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.
May is typically a very busy month for gigs being part of the usual album release cycle and today has been another busy day with three for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
2003, Evan Dando, Shepherds Bush Empire, London
A step back seventeen years for this one. My memory of this is pretty vague. I would guess John and Graham would have been here. I do remember we must have arrived late as the place was packed and we could not get onto the floor of the Empire. The set would have been taken from his solo album and select Lemonheads tracks. I am pretty sure he did ‘Hospital’ one of my favourite Lemonheads’ tracks but the rest is a little blurry. I am guessing more time was spent in the pub probably Walkabout next door than at the venue.
2019 Mandolin Orange, Islington Assembly Hall, London
A bit nearer to now only a year ago and a full review was written at the time. It was a great double header with the excellent Michaela Anne opening up the show. A big group of us tonight with Gavin, Martin, Antony, Anne and myself. The sound was perfect as always in this venue and only highlights the qualities of this band, especially with the pickin on the mandolin. The downside was the heat in the venue. Being listed there is no air con and it does make for uncomfortable viewing if the temperature is a little above freezing. That aside though it’s a fine show but maybe didn’t reach the absolute heights of the previous time I saw them in the tiny Lexington.
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