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Category Archives: Gigs
Half Man Half Biscuit – The Auditorium, Leicester
A new venue for me tonight, it’s actually a converted cinema. It looked pretty grotty, but worked quite well with tiered areas giving everyone a good view.
The less said about the support band the better, I think they probably rank as the worst support band I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing, however Half Man Half Biscuit more than made up for them.
They started out with the obvious tribute to the recently departed Fred Titmus, and then played for the best part of two hours. The only oddity was the lack of 24 Hour Garage People tonight, so no up-to-date Pringles pricing information was offered.
Setlist:
Fuckin’ ‘Ell It’s Fred Titmus
San Antonio Foam Party
Restless Legs
Asparagus Next Left
Petty Seasions
Running Order Squabble Fest
Bob Wilson Anchorman
Left Lyrics in the Practice Room
Deep House Victims Minibus Appeal
Trumpton Riots
Bad Review
National Shite Day
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train)
Lark Descending
Surging Out of Convalescence
A Lilac Harry Quinn
99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd
Tommy Walsh’s Eco House
All I Want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit
Joy Division Oven Gloves
For What is Chatteris?
Evening of Swing (Has Been Cancelled)
Vatican Broadside
A Country Practice
We Built This Village on a Trad. Arr. Tune
Them’s the Vagaries
Dreaming (Blondie)
Everything’s A.O.R.
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Levellers and The Wonder Stuff – O2 Academy, Bristol
It doesn’t seem like it, but it’s 20 years since Levelling the Land was released. To celebrate the Levellers are touring and playing the entire album.
The Wonder Stuff were supporting complete with Fuzz Townshend guesting on drums. Due to a late arrival we missed the first part of the set, but the rest of it was superb.
After a break and a video introduction the Levellers took to the stage and ran through all of Levelling the Land with a brief diversion in the middle to play some B-sides from singles of the era. They finished off what was a superb evening with a handful of songs from the rest of their repertoire. All in all a thoroughly good night.
One Way
The Game
15 Years
The Boatman + Didgeridoo
Liberty Song
Far From Home
Hard Fight
Dance Before The Storm
Last Days of Winter
Devil Went Down to Georgia
Sell Out
Another Man’s Cause
The Road
The Riverflow
Battle of the Beanfield
Hope Street
Carry Me
Cholera Well
Beautiful Day
Fairport Convention – Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
It’s spring, so it must be time for the annual Fairport Convention Wintour.
As with last year we headed up to Swindon early to partake of a meal in the venue first, and yet again the food was superb. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for coffee before heading downstairs for the support act, Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts who were very good.
They were joined for their last song by their "backing band" better known as Fairport Convention who stayed on stage and launched into a complete run through of their 1971 folk-opera album Babbacombe Lee about the life, and subsequent failure to hang, John Babbacombe Lee.
A 30 minute interval gave us time to get the coffee we missed earlier, before the second half of the set which comprised the vast majority of their new album, Festival Bell. Finally they finished off with the obligatory trio of Who Knows Where the Time Goes, Matty Groves, and Meet on the Ledge. As always, it was a superb night. Same again next year?
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Richard Thompson Band – Colston Hall, Bristol
A full band line-up tonight, rather than the solo outing where I last saw Richard Thompson, the recent recipient of an O.B.E. The first half of the evening was an almost-complete run through the latest album, Dream Attic, omitting only a few tracks. After a quick trip to the bar for refreshments it was back for the second half and a selection of some of the older hits. The first track was from Henry the Human Fly, apparently the worst selling Warner Brothers album of all time. There were solos from each of the performers interwoven into the songs, and the obligatory audience participation during Tear Stained Letter.
A respectably early finish of 22:15 left us with the climb back up to the lofty heights of the top of the car park before the drive back home again.
The Money Shuffle
Among the Gorse, Among the Grey
Haul Me Up
Burning Man
Here Comes Geordie
Demons in Her Dancing Shoes
Big Sun Falling in the River
Sidney Wells
A Brother Slips Away
If Love Whispers Your Name
The Angels Took My Racehorse Away
Can’t Win
One Door Opens
Al Bowlly’s in Heaven
Never Give it Up
Wall of Death
Tear Stained Letter
Take Care the Road You Choose
A Man in Need
Posted in Gigs, Richard Thompson
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Joglaresa – Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon
I was a last-minute stand-in for tonight, making use of a spare ticket. It was an interesting evening of christmas related medieval and early folk music, all performed acoustically.
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Spamalot – Theatre Royal, Bath
It was an early birthday present tonight, a trip to Nandos followed by a cultural evening at the theatre. Spamalot is a fantastic musical romp through the career of Monty Python. Loosely based around the plot of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but with other sketches thrown in for good measure including the obligatory renditions of "Always look on the bright side of life". We were sat four rows from the front so had a perfect view, but you get the impression that it could really do with a slightly larger stage than that provided at the Theatre Royal.
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I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – Colston Hall, Bristol
A fantastic night of comedy as always, albeit one pretty much identical to the show we saw last year except with Rob Brydon taking the role of chairman. Jeremy Hardy still can’t sing, but it turns out that Rob Brydon can, and joined in with “One Song to the Tune of Another” and “Pick-up Song”.
Yet again Samantha was otherwise detained and unable to attend.
New Model Army – Rock City, Nottingham – Saturday
Another fantastic night watching New Model Army. Even more people there than on Friday and even hotter stood up on the balcony. Same again in 10 years?
Heroes
Snelsmore Wood
No Pain
Another Imperial Day (Acapella)
You Weren’t There
Lovesongs
Space (with Joolz)
Modern Times
Ocean Rising
Island
Christian Militia
Long Goodbye
Falling
One of the Chosen
Carlisle Road
The Hunt
Red Earth
Get Me Out
Autumn
Here Comes the War
High
Whitecoats
51st State
No Rest
Marrakesh
Bad Old World
Believe It
Stupid Questions
I Love the World
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New Model Army – Rock City, Nottingham – Friday
A fantastic night at Rock City. The place was packed, and everyone was singing along. We’ve got it all again on Saturday night as well.
Better Than Them
Turn Away
Dawn
Higher Wall
Drummy B
Fate
Bluebeat
Courage
The Attack
Over the Wire
Vengeance
White Light
Drag It Down
Wonderful Way To Go
Today Is a Good Day
Liberal Education
Flying Through the Smoke
No Sense
Vagabonds (*)
Knife
Mambo Queen of the Sandstone City
Orange Tree Roads
Purity (*)
Green and Grey (*)
Brother
Wired
225
Poison Street (*)
Betcha (*)
(*) – with Ed Alleyne-Johnson
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Spiers and Boden – Bath Folk Club
Nepotism played a part tonight, the support act was Jon Boden’s younger but taller brother Tom. He played a few solo songs, then Jon joined him on stage for a couple more before he finished off with a couple more solos.
About 9pm the main act saunter up onto stage for the first half of their set, they were as good as I’ve ever seen them. A few songs seemed to have a slightly different arrangement, although that could be the beer and my memory playing tricks on me.
The Rochdale Coconut Dance
Rambling Robin
Cheshire Waltz
The Birth of Robin Hood
Jiggery Pokerwork / Haul Away / Seven Stars
Brown Adam
Three Tunes / Sportsman’s Hornpipe
Tom Padget
Old Maui
Bold Sir Rylas
The Three-Two Set: The Shropshire Rounds / Rusty Gully / The Three-Footed Chestnut
Horn Fair
Jack Robinson / Argiers / Old Tom Of Oxford
The Gooseberry Bush / Laudanum Bunches
Prickle Eye Bush
Captain Ward
Sloe Gin Set: Frozen Gin / Vinegar Reel / The Sloe
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