The Great Gig Meme in the Sky

Yes.  A meme.  My first in a while, and what a lovely one it is too!  

That Musodad chap created it, so, as you might imagine, it's about gigs.  Gigs we've been to and gigs we wish we'd been to.  Or would be going to.  I'll be wowing you all with my wonderful musical taste (ha) and adding some of the tracks to a Spotify playlist along with all the previous meme-ers.

Big thanks to Ben at Mutterings of a Fool, who was kind enough to tag me yesterday.  You should all pay a visit to his blog too, it's a good'un.

Right then, onto the gigs!

First Gig

I was fourteen.  I had the same ridiculous curtain based hairstyle as EVERYONE ELSE.  But I was "alternative" (or, in our local parlance, a "Jitter".  Anyone know where that comes from?  I never worked it out.) so I eschewed the number ones of the weekly chart (Wet Wet Wet - Love is all Around anyone? No? Thought not, so HOW was it number one for FIFTEEN WEEKS?? Shame on whoever bought it.)

Which is why I was to be found at the Bristol University Anson Rooms for my first ever gig: a dual headline brit-rock/faux-grunge bonanza.  Feeder and Everclear.  It may have been pretty good, but due to the fact I got served beer all evening I was pretty well comatose in the corridor by the time Everclear started.  Ho hum.

Added to the playlist - Everclear - Heroin Girl

Worst Gig

This is tricky.  I could be tempted to go for Bad Manners at the Fleece in Bristol.  They were good.  An hour late coming on because they were busy getting wasted backstage, but good nonetheless.  The crowd though, oh my goodness.  I have never feared more for my life than I did in a room full of beered up, angry skinheads, especially when they spent the whole of the support act's set (some friends of mine) jeering at their afro-haired trombonist.  Eep.

But, actually, no.  My worst gig was one where I didn't get to stay until the end.  The same friends' band was  playing a small venue in Bristol, the Louisiana.  One of those pubs where they have crappy local bands on every night of the week.  It was great.  But the support act to my friends' band on this particular night was the now-famous Incubus-ripper-offers, The Lost Prophets.  Trouble is, at that time they were just really angry Welsh lads, and they somehow pissed off the landlord.  To the extent that the landlord threw EVERYONE out of the pub and closed early, half way through the evening.  Lame.

Added to the playlist - Lost Prophets - Shinobi vs Dragon Ninja

Best Gig

Another tough choice.  I've seen a lot of really impressive bands.  Bands I really love, and whose live shows were truly excellent.  But I think I can pinpoint the best gig I ever went to.

It was while I was at university.  An act who I don't think had much UK recognition at the time, and may not even now, but one who a friend of mine had pointed me toward about six months earlier.  A Canadian rapper whose hip hop was as far from the gangster rap mainstream as it is possible to be.  Buck 65.

The one album of his which I had was my most played CD.  It was dark and moody, impressive in both content of lyrics and their delivery.  So when I found out he was playing at the Barfly in Cardiff I bought a ticket for me and a friend immediately.

What made it the best gig I've been to was that only about twenty other people bought tickets.  We got an intimate, interactive and hugely impressive performance from a great artist, plus we got to chat to him afterwards without having to jostle for position with hundreds of other fans.

A few beers, a great friend, a great musician and an unexpected atmosphere.  Great memories of that night.

Added to the playlist - Buck 65 - Paper Airplane

Last Gig

Right.  Stop it.  You're making me feel old now.  When was the last gig I went to?  Too long ago.  Erm.  Okay, I think it was at the Bristol BBQ festival last summer (what do you mean festivals don't count?  Shh.) and we'd reached the end of a lovely, sunny day full of slow smoked food and lovely local booze.  The sun went down and the only thing left to look at was the stage.  I wasn't expecting much, it's not a music festival after all, but a band called The Congo Faith Healers came on and got everyone dancing and having a great time; they were not quite like any band I'd seen before, but if you ever get the chance I'd urge you to give them a go, great fun.

Woe! They are not on Spotify.  So here's a video of one of their songs from Youtube:

Dream Gig

Last one!  I've really enjoyed this, but I also really need to go to bed (work tomorrow, booooooo) so I will keep this brief.

I managed to see most of the bands I'd have liked to during the years I went to quite a lot of gigs.  But there was a band who I loved, a band whose songs had an energy and drive which I never got from any other band.  A band who I had TICKETS TO SEE.  A band who decided on an "indefinite hiatus" just FIVE FARKIN DAYS before the date printed on those tickets.  Honestly.  Angry doesn't even cover it.

Eleven years later, they've recently regrouped and are playing together again.  If they announce a UK tour wider than just the Reading and Leeds festivals I will find a way to see them.

At The Drive-In

Added to the playlist - At The Drive-In - Enfilade

As is the way of the meme, so here are my onward tags:

@_Mushypea - Cos she's got a lovely blog and you should all be reading it

@_firsttimedaddy - Cos he's got a lovely blog, but needs to blog more often ;-)

@motherventing - Cos she told me not to tag her in another meme, but I reckon she'll like this one

Normal babychat service will resume tomorrow, thanks for reading :-)