Red Light Company, Bodega Social

There’s a rare queue outside the Bodega although most of them are checking into the gig and then going into the bar for a drink. This seems to be the younger element, which allows us oldies, of which there are quite a few tonight, all obviously watching their units and drying out after the weekend, to grab the best spots stage front.

I’d spent the afternoon checking out the Grammatics’ odd-ball sound as reviews have suggested that the Grammatics along with headliners the Red Light Company have produced the two most impressive debut albums of the year so far. The few downloads that I can get hold of though, leave me a little underwhelmed. So it’s somewhat of a surprise to discover how phenomenal the four-piece from Leeds are live and that’s before you take into account that they come equipped with a Swedish lass in black tights with a cello between her thighs. Apparently Emilia, fresh from the Stockholm Youth Symphony Orchestra, answered an advert they posted up at Leeds University.



Emilia is actually a bit underused. When she does get involved though it’s to impressive effect, with her playing her cello just like she would a guitar.

The star of the show isn’t Emilia though but lead singer, guitarist and all round skinny bloke Owen Brinley with his clever lyrics, intense vocals and his guitar which dominates most of their sound.



The band seems genuinely grateful to people for turning outing to see them. I’m glad we took the trouble. A very pleasant surprise.

Talking of skinny folk, there’s not much meat on any of the bands tonight, as an equally undernourished Red Light Company take the stage and open with ‘Words Of Spectacular’.

Red Light Company are a cosmopolitan bunch, vocalist Richard Frenneaux is English but grew up down under. Bass player, Shawn Day was born in Osaka. Whilst James Griffiths (drums) is Welsh and Paul Mellon (guitar) Scottish. Chris Edmonds (keyboards) spoils it a touch by coming from Maidenhead.



The wonderful and criminally overlooked single ‘Scheme Eugene’ is next, with its sing-along chorus to which a fair number of the crowd oblige. You can imagine that had someone like the Killers recorded it, it would have topped the charts for eons. In fact, Brandon is probably spitting feathers that he didn’t pen it. Unfortunately the sound isn’t quite right for it and it doesn't quite hit the mark tonight but the dodgy mix is just right for the brooding ‘With Lights Out’ and so too for ‘Bahnhof Zoo’. A favourite of mine, which has a touch of the Editors about it. Aside from ‘Bahnhof Zoo’ which was a b-side, they stick to stuff from the ‘Fine Fascination’ album.

Red Light Company have been accused of being a bit emotionless but tonight Frenneaux is the perfect front man, eyes on the crowd, a bit of banter, plenty of gratitude and even a smile. Plus by the time ‘The Architect’ appears the sound is spot on and they've really into their stride.



The band have some ‘huge’ records, pulsating drums and meaty riffs. ‘Meccano’ is simply terrific, full of hooks, although the attempt to let the crowd do the vocal work doesn't quite work out. No matter how appropriate “crying out loud, the weekend is over” is for a Monday, the songs are not quite that well known, yet.

‘Arts & Crafts’ follows and is equally excellent. Then it’s all over far too soon with the grunge of ‘When Everyone Is Everybody Else’ and the band depart amid a fuzz of feedback.



They have planned an encore and hope to be shouted back for it but again they're not quite that big yet and the Bodega isn't really big enough to create that sort of atmosphere but they come back anyway to finish us off with 'The Alamo'.

A very easy band to enjoy and enjoy we did.

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The Gaslight Anthem, Rock City

Tonight's gig was advertised as being in the basement at Rock City but the Gaslight Anthem's rapid rise to fame seems to have put paid to that. When we arrive people are queuing down the street to pay on the door. Turns out we're not in the basement at all but in the main hall and it's just about full.

The Gaslight Anthem's take on Americana is eighties-ish and unashamedly Springsteen. They are perhaps what the E Street band would have sounded like had they not had a few hits and crossed over to the dark side of the mainstream.

Once inside, we get a good vantage point for fellow New Yorkers, the Polar Bear club. Whose sound is most definitely veering towards punk and they even have an appropriately hyperactive front man. They possibly remind me of Enter Shikari but without the electronics. I think that's a bit flattering to Enter Shikari. I'm afraid I'm not much of a fan of theirs. Like Enter Shikari though, you get the impression that if the Polar Bear Club tidied up their sound they'd be onto something.

Somebody who clearly is on to something is Frank Turner. He's incredibly popular tonight, in fact a lot of the crowd seem to have come mainly to see him and justifiably so. His set is a massive contrast in style to the punk of the Polar Bear club. Although perhaps not that dissimilar as Frank was in the hardcore band Million Dead before he pursued a solo career in what is basically folk music.

Tonight Frank, with just his voice, an acoustic guitar, and some impressively simple melodies is excellent. He's also very funny and entertaining as he banters with the crowd before launching into one heartfelt lament after another. His lyrics are personal, about lost loves, betrayals and killing his ex-girlfriend. Frank seems pretty miffed about the hand life has dealt him. He plays a mixture of old songs to which the crowd eagerly sing along to and also throws in a few from his forthcoming but as yet unrecorded new album. ‘Long live the Queen’, ‘Worse things happen at sea’ and ‘Photosynthesis’, among others, are all impressive.



He says he's back and headlining in October, I could well be there. Whether his usual full band can live up to this acoustic performance remains to be seen.

It's the Polar Bear Club's last night on the tour and they keep bring drinks out to Frank, who appears to be sipping a cultured glass of white wine, whereas they bring him what looks like a huge shot of Jack Daniels, followed by the bottle. Still, it's good again to see three bands on tour together that bond so well.

It's not just Springsteen, whom they will support at Hyde Park in the summer, who influences the Gaslight Anthem and as if to emphasises the point they take the stage to the accompaniment of Tom Waits' gravelly vocals before starting things off with 'Great Expectations', the opening track of last year's 'The 59 Sound'.

They go for it at a quite a pace, tearing through the first five songs, the first four all upbeat numbers from the latest album with additional guitar work from the Polar Bear Club on 'High Lonesome' and the crowd sing along to every word.



Finally the band call a temporary halt to proceedings, after an oldie, 'We Came To Dance' from 2007's 'Sink or Swim'. As he pauses for breath, the heavily tattooed Brian Fallon beams at the crowd and expresses his gratitude simply for being here. Then they burst into the '59 Sound's lively title track.

True, some of their stuff is all a bit samey. The ‘59 Sound’ is more or less several versions of the same song and all pretty much in the same key but I thought the live experience was a step up, rawer and faster than on the record. They play every song as if it is their last. They also mixed it up well with the older stuff, which is markedly different, and who a surprisingly large number of people also knew.

In fact, the diehards down the front seemed to be influencing things and getting requests. We get the first appearance on the tour of 'Navesink Banks' and I also feel this is the first time they've played '1930' because they seemed to have a big debate among themselves, presumably rewriting the set list before agreeing to play it.

Along the way they slip in tributes to some other influences, dropping in short bursts of Ben E King's 'Stand by Me' and James Brown's 'It's a Man's Man's Man's World'. Miles Davis is clearly another influence, as is Joe Strummer, who is the ‘Joe’ of ‘I'da Called You Woody, Joe’.

I also liked the way they loaded most of their best known stuff at the start of the set, leaving people wondering what was to come later and in the encore. No saving the ‘big hit’ to the end here. They even play three tracks from their slightly obscure ‘Señor and the Queen’ EP, which pre-dates the '59 Sound’ but hasn’t even been released over here yet.



After ending the set with a rousing 'The Backseat', they return for a three song encore but regrettably no cover of ‘New England’ with Frank Turner tonight (Norwich got it last night though) but I think they simply ran out of time and perhaps energy. Instead we get Turner and the Polar Club all joining them on the stage in their underwear!

The Gaslight Anthem are hardly a life-changing experience but it's a good gig and they're definitely a fun band to see.

Set List was something like this...

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NME Shockwaves Awards Tour, Rock City

The NME Shockwaves Awards Tour has been running since 1995 and takes place in the run up to the awards themselves. It is designed to showcase up and coming talent from the indie rock scene.

Rock City is packed and buzzing as early as 7.30 for the first of the four bands. It seems a lot of people have either read the hype about Florence And The Machine or just simply arrived early to see if Florence Welch can stay inside her dress, which seems precariously balanced on her frame at best.

The London lass, who will later this month collect the Critics' Choice Award at the Brit Awards, skipped on to a stage decorated in brightly coloured flowers, herself looking all bohemian, and kicked off the night's proceedings with a theatrical performance. She proceeded to bash seven bells out of a drum as her band opened with 'Between Two Lungs' and what lungs she had...

My partner described her as Kate Nash with balls but it's another Kate, Kate Bush, who Florence admits she grew up listening to, who perhaps wields the influence here. It's quite an entrance and it doesn't get any less dramatic.

Can she live up to the hype? Well she certainly gave an assured vocal performance as she treated us to her strange and gruesome songs, although tonight there are none of her famed cover versions. She casually introduces her song about 'cutting a girl’s eye out' called the ‘The Girl With One Eye’, an ode to disfigurement. She rants, screams, hyperventilates and at times even sings quite normally through her half hour set during which the recent singles 'Kiss with a Fist' and 'Dog Days are Over' are highlights.

Her stagecraft could probably be best described as eccentric, nothing wrong with that of course. It’s a remarkable sight as she prances around like a horse on hot coals. She invites everyone to not sing along but to howl along, I used to get warned off girls like that, to a song that I believe was also called 'Howl'.



Among her musicians is a harpist playing a large golden harp and another lass on keyboards who is almost as hyperactive and ditsy as Florence herself. Also on stage with her is Charles Cave, the bass player from White Lies, who plays half the set with them. Her debut album, as yet untitled, is due for released in July.

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Could it be that tonight’s opening act has stolen the show. Close but I think that honour goes to Ealing's White Lies, who of course I've seen before.

Since then they seem to have cheered up a bit and even brushed up on their stage manner. Their songs are still full of doom and gloom lyrics but at least they now play them with a smile on their faces. I suppose a number one album helps. Opening with 'Farewell To The Fairground', they too like Florence were an instant hit with the crowd. Gloomy lyrics aside they do write great choruses. An impressive set but they again lose momentum when they choose to play the slower tracks '50 On Our Foreheads' and 'The Price Of Love' back to back near the end.

Part way through their set Florence returns to the stage, to great applause and duets with Harry McVeigh on 'Unfinished Business' but she doesn't have eyes for Harry. As she departs, she appears to hug and snog the bass player, hinting at what business it is that remains unfinished.



As with life and White Lies, it all ends fittingly with 'Death'.

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If Florence thought she was going to win the most absurd dancing of the evening award, she can think again. That honour goes to Ed Macfarlane, lead singer of St Albans' Friendly Fires. Now he is a man who truly cannot dance but doesn't care, as he gets on down with the rhythm of their opening track 'Lovesick' and doesn't stop for the rest of the set.



Friendly Fires are entertaining and they keep the energy of the evening buzzing along but they're also not my type of thing at all and I find them underwhelming, despite Ed's animated efforts. Another thing I don't like is that they were basically playing over a backing track and just adding to it. So karaoke really and I can get that down my local pub, should I want to. Still all good fun. I thought they'd be the least popular of tonight's acts but no, they'd got their hardcore in tonight and seem to go down well.

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It is disappointing after the interaction between the first two bands, that Friendly Fires and headliners Glasvegas do not bond with the others. On a tour like this, that would really have added to the night.

What can I say about Glasvegas that I haven't already said in my previous reviews of them. Well I could say that it's now all getting a bit samey. They open with 'Geraldine', which I suppose is a bit of a departure for them but then we get the same old favourites. The same stuff they've been playing for the last four years. There's nothing from the Christmas EP, there's nothing new, there's nothing old that's not on the album and there's no 'Killing Moon' cover that they did in Liverpool.

They have at least learnt to pause between tracks but I'm not sure this works for them and they've developed the tinniest amount of banter with the crowd. The big problem tonight is their sound, which seemed in a right mess, a lot of the vocals disappeared in a sea of feedback and where was the trademark smoke? I think a lot of the crowd lost interest. They are in my opinion much better suited to the smaller venues that they were playing.



There were rumours of an encore but one didn't appear tonight. In fact, I think their set is actually getting shorter.

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The Rakes, The Royal

I never used to bother much with support bands because they never seemed much good but these days, almost everyone we see has something going for them, as do tonight's Official Secrets Act, a four-piece from North London.

That said I can't quite make my mind up about lead singer Tom Charge Burke, who looks a little spaced out in a Pete Doherty sort of way, oh dear, so I'm sure he'll be a star. Meanwhile his bass player looks like a refugee from Adam and the Ants with his war paint splashed across his face and his frilly shirt, as he prowls the stage with a definite sense of purpose, as do the whole band.



The band warm us up, although I feel they start slow. Yet the more they play, the more I like them and the more confident I think they get. Its basically typical indie guitar pop but clever, modestly paced and more melodic than most. They're like... oh I don't know, the Futureheads meets the Associates. Something like that. Their set is impressive and slick, something I feel they've honed over a period of time. At one point, the keyboard/second guitarist swaps places with the drummer, showing the range of skills they have.

Somebody in the bar is selling CD's for £2 but we didn't hear whose CD is it, we wonder briefly if it was the Official Secrets Act but they tell us their debut album is imminent but not out yet. Anyhow, it couldn't have been them, too darn good for £2. Somehow, I can't see the Official Secrets Act staying a secret for long.

Then its fellow London boys and headliners, The Rakes, who I've not seen live in a couple of years. After a more melodic spell with their second album 'Ten New Messages' they now seemed to have reverted to type, to the punchier sound of their more successful debut 'Capture/Release'. The Rakes briefly made it big on the back of that album but now they're back in smaller venues again.

They preview us half a dozen new tracks from their forthcoming third album 'Klang' and open with new single '1989' which on first listen doesn't seem to be the strongest of the new bunch. Then it's old favourite 'Retreat' and as frontman Alan Donohoe judders around the stage, Ian Curtis style, the crowd get livelier and livelier. It seems he went to the same dance school as Maximo's Paul Smith but obviously skipped even more lessons than Mr Smith did.



No matter, their sound is what the assembled throng came for and although possibly overdone with drums, their tunes, awash with prickly guitars, go down well. The two bouncers have real problems keeping the crowd surfing down to a level that might, on a very good day, by a blind inspector, get their Health and Safety certificate renewed. Even some of the more melodic moments, such as 'When Tom Cruise Cries', are scruffed down tonight. Then there's the speed they play out, racing through a set of, I think, 14 tracks in around 40 minutes to a room full of sweaty indie students plus a few other eccentrics like me.

So it's a short, sharp set and far too soon they are departing the stage after introducing their longest track, close on four minutes of a rousing 'The world was a mess but his hair was perfect'. Has to be long, in order to get the title in.

They return for three more, closing with a terrific 'Open Book' and finally of course 'Strasbourg'.

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The View, Rescue Rooms

We're at the Rescue Rooms in the evening and we arrive just in time to get an ace spot on the balcony, as support band the Mutineers take the stage.

On their Myspace page they list a load of influences that should have rocked my boat but as band they simply don't. David Bowie, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Talking Heads, The Smiths, New Order, The La's ... Duffy wasn't among them but I reckon if Duffy fronted an indie band, they would sound like these boys. No, that's too cruel and as it's pointed out to me, such a band already exist, they're called Keane. Good point. I retract that, I'd rather listen to the Mutineers than Keane any day but even so the Mutineers still don't light my fire.

It seems to get a good performance out of the The View, you need to keep them away from the booze. Which as reports of their various gigs show, isn't easy. A friend of mine trekked over to Birmingham to see them and was appalled at the shambolic and drunken performance that they gave that night.

What we didn't realise, was that tonight's one-off show is happening as way of an apology for what happened at their gig at the Bodega Social in October. Apparently, the band had been in the pub all day where everyone had recognised the lead singer Kyle Falconer and had been offering to buy him drinks, which of course he couldn't refuse. So by the time the gig commenced, he was so drunk that he barely managed two songs before he slumped to the floor in a drunken stupor. The gig was pretty much over before it had barely started and it was left to co-writer, bassist and occasional front man Kieran Webster to do the best he could without Kyle. Afterwards the band apologised, offered refunds and arranged tonight's performance by way of recompense.

It didn't look promising at the start tonight either, when Kieran took to the stage with a bottle in each hand, although thereafter he seems to be drinking orange juice, presumably with a quadruple vodka in it. Drummer, Steve Morrison arrived already shirtless, so at least he appeared hopeful of being on stage long enough to work a sweat up.

The crowd are already ritualistically chanting 'The View, The View, The View are on fire', as Kieran dedicates the opening 'Glass Smash' to everybody who was at the original gig. Then the pints go flying in the air and we're off and running. Well apart from the fact that they seem to have problems with one of the guitars and for a while, there are almost as many road crew on the stage as there are band members.



Next up their recent single '5 Rebeccas' and then the place erupts, cue more beer hitting the sky for, the impossible to sing along to, 'Wasted Little DJs'. Kyle seems to sing 'All out of our little f****** heads' without any hint of irony.

It's totally manic down the front, we watch from the safety of the balcony and are rudely lambasted for doing so by guitarist Pete Reilly. To think they were all once Catholic schoolboys or perhaps that's the problem.



In many ways, the band are still a little shambolic, disorganised and seem to argue among themselves on a regular basis but when they do get around to playing, it's rather good. Talent they certainly have. The set consisted mainly of old favourites from the 'Hats Off To The Buskers' album with a few newbies thrown in from their upcoming and snappily titled 'Which Bitch?' album.

Kyle may not be so intoxicated tonight, although it's hard to tell with that mop of hair lapping across his face, but it's still a case of phrase books at the ready. That is if you wish to understand his thick Dundee brogue. There's plenty of nigh-on incomprehensible banter, which adds to the ambience, but it's the music we came for and tonight with a set full of jangling indie tunes, The View are everything pop should be. Fast, furious, fun and almost sober.

Both Kyle and Kieran were excellent when they took lead vocals. The pair of them are quite a contrast, they're almost a Gallagher-esk pair, particularly with one having to bail the other out occasionally. At least Kyle stays upright tonight, not so the fly on his jeans, which he seems to have problems keeping control of all night.

Then a real treat, a quick paced almost ska version of 'Up The Junction', which is excellent. Harking back to their days as a covers ban, when they apparently specialised in Squeeze and Sex Pistols covers, nice variety there.

Other highlights are a funky 'Skag Trendy' and an almost poignant 'Face For The Radio'. Then their new single 'Shock Horror' heats things up for a finale of 'Same Jeans' and then after a word from a chap, who was presumably 'the management', probably saying 'get a move on you've overran by at least 15 minutes', they close with a storming 'Superstar Tradesman'. Pete Reilly jumps in to join the crowd surfers as the crowd continue to chant 'The View are on fire'. Yep. Now boys, you can go off for a drink.

Status Quo, Nottingham Arena

I'm a little surprised at the size of the crowd tonight. I thought Quo were perhaps the biggest thing to hit the Arena since the Dalai Lama sold out five nights there in May... but I reckon there was only about 2500-3000 there, whereas a full arena is around 8000. The whole thing could have probably been staged at the Concert Hall, which would have been more appropriate because the average age of a Quo fans seems to be about 55 and a lot of them struggled to climb the steep steps of the Arena seating.

Now I've mentioned the venue, let's get the Arena bashing out of the way. I don't know whose job it is to set the place up for bands but they're not very good at it. Tonight's setup was rubbish. The crowd were shoehorned into one-half of the stadium and the band were shoved down the other end. They had brought the stage forward a bit but not much. We were a lot further away from the band than was necessary, the stage could have been moved a lot nearer.

It was also all-seater, which would have been ok if people had wanted to sit but everyone down on the floor area clearly wanted to stand and dance. They didn't even put many seats down there; there were big areas of unused floor.

The arena staff got seriously caught out because loads of people went to the front to stand straight after the support finished and they weren't ready for them. Eventually they got themselves organised and prevented anyone else going down there but why, when at a normal gig they allow more people than that to stand.

Support was by Manfred Mann's Earth Band with Mr Mann himself on keyboards. Well I'm afraid I just found them desperately boring. I'm not terribly up on much of their material but obviously, I knew 'Blinded By the Light' which was ok and the 'Mighty Quinn' which they finished with and murdered. It was all very 70's and as is the tradition of that period the band were determined never to let a good tune get in the way of an overlong guitar solo.



One thing I have to say about the Arena tonight is that the sound was good. I think I've finally worked out how they sound check the gigs, it's all set up for the chap in Block 10 Row N Seat 20, that's me by the way. So excellent sound, just a shame I'm straining my ageing eyesight to see the band.

So to the mighty Quo. Rumours that they are being kept alive on life support are premature. As for their audience well, even they seem to have some life left in them and are soon air guitar-ing in the aisles and for the less mobile, tapping their walking sticks, as the band open with 'Caroline'. Rumour also had it that they're accepting bus passes as valid ID at the bar, where they're also selling cocoa and biscuits, alongside the sherry.

Quo are much maligned as just a three chord band, as characterised by themselves in last year's 'In Search Of The Fourth Chord' album from which the single 'Beginning Of The End' is given an airing. I can honestly say that there's more to them than the head down rock everyone knows. E.g. 'The Wanderer', 'Roll Over Lay Down', 'Down Down' etc etc, which are all present and correct tonight, at times accompanied by the sight of all four guitarists side by side, strumming away in the familiar Quo pose.

In fact, I'm actually impressed and surprised by their diversity. From the psychedelic sound of 'Pictures Of Matchstick Men' from 1968 from which this 'Pictures' tour, to celebrate 40 years of the Quo, takes it's name, to some more recent stuff, a couple of tracks 'The Oriental', which is a bit dubious, and 'Creeping Up On You', which isn't half bad, from 2002's 'Heavy Traffic' album.

There are also plenty of oldies, that is in the set list, as well as in the crowd, some which I certainly don't remember, but I was still in nappies when some of them came out. All the way through clips of videos and old footage appropriate to each song is displayed on the screens behind them.



For me the highlights tend to be when Rick Parfitt is at the mic, such as for the excellent 'Rain', for me he upstaged Francis Rossi every time he took the lead. Parfitt's singing was outstanding, particularly considering he had growths removed from his throat only two years ago.

There are a few irritations, like when they disappear off into a medley. I hate medleys. If you're going to play a song, play it in full or don't bother. If you want to fit in more songs then cut out irritation number two, the pointless drum solo.



They close pretty much as expected with a string of their hits from the 70's, culminating with 'Whatever You Want' and of course 'Rocking All Over The World'.

The encore is a bit odd. 'Burning Bridges' is rocky but not the best, a brief bit of 'Rock n Roll Music' and then finally 'Bye Bye Johnny'. Then the band troop off stage as the new Christmas single is played through the sound system and on the video screen. This falls totally flat and is cut off half way through to the accompaniment of boos from the disappointed crowd.

Quite why they couldn't bring themselves to perform, and therefore promote, their first ever Christmas single I suppose only they know. It was all a bit of a damp squid ending to what otherwise was a pretty impressive and dare I say, credible, performance.

I suppose now that I've been to seen the Quo, it must officially be Christmas.

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The Hold Steady, Rock City

The support band are four lads from Toronto known as the The Mark Inside. They make you 'stand up' and take notice because they play loud, some times heavy and the lead singer likes to shred his vocal chords Frank Black style. Underneath all their noise and energy are plenty of decent guitar riffs fighting to get out. I understand the band have been together for some time and released their debut back in 2005, their next record is available in the spring, it could be worth checking out.

The Hold Steady had to postpone their October UK tour due to guitarist Tad Kubler's illness. He's now recovered and tonight it's the third night of the rescheduled tour.

They begin with 'Constructive Summer', also the opening track of their latest album 'Stay Positive'. Summer? How quaint on such a cold Tuesday night in December but those of us who brave the elements are treated to an impressive set culled from their four albums. I checked out the set list from the previous nights to try to gauge what they might play but it seems they rip it up and changed around half the songs each night. So certainly, a band you could go to see every night without getting remotely bored.



Craig Finn, a most unlikely looking rock star if ever there was one, is bouncing around the stage from the first note. He's obviously intent on having a good and I'm sure he hopes the crowd do too but I don't reckon it would spoil his enjoyment if they didn't.

'Massive Nights' from the brilliant 'Girls And Boys In America' album rings out and the crowd gradually thaw out, well, it is cold. Rock City is probably only about half full tonight, which is a shame because the Hold Steady are pure entertainment and certainly under appreciated.



By the time 'The Swish' and 'Magazines' had been despatched the crowd were much more up for it. Particularly down the front, where they were singing Finn's lyrics back at him and attempting to get away with crowd surfing. When the band rock out like this they're really good but Finn is a storyteller at heart and tonight they leave out some of their rockier numbers which causes the set to get a little bogged down in the middle. There are a few too many Jackanory moments.

Not that this bothered the thirty or so anoraks (and I mean that in a nice way) down the front who knew all the words to all the songs, including some pretty obscure oldies. Finn, I think, was impressed, as well as delighted. Although occasionally he seems to forget the rest of us, singing some of his vocals off mike and straight at his select group down the front.

Kubler digs out a huge twin-necked twelve-string guitar for another slow one 'Lord I'm Discouraged' but then the set picks up pace again towards the end and it's a storming finish, 'Your Little Hoodrat Friend', 'Sequestered In Memphis', 'Chips Ahoy' and 'Slapped Actress' to finish.



Finn lost faith with music back when he was at his supposed peak but later rediscovered it, realising it was all just meant to be fun and formed the Hold Steady. This aspect comes across in bucket loads in the band performance, they are a band who clearly love what they do.

They return to play another jewel from 'Girls And Boys In America' with 'Stuck Between Stations' before 'Navy Sheets' and the 'First Night' closes the show.

Finn says he's not living the life he thought he would at his age, he's almost as much of an oldie as me, although he's not yet gone over 'that hill'. For that, he says, he is thankful. Something for us all to aspire to.

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