2004

PEACHES
15th May
Liquid Room, Edinburgh
support: Kissogram

I was wondering if I could ever be bothered going to a gig ever again, but, since this was just down the
road, I didn't really have any excuse not to go. Actually, I felt Jo had to be introduced to Peaches, so
that was my excuse for going, just doing a mate a favour eh? The gig was almost identical to last year
at the arches, so just read that to find out all the details. I was obviously out of gig-gooing practice
though, as I carelessly allowed myself to miss the wee charge for a spot down the front after the support had
finished, tchah, how careless! But I wasn't too bothered about not being showered in fake blood
again, and I did end up with quite a nice gal dancing around with me later on, so. Only additions to last
year were a few covers: Gay Bar (which was nice for those of us who saw Electric Six cover Rock Show at
this very venue nearly a year ago), a unique version of Milkshake, and a Yoko Ono cover which nobody knew
anyway. Excellent support from Kissogram, who, despite being german, were actually very good indeed, pounding
beats and quite rightly had the whole room dancing by the end of their set, I was so impressed I was moved to
buy their seven inch at the end, and I didn't even mind it was four quid. For one song.


GORDON McINTYRE
23rd April
Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh
support: Odeon Beat Club

Naturally I was wary of anything billed as a german theme night, but hey, again, it was just down the
road, so what the hell? Odeon Beat Club were in very fine form, very rocky and jumping. Their contribution
to the german culture was to announce Being Realistic in german instead of english, whooh! A very, very fine
cover of Road To Nowhere as an encore, which Steve would surely have loved if he hadn't stayed in the
Globe to play pinball. Gordon was his usual quirky self, mostly all the same stories inbetween
songs, though there was a new one about timewasting in a Craigmillar school. A couple of new songs on show
as well, including the excellently titled I Don't Have Time To Stand Here Arguing With You About The Size Of
My Dick. His german contribution was a confident cover of 99 Red Baloons, at least one line of which was in
german, I wonder if he got that from a german teacher...


T IN THE PARK
Balado Airfield, Kinross

ASH
Saturday, King Tut's Wah Wah Tent

Okay, I'm not the biggest Ash fan in the world, but that's what festivals are all about though, isn't
it? The oppurtunity to see people you wouldn't normally bother going to see. And I have to admit
that Tim coming on stage with his guitar on fire was quite an entrance (if a bit cliched) Still, pretty
much what you'd expect: all the hits, everyone going mental, lots of moshing, blah-blah. Doing Girl From
Mars so early obviously worked, though I don't think the crowd needed much more hyping up. That said, I've
seen them now, so I don't think I really need to see them again...

WU-TANG CLAN
Saturday, NME Stage

Hey Graeme, I'm watching the Wu-Tang. And I don't even like them, ha-ha ha-hah!

THE CHARLATANS
Saturday, Main Stage

Hmm. Strictly speaking, this wasn't the "greatest hits" set that the organisers had promised. How could
the Charlatans have a greatest hits without playing The Only One I know, which is the only song most people
there would have known. And three songs from the new album (although they were good) was hardly greatest
hits stuff either. Diddled. The crowd were a bit flat too, compared to the one time I'd seen them before, so
all in all, a little bit of a let-down really...

BASEMENT JAXX
Saturday, Slam Tent

Okay, even I can be wrong sometimes. Maybe, just maybe, I shouldn't have left early after seeing
Policechief support them in 01. I only caught the last half-hour of their set, but it was darn good. The tent
was actually full when I got down there after the Charlatans set, and they had closed off the entrances, so
I just ducked in one of the exits: I mean, what are the stewards gonna do, chase you inside and drag you
back out again? Get me off!

FRANZ FERDINAND
Saturday, Main Stage

This is the gemme, knaw what I mean? One of the most hyped appearances of the weekend, and they delivered
the goods big-time. Probably the best set I've ever enjoyed at the main stage at T: the crowd were mad for
every song, and the band were lapping it up and playing along with it all too. Matinee, Take Me
Out, 40 Feet, Darts Of Pleasure, every song was just massive. Well done to the wee girlies in the audience
who handed out hundreds of home-made flags before they came on, so the band were greeted by a sea of black, cream
and orange when they arrived: of such things cults are made. Also, credit to them for keeping up the dying
art of having an instrumental bit where the band introduce each other: always nice to see. Highlight
of the weekend, no contest. Even though they didn't play Shopping For Blood.

THE RAPTURE
Saturday, NME Stage

Go on, do the one with the cowbell. The fast one. That's funky. Well, the fast, funky one with the cowbell
that's good. Yeah, that's it, House of, Jealous Lovers, yay! Okay, now fuck off...

GOLDFRAPP
Saturday, NME Stgae

Justin Hawkins apparently spent £20,000 on a catsuit especially for T. Alison Goldfrapp came on in a 
CND t-shirt tucked into her knickers, probably cost £20. Didn't see many pictures of Justin in the papers
on monday, did you? Anyway, a great set, except that the sound was fucked, the bass was so loud you couldn't
hear it, Which kinda ruins songs like Train and Strict Machine which are based (arf) around a groovy bass
line. But it was still good, she still has a way with a Theremin, and she did Yes Sir again, much to everyone's
delight. No Utopia though, which was slightly surprising. And full marks for hubby Will wearing a
kilt, then Alison lifting it at the end to reveal "Goldfrapp Rocks" scrawled across his arse: nice
one mate!

THE PIXIES
Saturday, Main Stage

Most people refer to the Pixies as the saviours of rock n' roll. I tend to think of them as Kim Deal's side
project. I mean, they're not really that good are they? It's like the Chilli Peppers or something, it's
a brandname, a label of established quality. This is my roundabout way of saying it wasn't that great (ooh,
heresy, Pixies in being rubbish shocker!) I mean, apart from a few good songs, I was never really a big
fan (I always preferred that other band 4AD signed just before them in 86) And as for their stage
performance, they just battered out the songs one after the other, no chit-chat, no "hello Scotland" or
anything, just picking up the paycheck. And they didn't even play Into The White! That said, I did make a
 special new frind during Here Comes Your Man, so I can't complain too much. But this is exactly the kind of
thing that Billy Sloan creams his pants over though, isn't it?

CHEMICAL BROTHERS
Saturday, Slam Tent

Six years of T, And I've hardly spent any time in the dance tent, and now I'm there twice in one
weekend. Again, the tent was full when I arrived, and again, I just walked in the exit anyway. Like the
 stewards fucking care anyway! I believe the generic term for this set was "pure bownshin' man", which I
think means really, really good. I enjoyed it, and not just cos it was very dark and anonymous (ahem!) Still
left early though: I mean, £1.50 Archer's Aqua's on a sunday night, come on! Besides, I can only handle
 schemies for so long...


BALLBOY
12th August
Venue, Edinburgh
support: Odeon Beat Club, Nero

OBC! OBC! Boy, they must have been pretty sick of us by the time they went offstage. Still, it's all good
fun, and they are a great band. But Ballboy were the main attraction as usual, and though it wasn't their
greatest ever set, it did the job. Just a few too many new numbers breaking up the rhythm, you know? Lightsaber, Shallow
Footprints, Ghosts of New Orleans, hmm. But there was a rare appearance of Leave the Earth... which was quite
nice, even if it was dedicated to a dead Hibs player. Bit long though, which is probably
 why A Day in Space never appeared, nae luck steve...


ODEON BEAT CLUB
27th August
Canon's Gait, Edinburgh
support: er...

Well, I suppose there's worse ways to warm up for a gig than bumping into the band in the street and
frightening them into a drink with us (surely the only valid excuse there could ever be for going to the
Holyrood Tavern?) The set itself was good, if a bit short, but I'd be lying if I tried to give any more
specific details than that, as I'm afraid we were a little bit plashtered (hic!) In fact, to be honest, the
actual gig turned out to be a mere footnote in a long, drunken night, though I do vaguely remember something
 about a broken bass pedal and Loudoun Castle Theme Park. Or maybe not. OBC! OBC!


THE DELGADOS
9th October
Barrowlands, Glasgow
support: Sons And Daughters

Hmm. The Delgados are always good as a rule, but you have to admit, it wasn't quite the same without the
strings, was it? I mean, I was worried when I heard they had ditched them for the album, but surely not
live too! Still love 'em though. No 13 Gliding Principles, but probaby the first mosh I can ever
remember at one of their gigs? And full marks to Sons and Daughters, who were nothing like the rubbish I
remember from 2 years ago (though admittedly, that was a bad night all round) Very close to stealing the show..

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