emancipation (from a ghost) and proclamation (of what to do afterwards)

I haven't posted in over a year and I feel really bad about that, but if you're wondering what I've been up since:

• I've been soldiering on with There Goes the Fear.
• I covered Great Escape 2012 alone (boo) and Liverpool Sound City 2012 (mostly alone but with John to run our hosted stage at the Liverpool Academy of Arts with our friends the Temper Trap, Clock Opera, and Dear Prudence).
• I started Music in Notes with encouragement from a friend.
• I went to Australia to cover the inaugural ARIA Week in November 2012; it so happened that was the same week as my birthday so I got to celebrate it at the famous Oxford Art Factory, a place I had seen so many times on Australian gig listings and band routings through Oz but assumed I would never visit.
• I covered SXSW 2013 (again, alone); however, I wasn't really alone as for the final 2 days I got to pal around with the exceedingly chivalrous Crookes, who made me laugh, smile, and forget that I was lonely, including me in a Friday night out that will be memorable for years to come.
• I was on holiday in Britain for 22 days in May, an absolutely glorious time (never again, unfortunately, unless I quit my job [hardly likely]).
• I covered Liverpool Sound City 2013 (with John and Martin, TGTF crew yay!) and Great Escape 2013 (with John, TGTF tag team, yay!) again; we are likely going again next year, just not sure who is going to which.
• I'm never mentioning the word Delphic again after an incident in Liverpool that shocked and upset me at the time but now I'm like meh, fine; bridges have been burnt.
• I visited Scotland for the first time (Glasgow - thumbs up; Edinburgh - thumbs down).
• I visited Newcastle for the first time (it's beautiful!) and got to meet Martin's family (super nice good people!).
• (thanks to an entirely last minute announcement) I visited Sheffield for the first time, and now I'm in love (in multiple senses of the word); probably not a good position for me to be in, but I'll let the chips fall where they may.
• I took it upon myself to organise a two music Web site-collaboration for the purpose of promo for the Crookes in London, when they played the Scala, their biggest London show to date (I've not seen the interview or session videos yet but I have every faith they will be fine); in the process I got to meet the lovely Heartbreaks from Morecambe and were touched by the Northern boys' warmness.
• I came back home, entirely unhappy to be back in America because I started missing England *immediately* after, which is a major problem considering my boss forbids me to leave the country again until 2014.
• I was asked by a friend to assist on, with my editing skills, a new project that makes me very nervous but I hope will bring us closer together as friends (we'll see).

I think that brings you up to speed? Below is a live video I filmed at the Crookes' show at the Scala on 21 May 2013. It's of the single 'Dance in Colour', which is absolutely beautiful.

when lighting is not a blogger's best friend

I generally do not use this blog as a place to rant but reading my TGTF email gave me pause today, from a commenter named "Paul" in regards to my recent DC9 Slow Club live review:

"Mary- turn off you [sic] flash. It's rude."

I've had a look through all the photos I took that night. Of the 94 photos I took of all three bands, 5 were with flash. This comment is particularly annoying to me because I was not being annoying and using flash for every photo. What was the problem then? I can tell you the problem. DC9, due to its size, isn't large enough for professional lighting rigs. I can usually get away with no flash at the 9:30 Club (look at this Erasure live review as an example) because the lighting onstage is enough to light up the bands on stage.

I realize flash is annoying not only to the artists but also to the fans. If I didn't, I would have used flash on every photo. Did I? No. When possible, I try to use whatever lighting is available, and try to make up for it with the exposure settings on my camera. The provided lighting ALWAYS makes a photo look better compared to one with flash. I'm no expert but I've gotten some good shots over the years that I'm proud of, so I would consider myself a functional gig photographer. Provided I get to the gig early enough to be up front.

That said, I would like to point out something about the way I blog, and how blogging is done in general. There are three types of people who cover live gigs:

• people who contribute only writing to blogs, so when they cover live gigs, they only provide a write-up
• people who only take photos and don't do any write-up (general professional photographers, some of whom actually get paid by print or online publications)
• people who take photos and do a write-up (very rare' some are like me and aren't using fancy SLRs, and even more rare, the folks with fancy SLRs that do awesome write-ups: not common at all)

I give as an example the photos taken by a photographer of a DC-based blog at the same show. Her photos are better than mine: that should be expected as she's a photographer and has a way fancier camera. I'm not. Peter, if you think I used my flash too much, you should bring your complaint up with her also. She also used flash but for *every* photo. I should know. Half the time she was either in front of me or near me and I tried desperately to look away from her when possible because her flash was going off. I'm not even counting any of the other fans who were there, taking photos with flash also. It happens.

I don't really care if someone doesn't like my photos. Feel free to rip on them all you want; I take photos at gigs not because I have to, it's because I like to and it's for the promotion of bands. That's what each of the three types of contributors above are trying to do.

The reason why there are better and better bands coming to DC as the years go on? It's a direct result of what we bloggers do. Have a problem with what I'm doing? Come and see me about it. But I doubt you would, would you?

day 06 - a song that reminds of you of somewhere

Casiokids - 'Finn Bikkjen!'

This is the ultimate party song for the ultimate party in Northern Europe - Roskilde. I'm hoping one day to get back there b/c the vibe was amazing and I saw some pretty amazing performances there. all my Casiokids coverage for TGTF is here.

Casiokids have got a great new album out already in the U.S. (I've had it for nearly 3 months, beat that!) but the UK has to wait until the 23rd of January. Review coming up on TGTF soon.

2011 in review, with a heavy heart

I haven't posted here since the Stone Roses reformed (no North American dates YET, those wankers), and that was a long time ago (over 2 months ago) but I've been busy.

• starting at the end of October 2011 TGTF became the Guardian Music-endorsed TGTF, showing up regularly on their "Best of the Music Blogosphere" blog roll. (at the time of this writing, my Top Gigs of 2011 is still sitting on their blog roll, which is pretty cool for Casiokids, Dutch Uncles, White Lies, the Joy Formidable and the Coronas, b/c they got attention I'm sure they weren't expecting.) in early December I was asked by two members of Delphic WHY I was still hawking TGTF badges on my holiday in Manchester and the answer was, "we are now the Guardian-endorsed TGTF, I have a reputation to protect!" this included making sure we had plenty of not just content but GOOD content for them to choose from. which meant many, many late nights for me.

• speaking of that holiday, I was away for my birthday in England for 16 days but was ill for 14 of them. so my plans to do a lot of poetry and songwriting went by the wayside of trying to stay in as physically fit as possible state for 10 gigs, hanging out and drinking with friends and colleagues, a lot of sightseeing-related walking, and travel between 3 different English cities. to say I was wiped by the time I returned is an understatement. somehow though I managed not to take a single day off work since I returned. (yes, I am such a good little employee.)

if you were wondering what those 10 gigs were, they were:

• Dutch Uncles Now Wave show (Fiction supporting) - 02.12.11 - Deaf Institute, Manchester, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Example (Fenech-Soler supporting) - 01.12.11 - Apollo, Manchester, England
• Exit Ten (A Thousand Autumns, Tomorrow We Radio, and Fei Comodo supporting) - 29.11.11 - Fibbers, York, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Billie Butterfly fund 'Magic in the Air' charity show featuring Everything Everything, I Am Kloot, and Badly Drawn Boy - 28.11.11 - Comedy Store, Manchester, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• City Reign EP launch (Stella Marconi and Modern Alarms supporting) - 26.11.11 - Gulliver's, Manchester, England
• Blonde Louis homecoming show (Monaco Bears and Camus the Cat supporting) - 25.11.11 - Plinston Hall, Letchworth, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Cashier No. 9 (Kowalski supporting) - 24.11.11 - XOYO, London Old Street, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Pete and the Pirates (The Catcher 9 supporting) - 22.11.11 - Buffalo Bar, London Islington, England
• City Reign (Wire Trees and Ulysses supporting) - 19.11.11 - Bull and Gate, London Kentish Town, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• I Dream in Colour single launch show (Heroics and Anchor and the Dove supporting) - 18.11.11 - Bull and Gate, London Kentish Town, England - my There Goes the Fear review

• I got to interview Marc Riley for TGTF inside the new BBC in Salford and who should walk in but Stuart Maconie?!? hugs and photos ensue. I never could have predicted that happening. I'm still amazed thinking about it. and he remembered me from my letters and me Tweeting him? what are the odds of that?


• going back to the Guardian coverage, we suddenly had a lot more interest from potential writers. I am finding this good and bad. it's great to have interest. but gee whiz, if you plan to contribute somewhere, be sure you respond to your editor's emails. I can only assume you don't care or you're too busy to respond - and therefore not a good fit - if I don't hear from you. that has been pretty frustrating: maybe because I'm a woman, some people think I'm a pushover. not in your life. but I've picked up at least one good writer who is a friend of a regular contributor, so that's good...


• but I can tell, it's a tough road ahead in 2012. I'm trying to not let this spectre of being tops in the Guardian's books hang over my head...like it already is. it is hard being me. I don't think anyone realises how much I put into the blog, how I sometimes lie awake at night thinking about how to make the site better, how to help my writers achieve their dreams, how I'm going to start a new campaign to promote a fledgling band I believe in and how exactly I plan to do that. I didn't mean for it to happen, but the blog has become my life. I'm not whinging: I'm very proud of what TGTF has become under my leadership and we still have leaps and bounds to grow and become even better. it's like when Elvis was saying he was jealous of the Beatles being a group: when you're the person running something big, you can have lots of supporting players, but no one but you knows the pressure of keeping things in tip top shape. and it is a lot of pressure.


• it's become very clear that one important thing has to happen before I can even *think* about leaving America for England. and that thing - something that could actually happen, versus something that will never happen, like me getting cured - is not going to happen anytime soon, so I think I can kiss my dream of living in England goodbye. and surprisingly, I'm okay with that. I had such a violent shock to the system on this trip that I'm not really sure when I'll return. if I do, I'm guessing it will have something to do with my dear friend Matt Abbott, whose presence I miss daily.

I'm going to work on trying to post more here in 2012, starting with one of those a "song a day" memes. I already know it's going to be tough work - not for the posting aspect, but for the choosing of the songs.

I learned something important this year, which I should have already predicted from the pain I experienced some 399 days prior. something still weighs so heavily on my heart, after the knife went in and then was twisted. it is so big it threatens my mental acuity, my health, all my future relationships. I can be in a public place, in the middle of a crowd, on an airplane, in an elevator...and I will start to cry. it's not right. everyone says I'm so strong; if only they knew. this is me, after years of fighting like my father said I would always have to. sometimes I am tired of fighting and being the strong one, I need someone to lean on. and the one person I want to lean on...I can't. he has no idea...and I have no way to tell him.

sometimes I feel like it is going to engulf me like a huge, oncoming wave with no warning: cold, painful, unrelenting. and sometimes I don't care that my life would end if it did. sometimes I just pray at night that my eyes will not open again, because then I could be sure all the pain would dissolve.

you can have all the right words prepared. but they are useless if you're never given the opportunity to say them.

this week's Roundtable (31/03)

Lammo welcomes Janice Long, James Endeacott, and Jack Lawrence-Brown from White Lies

1. Justice - 'Civilization' - ? um...

2. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis - 'I'm Going Back' - interesting in the context of Imelda May and other rockabilly acts. they played Kung Fu Necktie 2 years ago (Philly) but they've never been to DC.

3. Odd Future - it doesn't matter what the title is, b/c I didn't like it.

4. Dutch Uncles - 'Cadenza' - I do like Dutch Uncles, they sound so different than everyone else. I think Duncan Wallis is an amazing lyricist.

5. Goldheart Assembly - 'Harvest in the Snow' - the winner - gorge. yay!

6. Carl Barat - 'Death Fires Burn at Night' - ok, this is just weird.

7. the Crookes' 'Chasing After Ghosts' - I'm on the fence. there are some lovely moments - 'Bloodshot Days', 'The Crookes Laundry Murder, 1922' - but I could live with some of the other tracks. read my review on DIY here

AH-OH-AH-AH-OH - Two Door Cinema Club rocks out the 9:30 Club

so my favourite Irish boys Two Door Cinema Club were in town last Thursday night to entertain us. along with them were Tokyo Police Club (Canadians from Ontario) and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Americans from Missouri) but for me, it was all about Two Door.

you see, I've known their music since before xmas 2009. I/TGTF was the first blog to have written about them, that I'm aware of anyway. certainly one of the earliest mentions of 'Tourist History'. I wrote previously about our first meeting in April 2010 here and here. since then they've skyrocketed to fame and it couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of hard-working guys from a little town in Northern Ireland who dreamed of being massive one day.

well, they've arrived. selling out American venues is a big deal for a band from a town thousands of miles away.

PW review (I compare the whole thing to a three-course dinner, including Two Door as the best curry you've ever eaten in your life)

TGTF review

not on my radar you don't.

I am a magnet for controversy, so it seems. I've gotten flamed by Mat Horne and Andrew Collins. and now this.

the last week of September-into-October I saw 5 gigs in 7 days. I had Monday and Thursday off, that was it. and I was up in Philly for the first show, saw two in Boston, then came back to DC for two more.

I wasn't taking it easy on my "holiday"...I'm not using that an excuse. far from it. but I take offence as one woman saying she could write better than me when she lived in "Bumblef* Texas".

I'd like to see her try writing 10 gig reviews in a span of 10 days. and do we really need such language? seriously. and that was from a Teenage Fanclub fan that I gather traveled up and down the East Coast for them.

obviously she was not happy that I gave the Vaselines a better review than Teenage Fanclub. sorry but they brought it that night and had the energy. I write what I see and hear. unless you were at that show you can't even begin to challenge me on this. she must be some scholar on semantics as well b/c she is arguing with me that it was not in fact the first night of the North American tour. well, it depends who you talk to. it was the first night the two bands COHEADLINED on the tour. I don't go making "facts" up.

the opening band, the Radar Brothers of California, are not happy with me either. they posted a link to my review of their set on their official Web site. I'm not going over there to read whatever they've posted, b/c I imagine whatever's up there is vitriol directed personally at me.

really, opening bands should be grateful any blogger is taking the time out to write and photograph them. I can't count the number of times I've seen most "real" journalists show up only for the headliner.

also, I am not one to pretend I know anything about every single band I've written about. no one can be an expert on every band. just the fact that I write for a UK blog should have told them that I'm not an expert on Americana, never have been, and never will be. it's not one of my favourite genres and TBH I have no idea why two Scottish bands chose them as an opener.

edit: 21/10: so I have found out that the Radar Brothers and Teenage Fanclub are on Merge here in the States.

well that explains it. Merge is an indie American label. it also pretty much explains why I didn't know about them.

the only band I could scrounge up in my mind that sounded anything like them was the Grateful Dead. this apparently has not gone over well.

if they were really offended by what I said, they shouldn't have posted it. b/c that directed a bunch of their fans to my site and increased my hit count.

there had to be a positive angle to this, right?

so according to my stats counter, the review has had a grand total of 58 hits. so now I'm kind of disappointed. firestorms like this usually generate far more hits!

oh well. you can't win them all.

I'm hoping Frances McKee of the Vaselines comes out of the woodwork and says, "ignore those twats!" and then, just like on the night of that gig, something sexually provocative yet hilarious.

now waiting...whatevs. in light of what happened at DC9 last week and thinking that I'll be forced to go to the 9:30 from now on :P I'm not eager to return there.

inside a red room, locked behind a door...

the red room of my heart.

it's been a v. exciting weekend with Delphic in town for a v. special show. I still can't really believe it happened. the Temper Trap were off to Austin City Limits for the weekend so the Manc boys had a weekend off and thought, ok, why not go to the Nation's Capital?

I was v. happy to welcome them to my city. normally I take a lot of photos at gigs and sometimes even video parts of songs, but this time I just let it slide b/c I wanted to revel in the Delphic experience and just soak up as much as I could.

you don't understand, I told my friends. they sell out MASSIVE places in the UK. you can't even hope to get a ticket to their shows. this show at tiny little DC9 is going to be of epic proportions.

I was so busy in my merriment - singing along, dancing, pogo-ing, etc. - that I didn't have a moment to shed a tear in response. I was so proud of my friends for putting on such an amazing show. and so happy that my city gave them the kind of reception they SHOULD be getting in every single place they play in America.







(sidenote: completely accidentally, I ran into my cousin on the rooftop bar. I hadn't invited her, she'd come for the open bar with her friends. you know what? she and her friends loved Delphic and told Rick Boardman how great she thought they were. I couldn't have been a prouder cousin!)

I'm getting the silliest, happiest of grins on my face right now thinking about Friday night. the band is heading back into the studio in November so we won't see them for a bit while they get their bearings for album #2, but wow, I can't wait for them to come back and enchant us all over again.

read the coverage:

There Goes the Fear

PopWreckoning

This is Fake DIY

is British indie is better than American indie?

interesting article from NME tonight. British indie bands have difficulty making it big in America and have had this issue for years. for a while I thought it was b/c of sheer size - I mean, even if you've had a great show in New York City, people in Tulsa have never heard of you.

but now I think it actually has more to do with the commercialisation of radio in America and the lack of real proponents of the American independent music scene. or independent music in general for that matter.

the best recent example I have of the music appreciation divide - not just indie, b/c I don't consider Biffy Clyro indie in the UK, surely! - was their inability to sell out the 200-capacity DC9 venue last Wednesday. they sell out Wembley regularly, for god sakes.

gig reviews from the night:
my Click review
my TGTF review

oh, here's the link to the NME article, before I forget...

Why British Indie Bands Still Can't Break America

and here was my response, let's see if it actually posts.

"American indie types who display a similarly encyclopaedic knowledge of UK indie tend to get dismissed as weirdo anglophiles."

yep, that's me - I couldn't have said it better myself. a lot of this ignorance has to do with the radio stations in America, 99% of which are commercial.

thanks to the internet, the world is a lot smaller and should Americans want to know about British indie or any country's indie, they can read all about it online. but they're not going to get any on local radio stations and certainly not on MTV. we don't have a Lammo, a Huw Stephens, or even a Zane Lowe to champion the little guys of the independent music scene. unless you're actively looking for something non-mainstream and willing to go that extra mile to do the research, you're not going to find it.

Editor, http://www.theregoesthefear.com

like you were a wish that could turn out well.

I'm going to keep this short, being that it is September 11th and it's a national day of mourning and an emotional one. but a couple days ago I had a pretty emotional day of my own.



Tuesday night I saw the Airborne Toxic Event play an acoustic show with their buddies, the Calder Quartet. TBH I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out, because the song that made me a fan, 'Gasoline', heard for the first time so many moons ago in 2008 on Lammo's 6music show, is decidedly NOT made for the acoustic setting. however, I was overwhelmed by the spectacle of the performance; it was obvious to everyone in attendance that TATE loves what they're doing, making music for themselves and others, and really took this undertaking to heart.

I really don't know how I managed not to weep uncontrollably. several times, such as during 'The Book of Love' (the Magnetic Fields cover) dedicated to Mikel Jollett's late grandmother, and the achingly beautiful 'A Letter to Georgia', I could feel the tears pricking my eyes. just beautiful.



something they didn't know: they were the first band I'd ever written about for a blog. click through here to read my breathless retelling of their show on 12 March 2009, the first time I saw them. (second time was at the 9:30 Club last October. Tuesday night was my third time seeing them. they do say three times's a charm, and I guess charm was on my side that night. even before the first time I saw them gig, I had read about Mikel's health problems and family turmoil. I hoped that one day I would get my chance to speak to him, to tell him how inspirational he was to be doing what he was doing as a rock star, living life, living the dream, even with a chronic illness.

I did not know that day would be Tuesday night. when I finally got a chance to speak to him and told him what I had been practising in my mind for almost 2 years, he told me his mother has the same genetic condition I did. I was shell shocked in surprise - I was sad of course that his mother had to deal with such an illness, but at the same time it was reassuring that I was not alone. and of course he knew what I was going through. I told him I was worried about him being too tired from gigging and running around with a band, and he said not to worry that what he had wasn't a big deal. he did however tell me I was a strong person...that was definitely not what I had expected. here was a world-famous singer/songwriter telling me that I was stronger than he was.

me? stronger? I feel like I'm fighting the world sometimes, railing against whoever made me this way, insistent that I will make it, be successful. I don't have a lot of continuous support from friends locally or otherwise, so yeah, often I feel alone.

Mikel happily mugged for a photo with me. I honestly don't know how I made it through that picture being taken without bawling. no matter where I am and what I do in the future, I will always remember that night.

I've been quoted. surely a step up?

it was mostly Sam Halliday's quote not mine but it WAS from an interview I did with him (that his mum commented on!) on 10 May. but yeah, Brooklyn Vegan thought my interview was cool enough to be quoted. check it out.

it's been a while (since mid January when I saw We Are Scientists, gah!) since I've listed my reviews and such, so here's a list for you all who want to know the story so far:

Laura Marling (Pete Roe and Smoke Fairies supporting) - 16.05.10 - Iota, Arlington, VA - my This is Fake DIY review my TGTF review

Two Door Cinema Club (Million Young and Bad Veins supporting) - 13.05.10 - Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA - my This is Fake DIY review my PopWreckoning review interview with Sam Halliday of TDCC

Phoenix (Two Door Cinema Club supporting) - 26.04.10 - Constitution Hall, Washington, DC - my This is Fake DIY review my PopWreckoning review

Hot Chip (the xx supporting) - 24.04.10 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC - my PopWreckoning review my There Goes the Fear review

the Temper Trap and Florence and the Machine (the Kissaway Trail supporting) - 06.04.10 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC - my PopWreckoning review

Vampire Weekend (Abe Vigoda supporting) - 03.04.10 - Constitution Hall, Washington, DC - videos here

the xx (Nosaj Thing and jj supporting) - 28.03.10 - Sixth and I Synagogue, Washington, DC - my PopWreckoning review

Hockey (the Postelles supporting) - 17.03.10 - Rock 'n' Roll Hotel, Washington, DC - my PopWreckoning review

Cymbals Eat Guitars (Bear in Heaven and Freelance Whales supporting) - 06.03.10 - Rock 'n' Roll Hotel, Washington, DC - my PopWreckoning review my There Goes the Fear review

Muse (Silversun Pickups supporting) - 01.03.10 - Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA - my PopWreckoning review feature my photos on There Goes the Fear write-up

Editors (the Antlers and the Dig supporting) - 21.02.10 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC - my PopWreckoning review my There Goes the Fear review my interview with Russell Leetch of Editors

Liberation Dance Party featuring VV Brown - 19.02.10 - DC9, Washington, DC - my PopWreckoning review my There Goes the Fear review

We Were Promised Jetpacks (Bad Veins and Typefighter supporting) - 13.02.10 - Rock 'n' Roll Hotel, Washington, DC - my PopWreckoning review my There Goes the Fear review

Yoko Ono

admittedly, I've been on an interview drought for a while. it isn't from lack of trying. I've been trying to go for in person interviews, especially when it comes to interviewing British bands, b/c I'm worried I won't be able to understand something and can't quickly jump in for a clarification. (I'd love to say I have fully sussed English accents and understand everything an English musician says, but if the 18 hours to transcribe my marathon interview with FFires last year was any indication, I still have a ways to go.) and it's just so much more personal when you're there in the same room with them, being able to gauge their interest / disinterest by their body language.

however, I'm not complaining about something that happened to me last week.

in all the time I have been writing about music, I never thought I'd be asked to interview Yoko Ono.

apologies for it being a bit wooden, but that's what happens when you don't interview people in person...

my interview with Yoko Ono for PW

FYI I have updated all the important pages over at my Web site:

gigs list

interviews list

albums and EPs reviewed

quarterly best-of releases - 2010, Q1

so I've decided to post a quarterly review of the best and the worst releases and gigs so I remember what rocked my world at the time and uh, what didn't.

best albums released

• Delphic - 'Acolyte' - pure electronic poetry. dying to see them live so I can faint whilst James Cook sings to me.
  
• Two Door Cinema Club - 'Tourist History' - pop tour de force. I'm seeing them at least once this spring, if not twice. 'nuff said.
• Broken Bells - 'Broken Bells' - Dangermouse (Brian Burton) and James Mercer of the Shins have put together a psychedelic, trippy pop record that I absolutely adore.
  

worst / most disappointing albums released

• Vampire Weekend - 'Contra' - when I first heard 'Horchata' in October, I was v. ambivalent. then 'Cousins' premiered in December and I was like, YES, bring it on! I think I got myself worked up far too much and when I finally got the new album thought to myself, ok, got some good choones on there but...disappointing. I'm seeing them for the first time on Saturday, maybe they'll change my mind.
  
• Hot Chip - 'One Life Stand' - the album is good in parts but what the heck is going on in the middle, guys?!?!?

best single released

• 'Hold On'/'On Board' - Friendly Fires / Holy Ghost! - it's weird / embarrassing as a fan to admit that a cover Friendly Fires did of someone else's song is better than their last single (last summer's 'Kiss of Life'). but no matter, this and the Holy Ghost! cover are wicked.
  

worst / most disappointing single released

• 'Telephone' - Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce - I've tried my best to stomach Gaga for the sake of my many friends who like her. but she's just not my kind of thing and I'm not really sure why everyone says "she's a great musician". uh, she is? maybe I've got different requirements? I'm not even bothering to look up WHEN the single is being released b/c everyone's talking about the video but assume it's already released or soon will be. now, maybe I'm a prude but the video itself makes me sick. the jail scenes basically set the womens' liberation movement back 40 years. for once I agree with Donny Osmond. and why oh why did Beyonce sign up for this, she doesn't need the exposure!
  

best gig

• the xx at 6th and I Synagogue (review forthcoming on PopWreckoning) - house of worship + band set to be worshipped plus a fantastic light show. awesome. this was really hard to choose, as I've seen some great gigs already in 2010.
  

worst / most disappointing gig

• Editors at 9:30 Club - gig reviews at PopWreckoning and There Goes the Fear - I don't have a beef with the band b/c I thought the performance was fine. but I do have a beef with a fan that claims I ran into her that night. I didn't write about it here at the time b/c I was really pissed off but she claimed I shoved her. me, shoving anyone? take a look at my 5'2" frame, I'm not going to get too far shoving people bigger than myself. I had asked two girls next to me if I could get in and snap ONE photo of Ed Lay (their drummer) and could I switch spots with them for one song and she wouldn't let me. I had shown up very early so I already had a spot in the front, it wasn't like I had scooted up later, in which case I would have expected vitriol in my direction. in general, the only reason I don't like the 9:30 Club is this: for whatever reason, that venue attracts more "fans" that think they're entitled to be complete meanies to everyone else present.

other recommendations

• if you like Owl City, try Darwin Deez.
• if you like the Drums, try the Postelles.
• if you like Laura Marling, try her tourmate Alessi's Ark.
  

what difference does it (a year) make?

I can scarcely believe that today, the 24th of March 2010, is exactly one year to the day when I first saw three boys from St. Albans live for the first time. (actually, four boys if you include Rob Lee, but I'm talking about the holy trinity of Friendly Fires - Edd Gibson, Ed Macfarlane, and Jack Savidge - said v. tongue in cheek! - in D.C.)



little did I know that life as I knew it was going to change forever, as I would see them 4 more times over the next 9 months, in three different cities (four if you count Brooklyn separate from Manhattan, plus Nottingham in England and Boston). not one of them in D.C. my bank book changed as well (and the band know this too...I am sure they are fully aware of how difficult they've made my life and how much they owe me a show in D.C. ASAP, haha!)

they made me love dance music again. they made me want to dance again, or rather Ed Macfarlane did, with his seriously wicked dance moves on the stage and sometimes IN the crowd. they made me get excited about music again, because I hadn't been for a v., v. long time.



I met and talked with them at different times in different places, at one point interviewing the Edwards in Nottingham on their tour bus, which had to have been one of the most surreal moments of my life. it was the first "real" interview I did after becoming a blogging journo, and I was nervous as hell b/c, well, I was in England for starters! and being a fan, it was nerve-wracking enough to be asked by their tour manager to "go on up" onto their bus. then I narrowly missed running into the back of Ed Macfarlane as I came up the stairs.

for sure he was not expecting me, wearing a v. Magnum P.I.-esque red Hawaiian shirt and very tight white trousers, looking the epitome of cool. (I kick myself often that I do not have a photo of this cool cat outfit.) before Edd Gibson showed up, there were a few tense, silent moments until we started talking about food and alcohol (isn't that what they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!) and then everything was ok b/c I'd been sussed as a worthy journo. (since then I've been validated in a similar way by many musicians I've interviewed and trust me, it feels great when people in the business respect you for what you're doing.)

sitting on that bus with them, two out of three members of my most favourite band of the moment, in my most favourite country in the world...I was on cloud nine. and I got to see them perform a couple hours later too. I nearly had to pinch myself that the blessed day in Nottingham, 24 May 2009, actually happened.

it's been weird, watching them getting more praise and accolades (which they totally deserve) but at the same time I feel a bit sad b/c for a while, they were my little secret, the band that I loved with all my heart in secret b/c no one here had any idea who THEY were...and now they've gotten enough cred around the world that anyone who is anybody in the business know who they are. and you know what? that's just fab.

but even if years from now they are some huge massive band that plays stadiums and shows up on network telly all the time, I can still look back and say, yes, I was there when they first came to Washington. I experienced that! even if they don't remember playing that little town of D.C., I'll always remember that night.

--

in honour of the occasion, I'm dusting off the second live review I ever did for PopWreckoning and some others I found to take you back to the blessed day where every single person present agreed that they had usurped the faux headlining crown from atop White Lies's proverbial head and took it for their own. enjoy.

my PopWreckoning review - somehow I managed to veil my sudden defection from the dark Londoners to the carnival dance inducing blokes from St. Albans in this.

personal thoughts posted on this very blog shortly after my world had been rocked by them.

Brightest Young Things review - this is by a local, D.C.-based blog and has the immortal line 'I was lost, deep in thought, scratching my head trying to figure out how I was going to justify to myself, friends and family, the fact that I had a bit of a man-crush on this small, british, seemingly-coked up singer of lead melodies'. I think the comment 'fun as shit' is more uncouth than I would write, but I have to agree with the sentiment!

Everybody Taste review - loving that a lover of the Soft Pack's would admit so readily to be drawn in by a dance-punk band.

DCist review - view this mostly for the pictures by Francis Chung, which are absolutely lovely. you can see my camera in the fifth photo (it's a small square one) but not me actually b/c of the angle (boo).

actually, there is only one piece of Friendly Fires media that I'm aware of being in, and that's this crazy, crazy video from their performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on 13 August 2009 (aka 'the video where the drunk girl mauls the English singer'). Ed Mac jumps down from the stage during 'Paris' and for a couple moments you can see me before the crowd swallows me up and pins me to the stage (definitely not my finest hour!) to my knowledge, it's the last time he's jumped into a crowd and I don't think he'll ever do it again, because no venue would be able to guarantee that after jumping in, he would emerge unscathed with arms, legs, and clothing intact (!)

mig stor nyheder!

(run the title through an English to Danish online translator and you get...my big news!)

I'm feeling v. orange lately, because...I am going to Roskilde this year! out of several hundred applicants I was chosen, along with six other enthusiastic young bloggers, to get an insider's view of Northern Europe's biggest, baddest music festival. it's a little daunting being the only non-Scandinavian to join the party, but 'you can never make an omelet without breaking eggs, every cook will tell you that', right?

you can read the festival blog entries from me and my compatriots here. and please comment, I'd love to hear from you.

--

also related to Roskilde:

last week the festival folks were teasing the punters that 2 major British acts were to be announced for the bill. seeing that I was not asked to be the bearer of good news, I knew the bands weren't any that I currently love a lot. given the clues ('what band likes to perform underwater?'), I thought maybe Keane was to be the big act named. no such luck.

the final announcement came and it turned out the two bands were Kasabian and Wild Beasts. I don't know much about either but TBH I'm a bit perturbed b/c I listen to a LOT of British music and what are the odds that they would pick up two bands I know absolutely nothing about?

disappointed yes, but it's an excuse to go into seeing them with no previous ideas about them. I was going to see Wild Beasts last month at the Black Cat but couldn't b/c I was poorly, so it's good I get to see them sometime this year and not have to pay for it myself.

also, it should be noted that Kasabian is apparently a gigantic deal to the Scandinavians, most of whom applauded this announcement loudly and proudly. this should be interesting to see from a sociological standpoint, since I won't actually going out of my head watching the band as a superfan or anything.

--

in the meantime, I have been nursing a v., v. bad case of missing my dear blighty, to the point of tears at some points :/ it's ridiculous how much plane tickets cost. I got to London and Nottingham (coach up and back down) last May for less than $550 R/T. now the tickets are upwards of $1000 just for the plane ticket!!! I'm scheming for some kind of blighty trip this year but not sure how feasible this is going to be, it's going to be tough on the wallet.

for new readers who have come to my blog via the link on the Roskilde Festival Web site, a quick explanation:

for no obvious reason besides the love I have for many, many English (and British) bands, England feels like home to me, although I was born, raised, and have lived all my life in America. I get emotional just thinking about the country because I have many friends there - some in bands, some not - and feel a kinship to its people that I don't feel when I'm home (for real). it's not just a place for me to holiday, it's a deep connection within my heart that I can't explain. I actually cried on the plane ride home last time, that's how much I love the place.

I ♥ blighty, I ♥ you v. v. much.

you talking to me? I might just laugh right in your face.

first, here's what I've got for you regular readers...gig and interview posts from January 2010:

We Are Scientists (Uninhabitable Mansions supporting) - 21.01.10 - Black Cat, Washington, DC - my Popwreckoning review my There Goes the Fear review

my interview with Chris Cain and Keith Murray of We Are Scientists part 1 part 2

the Cribs (Adam Green and the Dead Trees supporting) - 19.01.10 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC - my Popwreckoning review tag team interview with Ross Jarman

--

word of note to any aspiring bloggers:
you will receive far more personal insults and complaints about your writing than you ever will compliments.

last night before bed, I made the mistake of visiting the Web's authoritative blog/site for all things We Are Scientists. the owner, the lovely Renee Barrera, had kindly posted links to my two gig reviews (done separately for PW and TGTF) and my two-part interview with Chris Cain and Keith Murray. I don't know why I bothered to look at the comments. well, actually, I do know why I bothered. I was hoping someone would say, "great job!" or "this was a fun interview, I'm glad she was able to meet them and post the interview for us." I had expected the complete gloss over of me as interviewer - after all, this was a WAS interview, and they're the stars of the piece, not me.

I was, however, not expecting for one female fan to say she wanted to punch me in the face for the way I laughed in the interview, with another fan concurring with her statement.

really? you're threatening someone with physical force for having a good time? while they're interviewing your favourite band? and getting insights about the said band for you?

I'm never going to apologise for the way I laugh. there's a reason why I laugh when I'm interviewing someone: it's because I approach band interviews in a light-hearted way. I know bands are usually tired and having already been through their umpteenth interview, they're not looking forward to talking to some blogger like me that they've never met from a blog they've never heard of.

so I try to make my questions interesting. I do my research way ahead of time to come up with some queries for them that they haven't heard before, so it's more fun for them and they'll feel more comfortable talking to me and feel like they can trust me, like we've been mates for years. that's the goal anyway. and comfort is key to a successful interview, in my experience.

my first big interview (with Friendly Fires) worked out extremely well because we had already broken the ice (the Ed[d]s couldn't believe I'd travelled by myself to another country to see them) and they seemed to appreciate the questions I'd asked them weren't the same run of the mill "how did you guys get together?" (answer: they met at school) types. when you can prove to someone that you've done your homework and that you're a real music fan, things usually come together better than you expect.

and I've thought to myself, if Chris Cain really hated the way I laughed, I doubt he would have talked to me for over an hour beyond the interview itself. agree?

and going back to my laugh...I have many stories about my "unique" laugh. the most recent I can think of is being in hospital last summer and having been "heard" before I had been "seen" by my attending nurse, who swiftly explained that my laugh was particularly joyous. at the time, I was getting blood drawn in the infusion (cancer) ward so I was happy to provide a little sunshine. so apparently my laugh is memorable by the good folks of Georgetown Hospital. and that's a good thing, b/c people who get stuck there often don't have much to smile - or laugh - about.

folks, this isn't 'Dateline', '20/20', or '60 Minutes'. and feel free to discuss the content of the interview, b/c that's what I work hard at. but taking pot shots at my guffaw? that's going below the belt.

--

however, today was an eminently better day:

Friendly Fires came to the Radio1 studios for a chat with Fearne Cotton about their chances for the two BRITs they have been nominated for. as usual, it was lolzworthy, including Fearne imploring a wary (and trying desperately not to give any more fuel to the fire that he's fey) Ed Macfarlane to stroke Jack Savidge's newly clean shaven chin (er...?); Jack mispronouncing the name of his "favourite" member of JLS; and Edd Gibson insisting that should Peter Kay ring them in Australia at 4 AM local time with the news that they've won a BRIT, they'll all be dressed in their nightgowns ala Wee Willie Winkie.

I would also like to note here that both Fearne Cotton and Ed Mac have equally unique and possibly annoying laughs like mine so really, if those WAS fans have a beef with the way I chortle, they can take similar complaints to them as well.
listen here

Fanfarlo were Marc Riley's live in-session guests at the Manchester Oxford Road studios this evening, and they played four songs on 6music. absolutely brilliant.
listen here

short set of notes re: Cribs gig last night...

1. Ross Jarman of the Cribs is super nice. and v. cute!

2. still not sure if I can tell the twins (Gary and Ryan) apart. much to MB's dismay (LOLZ)...hey, they ARE twins!

3. the Cribs put on a great show. unfortunately, I didn't get to meet the other Jarman brothers or Johnny Marr. rather hilariously tho, I had several near misses:

• as we drove down V Street to try and find parking before the interview, we saw Johnny talking smoking a fag, talking to a goth girl and signing something for her. by the time we circled back, he was gone.
• when we went upstairs to do the interview with Ross, I saw the back of him in their room at the 9:30 Club but it's not like you can just barge in. I'm not one to invade personal space without invitation like that.
• then while we were interviewing Ross in this teeny triangular 'computer' room, Johnny popped his head in a few times to see what we were doing. since we were taping the interview, I couldn't exactly go "hiiiiii Johnny!" see what lengths I go to for you readers of TGTF???
  

oh well, there's always next time. Johnny Marr, we shall meet someday.

4. gig review at PW and interview at TGTF to follow. MB agreed to do the TGTF review, so that takes 1 out of 4 pieces off my hands this week.

5. waiting for Chris Cain of We Are Scientists to email me back and let me know when I can show up to interview them tomorrow at the Cat. should be good!

x

new year's? I'm so over it.

I've been sick since Sunday afternoon, when I thought my body might implode on itself. TBH I wanted someone to put me out of my misery, my stomach hurt that bad. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess I picked it up from my cousin's kid xmas day, b/c I have the tendency to pick up germs really easily (lucky me and my immune system) and you know kids and germs.

so yes, I have a stomach bug of near biblical proportions.

lest you think I'm kidding, I haven't been this sick (not including when I've been ill due to chemo) since I was in the 2nd grade of Mrs. Lyons's class (I was 8). back then there was no way my mother would let me go to school, but in the working world sometime you have to hunker down and grin and bear it. before 2010 arrives, I've pledged to clean off all my writing surfaces in my desk - something really important to an editor! - and I really want to tie off any loose ends so I've got a relatively clear path work-wise at the beginning of the new year.

feeling poorly, I haven't been much in the mood to do any reviewing. (I really should be doing a review of a remix album so that we'll be in the good graces of a certain label b/c I'd like to work for them someday. but I just can't bring my body to sit at a computer any longer than necessary. my stomach is making some heinous gurgling noises.) I'm scheduled to see a bunch of bands next Friday (08.01). and I hope by then my mood will have raised b/c otherwise I'm going to have a real problem keeping the smile on my face, trying to cover the gig and take photos. I really like Locksley: originally from Wisconsin, they've got a fun sound and they're the band of the four that I'm really looking forward to most.

with this stupid bug, there's defo no going out for me for NYE. most likely I'll be sat in front of the computer trying to amuse myself with YouTube videos and a Region 2 DVD that only runs on my antiquated graduate school-era PC that runs Windows ME. (no joke.) and instead of champagne, I'll be drinking de-fuzzed ginger ale.

other things that are bugging me right now...

1) I was out sick all day Monday. I spent the day curled up in the foetal position on my bed, trying to sleep. I come back on Tuesday AM and notice the photos I have in frames on my desk had been moved, as have my xmas cards. there's no reason I'd have the back of a xmas card facing me. furthermore, it makes no sense that photos of me and my friends would not be facing where I sit at my computer.

that someone touched any of my beloved photos gives me murderous thoughts. almost as murderous as the time the new girl came into my office and grabbed one of my beloved photos from Nottingham off my desk *without even asking* and proceeded to gawk, "why do you have such cute friends?" er...none of your beeswax!

2) I work really hard in all parts of my life and have gotten to the point of asking myself, "what's it all about?" I mean, really? it reminds me of a quote from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn from Francie's mother Katie - "I want to live for something. I don't want to live to get charity food to give me enough strength to go back to get more charity food."

for the same token, I work so hard for everything in my life - and I guess that's why I've always been take advantage of, b/c I have this desire to finish what I've started, to do everything well. but is that all there is? not including uni, I lived in the same town all my life. I really want to get the eff out of here and over to blighty. but a discussion I had with my mum and other relatives at xmas regarding my insurance requirements that will make this dream of mine unlikely. so I'm feeling frustrated.

I've always had to work so much harder than everyone else to get certain things to happen in my life (especially when I've been sick) and for once, it'd be nice to be recognised and rewarded. everyone wants that. it seems the only times I've ever gotten recognised was when I killed myself to finish something to the best of my ability, like my B.Sci. (Hons).

I can't help but think that I'm sick right now b/c I'm so stressed out and my body's had enough.

3. I might need a break from all this blogging. dunno. I had no real expectations of what would happen once I started writing for music blogs, so I can't say I was truly surprised/stunned/etc. by what's happened to me in the last 10 months b/c I really had no idea, there's no way I could have even guessed. I sure have some great memories, but I also have some painful ones. I'm not sure if my personality is up to doing this (music writing) for a living.

I'm thinking back to the glorious letter I received from Stuart Maconie and his uplifting words of "Do what you love is my advice. And take care of yourself". at the time I had such high hopes but now, not so much.

I need a period of re-evaluation. I don't know *who* I love anymore, let alone *what* I love.

4. I hate rice. I'm eating it for lunch right now. I've been having it plain every day since I've been sick for nearly every meal. having a wheat allergy sucks, I can't even have a Saltine. and don't even dare tell me "rice cracker" b/c that's RICE!

5. I'm so tired right now from being poorly I'm gonna snap. like a twig.

I look at the stupid nail polish on my fingers and then my swollen ankle (for some reason, my left ankle has been swelling up over the last year and my doctor has no idea why) and get upset.

in any event...see you on the other side...in 2010.

--

and oh yeah, as a reward for those of you who have read this far, here are some links from D.C. gigs that have not been posted yet:

Fanfarlo @ Iota (Arlington VA)
PW review
TGTF review

Phenomenal Handclap Band @ Rock n Roll Hotel
TGTF review

New England sojourn: Boston part 3b (+ gig photos)

so to continue...

Julie thought, and reasonably so, that maybe I'd be able to see one of the guys from the band and still get some kind of interview from them, once they knew *who* had been asking for the interview. I was after all the American journo that had headed out to Nottingham to see them and chat with them in May at the Dot to Dot Festival, to their near-speechless surprise.

so I'm standing outside by myself - freezing my arms off again (I'm never wearing that jacket in the winter, I swear!) - and then in the distance I see two blokes approaching in dark winter coats. they're too far away for me to make out their faces. (remember, it's dark, it's 1900 on a Boston night.) by the time they get closer and reach the bus parked outside the club I realise far too late that one of them is Ed Mac. (he's wearing socks, which also throws me off. if you look at any of FFires' gig photos of him, he's clearly not wearing any visible socks when he's dancing.) professional decorum prevents me from shouting at him - I'm sure he really did not need or want any fans mobbing him at this point - so that was that. I also see some other people in their crew that I recognise but they're all on their mobiles and it'd be rude to interrupt them. I mean, seriously. what if they were talking to their mums?

the bar opens finally and at last I can sit down and warm up a bit. a stroke of good luck as I spy Edd Gibson coming into the club's bar through the regular doors, as if he were one of us. I wave and as usual, he's as nice as can be. he apologised for being unable to give Julie a guestlist spot as he's already given his last one away eating out earlier. (so it ended up that Julie couldn't find a spare ticket. it was really that sold out. even the touts were trying to scoop up tickets and gouge fans. if you're sceptical, read Julie's "review" of what happened.)

so I go to the gig by myself. but you're never really "by yourself" at a gig, are you? I find myself surrounded by people who work for Converse, which explains why everyone is wearing fashionable Chucks on a winter's night. you know how if you go to a party and you see friends, and you have to introduce some friends to other friends if they don't know each other well? well these Converse employees did that, and then realised when they got to me they had no bloomin' idea who I was. so this one girl introduced me (seeing my photo pass on my arm) as "...and this is the band's official photographer." ::blush:: I wish! I explained to them to the more interested ones that no, I wasn't FFires' photographer, but that I was writing this up for two blogs and that I'd come up to Boston from D.C. because the tour was not stopping anywhere near us. it seemed to impress some of them about my knowledge of the xx (having seen them twice prior coming up to Boston) and where I've been on my blogging travails. one girl, an apparel buyer, told me she was a Capricorn and started asking me what sign *I* was - er...was she hitting on me? I was too busy faffing with my camera's settings and worrying about covering the gig to notice. (BTW, if you were wondering, I'm 100% hetero. sorry girls.)

here is a photo of the FFires set list (next to Ed Mac's synth stand) snapped by one of the nice Converse girls. five gigs now and I still don't have one! I've told my friend MB (who I gave the Big Pink set list to) that the next time FFires are in D.C., she is crawling onstage to get the set list for me (haha). it's somewhat amusing that I've seen Ladyhawke twice and I've gotten both her setlists, one for D.C. and one for Nottingham, with minimal effort.



all in all, a good gig. defo not the best I've seen of theirs, but v. good still. it had nothing to do with the band - they were giving it their usual 110%. (you guys were sick? really?) the crowd just wasn't excited enough. there wasn't the palpable, electric feeling of "OMFG, I'm seeing Friendly Fires tonight!" that I've witnessed from the audience at other shows. from what I heard about the Webster Hall gig the next night, I did well to avoid their screaming, fainting teenyboppers. so I probably made the right decision to head to Boston instead of NYC. I really like Boston! the people are really nice, unlike those crazy people I ran into in NYC in August. and I really like the Paradise.

maybe one day I'll get to interview them again. I hope so. maybe they'll actually remember who I am. I doubt they'll remember what didn't happen in Boston.

and here are the Paradise gig reviews, if you haven't read them yet (shame on you, b/c they've been featured in both places and on the Paradise Rock Club blog!)...
on PopWreckoning
on There Goes the Fear
on Paradise Rock Club's Blogspot

when I'm preparing to post a gig review, I go through my photos and pick out the best ones. this being the 5th time I've seen FFires, I've gotten my technique down for photographing them (if I do say so myself). they're such a photogenic band and have so much energy that you can't really take a bad photo of them, unless it's framed improperly. (let's say someone's head or arm got cut off while the shutter snapped, or I've got a great view - of someone's back. heh!) or someone's moving around too much (which of course is possible since this is, after all, dance music). but I had so many beauties to choose from that many just didn't make the cut. so this is where you benefit, oh dear reader. in addition to these that I posted earlier this month, here are some more gorgeous shots from the night.

el Gibson readying himself on guitar


Moog love


can you feel the emotion from Ed Mac? can you feel it? (apparently my mum cannot. she sees the photos I take at gigs and says, "ew, sweaty!" um...you'd be sweaty too if you were giving it your all, performing.)


I love how the light glints off Edd, banging away on his guitar, in this pic. sometimes "mistakes" make for compelling photos.


are you "On Board" yet? (Edd and Rob)


the Mac introducing the encore, "Ex Lover"


in all likelihood, doth endeth my travelling far for FFires. 2009 was a good year. bring on 2010 and whatever bands charm their way into my heart.

New England sojourn: Boston part 3a

so here is what you're all waiting for - my thoughts and feelings about the Friendly Fires / xx gig. I'm going to be as objective as I can about it...

--

Day 3 (4 December)

I had another glorious lie-in, knowing full well that I'd be up late that night and I'd also have to be up early Saturday morning to catch my flight back to the D.C. area (to cover the Big Pink at home Saturday night - gig review here). another check of my email - no joy there. I printed off my boarding pass, then went to go collect my wristband for the in-store. the clerk gave me the false impression that there weren't going to be too many people there for the performance. (terrible misconception.) I did some more shopping down Newbury Street (got some rad nail polish at Urban Outfitters) and walked a bit more along the adjoining streets. it's a whole lot more interesting than D.C., I can tell you that.

Trinity Church had been closed when I had passed by there in the morning, so later when I went back and I went in and took the self-guided tour. little creepy that the organist was practising as I was examining the stained glass windows. gave me chills, the wrong kind to have when you're touring an old church.

by the time I went back to the hotel at 2, I still had not made contact with whom I needed to for the evening. I tried not to let it worry me as I got dressed for making a good impression over the next 10+ hours, representing the blogs, representing D.C., and of course representing myself. figuring there wouldn't be much time between the in-store and the Paradise gig, Julie and I decided to have lunch/dinner at Trident Booksellers, and I'd just play things by ear and take them as they came. just as we were walking into the store my mobile rang, and I'm hearing on the other end, gruffly, that I'd been misinformed about having any interview with Friendly Fires in the first place and it'd be impossible because the boys were ill and that was that. was I upset? sure. who wouldn't be? I'd traveled all this way and had psyched myself up for what I figured would be a really great interview, considering how candid they'd been the first time I interviewed them in England. don't have all the details on what was going on behind the scenes, but yeah, it was disappointing to say the least. it just wasn't meant to be. oh well. that's how the music biz works sometimes. (my hero/friend Stuart Maconie a couple years ago had a scheduled interview with Morrissey at South by Southwest and got rebuffed, and he's interviewed Moz loads of times. so I don't feel that bad, especially if it happens even in the higher-up echelons of music journalism.) at least I had the in-store and gig that night...

the in-store. oh, I can laugh about it now, but feeling like my arms were going to freeze off in an ill-advised slip of a brown corduroy jacket was not funny at the time. we saw a bloke with a wristband in the cafe, typing away on his laptop, so when he packed up and left, I thought we'd have plenty of time. we got outside at about 1600 to see this huge queue already forming. a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. it didn't help that 1700, the time for the start of the in-store, came and went. we inquired why it was taking so long, and we were told the xx's equipment was late. not knowing what the queue situation would be like at the Paradise, I fought an internal battle as to when to cut our losses and leave for the other gig. finally, sometime after 1750 we were finally let in.

rather than rehash what I've already written, you can read, view photos, and watch video on my published posts at PW and TGTF:
PopWreckoning review
There Goes the Fear review

shortly before 1900 we headed back to Julie's car and we headed over to the Paradise. Julie didn't have a ticket and the gig was airtight, completely sold out. I'd been unable to get a ticket for myself as press (though I was v. lucky to be granted a photo pass so I could photograph without fuss during the gig). I'd purchased mine from the Live Nation Web site months prior to make sure I'd be able to get into the show, b/c I just knew it would sell out. Julie dropped me off outside and went to look for parking, and there was no one about except a local couple who was waiting impatiently for the club doors to open, and several other would-be punters who were looking for touts b/c they didn't have tickets either.



to be continued...