Of Agile Beasts and Monkeys

The first thought I had when I stepped out of Arctic Monkeys’ concert at Liverpool Echo Arena on the 13/11/09 was, “They didn’t play ‘Fake Tales of  San Francisco’ and ‘Mardy Bum’.” I comforted myself by saying a) I got a great seat, b) I had fun, c) they might play a different set in Sheffield.

24 hours after Liverpool, I was at Sheffield Arena watching an identical show. How heart breaking. The consolations were my two awesome and dashing dates,  and Alex and co. played a wee bit of ‘Mardy Bum’ in the middle of ‘Fluorescent Adolescent.’ No extra songs or banters or even love for the Sheffield fans a.k.a. the home crowd.  No ‘Fake Tales’, and by then I realised they didn’t play another favourite song of mine, ‘A Certain Romance’ .

Pretty obvious that I’m a fan of their debut album, isn’t it? Anyway, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy their shows, or I’m jumping off the fanwagon now.  I just feel that both shows lack punch, or whatever fun I saw in the ‘Live at Apollo’ DVD (in which they played all the missing songs).  Yes, yes, I know, they only had two albums when they made that DVD and now they have three, they obviously need to kick out some old songs to fit in new ones, but playing 3/4 of Humbug wasn’t the best solution.

I’m not giving up on Arctic Monkeys just yet. As of the third album Alex still writes great lyrics, the band still makes good music and as seen at both concerts, drummer Matt is indeed an agile beast. After all, I did see them twice, didn’t I?  And I might just have to catch as many shows as I can until I get to see my favourite songs performed live, or maybe until they can get the setlist balanced up right.

Liverpool and Sheffield set list:  Dance Little Liar, Brainstorm, This House is a Circus, Still Take You Home,  I Bet You Look on the Dancefloor, Sketchead, My Propeller, Crying Lightning, Dangerous Animals, The View from the Afternoon, Cornerstone, If You were There, Beware, Pretty Visitors, The Jeweller’s Hands, Do Me a Favour, When the Sun Goes Down, Secret Door, Fluorescent Adolescent, Mardy Bum*, 505.

*only for Sheffield.

 

Rap tak ingat – SSK w Noh, Among, WordsManifest

YouTube - Rap tak ingat – SSK w Noh, Among, WordsManifest.

This video should be a big deal for a few reasons (in random order of course):

a) you have Noh of Hujan on guitars and you can hear him rhyme at certain parts of the song

b) AMONG ON THE MIC OMG *headasplodez* (getting him on the stage is somewhat the equivalent to the sighting of ..erm.. maybe a kakapo or duck-billed platypus)

b) This is THE ‘Rap Tak Ingat’ by Sicksiderz, a song I constantly played when I was in UFM, and the only other DJ who played it was KC Ismail when he was with Red 104.9.

c) I guess this is the closest you can get to seeing the actual Sicksiderz performing live

d) It’s one of my favourite local song ever performed by some of my favourite people on stage.

Now… how do I get this into my iPod?

 

(Video shot at The Bomb Shelter, a monthly hip hop gig organised by The Rogue Squadron at Cloth & Clef. Click here for future event updates)

How I Got Fucked Up by Morrissey

Just on Thursday over breakfast I had a chat with Matt about concert/show disasters, and I told him about my Oasis at Heaton Park generator fiasco.

In future discussions on the same topic, I can talk about how Morrissey cancelled his Liverpool concert after being hit by a (plastic) bottle of beer. Yes kids, he performed ‘This Charming Man’ as opener, followed by a new song, and not half way through that, he walked off the stage. And after a 10 mins wait, a stagehand came out on stage to announce cancellation.

*sigh*

Mozza, I sacrificed quite a bit for this. so.. really?

*sigh*
****************

Heard after the concert:

“Well, think of it this way, we might be able to catch the tail-end of the X-Factor show”

“I hope they refund this. I need money”

“Are you married”
“No. But thank you for reminding me I had a wife”