The Facts and Figures
31 gigs
attended plus 2 mini festivals
16 different
venues (all but one was in the North East)
Strangest
Venue – Modern Towers a turret in the City Walls of Newcastle
Total cost
(minus booking fees) £374
Average cost
of going to a gig - £13
Most
expensive ticket £53 (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)
Cheapest
Ticket £5 (Fieldhead, Eliza & the Bear, Hannah Williams)
Bands Seen
Headliner Support
Glen Hansard The Lost
Brothers
Eliza &
the Bear #1
Justin
Currie
The
Travelling Band Ellen
and the Escapades
The
Temperance Movement #1
Hannah
Williams
Ajimal #1 Trev
Gibbs #1
The Heavy The
Silent Comedy
David Ford #2 Jarrod
Dickinson
The Lake
Poets #1 Ajimal
#2
Fieldhead A-Sun
Amissa/Wreath
Tom McRae Swanns
The
Temperance Movement #2
Lord Huron Nataly
Dawn/Skylark Song
Eliza &
the Bear #2 Blank
Maps /Mickey Moran Parker (at Evo Emerging)
The Lake
Poets #2 (Evolution Festival)
Tomahawks
For Targets North
Atlantic Oscillation
Ed Harcourt Catherine
AD
Neil Young
& Crazy Horse Los
Lobos
Lanterns On
The Lake Ajimal #3
Matthew E.
White
Andy Frasier
Conquering
Animal Sound Death Row
Radio/Shield Patterns
The
Temperance Movement #3 The
Graveltones
Ethan Jones Trevor
Moss & Hannah Lou
Damien
Demsey Sam
Fender #2
Steven
Wilson
KT Tunstall Billy
Locket
Danny &
The Champions of the World
David Ford
Jack
Savoretti
The Lake
Poets #3 Ajimal
#4 Trev Gibbs #2
The Highlights
In no
particular order;
My first gig
of the year was Glen Hansard and for
a number of reasons I think this was my gig of the year. I have followed Glen’s
career from the very beginning but never got a chance to see him live and this
gig was ‘epic’ in all proportions, 2hours and 20 minutes long meant the staff
at The Sage nearly went into meltdown as the gig swung pass the 11 o’clock
curfew. Covers of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye Can Morrison, Bruce Springsteen
and Leonard Cohen were woven into a set list that gave me everything I could
have wanted (except Falling Slowly that was on the set list but not played). 2
of his songs The Gift and Song of Good Hope would see me through the rest of
the year (but that’s a story for another blog) and his album Rhythm and Repose
has soothed my troubled mind on a number of occasions when darkness descended
around me.
Neil Young not giving a flying fuck about what
most of the audience wanted (a greatest hits package) and playing an absolutely
mind blowing 2 ¼ hours of pure rock music, he is as relevant now as he was 40
years ago.
The
emergence of The Temperance Movement. I
saw these guys 3 times last year and seeing them develop as a live band was a
joy to watch. They play rock and roll music and they play it well. Watch out
for them in 2014 I think it just might be their year.
Hearing Sam Fender’s voice for the first time
was a revelation. He supported Eliza and The Bear and wandered on looking like
any other 19 year old, skinny jeans, Shoreditch quiff, deck shoes and a look of
apathy that nearly made me head to the bar. Then he started singing and I was
transfixed, he has a voice which belies his age and the tunes to back it up.
The
emergence of the North East music scene has been another highlight for me but before
mentioning some of the bands it’s worth tipping a hat to Generator who support the
music industry in the North East and beyond. Without them I suspect some of the
artists in the North East would still be strumming their guitar in their
bedrooms. Generator (in my opinion) has given the music industry in the North
East a platform and a belief that artists can take their music to the next level
and success in an industry littered with ‘if only’ and ‘maybe’s’.
So the
bands, I have already mentioned Sam
Fender and those that know me will know of my love of The Lake Poets & Ajimal both
never disappointed when I say them live last year and I would hope to see
albums from both these artists in 2014 to build on the critical acclaim they
have both received in the last couple of years. Evo Emerging a free evening
of music spread over 8 venues in
Newcastle showcasing the best of the North Easts music scene gets more and more
popular each year and brought to my attention Mickey Moran Parker and allowed me to see Nadine Shah for the first time.
Although not
my last gig of the year seeing Danny and The Champions of The World in late November ended my year as Glen Hansard
had started it. I have seen Danny play live on numerous occasions over the last
15 years and I have never been disappointed. This gig on the back of the Stay True
album (one of albums of 2013) was brilliant The Champs were tighter than ever it
was one of those gigs you don’t want to end. I can’t recommend this band highly
enough so if you see that they are playing near you go see them, it will only
cost you the price of a couple of pints (London prices were used for this
calculation) and I guarantee that you will enjoy it.
I have
posted some videos of the bands I have seen on my Pinterest page so if you
haven’t heard of the bands go take listen and if you like them look them up,
buy their music and get along to one of their gigs. As you can see live music
(on the whole) isn’t that expensive and it beats sitting in watching The Voice
or The X Factor on Saturday nights!
