Tag: reviews

The Hives - Alexandra Palace - 29 Nov 2025

Review: The Hives – Alexandra Palace, London – 29 Nov 2025

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig reviewLeave a comment

Well I never expected that, a thoroughly enjoyable evening with 3 bands (with Spiritual Cramp and  Yard Act as support) all excellent in their own way.  The Hives are pretty new to me, I know a few of their songs but never got any further than that.  They formed in 1993 in Fagersta, Sweden so the band should be used to the coldness of the cow shed that is Ally Pally – it was brass monkeys! Luckily being surrounded by bodies and bopping does warm you up somewhat.  It would appear that the show was a sell-out – so based on the great hall capacily that would be roughly 10k people (not that it felt like it) and not the 2 million Pelle cheekily kept referring to 😊.

Spiritual Cramp opened it up with a killer set of slashing riff garage-rock.  I’m unsure of their image – as they literally don’t have one – given their lead guitarist looked like he was off to studies in his shirt and jumper and their singer Michael Bingham looked like he should be in a 70’s shop window display – they were really dressed very dull.  However, that’s not to distract from the music – they put on an entertaining 30 minute set which gave me enough confidence to go and check them out further.  This was a good introduction for what was to come.

Spiritual Cramp set list

  1. Slick Rick
  2. Go Back Home
  3. Earth to Mike
  4. At My Funeral
  5. Young Offenders
  6. Better Off This Way
  7. Automatic
  8. You got my number
  9. Talkin’ On The Internet
  10. Blowback

Yard Act are an indie band from Leeds and comprise of: James Smith (vocals); Ryan Needham (bass); Jay Russell (drums); and Sam Shipstone (guitars).  James spends most of the time talking the lyrics as opposed to singing them – and boy are there lots of words to get through.  It was hard to pick up on a lot of the lyrics as they were spewed out at ferocious pace but there was plenty of swearing and political/ philosophical references so I’m going to investigate them further.

Their performance was tight and James as the focal point in his loud trousers was both eccentric frantic, in a good way.  Sam reminded me of a Victorian gentleman with his big sideburns and huge moustache, and Ryan looked a tad Trevor Horn 😊.

Yard Act set list

  1. Tall Tales
  2. Dead Horse
  3. Dream Job
  4. Payday
  5. Witness (Can I Get A?)
  6. Petroleum
  7. Dark Days
  8. Thrill of the Chase
  9. We Make Hits
  10. The Overload
  11. New Beginnings
  12. The Trapper’s Pelts

The Hives are a black and white extravaganza of a show, sometimes less is more and this was choreographed to monochrome perfection.  Where to start – the bands suits obviously.  Impeccably dressed all in black, a mix of evening suit meets the rhinestone cowboy.  The detail lines on the sleeves, pockets and shoulders were bright white led lighting and synced perfectly into various patterns e.g. flashing, pockets only etc.  Flash bastards 😊.  In front of the drummer were 3 kick  drums with the words THE one them, and above the band 5 big inflatable balls with HIVES on them – just in case we didn’t know.

The band is:

  • Pelle Almqvist – vocals
  • Niklas Almqvist – lead guitar
  • Vigilante Carlstroem – rhythm guitar
  • Christian Grahn – drums
  • Johan Gustafsson – bass

Thanks to my mate Nick for getting the tickets, he said I’d like them even though I knew very little of them before last night.  Well he was right, I had a smile on my face throughout their set.  They are a fun band to watch – loads of energy and a front man that is par excellence.  At the helm of the chaos is Pelle Almqvist, a consummate frontman charisma overflowing.  Pelle reminded me of Mike Myers and was pretty much as maniacal and funny as him throughout.  Shyness is not in his vocabulary, and he engaged in many monologues between most songs that were very entertaining.  He constantly extolled the virtues of how great the band, himself and the audience were (watch the video links in the set list to get an idea of his banter), smile permanently intact.  Their arrogance is deeply charming and amusing throughout.  Lots of repetitive banter to get the crowd clapping, singing, cheering.  I particularly liked it when the band stopped frozen dead during ‘Paint a Picture’, for about a minute, whilst milking the applause and waiting for more.  My other main takeaway is that Per gobs a lot – there was spit all over the stage and walkway – he must be Sweden’s world champion gobber!

Pelle and Niklas cover every inch of catwalk stage, with Pelle frequently over the barrier and in with the crowd ably supported by their ninja dressed roadies sorting out the extremely long mike cables.

They kicked off with ‘Enough is Enough’ of their new album, which pretty much set the tone for the next 95 minutes of high energy R’nR riffs with no let-up, one crashing song after another.  ‘I Hate to Say I Told You So’ and ‘Tick Tick Boom’ got the crowd to explode into a few mini mosh pits.  ‘Legalize Living’ kept up the momentum for the 1st encore and then they went off script by playing ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ by public demand no less (some ladies in the audience kept showing him a placard with the song title on it) before finishing with a song that defines the group and their faux arrogance totally – “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives”.  For the new songs Pelle smirks “These songs are classics too, you just don’t know it yet”.

The Hives set list (click on links to see the YouTube videos)

  1. Enough Is Enough – (The Hives Forever Forever the Hives, 2025)
  2. Walk Idiot Walk – (Tyrannosaurus Hives, 2004)
  3. Rigor Mortis Radio – (The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, 2023)
  4. Paint a Picture – (The Hives Forever Forever the Hives, 2025)
  5. Main Offender – (Veni Vidi Vicious, 2000)
  6. Born a Rebel – (The Hives Forever Forever the Hives, 2025)
  7. Stick Up – (The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, 2023)
  8. Bogus Operandi – (The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, 2023)
  9. Hate to Say I Told You So – (Veni Vidi Vicious, 2000)
  10. O.C.D.O.D. – (The Hives Forever Forever the Hives, 2025)
  11. I’m Alive – (Live at Third Man Records, 2020)
  12. Here We Go Again – (Barely Legal, 1997)
  13. Countdown to Shutdown – (The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, 2023)
  14. Come On! – (Lex Hives, 2012)
  15. Tick Tick Boom – (The Black and White Album, 2007)

Encore:

  1. Legalize Living – (The Hives Forever Forever the Hives, 2025)
  2. Bigger Hole to Fill – (The Black and White Album, 2007)
  3. Smoke and Mirrors – – (The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, 2023)
  4. The Hives Forever Forever The Hives – (The Hives Forever Forever the Hives, 2025)

So roughly third of set from new LP, and 40% of pre 2020 material – covering most of their output.

At the  end he introduces the band and invents wildly amusing characters for them all.  When he comes to the bass he says “and now for a man that needs no introduction, because I introduced him earlier” 😊 tee hee.

The Hives are infectious, the gig is definitely a wild spectacle, long live The Hives!

Marko [30 Nov 2025]

Airbag - Live London 2025

Review: Airbag The Dome London – 26 April 2025

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig reviewLeave a comment

I can’t quite remember how I discovered Airbag many moons ago but when I did, early on in their career, I said to myself finally the rightful heirs to the Pink Floyd crown. They create sonic, sometimes barren, soundscapes that suddenly bursts into life with a rollicking riff or a Dave Gilmour inspired solo.  File them under Prog Rock!  To confuse matters it turns out there is another Airbag, an Argentine hard rock band whom seem to come to the for on internet searches – it fooled a few of my friends who checked out the wrong band 😊 until I told them to go to AirbagSound.com.

So a quick history lesson, Airbag were formed in Oslo in 2004 by school friends and their current mainstay line-up is Asle Tostrup (vocals/guitar), Bjørn Riis (lead guitars), and Henrik Bergan Fossum (drums).  Live they also have Jørgen Hagen (keyboards) and Anders Hovdan (bass). They have released the following LPs – check them out all mighty fine listens.

  • 2009      Identity (a compilation of previously released EPs)
  • 2011     All Rights Removed
  • 2013     The Greatest Show On Earth
  • 2016     Disconnected
  • 2020     A Day at the Beach
  • 2024     The Century of the Self

So finally after 20 odd years they made it to the UK and I was so looking forward to this evening.  Dressed all in black Airbag took the stage at 8:50 for an atmospheric 80 minute set interspersed with a splattering of songs from all their albums bar ‘Disconnected’.  They start with the pulsating bass drone of ‘Machines and Men’, and it’s repetitive chord sequence before it explodes into life.  They certainly know how to build a layered musical canvass. Excellent throbbing bass from Anders and guitar work from Bjørn.  Next comes ‘Redemption’ with another slow impressive build-up of bass and layered Korg synths.  Asle took a couple of songs to get the mix of his voice right (but more of that later) given it was lost during the loud parts where all instruments were at full tilt.

‘Never Coming Home’ is one of my personal favourites and is one of those songs that always makes the hairs on the back of my arm stand out! Atmospheric keyboard work from Jørgen, a lovely melody and aching guitar licks – plus great lyrics – what’s not to like.  ‘Dysphoria’ slow burns and showcases Asle’s vocals at their best when not fighting the other instruments and Bjørn’s virtuoso guitar work is excellent.  ‘Erase’ is punching bass lines, thumping drums, guitar licks and gripping vocals.

‘Megalomaniac’ commences with its irresistibly haunting repetitive guitar riff and vocals before busting into life with huge riffs and dynamic guitar solo.  All parts of the band working in total harmony – a joy to behold.

Airbag Set List (click on link to see YouTube videos)

  1. Machines and Men – (A Day at the Beach, 2020)
  2. Redemption – (The Greatest Show On Earth, 2013)
  3. Never Coming Home – (All Rights Removed, 2011)
  4. Dysphoria – (The Century of the Self, 2024)
  5. Erase – (The Century of the Self, 2024)
  6. Megalomaniac – (A Day at the Beach, 2020)

Encore:

  • Colours – (Identity, 2009)
  • Homesick I-III – (All Rights Removed, 2011)

The band leave the stage to rapturous applause from a fixated audience.  They are quickly back for an encore of ‘Colours’ and ‘Homesick’ – wow and both these were just fantastic.  Asle strums away on acoustic guitar before the synths and slow guitar kick in and the whole sound just flows slowly through you like a mist – ‘Colours’ is such a beautiful record. 

Airbag - London 2025

So in the end they only played at 80 minute set ☹ – they have such a wonderful rich back catalogue of work and so many classics not played.  I’m sure they could have snuck a couple more songs in?  The final song ‘Homesick’ is an opus epic a beautiful mix of melodic guitar backed by multiple rolling keyboard layers, deep bass and drum rhythms. A dark moody atmospheric piece with scorching guitar licks and evocative melodies that freely roams into ‘Wish You Were Here’ territory.

A couple of low points for me were the lighting and merchandise.  With the correct lighting and backdrop this would have made the gig even more spectacular.  It didn’t detract from the music but certainly didn’t add to it.  But that’s the trouble when you play in a smallish venue and have to use their rig.   Also, the merchandise (or what there was of it) wasn’t very inspiring and lacked imagination.  I’m sure they can come up with far better designs e.g. the ‘Identity’ cover.

The anticipation of a great evening’s music was certainly fulfilled and more.  I loved every minute of the gig and managed a brief chat with Asle and Bjørn as they were clearing up – top blokes!  An all-encompassing immersive experience from start to finish.

Please come back soon chaps 🙏🏻, else I’ll just have to go to Norway or the Netherlands for an away trip!

Marko [27 April 2025]

Review: GBH live at the 100 Club, London, 11 January 2025

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig reviewLeave a comment

Before I start the blog I’d like to thank John (their US tour manager) for getting me a backstage pass and to GBH for taking time out to chat with me during the day.  They are a lovely courteous bunch of fun loving Brummies 😊.  So the good news was I got to see the soundcheck for both GBH and their support act Split Dogs who were also golly good fun. And then off to the pub around the corner for a few jars with the band, hear some stories and back in time to watch the Split Dogs set.

The 100 club is still as dingy, divey and sweaty as always, apparently the gents was refurbed a while back but it’s seriously hard to tell!  Both bands used the house back line and basic lighting – well it’s bloody hard shifting gear down those steps at the back of the venue, plus less gear to be stolen 😊.

Support Band – Split Dogs

I’d never heard or Bristol’s Split Dogs before today but my interest was spiked during their soundcheck – they play Rock ‘n Roll with a punk attitude.  I’d describe the sound as Punk meets Status Quo on crack/steroids and as it turns out speaking with Mil after show he’s a massive Quo fan. I spotted more than a few quick Quo inspired riffs during their blistering in your face set.  In Harry they have an all-out in your face front man, she is a fucking force of nature.  Brilliant poses, facially expressive, aggressive, style in abundance – just look at the girl go (you can’t take your eyes off her).  Mil reminds me of a young Brian Setzer – loud guitars, tattoos and a “I don’t give a fuck” attitude. They are ably supported by the bass/drums laying the groove in support of Mil’s manic guitar. 

They seem to have had a few line-up changes but currently Split Dogs are Harry Martinez – vocals, Mil Martinez – guitar, Suez Boyle – bass, Chris – drums.

Split Dogs

This lot are going places – go catch them while they are still raw and eager. If you want to see them in action follow the links below:
Live 100 Club

Soundcheck 1 – 100 Club

Soundcheck 2 – 100 Club

GBH Review

GBH 1st played the 100 Club 44 years ago supporting Discharge.  In the intervening years not much has changed, GBH’s brand of hardcore metal-punk headbangers give you no respite throughout their 75 min set.  Highly charged riff driven powerhouse songs that grab the audience by the proverbial balls.  Those of you that know the 100 Club will know there is a pillar just in front of the stage middle and either side of the pillar small groups developed into mini mosh pits with studded leather clad Mohicans (or baldies) leaping about with gay abandon.  Die hard fanatical fans seeing their hero’s in action.  On numerous occasions the stage was ‘invaded’ by various fans just wanting to either sing or dance or in fact just use the stage as a launch pad for a quick bit of crowd surfing. The local bouncer intervened on a few occasions but towards the end Colin seemed to warm to it and was more than happy for the fans to sing the chorus’s on stage with him or to hand the mic over to the front row to shout the words. 

As always Colin’s lyrics are undecipherable on stage, but that matters not if you know the words anyway.  The band have been at it for so long it’s seamless to watch, a well drilled machine. Colin still looks the part as he battles constantly with the mike stand and generally looks angry throughout – a top front man.  Jock does his thing effortlessly, guitar and man in perfect harmony riff after riff (now that sounds like a good album title 🤔). Scott beats the shit out of the drums all night long as if his life depended on it and the back line interplay with Ross on bass really lays the sonic back beat to Jock’s powerhouse guitar riffs and solo’s.

Set List (click on the link to watch the YouTube videos)

  1. Diplomatic Immunity (City Baby’s Revenge, 1984)
  2. Drugs Party in 526 (City Baby’s Revenge, 1984)
  3. Sick Boy (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  4. Slit Your Own Throat (Leather, Bristles, Studs and Acne, 1981)
  5. Am I Dead Yet? (Leather, Bristles, Studs and Acne, 1981)
  6. Warpigs
  7. Maniac (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  8. Gunned Down  (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  9. I Am The Hunted (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  10. The Prayer of a Realist (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  11. Heavy Discipline (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  12. Boston Babies (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  13. Bellend Bop (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  14. I Never Asked For Any Of This (Momentum, 2017)
  15. Generals (Leather, Bristles, Studs and Acne, 1981)
  16. No Survivors (Leather, Bristles, Studs and Acne, 1981)
  17. Fifty What? (Momentum, 2017)
  18. Momentum (Momentum, 2017)
  19. Give Me Fire (City Baby’s Revenge, 1984)
  20. City Baby Attacked by Rats (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  21. City Baby’s Revenge (City Baby’s Revenge, 1984)
  22. Time Bomb (City Baby Attacked by Rats, 1982)
  23. Bomber – [Motorhead cover, 1979]

    Extra gift for you all – ‘Momentum‘ at the soundcheck…

So Birmingham’s GBH are the flag bearers of the 2nd wave of punk rock and probably the most famous of the movement.   They obviously have staying power, three of the originals are still in the band and Scott has been with them since 1994 which says a lot about their camaraderie.  They bond on stage each knowing their place and the interaction is very real.   The vast majority of their set comes from the 1981-84 heyday period with the addition of 3 tracks from 2017’s Momentum (my personal favourite is ‘I Never Asked For Any Of This’) plus an anarchic cover of Motörhead’s classic ‘Bomber’ to finish off their intense set.

GBH are: Colin Abrahall – vocals; ‘Jock’ (Colin Blyth) – guitar; Ross Lomas – bass; Scott Preece – drums.

I for one knew little about GBH before tonight, except for their name and iconic band pictures, especially from the early days.  So I listened to some of their stuff and liked both the old and new so another band in my catalogue to check out more and to watch live again. I really enjoyed watching them live as a newbie but for the diehards this was a massive deal.

In my experience having spent a few hours with the band during soundchecks, in the pub and backstage, they may have a ‘rock ard’ image but they are a wonderfully down to earth, not up their own backsides, set of blokes who still reside around their home turf of Birmingham.  It was a pleasure to meet them and see them in action.  A new fan to their ranks.

Marko [15 Jan 2024]

Live review: The Long Ryders 229 London – [16 Oct 2024]

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig reviewLeave a comment

40 years ago The Long Ryders released their 1st LP Native Sons, to critical acclaim, and apparently in the process unwittingly invented ‘Americana’.  I indeed bought said LP and treasure it to this day.  I really can’t remember how they came to my attention (at same time as Green On Red and REM I think) else they may have inexplicably passed me by.   When I saw they were touring and playing the LP in its entirety I just had to go reminisce and be part of rock ‘n’ roll history😊.  As it happens it’s not lost any of its lustre, is still a lovely and relevant piece of work that has stood the test of time.

Having seen them 18 months back I knew what to expect – The Long Ryders are a top live band led by the indomitable barmy Sid Griffin; Greg Sowders wearing a Stetson looking like a retired Texas Ranger and Stephen McCarthy erring on the accountant look.  They are supplemented by Murry Hammond (from the Old 97’s) and a 2nd drummer (not seen that since the Glitter band 😊) plus the occasional horn section.

The Long Ryders are:

  • Sid Griffin – Guitar/vocals
  • Murry Hammond (from the Old 97’s) – Bass/vocals
  • Stephen McCarthy – Guitar/vocals
  • Greg Sowders – Drums

So how to describe them?  60’s psychedelia, Alt.Country, slightly Monkees, Byrdsy – basically lots of twangy guitar riffs.  They come into their own live delivering songs with passion, energy and a sense of fun.

Sid Griffin is a consummate and witty performer – give them what they want!!  His energy levels are  undiminished and in-between songs he’s a funny fucker. The hair is now whiter but it’s still a shaggy sweaty mop from back in the day.

Setlist (Click on links to view YouTube videos)

  1. Gunslinger Man – (Two-Fisted Tales, 1987)
  2. Seasons Change – (September November, 2023)
  3. September November Sometime – (September November, 2023)
  4. Final Wild Son – (Native Sons, 1984)
  5. Still Get By – (Native Sons, 1984)
  6. Ivory Tower – (Native Sons, 1984)
  7. Run Dusty Run – (Native Sons, 1984)
  8. (Sweet) Mental Revenge – (Native Sons, 1984)
  9. Fair Game – (Native Sons, 1984)
  10. Tell It to the Judge on Sunday – (Native Sons, 1984)
  11. Wreck of the 809 – (Native Sons, 1984)
  12. Too Close to the Light – (Native Sons, 1984)
  13. Never Got To Meet The Mom – (Native Sons, 1984)
  14. I Had a Dream – (Native Sons, 1984)
  15. I Want You Bad (NRBQ cover)
  16. State of My Union – (State of Our Union, 1985)
  17. Greenville – (Psychedelic Country Soul, 2019)

Encore:

  1. White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane cover)
  2. Lights of Downtown – (State of Our Union, 1985)
  3. Looking for Lewis and Clark – (State of Our Union, 1985)

The lights dimmed, the near sell-out crowd roared, and the guitars twanged to ‘Gunslinger Man’.  They twanged even more on the Byrdsy ‘September November Sometime’ a quintessential Ryders song and a personal favourite of mine.  Then Sid announces they are playing the whole of ‘Native Sons’ in chronological order – perfect!  So from the off it’s all ass-kicking attitude, on ‘Final Wild Son’

Sid and Stephen regularly took turns for lead vocals and traded guitar solo’s respectfully.  Stephen is more sedate during his solos whereas Sid on the other hand (with trusty Rickenbacker) is in constant motion making machine gun shapes, wailing legs and striking poses.  Hell they all really look like they are enjoying themselves not surprising really given the enthusiastic audience and classic songs like ‘Run Dusty Run’, ‘(Sweet) Mental Revenge’, and ‘Tell It to the Judge on Sunday’ they get to play.

Tools down and off for the briefest of interludes and lots of hollering.  Upon returning Sid says “on a personal level thank you for making so much noise as I’ve a lot of family here tonight, and they weren’t so sure about the career path I took” – tee hee!!  At the start of their dreamy version of Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’ (sung by Murray) he says “kids there’s something to be learned here so pay attention”.  They finish off with the rousing audience participation sing-a-long that is ‘Waiting For Lewis and Clark’ the final icing on a class night. Catch them while you can folks, definitely worth the ride.

Morton Valance

The support act were a London band called Morton Valence, whom I’d never heard of but turned out to be a very fine band indeed with some beautifully eerie slow burning country style songs.  The 4 piece were fronted by a beanie wearing singer with acoustic guitar and a lovely Irish lady on keyboards.  Chatting with the band afterwards it turns out they have released quite a few albums already so I’ll have to check them out as they sounded interesting and different.  I felt obliged to buy something as let’s face it any band that gets to mention Hieronymus Bosch in a song has got to have some degree of intellect 😊 and wit. I enjoyed their set, they were engaging.

Marko [18 Oct 2024]

Review:  Black Uhuru – Jazz Café London [24 July 2024]

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig reviewLeave a comment

Black Uhuru were:

  • Derrick ‘Duckie’ Simpson – Vocals
  • Andrew Bees – Lead vocals
  • Elsa Green – backing vocals
  • Supported by some old black session musicians (bass/drums/keyboards/rhythm guitar) and a white dude with tattoos on lead guitar.

Luckily I saw the classic lineup of Black Uhuru in 1982 at Wembley Stadium supporting the Rolling Stones (alas I recall nothing from the day).  These days only Duckie remains as the stalwart holding their formidable legacy together so I was really looking forward to seeing them.

A sweaty night in the small but packed Jazz café in Camden finally saw the return of Black Uhuru (and about bloody time given all the previous cancellations!!).  Duckie and Andrew are a total contrast. Duckie barely moves, totally laid back, and just adds the odd bit of singing when required until he takes over lead vocals towards the end of the gig and even then barely breaks into a sweat.  Andrew on the other hand is a dynamic live wire, doing all the reggae moves and engaging the audience in singalongs.  He certainly has stage presence!  The rest of the band basically blend into the background (most with their dreads hidden in their tams), doing their job with minimum fuss.  They are a solid unit – pulsing repetitive hypnotic bass/drum really driving the beat for the whole evening.

Duckie’s performance was pretty much that of an interested bystander watching and conducting his band.  There were a number of occasions when Andrew had to restart a song, band obviously out of step, so they hadn’t had sufficient time to practice for this gig?  Not that this bothered the mixed crowd who danced and sang along enveloped in the rhythmic sound.

Set List (Click on the links to see the YouTube videos)
These are the songs I remember:

  1. I Love King Selassie – (Live, 1984)
  2. What Is Life? – (Anthem, 1984)
  3. Shine Eye Gal – (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, 1983)
  4. Plastic Smile – (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, 1983)
  5. Black Uhuru Anthem – (Anthem, 1984)
  6. As The World Turns – (As The World Turns, 2018)
  7. Spectrum – (Strongg, 1994)
  8. General Penitentiary – (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, 1983)
  9. Sponji Reggae – (Red, 1981)

Encore

  1. Solidarity – (Anthem, 1984)
  2. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner – (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, 1983)
  3. Happiness – (Sinsemilla, 1980)
  4. Sinsemilla – (Sinsemilla, 1980)

The nearly 2 hour set was sprinkled with classic hits from their 80’s heyday and newer tracks from their last LP.  Some tracks were elongated into a rhythmic jam with the groove simply moving your body to the beat.  The diverse audience of young/old black/white is a testament to Black Uhuru’s enduring reggae greats legacy.  The band and audience connected on many levels (umm is that dope I smell?), there is a timeless appeal to their music.

All in all it was a night to celebrate Black Uhuru as true ambassadors of ‘proper’ reggae. Thank you Duckie for keeping the fire burning!

Marko [29 July 2024]

Review: Body Count live at the O2 Forum Kentish Town – 30 June 2024 (Merciless Tour)

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig reviewLeave a comment

Amidst the sirens and flashing blue and red lights the Gangsta rap metal boys from south central LA launch tonight’s sonic onslaught with “Body Count’s in the House” or their eponymous 1st LP and for the next 90 minutes the noise never lets up.  It’s no frills, Rock N Roll! 

The tone for the night was set as they launched into Slayer’s ‘Raining Blood/Postmortem’, then ripping into ‘Bowels of the Devil’, and ‘There Goes the Neighborhood’ before introducing us to a new song ‘The Purge’.   Ice-T told the crowd that he judges how good Body Count concerts are by how brutal the mosh pits are. Que circle in the pit ready for the mayhem about to begin for a new song written especially for a good old mosh ‘The Purge’.  To be fair the pit started on the very first song and continues throughout the night – high-energy moshing, circle pits, crowd surfers and beer flying everywhere.  Fun to watch.

Ice dedicated “Manslaughter” to the death of real men “ladies have you noticed your man has a vagina” and “they have more products on the cosmetics shelf than you” 😊..   ‘Necessary Evil’ and ‘Psychopath’ were ace, for the latter Ice took off his cap and put tights over his face – very bank robber!  “Talk Shit, Get Shot” and “No Lives Matter” are great singalongs before the last song ‘Cop Killer’ brought mayhem and middle fingers in the air along with an impressively loud ‘F**K the police’ chorus.

Body Count Set list (click on links to see YouTube videos)

  1. Body Count’s in the House – (Body Count, 1992)
  2. Raining Blood / Postmortem – (Slayer cover)
  3. Bowels of the Devil – (Body Count, 1992)
  4. There Goes the Neighborhood – (Body Count, 1992)
  5. The Purge – (Merciless, 2024)
  6. Point the Finger – (Carnivore, 2020)
  7. Manslaughter – (Manslaughter, 2014)
  8. Necessary Evil – (Born Dead, 1994)
  9. Psychopath – (Merciless, 2024)
  10. No Lives Matter – (Bloodlust, 2017)
  11. War / UK 82 / Disorder – (Exploited Cover)
  12. Drive By – (Born Dead, 1994)
  13. Voodoo – (Body Count, 1992)
  14. Talk Shit, Get Shot – (Manslaughter, 2014)
  15. Cop Killer – (Body Count, 1992)

Encore

  1. Born Dead – (Born Dead, 1994)
  2. This is Why We Ride – (Bloodlust, 2017)
  3. Comfortably Numb ‘rap’ – (Merciless, 2024)

Ice then introduced us to what he said he invented i.e. a virtual encore.  Basically at 66 he’s too old to piss off backstage only to come back on so the lights are dimmed for 15 seconds, the band pretended to leave the stage before turning around and playing ‘Born Dead’.  He then explained revenge is the answer to killings and not reporting them to the police and engaged us to listen to the lyrics of ‘This is Why We Ride’.  They were about to call it quits but as the crowd was so good they agreed to play one last new song.  He teased us about what band they would cover this time and to everyone’s surprise it was Pink Floyd.  A wonderful rap full of emotive lyrics that make your hair stand on end all to the sounds of ‘Comfortably Numb’ – what a fucking way to go out, seismic – check out the video link.  This will be a staple set finisher for years to come a total classic on first hearing.  “Can you mother fuckers hear me?”.

Review Body Count playing "Cop Killer" live at the O2 Forum Kentish Town 30 June 2024

Body Count are:

  • Ice-T – Lead vocal
  • Ernie C – Lead guitar
  • Vincent Price – Bass
  • Juan Garcia – Rhythm guitar
  • Will “Ill Will” Dorsey Jnr – Drums
  • Sean E. Sean – Vocals
  • Little Ice – Vocals

Awesome riffs and blisteringly fast solos from Ernie C (looking like a deranged Donald King), ably supported by Juan on rhythm flying V.  The back beat was delivered lightning quick from Ill Will attacking the drums and in your face bass lines from Vincent Price.  Ice-T was a magnificent sweary beast of a man all night full of passion and humility.  Plenty of social commentary “shut the fuck up bitch” to a lady annoying him at the front; racial equality has been his main aim since he started; the hopelessness of war and why can’t we all live together?  Oh and the odd gun reference 😊…

The ‘skull n gun hoody’ black stage set back drops pretty much explain all you need to know about Body Count and rap superstar Ice-T – thank fuck he went metal!!  Body Count still matters!

Marko [1 July 2024]

Ps – I’ve decided to have a new feature to my blogs called ‘Nick’s view from the bar’ – which involves my mate Nick’s take on the gig stood propping up the bar and drinking way too much 😊.  More to follow..

Bruce Dickinson Live at London: The Mandrake Project Tour 2024 Highlights

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig review2 Comments

Well here I am at a loose end so let’s see what gigs are on in the smoke tonight.  Bruce Dickinson ah ha! – ok let’s see if there are any tickets.  Resale yes at £55.  Popped out and then revisited same site at 3pm and would you believe it £32 – I’ll have some of that.  So quick change and tube into London. Thanks to TFL closing Kentish Town tube for a year I have to go to Tufnal Park instead and walk, luckily it’s not that far.  Quick stop at a Japanese noodle bar and a couple pints in pub and I’m in.

Now this is a first for me. I don’t know any of Bruce’s solo material bar a few single from ‘Tattooed Millionaire’.  So I did a bit of digging to work out the set list and band members.

Last time I was here it was called the Kentish Town and Country club, not that I remember as it was a seriously long time ago and I was ratted.  The place was packed and steaming hot for this sell out show. Luckily I stood on the steps so had a great elevated view of proceedings.  The lights go down and monologue for ‘The Invaders’ (for you youngsters out there it’s a 1960s American Sci-Fi series) “The Invaders, Alien beings from a dying planet …” blasts out.  The band waltz on stage and are greeted with a barrage of “Brucie, Brucie” from and ardent crowd.  Worth milking it for a short while until they launch into ‘Accident Of Birth’.  It’s not long before he lifts his arms and, using his synonymous Maiden catch phrase, “Scream for me, London!”.  And yes they did!

This short set of 5 UK dates is to promote his lasts LP ‘The Mandrake Project’ and the 4 he played were good. Between songs, Bruce is his normal chatty self, with several dialogues throughout the set e.g. a tale of female vampires needing sex before ‘Many Roads To Hell’.  Tonight’s set surprisingly covers the majority of his solo career, a pretty even spread are his 1st album.

Set List (click on link to watch YouTube video)

  1. Accident of Birth – (Accident of Birth, 1997)
  2. Abduction – (Tyranny of Souls, 2005)
  3. Laughing in the Hiding Bush – (Balls to Picasso, 1994)
  4. Afterglow of Ragnarok – (The Mandrake Project, 2024)
  5. Chemical Wedding – (The Chemical Wedding, 1998)
  6. Many Doors to Hell – (The Mandrake Project, 2024)
  7. Jerusalem – (The Chemical Wedding, 1998)
  8. Resurrection Men – (The Mandrake Project, 2024)
  9. Rain on the Graves – (The Mandrake Project, 2024)
  10. Frankenstein – (Edgar Winter Group cover)
  11. The Alchemist – (The Chemical Wedding, 1998)
  12. Tears of the Dragon – (Balls to Picasso, 1994)
  13. Darkside of Aquarius – (Accident of Birth, 1997)

Encore:

  1. Navigate the Seas of the Sun – (Tyranny of Souls, 2005)
  2. Book of Thel – (The Chemical Wedding, 1998)
  3. The Tower – (The Chemical Wedding, 1998)

Once things for certain, having seemingly recovered from his well-documented throat issues he was at the top of his ‘air-raid siren’ game vocally, very impressive.  The band is well oiled, guitarists Philip Nãslund and Chris Declerq regularly take turns in lead and rhythm and the extremely seductive dread locked Tanya O’Callaghan putting stationary bassist to shame!  Drummer Dave Moreno is sweating and pounding the drums as if his life depended on it and the steampunk clad Mistheria fiddled with keytar strutting his stuff like a lead guitarist and enamouring the crowd to clap, sings and basically have a damn good time.  During longer solo’s Bruce would have breather at the back to get ready for the next vocal assault. One big negative for me was the bands dreaded virtuosic ‘look how competent I am on my instrument solo’s’ especially on ‘’Frankenstein’ where they all had a bloody go starting off with the drums.  Hell I hate those things.  They could have squeezed another song in instead!!

The Band are:
Philip Nãslund and Chris Declerq – guitar
Tanya O’Callaghan – bass
Dave Moreno – drums
Mistheria – keyboards, keytar.

The backstage visuals consist of UFO based themes and plenty of old B&W footage from old horror movies.  Lighting is generally dark and sparse bar some occasional strobe lighting. The entire time the audience were either clapping, singing or waving in unison, a devoted crowd indeed many sporting Iron Maiden insignia’s.  All in all an entertaining evening with pretty much every song receiving a standing ovation.

Bruce was sporting leather trousers, tour t-shirt, cut-off denim jacket and wool beanie throughout – he must have sweated off some pounds this evening.  He loves hamming it up with on the bongo’s and acts the demented demon whilst waving his arms about on the theremin – all very Vauderville 😊.

Black Smoke Trigger are the support act.  Not bad, their lead singer was a charismatic chap with a wonderfully husky voice. Some of the songs were pretty good, I wonder if they will break into the big time?

Marko [26 May 2024]

Live review: The Gaslight Anthem at the Roundhouse London [24 March 2024]

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig reviewLeave a comment

Support was from Texan Emily Wolfe, who came on later and played on two of the Gaslight Anthem’s songs. She can defo play guitar but the music wasn’t for me so I’ll skip her slot and get to the main attraction.

Brian looked way different to the last time I saw them almost exactly 10 years ago.  He’s got long unkempt hair, he’s put on some timber (middle aged spread 😊) and he’s wearing a Black Sabbath Vol 4 t-shirt – a nod to greatness.  They are across the pond for the UK/EU ‘History Books’ tour and this is the 1st of three nights at the Roundhouse which attests to their enduring popularity.  Tonight’s sell-out crowd of die-hard fans is buzzing with excitement, and a huge roar hits the band as they get on stage and launch full on into ‘Positive Charge’ from their latest LP.  Swiftly followed by ‘Hand Written’ and ‘Old White Lincoln’ the crowd are stomping, waving, jumping and singing along in unison.

In fairness Brian could just have played rhythm guitar all night as it seemed like the vocal crowd knew all the words to every song they played and sang along continuously – a sight to behold – a truly religious experience of sorts.

New Jersey’s finest are Brian Fallon – Vocals, rhythm guitar; Alex Rosamilia – guitar, Alex Levine – bass; Benny Horowitz – drums with touring members Ian Perkins (rhythm guitar, keyboards) Bryan Haring – keyboards.

The Majority of tonight’s set is from ‘The 59 Sound’ and ‘Handwritten’ with some nice surprises from their early days from ‘Señor and the Queen’ and ‘Sink or Swim’ (check the set list).  Basically loads of crowd favourites, let’s face it they have a top back catalogue to choose from, supplemented by 3 songs from the new LP ‘History Books’ and a couple from ‘Get Hurt’.  It appears that they change the set list most nights which is great news for fans who may have bought tickets for a couple of shows and also for the band as I guess it gets kind of boring (and would sap your enthusiasm) playing the same songs over and over night after night.

The Gaslight Anthem Set List (click on link to watch the video)

  1. Positive Charge (History Books, 2023)
  2. Handwritten (Handwritten 2012)
  3. Old White Lincoln (The ’59 Sound, 2008)
  4. Biloxi Parish (Handwritten 2012)
  5. Red Violins (Get Hurt, 2014)
  6. High Lonesome (The ’59 Sound, 2008)
  7. The Patient Ferris Wheel (The ’59 Sound, 2008)
  8. Mulholland Drive (Handwritten 2012)
  9. Here’s Lookin’ At You Kid (The ’59 Sound, 2008)
  10. The Spirit of Jazz (American Slang, 2010)
  11. 1930 (Sink or Swim 2007)
  12. Halloween (Get Hurt, 2014)
  13. I Coul’da Been A Contender (Sink or Swim 2007)
  14. The Weatherman (History Books, 2023)
  15. Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts (Señor and the Queen, 2008)
  16. Howl (Handwritten 2012)
  17. Mae (Handwritten 2012)
  18. Michigan, 1975 (History Books, 2023)
  19. Great Expectations (The ’59 Sound, 2008)
  20. 45 (Handwritten 2012)
  21. The ’59 Sound (The ’59 Sound, 2008)

Brian only interacts with the audience a couple of times during the show as one punkier classic rock slab blends into another for more joyous crowd revelry.  Comparisons with Bruce are inevitable, Brian certainly owes a debt of gratitude to the Boss but IMHO I prefer The Gaslight Anthems more up tempo beat and lyrics reflecting on times long gone by or just storytelling.

The sound was a bit too hazy for my liking (vocals didn’t stand out) and the lighting a bit hit and miss – too many red/blue hues but just a slight grumble. 

The show is interspersed with a few slower tunes – ‘Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts’, ‘Mae’ and ‘Here’s Lookin’ At You Kid’ which turned into a total reverie sing-along!  My personal favourites were ‘The Spirit of Jazz’ and the final 3 blistering tunes of ‘Great Expectations’, ‘45’ and ‘The 59 Sound’.  Everyone, including the band, had smiles on their faces.  A truly euphoric 90 mins of delightful driving rhythms powerfully resonating with the ordained crowd.

Marko [ 27 March 2024]

Review: The Tiger Lillies – Lessons in Nihilism @ Wilton’s Music Hall [27 Feb 2024]

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig review1 Comment

This is the 5th time I’ve seen The Tiger Lillies and once again have left with a smile on my face (only just mind as their ‘assistant’ David Hoyle was extremely irritating and added nothing to the music imho – but more of that later).

The music speaks for itself – vaudeville for the modern age, cabaret with a twist, avant garde Brechtian with eastern European gypsy leanings. Martyn Jacques is both the leader and writer of all the dystopian songs of love, death, drugs, hookers, colourful characters, dark macabre and seedy underbelly of life in the world of sub culture.  All those early years living above a whore house in Soho certainly did the trick (wink 😊).

Tonight the trio consist of:

  • Martyn Jacques: vocals, accordion, piano, ukulele
  • Adrian Stout: double bass, theremin, musical saw, jaw harp
  • Budi Butenop: drums, percussion

They are doing a short residency at Wilton’s Music Hall (20th Feb to 2nd March) in support of their new album ‘Lessons in Nihilism’ and played it in its entirety over two sets 19:30 – 20:20 and 20:40 – 21:30.  So more new twisted songs for the majority of the very diverse audience to engage with.

After every 2 or 3 songs the band sat down and we had to listen to a, thankfully relatively short, boring unfunny diatribe about politics, war, gender, and society from Blackpool’s very own David Hoyle.  Old queens never die they just get sadder I guess.  Even worse he bloody well sang a song assisted by Adrian on theremin.  Whatever the reason for having him on the bill is completely lost on me as it had nothing to do with the excellent music the band was playing and added nothing to the evening.  I’d rather have the band play more songs after all they have a huge back catalogue of excellent songs. 

As always the band were immaculately dressed suits, hats and grease-painted circus faces. Adrian and Budi had similar makeup accentuating their lines to almost Halloween skeletal appearance while Martyn had panda like face paint.  He wore a FCK PTN sticker (wonder what side he’s on 😊) on his bowler hat and cut and an imposing figure.  Occasional glimpses of his long pony tail flowing down his back during the quicker moments of accordion mayhem.

Most songs lead with the accordion with just a few guitar led ones such as the ghostly ‘Dying Clown’ accompanied by Adrian on theremin and Budi on washboard.  Unusual instruments of the day were Martyn’s 18” mini guitar in reverse (alas no pics) and Adrian playing the musical saw which had a wooden skull handle – top stuff!! Even the jaw harp made an appearance on one song.

‘Gone Wrong’ and ‘Come on Down’ are good old foot stomping gypsy based tunes.  Lots of sad melancholy soulful tunes too such as ‘Rest in Peace’ and ‘Time to Die’ are great vehicles for Martyn’s distinctive high falsetto voice.  ‘Disintegrate’ starts off Gypsy style then goes off into improvised Jazzy passages with the band giving it all they had.

The Tiger Lillies @ Wiltons Music Hall
The Tiger Lillies @ Wiltons Music Hall
The Tiger Lillies @ Wiltons Music Hall
The Tiger Lillies @ Wiltons Music Hall
The Tiger Lillies @ Wiltons Music Hall
The Tiger Lillies @ Wiltons Music Hall

I bought the CD and have been listening to it constantly while writing this piece.  It’s an excellent album, stark realism and great lyrics.  I highly recommend listening to it in the dark with a bottle or two of something by your side!

Set list

  1. Gone Wrong
  2. Bleached Earth
  3. Dying Clown
  4. Come on Down
  5. Time to Die
  6. Celebrity
  7. Disintegrate
  8. Blamed
  9. Rest in Peace
  10. No Sin
  11. Disease
  12. Kick a Baby (Urine Palace, 2007)
  13. Banging in the Nails (The Brothel to the Cemetery, 1998)

To finish off we had the excellent ‘Kick a Baby’ and ‘Banging in the Nails’ the latter of which had Budi doing a protracted drum solo which was rather good given his small drum kit.

It’s always a pleasure watching The Tiger Lillies – a truly one of a kind band and experience.  I was lucky enough to have my CD signed by the band as well as a few photos with them.  Thanks chaps keep it up.  Can’t wait till next time you are in London.

Marko [28 Feb 2024]