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.
A busy day with a couple of corkers today for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
2003, ZZ Top, Brixton Academy, London
It’s the three amigos for this one as is often the norm and this was our first time seeing ZZ Top. Looking at the setlist now it’s a classic show with frankly every Top song you can name included. It’s a great show and so glad they brought out the gimmicky spin around guitars for a couple of tracks too. Never ones for taking themselves too seriously I think that they are often under rated as a band. They have written some great blues rock tracks, reinvented themselves with the MTV friendly Eliminator and are still going strong producing some decent albums in the interim.
Great stuff and thoroughly enjoyable.
2010, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Hampton Pool, London
I reviewed KC recently and this show was probably exactly the same set. It’s a short drive to Hampton Pool to join the middle aged, middle class masses for a good show. Plenty of space for a boogie, you know all the songs and it’s a lovely trip down memory lane.
2015, Angaleena Presley, the Borderline, London
I reviewed this show at the time here and also espoused the merits of the brilliant Ms Presley a couple of weeks ago. Suffice to say she is in the top echelons of female country at the moment.
2018, St Paul and the Broken Bones, Jazz Cafe, London
I reviewed this show at the time here. I have seen this band many times since that famous support slot for Jason Isbell in 2014 and they always deliver. With such an enigmatic frontman and a superb band behind him there’s little they can’t do. All of their albums are of a good standard but its live where they are on fire. Tonight is no exception and it’s great to see them in such a tiny venue too.
That’s it for today’s trip down memory lane. Here’s hoping we can get to some form of normality soon. Support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all.