I first heard The state that I am in on Mark and lards Radio 1 show in 96 and its still amongst my favourite Belle & Sebastian tracks. Great tune, wonderful lyrics (Got married in a rush, to save a girl from being deported, now shes in love) deadpan delivery..a template that theyve run with ever since.

Ive only managed to see them once before, 2002 at Glastonbury (the first year of the fence there) and to be honest, wasnt that bothered about seeing them this time round when I found out tickets were £25 but Lees work colleague Dave insisted that we should and so Lee got us ticketshow right you were Dave!

As we arrived Admiral Farrow the support were on. A pleasant indie/folkie sound also from Glasgow.

B+S were just fabulous. There was a dozen of them on stage and they all changed instruments at some stage from strings to trumpet to melodica to keyboards..etc. Stuart Murdoch is a great front man. He knows theres a lot of love in the room for B+S and he’s probably the main reason for it.

He got someone at the front to apply some eye-liner to him, others to get up and have a dance (well done Harriet Hey) and disappeared at one stage mid-song to appear up on the balcony, shaking hands and taking time out to watch the band. This is the last night of the tour and I wanted to see what they looked like before we dont see each other again for ages..you all look much younger from up there

The audience really responded to them, clapping along and being quiet when needed – with a bit of shushing at times (it still mystifies me why people pay to go to gigs them chat throughout the performance). Stuart was very complimentary about Leeds We love your big municipal buildings.not like Leicester where we weve just been I couldnt agree more my brother Ste, who lives in Leicester, once said If god wanted to give the world an enima, hed choose Leiceter as the entry point!. A great night from one of the most consistently great bands of the last 15 years long may they continue!

Bob the Chiropodist

Loudon Wainwright III has been part of my musical history since I first heard John Peel play April Fools Day Morn in 1983. There was something confessional about the lyrics that drew me to it. You got the sense that all the stuff in the song actually happened…..welcome to Loudons world.

He often brings one of his siblings along with him as support and tonight we were introduced to Lucy Wainwright-Roche who has a fabulously clean voice and sings confessional songs too. Her banter with the crowd was great as she introduced A+E about a date that went slightly wrong..

Loudon was in great form, if somewhat obsessed by aging. His opening gambit was a song about how hes older than his dad was now and even survived his ex (!). As ever, lots of stuff I knew and lots I didnt.Being a dad, I know I look like shit, Your Mother and I, A song in C, Talking new Bob Dylan, Primrose Hill.. I could listen to him all night. My favourite song of the night that I hadnt heard before was Surfing Queen hilarious! Lucy joined him for a couple of tracks and their voices together really complimented each other.

A flawed hero my favourite kind!

Bob the Chiropodist

Been a while since I last went to the Duchess and it seems to have developed a whole new seated sofa area where you can watch The bands on a big TV if you so wish – this we did with Ghostpoet after the first number as it wasn’t particularly our thing (apologies to Films – we arrived as you’d just finished).

Metronomy though, are definitely our cup of tea. Touring to promote their new ‘English Riviera’ CD they put on a great performance. I’ve got to know them through Marc Rileys 6 Music show (I think there’s been one or 2 shows in the last 6 months where he hasn’t played them…) and I just assumed they’d be a bit older than they obviously are.

A great brace of songs old and new with big lights on their chests that blinked throughout the show giving an Iron Man like effect. Lots of dancing to the funky tunes (although the bass got a bit too ‘Level 42’ at times). This was the last night of the tour – get your tickets early for the next one! Here’s the video to their wonderful ‘She Wants’ – a better vid you won’t see all year

Bob the Chiropodist

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy Kid Congo and the Pink Monkeybirds ROCKED the joint tonight. A tighter, rockier, funnier, acid embracing quartet you wont find.

The evening kicked off with Russell and the Wolves delivering their Cramps-esqe stomp accompanied by lead man (Russell?) jumping off stage to collect members of the audience in a firemans lift fashion, and he only dropped one person on his head “how far can too far go?” The Ivy to his Lux is no longer blonde BTW.

Leeds very own Rent Boys readied the stage for their set with underwear and sheets and enough dry ice to sail a ghost Titanic. Much more coherent than the last time I saw them they have guitar licks and a driving beat that should take them places. Finally got to meet their awesome drummer Hughsie who is a thorough gent.

Kid Congo Powers has been involved in a lot of the music Ive loved over the years. He plays guitar with the Cramps on my all time favourite live LP Smell of Female and was one of Nick Caves Bad Seeds during his ‘Tender Prey’ to ‘The Good Son’ LPs as well as being an integral part of The Gun Club.

They took to the stage smartly suited and booted and from the first instrumental burst were an unstoppable tour de force. Fantastic guitarist, brilliant bass lines, pumping drums and KC makes a perfect frontman funny and a bit quirky with a hint of menace behind the perpetually happy face. “I’m gonna buy me a graveyard of my own, put in it everyone who ever done me wrong”. There’s a sleazy undercurrent that’s alluded to with a wry smile. “Leeds is a sexy city – but we come from LS-DC” – These guys are the real deal go see them!

Bob the chiropodist