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 there’s a few today for my trip along memory lane for you down the years.
2014, War on Drugs, Koko, London
Reviewed here at the time. As detailed in the review I didn’t enjoy this gig at all. The same band were amazing a few months before at the Electric Ballroom but forces conspired against this evening. It was hot, packed, I couldn’t see anything, sound was muffled and idiots behind insisted on talking all the way through. Apart from that it was good.
2015, Strand of Oaks, the Garage and 2019, Omeara, London
By a strange quirk of fate there are two Strand of Oak shows on this same day. Both shows were reviewed on the blog and look here for 2015 and here for 2019.
I love Strand of Oaks and Timothy Showalter always looks like he’s having a blast and certainly doesn’t give anything less than 100%. After the first epic show at The Lexington to the similarly great show in February this year he always delivers. These two shows did differ with the Garage show certainly taking on a harder rockier edge with the guitars cranked up to eleven.
Recently though, in line with the Lexington gig the shows now have a bit more light and shade. Don’t get me wrong they still rock like the proverbial ba$tards but there is also a subtlety now to their shows. Can’t wait for the next time.
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.