Gigs with Ivan

Noel Gallagher live in Bournemouth

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at O2 Academy Bournemouth on 18.3.2024 with Adam Zindani supporting.

As the smallest of three warm-up gigs (Portsmouth and Poole were the other two) for Noel’s March Royal Albert Hall show, he played at the 1800 capacity O2 Academy Bournemouth (my venue blog link). He must like it – we all do eh – as he played here last year as well.

This was my fourth gig in four nights so a seat upstairs beckoned. I was going to wander down later on but had a great view so thought I’d stay put, having been greeted to ‘The Gods’ seats by an ex-work colleague Russell, now doing some Show Sec security work. He still let me in anyway. (This top tier is not always open and when it is, is usually capacity restricted by the issue of free wristbands.)

Support was from Adam Zindani to ease everyone in gently. Adam is rhythm guitarist with The Stereophonics, playing tonight with a keyboard player. Sounded very good and his cover of the brilliant What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding was appreciated by my ears.

There are flowers lining the back of the usable stage, behind are the amps, the Manchester City emblem and a cardboard cutout of City manager Pep Guardiola. There was a time that football and rock’n’roll didn’t mix.

Noel Gallagher on his Manchester City badged stage

The first part of the set is Noel’s High Flying Birds material and the latter part Oasis. The first five songs are all from the last High Flying Birds album Council Skies (2023), and it’s the title track that’s best for me.

The Chasing Yesterday album (2015) section has In the Heat of the Moment as the stand

out piece. Noel’s not saying much, just ploughing on with the songs. Great sound. Great delivery. The only time he gets a bit animated is when he picks up some football banter and has a dig at AFC Bournemouth up the road, feigning ignorance of their league position in the shadow of his oil sheik powered Manchester City.

There’s a fair old crowd in Noel’s High Flying Birds: up to 13 on stage at time, with backing singing trio. It gives so much depth to the sound, behind Noel’s acoustic guitar and vocals.

I was hanging on the intros to grab a video clip and settled on If I Had a Gun from Noel’s first album. (@grey-hairedgiggoer YouTube channel)

It must be frustrating that Oasis material always gets the best reception, but he doesn’t fight it. All the Oasis material is in the latter part and there are nine songs, broken up only by the last song of the main set: a cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart. Nothing added to the song but a Manchester tribute I guess.

The three Oasis encores are pretty tremendous to hear live, still: Stand By Me, Live Forever and Don’t Look Back in Anger but Little by Little and The Masterplan run them close. I really like The Masterplan.

Great opportunity this one. My gig of the year to date. I’ve only seen Noel with his High Flying Birds a few times – Bournemouth BIC in 2012 and at Glastonbury in 2022. I saw Oasis three times plus a festival but I wasn’t right there at the beginning. I prefer the kick arse snarling of Liam, if pressed to choose, but they both have their distinct talents and tonight was a real good ‘un.

Judas Priest live and loud in Bournemouth

Judas Priest at Bournemouth International Centre on 17.3.2024 with Saxon and Uriah Heep supporting.

My very occasional diversions to some heavy metal or heavy rock really had to include this local bill, but there’s nothing I can tell a diehard metal fan about tonight. I’m just on a musical excursion, tonight on my own, well aside from 6,500 other ageing gig-goers.

Bournemouth International Centre for Judas Priest

It’s a really big venue, especially when you get the full balcony view. In the 80s I would have said too big but with the monstrous halls that now pass for a gig, I guess this is almost ‘intimate’. I can see the faces on stage. No big screens required.

I won’t dwell on the BIC now, beyond remarking on the astonishingly poor toilet provision for all of the balcony seats, and you can’t get into the downstairs without tickets – I don’t ever remember it so bad downstairs, for men. Not a place to want a drink mind so I suppose we shouldn’t worry.

I was exposed to NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) around 1980, thanks to my mate Rich and a mutual friend ‘Curly’ who ‘transitioned’ from punk to metal at a Reading Festival around that time. In terms of record buying, I still just have two Motorhead singles, Iron Maiden’s first single and a UFO EP I received in a swap when I was maintaining it was better to have something new than a single you already have on an album. (Foolish lad – that cost me Buzzcocks’ Every Fallen in Love, picture cover.)

Of those schoolboy metal indoctrination sessions, Saxon and Judas Priest were right up there in my usual choices. I really had never listened to any Uriah Heep, until Spotify tastings after buying my ticket for tonight.

Early start, 6.30pm doors on this Sunday evening. A huge snake of leather and denim wound back and forth from the BIC doors. I don’t recall this off-putting start from other gigs here. Maybe I’m never here this early. I wait with a pint in the 1812 bar of the hotel over the road – far preferable to the BIC for a pre-gig drink anyway. The queue has only grown since I retreated, so I have to join or miss the first band. It moves, with muttering and scowls.

A thirty-minute, seven song set from Uriah Heep is a great start. Formed in 1969(!), with 67-year-old, Canadian born, Bernie Shaw taking over on vocals in the mid-80s. His voice is still excellent – classic heavy rock sound. (Original guitarist Mick Box is still in the band. Rock on man, rock on.)

They share their pleasure at being on the bill, promising to see everyone again with a longer show another time. “We’ve got 150 years of rock on this stage tonight”, bellows Shaw, referring to the line-up they share. The audience is no spring chicken mind I can tell you and they are loving it. It’s beautifully loud.

Some intricate keyboards come to the fore at times which brings that real late 70s vibe.

The balcony is a good vantage point for unobtrusive and unobstructed video clips and the one I dive in on is here on my Grey-haired Gig Goer YouTube channel: Gypsy. (Over 2k views in the last week so there are some fans out there.)

“We ain’t goin’ nowhere without playing this one”, screams Bernie Shaw. A cheer and they finish with the recognisable, dare I say hit, Easy Livin’.

It’s Saxon next, who get a full hour, and every bit as good at the headliners for me.

Still fronted by Biff Byford (from Barnsley), a regular name to jump out of the pages of my weekly copy of Sounds when at school. The whole band have fantastic headbanging hair, used to full effect at stage front, and with the standing crowd reciprocating in pockets, with varying degrees of vigour.

Well into the set, frontman Byford stops to suggest some choices to the audience and solicits cheers for three options – I like that and wonder if every crowd chooses the same – this time the band oblige with Crusader.

We get to the big singles, the first being 747 (Strangers in the Night). I’ve had the first few lines of this at the front of my mind at every mention of Saxon for 40 plus years, well frankly virtually every time I see a 747 take-off or fly over (this was a lot when I lived near the flight path to America from Heathrow – so my enthusiasm for this one is hard to quash). I took a vid of this one: Grey-haired Gig Goer channel on YouTube. (@grey-hairedgiggoer)

It’s that 1980 LP Wheels of Steel that got the plays round at my mate Rich’s house (their second album). They also played Motorcycle Man from this one, but of course it’s the title track that everyone must be waiting for and hearing Wheels of Steel live has to go in my book of rock’n’roll experiences.

They end with Princess of the Night and that set was as good as I could have wished for. My 17-year-old self would never have admitted it and would have been a bit surprised I think.

And so to tonight’s headliners Judas Priest. First thing – it was bloody loud. Loudest BIC performance I’ve seen. No challenge to my Motörhead at Southampton Guildhall experience but it’s premier league loudness. (Loudness is always a good discussion point – Buzzcocks have startled me a few times and god knows what damage Ramones gigs did to me.)

It was the 1980 album British Steel that got my ear back in the day. This is the Invincible Shield Tour, that being the name of their new album, which is in at #2 in the UK Album Chart, so the fan base is out there, with it also doing well across the World. Only three songs from the new album in the set, which is a likely relief to most, but a bit of a surprise. Four from British Steel so that suited me.

Lead singer Rob Halford stomps around the roomy stage looking every bit of his 72 years, sporting his huge ball of grey beard. How do these guys keep at it? He is often at the front the stage to lean over, singing into the crowd or head down towards a monitor, leather and stud clad as ever (Hell Bent for Leather appears in the encore).

Breaking the Law – one of the singles from British Steel – is the third song in which boosts the crowd noise and my interest. Love it. This is what I came for.

The set is all heavy and loud, without let up, and this appears to be what everyone wanted.

The band wander off periodically through some curtained openings. I was expecting costume changes or something dramatic but they just popped out for a bit from what I could see.

The main set ends with Painkiller. On their return I grab a video of Electric Eye, a belter, from 1982 which you can find at this link and join the 2,600 viewers this week.

Then Halford disappears and returns on his motorbike, on stage. Suddenly I remember this party piece. I guess most knew it was coming. Hell Bent for Leather and to finish, the big 1980 hit, Living After Midnight. The big emblem above the stage moves around again and that’s it… the show is over.

Three bands: live and loud. Job done. Heavy metal lives on.

Red Rum Club live in Southampton

Red Rum Club at The Engine Rooms on 15.3.2024 with The Bankes Brothers supporting.

Looks like Red Rum Club have jumped up a level and that is great to see. Two and a half years since a recommendation led us (wife Sally is a big fan) to CD purchases and a small gig in Exeter Cavern, Red Rum Club (RRC) have a top ten album and are selling out larger venues like the Engine Rooms tonight.

Western Approaches is the fourth studio album for the band, there’s also an album of acoustic sessions. This is our fourth time seeing them – other gigs feature in my previous Red Rum Club blog. (Venue blog of the Engine Rooms here.)

But first, support band The Bankes Brothers. When we rock up to the queue for the doors opening at 7pm, there’s a guy chatting over the barrier to some bods in the queue from Canada, soon joined by another happy Canadian and these are the Bankes brothers, the two brothers at the heart of the band.

I got here early to make sure I caught their set – I’d been impressed by what I’d heard on Spotify. It’s apparent from their exuberant chat that this is the last date of their support slots with RRC. They’ve flown over from their hometown of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada with baggage stuffed with cables, pedals and merch; guitars as carry-on luggage, then borrowed amps and a drum kit, before setting off on a dream trip.

“Have you been to Greggs yet?” Shouts one fellow countryman. “YEAH! Three times!” We gasp. My wife intervenes to apologise for Britain’s much loved calorific food retailer

They are clearly appreciative of RRC’s role in their lucky spring break, outside with the queue and on stage. Later, Francis Doran, RRC’s frontman explains how they played in Victoria to ’20 or so’ people and afterwards went up the street to an Irish bar, packed with a few hundred people enjoying The Bankes Brothers. They invited them over to play in the UK, for just a few hundred quid a night.

The Bankes Brothers – from Victoria BC – tonight’s support

They’re an indie rock/pop band but there are some folky bits in there – vocals remind me of Jake Bugg – and I think this five piece have a great future…surely. Their set is well received, amid a notable volume of Friday night babble from the rear of the venue. I captured this one which is saved on my YouTube channel: See Me Run. (Photos not much cop I’m afraid.)

Red Rum Club

Most of the new Western Approach album is on show tonight and my standout picks would be Houdini and Hole in my Home, which comes later in the set. There always appears to be an urgency in the songs, trying to get the story out – lead singer Fran singing like he’s a storyteller – so expressive.

The newer tracks still mostly have the trumpet playing as the essential ingredient that gives the band its unique style. So many tracks are lifted by the trumpet’s rallying call. The venue and sound tonight accommodates that brass element much better than more confined spaces I have seen them in.

Joe Corby – the distinctive trumpet – Engine Rooms

Lead singer Fran thanks everyone for buying the album, ‘spending 10 quid or so’ on a CD, a few pounds on a download, to make them happy people with their top ten album. (We have two CDs and a signed vinyl LP in our house due to a some over enthusiasm and under communication, so that must have helped!)

He mentions a call from Elton John to the band to congratulate them, and talk about himself and their home city of Liverpool. Fran even waved his phone about to show the pics. This the big time… well it’s getting there.

There are still some older, more familiar gems to enjoy though: just one from the previous 2021 album How to Steal the World I think and that is Vibrate – you still don’t get that many songs featuring mobile phone use. Another cracker, captured on video here, from tonight, is the singalong and leap about opportunity brought by Kids Addicted – that really gets the crowd bouncing. (Grey-haired gig goer YouTube link.)

It’s an early start/early finish gig this one and the main set is over by 9.30pm. They return, unavoidably, for a duet first, then another older favourite, Eleanor.

Lastly Fran asks if we’re ready for the Hoo Ha song… big cheers and the opening bars of Would You Rather Be Lonely, and the big ‘Hoo Ha’ chant at the beginning.

Lovely to see this energetic and original band getting somewhere. Where next?

Echo and the Bunnymen live in London

Echo and the Bunnymen at The Roundhouse, London on 8.3.2024 with Erica Nockalls supporting

A Bunnymen hits tour at The Roundhouse – couldn’t ignore it. A big part of my student years and album after album of great songs…to sing and learn. My Bunnymen history is expanded in the blog of my last time seeing them, in 2022. (gigswithivan)

After a relatively slow start, for me, to the gig-going year, March is blossoming and tonight is gig 9. My updates will have to be briefer for this busy period – four gigs in four days coming up. I couldn’t help it!

Supporting tonight is Erica Nockalls – she has been playing with The Wonder Stuff for nearly 20 years now and I’ve also seen Miles Hunt (Wonder Stuff) and Erica as a duo. I really like their We Came Here to Work LP that I bought in Lockdown.

The ballyhoo for The Bunnymen didn’t make this the best opportunity to absorb something new and another time perhaps.

The Songs to Sing and Learn tour badge makes this a hits tour and the result is one of the best Echo and the Bunnymen sets I can remember. Indeed, I left thinking I couldn’t recall a better Bunnies gig, and this is gig 11 on a countback that started on 9 March 1981 at Hammersmith Odeon.

My first Bunnies ticket – oh why did I write on that

So often there is a bit of I wish they did this or that. Over the years there are several occasions when I’ve been in audiences that didn’t live up to McCulloch’s expectations. He is, still is, so rock’n’roll. We still can’t understand what he says between songs but tonight he’s trying.

It’s not all about him of course – well maybe – original guitarist and songwriter Will Sergeant is stage left front, but he keeps himself to himself.

There are two Bunnymen sets of roughly equal length – different, and it’s good to have a half time break that’s just enough to do battle with the Roundhouse toilet squeeze.

In part one some early belters: All That Jazz and Rescue for instance. The best for me was All My Colours (Zimbo) – one I used to play so much on a 12″ EP in my student years. Good to hear Flowers, title track of a lesser known and later album which I think is a goodie. Part one of the set ends with Bring on the Dancing Horses – a more poppy tune.

The sound is excellent – no ear defences put in tonight – and it’s amazing how McCulloch’s talking scouse mumbling can be transformed into such clear vocals.

Part two opens with Over the Wall, another early one from the combat gear years. Nothing Lasts Forever has become one of my life anthems and I loved hearing this – it was fused into Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side to create something special for the evening.

They love a backlit, shadowy and smoky set. This usually makes for silhouettes in the gloom on photos but the lighting was a bit more revealing – it looks like I was right under Ian’s nose but that’s the zoom working and weird angle going on.

Killing Moon and The Cutter to end the main set – classics – Killing Moon being the song McCulloch says is the greatest song he’s ever written. I wouldn’t argue.

Two encores – I mean they actually went off and came back twice – of Lips Like Sugar and a calming Ocean Rain, ready for me to shoot off for the late train back to my mum’s and my old suburban stomping ground.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark live in Leeds

OMD at Leeds First Direct Arena on 5.3.2024 with Walt Disco supporting

My first gig in Leeds so I thought I’d note my attendance at this one.

I first saw OMD in Battersea Park, London in 1985 as part of a Greater London Council funded festival. Those early singles – Messages, Electricity and of course Enola Gay – have always been on something of a pedestal but the latter was the only one I bought.

It wasn’t until 34 years later that I saw them again, in Bournemouth, and my blog on that and looking back can be found here: 2019 Bournemouth gig

As time has gone on, I think OMD’s place in music history has blossomed. Quite unique in the UK charts in the 80s, while paying homage to the sound of Kraftwerk – they still set up like them for part of the show.

The First Direct Arena opened in 2013 and the stated capacity is just under 14,000. Tonight, it has areas of the steep curved bank of seats blanked out with black covering, with a large standing area in front of the stage. It’s more D-shaped so you get a decent view from anywhere: not bad for an arena. Maybe it expands its floorspace for some events but this D-shape works better than the long arenas that leave too many gig-goers way back from the stage. This is a pretty big crowd for OMD to pull in despite not selling out.

It is an arena mind. Inside it’s still like an airport car park in the concourses and bar areas outside the main auditorium. It’s still a ridiculous price for a drink and eating should be seen as an expensive survival activity only.

But it’s great to be in Leeds, seeing a live show as part of our spring tour up north.

Tonight’s support band is Walt Disco. A short set, cut shorter by a stoppage for a medical incident down the front, but appealingly 80s. Yes very 80s pop, even the big trousers. I enjoyed them and would happily go and see them in a smaller venue sometime.

OMD get off to a bright start with Messages played after the opener, followed by Tesla Girls, so familiar sounds there.

Andy McCluskey is a good crowd rouser and is the only really mobile band member, bass playing for large parts of the set. Other original member Paul Humphreys does leave his synth to lead the vocals, stage front at one point. McCluskey makes reference to Leeds United’s home game possibly distracting some this evening – a murmur of cheer – but they’re here for the music.

There’s a new album: Bauhaus Staircase and I gave it some Spotify plays in anticipation – yup, sound – and seven tracks are played this evening, including the title track which I recorded and saved on my YouTube Channel here.

The setlist (link here) notably includes Joan of Arc, and Maid of Orleans. I grabbed another video of the single If You Leave , also saved on that YouTube channel.

(I tend to just record one or two, using zoom camera, and ditch if no good. Some venues just lend themselves better to do this without getting in the way, waving a device about.)

But it’s Enola Gay that is the standout OMD song to hear and see played live. With the added backdrop film and the better sense of the history now, than when it hit the charts, it’s an emotional piece.

That was the last song of the main set. They return for three encores which include Electricity. The 1979 single being the theme tune of OMD I guess. A fine way to end a really good evening and another track which is so enhanced by being clearly amplified and played loud.

Nouvelle Vague à la 1865

Nouvelle Vague live at The 1865, Southampton on 29.2.2024 with DeLaurentis supporting

My mate said how about this one. I’d never heard of them. Completely passed me by. I checked them out and realised this was a French group, or rather a concept, based around an original core which involved playing songs from my post punk and 80s records in a bossa nova style – a cabaret lounge feel.

First was the synth sound of DeLaurentis, also French. The short set had some heavy electronic sounds with at times a quite clubby sound. Well received and atmospheric.

A stage reshuffle and Nouvelle Vague open with Love Will Tear Us Apart. There’s a start eh.

Two female singers, a bassist (frequently armed with double bass), guitarist, keyboardist and drummer come intricate percussionist, but who anyone is, I don’t know. This outfit revolves the singers and always has…. I haven’t sorted out who is who on the current tour. (I have now identified Alonya!)

Both singers are excellent, playing off each other and giving a visual angle to the party.

The familiar songs in an unfamiliar style roll out: Making Plans for Nigel; Only You; Girls on Film and Cure classic A Forest (a video clip of that one saved here on my YouTube channel – the mid-song dancing has to be seen).

Cohen’s Marianne buts up against Teenage Kicks and the hits keep coming, in that sophisticated night spot way. This would be enhanced by little tables and glasses of wine.

Maybe the best of the evening was Bauhaus’ She’s in Parties. Took me a while to cotton on to the intro. Like so many of their versions there is a bit of disbelief at what emerges.

Guns of Brixton is another high spot, before an extraordinary rendition of Too Drunk to Fuck by The Dead Kennedys – the two singers sparring for their bit of stage and loving those lyrics.

Maybe Look of Love is less removed from its original feel than most songs in the set and perhaps less added value for that.

There’s a long version of The Specials’ Friday Night, Saturday Morning with some Eartha Kitt-like talky bits. Oh Terry, RIP.

The half-full 1865 enjoyed it all. A different crowd to many I find myself in. Some flamboyance in the clothing and some French students.

The encores includes Buzzcocks’ Ever Fallen in Love and Smiths’ This Charming Man, to end this wonderful jukebox in a different style.

They have a new album out, Should I Stay Or Should I Go, which features a good clutch of the evening’s featured songs, including the excellent She’s In Parties. It’s got to be worth a spin.

For more on The 1865, my updated venue blog elaborates: The 1865 venue blog.

From Southampton Engine Rooms to The London Palladium: a grey-haired gig goer’s week

The Libertines Vanilo outstore afternoon (Engine Rooms, Southampton, 12.2.2024) and ABC (London Palladium, 17.10.2024)

With my blogs, I realise there is a danger of running too many repeats, especially when delving back into a lifetime of seeing some bands live. Maybe it’s time to catch up with a few other gigs from last year in a retrospective way…. but not just yet.

Monday Afternoon at The Engine Rooms

Monday afternoon in my semi-retired, part-time working week, and I find myself in a queue in the bright daylight on a trading estate opposite IKEA, Southampton. This is the Engine Rooms (My venue blog here) and the occasion is one of these local record shop new album release promotions. This one is for The Libertines.

Queuing for The Libertines afternoon gig at The Engine Rooms

You buy or pre-order a new LP, CD etc and as a result get access to a special low-key show. Individual tickets can be bought as add-ons but the idea is to kick start the sales and bring some attention to a local record store, in this case Vanilo Record Store, Southampton. The new Libertines CD, All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade, (I still buy vinyl but not all the time) will be with me on or after the 8 March release date.

Doors open 2pm for the 3pm start. This enables us to grab a table while we wait.

My Libertines blog reflects on my last and other previous experiences. This one now is more about the novelty of my week. This afternoon sees a half-full venue (all tickets sold) with Carl Barât and Pete Doherty playing an informal and low key 35-minute set. They are playing a full show to a sellout and full venue later, and no I didn’t have a ticket for that one.

The Libertines – Pete and Carl at the Engine Rooms this afternoon

Entertaining yes and the novelty feel was there, but it felt a little bit too short: but then what are expectations? What is the benchmark when I’ve paid £21 for a CD including a ticket (then there’s the postage adding £5.95).

Run, Run, Run was good to hear, their recent single and a selection of tracks which I couldn’t name but recognised mostly. Pete and Carl play as if round a friend’s house with some mates which has its up-close and personal appeal. Four new songs in the nine-song acoustic performance, ending with Don’t Look Back In To The Sun. Another guitarist joined them for the last few, who’s name escaped me.

Back out in the blinding sun by 3.45pm thinking I wish I was going to their main gig tonight.

Saturday Night at The London Palladium

At the end of the week my ongoing tour continues with a trip to see ABC in London. The Palladium could not be more different to The Engine Rooms. The plush West End theatre instead of the bare, but functional, Engine Rooms – give me either, both bring something to my party.

London Palladium the morning after the gig

My last ABC gig was in Bath as part of gig buddy Dave’s birthday celebrations (ABC blog here) and we are back out in our sparkly jackets tonight.

Previously I’ve seen Howard Jones here at The Palladium, and Morrisey before that. So much history here but just those few visits for me. Old variety acts, comedians, legendary crooners and the big names of pop and rock playing special nights. The myriad of framed posters, photos – I even spotted a Norman Wisdom stage outfit – remind of the history. (Bruce Forsyth’s ashes are under the stage somewhere.)

A 2,286 seated capacity with two tiers of balcony, the upper one being particularly steep I remember from the Morrissey gig – stand up and you feel like you’re going to topple out. Only the very front rows of the audience can be seen from up there.

This orchestral gig was the same set up as covered in the 2022 Bath gig – orchestral backing throughout which obviously brings a different dimension to the largely 80s pop sounds.

First half is a varied selection, before the showcasing of The Lexicon of Love, the 80s pop classic. When Smoky Sings is top of those first half pops, but The Night You Murdered Love also used to provoke some humour and pointing amongst friends at the occasional drunken early 80s student disco, so that stands out as well.

The crowd are seated mainly but in the second half many rise to Poison Arrow, up in the balconies as well – no one falls! Martin Fry changes from his white jacket, black shirt and trousers into a pale pink suit – a surprising lack of sparkles but smooth as they come.

The whole Lexicon of Love album is packed with pop gems of course but Look of Love must be the winner – so 80s, yet distinct from the other bands Fry mentions in his introductions and references to the ABC time machine. There is some wonderful sax playing.

Glazed eyes and tilted heads when I look around in All of My Heart, as that concludes the album. That’s it. What next? Time for one more indulgent and orchestrally enhanced version of Look of Love. Pop classic, with strings …and the rest.

There you go. My gig-going week. From an old industrial unit in Southampton to an iconic West End nightspot.

With a Bowie tribute band up next and a not too hectic gig-going schedule maybe I will get time look back at record some of the great gigs I missed out of my blogging last year.

Hugh Cornwell at The Cheese & Grain

Hugh Cornwell live at The Cheese & Grain, Frome, Somerset (27.1.2024) with EXTC supporting

Another trip over to Frome – something of a habit in recent years and prompting a gig venue blog for the legendary Cheese & Grain.

A reasonably convenient Hugh Cornwell live appearance will always lure me in. My last Hugh blog from Newbury covered my long running enjoyment of this former Stranglers frontman.

A few days prior to tonight’s gig, support band The Primitives had to pull out of the tour due to lead singer Tracy Tracy’s failing voice. Having booked the tickets partly on that worthwhile addition, I was disappointed but only until I discovered that EXTC were replacing them on the tour.

That is original XTC drummer, Terry Chambers, playing XTC songs with Steve Hampton (previously with The Vapors and Joe Jackson’s band) and Terry Lines on bass.

This is a band I’ve wanted to see since I knew they were an active reincarnation of XTC. I never saw XTC live before they parked their spell of art rock pop brilliance.

The audience were well educated in the tunes – XTC emerged from up the road in Swindon so were probably local heroes in their day. The singalongs got louder as the set progressed, starting with Statue of Liberty and on through gem after gem. The likes of Senses Working Overtime and Sgt.Rock (Is Going to Help Me) early on and building to the choruses of Generals and Majors. I forgot how good these songs are. “Bloody Marvellous!” was vocals and guitarist Steve Hampton’s verdict on the crowd singing.

Of course, Making Plans For Nigel was the one everyone knew. Joyous nostalgia. They finish with Life Begins at The Hop. The band seemed to have enjoyed their surprise substitution to tonight’s entertainment as much as the audience and very grateful they were, apologising several times for their presence, in the most humble way. Well worth seeking out this XTC tribute with an original heartbeat.

Now for Hugh. The venue is about two thirds full so it feels busy enough but plenty of room once back passed half way. Bit of wandering room to pop down the side for a pic.

Hugh, playing with a drummer and bassist, opens with Iwannahideinsideaya from his latest album, Moments of Madness. I held off buying the album until tonight but I’m already familiar with it through Spotify. The title track, a skanking reggae number, is one of the best on the album, and makes an appearance about 20 minutes in. Red Rose and When I was a Young Man would be my other picks.

Hugh’s vocal is clear, up front and unmistakeable on the album, as it is with the live set. The sound is good and no ear protection required. Most of the time his guitar playing is intense as he picks away, eyes down on the fretboard. Bassist and drummer add supporting vocals, helping those choruses.

A couple of stand outs from the last album, Monster (2018), are Pure Evel and Mr Leather, which Hugh introduces and explains is in tribute to Lou Reed – Hugh had arranged to meet his hero once while on tour in America but it all went wrong and he never got to see him… then he died.

I snapped a setlist afterwards from the lucky recipient – needs a bit of de-coding, adding to its interest. I did enjoy the way the old Stranglers numbers – and not always obvious ones – were weaved into the set. This was a great mix that highlighted the recent albums and also respected the Stranglers years. The title track from Totem and Taboo (2012) was another of the memorable solo material. Always a tricky balance. This worked better than the new stuff v old stuff sets in my view.

One Stranglers song aired, that had me reaching for the 1981 La Folie LP as soon as I got home, was Tramp. It is more like a Hugh solo track and one which is so familiar to me, but I hadn’t played for ages. That tour was one I saw The Stranglers twice on (Birmingham Odeon; Leicester University) so it was like finding on old favourite jacket or something.

Before that, singles Skin Deep and Strange Little Girl. Who Wants the World was my favourite Stranglers track from the main set tonight – released just before my first Stranglers gig at the London Rainbow in 1981.

This was a long enjoyable set, a good hour and three quarters in the end. The encores retained the new/ old balance with Leave Me Alone from the solo Hi-fi album (2000), Lasagne from the latest release and two more Stranglers ones. The first, Thrown Away, a bit surprising as this isn’t a track with a Hugh lead vocal. All four of The Stranglers are credited with writing it so perhaps Hugh is just underlining his claim on it.

To finish – the best for last – Hanging Around, plucked from that debut Stranglers album.

I have never enjoyed a Hugh Cornwell gig as much as this one and with the bonus support act, tonight was a successful outing. I celebrated with a copy of the latest album, Moments of Madness, in a fetching green marble vinyl, which the man himself signed for me.

Merch desk – Hugh with a ‘has he gone yet’ look.

Gig Venue: Cheese & Grain, Frome

Cheese & Grain, Market Yard, Justice Lane, Frome, BA11 1BE. Last updated 28.1.2024.

Frome is a 50-mile trip for me, by car from Poole, which takes about an hour and a half. The train isn’t a real option. But it’s always a pleasant outing in my experiences, providing I’m staying over.

The Cheese & Grain venue has put Frome firmly on my gig map. My first visit was in June 2018 to see The Skids. It seems to have grown in status over recent years – perhaps the legendary appearances of Foo Fighters and Paul MacCartney, as part of their pre-Glastonbury warm ups, have helped. Maybe I’ve just become more aware of it. (Somerset Live recalls the Foo Fighters gig.)

Amid the tribute band traffic, I have been over here to see Hugh Cornwell, The Undertones, Inspiral Carpets, The Sweet and for the special treat that was The Pretenders.

The Sweet at The Cheese & Grain November 2021

You can see from the photo that The Cheese & Grain is a practical yet attractive community hall type building in the middle of a large car park. It’s a not-for-profit organisation: a registered charity ‘for the benefit of the people of Frome’. To the rear, where you come in, is a small bar area, merch stand and often an extra pop-up bar with some interesting stuff in the fridge. There is also bar service into this entrance area, which in the day is a café – worth a stop, especially when the sun’s out and you can sit on the outdoor terrace.

The standing capacity is 850. When it’s sold out it can be difficult to manoeuvre around, as I like to do to snap a few pics, as well as for bar refills. The bar in the main room is across the back wall and service is usually quite speedy after initial overload. Very friendly bar staff.

Hugh Cornwell at The Cheese & Grain – January 2024

Pre-Gig Pint

The obvious place I find for pre-gig pint is The George, at the heart of everything on the main street, snaking down through the town. (The George was closed for major refurbishment in January 2024, due to re-open in March.) Up the hill is Italian restaurant, Castellos at 17 Palmer Street. For me, best of all, a few doors down from the Italian is Palmer Street Bottle, a craft ale bar that does a great cheese board and stunning ale selection.

With restaurants full booked when I visited on Saturday 27 January 2024 for Hugh Cornwell, a further option revealed itself: The Bath Arms Hotel. Stepping in beyond the uninviting exterior, is a very individual bar come restaurant with an extraordinarily expensive range of menu options – tapas, burgers, pizzas, fajitas and more. I was grateful.

Overnight Stop?

If staying over, The George is superbly convenient but usually books up early for gigs. I will be very interested to see what the place is like after its early 2024 refurb. The variety of rooms have provided varied experiences over the years – can be noisy on the front – but you are staying right where you need to be, with a lovely breakfast, and a good range of ales down in the bar.

Rook Lane House, just up the hill, was a very pleasant B&B experience – sitting down to breakfast in a historic room at a big table, with seven other Inspiral Carpets fans was a novelty. (It wasn’t open all week when I stayed. It is opposite an old carpet shop, as it happens.)

The usual suspect of the Premier Inn is on the edge of town so car/taxi required.

I’m interested in other Frome options that travelling gig-goers have found useful.

In January 2024, I tried The Archangel, opposite The George. Renovated in 2008, this grade II listed coaching inn dates back to the 14th century.

A quirky, rustic rabbit warren of rooms in the bar and eating areas downstairs. The creaking stairs lead up to the rooms. Five have huge roll top metal baths, including the room I was in which was elaborately decorated with huge old mirror and wall mural of an angel.

With a bit of time on your hands there is the new and second-hand record shop, Raves from the Grave, a stone’s throw from The George and well worth a visit.

Before I leave this one here, my top tip for visiting the Cheese & Grain: don’t park up overnight in the market spaces when the market is on the day after your gig. The market manager was very understanding even if a few stallholders were understandably put out. I think better signage is the answer, but didn’t push that line as he saw me out, hazard lights on!

Keep rocking Frome!

The Vaccines album launch day show – Southsea Pier

The Vaccines live at The Gaiety, South Parade Pier, Southsea on 12.1.2024

My first gig outing of 2024 and a novel start, thanks to an early tip-off that The Vaccines were playing a special gig in Southsea as part of their album launch. Their sixth album is released on the day (12.1.2024), Pick-Up Full Of Carnations. They still seem relatively new to me, grey-haired gig goer that I am, having formed in West London in 2010. They made 2011 their year with a string of awards for that first album.

The original line up has changed, with frontman Justin Hayward-Young and bassist Arni Arnason being joined by drummer Yoann Intonti and keyboardist Tim Lanham, in 2017. Original lead guitarist Freddie Cowan left in early 2023 and by the time I first saw them, at Victorious Festival in August 2023 they had Matt Hill on guitar – he is maybe just for touring and doesn’t feature on the new album sleeve.

It’s a good easy access listen, the new album. The CD purchase got us access to buy the tickets for tonight, a promotion by Pie and Vinyl in Southsea. (Friends picked up my copy as I was late into town after more leg ailments…I made it anyway.)

The Gaiety, Southsea

Part of the attraction for this gig/ meet-up with friends, was the novel and more intimate venue for a band of this notoriety.

The venue is on the South Parade Pier, a 600 standing capacity room between the amusement arcade and the fun fair, with an adjoining fish’n’chip restaurant. Queuing passed the grabber machines and racing car games, the excitement builds.

The pier has suffered serious fires in its history but having reopened after renovations, in 2017, it’s something for Southsea to be proud of again. I had a dip into its history and a string of legendary music hall performers have graced the pier. Also, in the 90s, visitors included Pulp, Blur, and The Stone Roses, and going back further we find Genesis, Status Quo, Jeff Beck and in 1972, a Mr David Bowie.

Tonight’s set up in the square, mainly standing space, sees a low stage; the bar curtained off from stage viewings down the right-hand side, and a slightly raised platform at the back where the merch stand is. A few rows of people are stood up there for the ‘across the heads’ view and there are several curved, built-in bench seats just in front of that. A relief that was as I can’t stand for long on my old legs tonight. Also a good coat pile up place for us – boiling inside and sub-zero outside.

Tonight’s Vaccines Show

No support for this special album release show and the band are on, as promised, at around 8.30pm. The place is long sold out, full but not uncomfortably so. You can get around – I managed a wander for a few snaps.

Not much room on stage for the five up there. The sound has a bit of that reverb that reminds me of an old American live TV show, and when I get to hear my copy of the album I realise this is replicated on it, not an accident of the low and shaped ceiling.

The 13-song set is a pleasing mix of the newly released album (six tracks) and older stuff, including four songs from the 2011 record, What D’You Expect From…. I was expecting the new album to get pushed right to the front but this was a great mix. I thought a lot of the set sounded familiar – this will be from radio largely as I don’t own or play much Vaccines material. Their indie rock style is heavy on the anthemic choruses which adds to their live performance. Post Break-Up Sex is a particularly good illustration of the air punching anthem. My pick of the night I guess.

Justin welcomed the crowd and celebrated the fact that the album day release gig was not in New York, London or Paris… but Portsmouth (loud cheers). Everyone is pleased with their choice.

Front man Justin is bobbing about with guitarist Matt Hill; promotional carnations on everyone’s mic stands. I think they are enjoying the novelty of the night. At 50 minutes, including the two-song encore, it is a fairly intense but brief affair. (SetList link)

Even some of the new songs had a familiar sound – maybe just their trademark sound – such that I wondered if they played more than four or five from the ‘Carnations’ album. Heartbreak Kid from the new one has been getting a lot of airplay and that’s a goody. Hard for me to make comparisons with previous albums but I think it’s a very good listen, and the band were well worth the trip tonight.

The Vaccines on the South Pier in Southsea

An enjoyable and novel gig on the pier…. the pier where David Bowie once played eh… well before it was rebuilt again. Maybe there was still some Bowie dust in the air.