Gig of the month

As I take on more work with various musical pursuits, I notice myself blogging about some gigs more than others. I try to at least mention most of the work I do, but the gigs below are the ones that I’ve really enjoyed doing, or have stuck in my memory for whatever reason.

Something Else @ Hancock – April 19th

Fighting Fiction/ Still Bust/ Ebby

Again, my role was promoter rather than musician at this gig, but the second outing of my ‘Something Else’ alias provided myself and some of my closest friends and acquaintances with an absolute stunner of a night. Every single band outdid themselves, and the night was ultimately cut short at the request of the police. I don’t think you can get much more punk rock.

Hyem Jam Night – January 31st

Soultrane

An absolute stunner of a jam to start off our new residency. We played the first set as house band, and followed up with an all-out jam which’ll set the format for this regular Monday night spot. Modest audience, but we had some tasty players in and the stage was treated to Pop, Funk, Blues, Vocal, and Free Jazz over the course of the night.

Something Else @ Head of Steam – November 9th

Guy Page Trio/ Saint & The Cynics/ Runny Noses On Monday

Returning to my roots as a music promoter, I tried to address some of the pitfalls associated with DIY gigs, and if I do say so myself I think I managed a half-decent job of it. This may be the start of a new sideline in promotion, but if not it was still a highly enjoyable night.

Acoustic Circus @ The Cluny – September 26

The Soviets

Technically falling after my official departure from the band, I wouldn’t expect The Soviets to take the title of “Gig of the Month”. This one deserves it though – a bit of a “best of” from the local singer/songwriter scene, the night featured a number of good acts & performers, and we took the opportunity to play a set almost entirely made up of songs that never made the live set. Most of them just don’t fit into the hard-edged Stones-esque sound of The Soviets usual show, but we all love them on their own merits – so a couple of re-working rehearsals later and we had a new set to play.

Ben Nevis Bar, Fort William – July 8

Too Far North

Beautifully characterising the twice-yearly tours of Scotland, this gig was a combination of loud, bluesy, funk-rock music, drinking, dancing… and drinking. This environment is one of the only times that it is EVER acceptable for a guitarist to stand on a table, playing a guitar solo behind his head.

Jazz Night @ Bar One – June 21

Most of the gigs on this page are the packed venues, loud crowds, and highly paid events that I do. This one was different in all respects. I play these nights on a fairly regular basis, and it’s a chance for me to do something a little different and stretch out musically. This particular gig was completely dead, with the 4-piece band playing to our girlfriends.

With nobody to impress, we used the chance to get a little silly and take all the tracks on a little free ride into tempo modulation territory. Put simply, I haven’t had so much fun at a gig in quite a long time.

World Headquarters Single Release Party – May 21

The Soviets

Years ago I read a book called “spilling the beans on making it in music”, a comedic account of Nik Kershaw’s rise to fame and the busted Myths he discovered along the way. The book ends with a sample diary entry of a good day in music, followed by a terrible day – and the closing words “You will endure as many Wednesday the 5th’s as it takes to achieve another Tuesday the 4th.”

For me, The Soviets’ single launch was a Tuesday 4th moment. The adrenaline kick from playing a tight set for a packed house full of our own fans; filling the bill with artists we love & admire; and launching the single that is the culmination of a lot of stress & hard work is almost impossible to describe – and it more than makes up for all the rehearsing, arguing, waiting, travelling, traffic jams and accidents that take up a musician’s time.

Newcastle College Jazz Pop & Commercial BMus – March 29

Elliott Clarke

Not technically April, but my final live assessment has made this list because, after weeks of rehearsal – and months of preparation – the whole thing went off without a hitch. The sleepless nights and doom-laden dreams all became worth it when I looked up at my band after successfully presenting my favourite songs in a personal, and professional style to an audience of tutors, colleagues, and friends. I don’t think it matters how many gigs you do, the first outing of a new project or band is always going to create a nervous excitement, and the kick you get from that cannot be matched.

Buddies Bar, Cromer – March 13

The Soviets

As always, our friends in Norfolk all turned out to make a great night of our show, but that’s not the reason I enjoyed this gig so much.

I was expecting this show to be a club night, with a late stage time, and a set made of predominantly original material. We don’t often play covers, but if we need to fill a longer stage time we sometimes throw a few in. This gig turned out to be in a gastro-type bar, and consisted mainly of covers with a few of our tunes sprinkled in the mix. Everything that could possibly have gone wrong during set-up pretty much did, and I started the night on a downer, wanting to just get the job done and pack down the gear.

I came to a realisation looking out over that audience, all enjoying the night out that the weekend afforded them. It doesn’t matter how bad a gig is, how empty the room, how unreceptive the audience, or how inaudible the stage setup – I love playing in a band. Catastrophes can happen onstage, I can go hungry for a day or two & not sleep comfortably, and I’d still take that life over working in an office job for squillions of pounds you don’t have time to enjoy.

From that point I sat behind my kit smiling, and enjoyed an hour & a half messing about with my mates – who happen to be some of the best musicians I know. The show turned out great, we were all playing on top form, and the audience were at least as receptive to The Soviets’ songs as any of the covers we played.

Norwich Rocks – Feb 27

The Soviets/ Vegas Fame Index/ The Interpreters/ Slightly Offensive Steve.

The Soviets have always had a bit of a following down in Norwich through some family connections, and each time we travel down there it just seems to get bigger and madder than ever. Norwich Rocks is an excellent idea, executed well, all the bands played brilliant sets, and the audience were really up for it. What more could you ask from a gig?

As always, Vegas Fame Index played a belter, I love the new tunes, and they’re stars for lending us their gear – but this time, my act of the night has to be Slightly Offensive Steve (NSFW).

Gannin’ Hyem festival – Jan 23rd

Air to Achilles/ Petrol Terriers/ The Pilots/ The Soviets/ Eiderdowns/ many more

A two-day charity event at our favourite venue, organised by the guys at Born Snapped. We went on fairly early & had a packed-out room singing, dancing and cheering for us (especially when we played the tracks from the EP). This was one of the rare gigs that really make you realise why you travel about in vans, search for something to eat at 2 in the morning, sleep in cars and on people’s floors, and often go without to focus on your music.

Liveoke – Dec 5th

Our monthly full-band karaoke night at The Cumberland Arms can sometimes be really hard work, and sometimes – as with this month – it can be the best example of the level of fun it’s possible to achieve onstage. A combination of great performers, good atmosphere, and the right levels on alcoholic intake made this a brilliant night, marred only by the aggressive behaviour of some of the audience once they’d got a bit tanked up towards the end of the night.

Newcastle College Jazz Pop & Commercial BMus – Nov 30th

Jordie Cooke/ Dave Lowton/ Simon Green/ Chris Geehan

Performance is a large component of my degree program, and just before Christmas I was asked to play on the sets put together by four of the MDs. I loved the chance to step outside my usual comfort zone and play a variety of styles for these guys. Dave’s set was mainly jazz & funk, including a Dave Weckl treatment of jazz standard “Spain” and the epic “Aja” by Steely Dan. Simon’s set called for a few different styles, including ambient drum & bass, which was a lot of fun. The most enjoyable set for me, however, was Jordie’s half-hour Funk extravaganza,  including tracks from John Scofield, Charlie Hunter, and Otis Reading.