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 I have a couple for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
2005, Guster, the Garage, London
Me and Antony for this one, our first time seeing the wonderful Guster. Touring on the back of their classic ‘Keep it Together’ and just before the soon to be released ‘Ganging up on the Sun’ we are treated to a masterclass in power pop. Looking back now at the setlist its pure class all the way with ‘Diane’, ‘Amsterdam’, ‘Barrel of a gun’, ‘Fa Fa’ and ‘Ramona’ to name a few. I loved this show and this band and especially in this venue which is a proper concert hall, good sound, good sight lines, etc. They even played my request I recall with Adam Gardner commenting ‘that’s an old one’. One of my favourite gigs ever, certainly on the long list
2014, Hiss Golden Messenger, the Borderline, London
This gig appeared early in my gig review blog. I have written many times before about the purity of watching an artist with just an acoustic guitar. Tonight is one of those nights with the super talented MC Taylor at the much missed Borderline. It’s a short sharp set of storytelling songs of the finest order. There’s often a fragility in Taylor’s voice and this is only amplified in this hushed intimate room.
You can tell when an artist is on top form as he has the audience rapt and silent so they can hear each delicate note. It’s a masterclass of acoustic folk and he excels in whatever guise either solo or with his band you see him.
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.