​On this day 11th August
 
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 the one today for my trip down memory lane for you down the years and it’s a quickie.
 
2014, the New Mendicants, the Lexington, London
I reviewed it at the time here and there’s not more to add. It was a very pleasant evening with two of the finest singer songwriters around both in their own rights and even more so when they came together in this instance.
 
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.

On this day 8th August
 
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 the one today for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
 
1991, Steve Earle, Mean Fiddler, London
Around this time John and I saw the great Steve Earle a number of times. I think though this remains the only time we have seen him solo acoustic. Arriving at our favourite venue at the time The Mean Fiddler in Harlesden we are greeted by a steaming mass of people in this small room. Barely able to squeeze in the door we find a spot where we could that had just enough room for us to see the stage.
 
It’s funny how nearly thirty years later I can still remember this gig as if it was last night. With Earle and the dukes you are usually met by a wall of guitars to the side of the stage but not tonight and what was special was hearing those early songs just as he wrote them on his own with just a guitar.
 
Classics like ‘Guitar Town’, ‘Devils right hand’ and ‘Copperhead Road’ were immense but for me the two highlights were a stunning version of ‘My old friend the blues’ and a highly emotional ‘Little rock n roller’ his tale of life on the road missing his son who calls him one night in the middle of a tour. Not ashamed to say I lost it at that stage with a small son of my own and it just reinforced how special life is and to make the most of every single day.
 
Stunning stuff and one I won’t forget
 
On this day 9th August
 
2018, Nile Rogers, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher
With the debut Them Crooked Vultures gig on this day already reviewed as part of the Lollapalooza special there’s just one today. Again it must have been a Thursday night as we are back at the races, this time with Nile Rogers. I reviewed it at the time here and nothing really to add. Yes it’s probably the same set they have been peddling for the past few years but when it’s this good you don’t mind. Go see this show if you haven’t already. You will certainly have some ‘Good Times’.
 
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.

On this day special
A year after an epic 2008 Lolla we are back here again for another go.
 
2009, Lollapalooza, Grant Park, Chicago, US and A
 
Another special edition reminisce. After such a great experience the previous year with what has been subsequently voted the best Lolla ever we decided to do it all over again. It was still cheap enough to do then and compared favourably to a weekend in Glasto in terms of cost. That said, no Hard Rock Hotel this year but we are just round the corner right on the banks of the Chicago River.
 
2008 was very much about the three headline acts and that’s not discounting the fine supporting case but this year’s line-up oozes quality throughout and I could probably give or take this year’s headliners, Kings of Leon, Tool and Janes Addiction, although I’m sure Alex wouldn’t agree about Tool.
 
It’s a casual start to Friday allowing our jet lag to subside a little as we enter the site at lunchtime. First up is The Gaslight Anthem. Coming soon after the release of their magnificent album ’59 Sound’ we were treated to the whole of that record. This reminded me of the first act at Glasto on the Other Stage on a Friday. We always go to it as your feel that this is when the festival really starts. This was probably the best first act at a festival I have seen. Brilliant.
 
Next up there’s no reduction in quality as we catch Bon Iver on a smaller stage. Again with only one album behind him we are treated to most of ‘For Emma, Forever’. Still probably the best time I have seen him, just him and an acoustic guitar on a small stage.
 
Another new act riding high critically after their debut album is Fleet Foxes. Appearing on the same stage as Bon Iver sadly their set doesn’t deliver the same way as Mr Vernon did. It’s memorable for how much neither Alex nor I enjoyed it. There are some good songs in there but when you break it down its gets a bit samey with essentially every track going ooh ooh ooh, ahh ahh ahh, eeh eeh eeh. Its beautiful harmonies but … I’ve tried hard to like them and I do actually love their EP, Sun Giant but I have seen them live twice and both times I got a little bored. Luckily, drummer Josh Tillman has gone on to do some great stuff after he left.
 
We are back on form next with The Decemberists. Touring on the back of their masterpiece concept album ‘Hazards of Love’ the set is essentially the whole album played straight all of the way through. And that is how that album should be heard. In these days of low attention spans it’s sad that many people won’t hear this opus in its entirety. As a single piece of work it is one of my favourite 59 minutes of recorded music. You won’t be surprised to hear it was brilliant and I was lucky enough to see them do it all over again in London a few months later
 
Sadly the sun gods were not looking kindly on us as the heavens opened. As we experienced the year before, when it rains in Chicago it really rains. We seek shelter and sustenance and then return for a fine set from Andrew Bird. I didn’t know much of his stuff beforehand but he was very good.
 
Closing the first night was the Kings of Leon. KoL started life off as a great southern rock band and we saw them on their first tour in the UK and were great. They had a raw sound and offered something a bit different at the time. Of course with success came compromise. Hair was cut, sound got a little too polished and that edge was gone. I won’t knock the show tonight as they delivered a fine rock show but I enjoyed the earlier stuff more over the tracks from their current offering, ‘Sex on Fire’ et all. 
 
We bid a hasty retreat to the hotel after a sticky wet day hoping that we don’t go full Glasto with a quagmire the next day.
 
It’s Saturday and the park seems to be covered in every piece of sawdust in the state of Illinois. The weather is holding which is good and we have an early start with brit newbies Band of Skulls who deliver a solid first on the bill show. Next though is Delta Spirit who I love. Like many of the acts form yesterday they are a new band with one album the mighty fine ‘Ode to Sunshine’ and it’s great to hear most of that today. I feel the day has properly started now.
 
Regrouping for food we take in bits of Langhorne Slim and Joe Pug before moving to one of the main stages for Arctic Monkeys. Heralded for their live shows there was a lot of anticipation over this one. At this time album three ‘Humbug’ had been released and they had grown their hair and shifted to a more heavy rock sound. They seemed unengaged from the audience and it certainly wasn’t a festival set with a lot of the new stuff falling short. Of course for ’Dancefloor’’ and ‘Fluorescent’ the crowd went wild but for me it was a lost opportunity.
 
Staying on the main stage we saw TV on the Radio performing most of their current album ‘Dear Science’. Apparently they can be a bit hit or miss live but I really enjoyed this one and were certainly one of Alex’s favourites.
 
We have a bit of time at that end of the park to catch most of Ben Harper, the master of acoustic blues who never fails to deliver. It’s then a hop skip and a jump the mile to the other end of the park to get into position for US prog meisters Tool. Not known for their short songs we get just nine in ninety minutes. It’s a dramatic show and the lighting is moody with the band in silhouette throughout but it fits perfectly with the grooves going on. Another long day done and those soft sheets, mattress and pillows of the hotel are a welcome relief.
 
On to Sunday. Around this time a new supergroup was formed with Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones and the other bloke. Together they were known as Them Crooked Vultures. Coincidentally, they were going to play their first ever show  that night at midnight in Chicago at the tiny Metro Club. Tickets went on sale that morning on line. Now at that time we didn’t have 2G let alone 5G or superfast broadband. Undeterred we get up early and make our way to the hotels business centre. We take over one of the workstations and wait and wait and wait. You could hear the hamsters turning the wheels inside the PC, running along the cable to Ticketmaster and back again carrying each data packet with them. There were two websites apparently you could get tickets and we made our choice and went for one of them. Now there was also another young person making use of the facilities and I couldn’t help notice that he had selected the other, as it turned out incorrect website. Somehow the ticket gods were looking down on us, we secured the tickets printed them out on the world’s worst printer and silently high fived. As we left the room I did point the other guy to the correct site but of course not until we have secured ours. So a great start to the day and as we were up we proceed along to the park for an early set.
 
First up its Alberta Cross, an English rock band with a very seventies feel. It’s a good thirty minute set to start the day and I’m glad to say that the weather has taken a turn for the better too. With a bit of a gap until the next act we wanted to see we go across the road for some much need lunch after our early start. The restaurant is packed but everyone is in jovial mood.
 
Keeping with the British them it’s the Kaiser Chiefs next. I have always found them inoffensive enough and enjoyed both of their albums to date. An early afternoon set is always a tricky one. Its bright sunlight and so you are completely reliant on the quality of the show and can’t fall back on a stunning light display. Luckily, the Kaiser’s didn’t have to worry as they were bloody great. Ricky Wilson generated so much energy and contribution from the crowd and they were with him from the first song. A surprising but thoroughly enjoyable hour with these guys.
 
That’s the end of the brit contribution today as we head across the whole site to the other main stage to take in the usually up beat Vampire Weekend set. As is the theme this weekend it’s a new band with one album and a great one and we are treated to the whole of it. I defy anyone to watch a Vampire set and not leave with a broad grin on your face.
 
Back to the other end of the Park where we will stay for the rest of the day to see a brilliant Dan Auerbach solo set. It’s not a massive leap from the Black Keys stuff but I guess a little more soulful from the harder raw blues sound of the Keys. Auerbach has continued that shift with one of his other bands ‘The Arcs’. Fine stuff for this uber talented singer songwriter, guitarist and now accomplished go to producer.
 
A short stroll right to the main stage for Lou ‘fucking‘ Reed. Time keeping is critical in a festival and none more so than here where the mains stages are adjacent to the second stage and so within a couple of minutes of one set finishing the next set starts on the other stage.
 
I have never met Reed but I believe he has the reputation for being a moody, belligerent bugger and I may be doing him a massive injustice and there could have been some technical reason for his delay but we waited and waited and waited some more until he eventually stumbled on stage at least twenty minutes late. At this stage I could care less to be able to tick this off of my list of ‘legends’ I hadn’t seen. He seemed as disinterested as I was as he rattled through ‘Sweet Jane’, ‘Waiting for the man’, ‘Walk on the wild side’ and others. Couldn’t end soon enough for me.
 
Luckily the next act were playing on my favourite stage to the side which is very much like The Park at Glasto in a natural mini amphitheatre and when it gets dark has the feel of a club. It’s one of my favourite bands on next ‘Band of Horses’. Two albums in and all of the classics here in the set. Scheduled to play for an hour after thirty minutes they were being ushered from the stage because of Lour Reed being late and BoH having to be off stage before Janes’ Addiction come on. It’s probably not a good idea to annoy Perry Farrell as it’s his festival but Ben Bridwell turns to the audience and ask ‘what do you want us to do?’. Should they stay or should they go. It’s a unanimous plea for them to stay and stay they did. With Jane’s Addiction rocking on the main stage BoH crack on with the ‘The Funeral’, ‘Ode to LRC’ and ‘The General Specific’. Frankly they blew Janes away. Stunning stuff and it had the real feel that we were completely isolated from the rest of the festival in our very own theatre. So after my rant against Reed I should probably thank him for one of my all-time festival highlights with the closing thirty minutes with the Horses.
 
We move across to take in about an hour of Jane’s Addiction and they were OK but with Them Crooked Vultures tickets burning in our pockets we leave early to get the subway out to the small club, Metro a short walk from Wrigley Fields out in the suburbs.
 
Arriving in good time the club is already packed. I am not sure what the fire regs capacity is for the venue but it feels like double the amount that should be allowed in have been allowed in this hot sweaty mess of people.
 
It’s a strict no camera policy with this being enforced with security shining bright lights into anyone they see taking snaps. Of course undeterred I did fire off a few during the set and was approached by a writer from Rolling Stone magazine for me to send him a couple. The quality of most was ropey but I did have a couple of half decent ones.
 
Onto the music. Obviously every track was new to the audience as there is no album out yet. What impresses me most is we get eighty minutes of top quality rock music. These guys whilst being super talented have put together a seamless set of new songs, no covers in such a short amount of time.
 
Nice to see Grohl behind the skins instead of centre and Homme holds it’s all together from the front of the stage. JPJ does what he does best which is to provide the glue between all of the other performers and the other bloke is there too. It’s a stunning set and I feel so lucky for us both to be there at their first ever gig.
 
It’s soon over and with the other sweaty hordes we make our way back into the city on the subway at 2 in the morning. Oh the sweet sensation of sinking into that King size bed with the pillows and duvet enveloping me like a marshmallow after three full on days of great music.
 
It’s all over for another year and while very different from the year before it is as memorable as 2008 but this time the highlights were a great undercard of superb acts. But wait it’s not all over. Arriving at the airport the next day we bump into the Kaiser Chiefs and have a brief chat about their set, etc. as they wait to board the BA flight back to London. We are booked onto the Virgin Atlantic flight a few minutes later. Sadly those few minutes turned into 24 hours as the plane developed a fault, they couldn’t shut the door. Quite a fault. It’s then a sprint to the booking office to beat the queue as we are then shipped out to a nice hotel just outside the airport. Not the way we wanted to spend the night but its pleasant enough as we get chatting to a lot of British youngsters who had been to the festival too and it gave me a new audience to bore with my concert going war stories down the years.
 
Sadly, the costs of doing this in future years got out of hand with flights being the main problem and also most of the future line-up have become very bland and safe and look very similar to every other main stream festival around. Luckily for me its only a few years after that I broke my Glastonbury duck and have been able to go for the last five years.

On this day – 7th August
 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 the one today for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
 
2008, Madness, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher
It’s a Thursday night in the summer which can only mean one thing, music night at the races. Today is the turn of those nutty boys Madness. I know the line-up has been quite fluid down the years but we were lucky on this occasion with all seven of them here. Well I say seven, a certain Mr Barton was a little late after missing his flight home from holiday but eventually joined the rest to add that distinctive keyboard sound.
 
This was of course a nostalgia trip for most of us there reliving the eighties with all the hits. Sadly it also seemed to attract the middle aged Fred Perry brigade who thought they were eighteen again, had had a little too much to drink and there just seemed to be a bit of an edge to the evening. I did see one such idiot removed from the venue at one stage. Well every village has an idiot and we found ours tonight.
 
Apart from that it was brilliant stuff. All the hits were there and I can’t believe anybody left disappointed with the night. Rack it up as another good night at the races as we continue to hum ‘our house’ and ‘Baggy Trousers’ and more on our short walk home.
 
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.

​pic courtesy of Get Surrey

On this day – 6th August
 
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 the one today for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
 
2015, Alvin Youngblood Hart, West End Centre, Aldershot
Just the one today and it was originally reviewed on the blog at the time here. Little more to add other than in whatever guise you see Alvin, acoustic like tonight or full on electric blues he always puts on a good show.
 
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.

On this day – 5th August
 
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 the one today for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
 
2011, the Jayhawks, the Forum, London
Its reunion time for the Jayhawks as Mark Olson re-joins the band after a spell out. A new album is made, ‘Mockingbird Time’ and it’s pretty good. It also coincides with special edition releases of ‘Hollywood Town Hall’ and ‘Tomorrow the Green Grass’. It’s these albums that dominate the set tonight but they do find room for ‘Tampa to Tulsa’ from the great ‘Rainy Day Music’. I think we had a big group for this one with even Mr Wordingham making an appearance and its was very, very hot inside the Forum.
 
It’s always one of those quandaries whether the Jayhawks are better with or without Olson. They have produced fine albums and put on great shows with and without him. The first two albums mentioned above are Americana classics blending the acoustic leanings of Olson with the rockier led Louris. With both of them probably comprising a lot, they come together to produce those songs with the beautiful harmonies. I still can’t tell you the answer but my gut says they are better with him. However with ‘Rainy Day Music’ they produced my second favourite album after ‘Hollywood’ and are continuing to produce some fine moments since and this year’s album is certainly a return to form with each band member taking more of a spotlight in terms of songwriting and lead vocals.
 
It’s a faultless show as far as I am concerned, animosities are buried and it’s just pure classic Jayhawks at their best. Of course old differences soon reappear and Olson leaves again soon after with no sign nearly ten years later that we will hear those harmonies again.
 
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

On this day – 4th August
 
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 for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
 
2002 Oasis, Hard Rock Live, Orlando, Florida, US and A
Armed with a nice redundancy check we are over in Florida for a two centre break with a week in Orlando and a week on the coast. I just couldn’t coordinate the changeover well enough so ended up driving the family from Orlando to Clearwater and then Alex and myself driving straight back to Orlando for the gig. We went full Hard Rock with a room booked in the Hard Rock Hotel too. Wow what a nice hotel.
 
After seeing the classic line up some five years before this is the rebooted Oasis after Bonehead and Guigsy had left. It’s the Heathen Chemistry tour and a bit of a return to form after the ‘drug‘ years. I think that Oasis have a love/hate attitude to the US and I think that’s reciprocated. Its looks like its old out and given by the overheard voices I am guessing at least half of the audience are probably British.
 
It’s a fine set and whatever you think of Oasis musically and on record, live they are right up there. Liam is the archetypal arrogant rock front man but what a voice. It’s a classic encore with ‘Don’t look back in Anger’, ‘some might say’, ‘My Generation’ and Wonderwall’. It’s a short boat walk back to our hotel where fully rested we take advantage of early access for hotel guests into Universal to have one last go on the coasters before we drove back to Clearwater.
 
2016 Bryan Adams, Sandown Park, Esher, London
I reviewed this gig on the blog at the time here and there’s nothing really to add. I enjoyed the few hits I knew but the rest went over my heads but many a middle woman left the show very pleased indeed.
 
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.

On this day – 1st August
 
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 for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
 
1986, Graham Parker and the Rumour, the Marquee, London
My one and only visit to the old Marque and weirdly I made one appearance at all three locations for the Marque in its various guises. Tonight though it’s Graham Parker and the Rumour with John in tow. It’s a small venue on a typically hot and sweaty night. Tonight was simply brilliant. When you start with ‘White Honey’ and ‘Thunder and Rain’ you know you’re in for a good night. And we were. This was a band on top form. I don’t think there was an album to promote so it’s just a quality set of classics. My three gigs art the various locations for the Marquee have been brilliant and a sad shame that this legendary venue could not still exist somewhere in London.
 
1988. Prince, Wembley Arena, London
What can you say? It’s Prince it’s the eighties. It’s the Lovesexy tour but Prince is on a roll of producing some of the best R&B not just of the decade but of all time. Prolific doesn’t come into it and the albums come thick and fast. I am with old college friend Ian tonight and it’s just a mere thirty three songs tonight and like the other three times I have seen him he is incredible. Arguably the greatest performer of all time. Maybe Freddie as a frontman but Prince also writes, produces and can play all the instruments too.
 
And for me ‘the Cross’ tonight is one of those rare musical spiritual moments that you can’t describe. It’s a lump in the throat, tear in the eye moment for this epic song. Transcendental stuff from one of the best and I am so lucky to have seen him a few times and shortly before his untimely death 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.
 

August 1st to 3rd Lollapalooza, Grant Park, Chicago, US and A
 
A special bonus edition of on this day with a dedicated blog of Lollapalooza. Ostensibly, another excuse to see Rage again, myself with son and heir travel across the pond to Chicago. Our first experience of a multi-day festival and in a city centre too and so Chicago seemed to be good option. I had got a good deal on a room at the Hard Rock Hotel which was a short walk to Grant Park and near the banks of the Chicago River and so another benefit no camping. To say excitement levels were high is an understatement.
 
We decant to Giordano’s, the famous pizza chain and whilst we had been to America a few times nothing prepared us for what was delivered. Their pizzas are more like a short crust open top pie with the fillings inside. It arrived and we waited for other people to join us as we assumed that we were sharing it with another party as the pizza could have fed a family of six no problem. We gave it a good shot though but were inevitably beaten and so did the typical American thing and doggie bagged it back to the hotel to be later had for breakfast the next day.
 
So wristbands in hand we enter Grant Park which is a beautiful park on the banks of Lake Michigan. We are immediately greeted with freebie givers so picked up our complimentary programme, laminated lanyard with set times and stages fully detailed so we could properly plan our day. (Take note Glasto).
 
So after a little light exploring with took in our first band Yeasayer on one of the main stages. Set was taken mainly from their fine debut album and a good way to ease into the festival. Next up was Duffy, she was massive at the time on the back of her debut album and delivered a crowd pleasing mid-afternoon sunny festival set. It was here that the festival kicked up a few gears with the Black Keys doing what the Black Keys do best. Hard stomping blues. Their sound still hadn’t morphed into the slightly more polished blues they tout now and they still had that raw edge.
 
We may have at this stage taken in a bit of Cat Power but probably decanted to the bier garden for an IPA and frankfurter.
 
Staying at the Bud Light stage next up the Raconteurs, the Jack White led supergroup featuring Brendan Benson and others. Their second album had just come out and the set was an even split between that and their fine debut. This was a full on rock show and White who is an enigmatic front man is also an underrated guitarist and the band delivered a faultless rock show. Benson an accomplished artist in his own right more than holds the thing together as he notionally fronts the outfit.
 
Onto the headline act for the night Radiohead. Typically Lolla has two headline acts one on each of the main stages which are at the far ends of Grant Park probably a mile away from each other. Tonight though, there is no competition and so the whole festival is here to see them. Predominantly they are over here touring the ‘In Rainbows’ album which I personally think is up there with some of the best stuff they have recorded and a large slice of the set showcases it. Unlike the recent Glasto set this one was perfectly paced with the ‘hits’ sprinkled throughout and the show never loses its momentum. The stage is beautifully lit another plus over the Glastonbury show and spontaneously fireworks start to go off at Soldier Field behind the stage towards the end of the main set to create further atmosphere.
 
And that’s a rap for day one. Exhausted with a combination of bit of jet lag, heat and standing up for hours we are running on adrenalin and euphoria after an epic day. We make our way back with the masses bringing the streets to a standstill as the cars can’t compete with the thousands of music fans who have suddenly decanted from the park. It’s been a blistering hot day and so the shower and the cool sheets of our queen sized beds really hits the spot. Definitely a massive plus over even our more favourable camping experiences at Glasto.
 
After a breakfast of cold pizza and then my go to Americana breakfast of corned beef hash, fully sated we start the day. It’s another busy and the heat is still with us and will give cause to careful planning and pacing. Today is all about the main course of Rage against the Machine but there are plenty of titbits on offer before then.
 
We might have caught the end of the Tings Tings but first up proper is the excellent Dr.Dog who I love and ensure that I caught them at Glasto a few years back too. It’s simple guitar based pop alt rock whatever that is but they do it so well. It’s a short skip to the other main stage (AT&T) for the Gutter Twins. Mark Lanegan does what he does, he doesn’t change as he’s just motionless stuck to the microphone for the entire set. No frills, no banter just the songs. It’s not uplifting and you don’t expect it to be but he’s good nonetheless.
 
As a complete contrast next up are MGMT who are riding high after the success of their excellent first album with their cheery psychedelic pop. Brilliant stuff and everyone leaves with a smile on the face.
 
We trek across to the other end of the park for a beer and a burger and a fine set from Okkervil River. They can be a bit hit and miss live but tonight they were good and perfect for sunny afternoon just sitting in taking in the atmosphere. We utilise the onsite schools buses equipped with air con to cool off for a few minutes before I think we may have taken in Lupe Fiasco or the Toadies. I can’t remember as what happened next made everything else just before seem irrelevant.
 
Up against local boys Wilco on the other stage I am guessing the vast majority of the crowd are at this end of the Park for Rage. We were half prepared for what to expect after last year’s Rock the Bells gig but this one was off the charts. Probably because this was the first Lollapalooza to sell out 200,000 people are here today who have baked in the sun, drunk a load of beer, smoked a lot of ‘erb and are crammed at this end of the field. There was no way we were going to get that close as we were greeted by an ocean of people.
 
What followed was a magnificent set on stage and pandemonium off of it. The band stopped the show a couple of times to try and encourage people to step back as the scenes from the front looked hairy to say the least and utter carnage at worst. I can’t review RATM objectively because I think they are one of the best live bands in the world in any era. Its dynamic, its visceral, its brutal, its musical, its passionate, its’s required and now so more than ever. It’s easy to discount them as just a wall of noise with a rapper screaming out lyrics but this is one of the best rhythm sections out there, see Audioslave, and Morello whilst probably not the most technically gifted guitarist gets sounds out of his guitar like no one else.
 
It’s a 20,000 volt moment as we all leave the site wired, frazzled and feeling like someone set the defibrillator to 300 and placed those paddles on our temples. No traffic was moving again that night as the hordes descend on downtown Chicago. AT one point some crappy dance music was blaring out of a stationary car. It’s quickly surrounded and I was a little worried that something was going to kick off. I needn’t have worried as the gang that surround it just started boogieing on down to the tunes. Great fun. Never was the thought of a comfy massive bed more welcome as we made our short walk back to the hotel.
 
Day 3 and it’s a busy one. First though a trip to the Sear’s Tower to take in the amazing views of the City then onto a funky old school Italian café for a Calzone. Yummy.
 
First up it’s the John Butler Trio and a great start to the day. I have written recently about Butler and he again delivers a fine set of acoustic blues. Staying on the blues them we make out way to the Kids stage to see brothers, the Homemade Jamz Blues Band. They make their own instruments out of car parts and other household items and produce a great blues sound to entertain the kids and adults who like a bit of blues.
 
One reason to get to the Kids stage was that Perry Farrell was set to be up next. And sure enough he was. Joined on stage by Slash and with Tommy Lee standing stage left but sadly didn’t make an appearance on it.
 
What follows is the most surreal thirty minutes of my life. Farrell looking and sounding like a modern day child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang he chats with the kids. Its gets a little more weird as he introduces Knockin on Heavens Door and proceeds to explain to the kids what heaven was. A truly interesting half an hour and I would be surprised if several of those kids didn’t have nightmares that evening.
 
It’s another hot one. Alex goes off to see someone else as I lie back on the grass taking in a mid-afternoon set from Iron and Wine. I am a big fan but today it didn’t click. The large stage, the heat, my tiredness may have contributed but it didn’t live long in the memory.
 
Next up is rapper Saul Williams. I didn’t know any of his stuff but Alex as a fan. It’s Ok enough for me and Alex was lucky to meet him after the show to the side of the stage.
 
It’s a hop skip and a jump to the other side of the park to see Gnarls Barkley riding high after their hit ‘Crazy’ was taking the charts by  storm. They were Ok and we stayed for the hit and then bid a hasty retreat.
 
Refreshments were sought to take us through the rest of the day as we took our places ready for hometown boy Kanye West. Luckily for us this was still early on in Kanye’s career before he got a bit …….. With two classic rap albums under his belt and Graduation just released the set couldn’t have been better. It’s a full on show, great production qualities and he is fully engaged and clearly pleased to be playing this show in his home. It’s all topped off with a great cover of Journey’s ‘Dont Stop Believin’ and it’s the perfect end to a fantastic weekend.
 
We still have one more day in the Windy City and of course no trip to Chicago would be complete without a chance to the see the Cubs at Wrigley Fields. It’s one of the oldest stadiums in the US and its proper old school. Surround by other buildings the owners have all erected stands on their rooves and sell tickets to watch the game from their bird’s eye vantage points.
 
It’s a seventies themed night with many people in fancy dress. The weather takes a nasty turn after a couple of innings and the rain comes down torrentially. We are evacuated under the stands but it provides little respite from the rain that is cascading though the cracks and we are soon quite wet. But this does provide me with my second surreal experience of the weekend. It was the sight of Elvis running down the aisle hop over the fence and proceed to water slide in the diamond. It’s hilarious.
 
We call it a day, get soaked on the run to the subway to get back into the city, have a beer and a bite in the Elephant and Castle and still get back to our room to watch the rest of the game that had continued.
 
I don’t have the words to sum up this whole weekend. After all of Alex’s health woes in the preceding years to share this experience with him meant the world to me. This is still probably the best weekend of my life and so many memories that we can and will talk about for the rest of our days

On this day – 31st July
 
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 for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
 
1992, Sugar, Clapham Grand, London
Debut show in the UK for Sugar, Bob Mould’s first band since the demise of Husker Du. It’s obviously sold out and a scorcher of a day as John, Graham and myself queue up outside The Clapham Grand.
 
If it’s hot outside its nothing to the heat inside as a mosh pit quickly starts and the band rattle though eighty minutes or so of most of the debut album ‘Copper Blue’ plus some assorted tracks that would appear on later albums. No trips down memory lane for Husker fans as that back catalogue was avoided as Mould makes a complete break from his past and kicks in with a fresh start.
 
It’s a breathless show and the energy of Mould and his new band is infective. Superb stuff and certainly one of the albums of the nineties.
 
2018, John Moreland, Jazz Cafe, London
I reviewed this show at the time on the blog here. Little to add on top of that but just to say check him out you won’t be disappointed if you like acoustic Americana at its best.
 
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.