Brotzman/Edwards/Noble - Cafe Oto 29/1/10

Brotzman fucking ripped it, Edwards was his usual awesome-on-the-bass self and Steve Noble looks like he carries a knife. They also had a dude on piano who I didn't know but who was excellent and the best bit of the whole night was when Brotzman wasn't even playing and the other three were all freaking out, just fully freaking out and all stopped suddenly all three of them without looking at each other or anything, just stopped perfectly together. It was fucking magic. Jazz magic. Jazz fucking magic. No lie.

Hulk Dash 10 - Korsan Bar 13/12/09

I don't remember, was this the one Richie was supposed to play at but didn't? I think so. What the fuck was up with all the spanish squatters in attendance? Yeah I remember now, oh god I didn't like anyone who played or attended this evening, oh yeah and the worst offenders were the Korsan bar owners who managed to be even more abhorrent than the crusty spanish squatters, which I honestly thought was impossible.

Anyway, I feel sorry for Guiseppe who organised it and had a terrible night with every cunt there being pissed off with him. Live and learn though eh.

Ramleh/Voltigeurs/Sudden Infant - The Grosvenor 11/12/09

This was disappointing. Just all very underwhelming. Oh well.

ATP Curated by My Bloody Valentine - Butlins, Minehead 5-6/12/09

ATP gets shitter by the minute. This time I got mugged by a seagull, saw a wasted girl embarrass herself on stage distractingly enough to put me off Lightning Bolt completely, saw My Bloody Valentine again again again and then stayed up in the chalet all night and watched about five films in a row which went something like Grey Gardens, L'Argent, Excalibur, Gummo, The Shining, The Shadows, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

At some point my band played one song and got shut down for being a fire hazard. I don't even fucking care anymore, when are ATP gonna put some new bands on it's an incestuous little fuckfest of alt shit and it's fucking boring. Oh guess who's curating the next ATP guys, it's some band you liked in the nineties, oh shit no way! I wonder who they're gonna put on? Oh look all the same bands as all the previous curators. Oh no way! What a massive fucking surprise!

And Minehead is fucking horrible and depressing. Fuck you ATP, you've lost it. Do something special again, I dare you.

Six Organs of Admittance - Bush Hall 04/12/09

So damn good. This was one of my favourite gigs of the year. Thanks to Miles of Smiles for putting it on, really a lovely venue and a lovely evening, Ben Chasny and his crew really played and it was friendly and intimate and free (spirited I mean, not free to get in, I think it was like a tenner or something) and that one from the Magic Markers was playing with him, whatsername Lisa or Sarah or something and both of them were really fucking wailing on their guitars, really freaking out and doing some of the crunchiest most fucked up guitar soloing I've seen in ages and it was all beautiful and dusty and I felt like I'd started dreaming but I hadn't even got on the tube back home yet but it didn't matter I just floated on it all it was beautiful.

Black Heart Procession/Shit and Shine/Scout Niblett/Todd/Dosh - The Scala 26/11/09

I really don't like the Scala right and I'll tell you why right it's a combination of two factors: firstly it's four quid for a drink right and a shit drink at that, you've got a choice of draught carling or grolsch or strongbow which all taste like the lines haven't been changed ever or you can plump for a can of red stripe. A fucking CAN, for four quid. All the drinks options give you the shits pretty much. This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the security they have there. They only employ people who are at least five times as big as the Scala's biggest customer (usually some fey indie kid). All of the bouncers are absolute titans, it's insane, even the woman bouncer is built like a tank. And they always do a proper search so basically there's no sneaking any booze in because they'd find it and they'd kick you in.

So yeah, the Scala is always shit because you go there, you spend £15 to get in and you spend £12 on three drinks which make you ill instead of drunk.

All the bands were shit anyway and Big Alan was being a dick. Ok well Todd were alright I guess.

Night of the Long Worms - Cafe Oto 19/11/09

I don't even remember who played at this night now. I can always look it up on google. Yep, here you go:

Baraclough, Philip Jeck, Bruce Gilbert, Simon Fisher Turner, Leif Elggren, Souls On Board, Meltaot and Joachim Nordwall

I remember Simon Fisher Turner was entertaining on two pianos, Baraclough were notable for having a member who used to work as a runner at the place I used to work at (big fucking deal eh) and Philip Jeck played a set nobody realised was being played until half way through because he was at the back of the room tucked away and it sounded like nothing was going on. I think that was Philip Jeck. Anyway, I missed Leif Elggren and was annoyed. Oh and one of the acts was really bad and I think it was Meltaot.

Opinions.

Hair Police - The Old Blue Last 16/11/09

Turned up late after rushing from the ICA Dilloway gig and managed to catch the end of a set you probably had to see the beginning of to appreciate.

Oh well.

Aaron Dilloway/Chocolate Monk Variations - The ICA 16/11/09

Fucking Aaron Dilloway man. He's fucking excellent. There were various combos of various Chocolate Monk artists to start off the evening at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (a clean, serious venue...) including Dylan Nyoukis, Karen Constance, Neil Campbell and yes, Dilloway, and they were all lovely and entertaining and everything and it was a great showcase for inventiveness and playful improvisations but it was Dilloway's solo set in the main hall that was the highlight of the night. A rusty-tooth grinding opening section gave way to heavy drones, driving downhill, a rolling horror, a real cave digger. And then the contact mics go in the mouth and he starts to growl his way out of the pit, up n up, against the tide of his tape machine, and then he's standing, flailing, agonising like a transmogrophying wolfman, and he wins, and it's over, and everyone cheers.

Dorian Gay/Atomck & Others - Cable St Studios 13/11/09

I'm writing this in April 2010. All I remember is Tim Cementimental's cohort throwing a pig's head on a table and getting punched in the face.

Oh and I seem to remember Dorian Gay were passable hardcore.

This blog has gone to shit. I have my reasons, but anyway, I'm trying to catch up to April so it should start resuming normal (average) service around then.