Gigs with Ivan

Spear of Destiny – One Eyed Jacks 35 years on

The 1865, Southampton 11.9.19

I took the train….to Southampton on Wednesday night to see Kirk Brandon in Spear of Destiny mode.

The 1865 is just over a mile from the central station, down the bottom of town in a well signposted but unlikely looking street when you get to it. Wetherspoons’ Standing Order is a handy nearby pre-gig watering hole.

From the outside the 1865 looks like some sort of industrial unit – it can’t be here can it? Inside it’s warm carpet and black curtains – felt a bit like being in a 70s Double Diamond advert. I like it. Only been once before .

Support band Feather Trade – view from the raised bar area

I like the location of the bar here, up stairs away at the back of the venue. You can stand up there and survey the place, including the merch stand have chat and it not be in the way or disruptive for the stage. Perfect to see a support band from. The stage entry is odd, with the bands coming on through the crowd and up a few steps at the front. Crowd parting to let bands off.

The club holds around 700 and it ends up half full tonight. With frontman Kirk, in Spear of Destiny are Craig Adams on bass (The Mission/Sisters of Mercy), Adrian Portas on guitar (New Model Army/Sex Gang Children) Phil Martini on drums and keyboardist and sax players also. (I have to look these things up – I recognise people from different bands but would rarely get names.) Full on ‘Spear’ sound. Adrian Portas was stand out brilliant on guitar.

One Eyed Jacks is the best SoD album for me and most so it was great to have the whole album played on this 35th anniversary tour. There is a re-recorded version on sale and available on the merch stand. It’s one of the vinyl albums I played repeatedly when it came out. Lots of rousing choruses.

On the merch stand there were two SoD CD boxed sets that looked good if CD is an option wanted. One of first three albums and one of another four. £20 each.

After the One Eyed Jacks airing some other classics with my favourite being ‘Grapes and Wrath’ off the first album but the whole set was really good – good sound.

Adrian Portas on guitar – brilliant guitar

This was a mid-week gig. Not wild. A room of largely men in our 50s feeling nostalgic and occasionally punching the air. I’d happily go again tonight.

I went along to this one with mate Chris (CMe) from Coventry days and Andy (AMu). I think we were doing a good punk rock version of Last of the Summer Wine. These are great ways to spend Wednesday night in September.

Always worth taking away a some haircut styling tips from Kirk Brandon so this last photo is one I can show to the hairdresser next visit….

Can you just do the back like this please? Kirk – legendary hair cuts

My Kirk Brandon Years

My Kirk Brandon years? I suppose that would be 1982 until now.

Maybe I had a lull; Kirk himself had a lull, but from Westworld onwards, with or without bassist Stan Stammers, Theatre of Hate or Spear of Destiny, I have never let it go. Kirk is back on tour and up the road in Southampton so that’s the gig of the week for me: Spear of Destiny and the One Eyed Jacks Tour.

With a bit of virtual digging there are two early Theatre of Hate gigs I was at: Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham and a chicken dance frenzy at the legendary Hammersmith Palais, with Southern Death Cult supporting. By this point the early Kirk outfit The Pack had come and gone, leaving St. Theresa, King of Kings and Legion amongst the rough diamonds of those early recordings. Legion, for me, is still one of the most frantic, exciting tracks of the punk/ post-punk era.

Digbeth Civic Hall, Brum –
Theatre of Hate 1982

Legion, legion, legion, legion…on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yAC4QRK6b5Q

It was ‘Do you Believe in the Westworld’ that brought wider attention. Maybe the most attention Kirk Brandon ever had. This early Top of the Pops appearance, introduced by John Peel, showcased the ‘Westworld’ single. https://youtu.be/2E_P90oTKa0

In the early 80s I really wanted to get a bleach blonde Kirk Brandon haircut but never got there. Perhaps it’s too late now…never say never eh. I found four of my Spear of Destiny tickets stashed from that early 80s period and I think that was all of them – I seemed to get more careful with them later on. Aston University, Birmingham Powerhouse and Leicester’s De Montford Hall in my Brum years.

In August 1984 the soon to be abolished Greater London Council (GLC) put on the free festival in Brockwell Park with SoD and The Damned amongst the irresistible line up. I recall a a fight with broken cider bottles during New Model Army that got part of the crowd moving…running.

A later big single was ‘Never Take Me Alive’ which made the top 15, when charts still mattered. https://youtu.be/ohN0KIyP8m0

A sign of the times: for the fourth Spear of Destiny album, featuring ‘Never Take Me Alive’, I ventured into the rather short lived cassette market. How we miss their quiet unravelling when left unattended – razor blade sellotape and pencil at the ready.

My last ‘Spear’ gig of the century was on the joint headline tour with Hugh Cornwell, once of the Stranglers, in Nottingham, with my mate Chris (CMe), who is coming along to Southampton this week. He tells me it was called the ‘heads and tails tour’ because Hugh and Kirk would toss a coin to see who went on first. Kirk must have lost in Nottingham. That could be nonsense. He went on first though.

Nottingham 1998. Another ticket ‘to be retained’.

The Rig was an annexe to the main 2000 capacity Rock City that was operated as a separate venue holding about 400. This smaller venue has now become ‘The Blavk Cherry Lounge’.

Bit of a lull after that. Nothing until 2015 and then twice in 2015 – no tickets saved and a bit of Googling required – an acoustic gig accompanied by a cello at the Railway Inn, Winchester (with mate AMu) and an excellent, raucous Theatre of Hate gig at The Garage in London (with CMe again).

I returned to Winchester for Kirk’s appearance as part of ‘supergroup’ ‘Dead Men Walking’ (18.6.16) in the library (Discovery Centre). That was with Stiff Little Fingers frontman Jake Burns and two of Ruts DC. Quite a lot of chat and stories. The line ups have altered each tour. Worth a look.

Kirk Brandon – Shepherd’s Bush 30.6.18 Theatre of Hate

Theatre of Hate (30.6.18) Shepherd’s Bush O2

After these more acoustic shows, in June last year I caught up with Theatre of Hate when they supported The Skids at Shepherd’s Bush O2. A great set. Got a chance to meet Kirk backstage, along with The Skids, via some special tickets. Top night. (+DPi, AMu, GGu, SNi, SDu)

Off to Southampton we go then. The 1865 for The One Eyed Jacks Tour. Wednesday night. Perhaps I’ll get a haircut.

Live and Unheard – Poole

Capulus. Poole Lighthouse 4.9.19

Wednesday night in Poole. My 51st gig of 2019. 133 performances by 123 different bands this year. Still there are surprises; exciting surprises.

After a four hour round trip to Bristol on Tuesday it was a relief to be able to walk to tonight’s gig in the studio at Poole Lighthouse arts centre.

Over the years being able to walk to a anything other than a pub gig has been an extreme rarity. The Lighthouse’s main auditorium is a biggy and not many broadly rock pop bands play there – Simple Minds and Marc Almond were a notable and enjoyable exceptions that I went to in recent years. The smaller theatre, with its steep bank of seating, which is home to comedy, ballet and plays can handle a smaller crowd – I was there for Glenn Tilbrook earlier this year.

The Sherling Studio, tonight’s venue, holds around a hundred people, seated around two sides in five or so rows of terraced seating – about 70 in tonight for this new acts taster. A monthly event put on by local musician and record producer Matt Black, which brings an opportunity for local bands and performers to play in a well organised setting with good sound and lighting. £9.50 a ticket. We shall try this again…with partner (SSo) tonight.

We bought tickets when we bumped into local singer songwriter Rujiero playing an open mic gig in Bournemouth but when we rocked up tonight he was there with his arm in a sling and out injured. Shame. We will catch up with his full band show soon.

Tonight, first up was solo singer songwriter Charlie Cole, followed by the full sound of Inner City Smugglers. All good entertainment but next were Capulus.

Four piece, loud, young, confident, matching trainers and band logo backed hoodies and full of energy. From Kingsbridge, Devon I read later. Gripping immediately and animated. The bassist off was straight off playing up around the studio seating – no low key mid-week approach here. This was great. Elements of Muse sound I thought – a bit of Foo Fighters – a slow down with a bit of Pink Floyd – mostly own rocky material and to finish ‘The Greatest Song in the World’, the Tenacious D epic. What a surprise treat on the this Wednesday ‘school night’. I’ll be looking for them playing again soon. Standing ovation. Wow. Well done lads.

Capulus in the Sherling Studio, at Poole Lighthouse.

‘An Evening with Richard Jobson’

St. George’s, Bristol 4.9.19

Beforehand I wasn’t quite sure of the format of Tuesday night’s gig. At one point I had a question mark over whether this was a gig or a chat but ‘an evening with Richard Jobson’ was exactly what it was. A gig and as billed.

St. George’s, Bristol – Tuesday night’s venue

In the recently renovated, historic and smart surroundings of St. George’s, Bristol, this was the songs of The Skids stripped bare to expose the lyrics and put in context by Jobson. Each song individually wrapped to be savoured without the usual sea of electric guitars, drums, Jobbers’ dancing and mosh pit. It worked. A real treat for any Skids enthusiasts.

Yes Jamie and Bruce Watson were there providing acoustic guitar and vocal backing (with the classic Watson t-shirts and Bruce solo material at the merch stand) but this was very much a Jobson production.

The two part evening was opened by Bruce and Jamie Watson (both play with The Skids as well as Big Country) with a couple of numbers including ‘Fragile Thing’ which Bruce introduced as “the last song that I wrote with Stuart Adamson”.

Jobson came on and explained the reasoning for wanting to revisit the Skids material in an acoustic way and how the recently released album ‘Peaceful Times’ was born, and we were off, with ‘Hurry on Boys”.

For me what was notable from the set list for the first half was how well three songs from the 2017 album ‘Burning Cities’ stood up alongside other Skids’ classics. ‘Kings of the New World Order’, ‘World on Fire’ and ‘Desert Dust’, which I shall be revisiting and hadn’t fully appreciated – the last track on ‘Burning Cities’ about recent middle east war zones.

“The added context makes the songs more memorable and meaningful, already.”

Audience questions were invited at various points throughout and these extracted tales and detail from Jobson, a tactic which must bring individuality to each night on the tour. The added context makes the songs more memorable and meaningful, already. I will just share a couple.

John Peel

Before playing ‘Charles’, one of the first Skids recordings, Jobson, prompted by a question, referred back to that grip that John Peel’s Radio 1 show had on all of us of an age: listening every night to new sounds mixed with older classics. The band had sent in a recording of ‘Charles’ and one night after presuming it had been passed over Peel played it – Jobson’s jaw dropped as he recounted that moment. Their moment….then the next night Peel played it again, and again, and more. This was it. A gig shortly after, at the Red Cow in Hammersmith, The Skids signed to Virgin Records as a result.

The Saints are Coming

‘The Saints are Coming’ was introduced with the tale of the out of the blue phone call Jobson took from The Edge of U2 to get him down to London’s Abbey Road Studios to ‘have a talk about something’. When he got there Green Day and U2 were recording ‘Saints’ as a charity single. Jobson gave them the freedom to use it, with all proceeds going to a post Storm (Katrina) flooding music project for young people in the New Orleans area. The Green Day/ U2 version was released and first heard at the New Orleans Saints’ stadium and went to number one in countries all over the world. Jobson never took a penny. “What goes around, comes around” he reflected.

YouTube link. U2/ Green Day video of The Saints are Coming: https://youtu.be/PD_0fqvT32g

During the evening Jobson also opened up on more negative experiences like the break up of The Skids, The Joy album, and the failure of The Armoury Show to gain traction, while Big Country toured the world with Bowie and the Stones.

After the second half, which included a stunning solo vocal rendition of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and a rare outing for the Armoury Show’s ‘Castles in Spain’, this absorbing ‘evening with Richard Jobson’ and the Watsons ended with ‘Into the Valley’. Well how else could you end?

Before the show

Pre-gig posing with Jobbers
(Photo by DPi)

There were some familiar faces and some new friendly ones in the hall early before the gig. Relaxed catch up and time to get some stuff signed – given the opportunity I had some CD covers signed and a couple of photos I took at a gig in Frome last year. (A meet an greet option this. An area to explore in another blog some time.)

If you are in the centre of Bristol at St George’s or O2 Academy for instance and want a prompt sit down meal then Wongs Chinese restaurant is well worth checking out in Denmark Street.

It’s a couple of hours by car for me to Bristol and hopelessly inconvenient by train but it is a great city centre at night and I always enjoy coming here, especially when staying over. This was a memorable and different mid-week gig experience, tonight with DPi and ‘Glasto Nige’, with a late drive home for all of us.

The Skids back on track

This week I’m heading to Bristol on Tuesday night to catch THE SKIDS acoustic tour, or ‘An Evening with Richard Jobson of The Skids’ as it’s billed.

My first SKIDS gig was 1980 at Hammersmith Palais. Circus Games was high in the charts. Jobbers was sporting cricket whites. Great venue the Palais. Don’t recall any bad gigs and this was a cracker. My teenage excitement was filed in a scrapbook I still have.

Stuart Adamson cutting from Sounds with my ticket

That was the only time I saw them first time around, despite having all the albums. After that I saw the Armoury Show a couple of times in Birmingham the 80s: Aston University and I think Edward’s No 8, a nightclub in town. Meanwhile Stuart Adamson had ventured out with Big Country, who I caught supporting U2 at Brum Odeon in March 1983 and later that year at Reading Festival for the alarming stage pyrotechnics set (With long time school mate GGu).

Stuart Adamson’s Big Country at Reading Festival – my ticket £7!

March on more than 30 years and THE SKIDS re-emerged for a tour in 2017, having done some one off gigs. Original line-up minus Adamson RIP but with Bruce and Jamie Watson from Big Country on guitars. They were back out of the box and into the studio with a new well received album ‘Burning Cities’ – checkout ‘Kings of the New World Order’ and ‘This is Our World’.

The new album and Live CD of 2017 London Roundhouse gig

The 2017 London Roundhouse gig was a reunion for a bunch of my mates as well (DPi, GGu, AMu, PMo, DSy), sparking a new enthusiasm for THE SKIDS live.

Big GGu, Jobson, me, AMu at The Roundhouse 2017 (Photo by DPi, our Skids ‘operations manager’)

Mate and gig buddy DPi sorted an excellent trip for the two us to Belfast in December 2017, a double header gig with Big Country at The Limelight 1. The following June we went to the Cheese and Grain at Frome gig and Shepherds Bush O2, the latter being a particularly good night, Theatre of Hate supporting and some special tickets which got a group of us from Brum student days backstage.

Richard Jobson – Frome, Cheese and Grain – June 2018

In February 2019 the latest gig going venture organised by my relentless gig buddy (DPi) was for a group of us to go to the Butlins Alternative Music Festival – my Butlins debut. Who was headlining one of the nights? THE SKIDS of course, with Big Country also. The Butlins bouncing ballroom floor was in full flex.

Bruce Watson – with The Skids and Big Country – Butlins 2019

Then the finest performance of all in this run of middle aged Skids-mania: The Albert Hall in June 2019. This joint gig, headed by Buzzcocks, and with the excellent Penetration, was all set up a year before. Jobson told us about it the previous June. In the interim there was the sad, sudden and shocking loss of Pete Shelley which led to some speculation about the gig Albert Hall event. It became very much a memorial gig for Pete Shelley with various guests performing with the various other Buzzcocks, including Jobbo doing a stint.

THE SKIDS set didn’t focus on that emotion. This was THE SKIDS celebrating their return first. Jobson, with visibly more power than ever, delivered a masterful performance with the band in the amazing surroundings of the Albert Hall.

So you can see why I’m looking forward to this Tuesday in Bristol.

It looks like calmer affair – acoustic set accompanying the new SKIDS acoustic album, entitled, presumably ironically, ‘Peaceful Times’.

Blue Sunday – Victorious Day Three

More perfect festival weather down on Southsea Common for Victorious Festival. We never assume good weather and when we get it for these events it is beautiful. Everything sounds better and this was the case from Ziggy Marley to New Order.

Ziggy Marley opens main stage on Sunday at Victorious Festival

James Bay is Victorious – Day Two in Southsea

Well I never thought I’d see All Saints. I never thought I’d enjoy James Bay as much as that and I never thought I’d be eating a vegan paella watching the Fun Loving Criminals playing Scooby Snacks in 2019. This was Saturday by the sea on day two of Victorious Festival in Southsea.

The Silver Beatles open on main ‘Common’ Stage

A bit of background music to start with – the Silver Beatles.

Next on my Saturday weave through 80s and 90s pop, rock, britpop, indie rock were All Saints. Lots of arm waving. I recognised a couple of hits and a Police cover but wasn’t sure what I was doing there.

Republica brought a bit more punch. Not a band I know much about. When they came on I realised I’d got them mixed up with Elastica.

Popped down the front and cheery atmosphere. It felt like a proper gig, despite the early afternoon sun.

Next I just watched a few songs by Badly Drawn Boy and went off to the Castle Stage to catch a 30 minute set by The Rifles. Flitting between stages at a festival can be a fruitless chase sometimes. It takes a good 20 mins to wrestle through the crowds between the big stages here.

The Rifles played a short greatest hits set. Half an hour isn’t really enough to get going for a band you like. A good taster for the unfamiliar.

Back to the main, ‘Common’ Stage for Ocean Colour Scene, the pride of Moseley. I’ve seen them a fair few times over the years, including over the water at Ryde Ice Rink, and here at Victorious on the Seaside Stage in 2014. When Simon Fowler came on stage I barely recognised him. I feared the worst….

…needn’t have worried though. Despite some technical problems Fowler fronted up beautifully, with a few solo numbers to paper over the gap while road crew scurried around plugging and unplugging.

Opening with Riverboat Song the set included Profit in Peace, Travellers Tune, Blown Away, The Day we Caught the Train and the only song I know about a bus route in Birmingham: The Circle, written about the 11C route that goes through Moseley on its lap of the city.

I was going wander off to see The Hives – always entertaining – but I thought I’ve seen them several times at festivals/ Hyde Park so I would stick with friends who were eagerly awaiting James Bay.

First song and I thought this is worth sticking around for. Best act of the day and something new amid the retro. Rocky all action performance rather than the mournful shoe gazing singer songwriter stance I was anticipating. So pleased I stayed and went up closer for some pics.

Nearly done. The headliners left. Rudimental on the Common Stage and Bloc Party on Castle Stage….. so I headed with my partner (SSo) to the Acoustic Stage to see Space and a sit down on the hay bales.

Female of the Species and Neighbourhood were among the enthusiastically received numbers in the short acoustic-ish set. Excellent.

A big turn out had swamped the usually placid Acoustic Stage which was a surprise to everyone including a grateful Tommy Scott who we said cheers to afterwards and grabbed a pic as he emerged from the stage to get the golf buggy out.

Goodnight to Tommy Scott of Space (Photo by SSo)

That was Saturday for me at Victorious Festival. So many options. Today’s winner James Bay with a big hand to Ocean Colour Scene, The Rifles, Tommy Scott and Republica.

Glorious Victorious – a sunny Friday in Southsea

Festivals can get by with grey skies and drizzle but it’s hard not to enjoy bands when it’s blazing sunshine and blue skies. Friday at Victorious Festival is a bit of an intro day with a mid-afternoon start with the main Common Stage and not much more starting up until Saturday.

First up for me – Dodgy. ‘If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me’ and ‘Staying out for the summer’. Easy listen.

The afternoon continued in relaxed nostalgic mood. The Zutons had more energy about their performance than the Doves and Dodgy. ‘Valerie’ went down a treat of course followed by the debate about who recorded it first and who wrote it – Mark Ronson wrote for The Zutons who recorded it a while before Amy Winehouse gave it a worldwide airing.

For me today was all about The Specials. As medium term resident in the allegedly ghostly concrete jungle of Coventry, through late 80s and the 90s, I love ’em. When I bought their first album I never thought I’d end up in 2-Tone country. I missed the boat slightly but good times. Terry Hall left The Specials and Coventry when I was there.

I have lost track of precise band changes but Terry Hall is back now and in quiet moody control with Lynval Golding. No Dammers or Neville Staple these days. This evening we have Steve Cradock from Ocean Colour Scene and Weller’s band on guitar. I’m not sure if this is a regular thing.

Terry Hall. The delightfully moody boss.

Great set mixing old and new songs – great new album (Encore) with live old extra tracks/ disc if on CD. Gangsters, Nite Klub, Monkey Man…..(No Ghost Town). This lot should have been headlining but maybe I’m just old and moody like Terry.

To round up tonight, are Two Door Cinema Club. I liked their first two albums and haven’t got to see them until now. Their new album appears to have taken a turn and the direction isn’t one I like. I was disappointed but good show and others seemed to enjoy it.

How many gigs have you been to then?

I never used to count but when I cranked up the gig going a few years back it was a question I was getting asked. I thought I’d better have an answer, for myself at least. But what counts as a gig?

Yup, it doesn’t matter but as a gigaholic I think you need to know. It’s like counting your units of alcohol. Whether that leads to you moderating your behaviour is another matter.

So I have my rules. To count a gig I have to purposefully go to see the gig and know who I’m going to see. It doesn’t matter if it’s free. I don’t count seeing a pub band just by wandering in somewhere without knowing who’s playing.

One gig may include any number of bands/acts. When counting bands/acts as a separate tally I have to see a significant proportion of the performance (OK, a bit vague but you know when you know) …. oh and I need to know who I saw… obviously!

Then there are festivals. My gigaholic counting rules make one day at a festival one gig. Two days is two gigs etc. Rules on counting bands/ acts still apply.

Glastonbury 2019 – 4 days so 4 gigs – that’s my rules

Comedians and acts without a substantial musical content don’t count. Writing out these rules I’m now thinking of Al Murray and his “You’ve gotta have rules…where would we be without rules?”(France) line. (…and too many rules? Germany!)

Jimmy Tarbuck and Des O’Connor (Poole) yes I did go – didn’t count. Not enough song content. 🙄

What prompted this obsessive output on rules was last night. I was out around Poole with friends (TEv, TGi) and caught four acts in four different pubs. I didn’t count them, given the rules, but always pleased to catch up with the locally legendary Lady Winwood’s Maggot in The Lord Nelson.

Duo Samantha and Paul sounded good in The Stable. Only caught a few songs.

Nine Eyes were playing classic rock in The King Charles and The Kings Head had an open mic. My tally for the night 0 gigs 0 bands – that’s my rules.

Victorious Gems: Part 1. Slow Readers Club.

Headliners at the Victorious Festival (August Bank Holiday weekend, Southsea Common) are usually ‘very experienced’ and appeal to the more mature end of the broader festival going crowd (myself included), but with so many acts there is still always the chance of a couple of new gems. A couple from 2017 that I really enjoyed are now going places after extensive touring. One of these is THE SLOW READERS CLUB.

I was recommended THE SLOW READERS CLUB by friends [DPi/APi] so went to see them on the Seaside Stage first in 2016. I couldn’t understand why they weren’t more popular and when they returned in 2017 and played two sets (opening the Main ‘Common’ Stage and another Seaside Stage set) I was disappointed there weren’t bigger throngs of people to see them.

The ‘Readers’ open up main stage at noon – Victorious 2017

T.H.E.S.L.O.W.R.E.A.D.E.R.S.C.L.U.B – Seaside Stage -Victorious 2017

This indie pop/ rock band from Manchester gave up their jobs at the end of 2018 and went for it. Seems things have really picked up with a European and UK tour, a UK top 20 album and some big sell out Manchester gigs. I caught up with them at the Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms in March this year and took a trip to Glasgow last December and saw them at the Glasgow Art School.

Slow Readers Club – Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea – March 2019

Aaron Starkie – Slow Readers Club – Glasgow December 2018

SRC – Glasgow Art School – December 2018

Some good nights. The Art School burned down and was refurbished just in time for that gig.

For a taster check out: Lunatic; On the TV; I saw a Ghost.