I didn't turn up to the venue until 20:30, so I missed the support act, who I had kind of wanted to see because I was trying to figure out why his name was so vaguely familiar. (I have subsequently discovered it was probably because he was the most notable figure in Tracey Emin's tent).
Any way, it did mean I was free to worm my way into a decent spot on the floor - right in front of Johnny Marr, as it turned out. And the band fashionably kept the crowd waiting for about fifteen minutes before storming with Paper Thin Walls as the opener.
A lot has been made of the sound quality -or lack thereof for a rock band to be playing in the RAH. I assumed the vocals were inaudible to me because of the fact I was right underneath Johnny Marr'sspeakers[monitors], but even when Isaac spoke between songs I could barely make out a word he said. Again, I assumed that's because he was too close to the mic, but surely someone of his experience doesn't make a schoolboy like that. The few things I did hear was him asking the guys at the top at the back (where, incidentally, a couple of my friends were sitting) if they could see/hear (?), and a rebuttal of the thought of playing Freebird (I take it that's becoming a running gag now). The crowd around me were shouting to have the vocals turned up, and they would have been within earshot of the band, and I think they did try to address it onstage, but there's only a limit with what you can do with amp levels.
The venue itself was pretty grandiose, but even as we were walking from the Tube station, we were thinking that alternative bands wouldn't exactly be queuing for a spot at that venue. There were posters for Simply Red's comeback. The sandwich bar had been converted into a criminally overpriced bar - £2.90 for a 285ml bottle of Carling, which was the cheapest drink by a long way. Then you weren't allowed to take them into any of the seating areas.
The first thing that struck me when I got to the floor was the fact that the security was barley visible (I actually didn't even know there was any until near the end). The crowd were really well-behaved as far as crowds go, with only one major incident during the encore. I couldn't see what happened, but Isaac stepped in [to confront the security], and he was still visibly angry when he was leaving the stage [slash being ushered backstage by the rest of the band]. My friends from the back said they thought he was trying to help a fan who was being manhandled by security.
Most of the set list was made up of We Were Dead..., and Good News... songs, but they did hold up the earlier stuff as well (just happened that it wasn't the songs I was hoping for, but they aren't my trained monkeys, so I'll live).
The band were so tight, especially the two drummers. At some points they were even sharing the same drumkit.
Johnny was made the star of the show by the photogs in front of the barrier. For about ten minutes at the start there was about five fixed solely on him, and none even on Isaac. Isaac went crazy during Doin the Cockroach, and started screaming into his guitar's pickup - which must have worked because I could hear him almost as well as with his mic [I subsequently learned that it was Tiny Cities Made of Ashes that inspired him to scream into his pickup].
The floor beneath me was trembling under the weight of synchronised jumping during Float On, and the crowd was in good spirits throughout. Before the band came on, the seated crowd managed to get a Mexican Wave going.
The band played a good hour and a half set, and you could see they up for the event, but the sound quality did ruin it for a lot of people (some even left early, according to their reviews. For me, it was the first time I had seen the Mouse, and was prejudiced to enjoy it no matter what and that served me well. Good Show.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Modest Mouse at Royal Albert Hall - 23 May 2007
The Egodeity had assumed he had mirrored this from his Last.fm site at the time, but it appears not, so here is a belated review of a Modest Mouse gig from the Albert Hall in 2007. (original post and comments here). All incidents with italicised square brackets are comments added in this post, with the full benefit of sober hindsight.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse giving shit right back to a wanker in the crowd
The Egodeity's favourite band is Modest Mouse (if one considers his Last.fm page, which is probably a decent indicator). He has been frotihng at the bit at the thought of new material, and signed up to follow their photographer, Pat Graham, on his blog (RSS link) and twitter, and he diligently pointed out this delightful video of Isaac Brock, the lead singer, chastising one of those loudmouth cunts who go to a concert expecting it to not fulfil their snobby standards (in fact, probably on some level, conscious or otherwise, willing it not to meet those standards) and feel the need to share their displeasure with everyone, including the band.
Brock completely ripped him shreds, pointing out that the song they had played before was "old stuff", and speculated that the song he played was older than the heckling spore. Great Stuff. New material is promised later this year, so one waits.
Brock completely ripped him shreds, pointing out that the song they had played before was "old stuff", and speculated that the song he played was older than the heckling spore. Great Stuff. New material is promised later this year, so one waits.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Grauniad's 1000 songs You must Hear
Every so often the Graun runs a week long list of 100 such and such things you must read/hear/choke on, with a conscience absence of the "before you die" suffix, presumably to absolve themselves from liability for condemning some poor hure to purgatory for not getting around to getting round to buying that obscure Icelandic band's fourth album that only came out on vinyl.
Anyhoo, last week, they did songs, and the accompanying website had a nifty Javascript thing that allowed you record your progress, so in a characteristic swathe of self-aggrandeur, the Egodeity presents the tracks he has heard, thus far:
Anyhoo, last week, they did songs, and the accompanying website had a nifty Javascript thing that allowed you record your progress, so in a characteristic swathe of self-aggrandeur, the Egodeity presents the tracks he has heard, thus far:
1000 songs everyone must hear
Love: part one of 1000 songs everyone must hear
My selection of 55 from the Guardian.co.uk list of 139
- The Shining (Badly Drawn Boy, 2000)
- God Only Knows (The Beach Boys, 1966)
- Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys, 1966)
- Wouldn’t It Be Nice (The Beach Boys, 1966)
- Eight Days a Week (The Beatles, 1964)
- I Want to Hold Your Hand (The Beatles, 1963)
- She Loves You (The Beatles, 1963)
- Something (The Beatles, 1969)
- With a Little Help from My Friends (The Beatles, 1967)
- Song for Whoever (The Beautiful South, 1989)
- How Deep is Your Love? (The Bee Gees, 1977)
- Crazy in Love (Beyoncé, 2003)
- Heroes (David Bowie, 1977)
- Hounds of Love (Kate Bush, 1985)
- The Man With the Child in His Eyes (Kate Bush, 1978)
- I Walk the Line (Johnny Cash, 1956)
- Yellow (Coldplay, 2000)
- Friday I’m in Love (The Cure, 1992)
- Pour Some Sugar on Me (Def Leppard, 1987)
- Visions of Johanna (Bob Dylan, 1966)
- One Day Like This (Elbow, 2008)
- I Say A Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin, 1968)
- The Power of Love (Frankie Goes to Hollywood, 1984)
- Let’s Stay Together (Al Green, 1971)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses, 1987)
- Stand By Me (Ben E King, 1961)
- You Really Got Me (The Kinks, 1964)
- Can’t Get You Out of My Head (Kylie Minogue, 2001)
- Madame George (Van Morrison, 1968)
- You’ve Got a Friend (Randy Newman, 1995)
- Oh, Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison, 1964)
- I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton, 1974)
- Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley, 1961)
- Love Me Tender (Elvis Presley, 1956)
- Unchained Melody (The Righteous Brothers, 1965)
- Umbrella (Rihanna, 2007)
- Be My Baby (The Ronettes, 1963)
- Valerie (Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse, 2007)
- Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (The Shirelles, 1961)
- Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon and Garfunkel, 1970)
- Fly Me to the Moon (Frank Sinatra, 1966)
- Love and Marriage (Frank Sinatra, 1955)
- There is a Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths, 1986)
- I Got You Babe (Sonny and Cher, 1965)
- Wannabe (The Spice Girls, 1996)
- She Bangs the Drums (The Stone Roses, 1989)
- I Feel Love (Donna Summer, 1977)
- Baby Love (The Supremes, 1964)
- My Girl (The Temptations, 1964)
- Gloria (Them, 1964)
- Here Comes the Night (Them/Van Morrison, 1965)
- River Deep, Mountain High (Ike and Tina Turner, 1966)
- You Do Something to Me (Paul Weller, 1995)
- Music to Watch Girls By (Andy Williams, 1967)
- Lean on Me (Bill Withers, 1972)
1000 songs everyone must hear
Heartbreak: part two of 1000 songs everyone must hear
My selection of 46 from the Guardian.co.uk list of 145
- The Winner Takes It All (Abba, 1980)
- Never Ever (All Saints, 1997)
- You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (The Beatles, 1965)
- Heart of Glass (Blondie, 1978)
- One Way Or Another (Blondie, 1979)
- Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) (Buzzcocks, 1978)
- Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson, 2004)
- Should I Stay Or Should I Go (The Clash, 1982)
- Crazy (Patsy Cline, 1961)
- So Long, Marianne (Leonard Cohen, 1967)
- The Scientist (Coldplay, 2002)
- Disintegration (The Cure, 1989)
- Layla (Derek and the Dominos, 1970)
- Warwick Avenue (Duffy, 2008)
- Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Bob Dylan, 1963)
- Idiot Wind (Bob Dylan, 1975)
- Just Like a Woman (Bob Dylan, 1966)
- I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Marvin Gaye, 1967)
- I Want You Back (The Jackson 5, 1970)
- Tainted Love (Gloria Jones, 1964)
- Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division, 1980)
- Caught Out There (Kelis, 1999)
- Mr Brightside (The Killers, 2003)
- Lola (The Kinks, 1970)
- Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis, 2007)
- Nothing Compares 2 U (Sinead O’Connor, 1990)
- Jolene (Dolly Parton, 1973)
- Every Breath You Take (The Police, 1983)
- Always on My Mind (Elvis Presley, 1972)
- Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley, 1969)
- When Doves Cry (Prince, 1984)
- Everybody Hurts (REM, 1992)
- The One I Love (REM, 1987)
- I Know It’s Over (The Smiths, 1986)
- Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths, 1984)
- Dry Your Eyes (The Streets, 2004)
- Last Nite (The Strokes, 2001)
- Back for Good (Take That, 1995)
- No Scrubs (TLC, 1999)
- With Or Without You (U2, 1987)
- Walk on By (Dionne Warwick, 1964)
- Gold Digger (Kanye West, 2005)
- Substitute (The Who, 1966)
- No Regrets (Robbie Williams, 1998)
- You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse, 2006)
- A Man Needs a Maid (Neil Young, 1972)
1000 songs everyone must hear
People and places: part three of 1000 songs everyone must hear
My selection of 33 from the Guardian.co.uk list of 145
- New York, New York (Ryan Adams, 2001)
- A Certain Romance (Arctic Monkeys, 2006)
- Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles, 1966)
- Penny Lane (The Beatles, 1967)
- She’s Leaving Home (The Beatles, 1967)
- Strawberry Fields Forever (The Beatles, 1967)
- Johnny B Goode (Chuck Berry, 1958)
- Life On Mars? (David Bowie, 1971)
- Space Oddity (David Bowie, 1969)
- Minnie the Moocher (Cab Calloway, 1931)
- Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash, 1955)
- Georgia on My Mind (Ray Charles, 1960)
- London Calling (The Clash, 1979)
- Mack the Knife (Bobby Darin, 1959)
- Like a Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan, 1965)
- Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland, 1939)
- Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin, 1971)
- Waterloo Sunset (The Kinks, 1967)
- Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1974)
- California Dreamin’ (The Mamas and the Papas, 1965)
- No Woman, No Cry (Bob Marley and the Wailers, 1974)
- Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Pink Floyd, 1975)
- Dirty Old Town (The Pogues, 1985)
- Rainy Night in Soho (The Pogues, 1985)
- Common People (Pulp, 1995)
- Homeward Bound (Simon and Garfunkel, 1966)
- Mrs Robinson (Simon and Garfunkel, 1968)
- Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen, 1975)
- Up the Junction (Squeeze, 1979)
- Born to Be Wild (Steppenwolf, 1968)
- The Boys Are Back in Town (Thin Lizzy, 1976)
- My Perfect Cousin (The Undertones, 1980)
- Wild Wood (Paul Weller, 1993)
People and places: part three of 1000 songs everyone must hear
1000 songs everyone must hear
Sex: part four of 1000 songs everyone must hear
My selection of 43 from the Guardian.co.uk list of 131
- You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC, 1980)
- Love in an Elevator (Aerosmith, 1989)
- Smile (Lily Allen, 2006)
- When The Sun Goes Down (Arctic Monkeys, 2006)
- Girls and Boys (Blur, 1994)
- Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine (James Brown, 1970)
- Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above (CSS, 2006)
- Say My Name (Destiny’s Child, 1999)
- Come On Eileen (Dexys Midnight Runners, 1982)
- I Touch Myself (Divinyls, 1991)
- I Want You (Bob Dylan, 1966)
- Relax (Frankie Goes to Hollywood, 1983)
- Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel, 1986)
- Let’s Get It On (Marvin Gaye, 1973)
- Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye, 1982)
- No Pussy Blues (Grinderman, 2007)
- Bob’s Yer Uncle (Happy Mondays, 1990)
- You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate, 1975)
- Saving All My Love for You (Whitney Houston, 1985)
- I Just Want to Make Love to You (Etta James, 1961)
- Super Freak (Rick James, 1981)
- Milkshake (Kelis, 2003)
- Ignition (Remix) (R Kelly, 2003)
- Khia (My Neck, My Back (Lick It), 2002)
- Sex On Fire (Kings of Leon, 2008)
- Lady Marmalade (Labelle, 1974)
- Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
- Tutti Frutti (Little Richard, 1955)
- Justify My Love (Madonna, 1990)
- Electric Feel (MGMT, 2008)
- Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order, 1986)
- Roxanne (The Police, 1978)
- Little Red Corvette (Prince, 1983)
- Kiss (Prince and the Revolution, 1986)
- Honky Tonk Women (The Rolling Stones, 1969)
- Reel Around the Fountain (The Smiths, 1984)
- … Baby One More Time (Britney Spears, 1998)
- I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges, 1969)
- Animal Nitrate (Suede, 1993)
- Get It On (T Rex, 1971)
- Wild Thing (The Troggs, 1966)
- Desire (U2, 1988)
- Venus in Furs (The Velvet Underground, 1967)
1000 songs everyone must hear
Politics and protest: part five of 1000 songs everyone must hear
My selection of 50 from the Guardian.co.uk list of 141
- Another World (Antony and the Johnsons, 2008)
- Windowsill (Arcade Fire, 2007)
- I Am the Walrus (The Beatles, 1967)
- Revolution (The Beatles, 1968)
- War Pigs (Black Sabbath, 1971)
- Cop Killer (Body Count, 1992)
- And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda (Eric Bogle, 1971)
- Army Dreamers (Kate Bush, 1980)
- Straight to Hell (The Clash, 1982)
- White Riot (The Clash, 1977)
- Ohio (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, 1970)
- Thou Shalt Always Kill (Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, 2007)
- Maggie’s Farm (Bob Dylan, 1965)
- The Times They Are a-Changin’ (Bob Dylan, 1964)
- Role Model (Eminem, 1999)
- Two Tribes (Frankie Goes To Hollywood, 1984)
- Respect (Aretha Franklin, 1967)
- I Fought the Law (Bobby Fuller Four, 1965)
- What’s Going On? (Marvin Gaye, 1971)
- The Message (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, 1982)
- American Idiot (Green Day, 2004)
- The Star-Spangled Banner (Jimi Hendrix, 1969)
- The Eton Rifles (The Jam, 1979)
- Going Underground (The Jam, 1980)
- Material Girl (Madonna, 1985)
- Redemption Song (Bob Marley, 1980)
- Kick Out the Jams (MC5, 1968)
- Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell, 1970)
- Police and Thieves (Junior Murvin, 1976)
- Fuck tha Police (NWA, 1988)
- Monkey Gone to Heaven (Pixies, 1989)
- Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six (The Pogues, 1988)
- In the Ghetto (Elvis Presley, 1969)
- Come Together (Primal Scream, 1990)
- Sign o’ the Times (Prince, 1987)
- Bring the Noise (Public Enemy, 1987)
- Fight the Power (Public Enemy, 1989)
- Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine, 1992)
- Anarchy in the UK (Sex Pistols, 1976)
- God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols, 1977)
- Ghost Town (The Specials, 1981)
- Born in the USA (Bruce Springsteen, 1984)
- War (Edwin Starr, 1970)
- Suspect Device (Stiff Little Fingers, 1978)
- Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2, 1983)
- We Are the World (USA for Africa, 1985)
- Get Up, Stand Up (The Wailers, 1973)
- My Generation (The Who, 1965)
- Rockin’ in the Free World (Neil Young, 1989)
- Southern Man (Neil Young, 1970)
Politics and protest: part five of 1000 songs everyone must hear
1000 songs everyone must hear
Life and death: 1000 songs everyone must hear
My selection of 35 from the Guardian.co.uk list of 131
- Fluorescent Adolescent (Arctic Monkeys, 2007)
- What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong, 1968)
- Yesterday (The Beatles, 1965)
- Paranoid (Black Sabbath, 1970)
- (Don't Fear) The Reaper (Blue Ă–yster Cult, 1976)
- This Is a Low (Blur, 1994)
- School’s Out (Alice Cooper, 1972)
- Killing an Arab (The Cure, 1978)
- Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode, 1989)
- Sunshine Superman (Donovan, 1966)
- Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan, 1973)
- Regulate (Warren G and Nate Dogg, 1994)
- Hey Joe (The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1966)
- Someone Great (LCD Soundsystem, 2007)
- Baggy Trousers (Madness, 1980)
- La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh) (Manic Street Preachers, 1993)
- Safe from Harm (Massive Attack, 1991)
- Fade to Black (Metallica, 1984)
- Lithium (Nirvana, 1991)
- Mo Money Mo Problems (The Notorious BIG, 1997)
- Live Forever (Oasis, 1994)
- Ms Jackson (OutKast, 2000)
- 9 to 5 (Dolly Parton, 1980)
- Another Brick in the Wall, Part II (Pink Floyd, 1979)
- Message in a Bottle (The Police, 1979)
- Glory Box (Portishead, 1994)
- Sour Times (Portishead, 1994)
- Paranoid Android (Radiohead, 1997)
- (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding, 1968)
- Paint it Black (The Rolling Stones, 1966)
- Feeling Good (Nina Simone, 1965)
- It Was a Very Good Year (Frank Sinatra, 1965)
- Psycho Killer (Talking Heads, 1977)
- One (U2, 1992)
- Old Man (Neil Young, 1972)
1000 songs everyone must hear
Party songs: part seven of 1000 songs everyone must hear
My selection of 58 from the Guardian.co.uk list of 162
- Dancing Queen (Abba, 1976)
- Back in Black (AC/DC, 1980)
- Because I Got High (Afroman, 2001)
- Windowlicker (Aphex Twin, 1999)
- I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor (Arctic Monkeys, 2005)
- Re-Rewind (The Artful Dodger featuring Craig David, 1999)
- 9pm (Till I Come) (ATB, 1999)
- Love Shack (The B-52’s, 1989)
- (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party) (Beastie Boys, 1987)
- Night Fever (Bee Gees, 1978)
- Let’s Dance (David Bowie, 1983)
- Shake Your Tailfeather (Ray Charles, 1980)
- Le Freak (Chic, 1978)
- Brimful of Asha (Cornershop, 1997)
- Da Funk (Daft Punk, 1995)
- Groove Is in the Heart (Deee-Lite, 1990)
- Just Can’t Get Enough (Depeche Mode, 1981)
- Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (Ian Dury and the Blockheads, 1978)
- Biology (Girls Aloud, 2005)
- Dare (Gorillaz, 2005)
- Over and Over (Hot Chip, 2006)
- Jump Around (House of Pain, 1992)
- Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (Indeep, 1982)
- Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough (Michael Jackson, 1979)
- Off the Wall (Michael Jackson, 1979)
- I Love Rock’n’Roll (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, 1982)
- Transmission (Joy Division, 1979)
- Louie Louie (The Kingsmen, 1963)
- Golden Skans (Klaxons, 2007)
- My Sharona (The Knack, 1979)
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper, 1983)
- Can’t Stand Me Now (The Libertines, 2004)
- Beautiful Stranger (Madonna, 1999)
- Holiday (Madonna, 1983)
- Kids (MGMT, 2008)
- Paper Planes (DFA remix) (MIA, 2008)
- Hot in Herre (Nelly, 2002)
- True Faith (New Order, 1987)
- Cigarettes and Alcohol (Oasis, 1994)
- Hey Ya! (OutKast, 2003)
- Streams of Whiskey (The Pogues, 1984)
- Loaded (Primal Scream, 1991)
- 1999 (Prince, 1983)
- Out of Space (The Prodigy, 1992)
- Feel Good Hit of the Summer (Queens of the Stone Age, 2000)
- House of Jealous Lovers (The Rapture, 2002)
- All Night Long (All Night) (Lionel Richie, 1983)
- Witness (1 Hope) (Roots Manuva, 2001)
- Nite Klub (The Specials, 1979)
- You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (Sylvester, 1978)
- How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths, 1985)
- Young Hearts Run Free (Candi Staton, 1976)
- Wipe Out (The Surfaris, 1962)
- Rapper’s Delight (The Sugarhill Gang, 1979)
- Shout (Tears for Fears, 1984)
- A Punk (Vampire Weekend, 2008)
- My Generation (The Who, 1965)
- (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher (Jackie Wilson, 1967)
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