Jus†ice, Rock City, Nottingham

February 18, 2008 – 7:44 pm
Master at Work
Masters at Work

Alt+0134 before you ask.

So I’d seen the Parisian duo DJ at Sankeys last year and it blew my socks off, as well as left me with some permanent hearing damage. But what would they be like 8 months on in concert, playing their own stuff at a venue usually reserved for indie/rock gigs? I predicted to my old school friend Jack who had kindly invited me to come along, that there would be scenes of pogo carnage as one half of the audience waved glowsticks in a vague attempt to be nu-rave whilst the other half reacted in fashion not dissimilar to nu-metal.

And I wasn’t wrong.

Justice
Definitely not suitable for epileptics

Justice opened with Genesis, the opening track on their album † (Cross) [I bet the staff at HMV were cussing the day it was released], which was really of no surprise. The blasting horn-like intro is a warning call to all those at the front to fly or fight, and something that always reminds me of the start to Smash Sumthin’ by Adam F feat. Redman (Roni Size Remix preferably). I captured all of the track on video here, which also really emphasises the impressive light show that Justice put on.

Justice pretty much played out their album but with enough of a difference for the crowd to know they hadn’t just hit play. They did well to keep tracks we all know and love fresh and different in a live environment. They padded out the remainder of their set with a few remixes including The Fallen by Franz Ferdinand, they teased elements of Atlantis to Interzone by The Klaxons and after bringing the lights all the way up they brought ‘em all the way back down again for their encore of NY Excuse by LCD Soundsystem.

But their most impressive moment by far was acknowledging Soulwax’s genius by playing a live re-edit of the Niteversion of Phan†om Pt II. Which would make it Justice – Phantom Pt II (Soulwax Niteversion Remix) (Justice Live Re-edit). A mouthful if ever there was. Nevertheless, I admired the fact that they played out someone else’s version of their own work at a live gig, but then added something of their own on top of that anyway. Fantastic.


PPE is all the rage

In all, looking around at the crowd, it was quite an interesting bunch. There were the nu-ravers complete with PPE reflective vests, the pill poppers and there over-expansive white rimmed Ray Bans, the trendies who had just turned up for We Are Your Friends [video], and everyone else in between. I enjoyed the fact that Justice played a track I hadn’t heard before as there closing number. It was closer to heavy metal hardcore than dance music and spread a few bemused looks across the crowd, but saying that my mate Jack who has his musical roots in a box labelled ‘Tidy’ enjoyed it thoroughly.

Which leaves me only to say that Justice are blurring the Rock/Dance boundary by more than the odd synth here and drum machine there, instead they’re the aural bulldozer intent of flattening the definition of genre.

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|Video: Justice – Genesis|
|Video: Justice – We Are Your Friends|

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Are Derby County still a football club?

February 12, 2008 – 10:46 pm

An article by Barney Ronay from The Guardian Sports blog.

It seems brilliantly apt that the faceless US financial organisation that bought Derby County this week is called General Sports and Entertainment. This is, after all, a perfectly hedged description of Derby’s season so far. It’s as though some consumer standards commissar at the EU has decreed that what Derby are producing can no longer be called “football”. Like American cheese reclassified as “dairy-style yellow food product”, Derby’s efforts are more accurately described as “general sports entertainment”. It’s a soccer-effect product produced by footballer-inspired performers. Rumours that a name-change to Derby County Ball Game-Derived Activities Club is also in the offing remain, at this stage, no more than rumours.

Read the rest…

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Back once again…*

February 10, 2008 – 4:25 pm

Right, I promise (myself mainly) to be a bit more up too date with these updates (its all in the name I suppose).

So, what have the past 2-3 months had to offer. Well, as far as updates are concerned its been a dozen weeks of not a great deal punctuated by gigs and birthdays. So like some TOTP-esque countdown (derr duh der de de de de), here we go….

I successfully identified members of Cut Off Your Hands (oh yeah, I’m cool)

Coming in at No.7 is a visit to Leicester’s Charlotte to see Cut Off Your Hands (in support) and Foals. COYH were an incredibly friendly bunch, and I felt extra cool having had a chat with them at the merch stall before the gig. Funny really, but for some reason I wouldn’t have expected them to be running their own merch stall. I think all the praise and column inches Derek Davies of GWFAS has given them over the past 12 months has lifted them higher in my estimation as to where they really are in the ‘making it big’ rat race of the music industry.

I thought I’d scored twice having spotted the lead singer of Foals and approached a sufficiently indie looking gentleman only to the response of “oh, you want him over there, but my band are playing here next week…”. I said I’d definitely come and made a swift exit. I blame it on the generic fringe across the forehead haircuts…

To cut a short story shorter, Eskimo Hoax were a bit to out there for me, as Willy said, its almost as if we were expected to all sit down on the floor and clap politely after each song. Cut Off Your Hands were a fresh of breath air in contrast and the highlight of the evening, despite their short set of only 6 songs induced by the lead singers throat infection. A darned shame if you ask me. Finally Foals came on to a rapturous applause and suddenly things all got a bit feisty, there was pit and pogoing galore, unfortunately to the detriment of Jam who ended up with a blooded nose. The whole scene was in stark contrast to the previous week’s visit to see Sons and Daughters, here in Leicester the Skins kids were out in force and sales of Coca Cola were through the roof.

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|Video: Cut off Your Hands – Still Fond|


The Birthday Boy

Coming in No.6 is Mr. Ben Sharratt’s 23rd Birthday meal out at the Friar Gate Steak House. And all very nice it was too. Our second civilised birthday outing for the boys in the same month, but this time with greater numbers, its a wonder we all managed to fit in the place.

In any case the waitress and chef managed to deal with us raucous bunch of lads with ease and the meals were delivered on time and cooked brilliantly. After that the hardcore bunch (yes that did include me you cynical gits) headed off to Mosh for some indie schmidie dancing and a prancing.

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Asta la Vista Baby

Closely following in at No. 5 is a geek weekend away in Leeds where Dan and I upgraded his PC, and the played games all weekend. Yes, we are incredibly sad, but then it was incredibly good fun – and great to see Dan and Lizzie again of course (ahem).

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How can four guys sitting down make people dance so much?

At No.4 is gig number two, this time a trip down to Tamworth with Pete Jackson (of Pete Stock fame), to see those ageing folk punk rockers The Levellers in the Drunk in Public guise with Rev Hammer. My Levellers gig going had dried up in recent years compared to my infamous groupy like behaviour at school so this gig was a welcome return to the old days – I even had my dad pushing me about from behind in the mosh. Yes, a mosh pit, at a folk gig, WITH A VIOLIN, with lots of old people who look as if they’re all from the West Country. That’s just a testament to how good these guys are.

Just a shame everyone used Rev’s songs as a fag/beer/piss break.

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Consoles and Players

The New Year brought us some post-christmas with the welcome return of Consoles and Players to the gigging circuit. So in at No.3 is the Consoles and Players gig at Night ‘n Day on the 4th of January. It was great to see the boys play again and I am still eternally grateful for their performance at Petestock. Mike was in good spirits after 6 months in France, but it was just a shame the Night ‘n Day isn’t really conducive to catch-up chats – nor is it for camera captured movies, all fuzz I’m afraid.

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My photography has some way to go I think.

And for No. 2 we have the latest batch of recruits to the ‘getting old and we know it’ brigade. Holly and Ruth turned 23 on the 19th and saw the midnight hour of the 18th in with lots of cheese music and a collection of recently graduated and jubilant students. Mind you as a teacher and accountant respectively I’d say they were growing old with dignity (the clock is ticking Andy…)

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Four of the last 23 years in the North take their toll on Dan

In at No. 1 on this Andresworld mega round-up is Dan’s 23rd Birthday! The first time all the housemates were back together since Petestock and a great opportunity for everyone to catch up. Needless to say Dan hit it big on the Friday night, almost a little too big. But he was back for Wii and more on Saturday and Sunday – there was just no stopping him.

Muchas Gracias to Dan and Lizzie for putting me and everyone up for the time we stayed – they even bought us bacon, eggs and mushrooms for our fry up on Saturday morning!

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THE END

*Sadly any DJ Wildchild reference could not make it into the body post.

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Besieged By Fields

January 14, 2008 – 5:30 pm

I’ve said it enough times, just thought I might prove it.

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Remember remember the… well, just November really.

November 24, 2007 – 7:19 pm

Sunset over Castleford, Manchester.

As per usual I’ve been pretty slack on the updates of Andresworld of late but despite being unemployed I find myself quite busy [okay you can pick yourselves off of the floor now, its not that funny]. So come with me back in time to rediscover November… doo dee doo doo, doo dee doo doo.

Apparently a flowerpot’s heartbeat is on its cheek.

So, first up Vicky Spain’s 23rd birthday bash. And not just any ordinary bash I tell thee – one which included compulsory fancy dress and none other than the infamous Soup Lady Sophie Baxter. Sophie and Vicky dressed as men for the evening, or rather flowerpot men, or at least very effeminate flowerpot men. Some might have even called them flowerpot women, but to be quite frank that’d just be silly, who’s ever heard of a bird called Bill or Ben?

Everyone was impeccably dressed, and those that failed to don a costume were booed out the house and subjected to an assault of empty Red Stripe cans. In hindsight that’s quite harsh…

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JC got mingling with all the stars

So, for some the most important night of the year, and for Fuse the culmination of a spectacular set of efforts that has seen the station host an awesome launch party and nominations party already. The Student Radio Awards was back this year and bigger and better than ever. A dazzling array of stars attended the ceremony including Tim Westwood, Edith Bowman, Scott Mills and Steve Lamacq. Of course, this time we got to see them thanks to two large screens either side of the stage, however the acoustics of The New Connaught Rooms meant we couldn’t understand a word they said.

The reason we were all there? James Collins and Becca Day Preston of course. JC was up for Best Entertainment and Becca up for Best Female. Both were up against stiff competition from full time established student radio stations but Fuse still managed to upset the big boys and come away with a Bronze Award in Best Female for Becca.

Good time was had by all, well played for all of those who made the trip down, and thank you to Rich and the UEA Livewire boys who joined us on our table. And of course a big round of applause to station manager Sarah Vale for organising it all and not killing anyone after having 2 and half half ours spent on her hair.

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A cake. Which I ate a lot of.

Back from London on Friday after all that Student Radio nonsense for Tim’s 23rd birthday. An incredibly civilised affair, which is not to say a meeting with the boys can’t be civilised, just that they normally involve vast quantities of carnage. A sit down curry at the Shalimar followed by a few drinks at The Bless and some early departures for work commitments probably means the countdown has begun to wife, kids, and mortgage. Joy.

Happy Birthday Tim!

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Son and Daughters

Finally, to round off the weekend, a Sunday evenings visit to The Clubroom, aka the upstairs of Revo’s in Derby. Support bands The Victorian English Gentleman’s Club and The BeauPeep Show were both excellent, hats off for braving what turned into a snowy winters evening. However, the real stars of the show were Sons and Daughters, who are touring to support their current single Guilt Complex and in anticipation of a new album very very soon.

Lead singer Adele Bethel was as enticing as ever, lunging off the stage and holding her mic cable like she was about to engage in sexual foreplay with lead guitarist and king of cool Scott Paterson. Paterson added an extra special something to the set by playing with a range of effects and techniques not used on the album recordings. The greatest example, was a breakdown into The Stooge’s I Wanna Be Your Dog, in the middle of Johnny Cash – with great play made on Bethel’s monotonous key bashing, something I’ve tried to recreate on Anablogue. Drummer David Gow was tight and dressed in braces, shirt, and flat cap, and lastly bassist Ailidh Lennon combined some steps to and fro to compliment her sexy solitary shoe gazing look.

What was not quite so fantastic though was the pitiful turn out that constituted the Derby audience that had come to see this superb live act. Amid Peterson’s comments of the crowd being ‘very quiet’, I wondered whether the lack lustre lighting was just bright enough to blind him from counting the thirty or so gig goers who actually made it. I appreciate a snowy bitterly cold Sunday evening isn’t the best of times but I am sure there’ll be a more faithful turnout at the Foals gig at The Charlotte this Sunday. At least then I’ll be saved the embarrassment and the overwhelming need to apologise to anyone affiliated with the bands.

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|live video of ‘Red Receiver’|

NB. I was obviously so overwhelmed by the aforementioned bassist that I failed notice that the tour t-shirt she sold me was a small whilst clearly marked medium. Consumers beware! ;)

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So that was summer…

August 28, 2007 – 7:48 pm

Well I think we’re all agreed that Summer 2007 has been pretty crap. No denying it really but what with the combination of rain, flooding, lack of sun and the massive downer that is graduating [for me at least] it hasn’t been fun.

However there have been a couple of notable exceptions. In July I worked at a festival bar down in Ealing, a job I got through my course mate Kate. It wasn’t quite my mother’s dream job for her son graduating from Manchester with a PPE degree but I did make some money, have a laugh and meet some cool people. ‘Nuff said. On top of that I managed to squeeze in a trip to Brighton to see Vanessa, Claudio and Klara, an adventure being stranded in Swindon, and a night out in Soho.

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And of course last weekend saw Petestock. Gone this year was the the couple of gazeebos and the separates system that normally accompanies the annual dreFest shenanigans, and in its place there was a proper tent, stage, bands, ale, hog roast and, by some fluke, good weather.

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Big thanks to Consoles and Players, The Roulette and Adam Slack for playing. Also, many thanks to Jam, Tim and Stu for helping me out with all of the preparations and the night itself. And, of course a big thank you to Pete for hosting the event.

By Andy | Also posted in Home, Manchester | Tagged | Comments (0)

Busy busy busy

July 7, 2007 – 6:53 pm

Well, apologies for the lack of posts recently. Since handing in dissertation/birthday there was more revelry followed by exams followed by more revelry followed by moving out of Manchester. And in that time I managed to go to Rockness up in Inverness, Glastonbury Festival down in Pilton and graduate back in Manchester. So here we are: a mega triple post.

Unfortunately Dan couldn’t be with us :(

So, Rockness. Basically I was at the end of my first week of work experience at XFM in Manchester and just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was offered a pair tickets, got cocky and asked for another, a quick phone call to Claudio to see if he was up for driving the 800 mile round trip, and jobs a good ‘un

We started as meant to go on with Cat, Vanessa and I seeing Justice at Sankeys on the Friday night – who were just an unfathomably immense wall of fist thumping neo-naxi boot stomping sound [the only time I've been to see DJs and moshed]. We had the best of intentions to at least catch one or two hours sleep but by the time we waited till finish at 5, fannied about with buses and walked a bit home it was 6am anyway: just enough time to grab a quick shower [lots of topless sweaty men down the front at Sankeys] and make Claudio a quadruple espresso.

Given that we didn’t know we were going until the day before I didn’t have any preconceptions or expectations, and no plans to see any bands in particular. Saturday night we caught Groove Armada [in the biggest tent I've ever seen - old skool Glasto dance tent eat your heart out] and The Chemical Brothers, who we watched from afar in the eeriest late night mist I’ve ever seen. I tried not to follow it too closely for fear of spoiling Sunday night at Glastonbury. On Sunday we saw, much to my delight, the Levellers, and a very good show they put on too – my first for a long time, and in the evening decided to sack off queueing to see Mark Ronson, stocked up on life-juice, and watched the the immensity of Daft Punk.

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|video to come…|

Hi-viz Kids

Glastonbury Festival needs no explanation, other than a quick reiteration of the vast numbers of people that came this year and a big thanks again to Will and Debs for sorting out tickets for a LOT of people.

Also my top tip – don’t mix beer, vodka and cider in a short space of time on not a great deal to eat. That is unless you enjoy missing 1980s ska legends and Brightonian super star DJs in intimate venues. Yes, I am still upset with myself.

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The mortorboard – the difference between being a student and unemployed

Unfortunately that time had to come. The official end of our student lives. It sounds sad, but to be fair it was in the end a good old knees up. Despite myself being objected to a white wash hit and run from a bus, all the PPE crowd managed to collect their respective certificates and shake some old fart’s hand without tripping up or making a fool of themselves. There was a bit of a reception beforehand with most conversations starting with body language which read ‘oh you made it too’, briefly followed by ‘is that free booze you’re drinking there?’.

I made the snap decision to stay in Manchester that night and enjoyed a good meal in The Northern Quarter [one of those places I only managed to first visit in the dying moments of third year], a few drinks in Font, a good old bop in Sub-space, and then off to Manchester 235 Casino where I shamefully sat by the 25p Roulette all night and came out even. But then at least I didn’t have to call an attendant out because the machine wouldn’t give me my £1.25 back…

Anyway, a big good luck, well done and thank you to all my coursemates and people I’ve shared classes with over the past three years. I can only hope you become rich and famous, and that you’ll let me kip on your floor if I need to. Ta ra.

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By Andy | Also posted in Home, Manchester | Comments (0)

Good Friday

April 9, 2007 – 5:45 pm

DO NOT APPROACH THIS MAN. HE IS SAID TO BE ARMED AND VERY DANGEROUS.

Good Friday photos here.

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Glastonbury 2007

April 1, 2007 – 10:46 am
The ticketman: Will Butler

Congratulations to everyone that got Glastonbury tickets, commiserations to those who did not. To those of you that engaged in a rather frantic MSN conversation with me then you need to know that Will Butler was in fact the star of the show and was processing all your details at Glasto-Ticket-Wales-recycling-plant HQ. Its official you all owe him and his support team [those that took over when he needed a wee] a pint.

Erm, to get you excited there’s all my previous glasto albums linked below and a few youtube videos as well. Enjoy.

Glastonbury 2000
Glastonbury 2002
Glastonbury 2003
Glastonbury 2004
Glastonbury 2005
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uweGMeWu79o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OklV4QtkndM

Now once you finished panicking about when that confirmation email is going to come through, you can start worrying about where to camp.

By Andy | Also posted in Home, Manchester | Tagged | Comments (0)

Stu’s 22nd Birthday

March 10, 2007 – 9:35 pm

Just got back from my 24 hour flying trip to Cardiff to celebrate Stu’s Birthday. Generally fun had by all and at last met the legendary Geoff/Jeff. Photos here, and a video and rant of Xpress Radio’s [Cardiff Uni Student Radio Station] launch party here.

What do you get if you take a number of doors, a bored Friday night and a number of students? A house of doors of course!


About the only amusing thing to come of the new fire door regulations for rented accommodation.

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