i called to say i'm on the way...

...i love this city! Last night...The Roundhouse in Camden hosted not only Phoenix but already-rated, Two Door Cinema Club. The boys from TDCC put on an amazing show, the sound was flawless and despite having a smaller following than i expected the crowd seemed to love what they heard. I was heckling for Cigarettes In The Theatre which they didn't play, and oddly missing was Undercover Martyn, but I Can Talk more than made up for it...and hey, i get to see them again soon anyway when they'll hopefully be given a bigger set time...

...but Phoenix. Ah, beginning the set with Lisztomania...the first half of the song was played from behind a white curtain which dropped to reveal my future husband (ahem) and the crowd went mad. The Roundhouse is one of the best venues to see a band in London in my opinion, even a short-arse like me can always see the stage and get quite close in...even from the sidelines the sound is amazing. Phoenix basically provided a party for the fans, great stage presence....and non-stage presence..when lead singer, Thomas Mars, jumped into the crowd for the encore and crowd-surfed his way back on stage. Highlight for me was Rome but the band made a good move in finishing the set with 1901 which just had the crowd going mad right until the end...

Rome - Phoenix

Gig: Frightened Rabbit

...well this was always going to have automatic brownie points for taking me back to The Leadmill for the first time since my uni days...oh how i have missed those sticky floors. I was quite surprised to see that the main room was sectioned off and the band were playing in the small second room (the home of my love affair with weekly requests for Laid by James and 60p vodkas)...no wonder it was a sell out with a capacity of about 150...

..but, it meant a better gig...the band were bantering with the audience and for once i could actually see the band rather than some sweaty guy's neck..

the sound wasn't great on opening but was soon recovered, and i can honestly say i've never seen a band work as hard as they did...all really talented musicians that made for a really impressive show...but star of the night was newest member to the band Gordon Skene who played so many instruments i lost count...

hightlights were the latest single, Nothing Like You and an acoustic solo piece by Scott in the encore..

oh, do woe me with your winter of mixed drinks and your sexy scottish accent...

Skip The Youth - Frightened Rabbit

Gig Review: The XX

..strangely i'm a little stuck for words after this gig, the venue - Shepherd's Bush Empire - possibly ruined what The XX could have done tonight. Maybe i'm a snob...and bigger, packed-out venues just don't please me...but a band like this deserve a less commercial space. The lo-fi emptiness was lost (and covered with chatter unfortunately) which for me is the beauty of The XX. But...i was still massively impressed with Romy's vocals in such a large venue with sparse backing and...wait for it, i finally appreciate the bass guitar...what Oliver does is mighty impressive. And definitely worth applause was the opening...the stage and lighting crew did something special with a huge white sheet covering the entire stage which then projected the band's silhouettes during Intro...visual genius, unfortunately...one of the most impressive parts of the night. i really still rate this band but i think i missed their smaller and better suited smaller venue gigs...

...eagerly awaiting Islands i was only disappointed to see it somewhat skirted over early on with speed and no grandeur...the set did build from that point however, with highlights being their cover of Womack & Womack's Teardrops and a very emoted version of Night Time...a song i have hardly registered on the album but now a new favourite..

Night Time - The XX

Gig Review: Beach House

despite fighting yet another bout of tonsillitus i made it out to the Beach House gig with my face wrapped in a big woolly scarf, and boy did it pay off...
my second time to Bush Hall and jeez i love that place, the perfect size and good acoustics...i've no idea why but it always makes me feel like i'm seeing a band in some small old music hall in San Francisco...i always go with the dream..

there's really not too much else to say other than...incredible. Victoria's voice is just...incredible. She sings even the most impressive of notes with such ease, ranging effortlessly from soft melodic intros to deep sultry lyrics, her hair draping over the microphone as she impresses with her long-stemmed organ playing...
...aside from Take Care (my favourite song from Teen Dream) which played last before the encore, best song of night for me had to be Silver Soul...followed closely, of course, by a somewhat fierce version of Norway...


..i'm definitely going to try and make the Grizzly Bear show in March where they'll support...i can never see a band just once..

..so now today i'm drinking hot lemon with Beach House...don't you just love listening to an album again after seeing the show?...all those memories now attached...

Silver Soul - Beach House

in the morning i'll be gone...

..my friend Lex took me to see Stornoway last night who were brilliant (definitely check them out) but the star of the show for me was support act Beth Jeans Houghton. Wearing a huge groomed white wig and a Beetlejuice-esqe dress, her stage presence was equally matched by her soft low voice...I can't wait for more performances at Field Day and Bestival this year...

... definitely pick up a copy of the EP, Hot Toast Vol 1, produced by none other than my neighbour, Mike Lindsay of Tunng...

I Will Return - Beth Jeans Houghton

...also, the video which you can check out here is made by an old Sheffield friend, Dave Chavannes, am i somehow related to this girl??

Gig Review: Chew Lips

...my first gig of 2010 and Chew Lips did not disappoint one bit. I say with confidence that Tigs is the best front woman I have seen since Karen O...dancing in her own sweet and sexy way around the stage entertaining us all in her golden dress....


...her voice is as incredible live as on record ..."never knew what we got into...now it seems it was history, thoughts from a past life"...
...it's been said that they draw influence from LCD Soundsystem so i may be alone in this but i don't find them altogether dissimilar from New Young Pony Club in the early days, but they have something i like...and i just think (and hope) i might see them at some summer festivals this year...
...hightlight for me, of course, was Slick. But a new love I've found in Karen (ironic?)....featured on the new record out this month...

Karen - Chew Lips