Tag Archives: gig

May 22 2023
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

At the back of the Loop gig

Sunday 21st May 2023, 7.50pm (day 4,287)

At the Loop gig, 21/5/23

Attended a gig for the first time in ages. A sign of how it has become, as I have aged: gig behaviour now is to arrive early and grab the seats (or in the case of the Deaf Institute, ‘seats’) at the back, out of the way but with a good view. The guy on the left is reading a book for heaven’s sake. But like me, perhaps he has been waiting some 32 years to see Loop play live. This is a band that last year, released their first studio album in 31 years, so they attract a patient crowd.

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Jul 03 2022
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Daily Post, Portrait

Modern worship (Paloma Faith)

Saturday 2nd July 2022, 10.20pm (day 3,964)

Paloma Faith, 2/7/22

Our 23rd wedding anniversary. I took Clare to a non-league football match and she took me to see Paloma Faith. I have no idea who got the better of the transaction. Photography opportunities were better at the gig, even if musically this is not my thing. A couple of thousand other people seemed happy enough with it all, though.

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Jun 07 2018
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

James Murphy, LCD Soundsystem

Wednesday 6th June 2018, 10.20pm (day 2,477)

James Murphy, 6/6/18

Two LCD Soundsystem gigs in a year… But being brilliant and versatile, they could play a whole different set than last time in London. No one is ever going to do high-quality gig photography from the next-to-back row high up in the circle and with my camera: but it’ll do to document the evening. James Murphy is a master lyricist (“Drunk girls know that love is an astronaut… it comes back, but it’s never the same”) and superb front man yet always remains a slightly chubby, unshaven fortysomething in yesterday’s T-shirt. Which is why we love him.

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Dec 03 2017
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Daily Post, Interior

The Charlatans

Saturday 2nd December 2017, 10.10pm (day 2,291)

Charlatans, 2/12/17

Back into Manchester, for this gig at the Apollo…. the wife’s favourite band. It’s impossible to take truly decent photos at a rock concert, at least not without permission to get on the stage and some far better equipment than I can muster (or would be allowed to bring into the venue). Not to mention people standing up in front of you. But I try.

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Sep 24 2017
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Daily Post, Interior

Pre-gig, Alexandra Palace

Saturday 23rd September 2017, 7.45pm (day 2,221)

Before LCD, 23/9/17

From France to London, for a birthday treat deferred four weeks but worth the wait — LCD Soundsystem at the Alexandra Palace. If you don’t know this band, you really should. However, this picture is taken pre-gig: by the time Mr Murphy and co. came on, I was dancing too much to get a decent shot of it.

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Sep 07 2017
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Daily Post, Interior

Before the gig, Deaf Institute

Wednesday 6th September 2017, 8.05pm (day 2,204)

Deaf Institute, 6/9/17

The “Deaf Institute” might seem a strange name for a place that puts on regular gigs, but that’s what its called, or more precisely, it’s what the building was when it was first built in Victorian times. For the last six years it has been running as a rather decent bar, club, venue arrangement. The gig tonight? Tom McCrae, one of the wife’s favourites. I guess he’s decent enough. I quite like this shot because of the microphone.

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Feb 11 2017
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Julian Cope at Gorilla

Friday 10th February 2017, 9.10pm (day 1,996)

Julian Cope, 10/2/17

Mr Cope becomes the latest rock star to feature on the blog: looking every inch the part, he nevertheless is these days as much a mixture of solo busker, stand-up comedian and raconteur (particularly about old megalithic monuments) as he is anything else.

A curiosity: the ninth photo in a row to be taken outside Hebden Bridge, even though I have spent some time at home on each of these days. This is the longest such run: all other long runs of non-HB photos have been accrued thanks to some kind of travel away from home.

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Jun 25 2016
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Daily Post, Portrait

Saint Etienne at the Trades Club

Friday 24th June 2016, 9.40pm (day 1,765)

Saint Etienne, 24/6/16

This was Clare’s night out as though I knew of this band I didn’t really care one way or the other about them. However, having seen them, they were bloody good. And Sarah Cracknell (right) is completely gorgeous. It was 1996 all over again I’m telling you. Taking photos of gigs is like football matches though — I take lots, but very few ever work out. I don’t have the equipment and I’m usually stuck in the same vantage point. Still, it’ll do.

Perhaps there is some irony in seeing a band named after a French football team the evening after the announcement of the disastrous referendum result. I apologise to the rest of the planet for the 17 million people I happen to share an island with who seem to think that isolationism is a valid response to the world’s problems. I wasn’t the only one in the room tonight weeping for the future.

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Dec 06 2015
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Daily Post, Portrait

The drummer

Saturday 5th December 2015, 9.35pm (day 1,563)

NMA drummer, 5/12/15

Michael Dean, drummer of New Model Army, goes for it during tonight’s set at the Academy… It would be lovely to be able to get close-up shots at gigs with all the sweat and energy of a rock band but my days of mixing it in the moshpit have passed, sorry. Not a bad shot for someone standing more meekly nearer the back, with a long zoom, however.

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Dec 10 2014
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Peter Hook

Tuesday 9th December 2014, 8.50pm (day 1,202)

Peter Hook, 9/12/14

So, this is Peter Hook. Bass player with Joy Division (who then became New Order), the greatest rock band ever to walk the surface of the Earth. Playing in my home town. I could walk home afterwards. it was….. worth seeing.

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