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The Gigs / Concerts Review

Super Furry Animals at Music Hall

Super Furry Animals

Live from Music Hall, Brooklyn, NY, 25 January 2008. Having traded in their shiny space suits and Yeti costumes for matching SFA logo jackets, the Super Furry Animals delivered in style for nearly two hours. Initially, the crowd seemed unfamiliar and slightly disinterested as the quirky Welshmen opened up with the first two tracks off their new record, "Hey Venus." The mood picked up soon though as they plowed through four nearly-consecutive classics, which included "She's Got Spies" from "Radiator" and a Teenage Fanclub version of "Northern Lights." By mid-set, their Beach Boysian harmonies were bouncing from every surface and the crowd's excitement was in full swing.

British Sea Power at Koko

British Sea Power

Live from Koko, London, 31 January 2008. Third album Do You Like Rock Music? may have brought the band new fans on the wave of a more epic sound, but the band have kept their lyrical intricacies intact. That said, one of the most moving moments of this gig involved no words at all, the instrumental The Great Skua providing a half way interlude complemented by a stunning backdrop of various members of the gull family in action. It spoke more of a love of nature than a thousand words from a new age prog band, and proved both revealing and poignant.

Robyn Hitchcock at Queen Elizabeth

Robyn Hitchcock

Live from Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 29 January 2008. Take this evening's entertainment. The venue: the Queen Elizabeth Hall, in that bastion of middle class artsiness that is The South Bank Centre. The support act: Rasputina - two women with cellos and a man on drums dressed in Civil War regalia, singing songs about the captain of the Bounty and 1861 while looking like Bat For Lashes on (even better) acid. Starting his career with 'psychedelic punk' band The Soft Boys, since the early 80s Hitchcock has been better known as a solo artist, with his finest moment widely agreed to have been his third solo album, 1984's I Often Dream Of Trains.

Cat Power at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Cat Power

Live from Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, 27 January 2008. She never seems sure what to expect from herself. Tonight, she is an intoxicating mix of alluring emotion, kooky elusiveness and vocal presence. The start is pedestrian as she pitter-patters onstage, suitably understated in waistcoat and jeans. Her four-piece band, The Dirty Delta Blues, are restless, a note shy, a foot wrong. ‘Metal Heart’ simmers by, adequate but uninspired; Cat saunters, comfortably subdued. It takes the contiguous charm of ‘Dark End Of The Street’ to pierce the normality of the show, coaxing a quivering croon from Cat and sparking her into newfound theatrical interaction.

Semi Precious Weapons at Old Blue Last

Semi Precious Weapons

Live from Old Blue Last, London, 27 January 2008. These guys rock. It feels as if you have stepped back three decades - Tranter is glam personified. The band builds his entrance; Dan Crean pounds away on the drums with not a hair of that uber-lacquered display falling out of place, whilst Cole Whittle and Aaron Lee Tasjan riff their hearts out. And they go on. And on. Tranter emerges onto the tiny stage by the help of a conveniently placed (but not-so-glam) chair. The band continue to riff as he lives up to his name, building the ultimate of entrances and proving that he is one hell of a showman.

Morrissey at The Roundhouse

Morrissey

Live from The Roundhouse, Camden, 21 January 2008. Whether you love or loathe Mr Stephen Patrick Morrissey, one thing’s for certain, it’s been impossible to ignore him over recent months. We won’t bore you with the intricacies of his feud with that certain music weekly, but tonight’s opening show of his six night residency at the hallowed surroundings of The Roundhouse in Camden categorically proves one thing: he’s infinitely more accomplished as a musician and performer than an interviewee. Indeed, from the offset, tonight’s sold-out show is a resounding triumph.

The Kills at Soho Revue Bar

The Kills

Live from Soho Revue Bar, London, 15 January 2008. Grain is dull. Really, really dull. Sure, it's full of protein and nutrients and everything a boy could possibly need to grow up big and strong, but it's still about as appealing as a game of naked Twister with the lead singer of The Pigeon Detectives.

Hence distilling. Now distilling rocks. Take boring, staid, run-of-the-mill stuff like grain, hurl some distilling into the mix and bin-fucking-go, you've got vodka. Which is ace. Hell, drink enough of it and they'll make you president of Russia and you can dance on a tank.

Radiohead at 93 Ft East

Radiohead

Live from 93Ft East, London, 16 January 2008. It’s 8pm on a windy Wednesday night, and for the tourists wandering the famous London street of Brick Lane the scene is certainly a perplexing one. Policemen shoving photographers, tight-jeaned indie kids and middle aged indie kid wannabe’s off the narrow roads without remorse. Away from the main fracas that once posed as a queue, a swelling crowd sing, hum and wail their way through Radiohead standards of old, led by a battered acoustic guitar and a small group of Stella fuelled enthusiasts.

Wet Wet Wet at Wembley Arena

Wet Wet Wet

Live from Wembley Arena, London, 14 December 2007. The band made famous by their cheesy love songs and their sexy lead singer Marti Pellow have graced the music scene for well over 15 years now and last night the reunion tour brought them to a packed wembley arena, and the 1000s of middle aged women were certainly impressed.

Bens Brother, the UK band who had their song used for a Dentyne Ice commerical in the States were the support for the night and were duly applauded after their rather short set.

James Blunt at Hammersmith Apollo

James Blunt

Live from Hammersmith Apollo, London, 14 January 2008. Some people seem to have a natural dislike for James Blunt and admittedly I am not a massive fan myself, but I must give this guy some proper credit. On the way there I was wondering whether I’d be bored after a while, but when I left the Hammersmith Apollo I was head over heels in love with Blunt, sobbing I should have said Hi to his mum who was sat right in front of me.