Gigs and Concerts 2001-2002

I only attended 5 gigs in 2001, but what quality shows they were! The return of The Beta Band to the Limelight was one not to miss, given their previous show and the fact they were getting better at this gigging malarky. The charming and wonderfully kooky Isabel Monteiro seduced the Empire crowd with her honey-purr when Drugstore came to visit. Next up three of the biggest names in indie rock. First, Super Furry Animals playing the Mandela Hall at the height of their powers. They had a screen rigged up on the stage for one of the best entries I have ever seen. As the band left their dressing room on the long dander down the twisting corridors and staircases of the Students Union a camera showed them strut and throw shapes building up the excitement. Then they appeared on the stage just as the screen changed. Anyone who has ever witnessed a SFA show will bear testament to their goodness. So many great songs and a lovely way about them endearing them to audiences.

I’ve somehow managed to miss the first encounter I ever had with one of my all-time favourite bands, Spiritualized. Late 90s they played the Empire, and it was absolutely blissful, they really do pull you into a trance like state with their swirling drones and spaced-out vibes. Their return to the Mandela Hall in 2001 was in support of the ‘Let It Come Down’ album. For these shows they brought along a gospel choir to really fill the stage and the air with huge sounds. It’s quite incredible the feeling Jason Pierce can create in his fans given he doesn’t move off his seat, keeps his eyes shut and only offers a “thank you” at the end of the show. The power is in the music…

Radiohead played the SSE Arena and were transforming into the weirdo troupe they now are. ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac’ had been out to critical acclaim. I’m not sure I heard those albums the same way as the critics but at least the band created those awkward songs in a more palatable way live. Throwing in enough of the pre-experimental stuff kept me happy though and it was of course a tremendous show. Thom Yorke is an exceptional entertainer even if he doesn’t think so or want to be. To get that lost in your music is quite the feat and his ‘dancing’ at certain points really was hmmm, out-there.

Staying in the enormodome that is the SSE, in 2002 I saw Coldplay perform. Now, I know they’ve mutated into something quite horrid, on record, but they do put on quite the spectacle in their uber-stadium capacity. Back then, they put on a great show too, Chris Martin was only halfway to being a dick so was tolerable enough. I can’t bare to look at him now! They had a stupendous big laser light that shot out over the crowd and split into a big fan shape, which lives in the memory. Also playing the SSE in 2002 was a wee Manchester band called Oasis. This was my third time seeing the band and I was stuck at the back of the venue in the seats. At least I stayed dry as the excruciatingly stupid idea of throwing pints in the air had started.

The only other two gigs I ventured to in 2002, not including my own support slot with madcap American rocker Bobby Conn, were suitably downsized, in the Empire. Our very own David Holmes was in Free Association mode and the full band show was a typically swinging affair. I ventured out to see Godspeed You! Black Emperor again, having not been able to make it to the end of the show the first time I saw them. On this occasion I dragged my band buddy Al along, he probably knew nothing about the band, or he wouldn’t have went. This meant I had somewhere to stay for the evening so drinks were consumed. Readers, it is extremely unwise to partake of alcoholic beverages at a GY!BE show. It is absolutely vital not to try WKD for the first time at a GY!BE show. I did both. I can vaguely remember being absolutely freaked out and talking to anyone who would listen before heading out the door into the night. Once again, I didn’t make it to the end of their shows. I regret this now as they’re a phenomenal live band and have never been back. For the record, I have never drank WKD again either!

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