Rock and roll - it's later than you think
Went to see Heavy Trash yesterday - the rockabilly sideproject of Jon Spencer (of Blues Explosion fame). Excellent gig and very, very loud - I still have tinnitus.
Problem was they came on stage at 10pm. Remember this is a Sunday night.
When I mentioned this to my rockabilly loving chum and grumbled that when I saw Fairport play earlier this year they were on at 8.30pm and off by 10pm, he said, 'Well, it's rock and roll'.
Now I used to think nothing of staying out late in the name of rock and roll when I was a teenager but that's because I had nothing to do the next day and my only other plans for that evening would probably have featured Tarantino movies, roll ups and Playstation games.
If you go to the theatre the actors are on stage at 7.45pm sharp. If you go to a classical concert it starts at 7.30pm prompt. Why is it that a handful of guys with guitars and quiffs take so bloomin' long to get on stage, and what exactly are we supposed to be doing in the meantime?
Is it too much to ask for a raucous blast of primal rock and roll and an early night? In fact how about a gig which starts at 6pm so I can go straight from work, and finishes at 7.30pm so I can go home, have dinner, catch the news and go to bed without the GLW throwing things at me when I accidentally tread on the squeaky floorborad and wake her up?
What say you?
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Absolutely Sir.
Just one of the many reasons why I never go to gigs.
Stay at home?
You stopped gigging because of the late start time - what are the other reasons?
I'm fascinated by this - These days I think I prefer the live experience more than listening to stuff at home. It's that fantastic communal thing - my appreciation of the recorded stuff has increased ten-fold by seeing bands in action and the good feeling lasts for days. I've had a happier heart after a gig than just sitting on my own listening to a CD.
I'd have to agree
in spite of living 120 miles from Dublin so most gigs require a two hour drive back afterwards (and thus no 'ruminative' pint or two with mates afterwards) I've lost count of the number of mornings i've woken up, bleary eyed, and thinking "Jesus, that was a great gig"
I know that some concerts are overpriced. I know some concerts start too late. I know that, sometimes, allowing the drummer to sing is a bad idea, but consider the things you get at a gig that you just can't get from the sterility of a CD.
Eddie - let yourself go!
Since you ask....
I grew up in a very desolate and vastly untrodden part of North Wales and- although I loved music- I never really got into the habit of seeing bands live ( no one ever came ). Consequently, my first love was always the record. Gigs were things that happened in other places, to other people. I simply never developed the habit. I enjoyed the intimacy of that one to one relationship with discs and cassettes and I still do ( although, these days, less with cassettes it must be said ). I am never particularly interested in seeing live bands or artists ( even the ones I really like ) in the presence of thousands of other fans because, for me, it always ruins that sense of intimacy. Almost without exception ( in my experience ) live bands always go on too long ( an hour and a half? Twenty minutes of anyone is enough for me ); they're usually out of tune and, crucially, they never- absolutely never- sound as good as their records.
Let it go...
...and go. We can forgive you the Wales thing, the self-pitying-billy-no-mates-everything- happens-to someone-else-schtick. We can even forgive you still hanging onto your cassettes. But - the not going out and letting rip with like minded people to a fave band, that's a sin.
Unless the Manic Street Preachers are playing at your local library, then stay home.
Go on man - LIVE!!!
Letting rip?
Oh I don't think so. Not when I've got my immaculately-bound copies of 'Cassette Monthly' to flick through ( this month 'Is the 8-track Dead?', 'Are Doublecassette's the future?' ). We all have different ways of 'living'. But thanks for being my friend.
I'll Stand By You.
But not at any gigs, obviously.
8pm seems right to me
With a 10.30 finish. Any earlier and you run the risk of dozens of guys in suits with security passes on chains round their necks frugging along. It also lets you grab some dinner first and perhaps a pint or a coffee after.
In addition, I live in darkest Essex and have to get to Liverpool Street for the last train after London gigs. I went to the Sandy Denny tribute concert at the Troubadour in Earls Court in spring and, changing train, only caught the very last eastbound Central Line tube of the night by flinging myself through the doors like it was the last chopper out of 'Nam. That one wound up just after 11pm, and I did know that I was cutting things fine, but I would have been gutted to miss a note.
Amateur!
You haven't lived until you've spent the night in a cafe opposite Liverpool Street, buying a coffee every hour and a half so they won't throw you out onto the winter streets, waiting for the milk train because some selfish rockstar decided he couldn't be arsed to hit the stage until 10.30...
Went to see Julian Cope on a Sunday night
and he was about an hour late getting on stage, annoyance at 9pm start was eased when his first song was 'Hanging Out and Hung Up On The Line', then returned in spades when after an hour or so of protracted instrumental space-rock jamming he then realised the curfew was at 10.30 and only had time to get through Reynard the Fox...
That just makes JC
unprofessional.
Holmfirth experien ces
Great place for gigs, Holmfirth Picturedrome. Going there on Saturday to see the mighty Southside Johnny for the nth time. Late starts there that affected me were Toots and the Maytals (JA time - soon come) but, much worse, the Average White Band who were there but didn't come down from the dressing room - eventually discovered they were watching the European Cup Final on the telly, and it went to extra time and then penalties! That's really pushing it.
Sunday sessions...
..which start between 6-7.30 are a tradition here in Australia.
Just one of the many reasons why life is better here....Bruce.
European Cup Final
was the reason Elvis Costello and the Imposters didnt start their gig in Norwich on their last tour until around 10.15pm. A few punters complained and Costello said that he didnt know what their problem was - it's a Rock and Roll show so a late finish shouldnt be a problem. The setlist sounded great and longer than previous gigs on the same tour so he certainly didnt short change them - he even included a version of you'll never walk alone and I believe Ferry across the Mersey. I wouldnt curtail my viewing of Birmingham City in a European Cup Final either not that it's ever going to be a likely possibility.
That's unnacceptable behaviour imo
I couldn't just wander out of my office to watch a football match, I'd get sacked. He's at work and he should be there performing for the people who pay his wages, they've all made the decision to miss the match for him so he should return the favour.
I think that's pretty disgraceful. And anyway does the man not have a video recorder or a Tivo?
I once went to see Babyshambles for some reason. The support act were on at 8.30pm and finished at 9.15pm and we then had to wait for two hours - two hours! - for Pete Doherty to turn up. Then when he did he could barely stand up let alone sing. Imagine if you did that in your job, you'de be fired on the spot.
Now that acts are having to rely on live gigs more and more perhaps they'll start treating their audiences with a bit of respect instead of a herd of dumb schmucks.
Costello
Norwich was the one where a disgruntled punter was so miffed at Declan's tardiness in getting to the stage that he lobbed a beer in the first number and was escorted sharply out. All that waiting and he didn't even get to hear the Freddie and The Dreamers cover. For shame.
I'm happy with gig times...
...any earlier would mean too little time between leaving work and arriving at gig. I like a couple of hours to eat, have a change of clothes and a rest. Nip home if possible.
I'm not normally one for an early night, but always felt you only had got one if you hadn't gone out...