2007 Review - Gigs of the Year

It's that time of the year when everyone looks back over the past year and publishes lots of lists, so in keeping with previous years I'm going to start today with my favourite gigs that I've been to this year.

(2006 Winner - The Dandy Warhols at Islington Academy)

Best gigs of 2007:

1. Foo Fighters at Brighton Concorde 2
2. The Shins at The Forum
3. The Sounds at Brighton Pressure Point
4. New Young Pony Club at Brighton Concorde 2
5. The Hold Steady at Resident Records
   

Tomorrow: Songs of the Year

CSS at the Dome

Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong - Brighton Dome

My final gig of the year (unless something unexpected crops up between now and New Year's Eve) saw me at the Dome for the return to Brighton of CSS, the first band that I saw play live this year. First support was the hotly tipped Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong and it's easy to see why - they play confident, spiky art-rock in the same mould as Franz Ferdinand and British Sea Power. With a few more memorable tunes under their belts they should go far in 2008. "I feel old," said a 20-year old guy as we stood watching the band, surrounded by young teens. Thanks mate, think how I must have felt!

CSS - Brighton Dome

Having missed Metronomy, we made it back into the auditorium for CSS and there was a definite party vibe around the place with a glammed up set, Christmas Tree on stage, and balloons in the crowd - they even brought a festive dancer on with them to liven things up. After a few initial problems with the sound, the band found their stride and rattled through some choice cuts from their album alongside a couple of new tunes. Then, just before the encore, some idiot threw a shoe which hit Lovefoxxx smack in the face. Off marched the band, confusion reigned, and then the house lights came on - show over. No encore, no Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above... and definitely no refunds. Well, to be fair, you couldn't blame the band, and it wasn't the venue's fault either. Still, a disappointing end to what had been an enjoyable Christmas show. As I said on the band's MySpace page (later reposted by NME on their news page) it's a shame that one idiot had to spoil the show for everyone else. Tosser!

Crowded House at Brighton Centre

Crowded House - Brighton Centre

What can I tell you about the newly reformed Crowded House at Brighton Centre then? Well, very little probably as the gig was on Friday and it's now Tuesday, such is my workload at the moment... Anyway, Friday was Dave's last social engagement before f*cking off to Thailand, so it was a very pleasant night out bookended by a few drinks in the Ranelagh and the Waggon. The stage was pretty low key, just a few simple projections onto a backdrop but the band certainly gave good value for money, playing for over two hours. The set spanned the band's career from early hits like Don't Dream It's Over right through to this year's Time On Earth album. Let's be honest, you know what you're going to get with Crowded House and they do what they do very well; two encores, which included Pineapple Head and Weather With You really got the crowd going and the band also took some requests. Of course, one of their great strengths live has always been the lively banter - Neil Finn comes across like Murray from Flight Of The Conchords at times - which is always amusing and makes the show feel much more intimate than the large venue suggests.

Roisin Murphy at the Dome

Roisin Murphy - Brighton Dome

Another night at the Dome and I thought I'd stick around to catch Roisin Murphy as Dave's a fan and was in watching. A good move as it transpired; she put on perhaps the best show I've seen in our venue all year. Now I'm not familiar with her solo work apart from the recent singles and Overpowered was the sole track I recognised - it mattered little. The performance was so professional (good sound, excellent backing band) and full of gusto, it just got better and better with every song. Roisin's penchant for costume changes is her gimmick, but it works - especially with a set of songs ranging from jazz to electro. It was the dance numbers that worked best for me, with Roisin reminding me very much of Goldfrapp's performance here a couple of year's back. At nearly two hours long and with no sign of Moloko's trademark Sing It Back or The Time Is Now this was a very bold and pleasant surprise!

Queens Of The Stone Age at the Dome

Queens Of The Stone Age - Brighton Dome

Queens Of The Stone Age = good, solid, melodic heavy rock 'n' roll. Exactly the sort of thing we should be having at the Dome. I was working, but managed to get in to see the second half of the show and I don't think I've ever seen the standing area quite so heaving - no-one wanted to sit down for this one! I heard Go With The Flow from outside the hall, but was inside by the time they played Little Sister and their fab new single Make It Wit Chu - and of course No One Knows which kicked off a rousing encore. "Is it me or is this really loud?" the question was raised? A unanimous YES was the verdict. A quality 85 mins leaving the audience shouting for more...

The Duke Spirit at 229

The Duke Spirit - 229, London

So I missed the England game last night (perhaps for the best as it turned out) and instead braved the London rain and headed to the city's latest live venue, 229 at 229 Great Portland Street to see The Duke Spirit. Decent place actually - smallish with a high stage which you could see from wherever you stood. I bumped into Louise and John at the bar so chatted to them during the support, then headed right down to the front for TDS. Great view, and no rowdy pushing, even that close - perfect! I loved the band when I saw them last Christmas at the ICA and once again they were fantastic, really powerful. Best of all the new songs spearheaded by recent single Lassoo were every bit as good as their old stuff which bodes well for next year's Neptune album. A brisk hour set with two encores and then it was back into the rain and off to the Phoenix to catch up with Sheena, Paul and Johanna. Much better than staying in watching that England game I expect...

New Young Pony Club at the Concorde

New Young Pony Club - Brighton Concorde 2

A feeling of deja-vu yesterday with New Young Pony Club returning to the Concorde a mere five months since they last played there. Of course this show was originally due to take place at the Corn Exchange, but then it got moved and rescheduled due to illness - for which Tahita apologised, kudos to her. The band played an hour long set pretty much as expected - all the tracks from Fantastic Playroom plus a B side and two covers - Pump Up The Jam and Take Me I'm Yours. It all sounded great and Tahita did her best to get everyone dancing as if it were a Friday night, but it didn't quite match the atmosphere of the previous gig - mainly because I wasn't right down the front leaping about this time!

The Kissaway Trail at Resident Records

The Kissaway Trail - Resident Records, Brighton

Good old Resident - officially the best record shop in Brighton, in my opinion - had another of their regular instore gigs yesterday evening with The Kissaway Trail turning up for a quick four song acoustic set before their headline show at Audio. I really like their self-titled album which evokes The Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire, and the shared vocals give their songs an extra edge. Their short set featured a couple of songs from the album, including first single Smother + Evil = Hurt, and then they stuck around to chat and sign stuff. Nice!

And yes, my stalker was also there again.

Asobi Seksu at The Barfly

Asobi Seksu - The Barfly, Brighton

It's been quite a while since I was last spotted inside The Gloucester nightclub (apart from the Brakes aftershow late last year) but the building has recently been given a makeover by the Barfly chain and is now building a solid reputation as a compact music venue. Friday night was my first taste of it as Dave, Andy, Bennett and myself rolled up to see Asobi Seksu, some good New York shoe-gazing music via the Japanese vocal talents of dinky singer Yuki. Before the headliners however we had two decent support bands (and it's not often I can say that) in the shape of Kowalski (very Bloc Party sounding) and Scanners (two girl, two boy combo with noisy guitars and keyboards) and I was also amused/nervous to spot my regular stalker in the crowd - quelle surprise. Asobi Seksu sounded good too, playing a selection of tracks from their current album Citrus and their first self-titled album. Singles Thursday and the forthcoming Strawberries in particular sounded excellent alive and amplified. As a venue The Barfly worked fine, although it's not a high stage so you really need to be stood at the front to get the best view. After the bands the place switched back into club mode, leading into a classic student night full of the best indie-dance tunes around... some of us stayed drinking and dancing there until 3am. A successful night then - a toast to The Barfly!

Kate Nash at the Concorde

Kate Nash - Brighton Concorde 2

Last night I was out seeing Kate Nash at the Concorde with Kelly, the third time I've seen her live this year, but the first since she really captured the public's imagination with her Foundations single and subsequent debut album, Made Of Bricks. Appearing in front of a decorative backdrop reflecting the homely artwork of her album, Kate seemed relaxed and at ease in front of her largest Brighton audience to date, but I guess she's used to large crowds now after a long Summer of festival appearances. It was good to see her in a venue with a decent PA system, her songs sounding better than ever properly amplified. The only downside about a bigger venue was the bigger proportion of idiots in the audience - sadly we were stood right in front of a gaggle of young girls who kept phoning their friends to tell them how good it was, rather than actually watching the show, grrrrrr! Anyway, Kate gave a perfunctory performance showcasing most of her album and a scattering of b sides, best of which were Foundations (predictably) and Birds in which she played along on guitar. The final encore of Pumpkin Soup provided a suitably rousing end to the set with Kate giving her keyboard a real workout. Undoubtedly this year's break out pop star, but quite how she adapts her act to further that popularity in the coming months will be interesting to watch.

Adele at The Hope

Adele - The Hope, Brighton

One of the promos I picked up at the Record Fair last weekend was Hometown Glory, the debut single from 19 year old Adele. I love it - I've been playing it all week and think it's one of the strongest songs of the year. So, when I realised that she was playing in Brighton on Friday I decided that I had to try and get a ticket... A crafty bit of blagging later and I was on the guest list. There was a real air of expectation inside The Hope, with no more than about 100 people crammed into the tiny venue - the last time I was there for a gig was probably British Sea Power about five years ago! For her first headline tour she'd decided to play an acoustic set, so we were treated to nine songs, the latter few joined by her friend Ben on guitar. All the plaudits are well deserved, Adele possesses the most amazing soulful voice... all the more surprising when she talks between songs and comes across just like any other excitable teenager. She's both bubbly and down to earth with bags of confidence in her performance, and was really friendly when I caught up with her after the show. I'm sure she'll be a big star by this time next year, and her next tour in February - with a full band - will be one not to miss.

The Dandy Warhols at Camden Electric Ballroom

The Dandy Warhols - Camden Electric Ballroom

I always try and see The Dandy Warhols when they're playing in the UK so this was probably the eighth or ninth time that I've seen them. Sadly it wasn't their best, unlike last year's fantastic performance at the Islington Academy. I'm not quite sure why... maybe it was the venue (the Electric Ballroom is not the most atmospheric venue in London), maybe it was the crowd (too many w*nkers pushing past where I was stood) or maybe it was just over-familiarity. The gig started well enough, with Be In, We Used To Be Friends and Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth making a great triple-whammy to kick things off, but after that it all felt a bit lacklustre - excluding a rip-roaring Bohemian Like You, sounding better than ever - and the band never really got the audience revved up. We did get a handful of new songs which were a mixture of the Dandys two typical styles, ie. singalong choruses or long guitar-heavy wig-outs. Even so, after seventy-five minutes I'd moved to the back of the crowd, and after the finale of Boys Better I didn't even hang around to see if they'd do an encore. For once, underwhelming.

October Live

It's a busy time here in Brighton. The students are back in town and of course October sees the return of the annual Paramount Comedy Festival to our city. So let's get on with it...

02/10 - Not actually in Brighton this one, but it gets a mention anyway since I'm going - The Dandy Warhols are in London for a gig at Camden Electric Ballroom.

04/10 - Our first bit of comedy although not technically part of the Comedy festival - it's Billy Connolly at Brighton Centre for the first of two sold out shows.

05/10 - Always a safe bet for a good comedy show, Aussie Adam Hills is at the Corn Exchange.

06/10 - Another good bet for the Comedy Festival if you're not sure who to see are the Best Of The Fest nights which showcase five different comedians on the same bill. Tonight's show in the Dome is hosted by Russell Howard with Lucy Porter, Adam Hills, Jason Manford and Michael McIntyre making up the rest of the line up. The other two dates are the 12th (hosted by Frankie Boyle) and the 19th (hosted by Ed Byrne).

08/10 - The first of two FREE shows, we have Comedy Blue taking place in the Corn Exchange hosted by Jason Byrne which will be recorded for broadcast on the Paramount Channel.

10/10 - A quick return to Sussex for Richard Herring and his Oh F*** I'm 40! show coming to the Pavilion Theatre.

12/10 - Not long since she played at The Hope, Amy MacDonald is back in Brighton performing at the Pressure Point this time around.

13/10 - Lots of good comedy on tonight - my pick of the day would be Sean Lock at the Corn Exchange (he's also there on the 15th) but you've also got Frankie Boyle (doing the earlier show in the venue) and Ross Noble at the Dome for the first of two nights. If you'd prefer some music then Mercury-nominated Maps are playing at The Barfly.

14/10 - Bit of music tonight perhaps, with We Start Fires playing at Audio or The Mooney Suzuki playing at The Barfly.

15/10 - Fresh from her recent support slot with Aimee Mann, Jenny Owens Young comes to Brighton supporting Jim White at The Barfly. Meanwhile in the Comedy Festival there's Marcus Brigstocke performing in the Corn Exchange.

17/10 - More Comedy Festival stuff with the excellent Stewart Lee playing at the Corn Exchange.

20/10 - Jimmy Carr returns to the Dome for his annual visit, rounding off the Comedy Festival with two more shows.

22/10 - Yet another band joining the myriad of reformed groups this year, it's welcome back to Flowered Up who play at the Concorde. Not quite sure what to expect from them in 2007, but they've got to be worth a look just to hear them play Weekender. Alternatively there's Stephanie Dosen on at The Albert.

24/10 - Gig of the month (for me at least!) should be Kate Nash at the Concorde, hitting the big league since the success of Foundations and her debut album Made Of Bricks.

25/10 - A new one day festival comes to town - this one is called Brighton City Festival and showcases the best in dance music across 10 local venues. 2 Many DJs / Soulwax headline.

26/10 - Another one I'm looking forward to, Asobi Seksu play at The Barfly supporting the release of their excellent current album Citrus.

30/10 - Finally, this month's big gig at the Dome is latest indie-faves The Twang.

Ex-Voto

The Duke Spirit return with a new EP in October and a UK tour in November - I will be going to see them play at the new London venue, 229.

September Live

September beckons, so we bid goodbye to the inertia of August and welcome a new season of live music. Here's what's on offer this month:

04/09 - Richard Hawley is at the Dome touring his brand new album Lady's Bridge with support from the hotly tipped Kate Walsh. Tickets still available!

06/09 - I will be in Toronto covering TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) for ten days packed with preview screenings. Follow my progress here... if I get the chance to post any updates!

10/09 - I'm gutted to be missing this one. The House Of Love will be running though their self-titled debut album at the Engine Room ready for their Don't Look Back concert at Koko later in the week.

15/09 - Another Dome concert, this time it's the turn of The Gossip. Wanna bet they play Standing In The Way Of Control?

17/09 - The Freebutt reopens with a gig by British Sea Power (who I saw play there years ago...) with Dom's Euchrid Eucrow supporting.

20/09 - I'm delighted to see that The Mummers have finally been given a headline slot at the Komedia after their excellent shows at the Sussex Arts Club and the Joogleberry earlier this year.

21/09 - A quick return to Brighton since the last NME Tour at the Concorde, Blood Red Shoes will be playing at the Pavilion Theatre.

24/09 - Another band making a swift return since their Concorde gig, New Young Pony Club are playing at the Corn Exchange so I'll certainly be back for that one. Tonight also marks the start of this year's Brighton Live events which run until the end of the week.

Foo Fighters at the Concorde

Foo Fighters - Brighton Concorde 2

So this is how it played out. Bennett and I get to the venue around 4:20pm. Massive queues at the bar. Large television camera point towards the rear of the hall so the capacity must be reduced to around 400 lucky punters. We move to the left hand side of the stage as there seems to be plenty of room there. Zane Lowe is DJing behind us, warming up the crowd. At 5pm on the dot Chris Moyles comes on to introduce the Foo Fighters - the place erupts. We've got the larger band for this show - Pat Smear is back on guitar and there's a new cellist with them called Jesse. They open with new single The Pretender and it's immediately clear this is going to be something special. The sound, the lights, the atmosphere and Dave's banter with the audience... well, it just doesn't get better than this, especially when you're up that close. "I've been here since 7:30 this morning," Dave announces early on, then adding, "It's not the first time I've been at a bar at 7:30 in the morning, but it's definitely the busiest bar I've been to at that time." They play a number of classics from the just re-issued album The Colour And The Shape including See You, My Hero and Everlong and surprise everyone with a storming cover of Arcade Fire's Keep The Car Running. There are also a few new songs getting an airing - "This is the first time we're playing a lot of new stuff," says Dave. "I hate to think of it as a rehearsal, but it is... But it's the best rehearsal ever!" He also says that the band love playing these tiny gigs and that they'd like to play in Brighton again soon (well, we can hope...). The 70 minute set concludes with a triple whammy of Monkeywrench, Best Of You and All My Life which has everyone moshing and singing along. And that's it all over. 6:10pm - time for another pint and then back out into bright daylight. Unquestionably the best gig of the year.

You can catch some of the Foo Fighters show at the Concorde 2 on BBCi from Monday.

The Dandys go Electric

www.myspace.com/thedandywarhols

The Dandy Warhols are playing at the Camden Electric Ballroom in October... woo hoo!

Guess who's coming to Brighton?

www.foofighters.com

First it was on, then it was off, then it was moving venues, then it was definitely not happening... but now it is. On Friday.

Foo Fighters @ Brighton Concorde 2

They're playing an hour long set from 5pm which will be recorded for radio and television. Tickets went on sale at midday and I made it down to the wet and windswept queue just early enough to secure a pair. I am so excited!

The gig is part of a Radio 1 weekend in Brighton; The band will spend the whole day with Radio 1 on Friday, from the breakfast show and the Live Lounge onwards. They will play two live tracks on the Chris Moyles Show from 7am and chat to Chris. On Jo Whiley's show from 10am, they will perform an acoustic version of their new single The Pretender plus a very special cover version. The exclusive gig at the Concorde will be broadcast on Radio 1 from 6pm to 7pm. Then from next week, you can also watch highlights of the gig online and by pressing Red on any BBC TV channel. (20-24 August, scheduled times vary).

I have also been invited to "a very special evening" at the venue from 9pm. A further set from the band perhaps?

Tegan & Sara at the Komedia

Tegan & Sara - Brighton Komedia

Mention Tegan & Sara to 99% of my friends and they'll have no idea who you are talking about. So I wasn't expecting their show at the Komedia to be a hot ticket, but lo and behold it was a sell out and the venue was packed with rabid fans. Brighton, perhaps? It has to be said, the Canadian twins do tend to attract a certain kind of audience. Anyway, let's clear this up once and for all - that's Tegan on the left and Sara on the right. It only took me about half an hour to figure that out. Twins, eh? The gig then... good; I'd wanted to see them ever since I discovered their If It Was You album about three or four years ago, and reports of their witty between-song banter was right on the mark. Musically they trade vocals, Tegan occasionally moving to play keyboards on some songs. They opened with You Wouldn't Like Me and played quite a lot of stuff off their So Jealous album (including Walking With A Ghost, naturally) but the new songs from The Con (currently only available on import in the UK) sounded equally strong, especially current single Back In Your Head. Good stuff - those 99 friends don't know what they're missing.

Tokyo Pinsalocks at the Engine Room

Tokyo Pinsalocks - Engine Room, Brighton

Andy suggested that we check out Tokyo Pinsalocks at the Engine Room last night. Japanese electro-pop you say? I'm sold. It was a good shout as it turned out... Naoko (vocals & keyboard), Hisayo (bass) and Reiko (drums) played an entertaining set and received a warm reception from the crowd. Whatever the songs were about they must have been good as we all bought their Plutonium EP from the merch desk on the way out!