Thanks. I'm really looking forward to it. I've found that having 'stuff to look forward to' is like 'travelling in hope'. In many ways, it's better than arriving. That may be the wisdom of age...or that I've now reached a point where everything runs a significant risk of being less than it should be...because I'm less than once I was. Still, I'm more than I will be next year, so "Geronimoooo!!"
That soun That sounds like a good line up, have fun and hope the air bed holds out Today I'm off to one of my oldest friends wedding , him and his mrs have been together for nearly 40yrs so it's about time they got it together
So, 2 days in and I'm laying in a wet tent fighting the need to trudge off to a portaloo that will be more unpleasant than the thought of Arsenal winning the league. Was it worth it...? **** "Yes"...a thousand times yes!! The Damned were immense last night. An incredible set, leaning significantly on The Black Album and Strawberries, but still containing NNN, IJCBHT, Smash it Up, Love Song (& it's accompaniment, Second Time Around), Eloise and a couple from Darkadelic. New Rose was the only encore. A real shame as the set list we got indicates that , as predicted by yours truly, Looking At You was to get a runout. Rat's return has added the bollocks it promised to do. A mate, who always goes for a piss during Eloise, was forced to stay, listen.. and willingly admit it was good. They hammered the stuff out, clearly loving every second of it. A fantastic, fantastic night. The Stranglers have their work cut out to compete with that.
please log in to view this image Both were on later last night. Can't imagine Weller and Knopfler having much in common. Did anyone else watch, Knopfler was rather vacant in his conversation with Jools. Weller was on good form though and the new album which was released on Friday is excellent This is Jumble Queen from last nights show
They must have heard me! They were IMMENSE. I might even venture to say that they were better than The Damned... It was the full hits package, as this was not predominantly a Stranglers audience. Mrs B has Baz's set list, which I'll post up later. We stood 'on the rail' right in front of Baz. We would have gone on JJ's side, but 3 bands prior, there were no spaces. During a slight break in their set, due to minor technical issues, for reasons best known to himself, Baz said to the audience that I was 'the personification of cool'... If he'd seen me 4 hours earlier, scrabbling around on the tent floor, unable to get upright, with by bare arse on show, as my kilt had ridden up, he'd not have thought anything of the sort. A fabulous weekend. Ferocious Dog, The Ruts, The Blockheads and Millie Manders and the Shut-up were bloody great. Unfortunately, From The Jam's performance was overshadowed by the shock of Bruce Foxton appearing to be so ill. He needed a fill-in bassist at the back of the stage and seemed frail and more than a little bit lost. I hope he will be ok. Worst performers of the weekend award goes to Buzzcocks. Diggle was off his tits on something...watching him try to interact with the microphone stand was like watching Dudley Moore, as Arthur, with that letter rack...only without the humour. The fish out of water award goes to Cast. Put on between Ferocious Dog and The Damned, they took up an hour of my life that I'll never get back. They couldn't bring themselves to big up The Damned as the night's headline act, which is a 'given' at these things. The Inspiral Carpets were fulsome in their praise for the upcoming Stranglers. I didn't meet one person who had a particularly good word for Cast. I wore ear protectors throughout, ad they were ****ING LOUD, if nothing else. The weather held it together pretty well. Some rain during The Blockheads failed to dampen anyone's mood, although it churned up the ground a bit more. I'll post some pics, if anyone's interested. The best thing is, I get to do bit all again in a month at SVF Midlands...
The Sex Pistols (minus Lydon) announced a couple of benefit gigs for Bush Hall in Shepherd's Bush, which is a beautiful venue going through tough times. Regrettably, only 400 tickets per night and they were gone in seconds and Mrs B and I weren't lucky this time! Frank Carter is replacing Lydon and there are suggestions of further gigs in the months ahead. Current tout price £400 per ticket...
Better late than never... please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
The rather wonderful Ferocious Dog... please log in to view this image The fabulous Millie Manders... please log in to view this image A Small Town Tiger...and the new Mrs Vanian....? please log in to view this image Breakfast Al Jolson... please log in to view this image The amazing Ruts... please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Final day... The Stranglers... please log in to view this image please log in to view this image The Blockheads... please log in to view this image Chas Jankel and Mickey Gallager flanking singer Mike Bennett... please log in to view this image Voodoo Radio, a father and daughter outfit. I love drummers who play standing up... please log in to view this image Home for the weekend... please log in to view this image
Some great stuff there Brian, I am soooo looking forward to The Damned in December! I saw the Stranglers a few years back now just before Dave Greenfield died, great gig. You have also jogged my memory and here are a few shots from a couple of recent gigs for me starting with Gary Numan and then The Pet Shop Boys with the wife on Thursday. Both great gigs but a bit of a break now until Peter Hook in October and then the big one.....
Voodoo Radio... ...the camera seems to have concentrated his attentions lower than the drummer/singer's head. I'm at a loss as to why.../