It's fair to say that I didn't make a significant contribution to keeping live music alive in 2023. Even if I'd make it to all the gigs I'd bought tickets for, I wouldn't have hit double digits. In the end, I managed three and a half music events, one poetry performance and one stand up comedy gig.
But I enjoyed every second of every one that I made it to, revisiting some great venues, seeing artists I never thought I'd see, sharing the experiences either with family or friends (a shout out to Mike here).
Here's a rundown what I could've - and did - see in 2023, the hits and near misses.
The year should have got off to a cracking start with a chance to see Luke Haines (The Auteurs) and Peter Buck (R.E.M.) at Strange Brew in Bristol in February.
Unfortunately due to a family illness I had to skip the night but managed to find someone else to go in my place. Mike was also there and shared his thoughts on the night:
"The good news is it wouldn't have changed your life. I think it is in that category of 'glad i went but no real revelations to speak of'.
What I hadn't realised was Scott Macaughey would be playing as I imagine you know he was essentially a member of REM's touring party for 15+ years. Both Buck and Scott had aged quite a bit since i saw them with the minus 5 at the Fleece but two great musicians nonetheless.
[...] the songs were pretty much the Haines/Buck 2 albums [...] and I thought the songs from the first album stood up a bit better than the most recent.
Other observations - there was a point where the 50+ male brigade wanted a photo of Mr Buck for their collection and if we had been on the Thekla it might have tipped the boat over but normal service was resumed pretty quickly.
The beauty of last night was the fact that a music legend at 66 is still happy to play small venues."
So my first gig of 2023 ended up being a trip to Cheltenham with Clan K in March to see comedian Dave Gorman. It was a matinee show, something of a novelty for us, at the Everyman Theatre in the town centre, a lovely old building. We were up in the gods, with a great view of the main stage.
Mrs. K and I have enjoyed Dave Gorman for many years, including his show on TV channel Dave (what else?) called Modern Life Is Goodish. Which was handy as Powerpoint To The People is essentially an extended version of that, only with plentiful effing and jeffing from the outset. Lady K didn't know of Dave Gorman at all but had a great time too. And home in time for tea. Win-win.
I was especially gutted to miss The Anchoress at Gloucester Guildhall in May, not least because Catherine Anne Davies had been forced to postpone and reschedule dates a couple of times in the last couple of years.
My only consolation was that I got to see her (on TV at least) join Manic Street Preachers on stage at Glastonbury in June where, frankly, she smashed it. She also released the superb Versions album, collecting covers that she'd recorded and released individually during lockdown and beyond, including a sublime rework of Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order.
In June, I also finally got to see Dr. John Cooper Clarke, with support from Mike Garry, at The Forum in Bath.
In August, I managed one and a half gigs. The half measure was a Clan K excursion to Bristol's legendary venue The Fleece to see Bad Manners.
Well, two thirds if I'm being pedantic, as I got to experience 10 of the 15-song setlist. You can find the full sorry story here. Great support from local band Belishas. Mrs. K and I contemplated heading back to The Fleece on Boxing Day to catch Bad Manners' annual festive show. Considering that yesterday was spent trying not to succumb to a food-induced coma, I'm glad we decided against it.
For our second gig in August and someone I never expected to see live in concert, Mrs. K and I spent an evening in the company of John Cale and band. The fact that we also got to experience it in the intimate surround of the Subscription Rooms in Stroud was a real pinch me moment.
Somehow, I found the words afterwards because I was feeling pretty speechless afterwards.
Another opportune gig - and my first in 2023 with Mike - was Mozart Estate and Half Japanese at Strange Brew in Bristol in September. Two very different but compelling acts with charismatic front people in Lawrence Hayward and Jad Fair respectively. Not in the least bit daunted by this, local support act Bruno & The Outrageous Methods of Presentation more than met the challenge, led by 17-year old Bruno Bof-Wilkinson. My only regret is that we missed most of the latter, arriving just in time to catch the tail end of their set.
As I wrote at the time, a slightly mad - if slightly under-attended - night out in a great venue which I hope to spend more time in next year.
Another missed opportunity was GLOK (aka Andy Bell) playing an intimate gig at Moles in Bath, which would have been my first time for both artist and (incredibly) venue. Unfortunately, fate intervened and I was unable to go on the night.
As if that
wasn't gutting enough, 43 days later on 5th December Moles announced that they were closing their doors with immediate effect. After 45 years
of hosting everyone from Wolf Alice to King Crimson to Sleeper to James
to Laura Marling to Daniel Avery to Pulp to Katy J Pearson, it's a sad
end and a reminder of how much the incumbent government has shafted
grass roots music, particularly in the last few years.
My final gig of 2023 was Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart featuring Jon Klein performing Metal Box Rebuilt In Dub in the bowels of the Thekla, a cargo ship-cum-venue in Bristol's central harbour area.
Of course, Jah
was a founding member of Public Image Limited and recorded the original
album so if anyone is qualified to rework the songs, it's him. And he and the band played a blinder, peppered with some truly hilarious asides and anecdotes throughout. It was another great night in Mike's company, a surprisingly punctual set and early finish (due to the Saturday club night straight after) but I can't think of a better way to have ended my gig-going in 2023.
Without wishing to tempt fate, Clan K already have tickets for three gigs in March, July and August 2024, and there's an impressive line-up of artists performing in Gloucestershire, Bath and Bristol from January onwards, so I am hoping to get over the line into double figures this year, whether with family, friends or solo.
