When I first started this little exercise we were a month into lockdown on the 24th April. Like most of you I expected this to last a month or two. The reality now is clear and sadly it will be a full twelve months and probably a lot more between my last gig and the next one. I will be surprised if I am seeing any live music again before June.
We go again and hopefully this brings back memories for my gig going chums who have joined me on this great musical journey down the years.
A busy one with four today for my look back trip down memory lane.
2020, Shovels and Rope, Electric Ballroom, London
Another of the handful of shows I shoe horned into the first ten weeks of last year before the madness took hold and it was a goodie. All reviewed at the time here.
2018, Shelby Lynne & Alison Moorer, Cadogan Hall, London
First time seeing Shelby Lynne but have seen her sister Alison a few times before so wasn’t going to miss this sibling show in the elegant surroundings of Cadogan Hall. An exquisite night of country music ably supported by Teddy Thompson as the opening act. A super five star show reviewed here at the time.
2006, Bob Mould, Bush Hall, London
It’s a Bob Mould show but it’s not the usual noise fest with a band. Its solo acoustic but he still manages to get a loud sound out of it. Loads of classic cuts as he’s not really touring an album as such. So it was great to hear some of those tracks in this format. Of course the mellower tracks from ‘Workbook’, arguably his finest solo hour are brilliant and he does his best to wring every note out of his guitar for those Husker Du songs too.
A fine night from the master.
2000, Shack, Astoria, London
This was an NME curated tour bringing together four bands on the line up with Shack headlining and this little known band called Coldplay first on the bill. Whatever happened to them?
Shack were riding high at this time having released their fine album ‘HMS Fable’ but their output since then has been sporadic at best with leader Michael Head producing some sol stuff in the interim too. It’s a fine show but clearly a short set given the format of the night and I don’t think we ever saw them again.
That’s it for today’s trip down memory lane. With hopes dashed of any form of normality soon I am trying to cling on that by June we could be back in business but my hopes have been dashed so many times in the last twelve months that I wouldn’t bet on it.
Don’t forget, support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all.