venta

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 )

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 )

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.

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.

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 )

Note to self: remember that the LJ app is not that reliable at saving drafts. Take 2...

( Winter Sprinter @ the Lexington: Leg 4 )

Right. That's the end of the Winter Sprinter. No more gig reviews for at least ten days, promise.

While everyone (ok, on my particular friends list, about two people) have been tackling Clovember, in my world it appears to have been Gigvember.

( Reverendand the Makers @ Koko )

And now I am, as I write this, stranded in Hammersmith thanks to a fire alarm at Kings Cross.

Edit Sorry about the spacing issues in this post - apparently LJ has removed the space from before every occurrence of 'and'. Dunno why.

Blimey. Mr. Heintz is properly reverting to type on this new The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing album, isn't he?

Anyone else going to see The Men... on Saturday?