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Posts Tagged Gig

Mike TV

Oct 21

Posted by Haydn in Gigs | No Comments

Johnny Foreigner may have had some fun banter between songs, but by God that pales in insignificance next to the 45-minute full-on comedy of Mike TV. I reckon they must have a few collective screws loose to have so much fun. The audience loved it, and it's the only time I've ever been in an crowd that's been asked to name as many animals as possible which have balls.

<strong>Mike TV.</strong><br />Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.

Mike TV.Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.

They've got a new EP coming out soon, so check them out on Myspace and then go and see them to stick a whopping big smile on your face.

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Tellison / Johnny Foreigner

Oct 17

Posted by Haydn in Gigs | 1 Comment

Bands always get a better review from me if they have good betwixt-song banter. I'm not after philosophical depth, just an acknowledgement of the audience and perhaps the odd bit of information about particular tracks. Tellison and Johnny Foreigner, however, went way beyond that.

<strong>Tellison.</strong><br />Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.

Tellison.Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.

I've only seen Tellison once before, a couple of years ago in Manchester, and don't own any of their records. I also arrived five minutes after their set actually started. Nevertheless, just like in Manchester, they drew me in immediately and put on a great show. Fun, catchy and great to watch.

<strong>Johnny Foreigner.</strong><br />Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.

Johnny Foreigner.Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.

Johnny Foreigner were great last time I saw them, but they were also very quiet and left me with the distinct impression that they were all very grumpy. They proved me absolutely wrong with an exceedingly cheery gig. It was the first night of a UK tour, and despite being beset with more technical problems than I've ever known at one gig, they really stepped it up a level. The boy/girl vocals thing really floats my boat, and there was energy in spades.

<strong>Johnny Foreigner.</strong><br />Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.

Johnny Foreigner.Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.

My only regret is that the set didn't last longer, but that was a product of the curfew rather than the band I think. Johnny Foreigner really connected with the crowd at the Social, and that inevitably leads to a great night regardless of the artist; this was no exception.

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The Offspring

Aug 27

Posted by Haydn in Gigs | No Comments

A nine-hour round trip, just to see one band? On a school night? Well, it was The Offspring.

The evening started with a battle through rush-hour traffic to the Academy 1 in Manchester, and was swiftly followed by an hour sitting outside the venue whilst waiting for confirmation of my press pass to be 'phoned through from the US. I missed Broadway Calls entirely, and was getting pretty pessimistic by the time I could hear Rival Schools' set drifting out of the venue to where I was sat.

<strong>Dexter Holland.</strong><br />Copyright Haydn Williams 2009

Dexter Holland.
Copyright Haydn Williams 2009

However, shortly after that my pass was confirmed and I caught the tail end of the set. I was gutted I didn't see Rival Schools prior to them splitting up, and had high hopes for last night's performance, given the energy and emotion evident in their two albums. I was therefore a bit disappointed when they turned out to be a bit dull. That said, it was certainly a competent performance, so I can't really complain too much.

<strong>Noodles.</strong><br />Copyright Haydn Williams 2009

Noodles.
Copyright Haydn Williams 2009

The Offspring's set was pretty much a "Greatest Hits". I'm normally so absorbed in shooting the first three songs that I can't actually tell you what tracks were played, but Bad Habit was blasted out with enough vigour to force it's way into my brain with very little effort. There was a good mix of stuff from right across their spread of albums, presumably in preparation for the forthcoming festival season. They carried on delivering standout tracks right through to the end, with Want You Bad in the encore being the highlight of the evening for me. I've wanted to see The Offspring for a long time now, and thankfully last night's performance was totally worth the trip.

<strong>Dexter Holland.</strong><br />Copyright Haydn Williams 2009

Dexter Holland.
Copyright Haydn Williams 2009

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