Diaries part two (again, click pics to enlarge)

ONE –
I can’t remember this at all, I think it’s an error, as you’ll see, Zoe came down not long after this, and I don’t recall seeing her twice in a short period of time.

TWO – Folk Implosion – Nottingham Rescue Rooms

I took Roy along with me to the above venue where we were to watch the first gig in the area by ‘the new’ Folk Implosion. I also arranged an interview, which was unbelievable for Roy as he’s such a fan. Roy always took the mickey out of my job at the time, which was as a personal assistant/carer for people with spinal injuries. It was a job I loved, and after our interview ended, Lou stuck around for half an hour whilst we had a chat. Turns out Lou used to do the same job, and if his music career was to end it’s what he’d go back to as he can’t see the point in any other job. Take that Roy.

THREE – Folk Implosion – Leeds Cockpit
Met up with my old school-friend Abby at her place in Wakefield, and we took off to see ‘the new’ Folk Implosion in Leeds, this time for pleasure. As such.Had many a drink, caught up with Lou for a bit, and then went back to Abby’s on the train. Was hammered.

FOUR – Gonzales Pretirement Party at London Astoria.
Roy and me took off to what was billed as a Pretirement Party. Gonzales has played gigs since, but they have been solo piano concerts. This was the last time (so far) Gonzo played a ‘classic gonzo’ set. This being Gonzales though, there was a twist.
Chilly G invited his friends and fellow musical collaborators Peaches, Feist, Louie Austen, Mocky, and Taylor Savvy to perform each others songs, a big musical jamboree as such. At the end of the gig Chilly G asked for everyone to leave whilst he stayed onstage watching every last person leave. Brilliant and Funny.

FIVE – Zoe Visits.
This time Zoe did come down. I met her halfway in Stoke and she came down for the weekend. We decided to go to a backwards pub, where I bumped into a one night stand who tried to humiliate me, thinking Zoe was my partner. She wasn’t, and the one-night stand girl ended up completely humiliated and left the bar in tears. I drank loads, and Zoe kept bounding over the bar during the lock in, to pour her own pints. Smashing everything en route, to the sneers of the locals. A good night out.

SIX – Joan of Ass – Birmingham Custard Factory.

Joan of Ass is basically, Lolita Storm with Disastronaut. Sleazy rude filthy Electro. Thing is, only half the band turned up. It was chaos. They gave away ten-inch records ‘Kiss My Ass EP’ as a gesture of good will. If memory serves correct Fidel Villeneuve was on too. Wearing Cricket Trousers. Very Odd.

SEVEN – Killing Joke – Wolverhampton Wulfrun
Plain Appalling. Me and Roy went, and we left not long after. Absolute Trash, which was a shame as they were good. Once. Many Moons Ago.

EIGHT – Sebadoh at Cecil Sharpe House, London.
Me and Roy hit London for the celebrations of Domino Records, and the reformation of Sebadoh, in a turboacoustic show. Earlier in the day, if memory serves correct, (the catch-phrase of this blog), we did what many other Great Britons did. We saw David Blaine hanging in a box, and shouted obscenities at him! It was big, and it was clever. The shouting of obscenities that is. We had a nightmare finding the venue. We got lost in the pitch dark of a huge park. We were attacked by a load of joggers, we got a black cab whos driver hadn’t got a clue where he was. We finally got a cabbie that did know, and took us the half a mile from where we were completely lost, to the venues door.
The gig was great, it was in a folk club hall, which made it feel like a school assembly. We were seated. It was hushed but intense.

NINE – Sebadoh at Nottingham Rescue Rooms

More of the same, this time in Nottingham so no getting lost. We caught up with Jason Lowewenstein afterwards, who is one of the nicest blokes you’ll meet. We gave a lift home to a sebadoh mentalist fan, and the car broke on the way home. We managed to crawl home with very dodgy steering. The next day I had to get the CV Joints fixed. It was not cheap (is it ever).

TEN – Hot Hot Heat at Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
Lisa and I had heard, and loved Bandages, Hot Hot Heat’s single at the time. I downloaded, then bought the album. Along we went to the Wulfrun. The support band was Franz Ferdinand who we thought were really good. During Franz’s set, the singer (Who’s name I forget) came on and did a track with the Ferdinands.

ELEVEN – Jane’s Addiction – Wolverhampton Civic Hall
The reformed Jane’s Addiction had just released their first single in an age, ‘Just Because’, a great record. I remembered Jane’s Addiction as being a great live band, based on what I’d seen on TV.
At this gig, they were absolutely crap. We walked out half-way thorough, not stopping to buy a top for a whopping £40

TWELVE – Grandaddy – Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
This turned out to be the last time I’d see Grandaddy live. The first time was with Roy, the day he had his ears syringed, proving agony for him. Then they were brilliant. This time round they were still really good, but lacked something. That said, it might be just down to having Lisa with me who HATED it, thus ruining the atmosphere a wee bit. And like uncle Russ Abott, I love a party with a happy atmosphere.

THIRTEEN – Blur – Wolverhampton Civic Hall

Blur were absolutely dire too, they made Jane’s addiction seem interesting. Graham Coxon was out of the band by this point, and had been replaced by some dullard or the other. His vocals were replaced by big black gospel singers. Nothing against them, but they’re not exactly coxon. Lisa and I made a joint decision to get the hell out of

FOURTEEN – Marilyn Manson at Birmingham NEC
Lisa and I had only been officially together a short-while, but I bought these tickets a few months before we officially got together, as I knew she loved Manson. I like him a lot, and I like Peaches who was to support (the peach is a bit off these days, I feel!).
Peaches went down like a lead balloon. The Neanderthal contingent to the audience (roughly 80%) couldn’t handle a woman with a strap on. They were shocked. Manson didn’t shock though, it was very Spinal Tap. Good gig, but an odd atmosphere. My sister Lucy and her bloke Dave went. They were seated right at the back of the cavernous venue. Luckily we were standing so we got right down the front.