So I have been trying to rationalise my views on last night. But all the words I have sound far to effusive. But if I try and be nonchalant I am sure I will be castigated for being old and jaded.......
The first band: The living things...... Wow they were loud. Their enthusiastic brand of Jesus and Marychain tunes with the vocal skills of the guy from the sisters of mercy really annoyed me no end.
The second band: British sea power....... Well I was talking to Bumgle, sorry Bungle, before the show and he said "at their British shows they have been playing with lots of foliage onstage". I just kept thinking, "
it 'aint half hot mum ". He forgot to mention the great heron and the hawk. How the fuck could someone in the audience mistake the hawk for an owl? Do kids really learn nothing in schools today. (Jaguar you are forbidden from answering that). So they come on stage all without shoes all with their trousers tucked in their socks. For full effect the casio player had a 2nd world war steel helmet and when the casio wasnt needed marched up and down the stage with a drum, or towards the end marched into the crowd. The singer mimics Ian Curtis whilst sounding like the only other half decent Ian I know, McCulloch.
At this point you should be asking, why all this about the band without a mention of the music..... Well it sounded pretty good, but with all the distractions the music became less important. But I am sure it was pretty good. It certainly got my toes tapping and head a bobbing. I even bought 3 of the four CDs..... hands up the geeks who bought all 4 even though there were two versions of a single and only one track different? (Bob your outed).
The headliners: The libertines. Wow, I mean, huh, they were allright. They really tore into their albums worth of songs with an energy and swagger that in my opinion left most of the other shows I have ever seen looking and sounding a bit limp. There was no reply to any heckling, just the occasional smile. The audience did seam like they might have spent the whole day in the sun though. As one guy says to his friend " wow this band are better than the other two" Surprise dipshit, thats why they play last. Then people started calling out spacehog, why? Still at least the audience did manage to dance, or mosh or nod its head. Why cant you Americans learn to dance by jumping up and down, not by running side to side with your arms flailing?
Anyway the libertines played most of the album, went offstage for about five minutes and came back for a three song encore. Finishing with my favourite song of theirs.....
I get along singing my song,
People tell me I'm wrong..
Fuck 'em!
Perfect.
Thanks to everyone for coming out. It was sad saying bu-bye to Rose. I also felt bad for forgetting GGWs Cd and for losing Bungle so early in the night. But what a night.
