Aimee Mann at The IndigO2

Aimee Mann - The IndigO2, London

It was Steve's birthday last week so I thought I'd surprise him with a ticket to see Aimee Mann at The IndigO2 in London - cue much amusement as Chrissy and I tried to convince him that we were really going to see Scissor Sisters who were playing at The O2 next door! Once we'd managed to get to the venue in one piece (Steve avoiding the floods in Oxford, us being sardines in the tube and surviving a fellow passenger's panic attack when we stopped between stations...) we were able to relax, grab a drink from the bar and take in the newest live music venue in the city - and it's pretty impressive; about the size of Brighton Dome, modern, and with a crystal clear sound-system. Jenny Owen Youngs supported and was pretty and kooky, lots of amusing banter and a bizarre cover of Hot In Here to finish - definitely worth seeing when she plays at The Barfly in October. As for Aimee and her band, well, they were fantastic! The set spanned a variety of albums including most of the tracks from her best known work, the Magnolia soundtrack - although she totally fluffed Momentum. There were also choice cuts from The Forgotten Arm and Lost In Space, the best of which was Today's The Day which sent a shiver down my spine. Another great track was the uptempo Freeway, one of two new songs she premiered that night. For the encore she just about managed to get through Telescope after a bit of help from the audience, and then ended the show with Wise Up. One of the best gigs of the year so far!