December 2013

11 December – My last show of the year and it’s a cracker!

The last time I saw Mike Scott it was a bit of a disaster. I arrived at the venue to discover I’d left my ticket at home and had to go back for it. This meant that I missed the first couple of songs. Then, to be honest, the show was lacklustre at best. I wasn’t in a rush to see him again.

Recently The Waterboys released a staggering six CD set of The Complete Fisherman’s Blues Sessions 1986-88 and are touring  to promote it with a five piece band that includes Mike, Anthony Thistlethwaite, Steve Wickham and  Trevor Hutchinson who all appeared on the original sessions. As a fan of the Waterboys I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity of hearing them live.

As you would expect the show heavily features songs from the new box set but manages to fit in such Waterboy’s classics as Bang The Drum, A Girl Called Johnny and, of course, The Whole Of The Moon. The band is great and have the audience up on their feet well before the end. I respect and understand Mike Scott’s desire not to live in the past but the occasional exception like this is more than welcome.

November 2013

15 November – I first saw Secret Affair on the March Of The Mods tour at the Fforde Grene in Leeds in August 1979 with The Purple Hearts and Back To Zero. The following year they played St George’s Hall in Bradford and I saw that show too. They made some great singles but after being ignored or abused by the music press, and with a little internal bickering, they called it a day in 1982.
Re-uniting in 2003 for three shows, they now appear to be a going concern again. This is the first time they’ve played Leeds in 30 years so I’ve no intention of missing it! I’m not disappointed. Now a six piece, having added a Hammond player and saxophonist, but with just Ian Paige and Dave Cairns from the original line-up, they play their back catalogue like men determined to show just how good those songs are, ending with a triple whammy of Time for Action;  Let Your Heart Dance and the incomparable My World. Don’t leave it so long next time.
A mention for the support The 45’s, young lads from Carlisle who are mining the same seam as The Strypes, 60s R’n’B, and doing it well. Worth catching.

17 November – Another evening of nostalgia, if I believed in that, with one of Britain’s finest Rock bands: Mott The Hoople. They’re another group who’ve decided to give it another run round after a long break, splitting in 1974 and picking up the reins again in 2009 for five London shows. After thinking about it they decided to play five dates around the country in 2013 and I’m at this one at the Manchester Apollo with Brian. Despite some negative reviews for the London show, mainly centred on Ian Hunter’s vocals, I think this is a great show! All the songs you’d want to hear played by the original line-up, with the exception of drummer Buffin who is very ill these days and is replaced by Martin Chambers of The Pretenders. Joe Elliott of Def Leppard joins them for All The Young Dudes and seems to enjoy the opportunity to play with a decent band for once.
I may never see them again, unless I buy the DVD of tonight’s show, but now I have a great memory.

Set List: Rock And Roll Queen; One Of The Boys; The Moon Upstairs; Hymn For The Dudes; Sucker; Soft Ground; Waterlow; Born Late ’58; Death May Be Your Santa Claus/You Really Got Me; Ballad Of Mott The Hoople; Walkin’ With A Mountain; Violence; When My Mind’s Gone/No Wheels To Ride/The Journey; Honaloochie Boogie; The Golden Age Of Rock ‘N’ Roll; All The Way From Memphis.
Encore: All The Young Dudes; Roll Away The Stone; Saturday Gigs.

27 November – Second time of seeing Jonathan Wilson this year and he continues to be a champion of the West Coast sound made popular by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne and others. In fact Crosby, Nash and Browne all guest on his new album Fanfare, which this tour is promoting. He still gives plenty of space to songs from his first album though and I’m particularly happy to hear Desert Raven and Dear Friend. Not that the new songs are slouches in any way. I do wonder how long the Brudenell will be big enough to accommodate him.
Have I mentioned I have a Spotify West Coast playlist before?

 

October 2013

12 October – The first show in a busy month sees me making a trip over the Pennines with Stephen and the GLW to see Crosby, Stills & Nash at the Phones4U Arena in Manchester. I’ve loved CSN since I went on a caravan holiday to Withernsea in 1970 with a portable cassette player and two tapes, Crosby Stills and Nash’s first album and the Glenn Miller Story soundtrack. Not so keen on Glenn Miller though. They’re now all in their 70s but are still excellent, using their younger band members to cover the cracks when necessary, which isn’t often. Stephen Stills is still a great guitarist and why he never gets a mention when lists are made is a puzzle to me. Almost uniquely for a band of this vintage they’re still writing and performing new songs. I could have done without the ‘choir’ sitting behind us though. Set list Set 1: Carry On/Questions; Military Madness; Long Time Gone; Southern Cross; Lay Me Down; Bluebird; Cathedral; Radio; Don’t Want Lies; Golden Days; Déjà Vu; Love the One You’re With Set 2: Helplessly Hoping; Just a Song Before I Go; Guinevere; Treetop Flyer; What Are Their Names; Burning for the Buddha; Triad; Our House; Almost Cut My Hair; Teach Your Children; Wooden Ships.
Encore: For What It’s Worth

13 October – The next night it’s down to the Poly to see Johnny Marr. Johnny is another great guitar player, although he does get mentioned in the lists. it’s an entertaining show but the criticisms I make are firstly that his voice isn’t strong enough to be the lead vocalist and secondly the new material is no better than workmanlike, something highlighted every time he does a Smiths number or the two other covers he played. Hopefully as time progresses these things will improve. Set List: Upstarts; Panic; The Right Thing Right; Sun & Moon; The Crack Up; Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before; New Town Velocity; The Messenger; Lockdown; Say Demesne;  Generate! Generate!; Bigmouth Strikes Again; Word Starts Attack; I Want the Heartbeat; How Soon Is Now?
Encore: Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want; The It-Switch; I Fought the Law; Getting Away with It; There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

16 October – A trip to the Brudenell Social Club and another night of seeking to re-live my youth with Stephen! This time it’s to see Spear Of Destiny on their 30th Anniversary Tour, supported by Leeds’ very own Expelaires and Barnsley’s The Danse Society.  The Expelaires open proceedings with a good set despite the absence of guitarist Dave Wolfenden due to illness. Their joined on the last song by SOD bassist, and original Expelaires keyboard player, Craig Adams. The Danse Society are not my cup of tea, sub standard Siouxsie and the The Banshees. For me Spear Of Destiny are entertaining without setting the place on fire, although most of the audience go nuts!

19 October – Another chance for me to see Smoke Faires, this time at a venue that’s new to me, Leeds College of Music. They’ve just released Ghosts a two CD set of their early recording, both released and unreleased. Tonight they’re augmented by Rasputina, who also act as support, two cellists and a percussionist, as strange a line up as I’ve seen and best described as intriguing. The Smoke Fairies are as great as always and thoroughly recommended.

22 October – This is the gig highlight of the year for me. The first UK shows in 30 years by Graham Parker and the Rumour. Stephen and I arrived early so that I could see the support, The Silver Seas, who I’d heard on Spotify. On the night it’s just Daniel Tashian, their singer and guitarist, and while he’s entertaining it’s no more than that. Graham Parker and The Rumour, on the other hand, are outstanding. Everything I’d hoped for and more. They played as though they’d never been apart with a mix of classic songs and cuts from their new album, Three Chords Good. I even though the Academy wasn’t that bad a venue. The really good news is they’re playing some more dates next year! Set List: Fool’s Gold; White Honey; Howlin’ Wind; Thunder & Rain; Snake Oil; Lady Doctor; Old Soul; Black Honey; 3 Chords Good; A Lie Gets Halfway…; Long Emotional Ride; Hotel Chambermaid; Soul On Ice; Discovering Japan; Don’t Get Excited; Watch The Moon; Protection; Stupefaction; Local Girls.
Encore: Passion Is No Ordinary Word; Don’t Ask Me Questions.
Encore (2): Soul Shoes.