Into the Pit: 156: Kraftwerk – Live at K20-Grabbe Halle Düsseldorf – 16-January 2013
There are your regular gigs, and then there are gigs that feel like something a little more special. Gigs that are worth going out of your way for.
/Countdown/2012/Gigs
This year has been a bit of a crazy year for gig-going, even by my standards. I saw 140 different bands, only 10 of them more than once, at 53 shows, three of which were multi-day festivals. At 36 different venues, in three different countries this time (UK, well, England, Belgium and Czech Republic).
Memory of a Festival: 017: BIMFest 2012
My second visit to Antwerp for BIMFest – I first went last year, which was reviewed here – was once again enormous fun, featuring a city I’m now familiar with, friends old and new (and the usual crazy connections close to home), and of course a whole load of music, of which only a few […]
/Countdown/2012/Albums
As I noted last week, 2012 really was a good year for music, as far as I was concerned, including a number of new discoveries.
Into the Pit: 155: Pulp – Live at Motorpoint Arena – 08-December 2012
After quite a few more gigs by reunited bands this year, I’m still in two minds as to whether they are a good thing or not. In some cases, they have undoubtedly resulted in bands getting the dues they should have had in the first place, others have revitalised careers, and frankly some others have […]
/Countdown/2012/Tracks
Yet again, this list was a tough one. 2012 actually ended up being an impressive year for new music, as far as I was concerned, it just didn’t all come from the corners that I was expecting.
/Countdown/2012 /Disappointments
The end of November looms, so it is time once again to review 2012 in music.
But Listen: 127: The Comet Line – The Comet Line
One of the joys of being back in London has been being able to immerse myself in the tons of live music that there always is on offer (I’m not sure I really want to count up exactly how many bands I’ve seen live in this city over the past three years, for the sake […]
/Tuesday Ten/166/Musical References
This week – for the first non-month round-up in a while – I’m looking at bands mentioning other bands or artists. Or lots of them in one song, in more than one case. There were quite a few more that I couldn’t include, and I’d be interested to hear other suggestions for this.
Into the Pit: 154: Carter USM/Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – Live at Brixton – 10-November 2012
Somehow, despite having been a fan of both Carter and Ned’s for many, many years, I never got ’round to seeing either of them back in their 90s heydays, and indeed I’d also managed to miss the various reunion shows in recent years too. So unlike just about all of my friends who also attended […]
DJ: Guest: 068: Lianne’s 40th Birthday – 17-November 2012
Some fun and games at a party.
Into the Pit: 153: Swans – Live at KOKO – 15-November 2012
It isn’t often that I’m left with a feeling of slight nervousness prior to a gig, but then, Swans aren’t really your average band. One of the most extreme “rock” bands to exist, perhaps – their extremity being being louder, more punishing mentally and physically than just about anyone else – were ended by Michael […]
Into the Pit: 152: Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Live at Kentish Town – 05-November 2012
There are not many bands – particularly after fifteen years in and out of the public eye – that are able to generate the sheer level of mystique and reverence that GY!BE have managed. But then – and yes, it is a cliche nowadays, but one perhaps worth repeating – GY!BE are not your average […]
But Listen: 126: Dead When I Found Her – Rag Doll Blues
Many smaller labels in the industrial scene are lucky if they release one truly extraordinary album over a period of a few years, but I’m beginning to think that Artoffact are more than just lucky in picking their artists. In recent years they have released truly brilliant albums from Urceus Exit, Saltillo, v01d, and then […]
DJ: Guest: 067: Departure – 09-November 2012
A second visit to Departure, a night I always enjoyed a lot.
Tuesday Ten: 165: Tracks of the Month (October 2012)
A month without posts has meant a month without Tuesday Tens, too. Here is my return to that, with another roundup of ten songs you should hear this month.
DJ: Guest: 066: GVWI Hallowe’en Part II – 28-October 2012
A fun evening helping my friends in the GVWI with their Hallowe’en Party.
Into the Pit: 151: Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – Live at KOKO – 23-October 2012
Amanda Palmer has been in the music news (and beyond) a lot this year, after smashing all kinds of records in terms of raising money by “crowdsourcing”, if you will, for her new album and tour, with all kinds of rewards on offer for those who wanted to offer more money than others, including sumptious […]
Into the Pit: 150: DOWN – Live at Roundhouse – 21-October 2012
My quest to apparently visit every possible London gig venue of appreciable size this year continues (this was my fortieth show this year, at twenty-nine different venues, with at least another ten shows to come during 2012), and this time it was to return to the impressive setting of the Roundhouse for the first time […]
Into the Pit: 149: Rebekah Delgado – Live at Bush Hall – 17-October 2012
I’ve always been intrigued by gigs that are structured as proper “events”. Not just a normal show given a fancy name (“festivals” that are basically an all-day indoor gig, for example), but the kind of show where the artist in question has really pushed the boat out, with more than just music, and actually attempts […]