Gigs 2024

[Nick]

2025

25th May London Palladium - Blue Öyster Cult

The last few days of May!

[Nickslikk2112]

Back from the most expensively ticketed gig of my life - David Gilmour at the Royal Albert Hall.

Was it worth it? Probably, he may never tour again and it's worth it for that guitar work. Had a decent seat in row 8 in the Arena which got better after the interval as the bloke in front of me didn't come back! Like most of the people there I think he was from foreign parts and probably didn't understand the concept of an interval

I'd read many grumbles about the show before going - too front loaded, too back loaded, not enough Floyd, too much Floyd, too much of his daughter, too much of his wife, too many drunks, too many beach balls - well I can say as a professional moaner (ask Mrs S) I couldn't find fault. Yes, I'd prefer some songs to others, but it's not my show. As I say, it's worth it for the guitar.

The only grumble I had was all the people who ran down from the back of the Arena to try and get the the front for Comfortably Numb, which rendered the band invisible behind a curtain of raised mobiles 

[Ali]

7 Jan. British Lion, Camp&Furnace, Liverpool
28 Jan. Spock's Beard, Brudenell, Leeds
17 Feb. Marisa and the Moths/Elvana, O2 Academy, Liverpool
29 Feb. Mostly Autumn, Lion Inn, Blakey Ridge, N.Yorks
7 Mar. Franck Carducci and the Fantastic Squad, the Cavern, Liverpool
9 Mar. Enuff Z'Nuff, Tivoli, Buckley
20 Apr. Mörderstein (Rammstein tribute), Tivoli, Buckley
3 May. Dea Matrona, Arts Club Loft, Liverpool
4 May. Rosalie Cunningham, Georgian Theatre, Stockton-on-Tees
6 May. Jethro Tull, Philharmonic, Liverpool
10 May. Marisa and the Moths, Star & Garter, Manchester
11 May. Symphonity/Temperance/Sirenia, Club Academy, Manchester
14 May. Black Crowes, Apollo, Manchester
15 May. Green Lung, Arts Club, Liverpool
21 May. Riverside, Ritz, Manchester
26 May. Yes, Philharmonic, Liverpool
1 Jun. tool, AO Arena, Manchester
15 Jun. Bootleg Blondie, Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton
19 Jun. Del Amitri/Simple Minds, Pavilion, Llangollen
22 Jun. Mostly Autumn, Crescent, York
25 Jun. Pearl Jam, Co-op Arena, Manchester
30 Jun. Mostly Autumn, Robin, Bilston
11 Jul. EXTC, the Cavern, Liverpool
14 Jul. Karnataka, Robin, Bilston
24 Jul. The Warning, Camp & Furnace, Liverpool
27 Jul. Living Colour/Mr Big, O2 Academy, Liverpool
2 Aug. Franck Carducci and the Fantastic Squad, Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton
4 Aug. Franck Carducci and the Fantastic Squad,
The Station, Cannock
8 Aug. Rosalie Cunningham, Zanzibar, Liverpool
12 Aug. Elles Bailey, Jacaranda, Liverpool
17 Aug. Ian McNabb/Icicle Works, Tivoli, Buckley
20 Aug. PJ Harvey, Piece Hall, Halifax
30 Aug. Heather Findlay/Zio, Citadel, St Helens
7 Sep. Mostly Autumn/Renegade, Nene Valley Rock Festival, Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire
14 Sep. Martin Turner, Irish Club, Warrington
21 Sep. Wishbone Ash, Live Rooms, Chester
22 Sep. Albert Bouchard, Alexander's, Chester
6 Oct. Del Roswells/The Darts (US), Quarry, Liverpool
9 Oct. Steve Hackett, Philharmonic, Liverpool
10 Oct. Redd Kross, Arts Club, Liverpool
12 Oct. Hayley Griffiths Band/IO Earth, Citadel, St Helens
13 Oct. Brave Rival, Arts Club Loft, Liverpool
18 Oct. Del Roswells/Surfrajettes, Academy 3, Manchester
19 Oct. Blackheart Orchestra, Hermon Chapel, Oswestry
25 Oct. The Cult, Apollo, Manchester
27 Oct. Marisa and the Moths, Waterloo, Blackpool
1 Nov. Hawklords, Tivoli, Buckley
4 Nov. Australian Pink Floyd, Empire, Liverpool
10 Nov. When Rivers Meet, Future Yard, Birkenhead
12 Nov. Rosalie Cunningham, Parish, Huddersfield
17 Nov. Elles Bailey, Live Rooms, Chester
21 Nov. Rosalie Cunningham, Continental, Preston
22 Nov. Mostly Autumn, Tivoli, Buckley
28 Nov. Brave Rival, Platform, Morecambe
29 Nov. Von Hertzen Brothers, Tivoli, Buckley
3 Dec. Brave Rival, Fulford Arms, York
5 Dec. Steve Hogarth, Cathedral Crypt, Liverpool
10 Dec. Del Amitri, O2 Academy, Liverpool
15 Dec. Mostly Autumn, Crescent, York
21 Dec. Ian McNabb/Icicle Works, Hangar 34, Liverpool
22 Dec. Mostly Autumn, Robin, Bilston
27 Dec. Ben Ottewell (Gomez), Citadel, St Helens

[Nickslikk2112]

2024

Rick Wakeman - Birmingham Symphony Hall 23rd February * (8.5/10)
Riverside - Norwich Epic Studios 12th May (9.5/10)
Riverside - Birmingham O2 Institute 13th May (10/10)
Riverside - Koko, London 19th May (10+/10)
Riverside - SWX Bristol 20th May (9.5/10)
Riverside - Manchester O2 Ritz 21st May * (11/10)
Yes - York Barbican 28th May * (8/10) Mrs S says (9.5/10)
Saucerful of Secrets - Gateshead The Glasshouse International Centre for Music 22nd June (9/10)*
David Gilmour - Royal Albert Hall 12th October *
Steve Hackett - Royal Albert Hall 23rd October *
Von Hertzen Brothers - Highbury Garage 2nd December

2025

Opeth - Birmingham Symphony Hall 28th February (Front Row) *
Hawkwind - Sheffield City Hall, 23rd May *

* Will also be attended by the fragrant Mrs S

[captainkurtz]

The Cure - London Troxy - 1st November 2024
Nick Cave - Leeds Arena - 2nd November 2024 TICKET SOLD
Robert Plant - 6th November 2024
Frank Skinner - Newcastle City Hall - 16th November 2024
English Teacher - Boiler Shop - 19th November 2024
Milton Jones - Newcastle City Hall - November 23rd
Nile Rodgers - City Hall - November 26th 2024
Del Amitri - Boiler Shop - 1st December 2024
David O Doherty - Tyne Theatre - 1st February 2025
Father John Misty - Edinburgh Usher Hall - 12th April 2025
Joan As Police Woman - Gateshead Sage - 23rd April 2025
Supergrass - Newcastle NX - Tuesday 13th May 2025
Steven Wilson - Newcastle City Hall - 15th May 2025
Paul Chowdhry - Newcastle City Hall - 24th May 2025
Harry Hill - Tyne Theatre - 17/5/25
Jack Dee - Tyne Theatre - 9th October 2025

[Nickslikk2112]

Very enjoyable Steve Hackett gig at the Royal Albert Hall last night. First set = solo stuff, Second set = Mainly Lamb Lies down on Broadway then other Genesis stuff.

Got some special guests last night: Brother John put in an appearance, but he always does when I see him since he lives in Sheffield and easily gets to Sheffield/Nottingham/Buxton. Then in Fly on a Windshield Steve Rothery came out to play (no Mrs S, it wasn't Bill Bailey) and then Ray Wilson sang Carpet Crawlers.

Unlike for David Gilmour there wasn't a constant stream of people going for a drink/piss. Probably because the audience was older and they just pissed in their incontinence pants...

[Slim]

Mamas Gun last night, at St Mary's Church in Shrewsbury. I'd never been to Shrewsbury before.

St Mary's was reclaimed for sensible purposes ("deconsecrated" is the term, I believe) in the '80s. It's not a great venue for a gig. It doesn't have indoor toilets (there was a queue for the portaloos outside) and it doesn't have a proper indoor bar. There was a sort of temporary drinks stand and that had a long queue as well. The pews at the back where we tolerated the support act were not especially comfortable. It was a bit cold in there as well.



Despite that it turned out to be a blinding gig. I've seen MG about six times now in the last ten years I think. They were on fire last night. At least three members of the band (bass, keyboard and guitar players, specifically) are proper virtuosos and the extended jazz blues jam that This Is The Day turned into was mesmerising. I was fascinated by the way they found their way back into the tune after about ten minutes of it. Amazing telepathy between them.

I was surprised by the size of the crowd. They have a huge following in the Far East and a decent following in London but I saw them play to about 40 people once in Birmingham (not an exaggeration). Last night's gig was sold out. I was also surprised to hear Dave Oliver, the keyboard player, chatting to the audience at one point. He was hilarious, he should do stand up. I've never known him to utter a word to the audience before. And he did a gobsmacking jazz piano solo in Strangers On A Street.

Oh and one of the encore tunes was Gil Scott-Heron's Lady Day and John Coltrane. They absolutely nailed it. Miles Davis once said that white men can't play rhythm guitar, he'd definitely have changed his mind last night.

[David L]

Public Service Broadcasting - Oxford New Theatre - 20th March 2025

[Matt2112]

Fri 9th Feb
STEWART LEE, Leeds Playhouse ****
Sat 16th Mar
SIMPLE MINDS, Manchester AO Arena ****
Sat 13th Apr
PAUL FOOT, Halifax Square Chapel
Thu 18th Apr
STEWART LEE, Bradford St George's Hall
Fri 3rd May
MOVING PICTURES, Leeds Brudenell ****
Sun 5th May
FM, Leeds Brudenell
Wed 22nd May
RICHARD MARX, London Royal Albert Hall ****
Thu 23rd May
YES, Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Thu 13th Jun
SHERYL CROW, Halifax Piece Hall ***
Sun 16th Jun
NILE RODGERS & CHIC, Halifax Piece Hall ****
Fri 21st Jun
THE KILLERS, Manchester Co-op Arena *****
Sat 22nd Jun
GRACE JONES, Halifax Piece Hall **
Sun 7th Jul
RICK ASTLEY, Halifax Piece Hall ***
Fri 12th Jul
TOM JONES, Halifax Piece Hall ****
Sat 31st Aug
BRAVADO, Sheffield City Hall
Fri 18th Oct
RITA, SUE & BOB TOO, Halifax Victoria Theatre ***
Sat 19th Oct
BRAVADO (Eucon), Chester Live Rooms ****
Tue 22nd Oct
The Libertines, Leeds O2 Academy #
Sat 2nd Nov
FM, Athens Piraeus Academy ****
Sun 10th Nov
FM, Wakefield Venue 23
Thu 14th Nov
THE SAW DOCTORS, Leeds O2 Academy

2025

Sat 1st Feb
MICK MILLER, Bradford Tapestry
Sat 10th May
STEWART LEE, Leeds Playhouse
Mon 7th Jul
SIMPLE MINDS, Halifax Piece Hall
Fri 8th Aug
The Libertines, Halifax Piece Hall ##

# Chaperone duty
## Trying to get out of chaperone duty

[Slim]

Saw Bug Club again last night, at the Soundhouse in Leicester. Last saw them two years ago.

It's a rubbish little venue really - small and dingy, and I nearly fainted from the smell of the men's toilets. But it was a great night. Hard to characterise them - they're something like a blend of a frantic garage band, a late '60s heavy blues band and Jonathan Richman. Love 'em.

Really impressed again with Tilly's bass playing last night - she's like a pocket Jack Bruce. Surprised to see Sam playing a Shergold Masquerader, one of the original '70s ones I think. I last saw one played live in 1977, and that was a school band. Mike Rutherford used to play a doubleneck version.

[The Picnic Wasp]

Saw Bug Club again last night, at the Soundhouse in Leicester. Last saw them two years ago.

It's a rubbish little venue really - small and dingy, and I nearly fainted from the smell of the men's toilets. But it was a great night. Hard to characterise them - they're something like a blend of a frantic garage band, a late '60s heavy blues band and Jonathan Richman. Love 'em.

Really impressed again with Tilly's bass playing last night - she's like a pocket Jack Bruce. Surprised to see Sam playing a Shergold Masquerader, one of the original '70s ones I think. I last saw one played live in 1977, and that was a school band. Mike Rutherford used to play a doubleneck version.

I have a Shergold Custom Double. Six string and bass, in natural. I was desperate for a double neck for the obvious reason. Sound Control in Jamaica St had the Holy Grail. A Rickenbacker 4080 in white. My memory is probably playing tricks but I believe the price was £1,200 then. It might as well have been the £12,000 plus that they command now. I did all my research and the only guitar I could find within budget or indeed to this spec at all was the Shergold.

There were no local stockists so with the help of some music mags and directory enquiries I phoned around the country. I even tried Manny's in New York who could do the 4080 at a great price due to the good exchange rate then, but unfortunately cheap flights didn't exist. Laker Airways' Skytrain had recently gone bust.

However, one really helpful music shop owner in the south gave me a phone number for Jack Golder, the owner of Shergold. I nervously called, expecting to be quickly rebuffed but he couldn't have been nicer. He explained that he had stopped making guitars, no money in it, and switched production to kitchen units. However, he offered to have a look around the workshop, have a think and call me back I didn't expect him to call back, but call back he did to tell me he had found a Custom Double body lying around and how would I like it to be finished? I can't honestly remember the price but it was very fair so I sent off a letter and cheque for £100 deposit (I think).

A few weeks later my guitar arrived by courier. It was stunning and I cherish it to this day. It really upset me that the letters were ruined in my damp garage while in storage but I still have an original B&W Shergold brochure. Jack Golder died not long afterwards as I remember. My double neck is in need of a little TLC which I shall organise soon. The original hard case was also ruined in the garage but I recently found a good quality gig bag for it from Thomann. Glad I spotted your post, James. Happy memories.

[Thenop]

We need a picture of that double neck, now.

[The Picnic Wasp]

We need a picture of that double neck, now.

I'd love to oblige but every time I try to post picture on here I seem to end up on some shady looking, ad ridden site. Maybe because I'm on the iPad only these days but I should be getting a Mac again quite soon so I'll try again.

[Slim]

We need a picture of that double neck, now.

I'd love to oblige but every time I try to post picture on here I seem to end up on some shady looking, ad ridden site. Maybe because I'm on the iPad only these days but I should be getting a Mac again quite soon so I'll try again.

I think you have my email address? If you'd like, email an image to me and I'll post it.

[The Picnic Wasp]

We need a picture of that double neck, now.

I'd love to oblige but every time I try to post picture on here I seem to end up on some shady looking, ad ridden site. Maybe because I'm on the iPad only these days but I should be getting a Mac again quite soon so I'll try again.

I think you have my email address? If you'd like, email an image to me and I'll post it.

Thanks, James. I do still have your address in messages. I'd like you to post a picture of it but I'm slightly reluctant having just had a look at its tired appearance. I've always been very kind to anything I've ever owned, even going back to my days with toys. All my friends' stuff was always beaten up and scruffy looking, in a well used way, whilst mine were generally pristine and carefully put away. I've still got some having always possessed a bit of the hoarding gene. The Shergold is missing strings, has corroded bridges and a number of dings, exacerbated by the infamous Shergold finish crackling. Still, maybe I'll post it as a before image until I get round to the after TLC pic.