The Engine Rooms, Unit K, West Quay Induatrial Estate, West Quay Road, Southampton SO15 1GZ
Last updated 21.11.2024
Venue details from my experience of recent gigs (with links to those blogs at the end).
This venue is in an even less likely location than Southampton’s 1865 and looks even more like a light industrial unit – this one on the inside as well – ventilation pipes and all – it is an industrial unit, smartened up and using the look rather than disguising it.
It is Unit K on the Quay Road Industrial Estate, just beyond IKEA down towards the docks in a street off to the right. A 0.7 mile walk from Southampton Central train station through the retail park or if driving there is some on street parking on the main road but there are meters so may as well use the surface car park (Quay South/North) opposite the big Carnival building… just left after IKEA if heading East. It is also just over a roundabout from The Moxy and Premier Inn hotels – both sound value choices if staying over, with The Moxy being my pick as it’s a bit more interesting.
There is the bar in TGI Fridays just up the road in the retail park, on way from the train. The Quays South car park does give the Moxy Hotel bar option which is a better one (0.3 miles to venue).
Nigel Clarke solo 23.10.2021
Wetherspoons (The Standing Order) down the bottom of town is a bit more of a walk away weaving through the old town walls (0.5 miles). Check out The Dancing Man Brewery (0.4 miles): well worth a walk with top ale choice brewed on site.
The Engine Rooms venue holds between 400 and 800 people (says the website) and there is a divider curtain that can make the bar area bigger or gig area bigger to suit. It is all on one floor. With a band on I would think 600 max with the stage up. For Inhaler and The Hunna – both packed – there was no divider curtain, just full back to the bar.
Bar at rear
I am relieved to see some pub benches appearing between the mixing desk and the bar on recent visits. If I get there early, a sit down for a bit while waiting for the first band, that can be the difference between aching legs or not.
Looking back to the barAhhh, a seat
The drinks stocks can be highly variable and usually disappointing – cans and bottles were it at last look. Haven’t seen any ale for a while. The 0% options have appeared, including Heineken 0.0% and the most welcome Guiness Zero. Various cans and bottles of cider – at The Hunna, Red Stripe was the only beer. Wine appears to be an occasional treat.
Inhaler at The Engine Rooms – October 2022
A packed Charlatans gig here in February 2016 opened my eyes to the place – how they landed that one I don’t know. They get some good medium popularity acts and older well known acts. I’d heard the sound wasn’t that good but this seems to depend where you stand – I’ve been a fair bit now (The Hunna, Inhaler, China Crisis, Undertones, Ride, Nick Lowe, Sleeper, Altered Images, Graham Parker, Red Rum Club). Last visit was for The Clause on 21.11.2024.
Red Rum Club – March 2024
I like the view standing next to a side wall – less pushing passed traffic and photos without getting in the way – but, as usual, hanging around the mixing desk area is a good bet.
The Hunna – November 2022
Some neck straining to see sometimes but it goes with the small venue experience and this place is bringing the bands to Southampton with my recent visits being pleasingly packed and bouncing.
Red Rum Club + The Hushtones 15.10.21 at The Cavern, Exeter
A new venue for me. In fact I’m a bit of a stranger in Exeter but it’s a decent destination city if looking for live music. Wandered in via the cathedral which I’d not seen before on my limited previous visits.
Exeter Cathedral
We are in town for Red Rum Club – there’s a poster on the way down the high street. I was recommended them in Lockdown (cheers Francis FCh) and got hooked. Here tonight with wife Sally and friends and gig buddies Dave and Ann, who found RR Club via another route.
£11 a ticket… yes £11.
The Cavern is a part of an old post office building – a basement bar and venue in a pedestrianised alley just across from the Guildhall Shopping Centre. Stone steps lead down to this neatly refurbished brick and stone hideaway.
Merch stand
The bar room is a good place to pitch up early to and you can take to the gig room just when a band appears – no standing around in a bland hall.
Not sure I’m fully ‘gig fit’ yet, or maybe I’m in post Lockdown gig burn out after last weekend’s three in three days, but all is not well with the aging lower limbs…. so I was relieved to find a handy corner with a table for us to pitch up at.
Yes we can even see the stage from this vantage point – it’s in a wide corridor between the bar and the brick arches through to the gig room – and delay the final commitment to standing until the last moment – I’ll remember this spot.
Great bar – could do a good party down here I’ll bet. Meantime pale ale and lager and Fightback IPA on the tap, fridges brimming with Brewdog.
Brick arches through to the gig room – support band are on
It opened as The Cavern in 1991 and the names that have played this 220 capacity venue include Muse, Kaiser Chiefs and Coldplay. So much character in this brick and concrete. Great choice for any smaller band – hard not to feel busy in the gig room with anything over a hundred.
Tonight’s support band are The Hushtones, fronted by Martha Goddard and Mick Campbell.
The Hushtones
From Liverpool, pop with prominent keyboards and an easy listen. The ones in the pics, Goddard and Campbell write the songs.
Red Rum Club have had two albums since getting started 2016: Matador (2019) and The Hollow of Humdrum (2020) and there’s an acoustic 2021 Lockdown release. A new album is out in November: How to Steal the World.
They’re now on the same label, Modern Sky UK, as two bands I saw last weekend: Slow Readers Club and Sad Boys Club… what’s with the rise of the ‘club’ thing eh.
The defining sound of this Scouse sixpiece, on so many of their songs, is the trumpet. Nobody Gets Out Alive illustrates this beautifully…it’s almost as though you should cheer as the trumpet (Joe Corby) comes in. Live, it’s loud and rips in.
It’s reminiscent of Theatre of Hate’s Westworld era, in a poppier way, I thought and I see in the band’s blurb they describe themselves as ‘Tarantino-esque’. I get it. A sort of wild west feel to it all – music for a party in a Spaghetti Western. Have a listen: YouTube Nobody Gets Out Alive.
Red Rum Club at The Cavern
It’s an indie carnival feel in this dark basement with plenty going on from the six in the band – not a lot of room for them up there. The songs I listened for get an airing: Eleanoris something of a favourite and the punchier Kids Addicted , bothfrom the 2020 album…. but it’s hard to deny Would you Rather be Lonely its place as their most popular Spotify play – that’s the line that echoes around later in my head.
There is a lot of film related stuff going on and the song Brando exhibits this. I love the James Dean line:
“….Tell me ’bout your Hollywood phase Tell me ’bout your hit blue movie I thought I knew that face I think you’ll love this place, I know Just get me in a state I can be your Brando
Won’t you take my hand? Won’t you leave with me? You can be my Audrey I’ll be your James Dean….”
Red Rum Club – Cavern Exeter
Fran Doran – Red Rum Club
Front man Fran Doran mentions the pressure of going out on tour just after Lockdown… playing a place called The Cavern… setting it all up and wondering if anyone is going to come out. He needn’t have worried. It’s bouncing.
I didn’t wave my camera about much but you get the picture – it’s bouncing
I’m really looking forward to see what the new album brings. With the uniqueness of the trumpet sound maybe they’re going big. Certainly a band I would have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who isn’t too entrenched in a particular genre.
Another gig in my personal post-Lockdown frenzy is over. 17 gigs and 5 days of festivals since the lifting of restrictions in July – no wonder my feet hurt. I’ve seen 71 different bands in 2021 and there’s plenty more to come hopefully 🤞🤞🎶 Keep it live….gimme my Covid booster.
Hope to be back here sometime – an old punk band would be a good’un. There’s always the Anti-Nowhere League coming up in January 🤔
Slow Readers Club + Sad Boys Club 10.11.21 Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea, Portsmouth
My third gig in three days. Making up for lost Lockdown months. It’s a great period for live music.
Sunday night gigs can be a tricky one – a bit quiet – work tommorrow. I booked Monday off to soften that potential blow and a hotel overlooking Southsea Common to enhance the trip. Well worth it as Southsea is a great place to wander – good pubs and restaurants.
Here we are. 500 standing capacity in a square shaped room; bars off both sides, one just bar and a queueing area to the left of the stage and a smaller room and bar with a few seats off the other side (Fightback IPA on tap and draught Guiness).
Right hand bar. Wall of old posters.
The merch area on the way in is really good… a permanent feature almost like a shop.
Sad Boys Club – the support band – have just started and we’re in. Plently in without being full – it’s a Sunday after all.
Tonight’s support – Sad Boys Club
This lot are instantly interesting. I can hear bits of Siousxie and tbe Banshees, and The Cure in there, which eminates from the guitar echo style but this is all placed in a more indie electro-pop rock context. My wife Sally mentioned The 1975..yes hints of them too.
Jacob Wheldon – Sad Boys Club
A good set. They seem to have a string of singles available so far. They’re from London. I return from the bar in the break to find Sally chatting with lead singer Jacob – he’s from NW London and it transpires two of the band are Cure obsessives. Definately one for the bands to keep an eye on file.
Slow Readers Club first attracted me, us, after being tipped off (thanks Ann P) to go see them at the 2016 Victorious Festival, a stone’s throw away (ok with a very strong arm) on Southsea Common at the Seaside Stage. Two years later and with the second album, Cavalcade, now familiar we saw both of their sets at Victorious 2017, noted here in an early blog.
We followed this with a trip to Glasgow School of Art to see them in December 2018 – an exotic trip I know – and here at the Wedgewood Rooms in March 2018. Always enjoyed the gigs a lot. Uplifting, bouncy indie rock and up the pop end.
The Wedgewood Rooms offers a good opportunity to stand in different places and snap a decent pic with my trusty pocket zoom. I particularly like leaning against the far left wall where you can get a good view of the stage and not be in anyone’s way….maybe with one ear plug in to prevent being blasted out by the speakers. Hence this piece is more of a photo gallery of my night than some, especially recently with some camera bans and gloomy light.
Slow Readers Club – Wedgewood Rooms
The band – from Manchester – are Aaron Starkie (lead vocals); Kurtis Starkie (brother on guitar); James Ryan (bass) and David Whitworth (Drums).
Aaron Starkie
Kurtis Starkie – guitar
Aaron Starkie with James Ryan behind on bass
Formed in 2011 makes it sound like they are not new but it’s all relative when you’ve been gig going for over 40 years and I still see them as a new band. Four albums released in 2011, 2015, 2018 and the 2020 Joy of the Return and then a Lockdown special mini album 91 Days in Isolation.
This is the first tour since Lockdown and the 2020 Joy of the Return release so unfortunate timing and title, to which is added the fact that the band had not long given up their day jobs to give this rock’n’roll thing a real go.
Aaron Starkie
Sunday night at the Wedgewood Rooms
The set is a mix heavier on the 2018 and 2020 studio albums with at least five from Joy of the Return – full set list picked up at the end. My favourite from that album is this one: Paris .
Build a Tower from 2018 remains my favourite album and as more familiar tracks they make a crowd pleasing end to the set with On the TV and Lunatic to finish. (The YouTube links to these are with a big home town crowd – tops).
Aaron Starkie and James Ryan
The audience tonight has a good feel – a more mature leaning than for some newer bands – and plenty of ‘Readers’ t-shirts on parade so some loyalty in the room and a typically friendly Southsea crowd who are here for the music. I guess everyone’s a bit more focused on the band on a Sunday rather than shouting into each others’ ears.
Statuesque Starkie
Lead man Starkie’s high notes bring the band its distintive sound and I can’t help but be reminded of The Communards/Bronski Beat at the high bits. He’s very visual with trademark arm gestures chopping the air and carving patterns against the very atmospheric lighting and he likes a statuesque pose, eyes shut, head back.
Once again a great gig in this small venue. Originally this Covid induced postponed gig was to be at Portsmouth Pyramids but that is off the circuit now. It’s undergoing redevelopment with a large soft play area so maybe that’s the lot for gigs (?)…. an old punk band in a soft play area could be a goer.
That’s the three gig weekend over. Top entertainment from six bands in three cities. Just time for Sally to retreive a set list and buy a signed single from support band Sad Boys Club.
Sunday’s set list
Signed Sad Boys Club single from the gig
Time for a last pint on the way back to the hotel and we stumbled upon The Pheonix. Great little homely pub on a corner of residential streets. Some further gems to try next time.
Skids plus Duncan Reid and the Big Heads 9.10.2021 O2 Academy Islington
A rousing nostalgic blast with a few more recent additions to the set made this my gig of the year so far – gig 25 of 2021. My ears are ringing and heading home happy on the scenic (slow) train route.
After first seeing The Skids in 1980 at the wonderful and now bulldozed Hammersmith Palais, since their reformation I have become more of a Skids regular, assisted by the shared enthusiasm of gig buddy Dave (DPi). The variety of venues has included their Dunfirmline home gig; Butlins Minehead; acoustic set at St George’s (blog), Bristol; Belfast Limelight; the Royal Albert Hall Pete Shelley memorial gig and the London Roundhouse.
This trip to the O2 Academy Islington features Glasto Nige, Andy (AMu) and Dave (DPi),(Gaz joined us later), who’s sorted us soundcheck entry at 5pm, after a swift Camden ale in the Steam Passage Tavern round the corner.
Interesting seeing a venue empty aside from about 10 of us and the band.
A empty pre-gig O2 Academy Islington
A chance to have a chat with old granite jaw himself – lead singer Richard Jobson, and original bassist Bill Simpson. There’s a few insights into the set which features some tracks from their recent covers album Songs from the Enchanted Ballroom. The Clash classic Complete Control (link to recent Skids version) is part of the soundcheck along with David Essex’s Rock On (!). Hurry on Boys and Melancholy Soldiers also get a rehearsal. Everyone’s happy. All set.
Bruce Watson and Jobson. Mark Brzezicki on drums.
Skids soundcheck
I bought a copy of Jobson’s new illustrated Skids story which he signed.
Frontman Richard Jobson with my gig comrades tonight
A few pics and we are led out to return later for the show.
We hadn’t bargained on the Covid entry checks fouling up the return later quite so well. A long queue was forming and O2 priority suspended. NHS Covid App checks and initial ticket scanning then moved on to a body search by a latex glove clad woman politely offering the 95 percent bloke audience a male alternative if required. Everyone seemed quite happy with the arrangement. We’re in. No… another proper ticket scan. More hasty fumbling.
By this time Duncan Reid and the Bigheads are half way through their set. Shame. I really like their latest album, Don’t Blame Yourself, and they are playing several from that. I’ll have to catch them again sometime – I did see them at Butlins Alternative festival in Minehead just before Lockdown last year and saw Duncan’s old band The Boys back in 1980, supporting The Ramones. Also he guested at the Eddie and the Hot Rods last stand I came to at this very venue.
Duncan Reid
…and a Big Head, Sophie Danger Powers
A chilling blast of air funnels comes down from the ceiling vents. I’m not sure if this is anti-virus bonus ventilation or we are being sprayed with everyone’s germs. The beers are flowing and we have a good central spot so we just shift a shade out of the main icy blast and assume all is fine.
Skids awaited
O2 Academy Islington
The O2 Academy Islington is in the midst of a small shopping centre just over from Angel tube station. It’s a very modern place that holds 800, all standing with a bar either side. There’s nothing particularly appealing about it. A bit concrete and industrial unit feel.
There’s an upstairs bar on a balcony but unless you are leaning on the rail it’s hard to view a gig from up there. There are some seats in the bar but not that you can see from. There is also a second smaller gig room but I’ve never been in.
As with many O2 Academies it’s worth checking stage times as they have a habit of early curfews so the place can have a second sitting as a nightclub. What you have got when you leave though is a fantastic range of pubs and eateries, including Slim Jim’s Liquor Saloon up the High Street on the left – it was rocking – live music and DJ til late.
Aside from the Eddie and the Hot Rods gig I’ve only been to this O2 a few other times, for The Comsat Angels (remember them?) and The Wedding Present.
Skids tonight
Jobson bounds on with what is now most of Big Country – Mark Brzezicki on drums, Jamie and dad Bruce Watson guitars – and Skids original Bill Simpson on bass, with a young keyboardist I don’t know (Rory Cowieson I was advised later.. cheers). Animation to start.
Of one Skin next. A few plastic pints go flying, Jobson is dancing already – ‘Strictly’, come and get him – the guitars are off. What a fabulous noise.
Jobbo is a great between song raconteur, looking back at appearing on Top of the Pops with Jimmy Sa-vile as Charade is introduced.
Richard Jobson – Jobbo
Before early punk classic Charles Jobson reflects that it’s a fine moment to remember the man we lost who wrote it: Stuart Adamson. Warm cheers.
The Saints are Coming next. Covered by Green Day and U2, used by Southampton FC, this should have made them millions but much of the royalties went to a charitable venture – Jobson grimaces playfully.
While the Skids are still essentially a nostalgia trip the 2017 release World on Fire is another worthy late addition to the back catalogue and Kings of the New World Order is a natural rabble rousing choice, before one of my favourites – the urgent cries of Out of Town. The set is a belter.
My 25th gig of the year, is the best so far: Saturday night, air punching punk and post-punk classics blasted out at volume to beaming men in their late 50s with a wall of Watson guitars. I have my muso ear plugs to hand but just thought bugger it, you don’t get many nights like this – let it rip through me. I didn’t go chasing any photos either, just stood centrally and took a few zoom and phone snaps – another time. I left with some snapped reminders that I was here.
Jamie, Bruce, Richard, Bill
The unmistakable opening synth of Working for the Yankee Dollar gets a roar. The classics keep coming and I didn’t note them all: Happy to be With You; Circus Games; Into the Valley – Jobbo’s still skipping and dancing like he’s training for the big fight in Vegas later.
Jobbo
A few covers in the set and hearing Pretty Vacant live is quite something and a Pete Shelley tribute What do I Get?
TV Stars – the dreadful b-side that slipped into Skids folklore can’t be avoided with all it’s air punching ‘Al-bert Tat-lock’ chants.
Skids – Islington
The last Skids number of this 90 minute set is Olympian from the Days in Europa album but the parting gift is an encore of The Clash’s Complete Control, which features on the recent Skids covers album Songs from a Haunted Ballroom. Brilliant.
Great night. We are all too soon being ushered out as the plastic glasses are collected and the venue is tidied for the next sitting.
Fatherson + Tom Joshua 8.10.21 Joiners, Southampton
Here we are at Joiners again – twice in two weeks having only been once before since my 2003 move to Dorset. My blog for the last visit, for Spear of Destiny, has a few notes on the venue itself. A quick name check, thorough Covid vax proof scrutiny and we’re in, with a semi-permanent cross on our hands as badges of honour which could be with us for some time. Perhaps next time I’ll have it on my cheek Adam Ant style.
Thirty three quid… in total for three of us, including a three pound donation to the Joiners Covid recovery fund. Bargain.
A return visit so soon (this time with wife Sally and her son Ben), allows further exploration of the walls of old posters and photos featuring years of legendary performers early in their careers.
Ed Sheeran, The 1975, Coldplay among the many big names who have played here
Also this time I saw an old ticket and poster design laminated table to match the fantastic bar – now there is something to have a go at reproducing.
Ticket and flyer table
I did think that we would get here early and sit down and have a drink before the bands but in the blink of an eye (ok a trip to the seemingly unisex gents) and the six seats in the bar were taken. Still another feature missed from a few weeks ago was draught Signature Brew Roadie IPA (“Boasting a hard-earned reputation and fit for grafters and road crews the world over”) – the barman informs us it is the only place that sells in Southampton – enhanced by the old microphone tap.
It’s a morale boosting sell out for Fatherson tonight so we go right in and left to find a good wall to occupy with a handy drinks shelf, just under the Joiners wall hanging. OK it’s a bit of an acute angle but out of the youthful mayhem. I’m 20 years older than all but about three people in here.
Tom Joshua – tonight’s support act
Support is a singer songwriter guy from Teesside called Tom Joshua. He’s got three accomplices on cello, keyboards and drums – light drumming and percussion rather than crashing drums – and they also provide great backing vocals. Tom is the focus though. It’s his thing.
This is a good start to the weekend. The big guy hits some high notes as his guitar jangles, with the long notes of the cello beneath it all – and great backing vocals from cellist. He’s got humour and presence and the assembling crowd appreciate it.
They finish with their best in a half hour set of original material: Melancholy Flowers.
The stage is rapidly cleared ready for Fatherson at 9pm. Fatherson are a three piece which helps in this tight stage space.
This is the third time I’ve seen them – Victorious Festival 2019 and in the temporary 1865 club setting in Southampton in 2017, before it moved down to its current site.
They’re from Kilmarnock, Scotland and have released three albums: I Am An Island; Open Book and Sum of All Your Parts in 2018. Ross Leighton on guitars and lead vocals is the main songwriter. It’s him that has been doing all the Lockdown solo videos and streams… while also cultivating his hair and beard it seems – there’s a lot of it – presenting a biblical vision in the shadows as they take the stage, via the corridor from the toilets and through the crowd – a bit like boxers taking to the ring.
Fatherson at The Joiners
Bassist Marc Strain is very active bounding around his half of the stage and greeting an occasional wander by Ross.
Marc Strain on bass
While the bass and drums (Greg Walkinshaw) are strong and clear the guitar sound dominates to create naturally sing-a-long tunes…. and most know all the words – and they are actually singing more than shouting…. they’ve been practising for 18 months locked up at home I guess. The audience is also something of beard heaven – I feel facially naked.
This would be great for a big campfire guitar singalong. Ross looks very comfortable with everything as he acknowledges and encourages the crowd while also losing himself in his songs, bent over his changing array of guitars. Being so up close here it’s all very visual despite the limitations of the small venue with regards lighting. Once again the sound is spot on here. First time I saw this lot they were ridiculously loud for indie pop rockers – not tonight.
Quite an exuberant audience for such a melodic band and hairy Ross creates the feeling you’re having party with them – the crowd singing is an important part of the overall performance.
I snapped a setlist from an angle. The lastest single is not up to their usual standard I didn’t think but it’s better live.
Setlist sneaky peak
The route to the stage means that with a sell out crowd it’s not very practical to play the encore game so Ross apologises for that in advance and plays the last number.
An enjoyable night – another ‘pleased to be back’ tour and gig for many. Ten quid each. Bargain.
Bit of a jaunt this one but I’ve never seen Scritti Politti and it’s a tour focused on an album I associate with my years in Birmingham – Cupid & Psyche. The venue is a draw in itself: a stunning Grade two listed building completed in 1834 and looking like something out of ancient Greece rather than in a square at the top of New Street, Birmingham.
Is that the queue for the Town Hall?
We emerged from the pre-gig refreshements at Purecraft Bar and Kitchen (a full range of Pure Ubu beer) – here with gig buddy Dave – across Victoria Square to see what we thought was a queue to get in. Pace quickened only to realise this crowd outside was just a black metal sculpture called Forward Together🤯
Instead, a civilised trickle into this beautiful building and down to the basement bar for a pint of pretty decent IPA.
It was worth a mooch around beforehand to see some pictures noting some of the old big names that have played here – Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.
Hall of Fame display in the basement bar
Buddy Holly graces the Town Hall
..even Bill Haley played here
One of the first performers on the Town Hall stage was no less than Charles Dickens in 1834, reading from his works – I wonder what the merch stand was like then eh. I bet loads of people claimed to be those early Dickens gigs.
From 1918 to 1991 this was the home of the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra before they moved to the grand new symphony hall just up the road (or across a few large impressive squares).
Well I’ve only been here once before… to see The Fall, supported by Caberet Voltaire, and The Wendys (19.11.1992).
Stage times on a marble pillar
In we go. Front row, to the right. Very handy. Great view. The high ceiling and walls finished with the refurbished detail of a palace. The huge organ I remembered TheFall playing in front of is nearly covered in blackout curtain.
Look at that ceiling
Ah.. a Support Act
Remember before Covid when there were support acts? Well there’s one tonight. Since July’s opening up, the support band idea seems to have taken a hit – more risk of infection and not enough benefits to outweigh the risk I guess.
It’s Alexis Taylor, from noughties band Hot Chip to open. We are peering over the front of the stage, so a great view of what was going albeit at the bands feet level.
It’s a short set of singing, guitar and piano to warm the place up. Extraordinary outfit of matching tropical pattern top and trousers with matching baseball hat, all tamed a little with a covering bright white pin striped jacket 😳
Alexis Taylor – support act tonight
He introduces one song as by Prefab Sprout: Wild Horses. My ears prick up for a bit.
Scritti Politti
Out come Scritti Politti to the roomy stage. They are essentially original frontman, Welshman, Green Gartside from the 1977 line up, when they started out in Leeds, with a newer band: Dicky Moore (guitar), Rob Smoughton (drums) and Rhodri Marsden on the all important keyboards for this 80s sound.
The spacious Town Hall stage
They start with just about the best: Sweetest Girl, from the Songs to Remember album. (Here’s a 2001 remastered version.) Then a wander through a selection from other albums, five more tracks not on the one featured tonight: Cupid and Psyche. Oh Patti (the lover boy one) the best of these but for the record including A Day Late a Dollar Short; The Boom Boom Bap; Skank Bloc Bologna and Trentavious White.
Green Gartside
Green’s voice is still fantastic – disintinctively breathy and high – and he forces his head up and squeezes out the highest notes. Now with a grey beard he could not look less 80s…this is all about the songs and the voice coming back out of the box, not dressing up clothes and make-up.
Rhodri Marsden – keyboards
..and on to the main focus: the 1985 second album Cupid and Psyche, played in full and as it transpires in order. It’s a cracker – not a bad track on it. As Green introduces it “for the first time ever” played live in full conceding, “well ok the second time if you count Norwich last night”.
Green
At the appropriate point Green asks everyone to just imagine the crackle of the vinyl as we get to the end of side one and turn over for track one side two: Perfect Way. Next Lover to Fall which Green observes is the most 80s sounding of the whole album, with the opening synth. (YouTube: Lover to Fall)
And it’s soon nearing the end with perhaps the best from this album, Wood Beez (the Aretha Franklin one..not Beez Neez as I keep calling it!), mimed here beautifully on Top of the Pops. The seated crowd started to get up and dance. Just one more left from the album and they leave the stage to return for a one song encore.
Encore with Alexis Taylor
They return with Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip to play At Last I am Free, a Chic song, something of an anti-climax given what has gone before. Sweetest Girl to finish would have done the job… but we got that to start us off so hey ho.
‘At Last I am Free’ to finish
A great opportunity to see a wonderful album performed in its entirety in a beautiful old building, where Charles Dickens once appeared.
I can’t do justice to Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull with my blog notes but I will just put a marker down to acknowledge I dipped my toe into this mysterious water one evening. I was offered a couple of tickets for free that were not going to be used; it’s walking distance away and it’s live music. Why not eh? An educational visit.
A month or so ago I knew nothing more than the name and that a flute might be involved. I had a read and listen but you can’t cram five decades into a few hours of listening.
I was amongst a substantial audience – a full seated Lighthouse concert hall – of largely older men who had clearly absorbed the five decades of Jethro Tull material diligently and lovingly. Everyone seemed very pleased with the whole evening although I understand, from bumping into an experienced Tull-ite outside later, that voice and performance have both seen better times – Ian Anderson is 74 for goodness sake. (Born in Dunfermline I see….. hometown of The Skids, Big Country and Nazereth.)
He is a strong 74, still full of energy and partial to an occasional gallop around the stage playing his flute – a flute which at times he growls into and also uses more aggressively like an electric guitar than the gentle uses my ears are more familiar with.
I witnessed the one legged stance with the other leg bouncing to the beat, that has become his trademark. I didn’t get to see the mane of wild hair that I’d seen in photos and YouTube clips – he’s cut it all off.
The old hair of Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull
The film backdrop featured some good old footage and prog rock nostalgia at various points. Some prog rock tunes beforehand and we settled for a dose of Genesis’ Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in the interval of the 90ish minute show, while others raided the merch stand and took part in the predictablely futile attempt to get an interval drink here.
Interval merch stand promotion
I could only recognise one song for sure – Thick as a Brick – and that was helped by the film backdrop and the obvious ending. I think they played Aqualung but I can’t be sure. It’s fair to say I was lost, lost in flute solos, less frequent guitar solos and some excellent Hammond keyboards.
Again I couldn’t take any photos here during the performance, given the no phones or cameras policy which seems to be standard for the Lighthouse concert hall. One to park in my memory anyway but no use in sharing the experience eh 🙄.
What a fun day out. Relaxed, beer swilling, nostalgic fun. Everyone’s here to hear old stuff with many dressing the 80s part…well a clichéd 80s part – counting CHOOSE LIFE t-shirts was an appropriate pastime and there were plenty of 80s wigs and dayglo stuff. No room for trendy buggers or muso snobbery. This was 80s party time. Bright day – sun with a bit of cloud cover to stop us all frying.
There were two artists that played I wanted to see that I’d never seen: Kim Wilde and Adam Ant. Peter Hook and the Light were an obvious draw and I was just happy to let the rest wash over me.
The Site
Powderham Castle sounds grand. We did catch a glimpse of the castle through some distant trees but the site was just some pleasant fields somewhere between the castle and the River Exe estuary. About 10,000 capacity and it was pretty busy. An inadequate number of food stands had joined the party, noticably, to the point that queues reached ridiculous levels at times – this was the same at Victorious Festival last month. Perhaps just not the active businesses prepared to risk investing at the moment. Maybe retiring and buying a pizza wagon for next Summer is not such a mad idea.
As well as the one main stage there was an upgrade area with access to a tent with queue free bar, better toilets, a chinese and thai food stall with a comfortable wait, tables and chairs and a marquee with some bonus performers in between the main acts. More about that later 😵
The arena had a large horseshoe of standing only with some barriers to indicate where people could start using camping chairs and other relief for 50+ year old legs. This worked well as you could quite easily wander in and out of the standing bit to see who you wanted. As usual I had my trusty pocket zoom with me and it was nice and bright for some snaps throughout the day.
We stayed in pre-pitched tents overnight, just a few hundred yards away – three guys in one round tent – we survived. (Festival buddies were Dave Pi, Simon Ma and Glasto Nige – Simon in his own spacious and, by the end of the day, well advertised tent 47 😁). I’d forgotten that feeling of traipsing across wet grass in the dark for an early morning piss. Nice toilets though but no running water by morning.
…and the bands and artists
T’pau never made it due to illness
After the sound system was warmed up by the house band that backed several of the artists, Toyah bounced on full of proud 63 year old enthusiasm.
Toyah
A cover of Echo Beach and an great cover of Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell were included in this short taster set which couldn’t ignore It’s a Mystery. “I’m 63 now and I still want to be singing this song…. I Wanna be Free“. The fourth time I’ve seen her since 1980 and this was once again a guilty pleasure.
Toyah – great version of Rebel Yell
I stood bemused as Five Star, well three star, leaped around in very large tracksuit bottoms in front of me. I was on unfamiliar ground.
Three Star
We moved up closer to the stage for the early but undoubted highlight of the day: Peter Hook and the Light.
Peter Hook – are we at the right festival?
“Am I at the right festival?” exclaimed Hooky. “This is Blue Monday ….with love from Manchester.” They did seem an odd addition to the list of overt 80s style pop with their bass driven beautiful gloom in the sun…. amid the happy poppy onslaught.
Hooky surveys the 80s party audience
Turn up my bass
A brilliant selection of Joy Division and New Order hits which was was pretty much identical to the Victorious Festival performance I was at last month: True Faith and Temptation this lunchtime’s highlights and Love Will Tear Us Apart, dedicated to Curtis to finish this 40 minute slot. “Lie quiet in your sleep Ian”.
Jack Bates – son of Hooky – second bass
Andy Poole – keyboards
Peter Hook
Hooky takes off his t-shirt and throws it into the front few rows…and they’re off.
I could help noticing that the photographer pressed up to the stage was sporting a 1980 Ramones Non-Stop World Tour t-shirt. How was it still in one piece – I had one of those.
And on to Midge Ure’s Electronica. Hits from Ultravox largely and a bit of a race through, including Vienna and Dancing with Tears in My Eyes. These short sets really went so fast.
Midge Ure and his band Electronica
Fade to Grey captured the 80s feel so well. “This is a song I wrote for someone a long time ago…I hope you like it” as Midge introduced it….the first few systhesised beats of this hit for Visage were instantly recognisable to get a cheer from the ever increasing crowd in the front of the arena.
I’ll be seeing him again soon but another welcome taster.
Next up Kim Wilde. This was probably the surprise of the day. A really good bouncy set with a very pleased to be here Kim.
Kim Wilde and neice Scarlett Wilde on backing vocals
The Supremes song she covered Keep me Hanging on was a belter and Cambodia was much more familiar than I would’ve thought.
No gardening gloves on today – great jacket
But I wanted to hear her do Kids in America (wo-oah!). They’ve done half an hour or so and off they go – big cheers and applause – none of these bands do encores as the timing is so tight and everyone’s got fairly short set times…. ahh relief… back comes Kim with her band and I could have gone home happy right then. A beautiful moment. Standing in a field in the sunshine in a lovely friendly crowd listening to Kim Wilde sing Kids in America… wo-oah!
Either side of the Kim Wilde set and in a few of the intervals from that point there were some surprise appearances in the upgrade area bar tent, just in case there wasn’t enough music on offer. Nathan Moore from Brother Beyond quickly attracted an enthusiastic audience from a central podium in the tent.
That enthusiasm was hugely surpassed by what hit that podium next: Black Lace 😬
A monster unleashed. It was like spell no one could resist. An inevitable conga appeared. I tried to pretend I didn’t know the words, or people I knew joining the conga, but resistance was futile. The energy from the Black Lace pair was admirable. Possibly the heat had got to everyone or maybe it was just the alcohol soaking in… “Aga do do do”…no stop..help. High veleocity actions included, off we go again… “I am the music man, I come from down your way”….Jesus ..I know this as well. I was open mouthed and belly laughing at how enjoyable it all was. I had a couple of pints of water, decided to slow down a bit and go and see Tony Hadley…but not before bluntly expressing my surprise and also gratitude to the Black Lace boys. Not sure either of these guys are original members, on a read up, but no one minded.
…push pine-apple, shake a tree 🙄
Black Lace duo – too much fun – too much
Back out to the fresh air of near normality and the relative calm of Tony Hadley.
Tone
True, Gold and Chant No.1 (“we don’t need this pressure on – that one”) were the pick of the old Spandau Ballet numbers belted out by big Tone. To finish, a sunshine singalong to Queen’s We are the Champions.
It’s that Arsenal have scored stance from Tony Hadley – he’s a fan
ABC followed, which I watched mostly from afar. I saw them a few years back at a similar 80s bash at Newton Abbot racecourse and like the Lexicon of Love album but it was time for a rest. I did pop back for a photo near the end of their set, which included Look of Love and Poison Arrow.
ABC
A bit of a lull for me after that. A food queue and eating break combined with some foot and knee rest – it’s a mini-marathon not a sprint.
Howard Jones was someone I’d never seen and thought I’d enjoy but I couldn’t hear anything to draw me from my seat near the beer tent. Maybe just the timing.
Wet Wet Wet (Wet Wet would be a more honest name) was a different story. They never were my sort of thing and if they were Marti Pellow is no longer with them. Just dull. With a new lead singer they announced a selection of new songs which seemed a bad idea at an overt nostalgia event like this. I was happier with the beer tent party which revved up between the main stage bands…so were many others by the look of it.
Wet Wet Wet anyone? The beer tent intermittant party.
The end is nigh…. Adam Ant is last on and of all the acts the one I was keenest to see beforehand. By the end it was Adam Ant that I’d seek out most again. Even now, 40 years on from the Ant people days, I’d still like to see him at one of his own gigs. While I was pleased to hear a first album favourites like Car… Car Car Trouble the audience at a festival like these are clearly more hits orientated.
The double drummers are such a defining sound still, with those distinctive bare drumstick clicks – best exhibited on the highlight for me and another moment of the day: Kings of the Wild Frontier.
Last band of the day and Prince Charming himself
Adam Ant seemed a little serious – but not desperate – and chat was minimal between song. I guess he’d be more comfortable in a dark Brixton Academy than a field near Exeter full of 80s party types.
With an hour long set he got more of an opportunity than others to mix hits with album tracks and more recent solo stuff. I was happy with that.
Adam was looking pretty Ant-like having slimmed back down in recent years by the distant look of him. Still the great trademark jacket, a cross on the cheek but no white stripe under the eyes…not tonight anyway. He seemed quite glued to his hat – it nearly came off at one point – and I think the hair may have gone.
Desperate but not Serious was an ear worm I went off to my tent with…. but the singles were there: Stand and Deliver (with that great ‘Huh’ bit), Goody Two Shoes, Prince Charming ….
Adam Ant – Powderham Castle
X marks the cheek
A fun and beer packed day. Hugely entertaining. My notes and snaps probably indicate my winners – Peter Hook and the Light, Adam Ant and Kim Wilde… and don’t mention Black Lace 🤫.
I took the long winded but relaxing train route to Bristol for the gig tonight, changing at Upwey and on through Frome (ah handy for the Cheese and Grain) and Bath and only having two mobile tickets check ‘performances’ on the way. I think I’m happier being armed with a paper ticket…and suspect the train guards would be happier if I was as well.
Bags of time so a bit of a wander up from Bristol Templemeads Station to the central area. I’m carrying stuff for an overnight camping stop at a festival on Saturday so a bit laden down to start skipping through town and over to the Rough Trade shop as I had envisaged.
I head for the oldest pub in Bristol, The Hatchet Inn – a good spot, handily just over from the O2 Academy before meeting up with gig buddy Dave (DPi) and dumping my stuff in his car. Then it’s off to Wongs, great Chinese restaurant just up the street from the Hatchet.
O2 Academy Bristol 5pm
Finished the food. Bags of time. Strolled over to the O2 for more mobile phone fannying about… O2 priority App has gone into some sort of slow opening protest – against queue jumping maybe. Where is the NHS Covid pass? It was here earlier .. found it…nearly there…through the metal detector….phone in the tray… through..bugger, the pass has disappeared again. Security chap points a scanner at my phone and ‘ping’, I’m in. Up the steps and through the glass doors into the gig…IT’S STARTED! It’s 7.35pm! The Lightning Seeds are on stage cracking on with their first song, accompanied by a huge spinning strawberry illustrating the cover of the album being showcased/ celebrated on the tour: Jollification, 25 years of it..well 27 now.
The Jollification strawberry and The Lightning Seeds
Apparently the Lightning Seeds didn’t tour properly until this, their third album, Jollification, was released in September 1994. Although familiar with it I didn’t buy this one.
I bought the 1996 album Dizzy Heights and the first of two greatest hits albums Like You Do…The Best of the Lightning Seeds (1997), no doubt aided by some Euro 96 enthusiasm for Three Lions – 30 years of hurt and all that. Also it was in 1997, November, that I saw them play at the London Astoria on Tottenham Court Road. There was a support slot in November 1995 for The Beautiful South at Birmingham NEC but I can’t remember much about that one.
I’ve not really come across many people who’ve professed to like the Lightning Seeds – not a t-shirt you see worn very often. My Dizzy Heights album with its pure jubilant pop Sugar Coated Iceberg and Waiting for the Day to Happen, I think it may have been something of a guilty pleasure of mine. Well there are plenty more who have sneaked out to see this one. It’s busy without being rammed.
On stage with the revolving giant strawberry tonight are main man Ian Broudie – who is the voice and the writer for the Lighting Seeds and has been from the beginning (as well as a prolific producer); bassist since 1994 Martyn Campbell and the others are new youthful replacements: drummer, keyboards; a youthful Riley, Broudie’s son and a bit of brass as required.
Bassist Martyn Campbell
We stick on the raised platform near the doors once in. Decent view and with a medium sized side-on venue it’s hard to be that far from the stage.
The first part was a shuffled run through Jollification with the singles Marvellous, Perfect and Change good early ones.
“Thank you for waiting two years for this” says a relieved Broudie as they prepared for the last song in the Jollification album section: Lucky You (co-written by Terry Hall eh).
Ian Broudie – Bristol O2 Academy
Considering their clean pop sound this is pretty damn loud with a bit of distortion in either my ears or from the speaker above and in front to help penetrate the space under the balcony, in front of the way in.
We moved down quite easily into the middle of the main floor standing area in the break. The sound was better but my trusty muso earplugs came out of their little bag for a bit.
Riley Broudie far left on rhythm guitar
Broudie picks out a variety of his pop classics including Sense, What if… It’s not all originals though. Wreckless Eric’s Whole Wide World was a surprise – I have that on 12″ somewhere. Later a bit of Marvin Gaye.
There’s an acoustic version of Dizzy Heights and then a bit of brass joins for Sugar Coated Iceberg. Euphoric pop. What an uplifting song – YouTube vid in the link.
The strawberry looms
They round off the freestyle half with their early hit and universally popular Life of Riley before returning for the singalong encores. First The Ronnettes’ Be My Baby, another surprise – a good one – and then the unsurprising Three Lions, amid much grinning and singing. It is now a classic part of English culture of recent decades.
Everyone seems happy with all that, including me. We head out. It’s just 9.38pm but two hours of great happy sounding tunes have passed in no time.
Real ticket: timing hints but we beat tbe curfew by 90mins
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis 2.9.2021 Poole Lighthouse
Nick Cave on the doorstep……at Poole Lighthouse arts centre. Irresistible. To be honest the prices were a bit steep (£86 front half) but this was quite an eyebrow raiser when I saw it advertised and when you can walk to a gig it’s an easy win for an event like this.
Real tickets eh
Pre – gig options
The bar at the Lighthouse is a pleasant, bright, high ceiling affair (staff always lovely) which is fine if you want to get in early, grab a big sofa or comfy chair and beat the bar queue. There is a café downstairs and if the cinema is open that has its own bar which can allow a queue dodge and seat downstairs.
The options for pubs within striking distance of the Lighthouse are the Delfino Lounge, just through the shopping centre in the ugly Falkland Square, for a light cheaper bite without much company on an evening in the week; The George pub just round the corner – down to earth football watching pub to me or I’d go for the Brewhouse and Kitchen as best choice (top ale), also handy for the station. It’s about a mile from the Quay and loads there to pick from. The Lighthouse is just over the road from Poole bus station which is no more appealing than any other town’s bus station, and about a third of a mile wander from the train station. Parking opposite and slightly beyond at the shopping centre multi-storeys.
I often throw in some reminders of local facilities in these notes – more relevant for gigs like tonight, with clearly a bigger proportion of out of towners. This is a specialist crowd. A queue of 50-65 year olds snakes out, amid photo id checks and jab scrutiny, looking like they’ve been listening to John Peel for ever. Some vintage Nick Cave t-shirts, wild hair – plenty of grey haired gig-goers here – black clothes, trendy clothes and well worn boots.
Cave cred lacking
The Ghosteen album is something I’d been listening to a lot in Lockdown – released October 2019. An extremely sad and mournful album written in the years following the sudden tragic death of Nick Cave’s 15-year old son Arthur in July 2015 – a fall from a cliff edge, near Brighton, having taken LSD.
I booked to see The Idiot Prayer film down at the Lighthouse, where this gig was, last year but that fell foul of Covid restrictions in the end. Then came the latest album, Carnage, by Cave and Warren Ellis (an original Bad Seed, as in Nick Cave and the…) which is being toured at the moment. It’s in a similar vein: heart wrenching sorrow and painful darkness but beautiful at the same time.
Before that…. 16 albums that I haven’t listened to so something to explore I guess. I did see The Birthday Party support Bauhaus, with the Subway Sect at the London Lyceum in 1981, 25 June.
I was there..
The Gig
But this is light years away from the wild screams of The Birthday Party’s Release the Bats. As Cave said at one point – after a shout for some old classic – “we’re too mature to go back”. This gig was more orchestral performance than post-punk thrash.
Two intense hours – no support – which the ‘specialist’ audience was completely absorbed in. Like a performance of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra that I have been privileged to see here on occasions (friends’ season tickets) there was hushed concentration throughout, roars of approval after each song and the occasional charming whoop or shout.
This is in the main concert hall, capacity 1476 seated, with a large balcony.
All remained seated to the end except a dancing fan near the front right, occasionally restrained lovingly by her partner down near the front.
The nature of the performance was such that I can see the appropriateness of the phone and camera police on duty, although intially this caused me some concern as my blog is essentially photos I manage to take with some words of context. I am discreet I think but I didn’t feel I should breach the rules or the atmosphere. So there is just one photo in this blog…at the end when they said goodbye. Hence I thought I’d better be more descriptive.
Nick Cave wore a green tailored jacket, white shirt and smart black trousers. His slicked, trade mark head of black or blackend hair defines his look still.
He had three excellent backing singers, occasionally more forward than back, roaming to sing with him. Warren Ellis sat god-like: I mean he actually looked like an image of God rather than sitting in a god-like way… however gods sit. With his wild mass of grey beard and hair he sat with a small synth on his lap, just occasionally picking up his violin. A percussionist played guitars, drums and all sorts throughout; he too with Cave slicked back black hair. It is an unusual combination.
Cave flits between grand piano and centre stage stool and mic from where he conducts, to the band, especially Warren Ellis. At times he stood doing a restrained Nick Cave dance of old…almost as if there is an automatic twitch in the leg to bring the knee up.
The piano playing is clear, slow and deliberate while the Ellis synth is haunting.
Spinning Song is one I recall from early in the set. From the new album I particularly noted the strains of Balcony Man, then Albuquerque and the Hand of God. (That’s two songs I know called Albuquerque – I went there on the strengh of one.. don’t bother, try Sante Fe.)
I’m glad they played Ghosteen, the title track of the album that lead me to find Nick Cave in Lockdown.
Into My Arms a hugely sad piece… dark as hell although I guess you are supposed to feel better immersing yourself in this sadness. It’s astonishing stuff. This was an astonishing gig, unlike anything I’ve seen. Very different. Very dark.
Cave performed the song Into My Arms at the funeral of fellow Aussie Michael Hutchence (INXS), and requested cameras recording the service were turned off while he performed it.
The mood lightens in Poole when Cave asks the audience not to breathe on the band. The first night of a 20 odd date tour and ‘what chance have we got of making it?’ he chuckles helplessly.
Having recently been playing the Morrissey/Bowie live version my ears pricked up when Nick Cave, sat at his shiny grand piano, with his green jacketed back to us, started playing Marc Bolan’s Cosmic Dancer. Wonderful stuff with the line ‘I danced myself into the tomb’.
In the clip Cave introduces it as his best Bolan song ever…maybe the best song ever.
As the show comes towards a close Cave performs a with just him and his piano. A brief encore and the show is over – waves goodbye. What a master of darkness he is.
Go and have listen to the album Carnage. It’s worth it.
Gigs with Ivan 