Spit! something went screwy there! Anyway, one of my top four happened this weekend, took both Friday and Saturday nights to come together. The funny thing was it wasn't any flash touring artist in a big name venue. It was at my local pub, a place I've been to many a time, one year I was there almost every day for a while. And the band, its one I've seen many a time in its various incarnations and under various names but generally known as the Hobnail Boots from Wellington. They'd not claim to be the best band in the world, but the stars all must have been in alignment over the weekend - because all seemed to be perfect. Friday night, we just kicked back and chatted as the band did their thing, then hung out with them for a bit, invited them for a barbecue on Saturday - they even came. Then on Saturday, the magic was even better - I was invited to three different parties, which all met in the same the band was playing, so it was like having the band play in my lounge with all of my friends.
The other gigs, I went to by myself - repond better to the music that way. First up would be a Melissa Etheridge gig in London - again it wasn't necessarily because she's the most brilliant musician, but somehow, in a relatively large space, she created a warm and quite intimate environment and everyone (or at least, not just me) felt a part of it. I know this, because I had to go back the next night, because it had been so great, and there were quite a few I recognised from the night before, they too had been captured by the magic.
Another one was when Ani di Franco came to the James Cabaret - same happened - made me start wondering if there was something about lesbian singers which made their gigs so wonderful to be at.
And then, the other in the top four would be when Shihad and Fur Patrol played East Pier in Napier, New Years Eve 2001 - normally a bad night for me if I'm spending it by myself, but again the stars were in alignment that night too.
3Ds & Pavement @ Warners, chch, 1996
Wicked, two band at the top of their game going off to an adoring crowd. Warners, smelly fire hazard that it was was often a top spot for live music, and this night typified the type of gig you could get. Punters were greeted at the door by Pavement's slightly eccentric drummer (Gary? I think) giving out slices of apple. The 3Ds were loud and poppy and rockin' and as impressive as ever, and seeing Pavement (this was just after slanted and enchanted had come out) was surreal (a bit like when Radiohead played the same venue the next year, or when the White Stripes played at Bodega last year). Here were *superstars* playing at our little bar! Brilliant! The crowd was suitably hot and sweaty and packed into the mosh pit, and the most was one of the most enjoyable I've been in -- grinning faces, jumping around, no stupid stuff, all good. Topped the night off by breaking into Centennial Pool and diving off the 10m board. Ace.
Shihad @ Warners, chch, 1997
Pretty much a carbon copy of above, with the band playing most of Killjoy at immense volume. A bit too whacked to get into the mosh, so got a top spot about 20ft from the stage in the upstairs area. Incredible.
Straitjacket Fits @ Canty Uni, 1990.
One of those life-altering events, when something opens your eyes to the possibilities of a medium. Melt had only just found its way into my record collection, and the band were at the peak of their powers. The singing was so strong, the guitar playing was *unbelieveable*, and the crowd went crazy. Amazing.
U2 @ Lancaster Park. The Zoo TV tour.
Lots of TVs. Great music. Top west coast green. Sensory overload. Gotta love that.
Pumpkinhead & Cinematic @ Surge (some warehouse flat), chch, 1995
A bit of a cheaty one, as I was playing at it, but this gig had it all: packed seedy venue, great sounds (if I do say so), a total cross-section of humanity loving it all, and then the MAN moving in, and closing it down due to fire hazard issues. The crusties hit occupied the street outside in protest, the paddy wagons were called, people were arrested, one guy fled in handcuffs, and then the riot squad moved in. Rock and Roll!
Ah - 3Ds @ Gluepot - a night to remember. And Straitjacket Fits - fuck they were a great band live, didn't see them until I moved to Auckland and became acquainted with the Rising Sun Hotel on K Road - those soaring vocals still get to me. I had a night like your one at the Rising Sun - some industrial band was on, mouthing off about police brutality etc - in comes the Minister of Police himself!! along with a bunch of cops to send us home - not because of the noise, but because of what was being sung - incredible.
if a musical pip squeak can add a wee comment
I am still in that wonderful state of being newish to live gigs, so I don't have any taste yet...can you remember the wonderful naivety of thinking everything you see live is fan-bloody-tastic, I know that is wrong but I hope it never leaves me, there is something so infectious about live music even if it's the local primary school choir or the kids next door tuneing up
Well. Aka, I hope it stays with you. I can't say that I find every single band I see is fa-bloody-tastic, but I still get a thrill from most I go to, although I am obviously in the minority, as I look round and see so few above about 22 or 23 actually going to gigs, except for the big names which play to the MOR crowd. But it is good I think to start being able to recognise what is completely derivative or downright boring as that means (a) you can recognise what is good and (b) get that extra level of pleasure from something that is truly speaking to you rather than just going through the motions.
I think I will try and keep my feelings about live music the way it is and leave mydiscernment to recordings.
I tried to write a review for a good shirt / lucid3 gig I went to on the weekend and came to the above conclusion, it was reading like a teeny bopper rave...
It was great, I did love it, I sooo want to see lucid3 when Victoria doesn't have to have the techie guy running on between songs to give her a hankie, because she is so stuffed up with a cold flu thing, because if her voice sounds that good when sick it must be (pick expletive of your choice) excellent when she is well.
Their bass player had fallen out of the truck and split his head open so was concussed... but they still got up on that tiny wee stage and did a good thing...
and speaking of good.... I am in major bopp mode over good shirt, driving for two hours in the pouring rain just to see them again, leaves me in no position to be objective.
Not only that girly squeal, giggle, Rodney recognized us and talked to us and ran round the rest of the band telling them who we were, I still can not make up my mind if that was really shameful or really neat. ( I secretly think neat, but having to take out my earplugs so I could hear him talking was a bit shameful)
They came out on stage Zack walked straight up to the mic and said "good evening everyone were RATM from Los Angeles California" without pause went straight into Know Your Enemy, the band then proceded to play the best show of my life, i have never experenced such mad amounts of energy at a concert before, and doubt i ever will again.
At the end he said thankyou very much and then quickly left the stage, leaving everyone thinking what the fuck just hit us!!! the music did all the talking on that day.
There is no band on this planet who can rock a crowd like RAGE can.
Bailterspace, Orientation, Union Hall, Dunedin, 1996 or 1997 (haveta check the posters in Poppa's Pizza for exact year) - incredible sound, both up the front, but the best was at the back wall, the sound rushing towards us and bouncing off the wall a second later ... ULTIMATE REVERB aaaaaaaaaaarrrgggghh slobber ...
3Ds, one of their last gigs, Muso's Club, 1996? - Very Loud, sharp, angry, bouncy ... the band on the verge of breaking up, marvellous
HDU, their last gig at ARC, 2002 - perfect perfect sound, tight tight structure, such coordinated perfection, intense, beautiful pain, and fun too
The Bats @ Fuel before it closed, 2001 late last year - big happy bouncy crowd, most everyone singing, bellowing ... fast neat snappy nasty wee tunes, sub two or three minutes, BLAST rest BLAST rest ... the band enjoying it so, but looking tired, running on fumes, the mad wee Asian high school kids who came from Chch to see their teachers play ...
Plagal Grind, Dunedin Sounds exhibition, 2000? at Sammy's - how much did they practise? how could they sound so mean, angry, tortured and grin so much? and Dave M has demons in his guitar - were they grinning too? crowd wanted to dance but were too busy counting themselves lucky to witness this last great set ...
The Clean at Arc, last year? - Absolute Heaven. All of the above, plus more.
When you say the last gig at ARC for HDU, you do mean most recent, don't you, not last ever??God I so wanted to come down for the Dunedin Sounds thing but couldn't make it.
Lemonheads, The Powerstation, 1994 (I think it was '94)
I was a huge Lemonheads fan and I knew all but one of the songs they played. It was really fun and I remember having a great time and being really happy for days afterwards.
The Mobile Stud Unit Superstar Extravaganza, Hamilton, May 1995
A bunch of my favourite Hamilton bands (MSU, Bwa Da Riddum, Captain Higiz) all playing together at the Waikato uni bar. I drank some beer and had lots of fun.
Ween, The Powerstation, 1994
They played "Nan". That's all I needed.
Peaches, Big Day Out 2002
There were technical hitches a go-go, but Peaches and the girls more than made up for it with their enthusiasm and energy.
I know there's been more, I'm just, er, having trouble recalling them.
There's always more, aren't there. For those in the second ring of heaven, I'd include a Bats gig at the Uni of Auckland, tho' its also got to rate as my most embarrassing moment ever, as I was dancing awayt with this woman, she did a kind of up thing as I did a downward movement, we were dancing pretty close, and I managed to bite her on the top of the head! Oh, and White Stripes at Big Day Out 2002 - wish now I had caught up with Peaches, as I've read quite a lot of her in the past month or so, before then didn't even know to look out for her. And a bad ass Canadian band I saw at the Wild Horse saloon - No Means No - and Shihad in the same venue, my very first time with them.
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Spit! something went screwy there! ...
Spit! something went screwy there! Anyway, one of my top four happened this weekend, took both Friday and Saturday nights to come together. The funny thing was it wasn't any flash touring artist in a big name venue. It was at my local pub, a place I've been to many a time, one year I was there almost every day for a while. And the band, its one I've seen many a time in its various incarnations and under various names but generally known as the Hobnail Boots from Wellington. They'd not claim to be the best band in the world, but the stars all must have been in alignment over the weekend - because all seemed to be perfect. Friday night, we just kicked back and chatted as the band did their thing, then hung out with them for a bit, invited them for a barbecue on Saturday - they even came. Then on Saturday, the magic was even better - I was invited to three different parties, which all met in the same the band was playing, so it was like having the band play in my lounge with all of my friends.
The other gigs, I went to by myself - repond better to the music that way. First up would be a Melissa Etheridge gig in London - again it wasn't necessarily because she's the most brilliant musician, but somehow, in a relatively large space, she created a warm and quite intimate environment and everyone (or at least, not just me) felt a part of it. I know this, because I had to go back the next night, because it had been so great, and there were quite a few I recognised from the night before, they too had been captured by the magic.
Another one was when Ani di Franco came to the James Cabaret - same happened - made me start wondering if there was something about lesbian singers which made their gigs so wonderful to be at.
And then, the other in the top four would be when Shihad and Fur Patrol played East Pier in Napier, New Years Eve 2001 - normally a bad night for me if I'm spending it by myself, but again the stars were in alignment that night too.
3Ds & Pavement @ Warners, chch, ...
3Ds & Pavement @ Warners, chch, 1996
Wicked, two band at the top of their game going off to an adoring crowd. Warners, smelly fire hazard that it was was often a top spot for live music, and this night typified the type of gig you could get. Punters were greeted at the door by Pavement's slightly eccentric drummer (Gary? I think) giving out slices of apple. The 3Ds were loud and poppy and rockin' and as impressive as ever, and seeing Pavement (this was just after slanted and enchanted had come out) was surreal (a bit like when Radiohead played the same venue the next year, or when the White Stripes played at Bodega last year). Here were *superstars* playing at our little bar! Brilliant! The crowd was suitably hot and sweaty and packed into the mosh pit, and the most was one of the most enjoyable I've been in -- grinning faces, jumping around, no stupid stuff, all good. Topped the night off by breaking into Centennial Pool and diving off the 10m board. Ace.
Shihad @ Warners, chch, 1997
Pretty much a carbon copy of above, with the band playing most of Killjoy at immense volume. A bit too whacked to get into the mosh, so got a top spot about 20ft from the stage in the upstairs area. Incredible.
Straitjacket Fits @ Canty Uni, 1990.
One of those life-altering events, when something opens your eyes to the possibilities of a medium. Melt had only just found its way into my record collection, and the band were at the peak of their powers. The singing was so strong, the guitar playing was *unbelieveable*, and the crowd went crazy. Amazing.
U2 @ Lancaster Park. The Zoo TV tour.
Lots of TVs. Great music. Top west coast green. Sensory overload. Gotta love that.
Pumpkinhead & Cinematic @ Surge (some warehouse flat), chch, 1995
A bit of a cheaty one, as I was playing at it, but this gig had it all: packed seedy venue, great sounds (if I do say so), a total cross-section of humanity loving it all, and then the MAN moving in, and closing it down due to fire hazard issues. The crusties hit occupied the street outside in protest, the paddy wagons were called, people were arrested, one guy fled in handcuffs, and then the riot squad moved in. Rock and Roll!
actually, the dates on those first two ...
actually, the dates on those first two gigs are horrible wrong. more like 1993 and 1995. Maybe. Anyone else from here who was there?
Ah - 3Ds @ Gluepot - a night to ...
Ah - 3Ds @ Gluepot - a night to remember. And Straitjacket Fits - fuck they were a great band live, didn't see them until I moved to Auckland and became acquainted with the Rising Sun Hotel on K Road - those soaring vocals still get to me. I had a night like your one at the Rising Sun - some industrial band was on, mouthing off about police brutality etc - in comes the Minister of Police himself!! along with a bunch of cops to send us home - not because of the noise, but because of what was being sung - incredible.
noizy - i knew that was your list ...
noizy - i knew that was your list before i even scrolled down to the icon.
your fine taste, literally, precedes you.
name-checking your own band is also a ...
name-checking your own band is also a bit of a giveaway. 8-)
saw the wellington arm of the ...
saw the wellington arm of the Pavement/3d's gigs. Top 3 of all time.
if a musical pip squeak can add a wee ...
if a musical pip squeak can add a wee comment
I am still in that wonderful state of being newish to live gigs, so I don't have any taste yet...can you remember the wonderful naivety of thinking everything you see live is fan-bloody-tastic, I know that is wrong but I hope it never leaves me, there is something so infectious about live music even if it's the local primary school choir or the kids next door tuneing up
Well. Aka, I hope it stays with you. I ...
Well. Aka, I hope it stays with you. I can't say that I find every single band I see is fa-bloody-tastic, but I still get a thrill from most I go to, although I am obviously in the minority, as I look round and see so few above about 22 or 23 actually going to gigs, except for the big names which play to the MOR crowd. But it is good I think to start being able to recognise what is completely derivative or downright boring as that means (a) you can recognise what is good and (b) get that extra level of pleasure from something that is truly speaking to you rather than just going through the motions.
I think I will try and keep my feelings ...
I think I will try and keep my feelings about live music the way it is and leave mydiscernment to recordings.
I tried to write a review for a good shirt / lucid3 gig I went to on the weekend and came to the above conclusion, it was reading like a teeny bopper rave...
It was great, I did love it, I sooo want to see lucid3 when Victoria doesn't have to have the techie guy running on between songs to give her a hankie, because she is so stuffed up with a cold flu thing, because if her voice sounds that good when sick it must be (pick expletive of your choice) excellent when she is well.
Their bass player had fallen out of the truck and split his head open so was concussed... but they still got up on that tiny wee stage and did a good thing...
and speaking of good.... I am in major bopp mode over good shirt, driving for two hours in the pouring rain just to see them again, leaves me in no position to be objective.
Not only that girly squeal, giggle, Rodney recognized us and talked to us and ran round the rest of the band telling them who we were, I still can not make up my mind if that was really shameful or really neat. ( I secretly think neat, but having to take out my earplugs so I could hear him talking was a bit shameful)
Morrissey ~ the Kill Uncle tour ...
Morrissey ~ the Kill Uncle tour 1991
Straightjacket Fits @ Mountain Rock (1993?)
HDU@ The Albert, Dunedin 1994
Ian Brown, Moby, Leftfield, Public Enemy@ Homelands Festival,
Scotland 1998
Snow Patrol, Eugene Kelly@ Nice n Sleazy, Glasgow 1998
What? No Glue Pot gigs?...
What? No Glue Pot gigs?
HDU have done some pretty fucking ...
HDU have done some pretty fucking amazing awe inspiring shows eh
Hey Gluepot RIP heads up if you're ...
Hey Gluepot RIP heads up if you're still hanging around glasgow!
HDU at the Nice n Sleazy on thurs 25th April.
Rage Against the Machine, BDO all those ...
Rage Against the Machine, BDO all those years ago
They came out on stage Zack walked straight up to the mic and said "good evening everyone were RATM from Los Angeles California" without pause went straight into Know Your Enemy, the band then proceded to play the best show of my life, i have never experenced such mad amounts of energy at a concert before, and doubt i ever will again.
At the end he said thankyou very much and then quickly left the stage, leaving everyone thinking what the fuck just hit us!!! the music did all the talking on that day.
There is no band on this planet who can rock a crowd like RAGE can.
great topic, ...
great topic, GRRREATTTT!!!!
Bailterspace, Orientation, Union Hall, Dunedin, 1996 or 1997 (haveta check the posters in Poppa's Pizza for exact year) - incredible sound, both up the front, but the best was at the back wall, the sound rushing towards us and bouncing off the wall a second later ... ULTIMATE REVERB aaaaaaaaaaarrrgggghh slobber ...
3Ds, one of their last gigs, Muso's Club, 1996? - Very Loud, sharp, angry, bouncy ... the band on the verge of breaking up, marvellous
HDU, their last gig at ARC, 2002 - perfect perfect sound, tight tight structure, such coordinated perfection, intense, beautiful pain, and fun too
The Bats @ Fuel before it closed, 2001 late last year - big happy bouncy crowd, most everyone singing, bellowing ... fast neat snappy nasty wee tunes, sub two or three minutes, BLAST rest BLAST rest ... the band enjoying it so, but looking tired, running on fumes, the mad wee Asian high school kids who came from Chch to see their teachers play ...
Plagal Grind, Dunedin Sounds exhibition, 2000? at Sammy's - how much did they practise? how could they sound so mean, angry, tortured and grin so much? and Dave M has demons in his guitar - were they grinning too? crowd wanted to dance but were too busy counting themselves lucky to witness this last great set ...
The Clean at Arc, last year? - Absolute Heaven. All of the above, plus more.
When you say the last gig at ARC for ...
When you say the last gig at ARC for HDU, you do mean most recent, don't you, not last ever??God I so wanted to come down for the Dunedin Sounds thing but couldn't make it.
Yay - The Clean next week.
yup, "last" as in "their most recent" ...
yup, "last" as in "their most recent" ... not wanting to cause any undue grief ... :)
Lemonheads, The Powerstation, 1994 (I ...
Lemonheads, The Powerstation, 1994 (I think it was '94)
I was a huge Lemonheads fan and I knew all but one of the songs they played. It was really fun and I remember having a great time and being really happy for days afterwards.
The Mobile Stud Unit Superstar Extravaganza, Hamilton, May 1995
A bunch of my favourite Hamilton bands (MSU, Bwa Da Riddum, Captain Higiz) all playing together at the Waikato uni bar. I drank some beer and had lots of fun.
Ween, The Powerstation, 1994
They played "Nan". That's all I needed.
Peaches, Big Day Out 2002
There were technical hitches a go-go, but Peaches and the girls more than made up for it with their enthusiasm and energy.
I know there's been more, I'm just, er, having trouble recalling them.
[ http://www.secret-passage.com/ ]
There's always more, aren't there. ...
There's always more, aren't there. For those in the second ring of heaven, I'd include a Bats gig at the Uni of Auckland, tho' its also got to rate as my most embarrassing moment ever, as I was dancing awayt with this woman, she did a kind of up thing as I did a downward movement, we were dancing pretty close, and I managed to bite her on the top of the head! Oh, and White Stripes at Big Day Out 2002 - wish now I had caught up with Peaches, as I've read quite a lot of her in the past month or so, before then didn't even know to look out for her. And a bad ass Canadian band I saw at the Wild Horse saloon - No Means No - and Shihad in the same venue, my very first time with them.