The Wombats Fight - Uncut Documentary Footage!!!

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Hot Hot Heat Paradise 20071011

So I ended up at Hot Hot Heat on my own. Surprisingly I got a good space at the front despite an awful commute. De Novo Dahl were OK but sequined suits guys are well over. The music was not offensive but not memorable.
Bedouin Soundclash, must be one of the most difficult bands to spell and google.
The vocalist, guitarist has one of the most extreme board of pedals I think I have ever seen

But to his credit I think he uses the effects well. He does seem a little addicted to the deley pedal both for his guitar and the vocal. I had never heard anything from this band and was open minded. I ended up very impresses and found them very enjoyable. They remind me of early Police with a touch of the Clash thrown in. Sweet to listen to and certainly has lead me to investigate more of their music. It was a bit weird for both of these bands they had no sooner started than they broke a guitar string. You feel a bit sorry for them but they played on like troopers which I show what people can do when they can actually play.

Hot Hot Heat, lets say I 'like' their music but I had not a moment of doubt to choose SHITDISCO over HHH. But SHITDISCO became vomit DISCO as one of tehm was diagnosed with cyclic vomiting disorder. Rather than stay at home on Peel Day we changed plans and bought HHH tickets.
I was a bit weirded out not sure i really wanted to be there but decided to go with the flow. Steve Bays. the vocalist/keyboard player really plays up to the girls, and yes I say girls, in the audience singing into their face, grasping their hands and generally hamming it up any time he wasn't jumping around. He gives a energetic enthused act which tends to outshine the rest of the band. I smiles I danced.
Again not my band to know track names but we got Goodnight, Goodnight, Middle of Nowhere, elevator, Bandages and Let Me In. A fun night.

The Donna The Paradise Boston 20071007

When this was announced they had Switches as the support band. I liked Switches when they played last time to we went ahead and bought tickets thinking that the Donnas would be fun too. A week before they changed the lien up and Switches disappeared. The problem is of course that the support band isn't considered part of the lineup so you have no come back.
So we turned up anyway. The audience was old school rockers and you could see the wrinkles a mile off including ours.
The first band whose name I cant remember had a lead singer who spent his time making misogynist comments but the band made ok text book heavy rock music -Pass!
Then came on Donita Sparks. Dreadful, Cliche after cliche delivered by a has been. Sorry but this made me cringe like crazy.
Watching The Donnas was weird like floating above it. I am so not their target audience. But i could see Brett picking the audience up into the palm of her hand, manipulating them to feel included and to 'Rock out'. They play well, put their heart into the setup and are a fun band. Do they make me go crazy - No.

American Music bad and good

I went to see Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly last night at the Brattle theater. They are part of the New England 'Rock Royalty'. I keep trying to like this as they are so loved by the locals and I see that they have points. Tanya was on first then Kristin then songs together. We stayed for three then ran. I am so sorry but I find the Brattle a HORRIBLE music venue it was cold and antiseptic. Both women have degenerated in singer songwriters of little talent. Their voices aren't wonderful, I wasn't impressed by the guitar and the songs aren't scintillating. I do try but this does NOTHING for me. And hey morons don't take kids under five to a music concert, the rest of the world should not be subjected to that, one word - babysitters.
BTW as you see despite having several of both women's albums the two merged together so we couldnt tell them apart- makes me terribly ashamed I DID love Kristin's Hips and Makers album. Also Joe McMahon was on stage with Tanya, playing double bass and keyboards, he made the show for me. We see him all the time at Great Scott and had no idea he played so well.
So at 8 we moved on and got to the Roxy as fast as we could getting there about 8:30. Word of warning due to fights, drugs and injuries (deaths?) Boston has clamped down and totally shut off the balcony removing huge number of visual vantage points.
So we got there just before The National came on stage and thanks to having our ear plugs managed to find spots just in front of the speakers.
After being annoyed and just feeling I was totally alienated from American music we moved onto the National which is a band which totally slips into my heart regardless of their American roots.
We were late, pressing in at the last moment so our photos are lousy and non-existent. But as we walked out I saw someone with a set list so I did beg the chance to take a photo, probably the only photo worth while for the whole night.
Loved them starting with Brainy and I was so ecstatic when they launched into Secret Meeting. I love this band, their lyrics are dark and brooding, their energy is vibrant, Matt is haunted and possessed on stage, Padma makes you realize that the violin can sometimes be a manic instrument that infuses your veins. I love Boxer but people who love Fake Empire but do not know Secret Meeting, Abel and Mr November make me think they are some of the scum that latched on when The National joined arcade Fire and brought decent music to their tour and sorry but I have no patience for any of you. True I only latched on when Mr all knowing Music God Steve Lamacq started playing Abel but I hope I have becoem true and listened to all their tracks being there when they played TT's.
Every track beautiful, every track inspiring- perhaps there is hope for American music and for me to love it. And Mr November even knocked 'Don't You wanna be relevant'out of my internal mp3 player for a while.

Patrick Wolf Paradise Rock Club October 4th 2007

I started to listening to Patrick as the music board I frequent has several ardent fans. When he supported Amy Winehouse at Avalon I was mildly annoyed to be unable to see him so when the tickets became available for his solo show I did not have a moment of doubt about getting the tickets.
I started to listen to his albums in earnest and watch the Gill Mills podcasts too which in turn lead me to listen to them as a whole as he had intended which was actually a good idea. Patrick does have a bit of a reputation as a Pop Diva especially after firing his drummer on stage in a tantrum which involved him physically chastising the man and chasing him off stage then there was the rant where he claimed to be leaving the music business for ever.
Bishi opened, I hear she got luke warm receptions in the UK but here she was warmly received and put on an interesting little set where she reflected the warm reception with a warm and sunny set of songs. she played a sitar, wore a traditional outfit (Bengalese?) and had her ipod to provide backing.
Then we got Patrick, stick thin and with more glitter than a 8 year old let loose in CVS he was obviously channeling Ziggy stardust in his makeup choices. My flickr shows the makeup as garish but it looked just theatrical when in front of you.
He seems so fragile but real and honest. Not the most handsome but he is stylish and accentauates what he has, musically his songs encompass slow and emotive points to the exuberance and joy that resonated around the Paradise as he played Accident and Emergency and The Magic Position. His classical training shows as he easily moves between his viola to keyboard. His talent is obvious to all who listen.
It was a smallish audience but deeply appreciative and Patrick was happy on stage, this showed as when he went to sing Tristan his mike just failed leaving the front row hearing his utterances as the rest of the audience lost his voice. He smiled laughed and grabbed the keyboard mike and carried on. On another night you feel that may have become a tantrum but instead it was an inside joke which we all giggled about but moved on to enjoy the wonder that Tristan is.
I am not enough of a fan to recognize the song where Patrick name checked Boston but it just added to the warmth of the evening.
I came to this gig interested, I left feeling a deep affection to this talented human angular musician.
BTW the set list became fiction as the night progressed but it gives almost all songs played though stars was played about three songs before the encore and A&E became the song before encore with the magic position as the closer.

My music

I got a jibe about listening to Hard-Fi at last.fm and have also been given a hard time about listening to some bands. If the music makes me move, smile or even cry I love it. I don't really care if you like what I like, my gut tells me how to respond and I will listen to that rather than any so-called trend-setters. Do the same, do you really care about what NME or Pitchfork thinks? Do you smile when you listen- if so be proud and be a loud and proud supporter, I may not approve but music should not be dictated by the head but by the gut, by the libido and so many other non-tangible points.

the cinematics tt the bears Sept 5th

We took a friend to this who has been sidelined with a 2 year old sprog and hasnt been to a gig at TT's for over 10 years. So nice to walk in and have Scott call us over for a chat. This is a genuine band who slog their guts out touring. The gig was fun and we even got a new track. We have been listening to them playing a strange Education for nearly two years now and so feel an empathy for the guys who are getting a little OD'ed on playing the songs live. They still kick butt (and would get scalped if they underperformed in Scotland and specifically in Glasgow).
Scott manages to effortlessly hit notes most vocalists wouldn't even try live. I have such a soft spot for this band and will see them each time they come and play. So sweet getting a hug and a hi after the gig. If you haven't bought their CD or seen them live then why not? Do it tomorrow.........