Rock 'n' Roll

Brian Jonestown Massacre at the Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth

Support: Can't remember!

We went to see the Brian Jonestown Massacre at the Wedgewood Rooms on 28th June. I've heard of them and about them quite a few times before, but we really decided to go on the back of the film Dig, about this band and the Dandy Warhols, narrated by Corey Taylor from the Dandys.

The support band were fairly good, but ultimately unmemorable. When the BJM hit the stage though, you could feel the expectation in the air and I thought that the band delivered everything I could have hoped for. There was a certain charming shambles to the proceedings - frontman Aaron disappeared off stage twice during the gig, only to be retrieved by bandmates on both occasions.

The music was fantstic though, deceptively simple by incredbly layered and building up into an awesome wall of sound! I didn't expect the music to be as uplifting as it was, but they were a great live experience and I'd recommend to anyone to go and see them if you get the chance!

Friday of Reading Festival, 22nd August

Went to Reading Festival for the first time on Friday 22nd August, at the Reading site. There are quite a lot of bands playing this year, although some how not quite as many as ou would expect at a festival of this size. I like quite a few of them, but to be honest, there's really only one reason I've bought the ticket - I want to see Rage Against The Machine!

Getting to the site and in for half twelve, we're just about in time to see the opening bands. Managed to catch the last half of Anti-Flag who are the opening band on the main stage. They're pretty good, and keen to put a message out and get the currently pretty small crowd going, which is nice to see! The band gave it their all and ultimately I thought they were a good opening to the festival.

Next we headed over to the second stage and watched Pete and the Pirates followed by Blood Red Shoes and then Be Your Own Pet playing one of their last ever shows. I didn't realise they weren't joking about this until later on, but they were drunken carnage. Just what good young punks should do...

Bands I've seen live

I decided to try and write down all the bands I've seen live recently, before I get. It's as much an aide memoire for me as anything. It was getting a bit long on this page, so I've moved it here.

Jello Biafra live at the Firestation

Last night I went to see Jello Biafra's spoken word show. He's basically touring in support of his 'In the Grip of Official Treason' 3CD spoken word release. And the show is very good, Biafra is a very good speaker, he's interesting, engaging and charasmatic, with a lot to say, and the content is superbly well put together - he clearly knows his material well. He's also extrememly comfortable with his audence, given at this show, due to somekind of 'oversight' at the venue, Biafra had to go to an upstairs bar half way through and he was essentially just stood a few feet from the crowd in the bar talking. He's also happy to take questions from the floor - including on the split up of the Dead Kennedys which people were still keen to ask about and hear about. He could have just buggered off home too, but wanted to stay and carry on the show, which is nice!

Not only is he a good speaker, he's still got the old fire, and he's pissed off with the US government, the UK governemtn and the war in Iraq in particular. I'm not going to go into detail, but I would urge you to go and see the show. As I say, it's very well put together, and the content is very good. There's a number of themes running through the material in the show, but the overwhelming point is Biafra's complete distaste for the US political regime.

Stiff Little Fingers at The Brook, Southampton

Stiff Little Fingers came back to Southampton again last Monday night, in fine form at Southampton's small venue, The Brook.

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