Face Of Cheam

For some reason on this day I had double booked, also commiting myself to see Quo in Croydon. Fortuanately, my ticket for that was sold so I could see Paramore's second night at the O2. Each time they have played London they have played bigger venues so what odds of a stadium next year? When Hayley listed the London venues they have played between songs, I had been to most besides Wembley Arena where I did Brighton instead. As for this one, as always they put on an energtic tight show. Probably not quite as good as last time as the new acoustic section fell a bit flat and Decode was segued into by Playing God so you couldn't get the intro. Still very enjoyable though and you can't ask for a bettter rock song than Misery Business, except this had a happy birthday in it for the support which was just bizarre.

Ignorance / Feeling Sorry / Thats What You Get / For A Pessimist I'm Pretty Optimistic / Emergency / Playing God / Decode // acoustic set = Let It Go - When It Rains / Where The Lines Overlap / Misguided Ghosts // electric - CrushCrushCrush / Pressure / Looking Up / The Only Exception ////// Brick By Boring Brick / Misery Business (inc Happy Birthday to BOB the support band!)

Went to this due to their performance supporting Def Leppard a few years ago. Classic Rock in the week had given away their latest album, called The Latest, and after one listen it had got me in a good mood for this gig. Shepherds Bush was rammed so unusually we ended up on the right hand side. Cheap Trick were as entertaining as last time with catchy guitar tunes and many a guitar change and plectrum throw-out. Mine was given to me by a roadie at the end. A good Friday night out in any event.

Set (not that I knew much of it)was - Oh Candy, Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace(Terry Reid cover), Stiff Competition, Best Friend, Lookout, Tonight It's You, I Want You To Want Me,I Know What I Want, These Days,Wrong All Along, Smile, Anytime, Magical Mystery Tour(The Beatles cover), Cold Turkey (The Plastic Ono Band cover), Sick Man of Europe, Closer, The Ballad of Burt and Linda, Surrender //// Ain't That A Shame(Fats Domino cover), Rock 'n' Roll Tonight(Wizzard cover), Dream Police

Its November and the start of yet another Quo tour. As always there is set speculation, mainly because they have a reputation that it doesn't change and here bar one and a half songs they had learnt it had not by much. Most of the good time, Quo give good value and so it was here. The surprises were Spinning Wheel Blues being included in a medley and the album track For You being towards the end of the set. I adored this though it was obvoiusly flat with the rest of the crowd and perhaps was played too late in the set. Be interesting to see if it stays.
As always with Southend a few pubs were done but nothing especially good to write about. I had been due to see them again in Croydon, but somehow foolishly had double booked with Paramore. Due to the lack of changes I won't pretend I was that upset.

Saw this on Thunder drummers Harry James website and decided to go. A couple of weeks prior, the whole band drops out due to issues over their contract. The promotor does not cancel the show and replaces the band with three singers and Dave Sharp from the Alarm, who unfortuanately had disappeared by the time the tour reached Epsom. As the name suggested we had two 45 minutes worth of set of 80s classics from Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Bryan Adams, Kiss, Journey etc. In fact we even had 70s classics We Will Rock You and Highway To Hell which ended the show. Good entertainment but sometimes for the wrong reasons mainly due to the singers not knowing the words. Owen Paul was one of them (remember My Favourite Waste Of Time?) and he got lost several times with the back out plan of 'you sing it!' to the crowd. There was one fellow from the Blues Brothers stage show, who had the best stage presence within the smallish theatre, but again he struggled with the words. The most metal was 'Wardie' who had been is Shy and a version of Saxon (not the sucessful one), but he was disturbing due to his lack of clothes, (think a metal Iggy). Still despite the lyrical hiccups (worst was Hammer To Fall or You Give Love A Bad Name) the rest of the band played well and a good time was had. I just feel this sort of thing would be better in the local pub instead of a theatre.

First saw Kat Upton as a pounding bass player supporting the Glitterati many years ago. Now a guitarist and confident front woman in grungy metal band Black Nazarene I checked them out at a new venue for me, Islingtons Buffalo Bar, a tiny underground place below the famous cock. A forceful rockout half hour set from an all girl group, with a couple of decent tunes which will be availible on line (Though a CD would be better). White Lies was on their myspace page (which is now abandoned for facebook), and one other memorable one whose title I can't recall though very reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine. The lead guitarist Mercedes Diett was impressive with her riffs though you wish they were elongated into solos and with the singer doing her quo legs apart head down banging they certainly have the classic metal imagery. A couple of more cathcy melodies and there could be enough for a decent album if they get picked up or decide to try and do it theirselves. Did like the basement venue though it appears you may have to use the pub for bogs upstairs and they could do with having draft on, though £3 a bottle of peroni is nothing outrageous. Bizarrely they were advertising a band with Lloyd Grossman in it for a gig there the week after. One to avoid.

Photo from their facebook page.

Kingston Indie Club New Slang is four and to celebrate they hold a sell out night with the Wombats. First time I had seen the Wombats and was impressed. Tokyo about Vampires & Wolves is a quality tune being the first single from their forthcoming album. The last two songs played were Moving To New York and Lets Dance To Joy Division, immient catchy singles from their debut. For a band later to play Hammersmith an £8 ticket for a place on your doorstep and £1.50 a beer is something you can't really argue about.

After getting initially excited in getting tickets for this low key tiny club venue for an artist who sold out Hammersmith the week previously, I was a little concerned when I saw the set list for that show which included a Jackson Five song I can't stand and some from her new album I hadn't got. Still some new songs I am open to and was under the impression that the new album was rather country. However it wasn't and she has gone in a jazz funk direction. When did this happen? Some old songs were played in a lacklustre style with the slight exception of Everyday Is A Winding Road which was the highlight among many lowlights. The sour ice cream was a twelve minute version of Terence Trent Darbys Sign Your Name followed by an equally long jazz funk improv attempt. The encore was a solitary I Shall Believe from her classic debut, however this was elongated with bass solos and random backing singer warblings. Most disappointing show this year saved by the proximity of the Borderline.

Set - Our Love Is Fading / A Change Will Do You Good / Eye To Eye / 100 Miles From Memphis / Can't Cry Anymore / Summer Day / My Favourite Mistake / Sign Your Name / Jazz Funk Improv / Long Road / Everyday Is A Winding Road / Roses / All I Wanna Do / Peaceful ///// I Shall Believe