Second night of the double-header in the West Country. There’s a theory that the band play exceptionally well on the second night of these rare “mini tours”. Was it the case in Bristol?
Second night of the double-header in the West Country. There’s a theory that the band play exceptionally well on the second night of these rare “mini tours”. Was it the case in Bristol?
TimBurrows
One thing you can usually count on at a HMHB gig, in my experience, is that you get a bit of room to move, visit the bar, pop to the loo (our middle aged waterworks are a little less reliable than they used to be), or in my case, nip out to give telephone advice to some silly sod in Gloucester Police Station. The Academy is a mid sized venue, which, when rammed, is difficult to get round and has a host of booby traps ( unexpected steps claimed me at Stranglers gig last year- went face down but kept pints intact earning a round of applause). I expected that we’d be rattling around a bit, but far from it. It was packed, noisy, sweaty, and very lively.
Enjoyed JD Meatyard. Can see why Peel loved him. A bit HMHB at times. A bit Beefheart at others. And for so e reason I was also thinking Bogshed. Would definitely go see him again,and will check out his album on Spotify.
As is usual, a brief break and our heroes shuffle on stage. Good sound (if a tad quiet), and a cracking mix of songs from all 30(!) years. Off and running with Bob Wilson, then Fred Titmus, ending with JDOG. Surging, Uffington and Dead Men made rare appearances. And what may be the barebones of a new song -You’re So Beige (You probably think this song is about someone else. Standard Liege). Cover was River Deep again. And it seems Neil may well
be a bad loser at on line board games.
Dukla Prague Away Shirts, JD Oven Gloves and Hi Vis Jacket all on show. As was the very lively and big haired bloke at the front- Big Jeff? A good evenings entertainment.
19 January 2014
Android, Eyes Rolling
For a large part of the day this was heading towards being the worst gig I’ve ever attended.
I don’t normally get ill, but Saturday morning – the date I’d marked in the calendar since about mid-August, the date I’d already turned down an offer to see the latest Scorsese film for – I woke very early with a stomach bug. I was nauseous, achy, lethargic, and – well, you can guess the rest. I went back to bed, fully-clothed, at about 2.00.
But a decision had to be made – do I struggle out and suffer, or stay at home? Had it been any other occasion – wedding, investiture, second coming – I’d have stayed at home and said “sod it”. But not for what will be my only chance to catch HMHB this year.
So I set off for the 80 minutes of bus rides that would take me to Bristol. Public transport on a cold wet January night is not conducive to getting over nausea, and every pothole had me worried I was about to seriously embarrass myself somewhere on the Keynsham bypass. I had a temperature, so I shivered even with my coat drawn up around me.
On arriving at Bristol I stumbled around in ever decreasing circles until my phone and I found the venue. I was not impressed. The first thing I did was check out the toilets – look, I needed to know where to find them in an emergency – and they were rather unpleasant. See my detailed review on Whatpubliclavvies.com for more. Also, the bar sold no proper beer, only lagers, cider and several varieties of Extra Cold (ie, can’t taste it and your hand goes numb) Guinness. After asking for an ale the guy behind the bar opened a can of Tetley’s, poured it into a plastic cup, and cheerfully charged me £3.95 for it.
Vowing that should I ever win £100 million on Euromillions I will buy the venue and turn it into the country’s first real ales -only gig venue I looked for somewhere to park myself. The only chairs seemed to be reserved for those with disabilities, which was a bitter disappointment as I really, really needed to sit down. but I’m no blue badge abuser, so I leant against a railing. Even these vantage points were few and far between, and once I’d made the inevitable trip to the toilets I’d lost it.
The beer was a mistake (as well as a travesty), the nausea swelled. JD Meatyard came on, and played a reasonable set. Although entirely in sympathy with the political message I felt the lyrics lacked subtlety, and I rolled my eyes at least once as he began a song, forgot some of it, started again…
As we waited for HMHB to come on I managed to insinuate my way to a standing spot with a table to hold onto, as I seriously suspected I may get a little lightheaded later. Sorry to the guy I basically stole the spot from. Suddenly I was burning up, the coat came off, I got the sweats and I just wanted the whole sorry experience to end. Get on and get off, I thought. I wanted to go out into the cool of the foyer and sit on a bar stool. The band played their opening number and I couldn’t even summon up the energy to clap.
And then, after two or three songs, the god of gig-going – and the Immodium – took pity on me. The nausea subsided, I found that I could stand without clenching, and I no longer gave the impression of being a melting snowman. Suddenly I could enjoy the gig. It was a miracle, I tell you. A little biscuit miracle.
What a gig it now was. A great crowd – definitely the largest I’ve seen at a HMHB gig – some fantastic performances, and a very funny new song. Wasn’t hugely keen on River Deep, and I’d have loved 24HGP to be in there too, but there was an excellent National Shite Day, a great Fix It So She Dreams of Me, Turned Up Clocked On Laid Off, Light at the End of the Tunnel, and Surging Out of Convalescence. Some of my favourites in there.
The (estimated) three-song encore left me just enough time for the bus home, too, where I immediately went to bed and slept an exhausted, relieved sleep.
And I managed not to shit myself too.
19 January 2014
TC
Yes a great night with some old favourites, and a couple of new ones.
Sign on you Crazy Diamond (?) and You’re so Beige.
I think the River Deep version was Nigel channelling the spirit of the Aussie punk band The Saints
19 January 2014
Dr Desperate
Excellent gig, crap venue (if you’ll forgive me mentioning it, @Android). Very little banter from the lads I noticed, either off or on the stage. The former may be due to the O2’s habit of putting a chasm between band and punters, but the latter…are Nigel and Neil currently on speaking terms, I wonder? Nigel intimated that he’d popped across the road to The Hatchet for a quick one at 2.30 then up to the Museum, while the rest of the band visited FOPP on Park St. “We have different cultural interests”, he said, or words to that effect.
Eleanor Oldroyd off TMS was spotted in the crowd, as well as a couple of local footballers whose names I’ve, as usual, forgotten. Roger Green will no doubt have taken notes. There was some discussion on the pronunciation of ‘capo’, which Bruce Springsteen calls a ‘caypo’, then a query addressed to Ken on what those metal bits on a guitar neck are called (“Frets, right?”).
They kicked off with Bob Wilson (who knew it was written by Rufus Wainwright?), then:
Fred Titmus
Bad Losers
A Lilac Harry Quinn (the “Sign on, you crazy diamond” song, @TC)
Totnes Bickering Fair
Joy In Leeuwarden
Left Lyrics
Floreat Inertia
Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets
Evening Sun
Restless Legs
Chatteris
Turned Up
Fix It
Uffington Wassail
Surging Out of Convalescence
Dukla Prague
Vatican Broadside
Everything’s AOR
National Shite Day
Trumpton Riots
River Deep, Mountain High (a late sub for Bad Wools on the setlist)
Bob Todd
Joy Division Oven Gloves
Oh yes, and did I mention there was… a new song?! The setlist also had ‘Irk The Purists’ after ‘Chatteris’, but instead we were treated to a new one which, for want of a more obscure title, I’ll call ‘You’re So Beige’. There were a few people around me recording on their phones, so hopefully it’ll be up on YouTube soon. It seemed pretty good at the time.
19 January 2014
Phil
Well here I am sat in my living room with nothing on the box, reminiscing on the last couple of days. 400+ miles driven to attend two back to back HMHB gigs! Worth every penny, even though I was on my own for the experience. Contrary to others here I found the venue OK as the sound was almost perfect for picking out every one of Nigel’s communications. Admittedly no decent beer, but I was driving so I don’t care!
Personally I found the crowd far more friendly than the Illminster gig. Got talking to a few people including a couple of guys who had come along for their first HMHB gig. Oddly a high point for me was chatting to someone I had seen at other gigs. Sorry to you for not knowing your name but you seem to be chief biccie fan with big beard! Possibly Clive? You went to Glastonbury (not Glasto!).
The atmosphere seemed to take a while to take hold, possibly linked with the crap beer. But when it did about halfway in, this turned into a fabulous gig! Only a few songs crossed over from the previous day’s gig which meant a rich helping or live biscuit goodness! My high point – Trumpton riots! Not heard that live since ’91! Thank you to everyone at the gig last night for making it such a memorable evening! I can’t wait now for Shepherds Bush, even though one of the guys I spoke to explained how he wouldn’t be going as he used to work there! Pity Nigel didn’t expand the Bauhaus link! But a nice touch to have She’s in Parties played at the end.
Shine on you Crazy Diamonds!
19 January 2014
EXXO
@ Dr. Des
The togger pro spotted in the audience was Trevor Tainton. Nigel then thought he’d better mention Alan Warboys just to balance things up, but inevitably had to then mention Bruce Bannister and the 8-2 match at Brighton in 1973.
They used to commute to Bristol from Leeds and Doncaster respectively – just like me and to this gig in fact!
20 January 2014
Bobby SVARC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEo8tpoEbr4
We were at home (Filbert Street) that day, Didn’t we laugh!, “Cloughie’s gone in goal” shouted some wag with a tranny to his ear as number 7 went in.
20 January 2014
twistedkitemike
@ Dr D.
Purely out of interest, I had Totnes before Leeuwarden. For the sake of history, I’ll wait for Roger’s review and check that my wee notebook (which will sell for big, big money on eBay when I’m long gone) is correct!
Another top, top gig.
Mike………………………………
20 January 2014
Dr Desperate
Thanks for those, @Exxo. And @TKM, I’m sure your running order will be correct. Never trust one copied direct from a setlist (obtained from security staff at great personal hardship by m’ladyfriend).
Having watched the snooker last night, I now recall a bit more banter: NB57 mentioning that he used to look like Judd Trump, but now looks more like Jaap Stam.
20 January 2014
twistedkitemike
I feel a bit better, Dr. D. The hand-written set-lists are rarely 100% reliable. I think Nigel does it deliberately. I don’t really like being that pernickety, but with all the work done on set-lists; an accurate historical record is always more than satisfactory.
As an aside, however unlikely it is – did anyone get a picture of the soundboard man? I was very late due to having to take my son to Bournemouth to see the Watford game and by the time we had parked and eaten, I could only get a second-rate vantage point.
The point of this, having strayed from the point, was that the soundboard man looked uncannily like Michael Stipe. If I can get a witness I would feel much better.
Mike…………………………………………..
20 January 2014
TimBurrows
I was 99% certain that it was Bob Todd……
I’ll close the door on the way out.
20 January 2014
EXXO
Some participants may recall ‘Turned Up C.O.L.O’ being introduced as “about being lionised by the wives of dons”.
This seems to be a quote from ‘Sirius’ by Olaf Stapledon (after whom the Stapledon Woods of ‘The Referee’s Alphabet’ are named).
20 January 2014
Chris The Siteowner
“National Treasure” Klaxon! And it was all going so well until then.
Bristol 24-7 review.
21 January 2014
EXXO
Made-up quotes, fictional setlist and football references in ‘Trumpton Riots’? You can see why NB57 loves the media attention so much.
I think that hack just wants us to quote line after line of ‘Bad Review’ back at him but I’m not going to give him the satisfaction. He definitely wasn’t there, though.
Interestingly however, his preview of this week’s gig by the vomit-inducing Connan Mockasin contains the word ‘aplomb’.
21 January 2014
EXXO
Ah OK, after a google image search …that was big Jeff the bad reviewer at the front in the mosh was it? There’s even a film about him online which refers to people ‘making judgements’ about him
http://vimeo.com/25876003
I feel strange now. Have I been spoofed, or has he, or have we both?
21 January 2014
HIbSter
That was indeed big Jeff & no he’s not spoofing you
He was at the bath gig last year as well (or 2012, the one at the komedia anyway)
One thing I noticed was that Nigel’s mime of changing gear on his sturmey archer campagnolo had the thumb lever from campagnolo, but the finger angle was pure Shimano, he’d be taking the brake lever with him the angle he suggested & that just isn’t possible.
Still, he is in ultegra now
21 January 2014
kingsbeef
Bristol was possibly my favourite gig because of the band and the crowd. I’m working on a unified theory of Biscuit gigativity at the moment. My observations thus far-
1: I’d say the band seem to work better when the venue is broad rather than deep. The Stockton Arc was also shallow and was a belter. This may have something to do with proximity and the ablity to converse with the public.
2: Possibly Tranmere losing adds a little fuel to their fire and there may be an inverse law of performance, though I have only Peterborough’s 3-0 trouncing to go on so far. Anyone prepared to do the homework on this one?
3: Proximity to water. Being from the Wirral they need the scent of salty air to disinhibit their performance. Stockton was also within easy reach of the sea and has a proud naval heritage, just like Liverpool and Bristol. Matlock Bath is close to water as well, though not sure about the salt content.
Based on this I propose a tour of Pier and lakeside venues on Saturdays against teams that Tranmere are unlikely to beat.
21 January 2014
Dave
This was my third gig in two years ( I also made the trip to Sheffield for the cancelled gig) since rediscovering the band four years ago. I had the first two albums back in the Eighties but after they split up they fell off my radar. Bristol was the best gig so far.
The day started off well, got into Bristol early, my beloved wife went for a siesta in the hotel & I went for a walk to find the O2, which took about 5 minutes, then I decided to check out The Hatchet for an early pint. I was lucky enough to be there when NB57 walked passed me with drinks in hand. After a minute or two of will I , won’t I, I decided I may never get the chance again so I went over, asked him to sign my Ryanair boarding pass for my return flight the following day ( which was the only piece of paper I had on me ) & Nigel graciously obliged. We spoke for a few minutes & I was hugely impressed by what a decent bloke he is. Later at the gig when he was recalling his day I nearly collapsed when he mentioned being in The Hatchet & meeting Dave from Tipperary. Meeting him had made my day & this was the icing on the cake.
Anyway, back to the gig. I thought the venue was good, the sound good if somewhat on the quiet side as previously mentioned. The crowd were great, more varied than the crowd at my previous two gigs, also I think there were a lot more people there.
Songwise my faves were Bad Losers, Totnes, AOR, NSD, JDOG and I was blown away by The Trumpton Riots ( a first live for me). I had moved in the mosh pit during NSD & things really picked up for me from that point on.
I was a bit disappointed at the end as I thought they were playing until 11, & as they finished at 1045 I was living in hope of a second encore. It wasn’t to be but it was a brilliant night. Also I really liked Bristol as a city, good vibe all around.
@Dr.D, would you happen to be the King of Hi Vis on the night, and was your Ladyfriend sporting a fine pair of JDOG. If so I was the bloke in the DPAK on your left when your Ladyfriend to a photo of you between two DPAKs.
Post gig I met my wife in The Hatchet, where we stayed til closing & had a great time there.
Thank you one & all for a brilliant night.
P.S. : I voted for NB57 in the Liverpool Echo poll earlier this evening, please do likewise.
21 January 2014
Dr Desperate
@Dave Indeed we were, nice to meet you! (That picture’s now on the FB page, BTW, if you’re into social media and that: see Colin Harris’s post yesterday.)
22 January 2014
Dr Desperate
Still no sign of The New Song anywhere on the www, but perhaps I might be the first to identify a reference from it?
The line about getting three Gerry Gows in a pack of football cards, taking them back to the shop and the bloke saying “Have you got 2p? Call someone who cares” must surely refer to the third best breaking-up song of all time: Travis Tritt’s “Here’s A Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLG2jaVdUMo
(Any bets that Gerry Gow will be pulled off in favour of other local heroes, depending on where the song is performed?)
22 January 2014
Dave
Thanks Dr.D, got the photo, took me ages tho cos I don’t FB. Nice to meet you & your Ladyfriend.
23 January 2014
Simon
@Exxo, the ‘lionised by the wives of dons’ quote has featured at least once before, at Leeds in 2012 (I knew it rang a bell and have just located it on the bootleg recording).
I wonder if it’s been ‘borrowed’ for an upcoming lyric, or is it just a favourite quote?
23 January 2014
NoT ROGER GREEN
Another fine review by the ever-entertaining Roger Green, nicked with all due acknowledgements from Gez’s site:
As pointed out by Nigel at the gig in the evening, Tony and I adhered to the clichés. Yes, that’s right, on our way from Ilminster to Bristol, we called in at Glastonbury for a saunter round. And I hold my hands up. Guilty as charged. Yes, I did, in one absent-minded moment, refer to it as “Glasto”. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But anyway… As promised by Tony, the town is other-worldly. There’s plenty of work if you have the right skills. The sign on the door saying “All our therapists are busy” said it all. We had a look in the window of a shop called the Chocolate Love Temple. I was, it has to be said, in need of neither chocolate nor love at the time. Nor was I in the market for 85 quid wellingtons, or a 98 quid satchel. But those are the going rates. I had to interrupt a bloke who was doing some knitting in order to buy a paper. I felt like I ought to apologise. Sorry, if you are reading this. Elsewhere I was encouraged to accelerate my evolution. Yeah, right. A William Hill shop was in the midst of all this. I just wish we had had more time to look round the town, but we had to move on.
When we got to the Travelodge in Bristol, first job was to find the venue, second job was to go slugging tea with my niece at The Bird House, and third job was to get to the show. There is a great contrast between the easy-going nature of a village pub on the Friday night, and the officiousness of the corporate venue on the Saturday night. “Please take your hat off while you go through ticket checking,” I was asked. Oh all right then, that is sure to make the job easier. These people were charging £2.25 for small bottles of water. And you couldn’t even keep the top. Health and safety issue? Worst of all, the bouncer was not allowing people to drape their jackets over the crush barrier at the front. Fair enough if he was doing this for everybody, but it obviously got difficult when the music started, and his inconsistent approach became evident. Life’s too short, and unfortunately you have to put up with this nonsense if you want to see your favourite band in a big city.
JD may also have been making these little observations. When the Meatyard got up on stage, he held up a can of lager and said “The beer’s good here. Cheap as well.” I noted sarcasm. They got on with it, as they do. John talked about when he went to see The Pixies supporting Wolfgang Press. The tour had not been going long when all concerned decided it was best to swap round the roles of main band and support band. I am not quite sure that JD Meatyard and HMHB are ready to do the same, but these two shows have been the best performances I have seen from John in his various guises as part of the Probe Plus empire.
HMHB opened up with Bob Wilson Anchorman, the one written by Rufus Wainwright. Nigel compared our afternoon in Glastonbury with the band’s trip to Cheddar Gorge. But Nigel was clear that they did not go abseiling. “Abseil for no one,” he was keen to emphasise. Alan Warboys was in the crowd. Nigel also spotted another player, didn’t catch his name, to balance it up between City and Rovers. Apparently the band had all done their own thing in the afternoon, because “we don’t get on socially. I don’t know what the others did.” He spotted Eleanor Oldroyd. He pointed her out to Ken, nudge nudge, and said “Your tag comes off next week, doesn’t it?” There was a bit of talk about Tranmere taking a hammering from Peterborough. Before “Dead Men”, he said the song would be apt if they crashed on their way home. For the second night on the trot, he talked about Bruce Springsteen doing a song called Dream Baby Dream. It must be worth checking out. Nigel said it was weird being on stage because they could see all the audience, so asked the lighting personnel to switch on the smoke machine or something, so that they could do some Bauhaus covers. Maybe he was mis-heard, because not much seemed to be done about the lights, and a Bauhaus song (She’s In Parties) came on the PA at the end of the gig. We always get to hear bits and pieces of (possibly) new songs. Tonight in one instance things went beyond the embryonic sample. I picked up a line about Dr Josef Venglos buying an energy drink. And another bit went “You’re so beige / You probably think this song is about somebody else / Standard Liege.” I don’t know if it will go any further. Maybe it’s called You’re So Beige, or more likely something like We Need To Talk About Kevin Kilbane. I look forward to its evolution being accelerated. The set list, including the newy, was
Bob Wilson Anchorman
Fuckin’ ‘Ell It’s Fred Titmus
Bad Losers On Yahoo Chess
A Lilac Harry Quinn
Joy In Leeuwarden
Totnes Bickering Fair
Left Lyrics In The Practice Room
Floreat Inertia
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets
When The Evening Sun Goes Down
Restless Legs
For What Is Chatteris?
Turned Up Clocked On Laid Off
Fix It So She Thinks Of Me
Uffington Wassail
Surging Out Of Convalescence
“You’re So Beige”
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
Vatican Broadside
Everything’s AOR
National Shite Day
Trumpton Riots
And three in the encore…
River Deep Mountain High
99% Of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd
Joy Division Oven Gloves
I thought it was a good idea to get out of there before I got done for not wearing a tie or something. Back to the Travelodge to catch The Championship. Maybe Saturday gigs aren’t so bad after all.
6 February 2014