An unusual occurrence in the Longworth house-hold meant that I was on my own for the night (Lee was away working in China, Marisa at a birthday party  sleep over, Matty at a scout camp and Sally staying with friends in a caravan) – What’s a man to do? Check out the local gigs of course and tonight it was a choice between seeing the Mekons again at a surrealist festival in Bradford or seeing the surreally funny Mik Artistik down the road at the 7 bar. Having seen the Mekons the night before, and 7 being just down the road (ie no driving involved) it was a no brainer.

Mik had the full house was in jovial mood from the minute he stepped on – a natural talent who never disappoints.  His band are brilliant musicians which can get lost in the laughs but they can play ANY style of music with aplomb. A great set of new (his poor confused dog who keeps taking his newspaper to his ex-wifes house) and old faves like Turning into dad, sweet leaf of the north and this little beauty as well. ‘Jimmy Saville has my album’ however, has wisely been dropped…

A regular of the last 6 Glastonbury‘s, he’s booked to be there again this year – well worth a visit to the theatre field.

Bob the Chiropodist

Great night in Otley with the Mekons who charmed the back room of Korks with great songs and great banter…..John’s promised to write this one up….

Three spiffing bands at the Brudenell with the tremendous ‘Public Service Broadcasting’ pulling out all the stops for a quite magnificent performance.

First band of the night were Leeds own ‘Alaska’ who played a blisteringly good set. Every element of the band just clicked to make a wonderous noise. For their last song they said they could do one about a reptile stealing eggs or a trucker…..I shouted for ‘Reptile’ and what a prog-monster of a tune it turned out to be. Got their lovely blue vinyl single and look forward to hearing more.

Also from Leeds are ‘Happy Daggers’ who are a tight funk outfit with a great lead singer. Our only complaint was when the Bass player (who had a beautiful red bass) joined the drummer for some ‘cowbell’ action and then threw his busted drumstick over his shoulder into the crowd……..hitting Martin…..on the hand….nearly spilling his pint! Lucky for him…….he didn’t……

I first heard ‘Spitfire‘ by Public Service Broadcasting on Gideon Coe’s ‘6 Music’ show and was compelled to order ‘The War Room’ 12″ and their first 10″ EP there and then. Using old Pathe news type footage to underpin tunes is nothing new (Bill Nelson does it brilliantly here from 1984) but PSB do it so well it’s hard not to love them. On stage tonight was a huge TV with stacks of other smaller old style TVs placed around and about, all showing black and white footage and distorted video of the band taken live……I say ‘band’….it’s actually all done by J. Willgoose (Guitars, Banjo, Theramin, keyboards, electronics…..etc…etc.) with Wrigglesworth on drums. MrB was in charge of visuals but isn’t always at their shows……

They were like a stiff upper lipped, 40’s British Kraftwerk, communicating with the audience only via an electronic voice in impeccable BBC English “Thank You…..Very….Much”. When an excitable young lady got on stage to dance (turned out to be Wrigglesworth’s sister) she was politely asked to “Calm…down”. Highlights were the War Room stuff, ‘Signal 30‘  and ‘Everest‘ as an encore. We hung around after so Lee could get the LP signed – 40 something groupies…….6 Music has a lot to answer for…….

Bob the Chiropodist

About a year ago Marisa borrowed my iPod and played it on random, looking for some new songs. She came across Loudon Wainwright III and fell in love with his song ‘Primrose Hill‘. “If he comes around can we go and see him?” “Of course we can!”. so as soon as I knew about this gig, I booked us and Mike + Gerry tickets and got them for the 3rd row. It was a short hop on the new Metro from Chorlton to the City centre and though we thought we were early, Lucy Wainwright was already halfway through her set. They’re strict about not letting you in during a song at the Bridgewater Hall so we ended up having  a drink and a chat, watching Lucy on a TV screen in the bar. It was our first time at the there and whilst it looked very much like the Lowery centre, it felt a bit sterile.

Loudon came on at 8.30 and did a 2 hour set that included many new songs (‘Man with a dog in the city’ ‘I remember sex’) as well as some from the early 70’s (‘Red Guitar’ ‘The man who couldn’t cry’). He’s started to do monologues from his fathers articles for ‘Time Magazine’ which were great. You can see where he gets his love of words from. Tales of buying a Saville row suit and memories of his dog after having it put down could easily have been lyrics from Loudons songs.

Lucy joined him for a few songs (great harmonies) and for the encore he did Marisas Favourite ‘Primrose Hill’ and one of my favourites ‘Father and a son‘ which I always associate with John Peel – it always made him cry when he played it.

“When I was your age I thought I hated my dad and the feeling was a mutual one that we had. We’d argue with each other day and night – I was always wrong and he was always right”

Loudon seems to do a different set every night but here’s a recent one that contained some of the songs he did tonight

Bob the Chiropodist

Pass Notes

Isn’t this the venue where the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Stones and The Clash played?

It surely is.

Crap venue though, eh? Who’s on tonight

Frank Turner.

Who?

He played at the Olympic opening ceremony… Well the warm up act anyway… Danny Boyle’s a big fan.

Oh, really? I don’t remember that. What’s he like?

Shouty. Ex punk rocker with the ability to fill arenas. Think Billy Bragg meets the Pogues and pulls off some anthemic crowd pleasers.

Hold on. Danny Boyle, Billy Bragg? Is this some sort of leftie crap?

Actually Frank’s politics are somewhat confused. He once called socialism ‘retarded’ and claimed the BNP are ‘hard left’.

Blimey!

Indeed. He is a post-punk anarchist sympathiser with distinctly libertarian views.

What about Thatcher?

What about Thatcher?

Well he must have had something to say about her funeral?

Oddly no. He was only about 9 when she was ousted and spent his youth in the kind of hardcore punk band that was more about partying hard than taking a genuine anti-establishment stance. I’m not sure he really knows who she was.

So it’s true… This younger (sic) generation has nothing to rebel against. They’re more interested in getting a good 3G signal and whether the beer is cold?!

Well that’s important too!

I guess so.

It was probably the only gig in the UK this week where Thatcher didn’t get a mention.

So what does he sing about?

Waking up hungover, reminiscing about what it was like back in the day, and the redemptive power of rock ‘n’ roll.

Gets the crowd going then?

Certainly does. He’s got a huge following and he definitely rocks.

Do say:

I still believe in the need for guitars and drums and desperate poetry.

Don’t say:

just run your ideology past me again Frank.

Jez

PS Made me feel 19 again in a wistful, melancholy way but it were brilliant, in fact in’t music great. I saw U2 in the refectory in 81 or 82 and Friday reminded me of how that felt, just one request Frank, don’t become Bono!!

Roger

Apologies to the Gruniad……