Friday 29 March 2013

BAIBS Friday 29/03/13

Good Friday. Two things have always puzzled me about this day. What is so good about it? A lot of firms don't even treat it as a bank holiday anymore. That's not good. And the guy who got nailed to a couple of planks of wood this day over 2000 years ago can't have found it in the least bit good. And how come it moves? I've mentioned this before. Surely the day Jesus died is a specific date. Not just a Friday sometime in March or April. While we're talking Easter, as a child my birthday once fell on Easter Sunday and a kindly aunt got me an Easter egg for my birthday. That is surely a major cop out. Not even a flash one. Bog standard Smarties. She had wrapped it though which was nice.

It's the weekend again. Quiet one for me though. What with dodgy finances and the start of the Even Bigger Show on Monday I'm hopefully having a relaxing one. Gutted though cos Bang Bang Romeo are at The Priory tonight. No Tom Harking either. Easter is traditionally the time when the football season all falls into place. Rovers away at Coventry today and home to 2nd place Swindon on Monday. By the time Rovers kick off on Monday (12.15) we'll have done 0.053125 of our 80 hour broadcast. Rob will have to Tom Hark on his own. And have my piece of Yorkshire pie. Still very tight at the top of League One, 8 points separate the top 7 teams and Rovers have 7 games left. Realistically I'd say it's a 4 horse race for the top 2 promotion spots (Rovers, Swindon, Sheff Utd and Brentford) but it's definitely what they call squeaky bum time. But ,theoretically, given the lack of blogs next week Rovers could be promoted the next time I blog!

I'm presuming my next blog will be sometime next weekend.  Won't have chance while the big show's on and can't see me being compos mentis next Friday. So maybe next Saturday but don't hold your breath.

Had a cracking chat with Hail To The Eskimo on this morning's show. They're a band I've heard about for years and never had chance to properly hear til today. Only got one live tune out of them cos Sally had caught a cold just in time for the long weekend but she still sounded amazing. Cant wait to hear her firing on all cylinders.

Gotta go. Need to sort my clothes out for next week. Just what to pack for an 80 hour radio show? As per I'm clueless.

Laters

SS

Playlist Friday 29/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Banana Republic - The Boomtown Rats
Kings For The Weekend - Missing Andy
Flashlight - The Pilots
Days Are Forgotten - Kasabian
Radioactive - Kings Of Leon
Hold Me - Tom Odell
This Is Real - The Enemy
It's Alright, It's OK - Primal Scream
Undercover Martyn - Two Door Cinema Club
My Very Favourite Stalker - The Adulescents UK
45 - The Gaslight Anthem
Sparky's Dream - Teenage Fanclub
Diamonds Are Forever - Arctic Monkeys
Waterfall - The Stone Roses
The Dancing Song - Little Comets
At Least Those Kids Are Getting Fed - China Rats
Truth - Bloc Party
Love And Affection - Joan Armatrading
Follow Baby - Peace
Antarctica - Sound Of Guns
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - The Smiths
I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance - Black Kids
The Stars (Are Out Tonight) - David Bowie
Chemicals - Bang Bang Romeo
Hunger - Frankie And The Heartstrings
Cold Outside - You Addiction
Ripple - The Coopers
Love In Outer Space - Hail To The Eskimo
Tears (Live) - Hail To The Eskimo
You And Your Ego - Hail To The Eskimo
It Starts And Ends With You - Suede
Slide Away - Oasis
Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
Transmission - Joy Division
No More Heroes - The Stranglers
Everything - The Darlingtons
Midnight Wave - Two Wounded Birds
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers


Thursday 28 March 2013

BAIBS Thursday 28/03/13

Well the Central American following is coming on nicely. Hello Belize.

So, at risk of sounding all facebookish. this snow is rubbish. I don't mean in a please go away now way, although I wish it would. Telling the weather to go away is a bit King Cnutish. (Stop it)!!! I mean it's rubbish snow. It's not settling cos it's so light the wind is just blowing it around in little flurries. I think it's possible it was the briefest of snow showers and the wind's just keeping it blowing about. It's a bit like meteorological keepy uppy.

The cooking bacon went down well yesterday. It went in a dish I'm gonna call Colin. Seems as good a name as any. The recipe will be available on some website. Possibly.

It won't.

Short blog today. I'm squeezing in blogging between final biggest show ever arrangements. All witnesses in place. As well as (hopefully) claiming the official Guinness world record we're also raising money for charity, namely Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice. Donations can be made via paypal at http://www.sinefm.com/even_bigger_biggest_show_ever or we'll have a collection bucket in the studio. Call in, say hi, drop some money in the bucket and we'll play you a tune. I promise to drop my usual request rules i.e. if it's crap it won't get played. I will slag it off if it's deserving but we'll still play it.

I'm currently asking all the witnesses their favourite song and their guilty pleasure tune to play while they're in with us. It's a weird the whole guilty pleasure thing. It's nothing to do with guilt at all. If you felt really guilty about it you'd take that secret to the grave. It's more 'Hey look at me. I'm so diverse I just don't care'. So with that in mind my diverse musical pleasure for which I feel no guilt is Buck's Fizz's Land Of Make Believe. Someone recently claimed it to be an anti-war prog rock classic. I'm struggling to get my head round that. I just like the tune. Oh and Jay Aston in the video.

I'm going now before the recriminations start.

Laters

SS

Playlist Thursday 28/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Keep The Car Running - Arcade Fire
Nobody's Diary - Yazoo
Not Too Young - The Tricks
Never Fade Away - Spector
I Can See Clearly Now - Jimmy Cliff
Ceremony - New Order
Elysium - Section 60
Special Brew - Bad Manners
Midnight Game - The Bedroom Hour
Time For Action - Secret Affair
The Eton Rifles - The Jam
All Together Now - The Farm
Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling Stones
Mardy Bum - Arctic Monkeys
I Will Wait - Mumford And Sons
Anything Can Happen Tonight - Hail To The Eskimo
It's Alright, It's OK - Primal Scream
Local Boy In The Photograph - Stereophonics
Hit The North - The Fall
Poker Face - You Me At Six
What A Waste - Ian Dury And The Blockheads
Spinning Plates - Middleman
Diane Young - Vampire Weekend
Echo Beach - Martha And The Muffins
Shakespeare's Sister - The Smiths
Razor Blade Alley - Madness
Sacrilege - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Silver - Echo And The Bunnymen
Ideal World - The Christians
Here It Goes Again - OK Go
I Saw You Blink - Stornoway
Here Comes Your Man - Pixies
Boys Don't  Cry - The Cure
No One Knows - Queens Of The Stone Age
Silence Is Easy - Starsailor
Animal - The Pigeon Detectives
If I Had A Million Dollars - Barenaked Ladies
Mansize Rooster - Supergrass
Retreat - Mynas
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers



Wednesday 27 March 2013

BAIBS Wednesday 27/03/13

Let's start off with some audience participation.

Ask me how giving blood went yesterday. Go on, ask me.

I dare you.

*waits*

IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!! I stupidly believed myself when I said yesterday it definitely would. A combination of a phlebotomist shortage and people reeling after donating their pint meant they were snowed under and we'd have to try again next time.Tried booking me in for next Thursday at 6pm. This will be 2 hours after the end of the Even Bigger Show. I'm tempted to do it as some kind of scientific experiment. Plus after 80 hours on air I'll be ready for a biscuit.

I've neglected the gym recently. That's not true. The gym's fine with or without me in it. But you know what I mean. The reasons I haven't been is 87% laziness, 9% biggest show planning, 7% sundry activities and 3% bad maths. Went today and killed both myself and a rowing machine. (So tempted for a 'we had a row' pun but I wont).

Shopped after the gym. We all know both my views and tactics on shopping. I got confused by bacon. I needed bacon. There's so much variety though. In the end I went for the cheap cooking bacon. As oppose to the non cooking bacon kind? Told you I was confused. Decided to get the bus home. Managed to bang my head going up the stairs. It still staggers me that I've known about my height for many years and yet still forget to duck. And you can't really pretend you meant to do it. Neither is there an acting option. You know like when you run for a bus and it pulls off just as you get to the stop so you keep running as if that was what you were doing anyway. Or when you wave at someone across the street then realize it's not who you thought so you pretend it's an elaborate head scratching technique you've developed. No, when it comes to banging your head you just have to stand there like a tall idiot who forgot to duck. I want that on my gravestone: 'He forgot to duck.'

Both carrier bags (shopping and gym stuff) I had decided to break so when I disembarked I had sweaty socks and cooking bacon trying to escape as I tried to keep hold of everything and nurse my bumped head. To make matters worse my laces were undone. I've mentioned before the inability of my laces to stay tied but how can they come undone just sat on a bus? I'm not sure I should be allowed out really.

Anyway, I'm home now with my high ceilings and my slippers on.

Laters

SS

Playlist Wednesday 27/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Walls Come Tumbling Down - The Style Council
It Can't Be Me - The 48ks
National Express - The Divine Comedy
This Is Not A Game - Skunk Anansie
Never Knew Your Name - Madness
Millionaires - Famous Villains
Ripples - The Coopers
Jack And Diane - John Mellencamp
New York - Paloma Faith
Dead Wrong - Hanni El Khatib
Beast Of Burden - The Rolling Stones
Molly Gray - The DN Allstars
Song 2 - Blur
Let's Dance - David Bowie
It's Alright, It's OK - Primal Scream
Seven Seas - Echo And The Bunnymen
Recover - Dexters
Song For Lovers - Richard Ashcroft
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS
Just Like A Woman - Black Spiders
Leaving On A Jet Plane - Me First And The Gimmes Gimmes
Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys
Mama - Genesis
Men's Needs - The Cribs
The Whole Of The Moon - The Waterboys
Sometime - DIIV
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Party Fears Two - The Associates
William, It Was Really Nothing - The Smiths
Reputation - Section 60
By Your Hand - Los Campesinos
Freakin' Out - Graham Coxon
Recovery - Frank Turner
Roxette - Dr. Feelgood
Adore Me - Bang Bang Romeo
Sex And Drugs And Rock & Roll Ian Dury And The Blockheads
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury And The Blockheads
Wild, Wild Life - Talking Heads
To Be Like - China Rats
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers





Tuesday 26 March 2013

BAIBS Tuesday 26/03/13

Had some interesting feedback to a couple of last weeks' blogs and both can be linked. One was about what makes a great gig and the other was commenting on The Hallcross closing.

It was suggested to me that the venue is also a contributing factor in what makes a great gig. This is true but also something that can be overcome. The Dome is not a great venue. It's not the ideal size or shape for a gig and the acoustics can be atrocious. But Kasabian and the crowd overcame that last Tuesday. On the other side of that coin is somewhere like Nottingham Rock City. It's my favourite venue. I've never been to a bad gig there. Not everyone has been great but I'm pretty much assured a good gig, whovever's playing. And let's take it as read I'm not gonna go and see a band I hate!

There was an interesting piece in the Guardian last Friday about the small venue circuit and how it's struggling. Someone tweeted me last week that with The Hallcross closing it's yet another music venue gone. Ignoring acts that have come through the reality TV route EVERY band started in small venues. The Leopard alone can list Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, Glasvegas, Travis, Snow Patrol, Coldplay and more as bands that played there on their way up. (And Babybird as one who played on their way down). Venues like Rock City, Glasgow's King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Southampton's Joiners, Islington's Garage and yes The Leopard are the lifeblood of live music.

As regards The Hallcross' final hurrah I remember little about it suffice to say someone really should have took that microphone off me. I woke up at 7am on the sofa with aching ribs, a cowboy hat and the biggest tear in the back of my jeans. Don't ask cos I've no idea.

Today I give blood. I know!!! I've blogged that at least five times before but I have the time and the place and Cherry Blossom's going too so finally, this time, at last, I should be giving my armful of A+. Or is it O? Either way it's long overdue.

Short blog today but it's only Tuesday and I'm already having a hectic week. Missed out on seeing and interviewing Stereophonics yesterday due to all this hectedness. Made up word but I'm sticking with it. Things are too hectic for grammar.

Laters

SS

Playlist Tuesday 23/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Tangled Up In Love - The Rifles
Breakfast At Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something
Chevy Thunder - Spector
People Are Strange - The Doors
Feel Like This - Missing Andy
Spies - Famous Villains
The Stars (Are Out Tonight) - David Bowie
Marlene On The Wall - Suzanne Vega
It's Alright, It's OK - Primal Scream
Song Away - Hockey
Why You So Cold - Wet Nuns
Post Break Up Sex - The Vaccines
Roll To Me - Del Amitri
Everest - Public Service Broadcasting
My Hero -Foo Fighters
Kennedy - The Wedding Present
To My Knees - White Valentine
You Are My World - The Communards
Bones - Bang Bang Romeo
Itchycoo Park - The Small Faces
American Slang - The Gaslight Anthem
The Prayer - Bloc Party
54-46 Was My Number - Toots And Maytals
Antarctica - Sound Of Guns
At Least Those Kids Are Getting Fed - China Rats
Denis - Blondie
Rag Doll - Aerosmith
Like A Dancer - The Enemy
The End Of An Anchor - Dashboard Confessional
7 O'Clock - The Quireboys
Revolution - The Beatles
The Royal We - Silversun Pickups
You Love Us - Manic Street Preachers
Rocketman - Elton John
Temptation - New Order
Tender - Blur
Stop! In The Name Of Love - The Supremes
Dead And Gone - The Black Keys
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The modern Lovers


Saturday 23 March 2013

The 48ks - LIVE - The Leopard, Saturday 16/03/13

The 48ks have finally got round to launching their debut album. About time too. With the catchy title For Every Day A Memory (a lyric from Lead The Way) it's a gem. My first thoughts were it's a bit long at 15 tracks. I was wrong. Coming in at around 55 minutes and with maybe only one filler it's nigh on perfect. I was gonna do an album review but handily at The Leopard for the album launch the band played the album in full. Two birds with one stone for me then. Plus I firmly believe a band should primarily be judged on their live performance.

The 48ks epitomize substance over style. Their only gimmick is a rubber chicken hanging off Steve's mic. No rock star posing, just five lads who play great music. There's no egos in The 48ks. Those that know me will know I've been championing them for probably three years now purely based on the quality of tunes they throw out. My only complaint with the band has been a lack of professionalism but it would appear they've given themselves a kick up the arse and are taking it seriously. Quite right too cos as much as they've always been fun to watch live they're now showing a real belief in what they do.

In Ryan and Steve they have probably Doncaster's finest songwriting partnership and most prolific too. 15 songs on the album, 19 songs in the live set and I can probably name another 10 songs at least that have all fallen by the wayside over the last couple of years. Songs that other bands may have clung on to for dear life.

The album covers all stages of The 48ks from early tracks (Gotta Get Out, Back Home etc) right up to latest  tunes (Forget Never Met, Fortune Teller). The live set even includes songs written since the album sessions started (Trophy Wife etc).Told you they were prolific. I'd personally have dropped Pipe Dream for Marching Feet but what do I know.

Tonight the band are tight. Tightest I've seen them and I've seen them a lot! It's that new found professionalism and belief I was talking about. I love it. I've said before they could make a living out of selling hooks and catches to other bands. No-one does catchy like The 48ks. Steve is quiet possibly the best guitarist in Donny. He'll never accept that but his effortless solos are perfect and part of what defines The 48ks. Ryan has the perfect voice for Steve's guitar to dance round. Adam on bass is the most unlikely looking musician ever, side of the stage, unassuming, but giving his violin bass what for. With Chris on drums they make for an untouchable rhythm section. I've seen Chris start a fill before and wondered how the hell he's gonna get out of it but without dropping a beat he's back in full swing while I'm still working it out. And then there's Kato on rhythm guitar. With both his licks and perfect harmonies he makes The 48ks what they are. Indie pop/rock of the highest order but also inexplicably unique. The only non Dale/Lightfoot song on the album is Kato's Sitting On My Own. Tonight, and this is the first time I've seen them do this, Kato performs it on his own. Just THAT voice and an acoustic guitar, It's mesmerizing.  To quote myself The 48ks make music that makes you want to dance, sing and smile but they have another side too. Forget Never Met is as dark and deep a tune you could hope to hear and album closer Falling Down is a slow, acoustic, anthemic builder that gets the hairs on the back of my neck not only bristling but desperate to make a run for the door. It's a brilliant but scary tune. The 48ks are as diverse as they come and all the better for it.

They have everything and now just need that bit of luck that all successful bands get. They deserve it.

Buy the album. It's excellent and at £5 for 15 songs a bargain (33p a song)! More importantly catch them live. They're sublime.

Set List

Time And Again
Flick 'Em The Vs
Pipe Dream
Lead The Way
Forget Never Met
Back Home
Can't Be Me
Gotta Get Out
Feel About You
Take Me Back
Sitting On My Own
Valentine's Day
Fortune Teller
Something To Believe In
Falling Down
Lazy Boy

A Heart Beat Away
Trophy Wife
Marching Feet

Friday 22 March 2013

BAIBS Friday 22/03/13

Friday, Friday, Friday. So a wet weekend beckons. Was gonna be a quiet one but that's already gone out the window. White Valentine are back from hiatus and playing The Hallcross tomorrow night. I was in two minds about going, finances and all that, but then The Hallcross announced yesterday it was to be a last hurrah and the pub would be closed as of Sunday.

So another one bites the dust. Times are seriously hard for pubs right now. As I'm sure you know I was manager there up until September last year. We had some absolutely brilliant nights: Opening night with White Valentine, Christmas gig with The 48ks, Vice Squad, The Sex Pistols Experience, Paper Aeroplanes, Beast, Bang Bang Romeo et al at MapFest, Famous Villains storming the Live Lounge night, the Drum Beat live shows, 'discovering' bands like Rita Payne, The Fiona Clayton Band, Goat Leaf, Ethereal Fire. The list goes on.

But the cold facts are money. Take MapFest, the most successful day we had. Record breaking takings but come the Monday morning still not enough in the bank to cover wages, rent, beer, business rates, council tax, utilities, PRS etc. This government pledged to help small businesses. Don't think it applied to pubs. People moan about how expensive pubs are but I KNOW most pubs sell a pint at the lowest price they possibly can but when a supermarket can offer a case of beer for the same price as 3 pints in a pub you know you're up against it. The tax pubs pay on beer is a disgrace. The pubco's that run most pubs these days don't care about people or communities. They have extortionate charges and offer no support.

I love pubs. Not just for the beer but the social side too. But if things don't change rapidly there will be no pubs left. I'm still in touch with many publicans in Donny and they're all pretty much operating day to day. You can't blame the drinkers. Times are hard. The authorities need to step in and help pubs out before it's too late.

So a sad night tomorrow. When I first started going out in the 80s The Hallcross was my pub. Always busy, Pete, Sheila and Terry behind the bar, welcoming but taking no crap from anyone. Martin mine sweeping as he collected glasses. Jim brewing out back and teaching us young uns how to drink. Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves, Don't Fear The Reaper or Black Dog permanently on the jukebox. A friendlier pub I've never known.

Hopefully see many of you there tomorrow and we can raise a glass.

Laters

SS

Playlist Friday 22/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Don't Let Me Down Gently - The Wonderstuff
Old Yellow Bricks - Arctic Monkeys
Kings For The Weekend - Missing Andy
(All I Wanted Was) Danger - The Milk
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People
I'll Be Fine - White Valentine
Ma And Pa - Fishbone
Where Do I Hang My Heart - Sunside
Heroes - David Bowie
There Will Come A Time - Noah And The Whale
I Always Knew - The Vaccines
To Be Like - China Rats
The Killing Moon - Echo And The Bunnymen
Loser - Beck
Dreaming Of You - The Coral
Jackie Wilson Said - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Shadow - Gringo Star
Fisherman's Blues - The Waterboys
Saturn 5 - Inspiral Carpets
Adore Me Dear - Bang Bang Romeo
Please Please Me - The Beatles
Sit Down - James
She Will - Savages
Wide Open Space - Mansun
Poison Street - New Model Army
My World - Secret Affair
Made Of Stone - The Stone Roses
Mirror In The Bathroom - The Beat
Parklife - Blur
Paradise City - Guns N' Roses
Nancy Boy - Placebo
Grace - Supergrass
Heart As Big As Liverpool - The Mighty Wah!
Sinful - Pete Wylie
Summer's Child - The Coopers
Run Right Back - The Black Keys
Vicar In A Tutu - The Smiths
Ride - The Vines
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Thursday 21 March 2013

BAIBS Thursday 21/03/13

Had every intention of taking my legs to the gym today to see if they'd recovered sufficiently for a work out. As it was I ended up hanging around Sine chatting with the Kellys (Mark and Jon, no relation, though they do share the same hairdresser) and coming home to eat cake mixture. As you can tell as fitness regimes go it's lax at best.

My main reason for joining the gym was to get a bit fitter before the Even Bigger Show (or Biggest Show Ever 2 or whatever we're calling it today), which begins in 11 days time. Admittedly spending 80 hours in a radio studio may not be the most energetic thing I've ever done but I really do need to be a bit more alive. No afternoon naps live on air.

Mark joined me today on the show as our guest was Helen Mower from Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.  We are asking businesses to sponsor an hour of the show for £100 with all monies raised going to good causes, Bluebell Wood being one of our chosen charities. Bluebell Wood do an amazing job for children with a shortened life expectancy and their families. They get no government funding and only 12% of their funding comes from the Primary Care Trust, (Adult hospices get around 50% funding on average from the PCT), so every penny that can be raised is crucial. We appreciate that £100 is a big ask so we will be setting up a paypal option for smaller donations and also have a collecting bucket at Sine FM for the duration of the show.

Find out more about Bluebell Wood at www.bluebellwood.org

If you want to sponsor an hour or for more details follow the link on www.sinefm.com

I also, in a weakened moment, have offered to wear ANY football shirt for an hour at a time during the show for a tenner a shot. As a life long Rovers fan this is a big ask. The only football shirts I've owned in my life have been about 12 Rovers shirts and 6 England shirts. Although as a very young child I was given a black and red striped football shirt that later research showed to be an AFC Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic shirt.

As regards the biggest show there are a few rules Guinness insist on for it to be recognized as a world record. Two witnesses  must be there at all times though a witness can only do a 4 hour stint at any time. No song can be longer than 6 minutes or shorter than 2 minutes and either myself or Mark have to speak before and after every song. Guests are allowed on the show but can only speak for a minute at a time and again either myself or Mark must speak before and after the guest. We are allowed 5 minutes break every hour which can be accumulated i.e. if we do 8 hours straight we can take a 40 minute break. Guinness require written statements from all witnesses, a log book of witnesses, the title, artist and time of every song played, constant webcam feed showing the time and date and video evidence showing the start and end of the show, the start and end of every break and the moment we break the record (sometime around 10:03am Thursday 4th April). The words logistical and nightmare spring to mind. There's a reason after the 72 hour show I said never again. Oh well, committed now.

I should be anyway.

Laters

SS

Playlist Thursday 21/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo And The Bunnymen
Afternoons And Coffeespoons - Crash Test Dummies
Cindy Incidentally - The Faces
Be My Yoko Ono - Barenaked Ladies
Adultery - Little Comets
Bubbles - Biffy Clyro
Rebel Yell - Billy Idol
Feel Like This - Missing Andy
Regret - New Order
My Number - Foals
Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones
This Must Be The Place - Talking Heads
Forced To Run - Rita Payne
Champagne And Cocaine - 12 Dirty Bullets
Antarctica - Sound Of Guns
The Day We Caught The Train - Ocean Colour Scene
Turning Japanese - The Vapors
Ripple - The Coopers
Maybe Tomorrow - Stereophonics
She Will - Savages
Recovery - Frank Turner
London Calling - The Clash
Red Alert - Bassment Jaxx
Elysium - Section 60
Strange Days - The Doors
Truth - Bloc Party
It Starts And Ends With You - Suede
Rock This Town - The Stray Cats
In-Between Days - The Cure
Sacrilege - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers






Wednesday 20 March 2013

BAIBS Wednesday 20/03/13

Well I got all my gym stuff ready yesterday pre Kasabian with the thought I'd do an hour after today's show. Not a chance. I still ache from the gig. Decided against the mosh pit. I am 44 after all. Ha!! The whole Dome was a mosh pit. It was an epic gig. The band were on fire. The crowd were up for it. The more the crowd went for it the more the band went for it. The more the band went for it the more the crowd went for it and so on and so on.

I love to see a band enjoying themselves. Can never understand why a band would be on stage and just not want to be there. I'm thinking specifically Babybird here.

So from the opening bars of Days Are Forgotten to the climatic echoes of Fire Kasabian were, well, on fire. Best gig I've ever been to? In all honesty I've no idea. It had all the ingredients of 'best gig ever' and in my tweet to Sergio Pizzorno immediately after the gig I added the hashtag bestgigever. Obviously post gig euphoria has to be taken into account and I eventually tagged it as one of my top five gigs ever. Purely cos in reality it's hard, actually impossible, to say just what my best ever gig is. If you had to pin me down I probably couldn't give you a top five either.

For example The Rolling Stones at Don Valley Stadium in 2006 is a 'top five' gig. It absolutely lashed it down and given the choice of sulking in the rain or getting soaked dancing like a loon I went for the dancing option and found myself in a group of about 30 who'd had the same thought. We had a brilliant night.So did The Stones, the weather or the people I was with make it a great gig? Or was it the combination of the three?

Another 'top fiver' would be Ian McNabb (The Icicle Works) at The Leopard last year. Just Ian, a guitar and about 40 people there. Now The Icicle Works are one of my favourite bands. During his interval I had a really good chat with Mr. McNabb and he played my favourite Icicle Works' song (When It All Comes Down) as the 2nd set opener, dedicated to me for my birthday. Did I mention it was my birthday? So was it Ian McNabb's talent or the chat and dedication that made it such a great gig? Again, it's a combination.

My point here is two awesome but very contrasting gigs and virtually impossible to compare, but both epic for different reasons. What does become apparent is that a band can put on a great gig but it takes other factors on top of that to make it a stand out gig that straight after you will call the 'greatest gig ever.'

I refer you to the 'more the crowd went for it' part of the first paragraph. That's what made last night special. A band on the top of their game who got a crowd they deserved and lifted the gig from great to epic. I've seen bands put on stunning shows but not had an upbeat crowd. As Fish from Marillion used to say at the end of a gig, 'It takes you out there and us up here.'

I once asked a mate if he could label one gig as his best ever. Glastonbury '95 was his answer. That's ridiculous. It's like someone asking me my favourite Rovers game and me replying the '83/84 season. Festivals fall into a different category. Leeds Fest was brilliant last year but my best ever gig could never include Enter Shikari no matter how good the rest of the line up was.

I was gonna get even more self indulgent and list my top 5 gigs. Top of my head I've whittled it down to a top 12. Give me time and it'll be a top 20.

Either way Kasabian at The Dome last night were immense and will always be at least a top 12 gig!

Laters

SS

Playlist Wednesday 20/03/13

Club Foot - Kasabian
Shoot The Runner - Kasabian
Bats - The Darlingtons
Moving To New York - The Wombats
Hold Me - Tom Odell
I Fought The Law - The Clash
The Messenger - Johnny Marr
Spread Your Love - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Fictional State - To Kill A King
Quiet Night In - All The Young
Church Not Made With Hands - The Waterboys
When The Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys
Goodbye Kiss - Kasabian
The Distance - Funeral For A Friend
One Drop - Public Image Ltd
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
Recovery - Frank Turner
Ripple - The Coopers
One Way Trigger - The Strokes
Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
Goodbye Life - Famous Villains
Diane Young - Vampire Weekend
Sometime - DIIV
Silent Sigh - Badly Drawn Boy
Laid - James
Panic - The Smiths
Underdog - Kasabian
Sitting On My Own - The 48ks
45 - The Gaslight Anthem
Don't Go - Kiziah And The Kings
Singing In My Sleep - Semisonic
Velouria - Pixies
Wild Wood - Paul Weller
Yes - McAlmont And Butler
2013 - Primal Scream
Just Like The Rain - Richard Hawley
So Here We Are - Bloc Party
Midnight Wave - Two Wounded Birds
Fire - Kasabian 

Tuesday 19 March 2013

BAIBS Tuesday 19/03/13

The Dominican Republic are on board now. Just off to get an atlas.

Then put some washing in.

Then make a coffee.

Found it. Head South from Florida and turn left at Cuba.

Right. First blog in a while. Went tootling off to Mablethorpe straight after Friday's show. By the time we got back had no time to blog as had to get out to see The Beeds first gig in many months.

Saturday morning then? Nope. Got up too late and had to be at the Keepmoat for Tom Hark duties.

After the football then? Sorry. Quick change and off to catch The 48ks live for their album launch.

Sunday? Monday? Forget about it. Less said about them the better.

A lot to fit in then and limited time. Kasabian tonight. Seriously excited.

So where to start? Friday night. Vintage RockBar. The Beeds live. I was gonna say they pull no punches. Given their infamous Tut gig a couple of years back it's best not to dwell on that statement. It's all or nothing with The Beeds though. You can't stand at the back and watch. They won't let you in. Ricky P goes at his guitar like they have a long standing grudge. Don't get me wrong, he can play and before you know it his licks have grabbed you by the throat and pulled you in. Once there Ryan and Taz wrap their rhythm section round you and leave you powerless for the Drew Storm attack. Drew is arguably the most charismatic front man Donny has. Every time I see him his voice and mannerisms remind me of Hugh Cornwell. Both watchable and listenable in equal measure his whole body and soul slam every word deep between your ears. There's something about a Beeds gig I can't quite put my finger on. They have stunning tunes for a start, Slumdog Millionaire, Hey Ho, Don't Know Why and new song Lambretta Boys are all top drawer. You only have to hear the hook from Keep Your Head up once (A WOAH OH OH OHHHHHH!!!) and you'll be singing it for life. But there's an edge there too. An undercurrent I have no idea of what but The Beeds thrive on it. The broken glass underfoot adds to that feeling but I would dance over broken glass to catch these guys live.

Oil City Confidential was on when I got home Friday night. The documentary about THE pub rock band, Dr. Feelgood. Their gigs were a chaotic, sweaty, working class mixture of chaos and brilliance. It's a similar feeling to watching The Beeds.

Tom Harking again on Saturday. Rovers versus Portsmouth. Pompey I believe get this season's 'crisis club' moniker. Chairman John Ryan had insisted on the goal music returning so when Chris Brown gave Rovers the lead we duly obliged. Sadly Rovers couldn't extend this lead. Bad pitch, poor decision making and one world class save from their 'keeper let Pompey back in the game and the points were shared. Results went pretty much our way though and with eight games left Rovers are still top of the pile with their fate in their own hands. It's a long way from over though. Just thought, you can't say the points were shared anymore. Three points for a win but you don't get one and a half points for a draw. OK, the points were shared with one left over.

So Saturday night was The Leopard for The 48ks album launch. A stunning line up (Pete Liversidge, The Mynas, The Coopers and The 48ks) delivered big time. I'm gonna do a separate blog about the gig.

Kasabian tonight then. They stormed Leeds Fest last summer. I'm expecting a good un.

Two playlists today given my blogging failures over the weekend.

Laters

SS

Playlist Friday 15/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Back On The Chain Gang - The Pretenders
The First Picture Of You - The Lotus Eaters
Not Too Young - The Tricks
This Ladder Is Ours - The Joy Formidable
Some Might Say - Oasis
This Is Not A Game - Skunk Anansie
Copperhead Road - Steve Earle
I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl - Nina Simone
Kings For The Weekend - Missing Andy
Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
Soul Uncensored - Section 60
Hotel California - The Eagles
Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks
It Starts And Ends With You - Suede
Gotta Get Out - The 48ks
Never Fade Away - Spector
Don't Know Why - The Beeds
Hold The Magic - Officer Kicks
Animal - The Pigeon Detectives
Shot By Both Sides - Magazine
Millionaires - Famous Villains
Sell Out - Reel Big Fish
Common People - Pulp
Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Joe Jackson
You And Me And The Bottle Makes 3 Tonight - Big Band Voodoo Daddy
No One's Gonna Love You - Band Of Horses
If You Let Me Stay - Terence Trent D'Arby
Eighth Day - Hazel O'Connor
All The Small Things - Blink 182
Best Of You - Foo Fighters
Signal 30 - Public Service Broadcasting
Just Came Back - The Avit Blues Band
Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys
What A Beautiful Day - The Levellers
Down In The Tube Station At Midnight - The Jam
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Playlist Tuesday 19/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
Cool For Cats - Squeeze
Club Foot - Kasabian
Am I Missing - Dashboard Confessional
Forget Never Met - The 48ks
Ripples - The Coopers
Hunger - Frankie And The Heartstrings
Forgotten Town - The Christians
To Be Like - China Rats
Another Love - Tom Odell
Possessed - Vegas
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Find The Answer Within - The Boo Radleys
Money - Missing Andy
Silver - Echo And The Bunnymen
Never Fade Away - Spector
Thinking Of You - The Colourfield
War - Edwin Starr
Let The Day Begin - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Bed And Breakfast Man - Madness
Summer's Child - The Coopers
Walking Down Madison - Kirsty MacColl
Poison Ivy - The Lambrettas
Burn - Iggy And The Stooges
Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys
Everest - Public Service Broadcasting
Hope Street - The Levellers
Everyday Is Like Sunday - Morrissey
Our Lips Are Sealed - Fun Boy Three
Take Her Back - The Pigeon Detectives
Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
Design For Life - Manic Street Preachers
Follow Baby - Peace
This Is The Day - The The
A Message To You, Rudy - The Specials
How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths
Upstarts - Johnny Marr
New Rose - The Damned
What You Do To Me - Teenage Fanclub
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers








Thursday 14 March 2013

BAIBS Thursday 14/03/13

Apologies for some of my wayward German yesterday. Apparently sod dass is not an accurate translation of sod that.

There's a footbridge over Balby Road, well, Cleveland Street to be correct but everyone calls it Balby Road, you know, near the flats. No, the other side. Where the upside down Union Jack is. That's it. Er, where was I? Oh aye. Footbridge. It's festooned today with barriers and red and white tape, and yellow tape, and probably red and yellow tape, and signs insisting people keep off, and even bigger barriers, and even more signs that basically imply if you set one foot on this bridge you will die.

It does tend to read as 'Attempting to cross this bridge will cause it to collapse in on itself leading to earthquakes, tsunamis and general world failure.' It's a worry cos yesterday the bridge was open and I was on it. Was that a near death experience? Can I add it to the bunch of stinging nettles that I landed in as young child which saved me from falling into a fast flowing river? Or going over the old North Bridge in a car that had decided travelling on it's roof was more fun than four wheels?

They say that your life flashes before your eyes at these times. The stinging nettle incident I don't remember, the upside down car I just remember sparks flashing before my eyes and as for yesterday on the bridge the only thing that flashed past me was a skater boy who was old enough to know better. He proved this by negotiating the steps down in a kind of head over heels forward roll type move that can't have done his aging bones any good. Unfortunately for him I didn't have my cod liver oil tablets on me.

Had a rather splendid show this morning. One of those that just flowed naturally. I've been accused before of being too diverse. How can that be a failing? The complainer would have hated today then: Suede followed by Iron Maiden followed by Joan Armatrading, but it just worked. For some reason today I had a stack of people get in touch. Texts, emails, facebook messages, tweets, it was all going on. Love it when that happens. I appreciate I do a breakfast show so most people have it on while they're getting ready for work, or getting the kids ready, or travelling to work, so not the ideal time to get in touch. It's so much more fun when listeners get involved though. It stops me feeling like I'm all alone sat in a little room talking to myself and playing songs just for me.

Although the playing songs just for me bit is true. The general idea behind the show is to play songs that an average breakfast show wouldn't. And also to highlight quality new music and local music. In reality I just play music I like and pray to John Peel that I'm not the only one. Getting feedback like I did today makes it all so worthwhile. So keep it up. PLEASE!!!!

Not sure about that last bit. Started off OK, then got a bit gushing, and ended sounding desperate. Oh well, I'm not deleting it. Took me ages.

Laters

SS

Playlist Thursday 14/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Hunger - Frankie And The Heartstrings
Undercover Of The Night - The Rolling Stones
She Said - The Longpigs
Rat Race - The Specials
Everything - The Darlingtons
Everest - Public Service Broadcasting
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
Molly Gray - The DN AllStars
Another Day - Tenek
In The City - The Jam
I Only Want To Be With You - The Tourists
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Antarctica - Sound Of Guns
Someone's Looking At You - The Boomtown Rats
Stay - Coasts
Fishing For A Dream - Turin Breaks
Lead The Way - The 48ks
Down At The Doctors - Dr. Feelgood
Hangin' On The Telephone - Blondie
The Dancing Song - Little Comets
Elysium - Section 60
Einstein A Go-Go - Landscape
E=MC2 - Big Audio Dynamite
Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
The Model - Kraftwerk
Sacrilege - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Do Anything You Wanna Do - Eddie And The Hot Rods
You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties - Jona Lewie
The Beautiful Ones - Suede
The Number Of The Beast - Iron Maiden
Drop The Pilot - Joan Armatrading
Black And White Town - Doves
Michael Caine - Madness
High On A Hill - Ian McNabb
Modern Love - David Bowie
Beat It - Michael Jackson
The Joker - The Steve Miller Band
Smooth - New Killer Shoes
Midnight Wave - Two Wounded Birds
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers