keeprighton2

Yep, was fully expecting Wilco The Song first. But BBN was straight out of the traps though to be honest it was a bit challenged on volume - quite a bit of yelling to 'turn it up' around me. I think because of the sensitive setting of this particular festival and the eco vibe they couldn't crank it up which was a shame. Still was a great start and soon followed by a killer quartet - One Wing, Via Chicago, Impossible Germany and Deeper Down back to back. Top stuff. London should be interesting. Think it's Tweedy's birthday too.

Decent crowd in for this one - Wilco last on in what's a boutique festival in stunning surroundings - only two main stages and the boys were up against Hawkwind last thing at night on the Sunday - not too many had made early exits for home. Tweedy quiet for most of the set but seemed very relaxed if a little spaced out after being in Holland the night before for Lowlands and somewhere else the night before that. After Deeper Down it was something along the lines of 'How could we not play that one at a folk festival' (well it used to be but alot of the current folk inspired big hitters were

Just got back - it's 3am - Wilco offstage at midnight having headlined main stage at 2230. Big crowd of 10,000 or so in beautiful amphitheatre in Welsh mountains. Stellar setlist: BBN You Are My Face Muzzle IATTBYH One Wing VC Impossible Germany Deeper Down Wilco The Song Jesus Etc Handshake Drugs Hate It Here ITMWLY Spiders Hoodoo Voodoo ---------- Late Greats I'm A wheel More later after zzzz's

Why? Because this was Wilco at their peak, before they hit the comfort zone. 'Ashes' and 'ALTWYS' are untouchable here. These versions are of a band finding their stride and some fresh inspiration every night. Four years on I feel that there's a touch of going-through-the-motions when they play live, however slick they are. Back then Tweedy gave the impresssion that his life depended on it, just like all the best rock'n'roll. It's all a bit comfortable now.

Have always thought Paddy McAloon was underappreciated. 'Bonny' is indeed a beauty, and 'Cars and Girls', while lampooning old Bruce is a fine tune. Anyone else think he sounds a bit like Mark Eitzel at times (American Music Club)?

It's simple really. Fans of little known but criticially lauded bands always feel betrayed when they move on to a wider audience. I know exactly where you're coming from here. You don't want to like them any more because the new audience is 'not worthy'. It's a kind of jealousy, resentment (towards the new fans), because the band is no longer in your private club anymore. It's always been this way. You like making the discoveries and cherishing 'new' finds and the 'gatecrashers' just come and steal the magic. It was ever thus. I guarantee if your aunt come and tells you how she likes that 'Y

Have you heard the live version of Be True from the 1988 release of Tougher Than The Rest? Four tracks on it, those two plus acoustic version of BTR and one other, ah yes, Chimes Of Freedom, great version too, live in Sweden from '88. Be True here is much better than the demo version on Tracks.

Right, if you've never done Europe before, here's what you should do. Probably the cheapest and most plentiful transatlantic flights come into Heathrow so start in London and hit The Forum in Kentish Town on Nov 4th - just up the road from Camden Town which is worth a mooch around if you don't mind the hordes of student tourists (good venue aswell - holds about three thousand and you can get close in the standing areas downstairs). From London you can hop on the train to Brussels via the tunnel - and catch the show there. It's a grand city in the centre - architecture that you'll never see

When he was about 15 I once played football (soccer) with young Mr Gray for a little team called Solva, a lovely fishing village in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. His dad used to run a small clothes shop there. Can't say I'm much of a fan of his music though (maybe Babylon aside)

Something along the lines of however many gigs they play in UK they always sell exactly the same number of records so not inclined to play many gigs here. Though he did say he's playing at Troxy in London on his birthday in August so it can't be all bad!

....and then there was the whole acid house thing around the time of the Mondays, the ectasy taking, the raves in the middle of nowhere in the late 80's, second summer of love and all that. It all became part of popualr sub-culture, made the news all the time. Middle England was aghast, just as it was when the Pistols turned the air blue on live television and punk went overground overnight, shocking the moral majority. Couldn't really happen in the US cos it's too big though I guess the web's immediacy is changing that.

I think over here in blighty music's always linked much closer to popular sub-culture tha in the US, that's why he get 'scenes' happening that spread quickly. ie 'punk' in the 70's, the 'baggy' scene in the late 80's with the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays, the whole thing was part of a wider fashion sub-culture. That always happens over here, I suppose because it's a smaller country and word gets round the cities fast.

Remember an agitated Tweedy walking onstage at Glastonbury in 1999 with a brutal 'Hello cocksuckers' before berely saying anything for the rest of the show. He's often also referred to the fact that he's had a 'history' with British audiences, mentioned it a few times at London gigs I've been to.

Allright then, and we'll go a bit further.... PKB Ashes (KT) Misunderstood (KT) ALTWYS (KT) Pieholden She's A Jar all the above =1st

You do that very well. Stripped down like that I can hear what a good song it is. Nice one.

Allow stuff from Kicking Television (which after all, in the live setting, is where the modern Wilco count the most) and I reckon the list would change quite a bit. Via Chicago, Ashes, Misunderstood, ALTWYS would all be higher (well they would in my list anyway). I hardly ever listen to anything but live versions, official or not. That said PKB is one of the rare Wilco songs that sounds better (just) IMO on record than it does live.

Rumbled

Are you the Wendy in Born To Run, Wendy?

http://www.skyarts.co.uk/music/

....more than that, isn't the little organ flourish at the start very reminiscent of Nick Drake's classic 'Northern Sky'

There's nothing on BT with as much polar opposition as those two songs

But that's what it is, no? Two very uptempo songs - Bull Black Nova and Sunny Feeling do not sound like they've been made in the same decade let alone by the same band on the same album. I want the albums to be a 'whole' , not flying off in all styles and directions.....

Its only slighlty dadrock but he gets out of jail with a great vocal. Sonny is dadrock - fuckin awful cheese

You taking drugs?