Rocket from the Crypt

Headliner: Rocket from the Crypt

Venue: Koko Camden

Date: 6 December 2013

Support: The Computers

So another gig and another new venue this time Koko in Camden, I haven't been here before and have to say its a pretty spectacular venue I guess it was formerly a theatre as it had multiple tiers. The venue still had its traditional look with modern lighting and the biggest disco ball I have ever seen spinning around in the ceiling, I must say this was a very impressive place.

The first band on tonight was The Computers their latest album release this year love triangles hate squares has been one of my favourite albums of the year and I was looking forward to seeing them.

Taking to the stage in matching suits and launching into some good old fashioned rock and roll with the lead singer climbing on things, jumping around, standing on stuff, dancing with audience members through the crowd it seemed to me as if they were possibly trying to hard and were in danger of becoming the blues brothers.

I really like the sound of The Computers and get the idea of what they are trying to do I just think they should try less to fill the stereotypical image and concentrate on the music.

Next up Rocket from the Crypt!

It's been a long while since I've seen Rocket from the Crypt so I was looking forward to this and with a total sell out at Koko I guess plenty of other people were as well.

The venue seemed a bit of a maze to move around so I stood on the balcony to the side of the stage, almost in The same position that Greg from Dillinger Escape Plan jumped off the other week and I couldn't help thinking.... Shit... That's just mental.

Anyway the band took to the stage to chants of speedo, speeeeedo, speeeeedo and rocket, rocket, rocket dressed in the usual identical suits half way through the set launching into middle, on a rope, born in 69 and young livers in a blistering 10minute onslaught.

You know what you get with Rocket from the Crypt and the crowed were loving out, speedo made me chuckle at the start when he said thanks for letting us play this amazing venue, it's like playing on the Muppet show.

Speedos stories and interaction with the crowd was great and after about an hour the set was over.

With the crowd cheering for more they came back for an encore with a twist... They had changed into matching mail order Elvis suits, which in the words of speedo were cut high in the groin.

After an early finish due the usual Friday night discos these venues seem to love these days it was time to head home.

The long journey home was disturbed with inconsiderate people on the train looping about 4 Christmas songs for about 90 minutes, seriously the last thing I want to hear at 1am is noddy holder screaming its Christmas, or feed the world.  If I wasn't so considerate to others they would have got some Dillinger Escape Plan right back at them!

Girls Against Boys

Electric Ballroom camden

3rd December 2013

Way back when in the good old days and all that a couple of bands were very important to me in my musical education, these bands included the usual suspects bands like Fugazi, Black Flag, Husker Du, The Pixies, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring, Dag Nasty and a band called Girls Against Boys.

I first heard about Girls Against Boys from a friend at college and picked up a copy of Venus Luxure No.1 Baby on see through yellow vinyl, from the opening bass line of In Like Flynn and the way it slowly developed until Scott's vocals kicked it was like wow, and I suddenly realised what a great band this was.

The crunching sound of rockets are red still contains one of my favourite lyrics, I'm not crazy...but I'm trying.

I saw them many times in the 90s at some great venues including the sadly now closed Princess Charlotte in Leicester, Sheffield leadmill and once at some place in Nottingham where I seem to remember them playing in almost total darkness supported by another amazing band Brainiac who's time was sadly cut short with death of singer and noise makerTimmy Taylor.

After some great albums some 10years ago they called it a day and I thought that was it, they played a few shows Scott and Alex played in Paramount styles, Eli went on to produce stuff including a cool album from The Soft pack and errr James Blunt.

Anyway I was excited to hear earlier this year they were back and playing a few shows mainly in Europe, I was massively excited to hear of a UK date and booked my ticket as soon as they went on sale.

In the meantime they released and amazing new ep The Ghost List not just because I love the band, but because it's a great sounding record.

Anyway show time!

Since the last time I saw them we have all got a little older I mean it's I guess 20years since I first saw them but music is great for providing and provoking memories and it was a real delight to see these guys again.

Starting off with Tucked in and playing through some classic songs like super fire, go be delighted and learned it the Two Bass attack of GVSB was sounding immense.

Eli was jumping around like a crazy man, a bit of shadow boxing on the stage and I'm still to this day intrigued by the way he puts a bass through a wah pedal and the sound he gets from it.

Half way through the set they played 3 songs off the new ep which sounded great live, let's get killed is one of my favourite tracks of the year.

Ending the hour long set with bulletproof Cupid, in like Flynn, kill the sexplayer, let me come back and rockets are red finally bringing it all to a conclusion.

It was great seeing GVSB performing live again, hopefully this wont be the last time and hopefully the ghost list isn't a farewell release but hey none of us are getting any younger these days.

Next up is another one of my favourite 90s bands Rocket From The Crypt at Koko. A Fugazi reunion now would complete it for me but I'm pretty convinced that will sadly never happen.

Mogwai

Headliner: Mogwai

Venue: cambridge junction 1

Date: 28 November 2013

Support: none

So tonight would be the second time this year that I have seen Mogwai live, the last time was when they performed their Zidane soundtrack in synch with the movie. This time it was a full mogwai performance in the intimate surroundings of the junction in Cambridge.

So tonight was a new venue in a city I have never been to before and my first impressions seemed spot on to the way I envisaged it would be, it seemed to be all cycle lanes, bus lanes, enforcement cameras and crazy cyclists flying all over the place. The venue itself was subtly hidden amongst the corporate elite in a small entertainment complex with the usual subway, tesco, sainsburys, Frankie and Benny's etc. No signage just a couple of bouncers standing outside a door to let you know you had arrived.

Now mogwai are no ordinary band to start with they are an instrumental band, secondly they don't often play live so tonight was a real treat.  The venue was small and we got pretty close to the stage, the amazing thing about seeing Mogwai in such intimate surroundings as that you see every part the individual members play from tiny single notes or keys to the booming chords.

This was really my first time seeing Mogwai playing some of their more well known songs. The version of like Herod towards the end was unbelievable the way it moved from single cymbal hits and soft bass notes and then the crunching BOOM and noise throughout was amazing stuff.

As for the encore starting with new song renumbered and ending with hunted by a freak and mogwai fear satan stunning stuff.