Gig Going Thread.

[Ady]

Went to see Janelle Monae in Birmingham with my girl last night. It was an awesome. One of the best live shows I've seen, up there with CocoRosie.

[QualityChimp]

Yay!

Just bought tickets to the Friday of Download.

I can't really afford the time or money to go for the full weekend, but when I heard The Darkness have reformed, I had to get a ticket.

Yeah, the second album sucked, but when they were on form, they were amazing. Justin Hawkins is an awesome front man and a talented guitarist, such a showman.

There's loads of other bands (Def Leppard are headlining), but I'm not blown away by this year's line-up.

Justin has played this solo on a white tiger flying over the crowd and on the shoulders of a bouncer before!

[Rossco]

Got Jamiroquai next week in Glasgow!

[randombs]

Nitin Sawhney at the Royal Albert Hall today.

Not exactly a gig, but hey.

Brain-splodingly amazering.

For the encore he got a guy called James Taylor to play the giant 140-year-old organ they have at the back of the hall in a 15-minute piece with big drums, string sextet and a DJ twiddling knobs, with John Hurt(recorded) performing lines over the top. In fact, the album he's launched along with the concert has John Hurt playing a character throughout. To quote the RAH press thingy:

“Last Days of Meaning” is Sawhney’s ninth studio album. Played by the legendary actor John Hurt, the album’s main character - Donald Meaning - is an embittered old man, fearful of immigrants, terrorists and the outside world. He sits in a room raging against childhood memories, society, himself and a small tape recorder sent to him by his ex-wife. The cassette-recorder contains the songs of the album

[QualityChimp]

Raaahr!

I've got The Sword tonight in Birmingham.

If Conan the Barbarian had an iPod, he'd mainly listen to these guys.
Stoner Metal about wizards and warriors with giant riffs of doom.

Can't wait!

[ETC]

12 Days to go to the second time I get to see the amazing

Maximum the Hormone

yay yay yay!!!

[CMcK]

My mate won four camping passes for Donwload but I cannot go as I'm off on my hols on Saturday. Gutted.

I saw the Justin Hawkins White tiger thingy at the Barras years ago. Totally cheesy but so rock and roll.

Anyone else going to Sonisphere this year? I'll be there from the Thursday. The lineup is just amazing this year. Aside from the Big Four I'm really looking forward to the Biff, Slipknot and the Sisters Of Mercy.

[Myth]

Can't wait for Sonisphere, been the last two years and it just gets better!

[QualityChimp]

Considering my wife gave birth less than three weeks ago, I'm pushing my luck going just tomorrow to Download, which is a shame, because Sonisphere looks an amazing line-up this year.

If you get chance, check out Orange Goblin, they're riff-tastic!

Roll on tomorrow, get your hands offa my woman, Mother Farmer!

[monel]

How much do tickets to Glastonbury cost, and are any available? I just need to go for one day.

[endo]

I don't think you can get them for individual days- you have to lash out nearly 200 quid for the full thing. Which is all moot anyway because they sold out yonks ago.

[monel]

Ok thanks, festivals aren't my thing at all but I found out about the lineup the other day and it surprised me. I would have paid for the full ticket and just used it for one day.

[Colin]

Tonight I watched what is possibly the best up and coming (classic) rock band around, rival sons. They're great on record, mind melting live. Had some beers with them after and they're just genuinely massive fans of rock like myself. Absolutely superb. You can all keep fapping yourselves over your **** Japanese obscuro bollocks, or flimsy paper thin niche bands. I'll just stick with rock'n'roll.

[CMcK]

Sonisphere was great this year. Superb sets from the Biff, Metallica and Slayer. Anthrax weren't quite as good as last time I saw them but that may be due to the change in the lineup and the rather short time they had.
Weezer, Mastodon, Airbourne and Ginger Wildheart were really good as well.
Didn't manage to get into the tent for the Sisters of Mercy as it was full when I got there. Gutted about that.

Surprise hits of the weekend for me were Bill Bailey and the inimitable Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine. Great combination of music and comedy.

Iron Maiden coming up next week as well.

[QualityChimp]

Thanks for the heads-up, Ikobo. I'll check them out.

Bit jealous of you, CMcK. I'd have loved to have been to Sonisphere this year as it was such a solid lineup.

You saw most of the bands I wanted to see too. I'd have been really torn between seeing Orange Goblin and Bill Bailey, but in the end, this video would have swung it for me: