Tell me why it is they all study art
Feb. 7th, 2018 10:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
satyricaLast week I headed up to Willesden Junction on Monday evening to spend some time with L after she'd had a pretty miserable day. N came over on Tuesday and we booked our holiday, which was very exciting: we're gonna go to Venice in March. On Wednesday I ventured down to New Cross, encountering a pub called The Five Bells for the first time for Independent Venue Week. It was a bit of an odd experience as it seemed to be operating very much as a pub still, with footie on the TV, locals and their dogs, and the stage set up at one end of the main space, rather than in a separate room, but drinks were cheap and it was all fine when it finally got going. First on were local punksters No Friends who flung themselves around attitudinously; next up were Rasclaton, who were new to me but a good discovery: they were supporting fellow-Socts Baby Strange, who it was great to catch again.
The next night I was in the more familiar environs of Thousand Island: support were Essex boys The Green Brothers, fairly standard guitary stuff but I'd see them again; I was there for Yungblud who, of all the artists I follow, is probably the one I most think of as Young People's Music, on the cusp of what I really enjoy, but done with such brio and energy that I find his shows pretty irresistible.
Friday night was busy as I went out for food in Soho for N's housemate's birthday, then enlisted the make-up talents of the assembled celebrants to turn me into Fantastic Mr. Fox as I headed off to Rumpus with J&E for their Dahl v. Dali themed extravaganza. It was a slightly different experience than our previous ones but still good fun. Band-wise, everything was along the usual ska/Balkans/brass/blues axes: we mostly saw Counting Coins, who definitely had the right idea, and The Rin Tins, who we'd seen before at Glastonbury.
It's fair to say that Saturday started very slowly and continued in a similar vein: I did venture into town in the afternoon to give N his tail back, then headed over to Nambucca in the evening for some bands. I found myself being served at the bar by the singer from another band (Paves) that I've been following around, which proves it's not all glamour I guess, and we chatted a bit. First up were Rosko who were pretty brash but I warmed to, Northerners Bill Bibby & the Wry Smiles were probably the most polished of the evening but also the least engaging, next up were 485c, who I've never specifically sought out but have now seen about four times recently; I was mostly there for Blackwaters but Fick as Fieves who finished the night off were also pretty decent.
After my second very late night, I had to drag myself up early on Sunday to do a bit of work, putting someone on a coach in Victoria, before meeting up with most of my Book Group crowd to head up to Wendover where we did a kinda figure of 8 walk, going up around the woods, then up Coombe Hill and back, which was all very satisfying despite the cold and mud. We rewarded ourselves with a pub roast afterwards and tried to indoctrinate C into the ways of cryptic crosswords before a very early night.
On Monday evening I progressed to a whole new level of my gig-addiction: getting the train down to Southampton to see some bands, then coming back to London the same evening. In my defence, Spring King were skipping London on this tour, I wanted to see all three bands on the bill and I'd hoped I might lure some of my old school friends down there along, although it didn't pan out that way. Calva Louise were really good on first, then I saw Fizzy Blood who also seem to be upping their game, although one member had changed his look so much since I saw them in the summer it took me ages to convince myself it wasn't a totally different person. Spring King ensured I didn't have any regrets about my decision, although I was slightly hampered from getting too involved by keeping my bag with me for ease of escape, which I had to do just before the last song.
There's a bit of a confluence of absence at work (which I'm adding to next week) so I went to the nightshelter yesterday for the first time this season, which was all pretty pleasant, then I've had a much needed evening in tonight before I tackle Oxford, Southampton again and Manchester over the next week.
The next night I was in the more familiar environs of Thousand Island: support were Essex boys The Green Brothers, fairly standard guitary stuff but I'd see them again; I was there for Yungblud who, of all the artists I follow, is probably the one I most think of as Young People's Music, on the cusp of what I really enjoy, but done with such brio and energy that I find his shows pretty irresistible.
Friday night was busy as I went out for food in Soho for N's housemate's birthday, then enlisted the make-up talents of the assembled celebrants to turn me into Fantastic Mr. Fox as I headed off to Rumpus with J&E for their Dahl v. Dali themed extravaganza. It was a slightly different experience than our previous ones but still good fun. Band-wise, everything was along the usual ska/Balkans/brass/blues axes: we mostly saw Counting Coins, who definitely had the right idea, and The Rin Tins, who we'd seen before at Glastonbury.
It's fair to say that Saturday started very slowly and continued in a similar vein: I did venture into town in the afternoon to give N his tail back, then headed over to Nambucca in the evening for some bands. I found myself being served at the bar by the singer from another band (Paves) that I've been following around, which proves it's not all glamour I guess, and we chatted a bit. First up were Rosko who were pretty brash but I warmed to, Northerners Bill Bibby & the Wry Smiles were probably the most polished of the evening but also the least engaging, next up were 485c, who I've never specifically sought out but have now seen about four times recently; I was mostly there for Blackwaters but Fick as Fieves who finished the night off were also pretty decent.
After my second very late night, I had to drag myself up early on Sunday to do a bit of work, putting someone on a coach in Victoria, before meeting up with most of my Book Group crowd to head up to Wendover where we did a kinda figure of 8 walk, going up around the woods, then up Coombe Hill and back, which was all very satisfying despite the cold and mud. We rewarded ourselves with a pub roast afterwards and tried to indoctrinate C into the ways of cryptic crosswords before a very early night.
On Monday evening I progressed to a whole new level of my gig-addiction: getting the train down to Southampton to see some bands, then coming back to London the same evening. In my defence, Spring King were skipping London on this tour, I wanted to see all three bands on the bill and I'd hoped I might lure some of my old school friends down there along, although it didn't pan out that way. Calva Louise were really good on first, then I saw Fizzy Blood who also seem to be upping their game, although one member had changed his look so much since I saw them in the summer it took me ages to convince myself it wasn't a totally different person. Spring King ensured I didn't have any regrets about my decision, although I was slightly hampered from getting too involved by keeping my bag with me for ease of escape, which I had to do just before the last song.
There's a bit of a confluence of absence at work (which I'm adding to next week) so I went to the nightshelter yesterday for the first time this season, which was all pretty pleasant, then I've had a much needed evening in tonight before I tackle Oxford, Southampton again and Manchester over the next week.
