I had those exact thoughts on Sunday watching the superb My Morning Jacket at Somerset House. UK bands rarely learn to play anything other than their album note for note with no room for any kind of spontaneity.

is so so so dull.

Back in the early 80s Dennis Greaves (of 9 Below Zero) was in Mod band The Truth. The end of their gigs was a track called I Just Can't Seem To Stop, which halfway through broke down to just drums and Greaves would get the crowd to start singing the song and took into the old gospel/soul call and response thing.

And at one of the gigs he got into a little spiel about how what he was about to do might seem old fashioned and dated to some, but he didn't care because it was the whole point of playing live, connecting with an audience, entertaining them. Otherwise you might as well be back at home listening to an album. That was nearly 30 years ago now, I don't think UK bands have, for the most part, ever gotten into the live thing in the way the Americans have. Can't imagine a Bruce Springsteen turning up on this side of the Atlantic.

Of course having a decent live scene wouldn't hurt bands over here. There's not that many places to learn your craft, at least not if you want an audience that isn't simply your mates.