I’ve been to a lot of gigs this week. I see this as an achievement cos I’m pretty lazy and normally prefer an evening of TV and Pro Evo to going out. So anyway, here we go:
Monday: Lily Allen @ Hammersmith Apollo
Non-‘work’ gig to start the week, I actually wrote a long and convoluted review full of pontification but it made me realise why I work in PR and not as a journo so I gave up. Here are edited highlights: good gig, people don’t seem to regard Lily in as high esteem as someone like Amy Winehouse – but she’s just as good and just as drunk. She’s more pop and you definitely wouldn’t see little girls in those glowing bunny ears at Amy Winehouse, but great voice and kudos for Blondie and Specials covers.
Tuesday: Betty Curse Showcase @ The Pigalle Club
Ahh, the showcase. Heaven for media types: free booze, free food and all over by half seven so you can be home in time for, erm, WAGs Boutique. Must be hell for artists though: twenty minute set, high pressure situation, no real gig vibe. Ms Betty Curse handles it sparklingly – does her pop/rock thing, plays to the Myspace kids down the front and in the last two songs (‘God This Hurts’ and ‘Do You Mind If I Cry’) she has a genuine chance to make it. Not impressed by the ‘alternative’ magician who followed Betty, but kudos for his Gallows t-shirt.
Wednesday: Patrick Wolf + Arcade Fire @ Brixton Academy
Patrick Wolf was great – a really interesting unique sound, mixing up a range of styles and sounds without veering into avant garde wankery. I was a bit perturbed by the extremely short shorts and the theatrical posing but that’s another story. Arcade Fire were also great, but not amazing. The sound was never quite right – never managed to balance the array of instruments properly and Win’s vocals were too quiet. But it’s still Arcade Fire: ‘Intervention’, ‘Wake Up’ ‘Power Out’ – joyous singalongs. It’s an almost religious experience – the audience was quiet a lot of the time, in hushed awe, worshipping at the church of Arcade Fire, building into rapture properly only at the end.
Thursday: Thursday night is football night. Followed by Skins and Six Feet Under.
Friday: Bright Eyes @ Koko
I’m going to see Bright Eyes tonight, thoughts to follow. I met the band on Wednesday at our student radio conference and they were very nice. A little guarded at first but very witty and very charming. See some pics : 
Current listening: Maccabees album, Arcade Fire, new Kings Of Leon album, Sonic Youth, CSS, Belle and Sebastian.
3 comments:
What was Bright Eyes like? I saw them at Somerset House, which was good, but not amazing, only amazing when Conor did First Day Of My Life, solo acoustic, breathtaking. and I saw them a few years back at Shepherd's Bush, around Lifted
That was magical
Bright Eyes were great, sounded amazing - his rejigged band seems made to do the Americana-laden sound they're going for at the moment. Didn't play enough stuff off the new album for my liking but I guess it was more for the fans who haven't had the chance to hear it yet.
can i please have the maccabees album ill bum you for ever
Post a Comment