venta

It was like everything I had ever lost had come back

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 10:22:01 GMT

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Every so often I genuinely intend to get back to posting regularly (because my memory no longer works desperately well, and I appreciate old entries here telling me what I did). But then... life gets in the way, and so on.

Plus how do I catch up? I think the answer is: I don't. Let's just dive in. It's not like I have any major news, anyway. Still alive, still in Ealing, still programming for a job, still living with ChrisC. Still foisting fiction on the world, https://www.elizabethguilt.com for details (I use a pen-name because my real surname is hard).

( Allo Darlin )

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I smell winter on his breath

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 22:07:32 GMT

Hello, everyone who's been popping up to write start-of-year posts.

I haven't actually got my thoughts about 2018 or 2019 into order yet (I am confused on many topics), so instead I shall write about gigs for a change.

January is always the Winter Sprinter, which means four gigs in four evenings, three of which are followed by getting up for work. I do like to start January knackered.

If you don't like gig write ups, the tl;dr version is:

- small gigs are fun, try them out at a pub some time
- if you want a musical experience like no other (in a good way), then you should either go and see Deerful or Haiku Salut

( Day 1: Suggested Friends, Peaness, Whoa Melodic )

( Day 2: Flowers, Firestations, Deerful )

( Day 3: Joss Cope, Gwenifer Raymond, Haiku Salut )

( Day 4: Mikey Collins, The Catenary Wires, Withered Hand )

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If you don't blink soon your eyeball's gonna fall out

Sat, 06 Jan 2018 14:22:09 GMT

So, for the past few years January has always started with the mini-festival that was Fortuna Pop's Winter Sprinter. Sadly, last year, the record label Fortuna Pop closed its doors (in an amazing flurry of farewell gigs) and we thought that that was it on the Winter Sprinter. But no! Step forward Fika, WYAIWIA and Gare du Nord, three record labels who ganged up to make it happen again this year. Hurrah!

( Winter Sprinter @ Lexington )

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The bands play it hard and fast go ripping through their sets

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 21:50:54 GMT

Happy new year, all.

One of the various things I intended doing to tidy up 2017 was collect together a list of all the gigs I went to during the year. I was expecting to post a teeny-tiny photo for each headlining band, because I've been making a point to take a quick photo at every gig. Except it turns out I've forgotten a lot more often than I thought. And many of the photos are rubbish.

On the plus side, though, I've had a lovely browse through this-year-in-pictures on my phone.

( Text list of gigs... )

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I saw a blind man, he was eating his fork

Sun, 24 Dec 2017 21:59:31 GMT

Phew. It's been a busy December. In fact, I'm not entirely sure where it's gone. In gigs, some of it.

( The Frank & Walters @ the Water Rats )

( Grace Petrie @ Bush Hall )

( The Wave Pictures @ the Lexington )

Probably just as well Dinosaur Jr. cancelled their show, really.

Oh, and I saw NMA at the Forum, too. But you've all heard me waffle on about them before, and right now the mother is requiring assistance making pigs in blankets.

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You are coming down with me, hand in unlovable hand

Sun, 22 Oct 2017 17:46:58 GMT

( The Mountain Goats @ Shepherd's Bush Empire )

( Every Brilliant Thing @ Orange Tree Theatre )

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When do I get to feel like Sinatra felt?

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 16:01:33 GMT

Brains are weird.

There is someone whom I recognise, but don't know, whom I believe lives in Whitby. This is because I see her at the goth festival twice a year, and at the folk festival. Since it seems fairly unlikely that someone would like both gothy nonsense and the sort of very traditional folk music one gets in Whitby, I conclude that she lives there.

Have you spotted the problem with this chain of reasoning?

Exactly. I only see her because I am there (despite not living in Whitby). Because I like both gothy nonsense and trad folk.

At gigs, ChrisC and I commonly play the Least Likely T-shirt game. That is, spotting the band t-shirt worn by someone to the gig that seems most implausible given the band that are playing. Just how likely is it that someone who wears an Iron Maiden shirt would want to come and see Allo Darlin' anyway?

Yesterday, while waiting for Jamie to show up for pre-gig food, I watched a new Tigercats video on Youtube. Then we went to see Sparks, a gig at which I picked up a Flag Promotions flyer and considered whether I wanted to go and see Covenant[*] or Front Line Assembly. And yet I think it's notable and funny that someone else turned up to the show in a Wildhearts shirt.

Oh yes, I went to see Sparks yesterday.

( Sparks @ Shepherds Bush Empire )

And while we're on, I recommend that Tigercats video.

( Tigercats! )

[*] Probably not. I always think I like Covenant. But really, Call The Ships To Port and I'm basically done.

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Hi ho hi ho hi ho, we're heading out to the punk rock show

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 18:05:26 GMT

Well, that attempt to re-start posting about gigs didn't go very well, did it? Quick catch-up...

( Tall Ships @ Bush Hall )

( Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls @ The Roundhouse )

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The beats, yeah, they were coming out the speakers

Tue, 02 May 2017 21:47:00 GMT

Right, this weekend was wall-to-wall gigs. I'll start and write about them, and then at some point I'm going to go back and cover gigs so far this year. Very briefly, partly in the interests of sanity and partly because my memory is terrible. Probably best avoided if you don't like reading about gigs.

( DIY Popfest, Saturday @ The George Tavern )

( DIY Popfest, Sunday @ The Shacklewell Arms )

( Los Campesinos! @ Koko )

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