growing sense that we would not. Ravi Bopara was probably the pick of the top order batsmen, making a good 49; Luke Wright and Adil Rashid also weighed in with useful runs towards the end - but they were fighting against a tide that wasn't going their way.

England's one day side isn't a patch on the Test team, and in some respects, it isn't hard to see why. Shah was out hit wicket, Wright was out on a silly run out, and at least 2 batsmen pulled stupid shots to get caught. When we make mistakes like those, it isn't a surprise that we don't win games. Some bucking our ideas up is needed for the rest of the series.

Arsenal vs Celtic - Emirates Stadium, London - Wednesday 26th August 2009

This was a relatively straightforward game for Arsenal, to book an all important place in the Champions League group stages. We went into the game having won the first leg 2-0, with 2 fairly lucky goals - despite that, we had looked by far the better side, so 2-0 probably wasn't an unfair score. We won this game 3-1, with a dodgy penalty to get us on our way, and 2 very well worked second half goals to round off a pretty comprehensive victory over the 2 legs. All simple and boring enough.

But of course, what this game will now be remembered for, thanks to the media's stupidity, is the fact that our penalty for the first goal should probably not have been a penalty. Did Eduardo go to ground easily? Probably. Was it the most blatant dive ever? Not really. Is he the only player ever to have done so? No. Will the media scream as loudly the next time Rooney, Drogba, Gerrard or somebody from one of their favourite clubs does the same? Of course they wont!

In the media's eyes, Eduardo became the first player in English football to dive for a penalty, since Robert Pires did so in 2003. When Rooney did it in 2004 to end our 49 game unbeaten run, they said nothing. When Dirk Kuyt did it in the Champions League in 2008, they said nothing. When Steven Gerrard does it, they say nothing. I really don't like being paranoid, but the media's reaction (along with all the talk of UEFA investigations, retrospective bans and the like), just smacks of some kind of anti-Arsenal agenda. When other players from other teams do the same, it just never seems to get the oxygen of publicity to keep the story alive for so long.

So Eduardo will now be held up as the symbol of everything that's wrong with football (even in a week where hundreds of West Ham and Millwall fans had pitched battles outside Upton Park, like something from the 1970s); and all the fuss may even provoke a UEFA investigation and ban. No problem, as long as the same applies to all other players who are found to be doing the same. The fact that has absolutely no chance of happening is the annoying thing - some players and clubs seem to be immune from this kind of treatment in the eyes of the media. Hopefully, Arsenal can use this to their advantage - to build a mentality that everybody is against us, to use that to build a great team spirit, and do good things this season. That would annoy all of the anti-Arsenal idiots more than anything else.

Mumford And Sons, Alan Pownall - The Borderline, London - Monday 24th August 2009

After what seemed like a while waiting, the wonderful Mumford And Sons finally played a London headline gig, in the intimacy of the Borderline. I had first got into them a year ago, seen them play a short set at Pure Groove records back in December - but then fate had conspired to make me miss all of their London dates since. With their gig at The Scala next month sure to be a triumph, this was a great chance to see them somewhere smaller first - in front of what looked like an audience of family, friends, and diehards.

Support came in the shape of a short set from Alan Pownall, a long time friend of the band. I say "short", it probably lasted no longer than 20 minutes, to the extent that a trip to the bar accounted for most of it. He played quiet acoustic songs, to a mainly respectfully quiet audience. It all sounded good enough to me.

Mumford And Sons took the stage at 9:30pm sharp, to a wild reception. They kicked off with the title track from their forthcoming album, Sigh No More, immediately followed by lead single Little Lion Man - both of which got the crowd going nicely. Of course, many of their songs follow a similar format, starting quietly with vocal harmonies, then descending into a riot of loud vocals and instruments, before ending suddenly. However, this never seems to get boring in the slightest, such is the hard work that all four band members put in - switching instruments, and generally doing a number of different things on any one song.

At times, this gig reminded me of some of the early Magic Numbers gigs I went to - a very tight band, with vocal harmonies, songs that sound instantly familiar even on the first listen, and a feeling that the band is about to become pretty famous. I would certainly be surprised if Mumford And Sons aren't very well know in a year's time. Tunes like Roll Away Your Stone and Dust Bowl Dance show that as well as the folky stuff, the band can also provide the soundtrack to a party.

The best thing for me about this gig was hearing some of their songs for the first time - like Timshel, Thistle And Weeds, and encore Whispers In The Dark. The last of these was an unfinished new song, that showed what the incredible future for this band might be like. A true indie rock classic, it deserves to see them see significant success. I'm really looking forward to their Scala gig next month now, but was really pleased to see them at this gig - if there is any justice in the world, it will be one of their last in a venue this small.

England vs Australia (Day 2, 5th Test) - The Oval, London - Friday 21st August 2009

Lots of interesting side stories to set up this test nicely. Obviously it being the vital last test of the Ashes series, which England needed to win to secure the series, was interesting enough. Add in the fact that it was Flintoff's last ever test match, and may turn out to be Ricky Ponting's also, and there was a fair degree of interest in the game. On the way out of Oval station in the morning, I lost count of the number of people that thrust things into my hands - it seemed like everybody with something to advertise was there. Compared with the heights of the same game in the last Ashes series, and this game had a decent amount to live up to.

On the strength of this day's play, it most certainly did live up to the previous heights that the Ashes has provided. The initial session was standard enough, dull even - Australia removing the last 2 England batsmen for about 25 rune, with relatively little fuss - although Steve Harmison did provide some entertainment with a couple of boundaries. A brief rain shower prompted early lunch, then a 50 minute delay of the start of the afternoon session.

That afternoon session, when it did eventually get started, was possibly the most incredible couple of hours of Test cricket I think I've ever seen (certainly from inside the ground) - and will hopefully turn out to be the session where England won the match and the Ashes. Australia collapsed completely, going from 70-0, to 160 all out. Broad and Swann did all the damage from England's point of view, the Aussies were 8 down by tea, and finished off completely quite soon after. So, it was an excellent few hours in the sunshine, watching Australian wickets tumble at a very pleasing rate.

Whatever happened after that afternoon session, it was always going to be the story of the day. England lost a few wickets of their second innings, but finished the day with a lead of 230. On a wicket that seemed to be doing as much as it was, I don't hold out much hope for using my ticket for Monday - and if I were Australia, I really wouldn't be looking forward to batting last, whilst trying to save the series.

Kasabian - Brixton Academy, London - Thursday 16th July 2009

Five days after seeing Kasabian blow away a packed Wembley Stadium in support of Oasis, it was time to see them play a headline show of their own, in a much smaller venue. In London, this was one of what seems like increasingly rare opportunities to see them in venues as small as Brixton Academy, as they are stepping up to arenas now. So, a chance not to be missed. On what was an absolutely baking hot summer day, the humidity levels had crept up to an almost unbearable level, even before getting into the venue.

Once inside, it was hotter and even more humid - definitely the hottest gig of the year for me, and rivalling the hottest gig I've been to. One of those where you go to the bar intending to get a beer, then decide that a Coke might be more useful, and you actually end up getting a Coke and a pint of water. I know, lightweight. Not for the first time at a Kasabian show, I was offered pills on several occasions, by scally twats in tracksuit bottoms - maybe showing that the band are the natural successors to the Stone Roses as well as Oasis!

So the set itself - it was pretty similar (although obviously longer) than the set they played in support of Oasis, starting off with an incredible version of Underdog, the bass of which ripped through your stomach. Shoot The Runner and Processed Beats provided the old stuff in the early part of the set, but much of it was of course about showcasing the songs from the new album.

The best of those songs, judging by the 2 sets I've seen this week, is undoubtedly Fire. A real crowd singalong favourite, and a song that works excellently both in the recorded and live versions, it is one of those that has people singing the riff long after the gig is over. Like LSF in that respect, but different, more complex, and possibly better. All in all, an excellent set from an excellent band, who are getting huge before our eyes.