With the country still in the midst of lockdown and no sign of any live music in the foreseeable future if at all this year I thought I would take the opportunity to look back in the archives, sounds posh I know but it’s just an spreadsheet, and revisit gigs I attended on this day down the years. I will keep this going until I can attend my first gig again in person so hopefully this also brings back memories for my gig going chums who have joined me on this great musical journey down the years.
Just a couple today but some corkers for today’s trip down memory lane for you down the years.
2009, the Decemberists, the Coronet, London
Just down the New Kent Road at the Elephant Castle laid the slightly run down Cornet Theatre. The one and only gig I have seen there but what a gig. After catching the Decemberists playing the whole of ‘Hazards of Love’ at Lollapalooza earlier that year I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to see it again on the small stage and I dragged Graham along to introduce him to the wonders of this band. ‘Hazards of Love’ is one of the finest bodies of music I have ever heard. It’s the band high water mark for me and has to be listened straight through all 59 minutes of it.
It’s an expanded band for this run of shows and as usual there’s a load of theatrics to their stage show. Act one is the complete album and its stunning stuff and its more of a theatre show than rock concert with its storytelling but most of all what a great collection of talented musicians who have honed down this set through this year’s touring schedule. Act two is a greatest hits, not that I think they have had any over here, from their previous albums and only further cements their credentials. A two song encore that inevitably ends with the Mariner’s Revenge Song which always involves a lot of audience participation and usually an inflatable whale being passed around the crowd.
A truly great show for a truly great band who not entirely entertain you musically but will always make you leave with a smile on your face.
1992, Television, Town & Country, London
So fourteen years after breaking up, the band got back together sans Hell but with Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd back in the saddle. The three amigos trek up to Norf London to our home from home in the nineties the Town and Country Club.
There was a new album to boot and this tour was in support that self-titled affair. It wasn’t bad but of course it’s fair to say that most of the audience were here for tracks from Marquee Moon their classic debut album.
Of course it was great and I guess the only criticism was there were only three tracks played from the album. Inevitably, from the opening chords of Marquee Moon the place erupted and just stood back in wonder of ten minutes or so of musical splendour, although I think the solo may still be going on somewhere in the depths of the T&C. While the band are still technically active this was a fine epitaph for me.
That’s it for today’s trip down memory lane. Here’s hoping we can get to some form of normality soon but with the new lockdown my last chance of a gig disappeared this month and I have now had my first gig of 2021 cancelled so that will take it to a full twelve months at least between gigs.
Support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all.