redfiona99

So my Uncle is getting married. This is good. We like the lady. She keeps him stable. She is also pleasingly peculiar. It is a good match and they have been dating for long enough that she knows what she's getting into.

So far, all good.

However, with the innate skill found in my family, they have chosen the Friday before the one weekend this year that I am already busy in an immovable way (the other one is Easter, and I think even registry office weddings do not happen on Easter weekend). Because I have to be in Coventry on Saturday for the Rammstein gig.

This presents a difficulty. Not insurmountable but a difficulty.

Other difficulties include my mother being impossible. Now, my Uncle is Mum's only brother, and while they are not close, they are fond of each other and if she doesn't go to the wedding she will kick herself. Right now, she is pretending she doesn't want to go (I have 30+ years experience in reading Mum's mood, therefore I know how this will go). Now part of it is that where my Uncle is, more of the family also will be and my Mum moved to avoid them, but she can put up with them for one day!

Then I had a look at the rugby fixture calendar, and Saints have a home match the night before. Since I'd have to take the day off anyway, I am very tempted to take the Thursday afternoon off, hoick off to my home-town, watch a rugby game at the "new" stadium (which was built in 2012 but I've still not visited), go to the wedding and then speed back down for the gig. Which is doable, even by train. I was hoping to visit Coventry friends on the Saturday but I can re-arrange that. It will, however, be a very tiring weekend.

Saw Travis live. They were awesome. I want to hug the entire world.

Having one of those days where I understand the reason why, when my friend was complaining about Sherlock's characterisation in 'Sherlock' because no one like that could survive in the real world, he immediately added, "and science and academia don't count". Dear gods, some people I work with have no social skills or concept of appropriate behaviour.

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Other things that have annoyed me recently include, in the aftermath of the Haye/Chisora nonsense after the Klitschko/Chisora match, people who hate or disapprove of boxing going 'I don't see what the problem is, you lot pay to see people hitting each other anyway'. No, we pay to see people hitting each other in standardised conditions with a referee and medical crew present. There is a difference.

Also, just because I'm retweeting the Summer Sundae line-up does not mean I'm pro-legalisation of cannabis. I mean, I am, but I don't get, nor do I like the automatic assumption that just because I go to music festivals I am automatically assumed to have a particular opinion. Also, the tweet I received was written in best Stonerese (I tend to differentiate stoners from cannabis users) and oh my, if ever there was less of an advert for legalisation.

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I would have said more about 'Against All Odds' except Jesse Sorenson's injury took the shine off. I know it was an accident, and accidents happen but I did wish they'd changed the storyline for the Gunnar vs Garrett Bischoff match later. Other than that ( why do I always love the stupid ones )

Or Sunday at Summer Sundae

BBC pictures here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leicester/hi/people_and_places/music/newsid_8921000/8921041.stm

I had a totally different day to the one described by the BBC photos, but I think that's what happens.

One of the nice things about Summer Sundae is that unlike most fests that claim to be family friendly, it actually is, so they basically set aside one half of DMH and the garden behind DMH as kiddie-friendly, no booze zones. Also really good for frazzled festival-goers to chill. One of the things was a 'learn how to knit' tent. I took advantage of this, so I can now cast on and cast off. At the minute I'm working on a scarf, but if any of you, as I know several of you knit, have a very easy pattern for anything else, I'd be pleased to look at it.

So I spent a couple of hours knitting. I could do that because the sun finally decided to shine, and so I could just lounge on the grass. Which is pretty much what everyone else was doing. While I was doing that Pete Molinari was on (www.petemolinari.co.uk). Nice semi-blues, if it's your kind of thing.

That was followed by Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit (www.johnny-flynn.com) who were folk blues, and again, reasonably fun.

The next band on were Junip who I was informed were good but they bored me to tears. Same general style, I think the organisers had gone for laid-back blues for the afternoon.

I wandered round, thinking I ought to have a look-see at the lastfm new bands tent. Ellen and the Escapades were getting ready while I was there. There were issues (they'd been banned from using bass and drums) and the soundcheck took forever. The lovely and adorable guitarist was lovely and adorable, and I'm sure they were perfectly wonderful if they're your kind of thing, but they were a bit too twee for me.

Next came the comedy tent, and I can now cross Milton Jones off my list of comedians I have to see. He was funny, even if, because I let other people in front of me, I couldn't catch everything. Lip reading is a very useful skill, once again, even if M declared it to be cheating.

After that I went to the Musician Tent. The act that was on David Ford (www.myspace.com/davidford) - apocalyptic folk, right down my alley. I recommend him highly, especially as, due to tech issues, he'd had to start with a mini-acoustic set.

This was followed by El Pussycat (www.myspace.com/elpussycatska). Trad ska. Great fun. Lots of dancing. Best bit - Neville Sharples from the Specials making a cameo appearance.

After that it was back outside, where it had suddenly gone awfully dark. I caught a couple of Mumford and Sons's songs. They're better live than expected, and managed to make their music carry. I was good and didn't yell 'Judas' when they played electrics.

However, no matter how good they were, I wanted to see the Futureheads. Who were even better than expected. One live set has turned them from a band I like into a band I love. Oh the adorable guitarist (who I was right in front of, oh he's so lovely), oh the lovely bass player, oh the wonderful drummer and the fantastic singer. Definitely my band of the festival. I recommend going seeing them if you have the chance.

Or, Friday at Summer Sundae

The BBC's photos are here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leicester/hi/people_and_places/music/newsid_8917000/8917302.stm

Due to deadlines, meeting up with friends and assorted chaos, I only really had the time to get a quick look around, and see Seasick Steve. I would have been able to see Eliza Doolittle, only, well, I'm sure she's good, but bleh at another Winehouse junior.

Seasick Steve was awesome despite the rain (video footage - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFgPNx5INx8). It was chucking it down but people were enjoying themselves and Steve made the occasional trip out into the rain to "feel our pain". His drummer was amazing too.

I <3 Seasick Steve.

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I've got a couple of options for this:

the first 'proper' gig I ever went to - Massive Attack at the MEN
the first time I saw the Manics, again at the MEN
or the most recent time I saw the Manics (DMH)

However, given what I'm listening to at the minute, (thank you kindoftrouble) I've got to go with seeing Franz Ferdinand at DMH.

Full story here - http://redfiona99.livejournal.com/210406.html

But I think it was a mixture of it being unexpected (I thought I'd missed out on tickets until the day before) and the band being not only spot on, but doing more than just play the songs off the album. They're definitely one of those bands that have 'live' versions of song. They had such a stage prescence and I was with friends and the crowd were all excited to see them and it was such a good atmosphere.

I really loved the guy behind me who was taking his younger brother to his first gig and was so protective of him, taking every mosh pit him. Some idiots further back tried to create a squish and I got pushed back by the people in front, and accidentally knocked into little brother - despite previously mentioned protectiveness, he more than accepted my apology and apologised for being slammed into me later on. That second part actually went for everyone else as well. Like I said, it was an awesome atmosphere.

Also, and this counts, 5 rows from the front when Alex Kyprianos sang 'Poison Darts of Pleasure'. Just 'ohwowmigosh!'

It was great fun.

They were treated like the returning heroes they totally are and were generally fantastic, and have I mentioned I've wanted to see this band live for years. And they were sooooooooooo much better than expected.

Life is good.

And I'm still all eek over it.

Admittedly it didn't look like I'd even get there at one point since I was supposed to be going with Adam who makes me look organised, so you can guess how bad he is.

He was supposed to ask his brother if I could come with and sort the tickets out, of course he didn't so I had to get them myself and to make sure he didn't stand me up and leave me going to the gig alone, which I would have been cool with but Mum less so, I had to drag cousin Phil along with.

But we were still getting a lift with Ads, his brother and the brother's girl friend. And then they were late.

Which result in me missing half of Razorlight's set, including 'Stumble and Fall' which is a great song. Luckily I heard them do that through the doors before we went in.

Anyway got in to the venue (the MEN for anyone who's been to Manchester) in time to hear the second half of their set including 'Golden Touch' which is was my favourite song of theirs and which I have pimped in here before now.

But they did another song to finish the set which has replaced it as my favourite, of course I didn't catch the name, dear sweet, adorable lead singer mumbles when he talks.

And the poor lamb had to rush off stage at one point because he had to cough up some blood. (Pets lead singer)

They finished their set and that was the point when I started worrying because the Manics hadn't sold as many tickets as last time and I was worried that they'd be dull in comparrison to what had been a stonking set by Razorlight, what I'd seen of it. Because, to be honest, they hadn't blown me away last time, and then their support act hadn't been as spectacular.

I shouldn't have worried, because they were brilliant. They were sharp, angry, the band they sometimes aren't any more.

Their opening video was a case in point, it was classic Manics montage, all "read, destroy, create" and then it finished with "you love us," change slide word by word, "and we love you". And that was when I knew it would be good.

They opened with 'If you tolerate this..." which on the album, and the single, is this grand stately epic, (it's the one with the creepy video of the people with their eyes, mouths, ears and noses covered over) and they turned it into an absolute rocker.

Then came 'Faster', proper, full speed, 'Faster'.

They played '1985' which is my favourite track off the new album, 'You Love Us', 'Cardiff Afterlife', which sucks no matter what you do with it, but the video montage was interesting, and then 'You Stole The Sun' which I hate on the album and love done live, because they totally change it.

And then they played 'No Surface, All Feeling'. Just wow. It's my favourite song of theirs (and one of my top three songs of all time) and I finally heard them play it live.

Then there was 'Solitude Sometimes Is' off the new album, all delicate tinkle and all. That was about the only one that got left as it was, and there's not much you can do with it.

Then they played 'Yes' and dedicated it to Razorlight. Which amused me.

At some point they played 'Australia', and then the other two went off and we had the acoustic part. Now James Dean Bradfield had had a throat infection and the last two shows had been cancelled so people threw packs of throat lozenges at him at various points during the night. And despite this he did the first two verses and chorus of "Archives of Pain" complete with crowd as rhythm sections and all of 'This is Yesterday', which is an incredibly beautiful song.

Back came the band. Now up to this point, Nicky Wire had been wearing a long leopard print jacket with green cargo pants. When he came back, he was in a white strappy top, red mini-skirt and white pop-socks, and then proceeds to climb on to a stack of speakers and merrily jig along those. And then half way through the song sat down and swung his legs off the end of the stack in a most schoolgirl-like manner. So yeah, have no idea which song it was. But it could well have been 'La Tristessa (Duerra)'.

The second half of the set involved, in some order, 'Small Black Flowers', 'Die in the Summertime', 'Kevin Carter', 'Motorcycle Emptiness,', 'Love of Richard Nixon', 'Empty Souls', 'Tsunami', and 'Design For Life' as the big end number, complete with crowd all standing up and singing. And somewhere early on there was the very beginning of 'Sleepflower' played at the request of one guy who'd been to every gig on the tour (no, this is not excessive behaviour, this is reasonable Manics fan behaviour, we're kind of odd).

I swear there's a song I've forgotten but it was so wonderful. And we had great seats too, stage centre, half way up the seating (pictures forthcoming after Christmas). Now I've just got to see them from the standing section one time, but Phil wouldn't do that, and unless they play a mini-gig in Leiester once, Mum wouldn't approve either.

Now to try and compose a gushing fan-letter in thanks. Mainly because they really deserve one for reasons I won't go into.

Went to see Gorky's Zygotic Mynci supporting Yo La Tengo on Sunday. Gorky's were kinda low-key but it's all cool. Plus one of their new songs sounded like a less laidback Air, which is good.

Plus, wheee I finally got to see them. Which has only taken me about 8 years. Anyway I was about 40p short of getting their album so one of the bar staff just gave me the 40p. The guy at the stall says there's a cash machine at the end of the road so I went and got the money, bought the CD and gave the barman his 40p back. I did try and give him a little extra but he wasn't having any of it. So cue me amazed at the decency of general people. Which means I've been on a manic trying to help people rampage. I'm quite scary when I get like that.

On to Yo La Tengo, none of whose stuff I'd heard before but they sounded good. Like a less edgy Sonic Youth. And damn if the front man was funny. As were the other two. There were badgers and making fun of backing singers. And five people drumming on one stage (the 3 in YLT and two co-opted members of GZM).

Lots of fun and De Montfort Hall is fantastically clean inside. It was quite interesting to be at a small scale gig and not in an arena like the other two big gigs I've been to.

And to finish, I'd like to recommend both bands.