My Chemical Toilet

Can You Gig It?: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds @ Hammersmith Apollo, London, 7.5.08

Susi Weaser, editor of Shiny Shiny, went to check out cheery old moustached lizard Nick Cave the other night. I wonder, was he as good as the number of times his album's been played in our office would suggest? Let's find out.

How did you rate the venue?

Um, can I just copy and paste what I wrote when I saw Gogol Bordello? OK, so this is what I think/thought: I quite like the Hammersmith Apollo. I've never had a bad night there. It's sloped towards the stage so it's easy to get a good view, and it's not so big you lose any atmosphere.

What were the crowd like?

Less gothic-looking than I expected. I suppose everyone has grown up. It was mostly an older crowd, a side effect of which is that they were also a very tall crowd.

Can You Gig It?: The Wombats/I Was A Cub Scout @ Bristol Academy, 05.05.08

Clare Joslin, My Chemical Toilet's resident Hoosiers defender, went to see The Wombats the other night. Here she shares what she thought of the perky Anglo-Norwegian Liverpudlians...

How did you rate the venue?

Great. It's big enough to fit everyone in and put on big artists, but open enough for everyone to see - unless you choose to stand behind the barriers by the bar. But if you do that's up to you, isn't it.

Can You Gig It?: Jamie Lidell @ KOKO, London, 29.4.08

Jamie Lidell's Jim album came out recently to acclaim and/or disappointment, depending on how much of a hardcore fan you are of his - oh yes - "earlier stuff".

Yup, Lidell's one of those former underground types who now appears to be - BASTARD - looking to sell a few records. My esteemed colleague, and editor of terrific men's fashion blog Brandish, Isabelle O'Carroll, is a long-time fan. She went along to his long sold-out show at Koko t'other night. What thunk she?

- How did you rate the venue?

I've never been to KOKO before, but it's really sumptuous. I like the multiple balconies, and the actual floor space isn't too big.

Can You Gig It?: The Crimea/The Clik Clik/James Yuill/Tom Hatred and the Angryband @ The Rage Into Spring, Cargo, London

Last night I went along to The Rage Into Spring, the latest show from the folk at The Rage. A pretty good line-up it was too, once the assembled crowd had chowed down on little bowls of salmon and potatoes. Oh yes, this is grown-up gigging alright. Why, there were actual grown-ups there, by which I mean men in their 50s. One of them was dancing up a storm, actually.

Anyway, onto the music. Tom Hatred and the Angryband were first up, ploughing a pretty Morrissey-ish furrow with a song drolly describing that Cupid chap as "a bastard".

Can You Gig It?: The Fighting Cocks @ Camden Barfly, London, 23.3.08

Jaz Cummins is a Senior Account Executive (and frequent blogger) at Shiny Red, a very Web 2.0-ish PR consultancy. The other week she went along to Camden's Barfly to check out charmingly-monikored gypsy-punk types The Fighting Cocks. Here is what she thunk.

How did you rate the venue?
Good n' indie. Last time I went to the Barfly was during the Camden Crawl. It was much nicer than that time, what with it being a civilised Sunday evening.

What were the crowd like?
A mixture of hardcore Fighting Cocks groupies doing their duty of crazy dancing and crowd participation... and confused-looking people who'd never seen them before.

Posted by Stuart Waterman on March 31, 2008 8:19 AM in Can You Gig It?
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Can You Gig It?: Christopher D Ashley/Joe Driscoll @ The Big Chill House, King's Cross, London

Last night I went to The Rage Sessions, which is the new monthly event catering to members of The Rage, a new gig-going community. Originally Little Lost David was slated to appear, but he went and lost his little voice, so that put paid to that. The organisers got Joe Driscoll in to replace him.

This Joe chap is one of those there one man bands, and very cleverly uses live looping alongside a guitar to create the sound of all those other instruments people usually use. Now, I am very easily impressed by gimmicks such as this.

Can You Gig It?: NME Awards Big Gig @ London's O2, 28.2.08

Kat from Tech Digest almost warrants her own regular column here on My Chemical Toilet, so many gigs does she attend and report back on. Last night she went to the post-NME Awards live show, which featured sets from Kaiser Chiefs, The Cribs, Bloc Party, Klaxons and - most importantly for her - Manic Street Preachers.

- How did you rate the venue? The O2 arena is brilliant, and, at just 10 minutes away from London Bridge, surprisingly easy to get to. Having said that, the sound was horrible last night for the NME Awards Big Gig, with even one of the 12 year-olds in The Cribs commenting on how shocking it was. Bet they've never even owned a tape deck. (Um, fairly sure The Cribs are all older than you actually, Kat - Ed)

Can You Gig It?: The Chap / The Guillotines @ The Buffalo Bar, London, 21.2.08

Isabelle O'Carroll, editor of men's fashion authority Brandish, went to a gig last night and set aside a few moments of her valuable time to tell us - and you - yes YOU - all about it. Watch out for her new adjective for gentlemen wearing inappropriately skinny jeans.

How did you rate the venue?

Last time I was at the Buffalo Bar I was so tired I had to watch The Chap with my eyes closed in one of their nice comfy banquettes. I love a good banquette.

What were the crowd like?

A few really horrible alcohol-bloated, parsnip-legged sub-Libertines wankers; but mostly a crowd of good-humoured, slightly geeky gorgeous people.

Posted by Stuart Waterman on February 22, 2008 12:13 PM in Can You Gig It?
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Can You Gig It? Kid Harpoon - Pure Grooves, Holloway Road, 18/02/08

To celebrate the launch of The Second EP on Monday, Kid Harpoon treated the select audience gathered in Pure Grooves record shop on Holloway Road, to an intimate acoustic set. Accompanied by only his own guitar and a violin, Kid Harpoon showcased half an hours worth of his 200 song strong catalogue, paying special attention to not only the tracks from The Second EP, but also to audience requests.

Ordinarily supported by his band The Powers That Be Kid Harpoon's sound was a lot more stripped down than usual. This did not however hinder the songs in any way. Whilst strumming his acoustic guitar like a madman, Kid Harpoon belted out his vocals with fluency and power. This allowed the electrified, razor-tinged guitars that appear on the studio recording of Riverside, to become no less brisk and upbeat, but rather to create an almost organic, powerful, acoustic, rock style.

Despite being essentially more of an indie act, Kid Harpoon's rise to fame through playing at gigs like Blue Flowers, an acoustic night hosted once a month is Chiswick, had meant that the gemstone laden finger of folk has often been pointed in his direction. Indeed, Kid Harpoon is not a folk act, but the presence of the violin at Pure Grooves, and the expertly picked guitar on the reflective Lay of the Land showed folk leanings that certainly add fuel to this particular fire. This does not mean however, that Harpoon should be pigeon-holed into this category. Instead it adds further depth to his sound and sets him aside from every other generic indie act polluting the airwaves at the moment.

Posted by Laura Silver on February 20, 2008 2:07 PM in Can You Gig It?
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Dispatches From Beardsville - A Hawk and a Hacksaw tour UK in Spring

People who go on about Gogol Bordello don't know a damn thing. I'm looking at you, NME readers. If you dig the Eastern European vibration, then skip the Disney punk and gun straight for the insanely brilliant A Hawk and a Hacksaw. Thankfully, they'll be playing live quite a lot in the not too distant future.

Spring sees the group performing as support during the Portishead tour of the UK. After they've got that done, it's off out onto the road on their own. Dates are; April - 9 Manchester Apollo,
10 London Hammersmith Apollo, 11 Lancaster Yorkshire House, 12 Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 13 Wolverhampton Civic, 14 Birmingham Glee Club, 17 London Brixton Academy. May - 9 Belfast Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, 10 Cork Cyprus Avenue, 11 Dublin Boom Boom Boom, 12 Aberdeen the Tunnels, 13 Glasgow the Arches, 14 Leeds Hi-Fi Club, 15 Bristol the Thekla, 16 Minehead Butlins (EITS ATP) You've no excuse to not see one of the most incredible live bands on the planet. Get booking. Now. [via DiS]

Can You Gig It?: Smashing Pumpkins @ London O2, 16.2.08

If you've read this article over at Gigwise, you'll be under the impression that the Smashing Pumpkins show at the O2 the other night was a bit of a disaster. Well, my esteemed colleague Kat at Tech Digest was there and would like to set at least a bit of the record straight. Take if away, Kat...

How did you rate the venue?

- It was my first time at the O2 arena, and I was mightily impressed. It was a lot nicer than I expected, and the transport to the arena is an absolute dream. Cannot recommend it enough!

What were the crowd like?

- Mixed. I had a seated ticket, but everyone in the section seemed to have a good time - lots of enthusiastic cheering. I don’t understand why this gig has been derided across the internet, everyone seemed to enjoy it wholeheartedly, although in the last half hour of pure noise I did notice a fair few people were leaving...

The Courteeners to tour UK... tickets on sale now

It seems Manchester has produced yet another noisy band with a penchant for choruses and Stella Artois who are going to dominate the indie world... namely, the much fancied The Courteeners. What's the fuss? Well you can find out yourself as the band have announced a new headlining UK tour, starting in April.

The band go out on the road from April 9, promoting their Stephen Street-produced debut album St Jude which is released on April 7. Tickets for the gigs went on sale this morning, so get the card out and pay fast as these'll be snapped up in no time. If you liked Definitely Maybe, you'll love these indie thugs. Dates over...

Can You Gig It?: Laura Marling @ Rough Trade West, London, 4.2.08

LM%20Rough%20trade.jpg
To celebrate the release of her debut album, 'Alas I Cannot Swim', Laura Marling played an intimate set at Notting Hill's Rough Trade West on Monday evening. Despite creeping behind the makeshift stage of the shop counter rather quietly, Marling quickly had the 100 or so fans crammed into the store silently and attentively listening as she skillfully picked her way through half an hour of the signature folk featured on her album.

Highlights included the gallopingly rhythmic 'My Manic and I' the title track from her recent EP that allowed her to begin conquering the emerging modern folk scene in 2007, and current single 'Ghosts', released last Monday. Despite the studio version of 'Ghosts' featuring a full band, Marling's solo effort is not diminished in comparison. Quite the contrary in fact, the controlled melody of Marling's voice carried the song and delivered the crescendos and rhythm changes with an intensity so perfect you could hear a pin drop.

Similarly, in her performance of 'Night Terror', Marling delivered the vocals with the control and range of Joni Mitchell and the distinctly English tones of Sandy Denny.

Posted by Laura Silver on February 7, 2008 12:50 PM in Can You Gig It?
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Eels go on huge world tour and will almost certainly be playing in a town near you...

I like The Eels. I think Mark Oliver Everett is one of the finest songwriters around. Mixing up olde time country stylings with ear-splitting white noise, thoughtful balladry and black humour, Eels essentially have it all (oh, they're pretty catchy too!). So, on the back of their dual release of a greatest hits and rarities comp, (Meet the Eels and Useless Trinkets, respectively), Everett and Co. are set to hit the road on a huge world tour.

The tour kicks off on Valentine's Day in their home state of Cali before dusting off the passports for a jaunt round the UK, then it's the mainland Europe leg, then, phew, it's back to the UK, then back to Europe, before finishing off in North America. Bloody hell. That looks like hard work. Anyway, if you wanna know where they'll be playing, read over.

Nick Cave to tour his Bad Seeds in 2008

Many dismiss Nick Cave as gloomy and depressing. Well, I suppose he can be. However, you shouldn't write him off as he can be vicious, hilarious and fire 'n' brimstone if needs be, and boy, if you catch him live, your hair might stand on end for a whole month. With that comes the good news that Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are to hit the road promoting the band's 14th LP Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, which should hit the shelves on 3rd March.

Tour dates are Lisbon Colliseum (April 21), Porto Coliseum (22), San Sebastian Polideportivo (24), Barcelona Razzmatazz (25), Marseilles Docks Du Suds (26), Amsterdam Music Hall (28)
Paris Casino Du Paris (29), Brussels Forest National (May 1), Dublin Castle (3), Glasgow Academy (4), Birmingham Academy (5), London Hammersmith Apollo (7), Oslo Spektrum (16), Stockholm Annexe (17), Copenhagen KB Halle (19), Berlin Tempodrom (21), Prague Sazka Arena (24), Vienna Gasometer (25), Zagreb In Music Festival (June 3), Belgrade Arena (4), Salonika Moni Lazariston (6), Athens Lycabetus Theatre (7) [via ElectricRoulette]

Can You Gig It?: Morrissey @ Camden Roundhouse, London, 25.1.08

To say that Tech Digest's Katherine Hannaford is fond of Morrissey is a bit like saying Amy Winehouse has a slight penchant for the crack. The woman is obsessed. She went to see Mozza the other night at the show he cancelled a few songs in. Oh dear, how did she cope?

- How did you rate the venue?

It was held at the Camden Roundhouse, which I love - alcohol isn't *too* overpriced, the views tend to be good from the main floor, and if the tickets get lost in the mail when being sent to you (as happened with me), they'll issue you with replacements - much better than crummy Ticketmaster, who don't do that!

- What were the crowd like?

The crowd was brilliant. Lots of Mozfather lookalikes and rowdy Northerners, although I was quite worried some of the Mancunians would be even more miserable after he stopped playing halfway through the fourth song - he lost his voice. I still say that one of the Morrissey-lookalikes in the crowd could've got up on stage and pretended to be him, we would've been none the wiser...

Fancy choosing the Super Furry Animals set-list? Well you can!

God love the Super Furry Animals. They keep on making great records and, better still, keep having brilliant ideas. They've had a rave tank, giant inflatable raccoons, free singles on Christmas Day... and now SFA have announced that they'll let fans choose the setlists for their upcoming US shows by voting online.

The band are giving fans the chance to choose their favourite songs via a "voting widget" on their Beggars Group blog which will act as a set-list generator. Man, these cats are too good to us! According to the site, "The results are being tracked in real-time - Super Tuesday style - and will be fed to the band as they course around the US in support of 'Hey Venus'." [via ElectricRoulette]

Up-And-Coming-Acts - Stone Gods (formerly The Darkness!)

Stone%20Gods%2017.01.08%20038.jpg OK, so technically these guys aren’t new to the music business but as the Stone Gods commenced their first UK headline tour on Thursday, they were still unsure of the reaction they’d receive. Previously performing as The Darkness, the band (now with new bassist, Toby Macfarlaine) was forced to make decisions about their future when catsuit-loving lead singer, Justin Hawkins, left and didn’t come back.

Richie Edwards, ex-guitar technician, joined The Darkness in 2005 and I was lucky enough to catch them play at a German rock festival. I think I can safely say Rich pleasantly surprised most of the crowd when he took to the mic for an AC/DC medley. So it was no surprise to find that he now heads up the Stone Gods with his classic rock voice, creating a sound which makes me think of a harder, heavier Bryan Adams. Of course guitarist Dan Hawkins describes their sound slightly differently, suggesting “Appetite for Destruction meets the Metallica Black album, or Back in Black by AC/DC meets something as melodic as Night at the Opera by Queen”.[via outline] Either way, it’s pretty flippin’ good.

Read on for more on the tour...

New Smashing Pumpkins EP, American Gothic, due in Febuary

Good news, gloom merchants... the Smashing Pumpkins are releasing brand new acoustic EP American Gothic to coincide with their forthcoming UK tour. I know, I know... you'd cheer if you could summon up the joy. The four new acoustic tracks, 'The Rose March', 'Pox', 'Again, Again, Again (The Crux) and 'Sunkissed' were laid down in the studio during a short break in touring in LA and produced by Pumpkins mainstays Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain.

Corgan says of the EP: “We have always regretted not recording more in between tours because albums have never caught the full story of the group." 'American Gothic' will be available from February 11, and the short tour kicks off in Glasgow on February 12. Where are they going to be playing? Well, miserablists, keep these dates free: Glasgow, SECC (February 12), Nottingham, Arena (14), Manchester, MEN Arena (15), London, O2 Arena (16)

[via Uncut]

Can You Gig It: Gogol Bordello @ London Hammersmith Apollo, 8.12.07

That Susi Weaser - editor of Shiny Shiny - sure is busy. By which I mean she goes to a lot of gigs. Why, only the other day she was at Take That, and now here she is talking about those funny-looking Gogol Bordello people.

How did you rate the venue?

I quite like the Hammersmith Apollo. I’ve never had a bad night there. It’s sloped towards the stage so it’s easy to get a good view, and it’s not so big you lose any atmosphere. There was a lot of sweat involved, would be my only comment. Perhaps they could ramp up the air-conditioning for bands that involve getting the crowd to dance like mentalists.

What were the crowd like?

Excited. And energetic. I don’t know what it is about gypsy punk, but it gets everyone jumping. There were a few complete cocks. Lady in front of me who clearly was only there so she could say she’d been, who spent the whole night filming it on her phone rather than actually looking with her eyes, I’m talking to you.

Can You Gig It?: Take That @ London O2, 7.12.07

Gadget girl Susi Weaser - editor of Shiny Shiny - went to see Take That and their Weakest Link-esque stage set the other night. I don't know about you, but I'm dying to know whether any of the dear old codgers collapsed during the show. Let's have a look.

How did you rate the venue?

As much as I hate to admit it, the O2 is a great venue. Yes, it’s ages away from anything, and yes, it costs £6 for a hotdog, but the chairs are cushioned and have cupholders. That makes a great venue, in my book.

Also, Take That (herein shortened to TT, to promote a false feeling of closeness to the band) spent a third of the performance on a round stage in the middle of the crowd. I don’t think magical is too strong a word.

Can You Gig It?: Of Montreal @ London ULU, 6.12.07

The Bag Lady editor, Laura Street, went to see indie veterans Of Montreal last week. Oh yes she did. We've been playing them quite a bit in the office recently, so how did they shape up live? Well for a kick-off they didn't dress like Widow Twanky as they have previously (see right). Let's see what else they did / didn't do.

How did you rate the venue?

It was held at ULU which is a very small venue. It’s quite small and cramped, which meant it became very stuffy throughout the gig. The bars were all very busy as well with quite slow service.

What were the crowd like?

Seemed to be quite a lot of students, which isn’t surprising as it was held in an Student Union venue! Generally quite friendly.

Was the support act any good or did it send you to the bar?

The only support that I saw were The Black Kids. They have been heralded as the next big thing by the NME, which made me want to not like them very much. They’re very similar to Architecture in Helsinki. Quite funky and a crowd pleaser!

Can You Gig It? - The Bootleg Beatles @ Manchester Apollo

I'm not one for tribute acts much. Saying that, I went to watch The Rolling Stones in Ireland earlier in the year, and the fact that they were a complete parody of themselves contributed highly to my enjoyment of the show. Anyway, I tootled up to Manchester's gloriously faded Apollo Theatre to spend an evening with The Bootleg Beatles... and what a show it was.

Naturally, the Fab-Faux, looked and sounded like The Beatles... you wouldn't watch 'em otherwise, would you? Switching from mop-top to heroin-riddled Abbey Road via Pepperisms, the band pulled each leg shake and guitar lick with great ease. So alike were they that the MockCartney was even better than the real thing (and about as much hair-dye, too). For a man of my years, who wasn't alive when the Fab Four were doing the rounds, it was great to be able to singalonga Please Please Me... but that's not all.

Posted by Mof Gimmers on December 10, 2007 11:05 AM in Can You Gig It?
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Can You Gig It?: Puggy @ Power's Bar, Kilburn, London 5.12.07

Puggy are Belgian. Bands I know that come from Belgium include Soulwax and... that's it. So I don't know if I'm just being really unimaginative (quite possible) when I say that Puggy remind me quite a lot of Soulwax (the band, not the remixes).

At any rate, that's no bad thing. If you think of Soulwax covering Muse, with a highly-polished sheen designed to make them palatable for Maroon 5 fans, you get some idea of what Puggy are about.

In Kilburn's cosy Power's Bar the other night they put on a live performance which made a complete mockery of the fact that it was a free show. I've paid fifteen quid and seen gigs half as entertaining, with half as many decent songs.

Can You Gig It?: Klaxons @ Brixton Academy, London 5.12.07

Abi Silvester, editor of Hippyshopper and Crafty Crafty, writes:

I went to see the Klaxons last night at Brixton Academy. Really good gig, and it was not (completely) full of youngsters as everyone assumed it would be. Apparently, since their Mercury win, the Klaxons are seen as an acceptable band for people in their thirties to listen to, and I guess this is a good thing.

A lot of otherwise musically aware people take an instant dislike to the Klaxons (often not having heard their music) and I think this is because they are victims of their own success. They are seen as 'trendy' and people tend to dwell on the 'nu-rave' label they may have invented, but now clearly regret.

This much was apparent at the gig, when we discovered that, at the band's request, the venue had banned glow-sticks.

Can You Gig It?: Chromeo / Man Like Me @ London King's Cross Scala, 28.11.07

Phil Martin is a young man who likes him some Chromeo. He went to - how you say - "peep" them last week, and this is what happened.

How did you rate the venue?

The Scala is pretty handy as a live music spot. They had all floors open so no overcrowding, and just enough room to whoop and throw your hands in the air. I did find a girl in the blokes’ loo at one point but it could have been worse. She could have been a bloke.

What were the crowd like?

Early twenties, arty, lot of Klaxons-esque attire, good male/female split. Once Chromeo came on (in fact once they brought their mannequin-limbed keyboards onstage) the crowd were completely captivated and the vibe was awesome.

Posted by Stuart Waterman on December 5, 2007 9:39 AM in Can You Gig It?
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Can You Gig It?: Squeeze / King Creosote @ Wolverhampton Civic Hall, 1.12.07

Shiny Media's fashion head honcho and Catwalk Queen editor-in-chief Gemma Cartwright returned to her homeland at the weekend, where she saw enduring pop new-wave favourites Squeeze. Here she tells us aaaaaall about it.

How did you rate the venue?

Aside from the fact it’s in Wolverhampton, it’s actually not bad. There’s been a bit of a refurb and it’s nice to find a place that hasn’t got Carling’s name all over it. They need to sort out the car park though. Every time I’ve been to a gig there we’ve been gridlocked for half an hour trying to get out.

What were the crowd like?

I went with my dad (yeah, how cool am I?) and we were at either end of the scale, age-wise. The majority were old Squeeze fans from ‘back in the day’ who knew all the words and were really getting in to it. I just wish some of them had thought to put deodorant on.

Posted by Stuart Waterman on December 4, 2007 11:30 AM in Can You Gig It?
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Can You Gig It? Preview: Charity Metal Night @ The Good Ship, Kilburn, London, 28th November

Nashville is well known as the home of country music, and pretty soon people will be heralding Kilburn as the home of metal. OK, maybe I'm jumping the gun slightly, but if The Good Ship and The Luminaire continue to relentlessly support live music, it will at least become a well known live music hot-spot. This Wednesday The Good Ship presents a night of up-and-coming metal talent featuring the likes of Savage Messiah, Divine Chaos, Damnas and Dr Death.

If the inspired band names are not enough to hook you in, consider the motto of Dr. Death - "Thrash or be Thrashed" - and you're probably more thoroughly convinced (and scared). Savage Messiah take inspiration from bands old and new including Testament, Judas Priest, Arch Enemy, Lamb of God and many more. The line-up includes ex-Dragonforce/Marshall Law drummer, Pete Hunt.

Posted by Laura Silver on November 26, 2007 3:56 PM in Can You Gig It?
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Can You Gig It?: Foo Fighters @ O2, London, 18.11.07

Clive Betts, the lucky boy, went along to see rock living legends Foo Fighters last weekend. How is the O2 performing as a place to hold gigs? Did the crowd smell? These questions and more are answered below.

How did you rate the venue?

The venue was brilliant. Easily accessible, no long queues for anything. The acoustics were surprisingly good for such a large arena.

What were the crowd like?

The crowd were really excited about seeing the Foos and remained vocal most of the night. However, it was pretty evident when the Foos starting playing some of their earlier stuff that most of the crowd were relative newcomers.

Was the support act any good or did it send you to the bar?

The support act was top notch. Serj Tankean from System Of A Down. It was like buy one, get one free with this gig!

Can You Gig It? Biffy Clyro @ Bristol Academy, 18.11.07

Biffy Clyro played Download, Glastonbury, Barrowlands and the Reading/Leeds Carling Weekend this year, bagging themselves a nomination for best Festival Rock Act in the process. As mychemicaltoilet.com’s self proclaimed gig-monkey my expectations were high and I was expecting a damn good show…

Posted by Clare Joslin on November 21, 2007 8:57 PM in Can You Gig It?
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Can You Gig It? The Hoosiers

77161356%20v2.jpg After their new album made it to number one in the charts this weekend, The Hoosiers continued their current UK tour playing the Thekla Social in Bristol on Monday night.

And how does one celebrate being top of the album charts, you might ask? Perhaps a little late night debauchery? A tipple or two? Not Alfonso, the band’s blonde 118 look-alike drummer. I can exclusively reveal he was watching Grand Designs. Now if that doesn’t say "man of the people", I don’t know what does.

Some folk round here aren't too keen on The Hoosiers - read over to see what I thought of them...

Posted by Clare Joslin on October 30, 2007 6:30 PM in Can You Gig It?
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Can You Gig It?: Paul McCartney @ Camden Roundhouse, London, 25.10.07

Laura "Lozza" Street is the editor of The Bag Lady, which is where ladies go to learn how to accessorize. It is also where men can go to learn what the hell to buy women for Christmas. Anyway, she went to see Fab Macca's show as part of London's Electric Proms last week. Can he still cut it?

How did you rate the venue?

Very nice. I had not been to the Roundhouse before but was impressed with the way they've renovated it. It feels like quite an intimate venue as it has a limited capacity of 3,000. There were also screens dotted around in case you couldn't quite see.

What were the crowd like?

As expected for a Paul McCartney gig, there was a wide range of people. A lot of people had travelled from overseas to see him and there was a vast age range, from original Beatles fans to teenagers. It was a very friendly atmosphere, hardly anybody even tried to push forward. There were a lot of hardcore fans there who'd waited outside all day just so they could be right at the front of the venue.

As everybody was leaving the venue there was a massive group singalong reprise as everybody sang, "naa, naa, naa, na-na-na-naaaa" ("Hey Jude"). Beautiful.

Can You Gig It?: Dr Joel / Kula Shaker @ Koko, London, 10.10.07

dr%20joel.jpg On 10th October, Kula Shaker graced the stage of Camden’s Koko with their unique style of psychedelic, nineties rock. Despite being out on the road touting about their latest offering Strangefolk, the show focused largely on the band’s 1996 breakthough K, opening the show with a stomping performance of ‘Hey Dude’. Rather than being a copout, this approach allowed the band to give a strong performance and reminded fans, who had devotedly dusted down their bootcut jeans, just how good Kula Shaker really are.

Despite stinking of nineties nostalgia, watching Kula Shaker perform outside the context of Britpop, demonstrates not only how relevant they still are but what a good band they are. While they might evoke memories of a time when it was still ok to like The Spice Girls, their psychedelic rock style has more in common with current artists such as Caribou or Devendra Banhart than it ever did with more successful contemporaries such as Oasis. Perhaps being in lumped in with Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene et al is the reason why, despite being a musically com

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