Gigs with Ivan

The Lathums – live at The London Roundhouse

The Lathums at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London on 18.3.2023 with Ruby J supporting

Here we are again at the architectural dream that is The Roundhouse. The 21st Century arts centre upgrade to the venue where in 1977 The Stranglers recorded much of their Live X-Cert album and that was once a shed to turn train engines around in. The building is a beauty and the inside is illustrated here in an earlier Sisters of Mercy blog from a few years ago.

The Roundhouse peeps out on to Chalk Farm Road

My last trip here was to see Sparks (April 2022) and before that The Rifles (October 2019), recorded and released as a live album. Blog on The Rifles (What I didn’t mention in that was I proposed to my now wife Sally during that one.😁)

Pre-gig options

Camden is your oyster… and The Roundhouse is just north-west of it. So many options. As you come up from around Camden Town tube there are so many good pubs; there are the food stalls in the market and the Vietnamese restaurant Thanh Binh just north of the bridge. Further up, or if coming out of the tube at Chalk Farm station, there is The Pembroke Castle, with decent outside space, just out of the way over the main railway line. The Muang Thai restaurant on the main drag opposite the venue is another great spot to eat and wait for doors to open or queues to subside.

The Roundhouse viewed from Regent’s Park Road Railway bridge

I used to aim for Joe’s Bar on the main drag but it’s all closed up, making The Enterprise even more rammed than it might be on a gig night, good boozer though it is. On this trip we were a bit early so stopped in Powerplant in the afternoon: vegan heaven, with some decent canned ales in the fridge. (The ales in The Roundhouse are pretty good mind and service works.)

Near and Far, back down across the junction from Morrisons, was a new place we tried later and sat watching the busy street from the big front window. More sparkly and cocktails but different and there was room early on.

Tonight’s support – Ruby J

Ruby J – pocket zoom shot at The Roundhouse

I was keen to get in on time to see Ruby J again after her Southampton support slot with Red Rum Club. (My blog here.) She’s good, really good, but her brilliant voice was a little bit masked rather than enhanced by the band here at The Roundhouse. It’s a big space. Maybe I should have gone down the front – we were downstairs standing by the mixing desk – but it felt distant.

Some songs more soulful and some more bluesy – “who wants to hear some blues?” she asks. Pleased to see her on this bigger stage but you could not appreciate her voice so well I didn’t think.

The Lathums

Indie rock popsters The Lathums are one of the top bands out there in recent years in my book. I first saw them in 2021 at Victorious Festival on the Castle Stage. The air of casual brilliance created by frontman Alex Moore and the band, made for such a friendly feel. They just seemed instantly likeable.

From Wigan, and they are very Wigan: the vocals doing for Wigan what Arctic Monkeys did for Sheffield. The band met at music college and were thrown together for a college piece of work, to be a band and make some music. They just clicked and carried on. The one change in the four-piece line up since 2018 is Matty Murphy joining on bass this year.

I bought their Live at Blackpool Tower album after that and later that year their debut album How Beautiful Life Can Be went straight in at number one in the album chart. The title sums the sound up and attitude….positive. The jingle jangle guitar, soft sounding vocals and poetic lyrics bring inevitable thoughts of The Smiths.

Their second album From Nothing to a Little Bit More came out earlier this year – I had it on pre-order. Another cracker and the self-effacing title sums up the image they project.

The Lathums – tonight at The Roundhouse

The crowd are singing along with 80s indie classics. It’s a sell-out. It’s a Saturday night. It’s a big one. This is what it’s all about. On come The Lathums. No punching the air; no pomp; no rock’n’roll build up. They breeze in, relaxed: the set has almost a 50s lounge feel with a few large plants and a yellowy light.

Alex Moore greets the excited crowded like a smooth northern game show host – I’m waiting for a ‘great, smashing, super’ – this musical anti-hero is dressed in the height of anti-fashion. Look at that shirt collar. Has he been plundering his grandad’s wardrobe or has a fashion designer got to him. Perfect. I think of Jarvis Cocker and of seeing Morrissey with his NHS specs and hearing aid for the first time.

Say My Name, a single from the new album, opens the set – distinctive Strokes-like guitar scratching start. It’s one of those albums we’ve all waited for and digested quickly on arrival, so it’s familiar and the crowd join in.

Top songs appear early on: Fight On, a 2020 single which is on the first album, followed by the title track of the How Beautiful Life Can Be album. This must be their anthem now – sums them up.

Alex politely and calmly introduces the songs, including ‘a new song we’ve been working on’ but before everyone calms themselves, the opening bars of perhaps their best track from the first album: The Great Escape. Light sparkles around the ornate ironwork and domed roof.

The inclusion of John Lennon’s (Just Like) Starting Over was a surprise… I think to most of the audience. Did they know it? We wondered.

Nearing the end of the main set – the end of a beautiful hour – was Rise and Fall, from the new album and captured here on my YouTube channel with a crowd view.

The Lathums – mutual appreciation at The Roundhouse

They return for three more songs, ending with Artificial Screens from the first album. Another melodic fuzzy guitar opening, Alex’s vocal range exhibited, lyrics clear and audible and the lead guitar goes off meandering behind before taking over. Have a listen: Artificial Screens on YouTube.

Gigs don’t get much better. The Lathums are a lovely big noise right now.

The Skids – live at The 100 Club

The Skids at 100 Club, Oxford Street, London on 17.3.2023

St. Patrick’s Day in the capital and a chance, while up here for a few gigs, to catch one of my favourite bands, The Skids, at the iconic 100 Club. Back in the day, they never played here (Richard Jobson mentions later) and I didn’t get here either. I’ve been catching up a bit since.

This is my eighth Skids gig since they reformed for the Burning Cities album in 2018. Not a lot more I can add to my previous blogs below but I will mark the evening with a few notes.

– Skids live in Islington blog

– Pilgrimage to Dunfermline blog

I met up with a few old mates in The Champion pub beforehand – Big Gra and Dave (DSy). My pre-100 Club pub of choice. Lovely Windows. Sam Smiths’ boozer and a tasty stout.

The beer and chat kept us in the pub – seats for our ageing limbs irresistible – and we skip support band Voodoo Radio. About 8.45pm we stroll round to the 100 Club and guitarist Jamie Watson was outside having a vape break before going on stage. Had a chat and pic, with the classic but easily missable 100 Club sign behind us.

Wife Sally, Big Gra, Jamie Watson and a Grey-Haired Gig Goer

This is the first of two sell-out gigs here for The Skids, marking their 45th anniversary, one for frontman Richard Jobson to own as the original member.

Inside, and down the stairs into this famous basement, we go round to the far left and take a fairly unobstructed side-on view. This has the advantages of easy bar access, a more relaxed experience and some in front are seated at tables so no view blocking. I wandered around the front for a few snaps later.

The Skids are very much morphed with Big Country these days with both bands sharing three members on the guitars. I had to check out the drummer position at the moment – it’s Nick Hernandez. Since The Skids reformed in 2018 the original drummer Mike Baillie and bassist Bill Simpson have gone.

Charade to start the set of familiar faves. Nothing from Burning Cities. There is one new song tonight, the single Destination Düsseldorf and I am looking forward to that new album later in the year (June). It’s got a typically Skids chorus to singalong to.

The Saints Are Coming is a great song. Jobson reminds us that despite being covered by U2 and Green Day it made him nothing – essentially used as a charity record.

Out of Town was a particularly good one to hear, amongst the other singles packed into the set like Working for the Yankee Dollar, Into the Valley (YouTube clip 100 Club), Woman in Winter, Masquerade, Circus Games….so many. Another boisterous Skids gig is being enjoyed by those in this historic venue tonight. You can’t beat Friday nights out like this.

Great setlist. There is even the great blemish of TV Stars and the chants of “Albert Tatlock“, added to these days with “Boris Johnson, what a w*nk*r”. Then to end the storming version of The Clash’s Complete Control, as appears on the 2021 album Songs From a Haunted Ballroom – The Skids supported the Clash right back at the start of all this.

A Skids gig always delivers and we can all wander off happy. I’ll be seeing them again soon I hope… not tomorrow for the second 100 Club night though.

On the way out I spot Spizz and he can’t resist a pic 😄 never mind me eh. (Spizz will be up at Rebellion Festival in August again this year, as will Big Country.)

(Plenty of clips on YouTube from the night. Thanks Willy Billiams for yours.)

Slow Readers Club – live on board Thekla, Bristol

Slow Readers Club at Thekla, Bristol 11.3.2023 with Andrew Cushin supporting

This is my first visit to Thekla since starting these blogs, and the first since the recent refurbishment. It’s a novel venue… on board Thekla, a small cargo ship built in 1958 which ran aground and was later recovered, abandoned and revived to live again in Bristol docks as a music venue from 1983. It remains moored up – don’t worry, you’re not going to sea.

My previous boardings were for The Rezillos and a Secret Affair gig, that one with tickets at 1979 prices. These were both pre-plague.

The capacity of the venue in the main hold is 400. It pays to get there when the gangplank is open to board as once filled the narrow long ship shape means it can be hard to wrestle near the front, especially carrying a few drinks.

There is a small balcony which gives a great view if you can get up there and hold your position. There is lounge upstairs and the toilets are up there also but the venue bar is at the rear of the hold where the bands play.

A really good selection of canned Moor’s craft ales with some on tap along with other ale, cider and lager. The fridges brim with tasty ales and more.

The venue is a nightclub as well so keep an eye on those start times as they can be early with a curfew, so as to let the kids and night owls on in their glad rags… or maybe excessively ripped jeans eh.

For before and after, The Hole in the Wall pub is handy (nice to sit outside in Summer) but let’s face it Bristol has a lot for everyone. The two smart restaurants near Thekla are both very good, with The Riverstation being a real waterside treat: evening menu, daytime bar menu or just a coffee on the deck.

One thing dawning on me, however much I prioritise gig-going, is the mounting cost of a Bristol gig. It’s a great city but with £17 to park at the Premier Inn and £18 for the relatively recent congestion charge for an overnight stop, it’s not a great start. It is also a bugger to drive to (2¼ hours to drive 70 hard weaving miles) and the rail network doesn’t assist a Poole-Bristol passenger. Driving to a convenient station to come in from maybe the next test.

A few cans of Moor’s Stout onboard and we are ready for Andrew Cushin – solo with his guitar. He does play with a band as well but not tonight. Unmistakably Geordie, he is getting excellent reviews and my Spotify trawling means we make sure we are here on time.

He has confidence, humour, youth, a strong voice and some great songs. I can hear some Noel Gallagher in there, well both Gallaghers. (He has supported Noel live and done some recording work with him.)

A taste here with You Don’t Belong recorded on my mobile and saved to my YouTube channel. There’s a bit of crowd babble but you can get the feel. What a top start to the night.

The passengers, I mean crowd, push forward a bit more and fill the gaps as Slow Readers Club anticipation heightens. There are Manchester accents – some have travelled, and not from the South Coast.

They have become gig regulars for us – with wife Sally tonight who loves ’em – and previous Slow Readers excursions are noted here:

– Oxford O2 Academy

– Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea

This tour is for the new album Knowledge Freedom Power, but the set is a good mix with just five songs from that one. First is Modernise which I captured from the starboard wall of the hold: link to Grey-Haired Gig Goer YouTube channel. A lot of synth beat on this one and quite a build-up before they come on stage.

Aaron Starkie and James Ryan (bass) – Slow Readers Club – Thekla

Hazy, colourful and dark is how I would describe the lighting most of the time, giving a more clubby feel.

Their sets get better and better as the albums collection grows – six albums now. Block Out The Sun is a mid-set favourite tonight for me. Aaron Starkie has his stage actions which involve Jim Kerr-like gesticulation and makes a set a more artistic sight.

It’s another excellent performance of their indie pop rock work. The new album does crank up the electro-pop aspects. The crowd love it. They know the stuff, especially the likes of the older On the TV, near the end of the main set.

The encores are the title track of the new album Knowledge Freedom Power, sandwiched between the now familiar fave I Saw A Ghost and the anthemic Lunatic. What a tasty sandwich to finish.

The post-pandemic return to Thekla is complete. One of Britain’s great quirky venues and so many more to visit.

The Levellers – live & acoustic in Poole

The Levellers at Lighthouse, Poole 10.3.23 with The Wilswood Buoys supporting

Any band playing at what is my local venue will grab my attention. ‘Lighthouse’, as seems is the current term, is an arts and entertainment centre with, amongst other facilities, a 1476 seater main concert hall. This is where The Levellers played.

It isn’t on the usual gig circuit, so any rock/pop/folk acts stopping by raise an eyebrow and with no add on travel or accommodation costs it makes it an attractive option. Before my time here everyone played The Lighthouse but these days it’s more bespoke and my blog of Nick Cave’s performance gives more details of pre-gig options.

These blogs sometimes focus more on a new venue, perhaps dwelling on my history of seeing a band or visiting a venue, the photos or video clips, but some are more of a diary note of my grey-haired gig-going experience. This is more the latter. The Lighthouse usually has a no photos policy which limits my focus but I go with the flow and just whip my phone out a few times. No camera tonight

I don’t remember seeing The Levellers before, although I’m sure they must have played a festival I was at over the last 35 years. I find their brand of rousing folk-rock easy to get on with and the 1991 album Levelling the Land is one I particularly warm to. I have no albums by them so Spotify is my source and without it I doubt I would have got near paying £38.50 plus bits for a ticket for this show.

The support band is the Essex duo Wilswood Buoys, two guys with acoustic guitars and some punchy folk-rock tunes. Perfect warm up.

By the time the nine members of The Levellers came on stage the auditorium is just about full – the balcony is open but I can’t see how many are up there.

Well I can see these two – Concert Hall balcony

A fully used stage – The Levellers in Poole

There are obviously a lot of Levellers followers who have travelled into town for this and this lifts the atmosphere, and later means the crowd gets up to dance and wave more than is often found here. The rowdiest I’ve seen since the Simple Minds ‘acoustic’ visit about five years ago. Remember this venue is the home of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

The vocals are a little quiet for the nine instruments and but it was a good noise and it picked up. I would like to see a non-acoustic set now and I do wonder how different it would be. Maybe they would just stand up and shout a bit more between songs eh.

The audience start to rise as the band remain seated and acoustic

I recognise Liberty Song early on in the setlist but the lack of depth in my Levellers knowledge was obvious – it was enjoyable all the same. By the end the mood was celebratory – The Levellers had come to Poole. I grabbed a phone video of Hope Street, one of the encores which is on my Grey-Haired Gig Goer YouTube channel.

The celebratory end to The Levellers at Poole Lighthouse

Bullet for My Valentine – live in Southampton

Bullet for My Valentine at Southampton Guildhall O2 8.3.2023 with Jinjer and Atreyu supporting

My slow gig-going start to 2023 has continued into March but on a cold rainy Wednesday night I’ve made the hour’s drive to Southampton – fortunately the snow didn’t quite make this stretch of the South Coast despite the Yellow Alerts and fear inducing forecasts.

This is a solo forage to see one of the few bands I’ve bought albums by that I had never seen live: heavy metal from South Wales in the form of Bullet for My Valentine, from Bridgend. I bought a few of their CDs around 20 years ago in the bargain rack at Wimborne Square Records and after a few years lost touch. The occasional heavy metal band thrown into my largely indie-rock mix comes from teenage influences. Also the heavy metal – punk/post-punk/Oi! divide has always seemed more blurred than many see it.

The venue is a familiar one – more here in my Southampton Guildhall venue blog – and for this one I am up in the balcony. Ageing feet are relieved.

An early 7pm start with California metalcore band Atreyu. I don’t know them but they’ve been going 25 years. Lead singer (not lead growly singer or ‘dirty vocals’) Brandon Seller rallies the crowd and gets the ‘circle pit’ going. Did I hear that right? Mosh pit surely. Anyway an enthusiastic rotating mosh.

The moshing of the circle pit – continued later with main band

From my rear perch I grabbed a video of Atreyu with my pocket zoom camera which on my YouTube channel: Ex’s and Oh’s.

Battle Drums stands out mid-set, a 2002 oldie – I’m hearing the Oi! metal crossover. The half-hour set motors along and they finish with the notable Blow. Excellent reception for the first band on.

Intriguing, odd and humbling to be introduced to a band from Donetsk, Ukraine. That sudden thought of what are we doing here enjoying ourselves. This is Jinjer – they’ve been going over 10 years.

Lead singer Tatiana Shmailyuk has a voice that growls fiercely at regular intervals but between growls is a bit lost in the guitars. Sporting some chunky boots and a pink leotard she leaps between the stage front podiums but I’m lost in this and nearly drift off.

A break and a wander downstairs – not sure if you can always do this if you have a balcony seat. I return with my pricey pint of water: rock’n’roll eh.

Bullet for My Valentine (BFMV) are on at 9.30pm. “Let’s get this f*cking floor moving. Bounce, bounce, bounce!” yells frontman Matthew Tuck and the circle pit (yes metal mosh pit) was off again, the occasional cloud of vanilla and caramel vapes dispersing to give that dusty stampede look. (The sickly sweet vape smells are everywhere. So funny watching a furtive under the jacket puff preceding the huge stinking cloud above.)

BFMV – a vape puff from the circle/mosh pit

The lighting and sound experience is so classically heavy metal. Guitar, bass, drums, vocals/ guitar, loud, fit inducing lights and rock’n’roll. I can see why I picked up on them back when I did.

Frontman Matthew Tuck (guitar and vocals) and lead guitar man Michael Paget have been in BFMV since the start in 1998. Bassist Jamie Mathia and Jason Bowld on drums were later additions. Not sure if they share the band’s Bridgend heritage.

Lead guitar – Michael Paget – just look at that guitar

It’s an easy heavy metal listen but despite having those two albums I couldn’t say I knew them well enough: they might have only had a few plays in the last 10 years. The two I recognised were the title track of the Scream Aim Fire album and Your Betrayal which I would have said was their anthem – the best. That was one of the three encores after what seemed like an early break. Yup, well worth the trip and for me a bit of a heavier diversion from the norm.

Florence and the Machine – live in Bournemouth

Florence and the Machine at Bournemouth International Centre 6.2.2023 with Willie J Healey supporting

This is a rescheduled gig from November last year. I did have a look at getting tickets then but without enough urgency before it sold out. Unfortunately Florence (Welch) found she’s had been performing on a broken foot and the Bournemouth gig was rearranged to tonight, a Monday, not so popular, so some tickets became available and here we are. Sold out again though.

With the travelling about I do for gigs and the fact that Bournemouth often misses out on the bigger tours, I thought Florence and the Machine seemed a good option. Ever since she/they appeared on the scene I’ve had a casual interest, nearly going to a few gigs while abroad but left it or they sold out (Amsterdam; Chicago). I did see the first tour for the Lungs album in September 2009 at Bournemouth O2 Academy… hmm that really is a while ago now.

The latest album, Dance Fever, is a good listen but my familiarity with the material is limited to that and Lungs along with singles played on the radio. They/she are always a good watch live on tv so here goes.

I noted earlier that Florence’s ‘Machine’ is a constant of Rob Ackroyd on guitar, Tom Monger on harp and Isabella Summers on keyboards with an additional selection of changing musicians. Isabella Summers has clearly been an essential ingredient of the sound and the band. That still leaves me wondering if we should refer to seeing Florence as seeing the band or Florence Welch. I thought it was the former but after tonight I realise it’s more the latter.

Bournemouth International Centre – The BIC

It is what it is. An unremarkable, tolerable, adaptable Windsor Hall holding up to 6,500 and selling expensive unremarkable beer, if you want to queue for ages for your prize in a plastic beaker, including the ghastly two pinter.

Plenty of eateries and bars to choose from out there in Bournemouth if you are out for a full evening, or weekend even. Sixty Million Postcards is 100 yards away (I still like a yard 😁) and the lovely is Brewdog is a short walk, as is the big Wetherspoons, The Moon on the Square. If you’re happy to pay BIC prices you may as well go somewhere smart with some style and atmosphere: the 1812 bar over the road. Go for it. Have a cocktail.. it might even still be happy hour if you’re lucky.

More seasoned ale drinkers may like to enjoy Poole Hill Brewery or the wonderful selection in the Goat and Tricycle, worth the half mile walk from the BIC.

Tonight’s Gig

We are in for the support act Willey J Healey. This feels more of a delaying tactic than a warm up. Just not my sort of thing I guess, describing himself as a ‘marriage between guitar and funk’. Maybe better in a nightclub gig. There’s a whiff of Jamiroquai in the air.

It’s all standing downstairs this evening, so the support slot is at least a chance to shuffle around and find some shorter people to stand behind – a giant returns from the bar and his partner smiles as we quickly shift. He is the biggest, tall and solid, guy I have ever seen. I seem to have homed in on front right again here. These days the speakers are often so elevated you don’t have to worry about being blasted if too near the front.

Florence and her machine appear just after 8.30pm. The audience is strong on women, many young groups. Lots of flowery head bands and long hair. When the show starts I can hear people around be singing every word, even on the new album tracks. Florence is their icon and through the set her words and attitude illustrate her role model persona.

The band, her ‘machine’, could not be more backstage. She has most of the stage to dance and float around with the other musicians tucked away to each side, a backing vocalist to front right of the band. Florence has a stunning green fairytale sparkly dress on which flows with her. The rear stage centre piece is a huge mass of imitation candles in a feature resembling a gothic horror filmset. Aside from that no gimmicks, no exotic lightshows, tickertape or fireworks. This show is Flo.

Twelve tracks from the latest album Dance Fever, which everyone seems to know well: even I have rehearsed that one in anticipation. Ship to Wreck is the first diversion to earlier work and it’s only half an hour in before my top pick The Dog Days are Over (I used to have four little beauties and mine are I think) from the first album Lungs is welcomed with a roar.

Florence appeals for some time to put the phones away and absorb the moment – love the people around you. It works. A few songs on and the phone free atmosphere is allowed to evaporate and later it’s positively phones out time with Florence wanting to see them.

Morning Elvis is a new album goody, followed by two from the High as Hope album: June and the eating disorder anthem Hunger. Great song.

The crowd are absorbed in the glowing Flo performance. It is reminiscent of Kate Bush, not that I saw her live. At the height of the set she disappears from view. What’s happening? Then she appears, floodlit at the back of the hall, near the mix desk singing up at the balcony front row. Then a flurry of activity as some of the crowd security team come quickly through, towards us with torches and followed by the floodlit Florence. She pauses for split seconds as she skips through gracefully touching and greeting fans including the girl directly in front of us. I could have fainted for her. Her (school) friends are suitably impressed with this baptism as Flo floats back to the stage to huge cheers.

With the audience in her power now the get down low appeal comes… lower lower… blimey my knees are creaking. This stoop is the best I can do Flo… up up up… at last, before I pull anything, and this happy place is dancing.

She ends the set with one more, Restraint, from the latest album. A short break. Thanks and introductions to the band and three encores from the back catalogue: Never Let Me Go and Shake it Out from the Ceremonials album (2011) and Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up) from my more familiar Lungs album territory.

I’m really pleased I made it to this Florence experience, nearly 14 years on since that first album tour. She has earned a special place in British pop music history with her uniqueness.

(As you will have gathered, I left my pocket zoom camera at home again 🙄)

Coach Party – live in Southampton

Coach Party at The Joiners, Southampton 31.1.2023 with Girl Scout and Fiona Lee supporting

It’s Independent Venue Week and The Joiners in Southampton is as good an independent venue as any to be in. Tonight, I am following up on seeing Coach Party at Victorious Festival, down the road in Southsea last Summer.

Coach Party at Victorious Festival August 2022

They played on Saturday afternoon on the Castle Stage, the second stage, at Victorious Festival 2022. (Blog of that one here.) I’d given them a few plays on Spotify and the live set sparked more interest. I said I’d be back for more and when the tour was announced I was quick to book a Southampton trip – an hour’s trip away.

More on the 200-capacity venue that is The Joiners is here in my venue blog:

Venue Blog: The Joiners, Southampton

We get in several songs in to Fiona Lee‘s set. Guitar and voice, both with edge and power. As we squeeze through to the far left of the busy venue, it’s obvious she has everyone’s absolute attention. This is a nice surprise. Hard to believe someone like this is third on the bill in the smallest of venues. I find myself saying this a lot, but surely she has a big future?

As she finishes her last song she steps aside from the mic, so the last lyrics can just hang, unamplified in the room. So effective.

The polite tunnel appears in the small but sell-out crowd, to allow Fiona Lee out and Girl Scout to push through to the stage.

Girl Scout are four-piece band from Stockholm. I found their single Do You Remember Sally Moore last week and been playing that on YouTube and thought I didn’t want to miss them. I wasn’t disappointed. What a great set.

The guitar is intense and frantic from Viktor Spasov: he’s right in front of us so I may have over focused, but his guitar gives that ultra-live feel to the music. The band are cool and confident and the overall sound is not so reliant on a dominant vocal – Emma Janson on lead vocals and guitar can float around in the sound.

Indie pop with a punky disorderly feel and despite all bar one song being new to me, I am loving this. It is so good to turn up for support band you don’t know and think ‘wow, where did they come from!’…Stockholm. More… more.

I realise by now that the lighting is a bit too challenging for my amateur picture taking. There are three photographers clambering about in the venue, one has her own fold up stool which she briefly and apologetically mounts just in front of me. I can hear lots of shutter clicking noises (you can turn that sound off you know.. I didn’t say it) and sighs. Yes, it’s dark, backlit and they are moving very fast.

Here come Coach Party – the security man’s torch-led squeeze through the crowd, from the toilets corridor, gets them to the side of stage. It’s the second night of the tour and a second sell-out. I doubt they’ve been home but they are from just over the Solent on the Isle of Wight. ‘Dad’ is in and gets a shout out (from lead singer Jess) and I guess other friends and relatives have popped across on the ferry.

Come to think of it, there are a lot of ‘dads’ in tonight. Not just the one grey-haired gig goer in eh. A healthy mix though.

This indie-rock four-piece are loud. At a festival this must be less obvious. I fumble for my muso ear plugs as the opening number pushes the sound set up to its limits. The drummer is really hammering it out and the drum and bass dominate with some songs right into the grunge zone.

Oh Lola, their first single, released in 2019, is up the bouncy end. Three Kisses is introduced as a late inclusion in the set – when being interviewed by a national journo this week before the London gig, he said it was his favourite song, so they thought they’d better get it in or he’d be disappointed.

Their five track EP Nothing is Real, released in April 2022, is my favourite ingredient of the set, with a place for all five tracks, from Weird Me Out early on to FLAG (Feel Like a Girl) as their last, well nearly last. Everybody Hates Me brings a poppier sound to accompany what I presume are tongue-in-cheek lyrics of youthful misery. FLAG is my pick, and maybe everyone’s as it is the last song from the main set.

Jess Eastwood and Steph Norris – Coach Party

The cheers are loud. They won’t be allowed to leave just yet, although Joiners doesn’t really have the set for encore games. As they descend to the left of the stage the clapping increases. I would be rude not to pop back up. “Don’t judge us on this one”, shouts Jess before a crashing onslaught of drums, bass and everything in a burst of aggression which has a title: Parasite, a new song.

Another top evening out at The Joiners. Twelve quid. Bargain.

Long live independent music venues! #independentvenueweek2023

Gig Venue: The Joiners, Southampton

The Joiners Arms, 141 St Mary’s Street, Southampton SO14 1NS. Last updated 20.10.2024.

The Joiners is somewhere I wish I could move nearer to my place. For me it’s about an hour’s drive or I can get the train from Poole and walk the just under a mile from the central station, heading east towards St Mary’s football stadium. There are car parks nearby but I prefer the on-street parking meter bays up the top (north) end of St Mary’s Street and around the church. I have never had a problem finding somewhere to park. It’s not in the best of areas but I’ve not encountered any bother.

When the doors open the concern about having a signal, having enough battery left, finding e-tickets, emails and apps all evaporates as the person on the door usually just wants your name, postcode and to check you off the list. A traditional pen mark on the back of a hand completes the entry process – I find I can proudly sport this badge of honour for several days after, despite vigorous scrubbing with a nail brush.

The merch stand is usually just inside the door. The bar and adjacent table have a great surface, made out of designs from Joiners posters, flyers and tickets. I’d love to try that.

The bar is small and L-shaped – hard to get one of the seats, if there are any out – just couple on my last visit in October 2024, and about eight at most. A good selection of beers and ciders. My favourite is the Roadie ale – quite a rare find with a distinctive mic stand tap. Darker with malty taste. On my last few visits I have tried some of the surprisingly wide range of no and low alcohol beers. (Brewdog Nanny State a good option with low calories.)

The K’s from next to the mixing desk – January 2022

Through the bar and out to the quite narrow rear of the gig room. Funnel through there, passed the small mixing desk on your left and the room opens out just in front of the stage, across its width, and only about as deep as the stage. It’s about as compact as it gets on the recognised gig circuit.

I’m happy to lean on the rail next to the mixing desk – always a fascinating watch the mix desk. Another spot I like is by the wall to the left, by the mural. If busy, the corridor to the toilets brings you out to that left corner spot with some polite pushing through.

Spear of Destiny – from the left wall mural spot – December 2022

The capacity is 200 but that makes for a squeeze – when it’s busy, it’s hot, really steamy. Bands are pushed for space with spare equipment piled around the steps up to the left of the stage, around a cramped roadie usually. When they come on, acts have to push through the crowd and later return with the aid of a security guard to escape down the toilets corridor – a corridor lined with old posters and pictures from years of rock’n’roll here. This curtails encore games with most just taking a breather on the stage, before a last blast.

(The toilets have unisex arrangement – don’t be alarmed when standing at the urinals.)

They’ve had some cracking bands over the years, on their way up: Green Day, Muse, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead. All before my time near the South Coast. In September 2021, Wolf Alice played as part or their small venue mini-tour. £15 and the tickets were like gold dust. Worth keeping your eye out for the listings.

I will update these notes as I go. Links to some of my blogs from The Joiners can be found here:

– Red Rum Club

– The K’s

– Fatherson

– Spear of Destiny

– Coach Party

Showaddywaddy – live in Dorset

Showaddywaddy at The Tivoli Theatre Wimborne 21.1.23

OK OK, I know this might sound like a bit of an odd one but who can resist a chance to catch up with a bunch of friends for an afternoon and evening out and hear some live music in the company of the 70s hit machine Showaddywaddy? Go on, if you’re born in the 60s you know you would love it.

Ten top ten singles to their name and one number one: Under the Moon of Love. Many of their hits are cover versions of 50s and 60s songs which they gave their visual upgrade to with all that colourful teddy boy gear and lots of ‘do-wopping’ and coordinated dances. Top of the Pops, Seaside Special and appearances on kids tv shows were their bread and butter and I remember them especially as Look-In Magazine regulars. A classic publication of the day.

They formed in Leicester in 1973 and hit the big time after appearing in the New Faces tv talent show final, as runners-up.

While the Showaddywaddy beat goes on, there is only one original member left of that band of eight. Mostly alive but not playing with the band. Drummer Romeo Challenger is all that remains in the current line up of six. Still attracting the audiences with a busy touring schedule mind – tonight’s show is a sellout.

The Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne

The East Dorset town of Wimborne rarely troubles the gig tour planners, aside from this lovely old theatre which specialises in mature tastes, well vintage. Many great tribute acts of classic rock artists appear. I used to live in Wimborne and so I’ve kept my eye on it. I suspect that give it another ten years and I’ll be here once a fortnight writing a ‘no haired gig going blog’ as opposed to grey haired experience.

I’ve seen Hugh Cornwell here a few times, Glenn Tilbrook and in more recent years From the Jam and Bootleg Blondie (with Clem Burke from Blondie proper). Then there was the evening with John Lydon experience – Johnny Rotten in Wimborne, wonders never cease.

After this afternoon’s trail through several lovely town centre pubs – Oddfellows, Kings Head, Olive Branch – and the excellent Nusara Thai restaurant, it’s something of a relief to get to the front door of the Tivoli on time. Half the gang are in already – the Plymouth green army are Wimborne visitors today – while I have been led astray by ‘The Dove’ and Jeanette so we are the stragglers. (The Dove says he doesn’t get enough mentions in my blog.)

The Grey-Haired Gig Goer, The Dove, Sally & Jeanette rocking on a Saturday night – outside the venue

Wimborne is a top place for a pub tour with plenty to wander to in the compact town centre. The Taphouse (one for after) with its ale choices is my pick, just 50 yards along from the Tivoli, opposite The Man in the Wall (one of the best Wetherspoons). Wimborne’s downside, or maybe saviour, is transport links – no train station and buses a bit limited, although it can work from Poole on the local buses (3 or 4 More Bus from Poole Bus Station, my choice tonight).

This all-seater art deco style theatre has 483 seats and serves as a cinema and venue. It opened in 1934 and has benefited from a new frontage and canopy in recent years. You can get a decent view from anywhere, even the back row of the balcony where we are tonight.

The Tivoli bar at the interval. It was rammed prior to the gig

The bar is small, like a village cricket club. I think just have a drink before you get here if you want one. Pop over the road. It must be quicker. You can order half-time drinks. Who does that though? Go when the doors open if you want to use the bar or try the café as you go in on the left. It’s all part of the same thing.

Tonight’s Performance

Showaddywaddy are on promptly. I sort of imagined a Jimmy Savile voice intro like on Top of the Pops… noooo.. but they are on.

When they play Heartbeat (Buddy Holly cover) it is greeted with warm applause. So familiar to several generations. Maybe A Little Bit of Soap is more the light-hearted pop record territory they are known better for. These are the early set tunes.

The band dance in harmony to order, swinging guitars in time from occasionally. Professionals. Immaculate suits.

There are four guitars and a bass together with Romeo on drums. That makes a solid noise. For some songs Romeo comes out front while another takes to the drum kit. Also one turns saxophonist at will.

First big Top of the Pops classic for me is Pretty Little Angel Eyes. Come on! Singalong but you can remember them all. I guess When and Three Steps to Heaven are the other top hits from the set. Romeo is respectfully introduced, due to his original hallmark and plays up front for a bit on alternative percussion.. conga drums maybe.

By this time the rear balcony patrons are out of their seats jigging about. In the row in front of us a man and his wife are up dancing. Enquiries reveal the chap is 81. I’m thinking in two decades time if I am dancing here to anyone I will take that as a gig-going victory. Rock on sir, and madam.

Last song. Everyone knows this one: Under the Moon of Love. Then back for an uncomplicated, prompt single encore, one they wrote themselves: Hey Rock and Roll, which reached no.2 in the UK Charts in April 1974. Arms are waving.

A lovely evening. Enjoyable, almost predictably so. That’s how professional these guys are. So that it gig 1 for me in 2023 done. We are off, slowly, and running.

The audience spills on the street outside – even Wimborne can look chaotic and busy sometimes it seems. I grab a pic without getting run over. Then it’s in for a few pints in The Taphouse, then it’s off for the bus back to Poole, leaving our Plymouth friends to last orders.

Paul Heaton live in Birmingham – on his own at this one

Paul Heaton at Resorts World Arena Birmingham 8.12.2022 with Billy Bragg supporting

Paul Heaton has always appealed to me. A football fan from Hull, with a great voice who likes a pint in a boozer. He put money behind the bar in various pubs around the country to mark his 60th birthday. A few years before that he played 16 pubs in 18 days cycling between them to celebrate bikes and supping ale. Add to that a price limiting ticket, record and merchandise sales policy and this is sounding like very decent bloke. Tonight’s tickets: £30 for standing and any seats throughout the arena.

I thought his early band The Housemartins were great. What wonderful album titles: London 0 Hull 4 and The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death. I’d already gathered some EPs and singles and saw them live in Bristol Bierkeller in March 1986, before that first album in October that year. I was on a block release training course in Weston-Super-Mare at the time. I never could have imagined would be seeing so many gigs in Bristol 35 years later. I remember Heaton getting the numerous football fans in the audience to throw little metal badges at him and I parted with a West Ham one.

When they split in 1988, The Beautiful South was born. I found myself buying most of their albums – hard not to like their great vocals and easy-going melodic pop songs, with two male vocalists including Paul Heaton (and Dave Hemingway, drummer in The Housemartins) and a succession of female vocalists. The first of those, on albums 1-3, was Briana Corrigan, after which Jacqui Abbott took over. (Briana was going out with one of my work mates in Coventry back then and they married later.)

Surprisingly though I didn’t see The Beautiful South until November 1995, coincidentally at the NEC Birmingham where tonight’s gig is (under its new name). I bought a ticket last minute as I was single at the time and a bit bored. One of the Beautiful South fell off the back of the stage and injured his arm near the end.

Then in July 1997 I saw them at a Crystal Palace athletics stadium with Texas, Teenage Fanclub and Gabrielle. It was standing, hot and I remember being a long way back. The band packed up eventually in 2007.

When Paul Heaton was playing a support slot on Squeeze’s 2012 tour and I was miffed to arrive to find him doing his last song, Caravan of Love (the last song at tonight’s gig as well). This was at the O2 Academy Bournemouth and one of those early start and finish weekend gigs which allow the youth in after for their ‘proper night out’ once the oldies have cleared of home to bed 🙄

And so you can see why I jumped at a chance, while on this trip to Brum, to pop in to see Paul Heaton, and it was just Paul Heaton as Jacqui Abbott was ill. Refunds were offered if anyone wanted them when Jacqui’s absence was confirmed. Judging by the crowd this wasn’t taken up by many.

Tonight’s Gig

We stopped at The Moxy Hotel (I recommend it – good chain) by the lake just opposite the Arena and I was pleased to catch up with old Coventry buddies Rob and Nikki in the Moxy bar beforehand.

The Moxy Hotel – Birmingham Resorts World Arena

The Resorts World Arena is a big, cavernous place with a capacity of 15,685 but I suppose it does the job. I bought the tickets late so we are a fair way back but it’s easy.

The support tonight is Billy Bragg. Quite a bonus – another guy I used to see a lot, usually festivals and supporting, in the 80s and early 90s.

He has a fair-sized band with him, including three on the brass instruments, but still with that clear Bragg voice not lost at all in it. Bragg jokes about his age, our ages – everyone in here is of an age – but when he gets going, he still sounds like he is ready to take on the world. (The week I was writing this, he was outside Dorchester Hospital, as the snow fell, with his guitar to sing for the striking nurses – no bottling his enthusiasm for a revolution despite his earned wealth eh.)

I was surprised how much I knew of his set considering he had left me behind after the first three albums. For me he couldn’t have started with anything much better: Shiiiirleeey… well that’s what I know it as but of course it’s called Greetings to the New Brunette. (The suburb of Shirley is not far from the venue. It used to have a restaurant with the amusing name of The Shirley Temple. Now closed.)

Billy explains himself and contextualises all his songs. He is enjoying this big audience and the reaction is good although I can’t see much of a revolution starting in this room.

The best of the nine-song set is the beautiful Levi Stubbs’ Tears, with that brass. Sexuality gets an update and more explanation. It seems even Billy wasn’t inclusive enough when he wrote that one.

There is Power in a Union is back with angst as a song of the 2022-3 Winter of discontent. Not much power in the one I was in and left in 1986. Enough said.

He finished with Waiting for the Great Leap Forward. He’s been waiting a long time now. Good to see him again anyway.

On to Paul Heaton, with band but without Jacqui Abbott…. carrying on regardless eh. He thanks us for hanging in there with him and explains how various band members will try and fill in for Jacqui. Some noble attempts but for me it underlined how much the songs are Paul Heaton.

It’s ten minutes short of a two-hour set and the quality and quantity of material he can draw on just means the time flies.

I love the decent five song helping of Housemartins: Happy Hour, Me and the Farmer and the wonderful People Who Grinned Themselves to Death being those high spots.

With the NK-Pop LP having been released recently I was expecting more that the three songs we here from that. Maybe this is Paul Heaton backing off the new duet songs as Jacqui is ill. So 13 Beautiful South songs.

It’s pop. It’s familiar. My favourites? Prettiest Eyes, Keep It All In and Old Red Eyes is Back. (YouTube at gig.) There is also the gruff vocal of A Liar’s Bar which holds a special appeal to me – I used to try and sing it with my roommate Sean after our drunken nights out on our Weston-Super-Mare block release course.

Prettiest Eyes has that oh so poignant line as 60th birthdays loom:

“Sixty 25th of Decembers
Fifty-nine 4th of Julys
Not through the age or the failure, children
Not through the hate or despise
Take a good look at these crow’s feet
Sitting on the prettiest eyes”

(Prettiest Eyes: Rotheray/Heaton)

I was wondering if I would find this gig just a bit too light and poppy but you can’t help get carried along with it all. These are happy sounds and for me nostalgic sounds. The new album is good listen but this wasn’t really about that. It had that small gig in a big place feel with both Bragg and Heaton really engaging on a chatty level with the audience. The test is would I go again tomorrow – certainly yes and I’d take a standing spot near the front.

(A visually dry write up I’m afraid. No camera with me and too far away to do much with my phone which is surely up for replacement. That is my 2022 gig going wrapped up. 100 nights of live music. I doubt I will ever top that……..well?)