O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London gig – 21 March 2014
Three years on from the last one, another trip to That London for the band. As before, there’s a new album in the works, so it’s a good opportunity to remind media folks from the capital who habitually forget about HMHB’s existence that the band are still going. We went hoping we might get a few bars of a new song. Smartphones at the ready. But did we?
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(13 years ago by Dr Desperate)
Chris The Siteowner
Decent enough gig – unusual audience (although perhaps typical for London) in that there seemed to be a far lower proportion of people singing along with every word, and the Dukla Prague Away Kits were relatively few and far between. Great to meet up with a whole bunch of website regulars, and to have @LaureJames introduce me to just about every other sports reporter in the country. Sound was awful at the front – we couldn’t even make out most of the between-song asides – but apparently things were just about OK at the back. Not sure about the posh views upstairs. Geoff told me the new album is “delayed”; delayed from what Geoff? I like a bit of uncertainty, so stick to the facts.
And indeed they did unveil some new material. Get stuck into this lo-fi recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ogxjp9Bx5Q
22 March 2014
CARRIE anne
Didn’t make it to this gig, so many thanks for the clip Chris! Love the ‘hornbeam’ song, particularly the mynah bird line.
22 March 2014
Bobby SVARC
Did Geoff mention what the new album is called?
22 March 2014
Dr Desperate
Excellent work, CtSO! I think that pretty much fulfils Exxo’s demand for a Youtube video debuting a mysterious new song with unfathomable lyrics ‘cos of utterly appalling sound quality. Any more of the second one available?
22 March 2014
Chris the siteowner
That’s all there was of the second song. May not even be a song, you know how NB10 sometimes does a few lines as asides which never get recorded. Geoff didn’t seem to have much idea about the album release, much less a title.
22 March 2014
Ray
We were in the “posh” seats in the circle, and the sound was pretty decent from there – most lyrics and asides audible. I particularly liked the one when Mr. Blackwell gave his Travelcard to somebody in the audience then observed “If the van doesn’t start now we’re f****ed”. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I’m probably suffering from Biscuit-starvation as I live in London and don’t go to away fixtures. I spotted only two other DPAKs in the circle – both sported by large gentleman (I was nearly refused admission for being too thin). Speaking of which, one of the doormen asked me “what’s with the shirts?” I felt slightly embarrassed having to explain it.
22 March 2014
Paddy
About the only thing I could make out from at the front from Nigel’s spoken word, was that he had backed Japan at 200-1 to win the World Cup.
22 March 2014
Nick
Very decent effort I thought and half way back in the middle the sound ended up being good after a slightly poor start…but…lyrics barely audible at times which was a shame for my mate who’d not been to a Biscuit’s gig before. Still haven’t worked out what the cover was but didn’t think it was up to scratch to be honest. Oh well, they’ll be back in three years.
22 March 2014
Nigel
Nick – The cover was “Patio Song” by Gorky’s Zygotic Mynki. A slightly odd choice that didn’t quite come off.
22 March 2014
Third rate Les
I didn’t have my DPAK as I’d come directly from a conference facility and was still in my suit, where I’d been tucking into the jugs of water.
It was good, although a setlist that was perhaps a bit heavy on long-winded rants (NSD, A Country Practice and Bad Wools) and didn’t have 24 Hour Garage People. Still magic though. My mate Simon’s first gig, and had a bit of aggro from a delightful punter who asked why he’d nudged him (er, well for a start because he’s completely blind and partially deaf. Chief).
Managed to pick up a setlist, which says the following (the ? was a cover which Simon has told me twice and I still can’t remember – will check):
E. Sun
F. Titmus
Foam Party – Slippers – Yipps
Left Lyrics
H Quinn
Totnes
D. Friedman
Korfball
Hedley
Look Dad
Bob Wilson
Squabblefest
JDOG
D Prague
NSD
Stuck up a Hornbeam
Turned Up
Bad Wools
Chatteris
T. Riots
AOR
Fix it
C. Practice
Village
?
Bob Todd
Light
22 March 2014
Rubber Faced Irritant
@TRL I was the guy to your right who bagged the other setlist. The one I got is word for word the same as yours (handwritten in case anyone’s wondering). However, they definitely did Vatican Broadside. If I recall correctly, it was after Squabblefest. Not on the list so possibly impromptu.
Not sure if the ? signifies that they couldn’t remember the name of the GZM song or whether they just had a quick vote on what to do prior to the encore.
22 March 2014
Third rate Les
Gosh, nice to have sort of met you. I was to the right of the other two people who got them, I think. Two people got them, then she found another and gave it to me. I wanted to get Carl to sign it too (he’s always been very helpful with that in the past) but the Bruiser McHuge wouldn’t let me back that way.
I’ve got eight of those things now, perhaps the best one being the one that’s also signed by Dean Friedman from the one in Bilston. Perhaps time to let someone else get them, as we’re running out of wall space.
That may not have quite been absolutely the best, but it was still fantastic, I still enjoyed every single second of it, I had a hilarious mosh (my new posh suit! ruined!), and I’ve been grinning all day and humming tunes to myself and will be for weeks to come. Aiming to get to Holmfirth too – old mate from school invited me up there. And it seems a shame to miss King George’s Hall Blackburn, as I’ve probably seen 50 or 60 concerts there in the past (admittedly most involving the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and one including the Macc Lads and, erm, Deacon Blue).
22 March 2014
Million dollar mother
I was upstairs & the sound was ok. I’m also a big GZM fan so was astonished & pleased in equal measure when I recognized the opening bars of Patio, one of my favourite GZM songs – if I was asked to list a thousand possible songs that HMHB might cover, that would not be one of them, particularly as half the lyrics are in Welsh. Almost as good as when they did ‘Transmission’, a long time ago. Was pleased for the people in the bar who’d bought one of their number a set of ‘Joy Division Oven Gloves’ , as they got to hear the track on the night. Didn’t know any of the newer stuff but liked what I heard & will be making a purchase or two soon.
Good gig.
22 March 2014
Tim goodbody
Sound at Shepherds Bush is often a bit dodgy in my experience. I hadn’t been to a Biscuits gig since the 80’s, so am certainly among those who weren’t singing along to every word. Tbh, it was a bit intimidating, felt a bit like a visitor to a church I didn’t belong to. However, I enjoyed every song, quality asides and quirky support band. As I commented to my companion ( who was a regular at Eric’s in the early days) I would have paid the full fee just for DPAK
23 March 2014
warden hodges
I have to question these people who say they haven’t been to a HMHB since the 80s. Where have they been hiding for 28 years? Listening to Elbow/Arcade Fire with the bohemian kind or previously Bjork?
23 March 2014
Tim goodbody
@warden, question all you like. Fact is, there is a lot more to life than (albeit beautiful and enjoyable) music. I have a family a profession and a fulfilled life, not without its challenges. Friday night at Shepherds Bush was meant for me and at least one other to be an enjoyable evening of music by a band we admire and enjoy, which was somewhat spoiled by the trainspotter attitude of many of the crowd there that night. This is not a reflection on the band themselves, but the fans have put me off coming back to a Biscuits gig ( at least until I’m in a wheelchair and can thereby command respect due)
23 March 2014
Brumbiscuit
I’ll class myself as a trainspotter fan, but I hope I’m not intimidating. Maybe I am. Perhaps if you could expand on how you felt intimidated it might make things clearer.
The only people I have seen intimidated at any gig have been those who naïvely plonk themselves right at the front early doors then get upset when the moshing starts and they end up getting pushed around. That could happen at any band’s gig thobut.
I’ve only been to one London gig. That was at the Kentish Town Forum in 2008. Much too big a crowd for me and it lacked the intimacy of the smaller venues. At somewhere like The Assembly in (Royal) Leamington Spa (happy now, Bobby S? ;) ) or the Robin2 in Bilston there is room for moshers and those who want to get closer to the action, but space at the back for those who simply want to listen and watch.
23 March 2014
Tim goodbody
@Brumbiscuit thank you for your gracious reply. I’m way too old and infirm for mosh pits but I do object to being subjected to Joy Division Oven Gloves Dancing right in my face even when the band weren’t playing that piece of genius. I love the poetry of Biscuit’s lyrics but (especially as I have to work weekends in a job that involves speaking in public) I’d really rather not scream them out loud all night. If this makes me a second class punter ( which I came away thinking it did) then so be it, but you can’t survive if you alienate your public ( I should know, I’m a vicar)
23 March 2014
warden hodges
Apologies Tim.
23 March 2014
Bobby SVARC
I’m in wheelchair and command no respect from that motley crew of old farts, especially that Exxo bloke. I’ll be at the ‘Lembo’ gig so I demand my usual abuse, I may have a couple of snifters in The Talbot if anyone would like to give me some pre gig abuse.
23 March 2014
Third rate Les
It’s a bit of a generational thing, singing along to lyrics. I flipping love singing along, and it was striking when I took my kids to Reading that all of that generation sing along the whole way through many gigs – my theory is that it’s partly because it’s much easier to find lyrics for songs these days.
I do understand though that some folks like to just stand and listen, and a hard-of-hearing loon like me belting out songs tunelessly might be annoying, so I try not to except in the shouty ones. It’s hard sometimes though.
23 March 2014
Brumbiscuit
I belt them out with the best of them, but then I am usually at the front or nearby getting my breath back. I don’t think I’d do it so overtly standing at the back. As for the oven gloves thing, you get thoughtless people at any gig, sadly.
The last time I felt a bit isolated belting out some songs was at a Proclaimers gig at UEA a couple of years ago. I was a fan from ’86 and I was knocking out the songs with gusto. Half way through the gig, I looked around and it was full of becalmed students. I imagine many had pointed me out as the singing twat. I didn’t care and carried on. I don’t think I disturbed anyone though. I really must get to one of their gigs north of the border to really get stuck in.
Anyway Tim, shouldn’t you be at evensong? :)
23 March 2014
gubbalookalike
I thought the sound was better than 3 years ago (was at the back then and at the front this time), took my niece who is Polish, she was impressed and said she would go home listen to some more and end up googling most of the references. On the whole a fine night, I enjoyed J D Meatyard, cd purchase is imminent. Enjoyed the shoelace banter. Third Rate Les, if you wear glasses and were wearing a chequered shirt under your suit then I was virtually right next to you singing my heart out. Roll on 2017.
23 March 2014
Tim goodbody
@warden no need to apologise. @brumbiscuit we have electric guitars and drums, doesn’t really go with Evensong (and yes, the gargoyles do conform to expectation)
23 March 2014
Tim goodbody
@Brumbiscuit I trust you were doing a fake Scots accent at the. Proclaimers gig … When yuuuuuu Goooooo wull yuuuuuu send baaaaack …
What price a Biscuit based musical in a Sunshine on Leith? Balloons over Birkenhead …
Btw my mates are the vicars of Chatteris
23 March 2014
Third rate Les
The vicar of Chatteris indeed!
Gubbalookalike – yes, that was me. Nice to have sort of met you too.
24 March 2014
GUY
Shepherd’s Bush gig. Fantastic. With the cricket season nearly on us it was great to hear Fred Titmus, tho he omitted Whiteness – Thy Name Is Meltonian.
NB is a poet to beat any of the po-faced ponces on the circuit. Also what lead singers play guitar like that? Any more praise and he’ll be Moody Chops but just to say his lyrics give massive massive pleasure.
I could have done with the Travelcard.
24 March 2014
Chris The Siteowner
Nice photo gallery from the gig by Andy Crossland.
Some decent quality videos are appearing on YouTube as I write, on the kristianlw channel.
24 March 2014
Dr Desperate
I think singing along if you’re at the front is only polite; elsewhere depends on the volume of the song and whether you’re surrounded by other singers. Having said that, I do sometimes sing inappropriately, having drink taken. I was once reprimanded by a fellow punter at a Glenn Tilbrook gig with “Any chance you can sing a bit quieter so we can hear him as well, mate?”. I told GT at the end and he signed my CD “Sing Louder”.
24 March 2014
smithsocksImon
The sound was fine where we were standing, about 4–5m from the stage, and good enough to hear, quite clearly, everyone pronouncing “Scalextric” properly :)
Only drawback was some selfish, oven-gloved knobhead with bad BO and no spatial awareness.
24 March 2014
exxo
Excellent set-list, you lucky people, and some fine clips for those of us who weren’t blessed to attend this one.
Talking of which, all due respect for whoever intimidated the vicar.
And Micky, haven’t I apologised enough & explained over and over – I just thought you wanted to crowd surf.
24 March 2014
Tim goodbody
@exxo thanks for that
24 March 2014
Bobby SVARC
It’s a bloody good job that we’d do some serious drugs that night eh?
http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab321/Micky_Bates/hmhbwc_zps0911cede.png
24 March 2014
Dr Desperate
Anybody notice the Fall / Hanley / Harper / Led Zeppelin / Page trad. arr. reference on Neil’s t-shirt?
24 March 2014
NOT ROGER GREEN
(Originally published on hmhb.co.uk)
London is a large city, based in south east England. As documented previously, I am not always a fan of city gigs. They tend to be impersonal goings-on, the venues are extremely samey, and the prices always veer in an upwards direction. Sure enough, tonight I found that a bottle of water costs the same as a pint of bitter back home. But the policy regarding coats at the front of the gig was different. At Bristol, categorically and unequivocally you were not allowed to drape your jacket over the crush barrier. However tonight, a more liberal attitude ruled, and yes, you were allowed to do this. Hurrah for old fashioned values.
At the start of the evening, Tony and I swapped CDs in the same way that captains swap pendants on European football nights. He now has the Mi Mye album, whereas I will be driving to work next work with the new Elbow CD playing in the car. I am promised some “Dad rock”. After that ceremony, we used our underground all-day passes to get from Euston to Shepherds Bush. Change at Tottenham Court Road. There is a probably a quicker route, but that seemed to be the most obvious one to us. Plenty of tut-tutting. We both decided that neither of us could do this trudge every day. Smiling seems to be banned as you travel around. Perhaps everyone needs Boris to crack one of his jokes. In Latin. That would be hilarious.
We bumped into Gomez and Howie by the green near the Empire. They were in search of real ale. I was just happy enough for them to point out that we were close to where the band was playing. We could have been on the wrong side of the city for all I knew. In we went. This place sure ain’t Roadwater Village Hall. They do things big in London. In addition to a sizeable floor area, there is also three levels of seating. From what I could tell, most of it was filled. The guy next to Tony was telling us that he saw Sparks there not long back. That would have been a tidy night out. Once again, JD Meatyard were the support act. And once again, they put in another personal best. JD had a little quibble about there being no beer in the dressing room (that’s city gigs for you, John). But that was soon put right by one of his mates handing over a Guinness. Pop stars, bless ‘em. From what John said during the show, they actually have two CDs out. I thought there was just Northern Songs. I’ll have to do some internet shopping. Standing On The Shoulders and Lies, Lies And Government were mighty tonight. John’s machine-gun acoustic guitar was a nice touch. It would have been rude not to join in with the shouts for more when they finished. No joy tonight, but there is always another time.
When HMHB came on, I immediately clocked Neil’s “Hats Off To (Steve) Hanley” t-shirt. I didn’t quite get the exact reference point, but any mention of The Fall’s erstwhile bass player is fine by me. At one point somebody in the crowd must have asked about the t-shirt, and Nigel nodded towards Neil and said “he can play Tempo House.” I wish! This was the same Neil who had driven on the motorway toll road at 11.30pm the previous night. “A bit ostentatious,” commented Nigel.
San Antonio Foam Party is “a song we wrote when we went on holiday together.” Tonight there was a seamless segway from that song into the biro/slipper bit from The Best Things In Life, and from that it was straight into the last part of Yipps. There was a lot of movement from Nigel. At one point he seemed to be doing a cross between the Shadows walk and a backwards Chuck Berry duck walk. It must take hours of practice. Left Lyrics is all about when Christ appeared in a Dorothy Perkins shop. Joy In Leeuwarden is “an imported number”. Nigel told us the tale about going to the British Museum with the rest of the band in the afternoon. But they were stuck in a queue behind a couple of coachloads of people. So instead they opted to go to Greggs and sit outside “like a set of pathetic Northerners in town again.” As Nigel suggested, perhaps the best time to go to the Museum is at 9.30 in the morning in winter. Apparently they ended up watching Celebrity Squares. The final contestant needed to name nine vegetables but could only get to six. Never mind, eh. I noticed a beer shower going on in the moshpit. Very 1977.
Before Totnes Bickering Fair, Nigel said “This is about going to the zoo and having a bet that someone will spoil your day by putting a second “g” in Orang Utan.” There was a slight pause in proceedings while one of the moshers had to tie his shoelace. Very considerate. There was a reference to “Where Milton’s blindness meets Shilton’s blandness.” Nigel said he was fancying Japan at 200/1 for the World Cup. And he was also having a look at a horse in the 2.30 at Newbury. “Dusty Carpet. It’s never been beaten.” That one even got a ker-tish from Carl on the drums.
As always, there were snippets from possible new songs. One of these dealt with the local golf club trying to drum up trade when the schools go back, by selling bacon rolls. Also there was a reprise for the line about Mr Universe always coming from Earth. There was a debut for a full song. According to Tony, Stuck Up A Hornbeam sounded a bit like Ca Plane Pour Moi. All the better for it. Nigel gave away a couple of the all-day underground tickets, which the band no longer needed. Do you actually use stuff like that, or frame them? During A Country Practice he had to stop and correct himself, after repeating the line about the retail tobacconist. The cover version was a Gorkys Zygotic Mynci song. Am I imagining it, or have they done that one previously? Need to check my records. Here is the list.
When The Evening Sun Goes Down
Fuckin’ ‘Ell It’s Fred Titmus
San Antonio Foam Party
The Best Things In Life
Yipps (My Baby Got The)
Left Lyrics In The Practice Room
A Lilac Harry Quinn
Totnes Bickering Fair
The Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman
Joy In Leeuwarden
Hedley Verityesque
Look Dad No Tunes
Bob Wilson Anchorman
Running Order Squabble Fest
Vatican Broadside
Joy Division Oven Gloves
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
National Shite Day
Stuck Up A Hornbeam
Turned Up Clocked On Laid Off
Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Full Of Bad Wools
For What Is Chatteris?
The Trumpton Riots
Everything’s AOR
Fix It So She Thinks Of Me
A Country Practice
We Built This Village On A Trad Arr Tune
And three songs in the encore…
Patio Song
99% Of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train
And from there we were back onto the happy underground. A big Ta to the Plaka café for keeping me fed for a day. Less than three weeks until we all reconvene in Leamington Spa.
25 March 2014
Kemper Boyd
Great stuff. Ta for clearing that – and much more – up!
x
25 March 2014
Dr Desperate
Excellent stuff as ever, Not Roger.
Since nobody has responded to my coat-trailing on Neil’s t-shirt, I’ll point out that ‘Hats Off To (Steve) Hanley’ is a reference to ‘Hats Off To (Roy) Harper’, a collection of blues snippets from ‘Led Zeppelin III’ considered by some to be their worst piece of work (which says a lot, IMO). As on the album, the t-shirt goes on to describe it as ‘Trad Arr Charles Obscure’, a Jimmy Page pseudonym.
What the link is with The Fall bassman is beyond my ken.
25 March 2014
Dr Desperate
Come to think of it, I wonder if the t-shirt might have been a response to Nigel’s comment at Ilminster in January about his version of ‘Fiery Jack’ needing the Hanley touch.
2 April 2014
Toastkid
I suppose it’s simply tht Hanley’s one of Neil’s fave bass players? (just speculation on my part) I didn’t know they’d done a cover of Fiery Jack, would love to have witnessed that.
2 April 2014
CARRIE anne
Like the Goodyear airship, NB10 drops in a ‘Rimsky-Korsakov’ reference during ACP which at first sailed over my head (at about 5.22 here http://youtu.be/CfQha2evI8M).
As I wasn’t at this gig, I don’t know if it refers to something that was mentioned earlier, (it amused Carl), but nevertheless, it’s been niggling away at my soul and fuelling my insomnia since I heard it. The only thing I have is a vague recollection of perhaps an advertisement when I was a nipper, for beer or something? (It’s frothy man!?). I have no idea why this is bothering me so much, but any help to pin this down would be greatly appreciated.
6 April 2014
Brumbiscuit
So he does. I remember the ads, but had to search to discover the ads featured a polar bear screeching ‘Rimsky-Korsakov’ after swigging from a bottle of Cresta. A drink that seems to have disappeared from the shelves.
6 April 2014
CARRIE anne
Thanks @Brumbiscuit, that’s fantastic, you’re right, just found the Cresta ad on You Tube. It’s amazing what can sit inconspicuously in your brain for 30 years. As can be seen from the A to Z section, this site and the contributors really are the font of all knowledge.
6 April 2014
Rubber Faced Irritant
Carl is much amused. Have a gander at the clip above (post 40) and then tell me you don’t think he’s turning into Bernie Winters. Uncanny.
6 April 2014
EXXO
Thanks from me too Andy for clearing that up. I knew the “Rimsky Korsakov” was a quote but didn’t know what of. The odd thing is I still quote “it’s frothy man” an average of twice a week (when pints, poured bottles, coffee, etc are a bit lively), but I’ve never ever seen that particular Cresta ad. I’d remember it if I had cos it would remind me of my dad who used to say “Rimsky Korsakov” all the time as a joke oath. And “Shostakovich”.
6 April 2014
EXXO
Then I remembered Ayshea.
I mean I remembered the Ayshea thread on here, where at first I didn’t remember Ayshea, but slowly realised it was inconceivable that I wouldn’t have watched her at the time.
Likewise that ad.
7 April 2014
Brumbiscuit
See also: ‘I’ll risk it for a Swisskit’.
I quite liked those.
10 April 2014
robvarmint
@Brumbiscuit – oft misquoted by virtually everyone as “I’ll risk it for a biscuit”. I used to point out the eror of people’s ways, but I got sick of the blank looks. These days I just smile inwardly at their ignorance. Muesli covered in chocolate didn’t do it for me. It was the muesli that put me off, not the chocolate.
11 April 2014
Brumbiscuit
@RobV: it just goes to show how time plays tricks with your mind! I was sure that Swisskits were a minty, crackly type bar, which I quite liked, not a muesli-filled treat. I suppose the ‘swiss’ bit hints at its content. I was thinking of mint cracknel.
11 April 2014
Dr Desperate
Gimme Mint Cracknel and I don’t care,
Gimme Mint Cracknel and I don’t care,
Gimme Mint Cracknel and I don’t care,
It’ll chase those blues away!
11 April 2014