[fatneck]

Seems we didn't have a Live Music 2014 thread so I thought I'd kick this year's off...

Went to see Ryan Adams last night at the Liverpool Student Guild. Good venue, awesome gig... He did several from the latest album and plenty of old stuff. Was on stage for 2 solid hours. Great value... Highlights were Oh my Sweet Carolina, Dear Chicago, awesome solo rendition of My Wrecking Ball and last song, Come Pick Me Up. I'm not ashamed to say I was very emotional!

Only down side was some older guy asking me not to sing! I politely told him he was going to have to stand elsewhere, which he eventually did. The couple next to us sang even louder as a result of his request but there were a fair few shushers. Made me wonder what people's opinions where on this?

[kelvin]

If people want to hear the artist sing on his own - buy the fuckin album. It's a live gig. People sing, clap and jump around. At least you'd hope they would, it'd be a shit gig otherwise.

[fatneck]

Perfect answer! Thanks

[andy popp]

It depends completely on the gig. Despite my advanced years I still tend to end up going mad in the mosh pit at a Dinosaur Jr gig and I (and the rest of the audience) will sing my heart out to Jesus etc. by Wilco but I want total bloody silence at Low or Mark Kozelek gig.

[andy popp]

Anyway, a live music thread is a good idea - I meant to start one for 2014 but forgot. Glad the gig was so good Si.

[SA Chris]

Not been to a gig in a few years, but going to see Foo Fighters at Murrayfield in June, with Royal Blood supporting. Well up for it. I think even if / when I sing at the top of my voice no-one will notice.

[Falling Down]

Went to Camden last night to watch The Fierce and the Dead and PHILM.

Matt Steven's band The Fierce and The Dead are like a rougher Tortoise with a bit of Explosions in the Sky.  He's like a big gentle giant, his Telecaster looks like a toy in his hands.  Really great complex melodic heavy math-rock with some beautiful crystal clear almost hi-life passages.  A bunch of great musicians at the top of their game.

PHILM - Dave Lombardo, the mainstay drummer of Slayer through their best moments who's since permanently quit (there's a great clip on YouTube of him telling why at a drum workshop - getting ripped off by the record company and management) but also a shoe-in for John Zorn's heavier jazz workouts and Mike Patton's avant rock outfit Fantomas has formed his own band.   A classic power trio Guitar/vocals, bass and drums.    I listened to a few songs on a Spotify and they were OK but not outstanding but last night demonstrated the power of live performance over recorded music. Breathtakingly good... fantastic songs with space, depth, crushing intensity, melody and power.  Lombardo had his kit assembled at the front of the stage which wasn't some muso show-off thing but just added to the intensity of the performance.  Outstanding.

Coming up: Winterfylleth on Thursday, The Necks in April, King Creosote's Yellae Ducks festival over the Easter Weekend, Nick Cave at the Albert Hall on May Bank Holiday and me at some point if I can get my shit together.

[Falling Down]

Off to Anstruther in Fife tomorrow for King Creoste's tiny Yellae Deuks festival in Anstruther.  Will report back. 

[Plattsy]

Fleetwood Mac in June and Deep Purple in December. Catching them before it's too late. Really looking forward to both.

[johnx2]

Went to see Ryan Adams last night at the Liverpool Student Guild.

Saw him at the Leeds gig. Really good if a bit odd in places. Not sure how deliberate this may have been. He threw a proper strop at some tosser in the audience taking flash photos after having been asked not to (on account of Ryan's medical condition, which unfortunately my own chronic cbaitis means I'm unable to google), a la "I'm going to come down there and fucking kick your arse..." before storming across the stage, picking up an acoustic and absolutely blasting through the next solo number. The gig calmed and continued good weird with improvised songs about hotel a concierges etc. Very very good, but christ I don't like the venue.

Dunno if it's my ears packing up or if gigs have got quieter? But if the audience aren't engaged (not the case at the Ryan Adams gig,  but at others I've been to at the 02 Academy - MGMT standing out as particularly shit) it gets really distracting with people chatting - I don't mean singing along or whatever and getting into it, which is great though no one wants to see the over the top tosser in a suit dancing like no one's looking. Seriously mate we're trying not to look.  Gigs in my youth, you couldn't hear your mate shout right in your ear over the music. This appears no longer to be the case. Hey ho.

Who else have I seen? Julian Cope at the Brunel Soc Club. Was okay I guess. More of a comedy turn. I was the only one in the audience to cheer as he namechecked his publishers Faber & Faber. (His novel's shite by the way, bar about two good chapters . Unlike Head On and the one that followed which have momentum and are great.) Oh and another guy with a lot of past (played with Crazy Horse ffs) and also in raconteur mode but scouser, Ian McNab. Brilliant gig at the Crukbarn in Appletreewick, great venue. Was never a fan and don't recognise many songs bar a few icicle works numbers, but he was well able solo to fill the room with great sound... Enough. 

[Grubes]

Last year ended well with Alestorm and then the who with my dad both great gigs.
Got a decent year of gigs coming up I think.

This month -
While she sleeps - sheffield metalcore supported by cancerbats who I also like

coming up
KoRn - touring there first album in full. Saw them on the untouchable tour in 2003 ish and they were awesome.
Within tempation - in London in December. At the O2 full stadium show.

Hopefully seeing no/fx with Alkaline trio as well.

Anyone off to temple fest? could be interested in heading down for that.
I hope mastodon do some headline shows really liking the new stuff and not seen them in about 9 years.

Also potential for a decent summer of punk gigs as it seems to be coming back into fashion again and metal core is fading

[kelvin]

I've really tried to love the new Masterdon stuff but I'm still left feeling it's a little bland 

Saw Placebo at Hammersmith last week. Used to always come away a bit miffed with the crowd, always a little reserved but the last couple of times have been much better. People wearing colourful clothing for a start! Great gig, six of them on stage and the lady played a violin for a few tunes.

Love this band.

[butters]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor at the Albert Hall in Manchester. Didn't recognise many of the tracks but they were, as ever, awesome - quite different to their previous gigs that I have attended in that the sound was like a wall of sound (reminiscent to me of how I think being at a My Bloody Valentine gig would be). Spoke to a guy outside the venue and it was his first GYBE gig and he was truly blown away by it all - related it to undergoing a religious experience which it was probably not that far off.

Nothing on archive.org yet but I suspect that the gig will be uploaded in time - there is a couple of the German gigs from earlier this month available =year%3A%222015%22]here for those of you who want to get an idea of what it was like.   

[Grubes]

While she sleeps - sheffield metalcore supported by cancerbats who I also like

Last night was amazing fantastic gig. Currently hearing white noise and feed back which I doubt will clear before tomorrow.
Also Stubbsy was there which I found out on facebook after the gig.

This has made my decision about slam dunk very easy. I am going and I will see while she sleeps live again

I could happily spend all day at the desperado stage or the monster stagenot too bothered about the main stage.
Not seen finch since 2005 so will be nice to dig out the t-shirt and see if it still fits.

[Gallant]

Do not miss out on the Bronx, I urge you! Having saw them live for the first time when I was 14 might have something to do with my high opinion of them, but they're exceptional live. Comeback Kid are pretty damn fantastic live too, they delivered a killer set a few years back in Sheffield to a half-filled Corp and completely gave it their all.

(I'm unfortunately in the midst of my final uni exams that weekend, so shall be having to miss out, needless to say I'm hugely jealous!)

[Grubes]

saw them 11 years ago opening for the distillers I was 17 and wasted on tequila so do remember the set too much but remember it being good.

They have played the parish in Huddersfield a few times recently (where the cancer bats are playing monday sold out in 15 mins .. arse)

Bank holiday weekend man two days to recover and revise 

[Stubbs]

While she sleeps - sheffield metalcore supported by cancerbats who I also like

Last night was amazing fantastic gig. Currently hearing white noise and feed back which I doubt will clear before tomorrow.
Also Stubbsy was there which I found out on facebook after the gig.

Sheffield's finest! Such a great show, rarely such whole crowd involvement from front to back.  Did you catch Loz when he jumped off the balcony?

[Grubes]

nah but was next to the mass rush that stacked it. then next to the hole in the pit which collapsed. shortly after it. He landed about 2 metres from me.

I was also under neath the mass crowd surf about third song in. at one point I had 4 people on my head I help the same guy up 3 times in that one song.

[Grubes]

cancerbats played my local pub last night 
Absolutely brilliant!
 

I also bought tickets to see bad religion in manchester and probably buying dead kennedy tickets too.
 

[rodma]

cancerbats played my local pub last night 
Absolutely brilliant!
 

that must have been awesome, well jealous. currently listening to hail destroyer on loop

[Grubes]

it was sold out months ago in 20 mins or so but spoke to my mate who runs the gigs there last night before the gig and he sorted me out. 
Seen um twice in a week now.

[rodma]

You lucky lucky bastard

If only you could combine a job like demolition with one of their live shows, you'd get over one metric fucktonne done I reckon

[Falling Down]

Saw Steve Gunn on Monday at the Lexington.  What a great gig and thankfully a really quiet respectful audience.  If you get the chance please go see.  Just him singing with guitar, Tommy on bass and Eric on drums.  The palette they conjure is really diverse and the songcraft is amazing.

Nick Cave at the Albert Hall was suitably magnificent.  A solo performance with various members of the Bad Seeds including Warren Ellis, Martin Casey & Thomas Wydler.  It's such a great venue for this kind of concert. 

We went up to Fife for King Creosote's Yellae Deuks low-key weekend in Anstruther.  In the local village hall over three nights, it was great.  Many of the Fence artists plus Dan Lyth and the Euphrates, who's album from last year, Benthic Lines should have been in my list; Charlie Cunningham; Sorren McLean and Hannah Fisher and a fantastic full King Creosote band played to an intimate audience in this lovely little fishing village. 

Got some great live music coming up.  Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells in a couple of weeks then The GZA/Tortoise/Loop/Lightning Bolt all on one bill and Jesus & Mary Chain plus Bardo Pond on another as part of Mogwai's thing at the Roundhouse.  A two day Ben Chasny/Six Organs of Admittance thing at Cafe OTO.  The Necks at the Barbican.  GME and Dave Lamacraft are coming down for King Creoste in October.

I've been writing some songs and music with a new friend down here so they should see the light of day and maybe some play some live later this year if we can pull our finger out and get them finished and practice enough.

[webbo]

James last night at Scarborough open air theatre, brillant very atmospheric as it went dark.
A lot of dad dancing though.

[Falling Down]

Bet that was great.

Steve Gunn is playing on Leeds tonight (Sunday) at the Brudenell.  If any locals can make it, you should go.