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.
Busy today with four on my look back trip down memory lane for you down the years.
2019, Calexico and Iron and Wine, Royal Festival Hall, London
A fine show by these two bands that brightened my mood after seeing my team struggle to get a draw earlier in the day. All reviewed here at the time.
2015, Frankie Lee, the Social, London
First time show seeing Frankie Lee and it’s a joy in this basement bar just off Oxford Street. Reviewed here at the time.
2005, Kathleen Edwards, Islington Academy, London
We’re in the big room at the Islington Academy tonight. I have a recollection that Graham and I were joined by one of his work mates on Graham’s recommendation. It’s the ‘Back to Me’ tour which is a good album although not as good as her debut ‘Failer’ which is brilliant.
I don’t really have anything specific to recall apart from thinking the whole night was a bit flat. Maybe it was the room, maybe the crowd were too chatty but it wasn’t a patch on the show a couple of years before at the Borderline. Also I think Graham’s colleague may have left early too. It wasn’t that bad by any means and I think I maybe have only left a gig before the end a couple of times. You know who you are Kurt Vile and Eddi Reader to name two.
1989, Bob Mould, Astoria, London
Some thirty odd years ago, Husker Du had split and Uncle Bob went back to basics and produced one of the best albums of the eighties. This was the supporting tour for ‘Workbook’ which by any standard was a massive departure from the grunge rock of Husker Du. Simply an acoustic masterpiece and actually shades of REM in there too.
It’s of course a brilliant show which showcased these songs perfectly but you can take the man out of rock but you can’t take the rock out of the man so we also get a few tracks from his upcoming far more bleaker album plus, Cinnamon Girl and three Husker songs to close. Epic stuff from the master.
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.