The Wombats Boston 2008

Wow, last year there was 25 of us, this year there was a rowdy sold out crowd full of drunken college boys. The boys lapped up the energy and put on a great show, minor complaint (and I know it was because of equipment issues) no 'How to pack your bags' no circuit board city'. All the songs we love - accapella, kill the director Joy Division, Patricia, First Wedding and of course Backfire.
So happy to see folks picking up on them, though I still want to see them in small places.
I hurt because of the wild crowd (note being at the front with a stage at knee level with frat boys behind you is DANGEROUS) but cant stop beaming. Were you there? No? then you missed the best show in Boston this year.
Gilrs Boys and Marsupials which opened the show


Little Miss Pipedream from last night

Interesting Gigs coming up

Thank goodness for the Canadian Virgin festival, it is bringing over UK acts leading to a sudden deluge of decent acts.
Forgive me for it seem like I have gone insane planning gigs. My most painful decision is that in all honesty I cant really skip work next week to go to see Sky Larkin in New York, oh why couldn't they play a Saturday?
BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT.We do get Does it Offend You, Yeah?, The Wombats, The Pigeon Detectives, Sons And Daughters, Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn, Stereophonics, Noah and The Whale, Glasvegas and last and by no means least - oh my God after years of waiting I actually get to see................
drum roll please......................
James! Despite what every American thinks the song we die to hear is Sit Down not Laid.
So something to look forward too.

SXSW2009

YEAH! The SXSW 2009 website just opened. I know its only August but now I have SXSW 2009 to look forward to, my chance to see more small bands than any other time in the USA.
My mood is temporarily HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!

Subways at The Paradise

WOW, I was tired, miserable, pissed off because work sucks and MGMT and Ting Tings had been fun but not that much fun.
Then came the Subways. Half Panto, half showmen/women, 100% performers.
Its not often you burst into a concert and dance and smile your way through the whole delightful thing. Having already heard the yet to be released album I loved even the songs which many folks didn't move to.
These guys write bright bouncy, hard rocking guitar, bass and rum rhythms to make your butt move and make your spirits soar.
Miserably attended so that half the Paradise was shut off the idiots who paid a fortune to see MGMT should have been there on Saturday to see what a real band can do.
Absolutely loved you guys.

BBC harms the ability of british bands to be heard abroad

For the past four years I have been listening to British radio on the internet being British, or more accurately Scottish. This means rather than listening to US crap radio new crap and horribly regurgitated garbage I have listened to radio like Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens and Vic Galloway. This means I hear interesting new music rather than dross.
This week the new BBC iplayer was fully loaded. They claim to have upgraded radio quality but this is only for UK residents. For folks listening to abroad they have downgraded the quality to 64kbps which sounds dreadful.
This listen again feature has lead me to hear new British bands and many others also find new music this way then go to see them when you travel abroad and buy the CDs as imports.
We also buy the CDs when they are released over here and crappy US radio will not play them due to not fitting into a defined format.
BBC has stabbed british bands in the back.
You should fight this it will hurt british band's ability to expand beyond British shores.

Gigs in full

if anyone is interested all my gigs can be seen here, only 2007 and 2008 up so far
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pCzROSjpfVWz4ePNEPYdLLw&hl=en

Gigs for Jan thru June

Date Band Type Venue Location
1/3/2008 28 Degrees Taurus S Great Scott Boston
1/12/2008 White Williams H Middle East Upstairs Boston
1/25/2008 Bedouin Soundclash H Harper's Ferry Boston
2/2/2008 Plants and Animals S Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia
2/2/2008 The Spinto Band H Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia
2/2/2008 The Whigs S Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia
2/7/2008 Gene Loves Jezebel H Middle East Upstairs Boston
2/7/2008 Spear Of Destiny S Middle East Upstairs Boston
2/7/2008 The Virgins S BU Central Boston
2/7/2008 Ra Ra Riot H BU Central Boston
2/8/2008 No Age S The Paradise Boston
2/8/2008 Liars H The Paradise Boston
2/12/2008 Yeasayer S Great Scott Boston
2/12/2008 MGMT H Great Scott Boston
2/18/2008 Your Vegas S The Paradise Boston
2/18/2008 Switches S The Paradise Boston
2/18/2008 The Bravery H The Paradise Boston
2/19/2008 Your Vegas S The Paradise Boston
2/19/2008 Switches S The Paradise Boston
2/26/2008 Pela H TT The Bears Boston
3/5/2008 Exit Clov S Middle East Upstairs Boston
3/5/2008 Pretty & Nice S Middle East Upstairs Boston
3/5/2008 Wonderful Spells H Middle East Upstairs Boston
3/7/2008 School Of Language H TT The Bears Boston
3/8/2008 Lightspeed Champions H Union Pool New York
3/10/2008 The Pigeon Detectives H Great Scott Boston
3/11/2008 The Cribs H The Engine Room Houston
3/17/2008 The Wombats H The Annex New York
3/18/2008 Tilly and The Wall H The Rock N Roll Hotel Washing ton DC
3/19/2008 Ra Ra Riot S The Black Cat Washing ton DC
3/19/2008 The Cribs H The Black Cat Washing ton DC
3/20/2008 The Cribs H Music Hall of Williamsburg New York
3/21/2008 The Cribs H The Paradise Boston
3/22/2008 Ra Ra Riot S The North Star Philadelphia
3/22/2008 The Cribs H The North Star Philadelphia
3/23/2008 Frightened Rabbit S Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia
3/23/2008 Sons and Daughters H Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia
3/24/2008 Frightened Rabbit S Middle East Downstairs Cambridge
3/24/2008 Sons and Daughters H Middle East Downstairs Cambridge
4/2/2008 Bear Hands S Middle East Downstairs Cambridge
4/2/2008 Ambulance Ltd H Middle East Downstairs Cambridge
4/4/2008 The Spinto Band H TT The Bears Cambridge
4/5/2008 Carbon/Silicon H TT The Bears Cambridge
4/9/2008 Wonderful Spells S TT The Bears Cambridge
4/9/2008 The Duke Spirit H TT The Bears Cambridge
4/12/2008 Yeasayer S The Paradise Boston
4/12/2008 Man Man H The Paradise Boston
4/18/2008 White Denim S The Paradise Boston
4/18/2008 Tapes 'n Tapes H The Paradise Boston
4/24/2008 Tokyo Police Club H The Paradise Boston
4/24/2008 The Meligrove Band S The Paradise Boston
4/25/2008 Ra Ra Riot H Middle East Downstairs Boston
4/25/2008 The Little Ones S Middle East Downstairs Boston
4/26/2008 Tokyo Police Club H Pearl Street NightClub Northhampton
4/30/2008 Secret Machines H Great Scott Boston
5/1/2008 South H Great Scott Boston
5/6/2008 Foals H Middle East Downstairs Boston
5/8/2008 The Teenagers H The Paradise Boston
5/8/2008 Team Robespierre S The Paradise Boston
5/12/2008 Mobius Band S The Paradise Boston
5/12/2008 Black Kids S The Paradise Boston
5/12/2008 Cut Copy H The Paradise Boston
5/13/2008 British Sea Power H The Paradise Boston
5/19/2008 The Long Blondes H Great Scott Boston
5/21/2008 Los Campesinos! H The Paradise Boston
5/22/2008 Air Traffic H TT The Bears Cambridge
5/24/2008 Age Rings S Middle East Upstairs Cambridge
5/24/2008 The Mary Onettes H Middle East Upstairs Cambridge
5/25/2008 The Magic S Middle East Downstairs Cambridge
5/25/2008 Islands H Middle East Downstairs Cambridge
5/26/2008 Frightened Rabbit H Great Scott Boston
6/1/2008 Be Your Own Pet S The Paradise Boston
6/1/2008 The Virgins S The Paradise Boston
6/1/2008 Switches S The Paradise Boston
6/1/2008 She Wants Revenge H The Paradise Boston
6/3/2008 Jukebox the Ghost S The Blender Theatre @ Gramercy New York
6/3/2008 The Wombats H The Blender Theatre @ Gramercy New York
6/5/2008 The Breeders H The Paradise Boston
6/7/2008 Pela H Middle East Upstairs Cambridge
6/8/2008 Lightspeed Champions H Great Scott Boston
6/9/2008 These New Puritans H Great Scott Boston
6/11/2008 The Fratellis H The Paradise Boston
6/11/2008 The Airborne Toxic Event S The Paradise Boston
6/14/2008 Wonderful Spells S Great Scott Boston
6/14/2008 O'Death H Great Scott Boston
6/17/2008 Locksley S Middle East Downstairs Cambridge
6/17/2008 Rooney H Middle East Downstairs Cambridge
6/19/2008 Anni Rossi S Great Scott Boston
6/19/2008 The Ting Tings H Great Scott Boston
6/25/2008 Delta Spirit H Middle East Upstairs Cambridge
6/26/2008 Aberdeen City The Paradise Boston