Sinister: My shepherds bush review

[Tim Groves]

Firstly I have never been so drunk at a concert before - but this is what I
remember

"Union Chapel last year - I missed it - couldn;t get in, tried every contact in
the book - I cursed B&S every since for playing at a venue where only record
co. lovies can get in.

BUT I got my tickets for the empire and my numbers were 0003,0004,0005,0006
which I thought was pretty cool but who got the first two ? 

I met up with four B&S convertees outside - I arrived by cab and a tout opened
the door for me 
and asked if I had any tickets to sell ! - for christs sake haven't even got
out of cab yet - 

Got in and got my Sinister Tshirt for £15 !!!! there goes my beer money.
Luckily my girfriend louise subbed me with beer all night.

National Park came on and I am three rows from the front and determined to stay
there.
I thought they  were a bit drab and grey - the songs were all a bit slow and
kinda reminded me of Radiohead.
Next on Eliot Smith - I have a couple of his lp's so this was a bonus support
act for me.
By now I was 5 rows back, I am 6ft 1inch but I still couldn't see him - so
(drunken heckle number one) I shout STAND UP about 25 times - I should have
lent him a guitar strap - I thought he was superb , lovely voice and a good
guitar player aswell, that I could hear but not see.

Then the wait - I know bands like REM  will keep you waiting to increase the
suspense but  I knew B&S wouldn't do that - I don't mind waiting for bands but
I have a pissed morish attitude to cider by now and I REALLY NEED TO GO TO THE
TOILET.

As we get more and more impatient, people start to push in in front of me. I
start to give them some verbals (like pissed blokes do ) - If you are ready
this I apologize for my attitude but I had been standing there for about 3 hrs
so please don't push in again !! 

By now people start to boo - this made me angry - but then at last they come
on. Stuart looks like he needs feeding and some sunshine - they start with a
song I don't know ( why release the lp on the day of the gig !!! ?) - and then
I remember the start of stars of track and field and my legs turn to jelly,
hearing this song live made me love it more than ever. The quality of the sound
hits me- it  is awesome, acoustic instruments normally sound shit live but this
was an engineering masterpiece.

I don't have a set list but I do remember the bwtas and seeing other people,
belle and sebastian, 
dylan in the movies and that's about it.
My other drunken heckles were "play the state I am in " but they didn't, my
girlfriend was shouting out " Are you gay" - she is very intrigued by gay men
and if Stuart is reading this I apologise if you were offended in any way - she
just loves gay men.  

I left feeling great , pissed, and I missed my train , and got a £30 cab fare
back to Lewisham , my girlfriend lost her wallet. 
So altogether a wonderful and  pissed evening - I wish they would play there
again and I wish I could remember more and I wish I had a bootleg and I wish I
had a set list.

Tim 

ps what's with the ref to Rolling Stones bside song titles in the new lp - the
song that goes about spider and the fly etc 



 

+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
      +---+  Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list  +---+
 To send to the list please mail "sinister at majordomo.net". To unsubscribe
   send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to
 "majordomo at majordomo.net".  For list archives and searching, list rules,
   FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister
          +---+   "legion of bedroom saddo devotees"  +---+
 +-+  "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list"  +-+
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+