I’ve actually had dreams that were less good than this.

Gaslight Anthem are out on a US tour to support the new album, American Slang. Gruff punk legend Tim Barry is supporting, and they’ve been covering Lucero’s “The War” on most of the dates. Luckily a fan posted the video on youtube so the rest of us can share in the greatness.

So, watch and behold. Tim Barry, Lucero and Gaslight. It’s like the holy trinity!

Somewhere in between Glastonbury and the work I’ve had to catch up as a result of being away for it, The Smashing Pumpkins sneaked this beauty in below my radar and as a result, I feel a little violated for missing out on a few extra days of absolute bliss!

If you haven’t heard Freak yet, the first track from Vol.2 of the one-track-at-a-time mega 11 EP 44 song project Teargarden By Kaleidyscope then do yourself a favour and stop reading this, do not pass go, do not collect $200 and listen to it immediately!

Freak is classic Pumpkins with murky overdrives, Zwan-like optimism and Na-Na-Na-Na sing-alongs. Having thrown countless hard earned reddies at The Smashing Pumpkins for half my life now, I’m completely stunned that tunes of this quality are up for grabs free for the anticipated 5 year duration of this project (if it’s seen through to the end).

It’s worth pointing out that 19-20 year old drummer Mike Byrne is beginning to show signs that he may well be capable of filling the horrific void of Jimmy Chamberlin’s departure and that The Smashing Pumpkins 3.0 are about to hit their stride.

The Smashing Pumpkins are available to download from the Nokia/Ovi Music Store and if you’ve got Comes With Music download the lot for free!

It came as a lovely surprise a couple days earlier to learn that I had a ticket to see Mystery Jets at Somerset House. Though never exploring the band before, having heard praise of their live performance and finally getting the opportunity to experience a gig at Somerset House on a beautiful summer’s evening was enough to make one’s self rather up for the occasion.

Due to the ease of stage/bar/bathroom access, there was no chore in finding a comfortable, uncrowded space to stand between the headliner set and that of the surprisingly delightful Kiwi-born-London-based 4 piece Connan & The Mockasins who played support with their erratic-trippy-surf-rock and songs about “Forever Dolphin Love”. Apparently now going by the name of Connan Mockasin, they’re worth further exploration and come highly recommended.

Now, once again a lack of intimate knowledge of Mystery Jets’ music means I’m unable to dissect the track list, but a grand entrance to the ringing of air raid sirens, the aforementioned beautiful summer’s evening, and big tunes that entice the ear even upon first listen, made for a magical gig experience and a bit of self-reprimanding for not exploring them sooner!

Mystery Jets are available to download from the Nokia/Ovi Music Store and if you have Comes With Music, they’re all free!

Muse at Glastonbury this year has long been set as the “one to watch”. I overheard one say to another “Muse tomorrow, I don’t give a f*** if I don’t see anybody else” and another say “watching them will make you a fan”… But tonight there’s more to it than that, as this is Muse’s first Glastonbury appearance since the tragic passing of drummer Dom Howard’s father, shortly after watching the band perform their greatest show to the date.

As much as I prayed and danced around in circles for things to go the way I predicted them to by open unusually with a classic, they kept the commercial approach to a setlist opener and kicked off with Uprising followed-up buy Supermassive Black Hole to clear the new hype and Twilight obligation swiftly, and hit their stride with New Born and the near perfect Map Of The Problematique.

The fat eighties beat of Guiding Light works the open air, and the setlist return of Citizen Erased is a big moment for me, and probably anyone else who’s experienced it’s absence at recent shows.

A stretch on the ol’ piano next and we’re treated to the b-side instrumental Niche before United States Of Eurasia (-Collateral Damage) and über crowd pleaser Feeling Good.

Back in my snap spot for a couple shots I finally manage one of Dom when he moves down stage to play diminished percussion on Undisclosed Desires… but the photos blur and I’m left with nothing.

After Resistance, it’s the Interlude before Hysteria as it appears on Absolution. It’s one of those moments that define the fan tiers and reveals those with whom to share the all-knowing moments with.

Time Is Running Out, Starlight and a very noisy Stockholm Syndrome usher in the encore where we’re treated to the guest appearance of The Edge for U2 classic Where The Streets Have No Name.

Drawing to a close they play Plug In Baby (Just wouldn’t be Muse otherwise) and “Man with Harmonica” ushers in staple closer Knights Of Cydonia.

Unfortunately we didn’t get the UFO performing arial maneuvers above the stage as they did at Rock Am Ring, interrupting Slayer’s set, thankfully, no Neutron Star Collision.. But still no MK Ultra! When Lord, when’s gon’ be my time?

Here’s the Flickr Set, Unfortunately these weren’t my best of the weekend, but they have a moment or two.

Muse is available to download now from Nokia/Ovi Music Store and if you’re a Comes With Music member, it’s free!

The Dead Weather!… What can I say!?

Possibly my favourite performance at Glastonbury’s 40th. I’m ridiculously obsessed with The White Stripes, my Raconteurs collection is immaculate and I own the UK and Australian “A” pressing of Steady As She Goes 7″, What’s not to love about Queens Of The Stone Age, and Alison Mosshart is a fox!

Do I know both Dead Weather albums back to front?… No, about 50/50! But sonically, creatively and visually, they’re a force to be reckoned with, I love Jack White, and Alison Mosshart is a fox!

I guess I just loved their performance the most because I got the maddest lens-love of the entire weekend from them. Clicking any of the images will take you to my Flickr… I hope you like them as much as I do, so be sure to check out the Flickr Set, it’s my favourite!

The Dead Weather are available to download now from Nokia/Ovi Music Store and if you’re a Comes With Music member, they’re all free!

With Glastonbury I had intentions of blogging about the days performances at the end of every night or between sets. But lets face it, the place is massive, the heat this year was unbearable, and there’s a million things to see and do. So by now I’m sure you’ve all read some really negative reviews about the highly anticipated Gorillaz set, but allow me to tell you what I think…

Sure, the performances weren’t perfect. A couple of times Damon Albarn must have thought there was another measure before he had to start singing, On Melancholy Hill was poorly placed as the third song in the set, Snoop Dogg not performing his part on Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach when he was actually at the festival, and words like “Breaking the cardinal rule of headlining” with regards to them not playing a hit heavy set.

To those of you who think Gorillaz’ setlist was the wrong way to go, I say it’s all of you who need to open you’re eyes to what Glastonbury is really all about. Water Aid, Greenpeace, Plastic Beach… are you beginning to see a theme yet? If it isn’t blatantly obvious that Plastic Beach’s is one of environmental concern and had a necessary message for festival goers, then think about all the scattered plastic bottles and then think about Albarn’s futile attempt at trying to get the crowd to sing the single repeated stanza from Pirate Jet.

Regardless of the performance shortcomings like Mark E Smith having to read his lines on what didn’t sound anything like Glitter Freeze, at the very least Kano and Bashy on White Flag, and Little Dragon on Empire Ants and the beautifully dueted To Binge were enough to make it one to remember… but most seem to have missed the boat to Plastic Beach.

Sigh!

Flickr Set

Gorillaz are available to download now from Nokia/Ovi Music Store and if you’re a Comes With Music member, they’re all free!

After some crowd commotion I stand to see Michael Eavis take the mic to introduce “two superstars”. Unable to make out who the solitary figure on the stage is, I’m asked by the nearest person if I can see. I promptly take a peek through my 100-400 lens and am utterly gobsmacked to realise it’s none other than Thom Yorke, which immediately prompts the question “Who’s the other superstar?”

After an introductory lap with no sign of the second artist, Yorke takes his place at an upright piano for the title track from his solo debut The Eraser. With a Digital Delay Pedal at foot Yorke then takes the Bass and catches a loop, then takes up the keys for a compositely rich Harrowdown Hill.

After Black Swan the question is answered as Jonny Greenwood joins Yorke for Cymbal Rush, the last of the Thom Yorke solo material before indulging in a stripped down Radiohead set featuring Weird Fishes/Arpeggi and Pyramid Song… But the real magic happens with Karma Police when it gets the loudest singalong of the set.

With Karma Police finished, Yorke and Greenwood experience technical difficultly and begin discussing something among themselves. Silence washes over the crowd for what seems like an eternity and it’s at this point the crowd takes control of the situation and begins to reprise the Karma Police climax. It’s not long before the issue is resolved and Yorke returns to the mic to play the song out again for what is without a doubt the single most magically moment of Glastonbury’s 40th.

They appropriately close the set with Street Spirit (Fade Out) and the tiny speckled goose bumps shine through the sun tortured red skin on my arms like stars in the night.

Flickr Set

Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke are available to download now from Nokia/Ovi Music Store and if you’re a Comes With Music member, they’re all free!

Failing to catch the end of Snoop’s set after choosing to watch Kele instead, I reach the Pyramid Stage about half way through Vampire Weekend.

They’re a band I liked the minute I heard the cross stick snare work in the intro to Mansard Roof back in 2007, but they’re also one of those bands I never took the chance to completely explore… But by some twist of fate I’m lucky enough to get there just in time to catch the songs I know, beginning with A-Punk.

Still orbiting the crowd perimeter and heading to the location that would become my staple photographing position for the remainder of the weekend, frontman Ezra Koenig shrieks a piercing “Blakes got a new face” revealing an impressive vocal ability. Apparently dissatisfied with the response, the shriek goes out again and this time the audience is far more receptive, and as I bare ever closer to the stage right barrier I’m moved by the scores of festival goers glee.

Finally in position, I snap a couple shots through the beat heavy Giving Up The Gun and Campus, then take a little deserved time out for a sing along to Oxford Comma, Horchata and Mansard Roof. It’s around this time Ezra takes a bit of time to thank the audience for giving “a couple knuckleheads” that “forget to even bring wellies the last time” for being so supportive, and then close with Walcott.

With careful consideration, I exit the Pyramid Arena to go around the back of the Other stage and head down to the Park Stage for the 20:30 TBA slot…

Flickr Set

Vampire Weekend albums are available to download from Nokia/Ovi Music Store and if you’re a Comes With Music member, they’re all free!

The trouble with Glastonbury is having to make choices. It’s not something I’m hugely fond of in everyday life, never mind when it comes to choosing who’s set to watch… and so it all comes down to logistics.

Having suffered from near heat exhaustion the day before with 5 treks between my tent on the western perimeter and the parking area way beyond the eastern perimeter, my choice becomes obvious as the John Peel tent entices me with it’s offering of sanctuary from the blazing sun, and a chance to see Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke’s solo incarnation.

Now Kele (his solo moniker) has been accused of being a miserable individual in the past, not something that I’ve ever observed, but this has been the general perception of him none the less. Touching down just in time for the start of the set, my eyes adjust from the glare outside to see a spritely Kele take to the stage with his debut solo album opener Walk Tall and it becomes immediately obvious that any of the aforementioned perceptions are either circumstantial, or just plain misperception. Kele’s in a good headspace!

Keeping close to The Boxer’s track order, playing On The Lam, The Other Side and Everything You Wanted sequentially, saving debut solo single Tenderoni until after a Bloc Party medley featuring a dance rendition of Blue Light, The Prayer and the ominously suggestive One More Chance – With consideration to the fact that moments before, Kele makes the bothersome statement “For those of you who don’t know, I used to be in a band”, suggesting that Bloc Party are officially no more!

Following 2 more tracks from The Boxer, we’re treated to the Euro-Techno stomper Flux as the set closer, elevating my mood in combination with my first proper Glasto set of 2010, and a moderately successful test shoot with the obscene lens I hired for the weekend.

Flicker Set

Kele – The Boxer and Bloc Party are both available to download now from Nokia/Ovi Music Store and if you’re a Comes With Music member, they’re all free!

A couple of weeks back I went to gig up at the Folk House here in Bristol, which I thought I would write a quick post about.

I think the first thing that has to be said, was the rather peculiar venue (hence the title of this post). They’d laid out the hall with rows of plastic chairs, which gave the whole venue a ‘back to school’ feel. Sitting down, threw me back to my days at primary school and I almost expected a teacher to turn up to say prayers and read out announcements for the week…

Turned out there was perhaps method to the madness since it was an acoustic set on quite a low stage. Which meant if everyone stood up you probably couldn’t see anything if you were standing more then a few feet away. Still, by the end of the evening, most of the chairs were pushed out of the way and most people congregated close up to stage, which helped kick the whole thing up a notch.

The headline act was an artist called Natty, who was playing tracks from his first album ‘Man I Like’ and his new acoustic album. Music was great, that kind of eclectic fusion of reggae, ska, soul and a splash of roots rock (along the lines of Rusted Root or country artist Steve Earle) with the surf style of Jack Johnson.

Anyhow, here is a rather catchy track from Natty called Bedroom Eyes

Natty’s singles and albums are are available to download at Nokia Music Store. If you’ve got Comes With Music download them all for free!