There are only three albums and they're all good (the second is the high point) so start at 1 and end at 3.


The third is largely without Roky, but has some great tunes including a personal fave Dr Doom, and Sutherland really shine and comes into his own as a guitarist.

Roky tonight, fucking pumped. Must. Not. Get. Wasted. As usually happens.

Bun one on the way though for sure.

Will actually be a bit disappointed if it's just Elevators tunes tonight. Love the Elevators but it's Roky's solo stuff that keeps me listening most often these days.

Currently getting pumped up to this:

So the Roky Erickson gig last week.

Was good, better than I remembered '07 to be, although back then he did mostly solo numbers, which at the time I wasn't that into, whereas now I'm very much into (more so than the Elevators stuff), and he only did one solo number this time (Two Headed Dog for an encore - brought the place down).

Was great seeing him though, seemed more with-it than in other performances. His voice was fucked though, sometimes just cutting out completely as he couldn't hit the feral yelps that made him so iconic. Is a shame but didn't put a damper on things, I think everyone appreciated he's a man in his later years. Everyone seemed so happy to just have him there.

So, the gig ran through loads of Elevators classics from all three albums. Highlights were Dr. Doom (amazing track from the overlooked third album) and Splash 1, which I'm not ashamed to say had me welling with tears, crowd repeating the mantra 'Home'. Fantastic stuff and not something I'll forget.

The band accompanying were tight and had a solid jug player to give it a proper Elevators feel. Just a real shame that there weren't more solo tunes - Cold Night For Alligators, Starry Eyes, For You, I Think Of Demons, really great, great songs that I'd love to hear live.

Anyway, in all a great gig, marred slightly by the young try-hard hippie wanna-be freaks competing at who was more into Slip Inside This House, but who can blame them. I was the same 10 years ago. Now I just hope Roky sticks around long enough to come back and do that Evil One gig I'm dying to go to.

I've seen Dylan two or three times and yeah, you should just prepare yourself for a different experience. With Dylan part of it was just wanting to tick it off. Enjoyed them all but doubt I'll go again. If you get the chance I recommend you go though, he's a living legend. He opened with Rainy Day Women when I saw him first time at a Hop Farm festival, some guy in the crowd had a trombone and was playing along. Was pretty good.

I would've enjoyed seeing Dylan when he toured with Mark Knopfler.  Tickets were £92 and I balked.  General perception of the Knopf is lol, but he's reined it in for a couple of decades now and haters gon hate - the boy can play and surrounds himself with top class musicians.

Spock wrote:

@nick. Love "two headed dog", would love to hear "I have always been here before" live. I've always thought  a Ghost of Tom Joad esque album/tour would give Roky the recognition he deserves. Also, in his book black coffe Blues, Henry Rollins talks about "finding" Roky in a sorry state and basically fixing him up (he bought his teeth) it's worth buying the book for the article IMO.

You're a good man Spock, I don't care what they say.

I didn't know that about Rollins, will look it up.

You've probably seen this, but you mentioning Two Headed Dog again made me rewatch and I love it so need no other excuse. There's a Cold Night For Alligators clip from this gig with the Explosives too, recommended.

Sturgill Simpson at the Shepherds Bush Empire.  I'm smashed and I've got work at 6.30 but that was the best gig I've ever seen.  I'll say the same thing tomorrow too.  That voice.

Sax Ruins, Yoshida and Ryoko, Barberos (if I make it) and Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts, tonight.

So glad I've taken tomorrow off- anyone in Manchester this weekend should check out MoSI/MSI in the day/afternoon.

Dunno about the others, but if Bean's off to see Barberos, he's a braver man than me.

Have tickets to see Thee Oh Sees at Leeds Uni next month.  So excited!

Saw Mogwai play Atomic.

Some grim and very moving bits in the film and Mogwai were louder than all hell with some lovely synth.

Made me angry again about Trident but then I had a few beers and fell asleep.

That'd be the Brudenell Social Club then?  Always wanted to go there, they seem to get in the best bands.

Thee Oh Sees - two drummers and a bit of polite pogoing at a safe distance away from the morons at the front who push n shove people over for the fun of it.   Still, apart from those tits, it was one of the most pleasant audiences I've been in with some bloke offering sips from his mini-Jagermeister to any who would partake.  What a gent.  Gig was alright too, just wish I'd seem them during the Bridget Dawson years.  An extra drummer can't compensate.

Really wanted to get tickets for Chemical Brothers up in Blackpool Empress Ballrooms.  Excellent venue that with its springy floors.  But tout got their first and are selling at a 100% mark up.  Bastards.  I dunno whether I've got the willpower to resist though....

Diluted Dante wrote:

In Leeds to see Pup, at a social club. This is awesome. I want to live here.

Brudenell Social Club is an amazing venue.  It's incredibly intimate, and they've had some bloody good bands over the years.  I used to live just round the corner from it - sadly a bit further away now, but still make it over there once a month or so.

Blocks100 wrote:

The only serious ques were outside the Kazimier for Thee oh Sees, but I wasn't going to miss Everything Everything for them!

Silly boy.

They've closed 4 key venues in Liverpool in the last 3 years.  Actual venues are disappearing fast.