No Sugarcoating & No Bullshit: June
Written by Jo Hayes
Saturday, 11 June 2016 03:00
Hello, Uber Rockers. Hopefully this month I can divert your attention away from the seemingly impending doom which is the EU Referendum – I know that I’m sick of hearing about it (whether it’s ‘Remain’ or ‘Brexit’). By the next time I’ve written another blog post, we’ll know the results and we’ll be able to get on with our lives for the time being.
Speaking of getting on with my life, I feel like I’m more able to go to the occasional gig again, although I haven’t been to any yet this year. Last year, the only gig that I had planned was to see Motörhead in early 2016, but obviously with Lemmy passing away, this didn’t happen. If it had, it would have meant Lemmy being replaced by someone else, then I imagine I’d have been more pissed off than AC/DC playing with Axl Rose.
Although I did have tickets to see Manic Street Preachers in May, as my treatment obliterated my immune system, I had to avoid large crowds, so I had to say no.
Thankfully, my immune system has recovered somewhat, so I’m allowed out in public again, and I have some ‘gigspiration’, as Brian James of The Damned/Lords of the New Church is playing at the 100 Club on 6th July (to celebrate 40 years since the Damned’s first gig at the 100 Club supporting the Sex Pistols). He is billed as Brian James & friends, so it’ll be interesting to see who’ll be joining Brian up on stage.
Despite having some freedom now, I don’t feel as bothered about going to gigs as I used to, and will just go to gigs that are, in my mind – worth it. Worth it to me is about time and money – London is about 2 hours travel time door to door for me, each way. Brighton – I’m so out of the loop with the local scene, I’m not sure if the scene that remains would resemble anything that I used to go to. In terms of Brighton, maybe I’m worried about wasting my time, although there could be my next favourite band out there somewhere.
The worst gig of my life still comes to mind whenever I think of heading to London – The Pixies at Brixton Academy. I’m sure I’ve seen worse bands, but these were especially disappointing as I was looking forward to seeing one of my favourite bands, and for them to be so soulless, I felt both ripped off and pissed off.
This has made me very wary since of seeing bands that I might think will be fantastic, although unless it’s stupidly expensive, I’ll take the gamble, as I think that The Pixies gig was a one-off shocker. For instance, the Replacements gig I went to (just over a year ago in London), was one of the best I’ve ever been to. I was half expecting them to be shit (the cynic in me anyway), but thankfully I was proved wrong!
I think of when I used to go to local gigs for more than half of the week, and yeah I was out seeing bands play all the time, but not many stand out, really the music scene was more of a social scene, now the social scene (as it was), is gone, maybe that’s why the local music scene has lost its shine to me. I can’t imagine being involved in a music social scene again, unless I join or start a band myself, and even then, what with being ill, no smoking, less drinking, studying, and being ten years older than last time, maybe I’ll be boring in comparison to the last time I played in a band.
Hopefully the Brian James gig won’t be my only gig this year, and I’m sure this won’t be a wasted trip up to London. Maybe in my last blog of 2016, I can brag about going to two or three or more (which will be a record for me!)
If I want to start a band again, I think that’s a way off, as I haven’t played in around two years, and will probably sound like a tone deaf teenager starting out, but we’ll see. For now I’ll listen and dream on.
Until next time…
Jo