Black Sabbath

Headliner: Black Sabbath
Venue: Hyde Park
Date: 4 July 2014
Support: Various

Which ever way you look at it Black Sabbath are legends and their sound was genre defining, today they were playing in Hyde Park to 55000 people.

Today was wan all day thing and it was hot, very hot....  Hyde Park had been transformed into some weird village type place with fake buildings and a massive stage

The Bots

First up today The Bots seen these before two young brothers who make a right racket and they were playing in one of the smaller tented venues.  They were ace one girl seemed to pass out from the heat in their and this was only 2pm.

Soulfly

After The Bots had finished and the need to get some fresh air I caught the end of Soulflys set including a couple of Sepultura covers including Arise and Roots Bloody Roots, bloke in front of me was going absolutely mental during these.

It was still hot and getting even hotter...

Next up on the main stage was Motorhead

Now I've never been a big Motorhead fan and well kind of feel they are band that people seem to have an affinity to without really liking them, I feel they are iconic for their image but not for their music and besides Ace Of Spades I probably couldn't tell you another song.

As you can guess I'm not really a fan and thought they were a bit rubbish, they sounded very dated.

It was still stupidly hot...

Next up

Faith No More

Well what can you say about Faith No More, I think everyone growing up in the 90's and into alternative music probably owned a copy of Angel Dust.

With the stage covered in flowers they came on and launched into Zombie Eaters followed by The Real Thing and Epic before doing my favourite FNM song The gentle art of making enemies, followed by my least favourite FNM song Easy.

Towards the end of the set we were greeted to a brand new song and then they were gone followed by another brand new song for the encore finishing up with We Care a lot.

New songs hopefully means new album and a proper tour.

Soundgarden

Next up Soundgarden who came on stage and announced that they would be playing the iconic Superunknown straight through which obviously would mean no Rusty Cage or Jesus Christ Pose.

Mike McCready from Pearl Jam joined them to play guitar on Superunknown, and that along with the likes of Black Hole Sun, The Day I tried to live and spoonman sounded ace.

I would have kind of just preferred a normal set though to be honest.

Black Sabbath

It was Sabbath time!!

The heat of they day had subsided and the darkness was setting in when Ozzy came over the pa said a few words and then laughed down the mic, as sabbath came on the air raid sirens sounded the big screens flashed images of planes and missiles and then der de...Generals gathered in their masses, just like witches at black masses... it was sabbath time.

playing a few classics on the way and ending with Children of the Grave before returning for the obvious encore of Paranoid with almost everyone in the crowd singing along.

They are getting no younger and their is talk of this possibly being the last ever Black Sabbath show and I'm happy I got to see them.

Mongol Horde

Headliner: Mongol Horde
Venue: Rock City basement
Date: 27th June 2014
Support: Oxygen Thief, Palehorse

A Friday night show at Rock City can only mean one thing, early doors, early finish which means once again I missed the first band apologies to Oxygen thief, but hey I like your new album!

Next up Palehorse and the first set of the night for Ben Dawson on drums former Million Dead drummer playing with both Palehorse and Mongol Horde tonight.

2 Bass Players, 1 Drummer, 2 Vocalists and they made a right racket!

Time for Mongol Horde!!

It's no secret that I'm a massive Frank Turner fan and don't want to go on and on again about but he's one of favourite musicians and when the Mongol Horde project was announced the other year I though the couple of club shows and festivals was all it would be as the man never seems to be off the road long enough.

I was delighted when the album came out it's a monster with genius lyrics and brutal musician ship and was well excited when a show in the basement of Rock City was announced.

Starting off with The Yurt Locker and Winky Face before the a cracking cover of Bulls on Parade.  It was clear to me that Frank was enjoying this side project, Mongol Hordes songs mixed in with a few covers Epic by Faith No More, Weenie Beenie by the Foo Fighters and Refuse/ Resist by as Soulfly, ok we all know it was Sepultura and I think I actually preferred this version to when I saw Soulfly do it earlier in the year at the same venue.

Mongol Horde were awesome sadly this will probably be the only time they tour, but at least I saw them.

Jurassic 5

Headliners: Jurassic 5

Venue: Rock City Nottingham

Date: 24 June 2014

Support: Ugly Duckling

Hard to imagine that it's probably 17-18 years ago that I first heard of Jurassic 5 with the still amazing Concrete Schoolyard, that Ike Turner sample is still one of the best samples ever in my opinion and the song still sounds out as an unbelievable piece of work.

Hard to imagine then that after all that time this would be the first time I would see them live after a hiatus they were back to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

First up Ugly Duckling must admit I didn't really know much about them although the name was familiar they did a great job of getting the crowd hyped for J5.

It was J5 time!!  the stage was set a giant turntable in the middle of the stage Cut Chemist on one side and DJ Nu- mark that alone would be enough for me but throw in the rest of J5 and what a show.

Rapping in perfect sync with each other playing for a good two hours, one of the loudest crowds I have heard at Rock City, J5 smashed it out of the park.

One highlight for me was Cut Chemists version of smoke on the water on a turntable guitar.

The Mouse Outfit

Headliner: The Mouse Outfit
Venue: Bodega Social Club
Date: 12 June 2014
Support: Ashmore

The Mouse Outfit, UK Hip Hop is often both misunderstood and much maligned in favour of overproduced commercial American music of rubbish like Tinie Tempah or Professor Green.  But some artists with lots of talent do come from these shores.  The Mouse Outfit are a multi instrumental live band.

When I first arrived there was nobody in the venue and that worst feeling as a gig goer strikes you.... please don't let me be the only ones here.

When Ashmore started that was almost the case.  I have seen him before and he definitely has some talent, by the end of his set the audience had grown and the set was going down well.

By the time The Mouse Outfit came on the crowd has swelled, they packed out the stage and with Dr Syntax rapping and they were ace, they really got the crowd going and put on an amazing show.

I can see them going down really well at the festivals.

As a closing thought people really should give homegrown music a go instead of just going for the easy option the major label backed, over hyped, media driven stuff they might just enjoy what they find

The Flaming Lips

Headliner: The Flaming Lips

Venue: rock city Nottingham

Date: 29 May 2014

Support: young knives

Going to see the flaming lips live has given me many highs and lows the first time I saw them at Alexandra palace they performed the soft bulletin and it was absolutely amazing the stage, the visuals, Wayne rolling over the crowd in a giant ball, ticker tape, balloons, giant bouncy things hanging from the ceiling, dancing Dorothy's from the wizard of oz absolutely stunning.

Followed by last years failed attempt aster travelling down to London only to find the gig cancelled just as we arrived in London.

I was delighted to hear they were coming to Nottingham even though it would be the capital FM arena... So imagine my delight when it got switched to rock city!

Arrived midway through the young knives set and from what I saw it would be unfair of me to pass to much of a judgement but I enjoyed what I did see.

Time for the flaming lips...

The stage at rock city is probably smaller to what they usually fit on these days but they seemed to have squeezed everything on or around the stage, which was covered in giant tubes and huge screens at the back.

You kind of know what is going to happen at the start of a flaming lips but when the ticket tape starts to fly from the cannons you can't help but smile!

The flaming lips may be a little crazy but wow they are so good live.

Playing some classics like she don't use jelly,yoshimi, race for the prize, The W.A.N.D, and ending the set with waitin for a superman and a spoonful weighs a ton.

Seeing the flaming lips takes you on an amazing journey, but is such a amazing thing that you can't help leaving with the biggest smile ever!

The encore of do you realise and a crazy version of Lucy in the sky with diamonds with silver ticker tape flying everytime the chorus came round was such an amazing experience.

Felt so happy to see the lips in one of favourite venues and when you go home and find ticker tape in your clothes and even in your car the next morning just shows how great it was!

My feet surrounded by a mountain of ticker tape!

If everyone went to see The Flaming Lips the world would be a much happier place!

Chuck ragan

Headliner: chuck ragan and the camaraderie 

Venue: rock city basement

Date:  27 may 2014

Support: billy the kid, Northcote 

I was looking forward to tonight's show as I was a big fan of all the artists.  I've been a big fan of chuck ragan since I first head a flight and a crash some 13 years ago, but obviously now it's acoustic. The revival tour which was founded by chuck ragan is an amazing experience that I have been lucky to witness on two occasions, but tonight was more of a standard gig scenario.

First up tonight was Canada's billy the kid, like a female Ryan Adams excellent soulful music having just signed up with xtra mile I reckon big things lie ahead.  One thing remains elusive thought with billy the kid, I can't find the ep she did with joe from smoke or fire anyway which contains the amazing whiskey!

Next up northcote, saw them for the first time last year with dave hause and he released an amazing self titled album last year in xtra mile. Amazing hooks, great singalong choruses and some great lyrics. A heart performance from northcote.

Next up chuck ragan, what can you say awesome backed with a full band this time including joe Ginsberg and Jon gaunt who also back him on the revival tour.

The songs sounded great with a full band particular those that I haven't heard that way before including tracks like the boat and the trench.

I love this kind of music, I seem to have a connection with the music, the artists and the scene.

Nine inch nails

Headliner: nine inch nails

Venue: capital fm arena

Date:24 may 2014

Support: cold cave

First of all I hate the capital fm arena, infact I hate most arenas far to big, not particularly friendly but when you want to see big bands it's not really an option to see them in smaller venues.

First up tonight was a band called cold cave who to be honest where not really my thing 80s electro a little depeche mode, a little bit well all the same. All the drum loops seemed a little the same, the vocals seemed a little the same not that impressed to be honest they need to mix it up a little and go a bit crystal castles once in a while.

Well time for nine inch nails hard to imagine that pretty hate machine 25 years ago, the sort of stat that makes you feel old.

They came on and started with somewhat damaged and blasted through a few tracks including a trio of songs from the downward spiral march of the pigs, piggy and reptile. Doesn't it make you feel better...

A nice more electronic bit in the middle broke up the set nicely before taking it up a notch with closer,wish before finishing the set with the hand that feeds and ending with head like a hole.

The epic encore started with the day the world went away and finally hurt bringing things to a close.

When you see a band that has been around for so long you always ending up moaning about them not playing you're favourite song, and I'm no different with them not playing something I can never have