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Entries tagged as ‘live gigs’

attack of the hemp-clad percussionists

August 7, 2008 · Leave a Comment

On a sidenote, I came to a cafe in Camden tonight called InSpiral Lounge. I came here for a couple of reasons: a) they have wifi, which I needed since my housemate kicked me out of the apartment for the night and I had an essay to write that needed some research (I know you’re reading this V! I’m only kidding!) and b) they have a nice little quiet downstairs area, perfect for geeking out on your laptop without looking like too much of a tool.

InSpiral is this little place on Camden Lock, opposite the stables. The place is great for internet, guarana truffles, hippies and rockin’ the ganj. (Sorry, I tried to sound cool just then when I’m quite obviously not. It won’t happen again.)

It’s 10:34 pm, and while two hours ago I was peacefully tapping away and devouring my favourite blog of the week, I have suddenly looked up and found myself surrounded by a large, impromptu group of percussionists.

I guess they must assemble here regularly and it is in fact I who have disrupted their chi and not the other way around. This merry band of minstrels consists of one very bad female guitarist-slash-singer, three guys with very loud bongo drums, someone with something that sounds like a kazoo and a surplus of people who seem to be competing as to who can bring the most haphazardly assembled instrument that makes the least musical sound. Plus one guy who can’t seem to decide what he wants to play, and starts singing loudly at random intervals, apparently when he recognises a song he’s heard before or thinks he may know the lyrics to (he doesn’t).

The prerequisite for membership of this band seems to be having dredlocks and either an item of clothing made from hemp or a funny hat. I wonder if they held auditions.

Oh good lord. I just looked around, and I’m actually surrounded. They’ve blocked my exit. What’s a coffee-chugging, capitalism-loving super-consumer to do?

Categories: Writing
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begging for it at Hyde Park

July 4, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Saw Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, G. Love and Mason Jennings at Hyde Park with V on Wednesday. It ruled – FACT. Jack is so especially swoon-worthy.

Highlights included a conversation between two girls overheard while standing in the three hundred metre-long queue for the portaloo:

“Are you drunk?”

“No, I’m not like gahhhhhlalala, I’m just a bit like yeah Jack Johnson alright woo.”

“Oh. I’m like yeah woo alright woo.”

One thing that always makes me smile at live gigs is the encore fake-out. You know what I’m talking about. The process goes thusly:

1. Lead singer finishes song and makes announcement something like this: “Right, thanks for coming, we’re outta here, goodnight!”

2. Entire band makes an obviously over-hasty exit

3. The audience clap and cheer a lot, while some people (amateurs) standing around you make nervous comments such as, “Is that it? They’re coming back out aren’t they? I don’t know, maybe they’re not…”

4. A few audience members exit; these are the people who are more excited about an unobstructed departure from the car park or an empty tube carriage than about seeing the act’s best and most built-up-to performance of the night

5. But wait – what’s this? The band! They’re coming back on! Oh, miracle of miracles, it’s as though we’re the best audience they’ve ever had and they simply can’t bear to be parted from us! What ho!

Historically, surely this must be the most enduring public mutual deception in the world. We know it’s a charade. The band knows it’s a charade. But it’s a reciprocal lie that we all actively participate in and enjoy. The band feels like we’ve really, really proved our love for them by screaming ourselves hoarse and clapping our hands raw, and we feel like the band really love us and are giving us our money’s worth by coming back out even after what’s supposed to be their last song.

Just once I would like an act to perform the encore fake-out, but on their return to the stage admit they weren’t really finished anyway, and they’d actually saved their very best material to play only once they felt we, the audience, had properly earned it. Because paying the exorbitant ticket price to see us perform just isn’t enough, damn it. We need you to beg for it.

Categories: Uncategorized
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