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I do like going to see bands play live, but sometimes I really have to wonder why, given that some things are guaranteed to happen, no matter what.
You'll have to wait for an age for the first band to come on, and increasingly longer periods for the following bands. Just standing around and waiting doesn't add to the anticipation of seeing the band, that was building up from the day I bought the ticket, to the time I arrive at the venue. I know the equipment needs to be sorted out and the like, but sometimes it takes too long, especially if the music they play whilst you wait isn't particularly good.
People sweat, and smell. No matter where you stand, it's guaranteed that the sweatiest, most minger person in the venue will come rub up against you at some point. Whether it's a sweat stained shirt backing into you, or sweaty arms rubbing up against your face as your neighbour dances like a freak, it certainly isn't an enjoyable part of the event.
Beer throwing. Personally, I don't like getting beer on me, it smells bad. Also, I fail to understand the appeal of spending a few quid on a pint, or bottle of beer, only to hoy most of it over the crowd? I also fail to understand why people go to the bar to buy a pint, then try to squeeze their way back to the front, spilling beer over people as they go.
A giant, or person with big hair will definitely spend part of the night blocking your view. Deliberately. If you move slightly to one side to see past them, they will also feel the need to move the same way.
There are, I believe, a number of phrases you can say loudly that will clear a space in front of you for a short while:
"I'm glad the doctors let me out, I just hope I don't projectile vomit again, it'd be the third time in as many hours!"
"This contagious form of leprosy sure does make me itch!"
"I just love to dry hump to this song!"
The third phrase would be funnier if it wasn't true for so many people. Some people do seem to get a little excited when pressed up against you in the crowd.
People that wear rucksacks or other types of bags on their bags also annoy me. For one thing it would be so easy for someone to steal from them, secondly, when you and they are jumping around, it's quite uncomfortable to be hit by a damn bag all the time.
Still, when the band gets on stage, it's all worthwhile.
Most of the time.
Some bands seem to think that they're playing musical statues. Worst case in recent months, MinuteMan. I can in half way through their set, and their front man was completely motionless. On rare occasions I could see his mouth move, and his hand was on his guitar, moving very slightly. Worse still, after the song he went to speak, but was so trashed he was incomprehensible.
Support acts, on the whole, are usually in a pretty odd position. The crowd aren't there to see them, and have possibly never heard of them. It's a chance to impress. So why do some bands come on, and not even say who they are? The first band that supported Supergrass are still unknown to me. If I liked them, I would struggle to go out and buy their stuff. The Libertines came on after them, and they too didn't announce themselves, I only knew it was them because they were listed on the venue's website.
The Walkmen, however, went a little over the top, and three times I heard that they were The Walkmen, from Washington DC. Still, it was nice for the singer to actually talk to the audience, it just isn't the same if they just bang through the songs then leave. Also, The Walkmen weren't afraid to play something new, they announced one song as having "been written yesterday". I thought that was really cool, but maybe that's just me.
Sometimes, a support act will really surprise me. When I saw Gemma Hayes I had only heard her on the Radio, playing acoustically, on her own. So I was expecting her to sit there on her own, possibly on a stool, and go through her little songs. But her band ROCKED! It started as I expected, she came in and started singing, then the drummer just goes mental, smashing away, and the guitarist kicks in, it was so unexpected, and I loved it.
Some of these support acts think a little too much about their image, and not enough about the songs, or the performance. The Star Spangles were a support act for Idlewild on Saturday. They had spent an awful lot of time thinking about how they should look, with the guitarist in a cloth cap, and the singer, well, I thought he looked like the actor Kevin Eldon, when he went all Incredible Hulk, and my wife thought he could have been an extra from a "of the Dead" movie. Striking, but the songs didn't sell. If I hear of them again, no doubt I'd think "that was the band with the zombie singer, they sucked".
Worst dressed performer of the year has to go to a bloke from the Libertines though, with knitted dress and leather jacket combo. Still, they actually cared about making a lot of noise and having a good time on stage, so it didn't count against them.
Even though I knew the songs of the main band, I didn't always know exactly how they'd be playing live. I'd seen Supergrass and Idlewild before, and they were exactly what I thought they'd be - great, but with Suede and Doves I didn't know what I'd get.
Suede were fantastic though. Brett Anderson is a really good front man for live performances, despite coming across as a complete wazzock in interviews. The whole band totally went for it with him that night, and it was great. They had a new album, and they wanted to show off the songs from it. Plus they had a whole back catalogue of great songs to play too.
Doves, I had heard, were going to be a bit of a plodding band, going through the tunes exactly as they sound on the album. I did wonder what had made me purchase the tickets, leading up to the event. But again, they were nothing like that. They were there to have a good time, to show just how good their songs could be. I've certainly listened to their albums more since than, as they made the songs better for me.
So over the year I've seen more good bands than bad, and I don't yet reckon I'm too old for this lark, and should be considering seated performances, but next year isn't looking so good so far for Cambridge. Confirmed for the Corn Exchange are:
Sugababes
Liberty X
Sophie Ellis Bextor
Daniel Beddingfield
And there's no way I'm going to see any of those, under any circumstances, ever.
You'll have to wait for an age for the first band to come on, and increasingly longer periods for the following bands. Just standing around and waiting doesn't add to the anticipation of seeing the band, that was building up from the day I bought the ticket, to the time I arrive at the venue. I know the equipment needs to be sorted out and the like, but sometimes it takes too long, especially if the music they play whilst you wait isn't particularly good.
People sweat, and smell. No matter where you stand, it's guaranteed that the sweatiest, most minger person in the venue will come rub up against you at some point. Whether it's a sweat stained shirt backing into you, or sweaty arms rubbing up against your face as your neighbour dances like a freak, it certainly isn't an enjoyable part of the event.
Beer throwing. Personally, I don't like getting beer on me, it smells bad. Also, I fail to understand the appeal of spending a few quid on a pint, or bottle of beer, only to hoy most of it over the crowd? I also fail to understand why people go to the bar to buy a pint, then try to squeeze their way back to the front, spilling beer over people as they go.
A giant, or person with big hair will definitely spend part of the night blocking your view. Deliberately. If you move slightly to one side to see past them, they will also feel the need to move the same way.
There are, I believe, a number of phrases you can say loudly that will clear a space in front of you for a short while:
"I'm glad the doctors let me out, I just hope I don't projectile vomit again, it'd be the third time in as many hours!"
"This contagious form of leprosy sure does make me itch!"
"I just love to dry hump to this song!"
The third phrase would be funnier if it wasn't true for so many people. Some people do seem to get a little excited when pressed up against you in the crowd.
People that wear rucksacks or other types of bags on their bags also annoy me. For one thing it would be so easy for someone to steal from them, secondly, when you and they are jumping around, it's quite uncomfortable to be hit by a damn bag all the time.
Still, when the band gets on stage, it's all worthwhile.
Most of the time.
Some bands seem to think that they're playing musical statues. Worst case in recent months, MinuteMan. I can in half way through their set, and their front man was completely motionless. On rare occasions I could see his mouth move, and his hand was on his guitar, moving very slightly. Worse still, after the song he went to speak, but was so trashed he was incomprehensible.
Support acts, on the whole, are usually in a pretty odd position. The crowd aren't there to see them, and have possibly never heard of them. It's a chance to impress. So why do some bands come on, and not even say who they are? The first band that supported Supergrass are still unknown to me. If I liked them, I would struggle to go out and buy their stuff. The Libertines came on after them, and they too didn't announce themselves, I only knew it was them because they were listed on the venue's website.
The Walkmen, however, went a little over the top, and three times I heard that they were The Walkmen, from Washington DC. Still, it was nice for the singer to actually talk to the audience, it just isn't the same if they just bang through the songs then leave. Also, The Walkmen weren't afraid to play something new, they announced one song as having "been written yesterday". I thought that was really cool, but maybe that's just me.
Sometimes, a support act will really surprise me. When I saw Gemma Hayes I had only heard her on the Radio, playing acoustically, on her own. So I was expecting her to sit there on her own, possibly on a stool, and go through her little songs. But her band ROCKED! It started as I expected, she came in and started singing, then the drummer just goes mental, smashing away, and the guitarist kicks in, it was so unexpected, and I loved it.
Some of these support acts think a little too much about their image, and not enough about the songs, or the performance. The Star Spangles were a support act for Idlewild on Saturday. They had spent an awful lot of time thinking about how they should look, with the guitarist in a cloth cap, and the singer, well, I thought he looked like the actor Kevin Eldon, when he went all Incredible Hulk, and my wife thought he could have been an extra from a "of the Dead" movie. Striking, but the songs didn't sell. If I hear of them again, no doubt I'd think "that was the band with the zombie singer, they sucked".
Worst dressed performer of the year has to go to a bloke from the Libertines though, with knitted dress and leather jacket combo. Still, they actually cared about making a lot of noise and having a good time on stage, so it didn't count against them.
Even though I knew the songs of the main band, I didn't always know exactly how they'd be playing live. I'd seen Supergrass and Idlewild before, and they were exactly what I thought they'd be - great, but with Suede and Doves I didn't know what I'd get.
Suede were fantastic though. Brett Anderson is a really good front man for live performances, despite coming across as a complete wazzock in interviews. The whole band totally went for it with him that night, and it was great. They had a new album, and they wanted to show off the songs from it. Plus they had a whole back catalogue of great songs to play too.
Doves, I had heard, were going to be a bit of a plodding band, going through the tunes exactly as they sound on the album. I did wonder what had made me purchase the tickets, leading up to the event. But again, they were nothing like that. They were there to have a good time, to show just how good their songs could be. I've certainly listened to their albums more since than, as they made the songs better for me.
So over the year I've seen more good bands than bad, and I don't yet reckon I'm too old for this lark, and should be considering seated performances, but next year isn't looking so good so far for Cambridge. Confirmed for the Corn Exchange are:
Sugababes
Liberty X
Sophie Ellis Bextor
Daniel Beddingfield
And there's no way I'm going to see any of those, under any circumstances, ever.
Meka Dragon wrote:
> A giant, or person with big hair will definitely spend part of the
> night blocking your view.
Yes. Yes we will. Serves you right for being short.
> A giant, or person with big hair will definitely spend part of the
> night blocking your view.
Yes. Yes we will. Serves you right for being short.
Well, I read it.
I do like going to see bands play live, but sometimes I really have to wonder why, given that some things are guaranteed to happen, no matter what.
You'll have to wait for an age for the first band to come on, and increasingly longer periods for the following bands. Just standing around and waiting doesn't add to the anticipation of seeing the band, that was building up from the day I bought the ticket, to the time I arrive at the venue. I know the equipment needs to be sorted out and the like, but sometimes it takes too long, especially if the music they play whilst you wait isn't particularly good.
People sweat, and smell. No matter where you stand, it's guaranteed that the sweatiest, most minger person in the venue will come rub up against you at some point. Whether it's a sweat stained shirt backing into you, or sweaty arms rubbing up against your face as your neighbour dances like a freak, it certainly isn't an enjoyable part of the event.
Beer throwing. Personally, I don't like getting beer on me, it smells bad. Also, I fail to understand the appeal of spending a few quid on a pint, or bottle of beer, only to hoy most of it over the crowd? I also fail to understand why people go to the bar to buy a pint, then try to squeeze their way back to the front, spilling beer over people as they go.
A giant, or person with big hair will definitely spend part of the night blocking your view. Deliberately. If you move slightly to one side to see past them, they will also feel the need to move the same way.
There are, I believe, a number of phrases you can say loudly that will clear a space in front of you for a short while:
"I'm glad the doctors let me out, I just hope I don't projectile vomit again, it'd be the third time in as many hours!"
"This contagious form of leprosy sure does make me itch!"
"I just love to dry hump to this song!"
The third phrase would be funnier if it wasn't true for so many people. Some people do seem to get a little excited when pressed up against you in the crowd.
People that wear rucksacks or other types of bags on their bags also annoy me. For one thing it would be so easy for someone to steal from them, secondly, when you and they are jumping around, it's quite uncomfortable to be hit by a damn bag all the time.
Still, when the band gets on stage, it's all worthwhile.
Most of the time.
Some bands seem to think that they're playing musical statues. Worst case in recent months, MinuteMan. I can in half way through their set, and their front man was completely motionless. On rare occasions I could see his mouth move, and his hand was on his guitar, moving very slightly. Worse still, after the song he went to speak, but was so trashed he was incomprehensible.
Support acts, on the whole, are usually in a pretty odd position. The crowd aren't there to see them, and have possibly never heard of them. It's a chance to impress. So why do some bands come on, and not even say who they are? The first band that supported Supergrass are still unknown to me. If I liked them, I would struggle to go out and buy their stuff. The Libertines came on after them, and they too didn't announce themselves, I only knew it was them because they were listed on the venue's website.
The Walkmen, however, went a little over the top, and three times I heard that they were The Walkmen, from Washington DC. Still, it was nice for the singer to actually talk to the audience, it just isn't the same if they just bang through the songs then leave. Also, The Walkmen weren't afraid to play something new, they announced one song as having "been written yesterday". I thought that was really cool, but maybe that's just me.
Sometimes, a support act will really surprise me. When I saw Gemma Hayes I had only heard her on the Radio, playing acoustically, on her own. So I was expecting her to sit there on her own, possibly on a stool, and go through her little songs. But her band ROCKED! It started as I expected, she came in and started singing, then the drummer just goes mental, smashing away, and the guitarist kicks in, it was so unexpected, and I loved it.
Some of these support acts think a little too much about their image, and not enough about the songs, or the performance. The Star Spangles were a support act for Idlewild on Saturday. They had spent an awful lot of time thinking about how they should look, with the guitarist in a cloth cap, and the singer, well, I thought he looked like the actor Kevin Eldon, when he went all Incredible Hulk, and my wife thought he could have been an extra from a "of the Dead" movie. Striking, but the songs didn't sell. If I hear of them again, no doubt I'd think "that was the band with the zombie singer, they sucked".
Worst dressed performer of the year has to go to a bloke from the Libertines though, with knitted dress and leather jacket combo. Still, they actually cared about making a lot of noise and having a good time on stage, so it didn't count against them.
Even though I knew the songs of the main band, I didn't always know exactly how they'd be playing live. I'd seen Supergrass and Idlewild before, and they were exactly what I thought they'd be - great, but with Suede and Doves I didn't know what I'd get.
Suede were fantastic though. Brett Anderson is a really good front man for live performances, despite coming across as a complete wazzock in interviews. The whole band totally went for it with him that night, and it was great. They had a new album, and they wanted to show off the songs from it. Plus they had a whole back catalogue of great songs to play too.
Doves, I had heard, were going to be a bit of a plodding band, going through the tunes exactly as they sound on the album. I did wonder what had made me purchase the tickets, leading up to the event. But again, they were nothing like that. They were there to have a good time, to show just how good their songs could be. I've certainly listened to their albums more since than, as they made the songs better for me.
So over the year I've seen more good bands than bad, and I don't yet reckon I'm too old for this lark, and should be considering seated performances, but next year isn't looking so good so far for Cambridge. Confirmed for the Corn Exchange are:
Sugababes
Liberty X
Sophie Ellis Bextor
Daniel Beddingfield
And there's no way I'm going to see any of those, under any circumstances, ever.
You'll have to wait for an age for the first band to come on, and increasingly longer periods for the following bands. Just standing around and waiting doesn't add to the anticipation of seeing the band, that was building up from the day I bought the ticket, to the time I arrive at the venue. I know the equipment needs to be sorted out and the like, but sometimes it takes too long, especially if the music they play whilst you wait isn't particularly good.
People sweat, and smell. No matter where you stand, it's guaranteed that the sweatiest, most minger person in the venue will come rub up against you at some point. Whether it's a sweat stained shirt backing into you, or sweaty arms rubbing up against your face as your neighbour dances like a freak, it certainly isn't an enjoyable part of the event.
Beer throwing. Personally, I don't like getting beer on me, it smells bad. Also, I fail to understand the appeal of spending a few quid on a pint, or bottle of beer, only to hoy most of it over the crowd? I also fail to understand why people go to the bar to buy a pint, then try to squeeze their way back to the front, spilling beer over people as they go.
A giant, or person with big hair will definitely spend part of the night blocking your view. Deliberately. If you move slightly to one side to see past them, they will also feel the need to move the same way.
There are, I believe, a number of phrases you can say loudly that will clear a space in front of you for a short while:
"I'm glad the doctors let me out, I just hope I don't projectile vomit again, it'd be the third time in as many hours!"
"This contagious form of leprosy sure does make me itch!"
"I just love to dry hump to this song!"
The third phrase would be funnier if it wasn't true for so many people. Some people do seem to get a little excited when pressed up against you in the crowd.
People that wear rucksacks or other types of bags on their bags also annoy me. For one thing it would be so easy for someone to steal from them, secondly, when you and they are jumping around, it's quite uncomfortable to be hit by a damn bag all the time.
Still, when the band gets on stage, it's all worthwhile.
Most of the time.
Some bands seem to think that they're playing musical statues. Worst case in recent months, MinuteMan. I can in half way through their set, and their front man was completely motionless. On rare occasions I could see his mouth move, and his hand was on his guitar, moving very slightly. Worse still, after the song he went to speak, but was so trashed he was incomprehensible.
Support acts, on the whole, are usually in a pretty odd position. The crowd aren't there to see them, and have possibly never heard of them. It's a chance to impress. So why do some bands come on, and not even say who they are? The first band that supported Supergrass are still unknown to me. If I liked them, I would struggle to go out and buy their stuff. The Libertines came on after them, and they too didn't announce themselves, I only knew it was them because they were listed on the venue's website.
The Walkmen, however, went a little over the top, and three times I heard that they were The Walkmen, from Washington DC. Still, it was nice for the singer to actually talk to the audience, it just isn't the same if they just bang through the songs then leave. Also, The Walkmen weren't afraid to play something new, they announced one song as having "been written yesterday". I thought that was really cool, but maybe that's just me.
Sometimes, a support act will really surprise me. When I saw Gemma Hayes I had only heard her on the Radio, playing acoustically, on her own. So I was expecting her to sit there on her own, possibly on a stool, and go through her little songs. But her band ROCKED! It started as I expected, she came in and started singing, then the drummer just goes mental, smashing away, and the guitarist kicks in, it was so unexpected, and I loved it.
Some of these support acts think a little too much about their image, and not enough about the songs, or the performance. The Star Spangles were a support act for Idlewild on Saturday. They had spent an awful lot of time thinking about how they should look, with the guitarist in a cloth cap, and the singer, well, I thought he looked like the actor Kevin Eldon, when he went all Incredible Hulk, and my wife thought he could have been an extra from a "of the Dead" movie. Striking, but the songs didn't sell. If I hear of them again, no doubt I'd think "that was the band with the zombie singer, they sucked".
Worst dressed performer of the year has to go to a bloke from the Libertines though, with knitted dress and leather jacket combo. Still, they actually cared about making a lot of noise and having a good time on stage, so it didn't count against them.
Even though I knew the songs of the main band, I didn't always know exactly how they'd be playing live. I'd seen Supergrass and Idlewild before, and they were exactly what I thought they'd be - great, but with Suede and Doves I didn't know what I'd get.
Suede were fantastic though. Brett Anderson is a really good front man for live performances, despite coming across as a complete wazzock in interviews. The whole band totally went for it with him that night, and it was great. They had a new album, and they wanted to show off the songs from it. Plus they had a whole back catalogue of great songs to play too.
Doves, I had heard, were going to be a bit of a plodding band, going through the tunes exactly as they sound on the album. I did wonder what had made me purchase the tickets, leading up to the event. But again, they were nothing like that. They were there to have a good time, to show just how good their songs could be. I've certainly listened to their albums more since than, as they made the songs better for me.
So over the year I've seen more good bands than bad, and I don't yet reckon I'm too old for this lark, and should be considering seated performances, but next year isn't looking so good so far for Cambridge. Confirmed for the Corn Exchange are:
Sugababes
Liberty X
Sophie Ellis Bextor
Daniel Beddingfield
And there's no way I'm going to see any of those, under any circumstances, ever.