April is not the cruellest month - August is.
One match down, a loss to Spurs, and already the season is over for the Mighty Reds. I'm not joking. That is it. We will never catch up.
So, here's to the 2010/1 season.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
50 gigs
Following on from Jude Rogers and David Hepworth...
1. The Pirates in Hull – my first at the Ritz or similar grotty nightclub
2. Human League – meant to be the second but eventually at GMex on an 80s package
3. The Beat/Au Pairs – first uni gig, and still one of the very best
4. The Beat – last year at a grotty pub in Bradford– amazingly brilliant
5. The Beat – Last Year at a grotty pub in Bradford – somehow it all failed second time around
6. Beck – Manchester Apollo - the best I’ve ever seen
7. Bruce Springsteen – Roundhay Park 85 – first big gig. Ok, but put me off festivals
8. Radiohead – Warrington – next big gig. And worth it
9. Thom Yorke – Latitude 2009 - my first festival and a wonderful experience
10. Pere Ubu – Carlsberg free festival in Copenhagen, following the Blue Brothers Band and just before Kool and the Gang. Who booked that?
11. The Undertones – Hull – just happened to be passing
12. The Undertones – supporting Peter Gabriel at Crystal Palace, their last English appearance – we slept on the streets
13. The Go-betweens – Leeds, when I drank in the pub with them and Tracey Thorn beforehand
14. The Eagles in a corporate box at MEN, with an Aussie friend of the Go-betweens
15. Alanis Morrisette at MEN – amazingly disappointing
16. Symbol at G-mex, good but even he can’t ignore Prince’s back catalogue
17. Robert Plant – and evening of swing jazz at Leeds Uni – god how they called for Stairway
18. The Waterboys in Newcastle – fine until they turned up the volume
19. REM in Newcastle city hall – Nick Lowe supported- can you believe I didn’t know what they looked like?
20. The Who in Newcastle – but Keith was already dead, and really so was the band.
21. Pixies in Newcastle – my 27th birthday with the girl I loved and her new boyfriend. Now out on bootleg
22. Dr Remi Engala and the Orchestra Super Matimbele – Stockton Riverside Festival – every year and totally brilliant
23. They Might Be Giants – Redcar Bowl 1989 with the woman who I would date and marry 7 years later
24. Sisters of Mercy- Leeds Uni -3 shows in one term, moving up the venues each time. They lived round the corner from me
25. Motorhead – Leeds Uni – never saw them for more than a minute, but I HEARD THEM
26. The Pogues – Leeds Uni – I delayed starting work for a week to see them
27. Gil Scott Heron – Boston, USA 1990 – found out he was on by accident and drove 50 miles on the off-chance
28. Gill Scott Heron – Newcastle Riverside – met him backstage, but the drugs were taking hold
29. David Byrne – Nottingham – that’s near Cambridge isn’t it? Oh, not really. Worth the trip
30. David Byrne – Newcastle – he’s actually good said the people I dragged along
31. Husker Du – Leeds Uni – these guys had a plan
32. Julian Cope – Riverside on the Peggy Suicide tour – my female friends all wanted to have his children. Did I really meet Courtney love at a previous JC gig?
33. Kitchens of distinction – riverside – why were they not big? Why?
34. Smashing Pumpkins – Newcastle night club – they have anger issues. Really.
35. Fatima Mansions – Middlesbrough crypt – another one with anger issues.
36. Sugercubes – Newcastle night club – curiouser and curiouser said Bjork. Who’s the twat with the trumpet said everyone else.
37. Jesus and Mary Chain – Leeds Uni for 15 minutes. It was only a small riot
38. Jesus and Mary chain/Blur/My Bloody Valentine/Dinosaur Jnr – Rollercoaster tour on an Ice rink in South Shields. Bloody cold. Bloody loud. Blur surprisingly good
39. Blur – MEN greatest hits tour – and got better. That Boy Coxon can play.
40. Richard Thompson - a tent in York – and so can this boy. First time was such as surprise
41. The Velvet Underground in Edinburgh. The first reunion gig. I never thought I would see that, and could not understand how few people wanted to see them.
42. Billy Bragg – Bradford Uni 2006 – he was as drunk as the rest of us, but we had a good time. Phil Jupitus sang Beastiality
43. Franz Ferdinand – Bradford St Georges hall – the homecoming show. Mach shau!
44. Aztec Camera – Newcastle – how can he reproduce it all so perfectly, so effortlessly?
45. Tinariwen – Bradford st Georges – guardian reading worthies have supreme pleasure
46. The Mission – Leeds Uni – more tins of hairspray than booze
47. Steel Pulse – Leeds Uni – no need to bring your own, get high just breathing in
48. The Streets – Leeds Uni 2007 – is that what rave was really like? I got it for just a song
49. The Smiths/Red guitars – Leeds Uni - and the Smiths were blown off stage
50. Madness – Leeds Uni – 2 hits, a new song, repeat for 2 hours of delirium
1. The Pirates in Hull – my first at the Ritz or similar grotty nightclub
2. Human League – meant to be the second but eventually at GMex on an 80s package
3. The Beat/Au Pairs – first uni gig, and still one of the very best
4. The Beat – last year at a grotty pub in Bradford– amazingly brilliant
5. The Beat – Last Year at a grotty pub in Bradford – somehow it all failed second time around
6. Beck – Manchester Apollo - the best I’ve ever seen
7. Bruce Springsteen – Roundhay Park 85 – first big gig. Ok, but put me off festivals
8. Radiohead – Warrington – next big gig. And worth it
9. Thom Yorke – Latitude 2009 - my first festival and a wonderful experience
10. Pere Ubu – Carlsberg free festival in Copenhagen, following the Blue Brothers Band and just before Kool and the Gang. Who booked that?
11. The Undertones – Hull – just happened to be passing
12. The Undertones – supporting Peter Gabriel at Crystal Palace, their last English appearance – we slept on the streets
13. The Go-betweens – Leeds, when I drank in the pub with them and Tracey Thorn beforehand
14. The Eagles in a corporate box at MEN, with an Aussie friend of the Go-betweens
15. Alanis Morrisette at MEN – amazingly disappointing
16. Symbol at G-mex, good but even he can’t ignore Prince’s back catalogue
17. Robert Plant – and evening of swing jazz at Leeds Uni – god how they called for Stairway
18. The Waterboys in Newcastle – fine until they turned up the volume
19. REM in Newcastle city hall – Nick Lowe supported- can you believe I didn’t know what they looked like?
20. The Who in Newcastle – but Keith was already dead, and really so was the band.
21. Pixies in Newcastle – my 27th birthday with the girl I loved and her new boyfriend. Now out on bootleg
22. Dr Remi Engala and the Orchestra Super Matimbele – Stockton Riverside Festival – every year and totally brilliant
23. They Might Be Giants – Redcar Bowl 1989 with the woman who I would date and marry 7 years later
24. Sisters of Mercy- Leeds Uni -3 shows in one term, moving up the venues each time. They lived round the corner from me
25. Motorhead – Leeds Uni – never saw them for more than a minute, but I HEARD THEM
26. The Pogues – Leeds Uni – I delayed starting work for a week to see them
27. Gil Scott Heron – Boston, USA 1990 – found out he was on by accident and drove 50 miles on the off-chance
28. Gill Scott Heron – Newcastle Riverside – met him backstage, but the drugs were taking hold
29. David Byrne – Nottingham – that’s near Cambridge isn’t it? Oh, not really. Worth the trip
30. David Byrne – Newcastle – he’s actually good said the people I dragged along
31. Husker Du – Leeds Uni – these guys had a plan
32. Julian Cope – Riverside on the Peggy Suicide tour – my female friends all wanted to have his children. Did I really meet Courtney love at a previous JC gig?
33. Kitchens of distinction – riverside – why were they not big? Why?
34. Smashing Pumpkins – Newcastle night club – they have anger issues. Really.
35. Fatima Mansions – Middlesbrough crypt – another one with anger issues.
36. Sugercubes – Newcastle night club – curiouser and curiouser said Bjork. Who’s the twat with the trumpet said everyone else.
37. Jesus and Mary Chain – Leeds Uni for 15 minutes. It was only a small riot
38. Jesus and Mary chain/Blur/My Bloody Valentine/Dinosaur Jnr – Rollercoaster tour on an Ice rink in South Shields. Bloody cold. Bloody loud. Blur surprisingly good
39. Blur – MEN greatest hits tour – and got better. That Boy Coxon can play.
40. Richard Thompson - a tent in York – and so can this boy. First time was such as surprise
41. The Velvet Underground in Edinburgh. The first reunion gig. I never thought I would see that, and could not understand how few people wanted to see them.
42. Billy Bragg – Bradford Uni 2006 – he was as drunk as the rest of us, but we had a good time. Phil Jupitus sang Beastiality
43. Franz Ferdinand – Bradford St Georges hall – the homecoming show. Mach shau!
44. Aztec Camera – Newcastle – how can he reproduce it all so perfectly, so effortlessly?
45. Tinariwen – Bradford st Georges – guardian reading worthies have supreme pleasure
46. The Mission – Leeds Uni – more tins of hairspray than booze
47. Steel Pulse – Leeds Uni – no need to bring your own, get high just breathing in
48. The Streets – Leeds Uni 2007 – is that what rave was really like? I got it for just a song
49. The Smiths/Red guitars – Leeds Uni - and the Smiths were blown off stage
50. Madness – Leeds Uni – 2 hits, a new song, repeat for 2 hours of delirium
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Is that the time?
The summer rain is still lashing down. England are still throwing it all away in the Ashes. The breadcrumbs are with their grandparents in the obviously superior nation. It still seems like it should be summer. But next Monday is the Anniversary of Middlesbrough 3 Liverpool FC 3. Or to put it another way our wedding anniversary. 13 summers. And time for another season of soccer.
Time for hopes to rise, and disappointment to lurk. To be honest - I can wait. It's only when the season has started that I get carried away. I am quite happy now before hostilities begin, when all is possible once more.
Come on you Reds...
Time for hopes to rise, and disappointment to lurk. To be honest - I can wait. It's only when the season has started that I get carried away. I am quite happy now before hostilities begin, when all is possible once more.
Come on you Reds...
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