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Just finished watching the Hold Steady's livestream from the Brooklyn Bowl and ya know what? I'm going to make it through this year if it kills me but I am ****ed if I'm going through another year without live music. I was so so lucky, the last weekend before the lockdown was the Hold Steady's weekender in London, with Trail of Dead in Edinburgh before and Frank Turner in Glasgow as a closer, but just watching that show, it was brilliant and I got into the live show groove but... no sweat, no bruises. Basically like having a really good ****.
Ach well. Coronavirus is a bitch but there is something important missing from my soul this year that's been there since I was a kid and so much made me the person I am and if I'd been 18 this year I don't know what having that piece missing would have done to me. Obviously it's far from the worst thing we've lost this year but it doesn't matter if it's the most important thing, if it's a thing that you need and that makes you you.
But next year's massive nights are going to be massiver, I swear to god I'm going to elbow some mother****ers so hard.
Not quite the same, but both my kids are musical and every December is mental with concerts, shows and rehearsals - usually a show or rehearsal every night through December up till Christmas Eve.
Eldest (17) said the other day "This might be the only quiet Christmas I get for the next 50-60 years."
Been a huge loss in their year. Though our petrol costs are well down!
The dearth of cultural life has hit me pretty hard this year.
Especially gigs! I probably go to 50+ every year. Hoping a lot of the smaller Edinburgh venues survive for next year.
Did you see Bannermans has put out a crowdfunder btw? Looks like it'll clear it, they have a good network but that's another bad sign. I think Edinburgh's going to be worse than most because so many of the live venues barely existed before and didn't have the sort of rep that gets big support- I was in the Mash House a few days before the lockdown frinstance, I've seen some great gigs there but it's not the sort of place that people get excited over supporting, it's not been there for decades etc or got a list of stars that have played there... Whereas your King Tutses and the like have mad goodwill.
I don't go to as many gigs as Northwind, but I was there with him for The Hold Steady's Weekendender and that Frank Turner gig in March. I too am feeling the lack of live music this year, a few livestreams have helped take the edge of it (David Ford in particularly has been putting in a good effort there) but it's not the same.
And of course on the other side is the people for whom live music is their career, their life. My little brother is a sound engineer. Normally spends up to 3/4 of the year on tour in the UK and around the world.
Satisfying a strong audience appetite to get back to it in 2021 is a must.
Lack of gigs has been what’s really hit me this year too. 🙁 Have kinda put up with the rest of it but not seeing bands knock out a song I love live has been just shite.
I love those emails reminding me that the gig has been rescheduled for the 7th time just to rub it in a bit. 🙂
Same here with gigs. Just hope to **** all the rescheduled ones for next year go ahead.
And the non rescheduled ones get rescheduled and not cancelled!
I feel your pain, even if I generally only manage one gig a year. On the flip side I haven't had to make crap excuses not to go to social events. Not a bad year for introverted grumpy old men.
Not only me missing the live gigs then ........
Normal year would see me at around 2 a month or more depending on who is around ...
This year I’ve seen just 1 😭,
On the plus side I do have a stack of tickets for postponed shows,
I’ve even dared to order 1 today although the show isn’t till October 2021 .... please tell me I’m not being too hopeful and that we’ll be allowed by then 🤞
It’ll be a great night out
https://brudenellsocialclub.seetickets.com/event/holy-moly-the-crackers/brudenell-social-club/1689541?aff=id1bandsintown
I was only thinking the same today. Facebook memories can be a bitch. Mine threw this up this morning. One year ago today, though it seems like a lifetime ago. Idles at the Academy
I nipped in for a brew sat outside my mate Simon's this morning. Not seen him for yonks as he's my gig buddy. We'll go and see pretty much anyone
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Have found myself getting weirdly empotional watching gig footage recently, especially those where the audience and the artist are both clearly loving every second of it, the kind of vibe you just can't get in a studio.
This for instance
God I miss live music.
That Idles picture above was him stood in the middle of the audience being held up after the band had indulged in some enthusiastic crown surfing. It was a mad gig!
Don't do a lot of gigs anymore but made an exception and booked a big one this year.
Rage Against the Machine supported by Run the Jewels at Madison Square Garden on August 13th. Basically my 2 favourite musical outfits on earth.
My mrs. has never been to the states and it was going to be our first trip to NYC. First proper holiday without bikes in years and years.
Still got the tickets for the rescheduled shows in 2021 but we'll have a 2 month old baby. Oops. Curse my powerful potency sealing the deal on the first attempt.
Man, I was so into the Hold Steady around the time of the Boys and Girls in America album. I saw them and You Say Party! We Say Die! at Leeds festival, so good.
If gigs ever restart I have tickets for Brian Fallon, the Killers and Green Day's Super Hella Mega Tour (with Fall Out Boy and Weezer) all to look forward to next year.
That Woodkid vid is awesome, haven't listened to him in ages... OK, it's my thread, but it was a wee bit mopey so I'm changing the rules- post random totally awesome "everyone is mad into it" live vids. Ideally ones you were there for.
I don't even like the Killers but this was absolutely amazing- Brandon Flowers having actual emotions! There was a lot of hugging strangers
bin bins photo shows the only thing i don’t miss! All those ****s with their phones out.
You can watch gigs on your phone screens any time. When you’re at a gig, mosh, dance, be in the moment. Yeah, I miss that stuff.
In the spirit of the freshly re-directed thread, this live performance by YOB looks transcendent. Sadly I wasn't there, but just watching it on YT was really moving:
@Northwind - yeah, I saw Bannermans had a crowdfunder on. Hadn't really looked into it - being on the dole I get £400 a month so donating money isn't on the cards sadly.
I do know the guys there quite well - the manager has started going out with my pal, and also helped me out with my HMRC licence for my brewery.
Hopefully I'll be earning again once gigs are back on so can start splashing the cash down there!
On an aside, it looks like we've got similar music tastes - we should catch a gig sometime
I think your right northwind if this year has taught me anything It's to get out next year and go to some gigs and house nights. Im knocking 50 but watching the streetrave free DJ sets makes me want to repay their effort by going to a few nights when they are back open even taking my 17 year old son.
Also want to see the Specials at the usher hall as well.
Last gig I was at. Been a fan of Marc Ford since '92. If you've not heard of him, he was rumoured to take Izzy's place in Guns N Roses but had already agreed to join The Black Crowes. He was kicked out for taking too many drugs, quite a feat in the Crowes. He then played with Ben Harper and Booker T for a bit. This is him in BC offshoot The Magpie Salute. I'd waited 27 years to see him.
I'm weird...I don't do gigs and find live music doesn't work for me like the studio album seems to. Saying that, I completely understand the sort of emptiness that is left by not being able to go to gigs. Doesn't bother me, but I've a few things that are in the same boat (for me) so I completely gets this.
Hopefully things will recover and these things can return.
My first rescheduled gig is 4th Feb. Squid, sold out at the famous Joiners in Southampton.
Distancing will be impossible, so I’m doubtful this’ll happen. Be amazing if it does. Got them again in March, so one gig will!
I'm not that hopeful about the first half of 2021 🙁
My first shift as a delivery driver coincided with the one year anniversary of a really memorable gig that I played last year, which really hit home! Starting to really miss playing live now....
Gutted to hear about Bannermans, it became "home" after the green tree closed a long time ago. In the spirit of the redirect. 3 mins in is everything I love about live music.
Sounds like an excuse to post something from David Ford to me. "Mad for it" is not the right phrase for David Ford or his audience, but you can hear snatches of how quite a lot of the audience that's crammed into Sneaky Pete's are singing all the words here. Posted partly because I was there (about 4' behind and to the left of whoever took this video) and also partly out of amusement about how badly the phone's microphone coped with the last minute or so of the song.
Edit: Wow, that video's thumbnail makes David Ford look more rock! than he has ever looked before or since!
That's a good un
Ah, ballbags! 🙁
"Squid at The Joiners, Southampton on 04/02/2021 (19:30) has been moved and will now take place on Tuesday, 22/06/2021 (19:30) at The Joiners, Southampton."