Don't Let The Bells End

Fabulous Carling Homecoming for The Darkness last night.

Let's set aside for a moment that any sort of "homecoming" for The Darkness should certainly be at The Barfly in London's very own Camden Town, as it's where they did their first half a dozen or so proper gigs. Last night's show at The Astoria was a triumph. Three costume changes for Justin, an impromptu walkabout in the crowd, spectacular pyrotechnics, a storm of glitter, autumn leaves, and shock of shocks SOME NEW MATERIAL! The long awaited Christmas Single was garnished with a choir of tiny carol singers, but was a touch to cheesy for my non dairy tastes, but its a firm contender for the number one spot.

Wacky set up with with the tickets - everyone gets a laminate to get them into the gig, then some punters are lucky enough to get a wristband to get them in downstairs! Only thing is, everyone knows the cool bit of the Astoria is upstairs, all the celebs are in the Keith Moon Bar, so that's where we want to be. But if you've put your wristband on already, security guys say no. OH NO, HOW WILL WE POSSIBLY GET ROUND SUCH A WELL THOUGHT OUT SCHEME. Apart from taking the wristband off again. It was well worth it to see Sophie Ellis Bextor, Mark Owen and the drummer out of Menswear, I can tell you.

Thanks to Rupe for getting us into the aftershow, without which I'd not have met my new favourite band, The Goldie Lookin' Chain. You knows it.

2003 :: Comment / reply

The Hellacopters and The Datsuns

Got some quotes from the bands playing the Astoria on the 10th of December... it's not sold out, more tickets must have been released...

Sweden's The Hellacopters frontman Nicke Anderssen exclaims "It's going to be great, it'll be kick ass high-energy rock and roll as always. We've got closer than ever to perfecting rock 'n' roll with our new album 'By The Grace Of God' so live we'll be better than ever. You'll be sorry if you don't come." Co-headlining the bill is New Zealanders The Datsuns who have had an incredible year whereby the came to the UK for a few shows, became the hottest ticket everywhere and ended up with a top 20 album in October. "We've done three UK tours already this year but this one is going to top them all," shrieks Dolf Datsun. "It's crazy for us to think that we can come from the other side of the world and have people know the words to our songs, but we're not unhappy about this. And it's so cool that we're playing with The Hellacoptors because we love those guys. For us to be playing with them after buying all their records is so surreal." Opening the show is Cleveland's Gaza Strippers previewing their new album 'From The Desk of Dr. Freepill'...

pauly :: 2002 :: Comment / reply

So long Astoria

Catching up on what friends have to say, and I find out from Darryl that there is a closing date for the Astoria, LA2, and Metro. The sites of some great gigs, key moments of my time in London probably. A shame. Think my first time there was to see Under Neath What in 1990* and what will obviously now turn out to have been my last was a Foo Fighters not at all secret gig in 2005. See my Astoria history with brief details of all the gigs I can remember being at there, if you are interested... 2005 does seem too long ago now I come to think about it... Other highlights, The Darkness obviously, Blur, Suede, Trail of Dead, The Revolting Cocks and lots and lots of NME Brats gigs, particularly the year some friends made fake passes and got lots of people in... Those were the best times, on our regular table upstairs with all our friends around us. I'm feeling a bit weepy about it actually. Lots missing I'm sure from my history page, can you remember any dates, or got any tickets?

Similar memories of the LA2, though that was more about odd daytime gigs, David Devant and foolishly drunken indie club nights.

Metro seems a bit later, but it was the location of a GREAT last minute Darkness gig (we decided to go at the last minute, they'd probably booked it in advance) where a good chum stole Justin's t-shirt, and gave it to me. I saw Kaiser Chiefs there too, when they were called something else (Parva). Ah, I'll find more time to reminisce later...

A chum in the pub was saying it'll be great if Indigo (in The O2, not Club Indigo in Folkestone) does fill the gap left by the Astoria, as it's practically in Kent, but for getting the train back after the gig the location of the Astoria was better. Who wants to be driving back from a gig? Maybe we will, now we are old and actually going to buy a car and things...

*An oft repeated story, queued up outside the venue (back in the day when I didn't know better and went to the gig before the doors open) I bought a fanzine off someone, who tipped me off that Metallica were playing at The Marquee down the road. But I was with friends, who were not interested in moving, so we didn't go along. It was a really secret secret gig, supporting someone else. I heard from someone else later who was there to see the real headliners that it was a surprise to them when Metallica played.

2008 :: Comment / reply