1,389 JIMMY EAT WORLD, Les Shirley, Cardiff University Great Hall, Thursday 12th June 2025

 

Quite a throwback, this; a return to the ol’ “Dance Card” for post-Millennial Emo/ powerpop punk survivors Jimmy Eat World, for me for the 15^th time overall but the first since 2019 (gig 1,158), that time being a short hour-long “outstore” blast at Kingston PRYZM to celebrate their then-current (and still most recent) release in “Surviving”. They’d been over since, but their most recent foray, a big Ally Pally headliner no less, had clashed with that year’s “Shiiine On”, so was a nonstarter for us. With no new releases on the horizon, their absence looked set to continue until this, a one-off UK date and ostensibly a warm-up for their Donington Festy appearance the following day, was announced, so I snapped up tix quickly for me and Rach.

Yup, Rachel… in another throwback moment, another recent absentee from my “Dance Card” made a happy return, this being my dear lady wife’s first non-“Shiiine” gig with me since Pete Wylie last March (gig 1,316), for perfectly understandable reasons. And, with a smattering of others booked up in the near future, hopefully this will be the first of many in 2025… So, after bribing the kids with takeaway pizza, we set off for my first bridge crossing in over a year (another throwback!), getting turned around a little on arrival but parking up close by, about 20 past doors. A helpful steward then ushered me and my stairs-averse wife up a lift to the main hall (nice!), and we grabbed a spot halfway back, house right. I took a wander and bumped into recent (and local to this one!) gig buddy Mel and his lovely partner Tammy, Mel sporting the same Spanish Love Songs tee that I had on! Great minds, and all that… a quick chat then, before openers, Les Shirley, on at 8. An all-girl French Canadian power trio, this lot, (the Les then being a plural “the”!), their second number “Sayonara” was an urgent alarm bell jangle with a yelping choral hook, and a fine later “Motherfucker” (apparently!), featured a Smiths-esque guitar intro before plunging into a driving dual vocal attack. That aside, much of the set was fairly generic frantic yet enthusiastically played new millennial pop-punk, with a nice line in banter from the girls (viz. the guitarist plugging their merch as they needed to recoup an expensive dinner the previous night (!), and later giving us weather tips on when to visit their home town of Montreal…). Overall, a decent opener, despite the Stones “Start Me Up” clone, which didn’t impress…

Rach and I then spent the inter-band gap debating whether the “R” on the “Jimmy Eat World” backdrop was a “P” which had been gaffer-taped (!), before the lights plunged at 9 and the ominous click-clack backing track not only heralded the black-clad band onstage, but could only signify one opener – sure enough, vocalist Jim Adkins greeted us with a quick, “what’s up, y’all?” before solemnly intoning the opening verse of the classic “Pain”, the song then erupting into volcanic, purposeful life at the huge fist-pumping chorus. Fellow “Futures” feature “Just Tonight” followed in brilliantly breathless short order, before the jagged “Sweetness”’ huge “whoah-oh” singalong from this sell-out crowd practically took the roof off. Woah, what an utterly searing start! 

An object lesson in audience engagement for starters then from our visitors “from the desert of Arizona!”, but although the blistering pace understandably slowed, the sheer power, emotional intensity and commitment of the performance remained at an absolute top level throughout, “It’s been way too long! You guys are ready for this!” exclaimed Jim incredulously before the herky-jerky rhythm and joyfully affirmative hook of “Big Casino”, an early highlight, the man thereafter advising, “this is going to be a hot one – please hydrate!” An acoustic and rather lovely “Your House” led into a slow-burn and darker mood-changing “Cheating Gets It Faster”; the self-effacing vocalist (“I’m the worst person to give a microphone to!”) then related a story of a fight breaking out at a Belgium gig to the poignant “23” – apparently twice! – before a genuinely emotive version, the guy in front of us hugging his tearful girlfriend throughout; then guitarist Tom Linton took vocal lead for a fist-pumping singalong “Blister”, for me tonight’s brilliant yet horribly prescient highlight, given the National Guard’s current presence in LA – “the West Coast has been traumatized”, indeed…

The elegiac “Hear You Me” was stark and beautiful, before Jim asked, “is everyone rested up now?” the gig thereafter building to an inevitable yet breathtaking triple-whammy; “A Praise Chorus” leading off with its’ undulating thrill-ride, the strident stomp and echoing riff of “Bleed American” following, before “The Middle”’s infectious and inclusive powerpop and twirling middle 8 rounded off the set. Brilliant stuff!

Some sincere words of appreciation from Jim to us loyal long-timers (“and if it’s your first time, I hope we didn’t suck!”) preceded a 2-song encore culminating in a final joyful singalong to “World You Love”. “Don’t it feel like sunshine after all…”, indeed! A brilliant 1½ hour set, then, as good as I’ve seen Jimmy Eat World in ages (if ever…), the only drawback being the Cardiff crowd’s stubborn refusal to form a moshpit. Never mind, I got sweaty enough dancing on my own! Patience and politeness then got me a fortuitous list (yay!), before we bade farewell to Mel and Tammy and headed back to Blighty, home for a shade past midnight. So, a proper throwback, but an utterly stellar one, Jimmy Eat World delivering a vintage performance for what will doubtless feature as one of my top gigs of 2025!

1,158 JIMMY EAT WORLD, PRYZM, Kingston-Upon-Thames, Saturday 19th October 2019

I never thought I’d see this lot in a place like this…! Arizona’s finest, enduring Indie-Emo giants and “live” favourites of ours, Jimmy Eat World, announced a 10^th (!) album, “Surviving” along with a couple of very unusual “live” dates, one of which was at this venue, Kingston’s PRYZM. Ever heard of it? Yeah, me neither… Pre-ticket sale investigation indicated this would likely be a low-key CD release show in a small venue, so I jumped on tix for myself, Rach and Logan when they went on sale, finding them very competitively priced at £18 – even for what seemed like an early hour’s set from Jimmy – and also including a copy of the new CD! No surprise then that they sold out in double-quick time, but not before we were sorted, with 3 tickets then, later, 3 CDs dropping through the Rose letterbox!

This one also meant a chance to catch up with our friend and Kingston resident Lisa, so plans were made and we set off at 3 after leaving Kasey for a sleepover at Laura’s. Parked up after a couple of confusing laps around the inner ring road and bumped into Lisa on our way to the wrong Pizza Express – good job, that! Had a lovely catch-up over tea, then we wandered around to the venue, bidding our farewells to Lisa before popping in. Had to join a large queue snaking around the downstairs lounge before heading up to the venue, a 500-capacity 3-tiered disco nightclub which resembled a smaller SWX, or a slightly bigger Level 3! There was already a rammed crowd around the tiny stage, so “down the front” was out of the question tonight; instead Logan’s idea was to take this one in from the top balcony, and we got excellent viewing spots right next to the mixing desk. Good shout!

The time ticked on and the floor (from our view) got even more uncomfortably rammed, and I was rather hoping the boys would throw us a bone by starting early. No such luck, though, as Jim Adkins waited until just after 8 to lead his uniform-black clad bandmates onstage where, particularly with the addition of a 5^th “live” member on keyboard duties, they immediately looked very cramped! No matter, straight into the tumbling drums and slashing riffery of “Surviving”, the title track from said new album, which on first couple of listens seems more dynamic and less slow-burn than recent releases; a very welcome thing! More welcome was the opening riff to “Bleed American”, next up, the boys belying the slightly murky sound and a similarly muted response from the cramped faithful with an utterly incendiary rendition.

“We’ve just put a new record out! Some of you may know this…” deadpanned Jim ironically before the Hold Steady-esque herky-jerky opening riff to new single “All The Way (Stay)” kicked in, the mood-heavy slower burn of “555” following in short order. But then the highlight of the night for me, as Jim declared, “we’ve been a band for 25 years! Crazy! Here’s an oldie – Tom’s going to tell you about it…” then guitarist Tom Linton introduced a tremendously pulsating and seething run-though of “Blister”, Linton himself taking vocal chores and leading the finally-engaged crowd in a mass singalong. How long would it take to walk across the United States, indeed…?

For all that this was a swift hour set and also ostensibly a “Surviving” CD release show, we still got 6 cuts from that classic 2001 “Bleed American” album, so “Hear You Me” was a poignant and plaintive delight, Jim asking the crowd to, “be part of the show, hold your phones up!” the venue then being bathed in light. The brilliant “A Praise Chorus” followed, Jim demanding the crowd rock out to this undulating thrill-ride of a song, before the final double whammy of “Sweetness” and “The Middle” took us slightly past the 9pm curfew to close out a superb vignette from a band who surely have transcended this size of stage and venue, Jim high-fiving the crowd on his way offstage.

Oh yeah, Logan loved it too, despite the omission of his favourite number “Pain”; as he rocked out to “The Middle”, noisily screaming all the words, I couldn’t help but turn to Rach and say, “this, right here, this is why we had kids!!” A similarly confusing exit from Kingston still got us home before 11 after an unusual but nonetheless excellent Jimmy Eat World gig. Here’s hoping for a bigger tour in 2020, though!

1,121 FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS, JIMMY EAT WORLD, Grace Petrie, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Saturday 2 February 2019

Now the 2019 gigging year can really get under way, thanks to this potentially corking double-header... Following Frank Turner's stellar performances last year during his sold-out Academy gigs in support of excellent - and timely - new album "Be More Kind" (gigs which promoted this honest, lyrically incisive punk-folk troubadour, in my eyes, to the ranks of the Very Special Indeed), there was no way I was passing up on more Frank. So I booked tix pretty promptly for the subsequent inevitable arena tour for myself and fellow Frank fan Matt, securing a return to the Motorpoint, scene of my first Frank gig! However, when US alt-rock emo veterans Jimmy Eat World were added as support, we were sure of some company - my dear lady wife and Jimmy uber-fan Rachel jumped in immediately, and, after putting "Bleed American" on constant rotation in the car for awhile, so did my little man Logan!

 

A huge dump of snow Thursday night and Friday threatened to put the kibosh on travelling; however I'd dug the car out and cleared the drive Friday night, and the main roads were clear, so we hatched a plan and tiptoed out of our slippery and compacted drive to drop Kasey off at grandma's for a sleepover. Hit the road at 4, therefore, an easy drive to a clear M5 Gordano Services seeing us meet Matt there for the onward journey to the 'diff. Roads clear there too - did it just snow in Swindon, or what? - so we were easily in the queue for 6.30 doors, grabbing a bit of barrier, house right, for Logan, next to Sarah, a lady who'd travelled from Paris just for this gig! In place therefore in good time for opener Grace Petrie, on at 7. She was great - a self-confessed "masculine" lesbian protest singer ("I've been doing this for 9 years, trying to make the world a better place with my songs... so I've been doing a pretty fucking terrible job so far!") with a wide, almost "Wild Ones" brief ("what are you protesting against?" "What have you got?") and an impassioned, Bragg/Guthrie style delivery, sprinkled with no little humour. So both the parlous state of current world politics and Kasabian ("who the fuck cares about Kasabian," being a lyric couplet from her touching "Ivy") fell victim to the Petrie broadside; however it wasn't all left-wing tubthumping, with the aforementioned "Ivy" a song for her young niece, and closer "Northbound" recalling Gaz' "Let The East Winds Blow" in it's subject matter. A fine start from a talent with plenty to say; I'd certainly pay to hear her say it again!

It got busy but remained friendly down the front, Logan keeping his spot comfortably for Jimmy Eat World's entrance at 7.45; good thing too as from note one they absolutely smashed it, a jagged, breathless "Pain" heralding a huge, anthemic "Futures" opening triple-salvo. Early oldie "Blister" was a seething delight, vocalist Jim Adkins remarking at its conclusion, "we've got some old school fans in! Here's another..." before a splendid if slightly understated "Lucky Denver Mint". Adkins then teased the crowd with, "the Welsh are renowned singers, right? Now's your chance..." before the towering, heart-rending ballad "Hear You Me", then a dark, growling "Cheating Gets It Faster" (thrown in unplanned, instead of "A Praise Chorus"... shame, but it was still great) led a "Bleed American" closing triad, the incredible title track preceding a buoyant, singalong "The Middle" to round off an utterly superb 45 minutes. Having seen them in other prestigious support slots (Green Day, Foo Fighters) we were expecting that; not stupid, these boys, they know what's expected in such circumstances, and delivered in spades. A brilliant support set of utter bangers, at the end of which drummer Zach Lind handed Logan a set of sticks. Nice!

The plan was then to head to the back for Frank, but the front remained remarkably hospitable, Logan was happy there, so there we stayed! Frank and the Sleeping Souls bounded onstage dead at 9, and, as if raising their game to match their exemplary support, they pretty much smashed it from note one too! "Loosen your seatbelts, let's rock'n'roll!" announced Frank as they ploughed into the frantic Irish reel of opener "Out Of Breath", the pyrotechnics spitting out plumes of fire at its conclusion. "Welcome to show 2,308! This is a punk rock show, but there are two rules; one, don't be an asshole, and two, if you know the words, sing!"

Much singing therefore then ensued, from our party down the front (including Logan, hollering along to the likes of "Photosynthesis" and "If Ever I Stray", both early and rousing singalongs) and from the packed and enthusiastic crowd in general. Frank complimented both supports, quipping about 25-year veterans Jimmy Eat World, "I like to have a spot to give a new band a chance!" "Brave Face" saw a charming animated backdrop film illustrating the lyrics in the style of the "Be More Kind" cover, as Frank teasingly berated the audience for a lukewarm singalong ("7 out of 10!"), but then curried favour with this partisan Cardiff crowd by bringing on a roadie to hold "phonetic" lyrics for him to sing "Eulogy" - in Welsh!

"I Am Disappeared" - as ever, a poignant, personal highlight - preceded a solo interlude from Frank, an almost rockabilly obscure oldie "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The One Of Me" (so obscure, Frank had to Google the lyrics beforehand!) the highlight. The rousing singalongs then kept pouring down, none more so than closer "I Still Believe", which rounded off another brilliant, inclusive Frank Turner set, appropriately shaking this 8,000-capacity arena to its foundations. Woah.

At the conclusion of 3rd encore, the ragged, fist-punching "Get Better" ("let's see what you've got left," remarked an equally ragged Frank, who as ever had given his all), we headed toward the back, watching the crunching punk rock of "Four Simple Words" plus the accompanying fireworks and confetti explosion from there, conscious of plummeting temperatures which might make the homeward journey tricky. In truth, after a quick getaway, bidding farewell to Matt at Gordano again, and a careful drive up the M4, the last 10 feet of the journey were the trickiest, seeing me stall then wheelspin getting onto the drive. D'oh! But no such slip-ups from Frank tonight; another stunning show from a true performer now totally at ease in front of such a huge crowd, and backed up ably not only by his stellar and tight band, but also 2 very fine supports. The 2019 gig year is now under way, good and proper!

1,011 JIMMY EAT WORLD, The Amazons, Bristol O2 Academy, Saturday 19th November 2016

My second gig in 2 nights – both with Rachel in tow, I’m happy to report! – saw us blasting down a soggy M4 for an evening with Jimmy Eat World, perennial favourites of both of ours, evidenced not only by this being the 11^th time I’d seen them overall (and 5^th at this venue), but also by the fact that this was also a late add-on to my Autumn Dance Card, but, like last night’s host Frank Turner, another complete “no doubter”! The Arizonian powerpop/ melodic emo veterans had announced a tour in support of new album, “Integrity Blues”, their 9^th and in recent keeping, a slow burner but a grower, relying on emotional depth and melody rather than upbeat power riffery to make an impact, so we’d again booked tix early. I loves the pre-sale, me…!

Our blast down to Bristol saw a reasonable arrival time, but we then had a frustrating 20 minutes driving up and down a packed out Trenchard Street car park (thanks to sold-out events at the Hippodrome and Colston Hall, as well as this one) before finding a parking spot. So we hit the venue just before openers The Amazons were due on at 8, and wormed our way down to our usual stage left floor spot to catch their set. From up the road in Reading, they played some traditional straight-ahead post grunge laze rock recalling very early Teenage Fanclub, with decent two part pseudo choral harmonies also a feature. An old fashioned, tried and trusted formula, maybe, but it works, so don’t knock it! Third number “What’s Your Secret” was a melodic and hooky delight, and the lead track to a forthcoming EP featured a creepy opening, giving way to a pounding bass heavy rhythm and a dead-stop pregnant pause – I like those! “We’ve played the Thekla, The Louisiana, we’ve done the Bristol ladder! It’s great to be playing at the biggest place in town,” gushed vocalist Matt, and the grungy, riff-heavy finale concluded a strong support set which indicated aspirations to play this venue in their own right might not be that far-fetched. I’d certainly check them out again…

The floor then became uncomfortably crowded, proper old-school rammed, providing a stark contrast between tonight and last night’s gigs, sell outs both – we found decent pockets of space with room to at least swing a small rodent last night, but here, simply putting hands in pockets was a considerable task… Luckily Jimmy Eat World didn’t prolong our wait, coming on promptly at 9 to no intro, and easing into a toughened-up version of dark, introspective newie “Get Right”. An incendiary “Bleed American” followed up, all seething power and strident chorus, although the usually brilliantly dramatic middle 8 featured a couple of odd- or bum-sounding notes. Early doors, though, the band were rocking, up to a chugging, angular “Big Casino”, after which the boys finally paused for breath and Jim Adkins announced, “it’s good to be back!”

The ballad “Hear You Me”, the backlit strobe accentuating its’ poignant emotional effect, was a stark, acoustically delivered early set highlight, but thereafter the set drifted for me for a chunk of its’ mid-section, a messy but smoothly melodic “Coffee And Cigarettes” and an understated but groovy “Lucky Denver Mint” notwithstanding. This had capped a 3-song vignette of older, “Clarity” material which seemed poorly chosen and garnered scant reaction from the otherwise enthusiastic sell-out crowd, and too many of the new numbers meandered in a mid-paced manner, lacking either emotional gravitas or powerful, strident impact. As if acknowledging this, Adkins finally hollered, “God Damn!” before a furious, angry riff-fest heralded a blistering “A Praise Chorus”, easily the best number tonight and just the thing to revitalise the set.

“We’ve been playing in some super hot spots lately; this feels relaxing compared to some of those places,” announced Adkins, “[but] this is like the ultimate party; as a musician this is what it’s all about!” This comment received a huge ovation, just the impetus for a strong finish to the set. A yearning “23” was excellent, “Work” was a titanic singalong, Adkins going off-mic to conduct the crowd, and a breathless, jagged “Pain” concluded a variable set; strong start, saggy middle, superb finish.

The boys took a lengthy bow after excellent encores of a joyful, playful “The Middle” and an excellently tumbling “Sweetness”, and we left for a sodden drive home with Jim Adkins’ fulsome praise ringing in our ears, and an unexpected set-list in my happy clutches. Seen them better, for sure, but any Jimmy Eat World gig – especially if “A Praise Chorus” is in the set – is a good night out!

887 JIMMY EAT WORLD, The Shimmer Band, Bristol O2 Academy, Saturday 14 September 2013

Jimmy Eat World. Mesa, AZ's finest proponents of hearfelt and irresistibly catchy emotive powerpop and melodic punk rock, are back with a new album and UK tour, and we're all over this one like a rash. We got tickets in the O2 pre-sale, which was good as this show sold out within days (the only date on the UK tour to do so, oddly...), which was ultimately frustrating, as latterly my oldest son Evan decided he fancied it for a visit, but we couldn't get him sorted with a ticket this time. Darn!

So it was just Jimmy uber-fan Rach and I who headed off at 6.30, hitting traffic in Bristol then finding our normal car park was full, with an immovable queue of cars nonetheless chancing their arm. Bah! So we headed back down the hill, parking up in the Millennium car park by @Bristol and hitting the venue for 20 to 8, Rach then getting overcharged for her drink by a dim barmaid who didn't know what a lager shandy was! Cripes! Not the best of starts then, but here we were in place, stage left, for openers The Shimmer Band at 8. A long-haired rabble who took ages to actually get going after taking the stage, they played a very Doors-like brand of dangerous, down and dirty proto blues rock, driving and heavily bass-dominated (so much so, we figured their song-writing process was, "hey, here's a good bass riff, let's build a song!") which I actually ultimately ended up warming to. A very brief - 20 minutes! - set was concluded with a "Break On Through" pastiche which even appropriated said song's chorus!

The brevity of their set however left us facing nearly an hour's wait for Jimmy Eat World's scheduled 9.15 start, and by 8.45 the floor was heaving and the sell-out crowd was bubbling with anticipation. Throw us a bone, please, guys, and come on early! Thankfully they did, as just before 9 the lights dimmed and they nonchalantly wandered onstage to a huge ovation.

Jimmy Eat World's new album, "Damage", is a more muted affair than, say, the upfront power riffs of "Bleed American" or "Futures", whilst retaining the brutal lyrical honesty that is their trademark. An attempt at a "grown-up breakup record", apparently, it's however a real grower, albeit with the words ratgher than the rock carrying the power. In keeping with this, opener "I Will Steal You Back", from the new album, seemed a little subdued, as the band felt their way into the gig, and the packed crowd's response was appreciative rather than enthusiastic. A fine, smooth and deliciously harmonic "Lucky Dencer Mint" aside, it took until mainman Jim Adkins bolted on a fat acoustic and delivered a bleeding-raw, heart-rending "Hear You Me" to really engage the crowd with a huge emotive and communal sing-along resonating around the venue. The subsequent "Futures" triad of the title track, an immense "Kill" and an equally powerful "Work" (preceded by the unusually taciturn Adkins introducing it as, "probably one of the happier songs on our graded curve...") then saw the band and the crowd really start to build up a head of steam. "It's always fun playing here, it's like everyone's at the party," observed Adkins, beckoning to the overhanging balconies.

The gig was bubbling up nicely now; however the final three numbers in the set were utterly stunning, an object lesson in how to finish a set good and proper. The majestic "A Praise Chorus", their best number, and sinuous, soaring and swooping, kicked things up several gears; a blistering "Sweetness" saw the "whoa-oh"s echoing around the venue, accompanying the jagged riffery and juddering thump of the drums, and a final "Bleed American", bristling with power and seething menace and featuring that killer driving middle-8, capped a set which eased it's way in, taking time to build up momentum, but left the best until last. And better that than the other way round!

A 3 song encore capped with the joyful melodic burst of "The Middle" ("our happiest song - I'm having a glass half full day, noticing all the happy songs," according to Adkins) ended an ultimately excellent hour and a half, with Adkins and the band, genuinely thankful of the reception, taking a lengthy and deserved ovation. An easy set-list, then back to the car, avoiding the gangs of lairy drunken women (!) staggering around Bristol, reflecting on the gig. My 10th time overall of seeing Jimmy Eat World, 4th time here, and another excellent night from a band who have consistently delivered excellent albums and top drawer gigs for 12 years now. Worth all tonight's hassle. Oh yes.
 

824 FOO FIGHTERS, Biffy Clyro, Jimmy Eat World, Hot Rats, Milton Keynes National Bowl, Sunday 3 July 2011

A real first, this one; the first time Rachel and I have dumped the kids with the Grandparents overnight, and pissed off to an all-day show! Honestly, we couldn’t resist this bill; I was interested in seeing the genre-defining Foo Fighters, the epitome of a modern “rock” band, again, after an absence from my gig schedule of 8 1/2 years, and having missed out on their intriguing “in the round” Wembley Stadium shows 3 years ago. However when Rachel’s current band crush Biffy Clyro and our enduring post-emo “live” faves Jimmy Eat World were added to the Sunday undercard of their 2 day MK Bowl mini-residency, I snapped up tix pronto, for what promised to be a good and proper grunting rock pig day!

Considering our experiences for the Green Day MK gig a few years back (easy in, easy out of MK, but then stuck in the middle of the countryside at midnight, home for 2.30am. Yikes!) we tried a different tack. So we dropped the kids off at midday, and drove in from the A5 North, encountering a bit of queuing traffic in but parking up in the splendidly named Teardrops Car Park, about 15 minutes North of the Bowl, hitting the already-heaving bowl at 2.30. The first thing to note was that the stage-front “Golden Circle” was not only massive, swallowing most of the bowl floor, but also already full and with huge immovable queues waiting, likely in vain, for entry wristbands! Sod that, we thought…

So we sat on the hill, chilled and chatted, then had a walk to get Rach’s traditional first band beer. BOB MOULD, yes even he, was DJ-ing, set up on one side of the stage and on the big screens, bopping along to some Hi-Nrg dance. Bob playing dance? That… makes no sense at all! Nevertheless, we got Rach’s beer and a better viewing position, on the slope left of stage (in front of a bloke who thought that putting a couple of empty bottles down guaranteed he had sole right to a goodly chunk of the slope!), for HOT RATS, first band at 4.30. An interesting concept, this; 2/3rds of Supergrass, including mainman Gaz Coombes, playing covers of their favourite material and influential oldies. When the stuff was intrinsically rocking (as in Bowie’s swaggering “Queen Bitch”) this worked, but other songs, like the Doors’ sublime “The Crystal Ship”, were handled too roughly. Even the Cure’s “Lovecats”, a song I don’t really like, was stomped all over with big Britpop Doc Martens, and I got the feeling this was overall a surprising waste of their time and talent. At barely 20 minutes, the set was short, too…

We wandered onto the bowl floor, with Bob back on the decks – as he was between all sets – and playing better and more representative disks, including Magnapop’s excellent “Lay It Down”, although he sadly resisted playing air guitar during Dinosaur Jr’s “Freak Scene”! However, we turfed up 3 or 4 rows back from the “Golden Circle” barriers, which still seemed hundreds of yards away from the stage! JIMMY EAT WORLD wandered on, unheralded, 5 minutes early at 5.25, and with the minimum of fuss burst into “Bleed American”, seething and dynamic, raggedly played and by no means note perfect, but thrilling as ever. Even better was to follow, as they were immediately into “A Praise Chorus”, my favourite number, fulsome and epic in its’ sweeping drama, and, with the sun breaking through the soft cloud cover for the first time this afternoon right on cue for the “crimson and clover” hook, as emotive and brilliant as ever. “God damn!” remarked Jim at the song’s conclusion, and I knew how he felt.

This evening, Jimmy Eat World were on fire. A band in a hurry, nary pausing for breath between each number, delivering a performance of sweaty, raw, slightly ragged but brilliantly thrilling rock of the first water. An unexpected but incendiary “Blister” was all seething power, followed by a strident singalong “Work” for a mid-set double-header highlight. “This is a dance number, so feel free to, y’know, partner up,” suggested Jim before the irresistibly catchy powerpop of “The Middle”. Then, all too soon, the “whoa-oh” of “Sweetness” heralded the end of a lightning-fast but utterly superb rock set.

Time for a breather then? Wrong! We took a walk to the back for a loo break, only to find the walkway even more crowded than down the “front” for Jimmy Eat World! Mental! We could only surmise that the huge “Golden Circle”, combined with two massive beer tents on the bowl floor, one each side of the stage, had significantly reduced the floor space whilst retaining the same capacity. Bah! We ended up snaking back through the woods fringing the back of the bowl, finding a good viewing spot on the hill, stage right, for BIFFY CLYRO, on at 6.45. A riot of noise and colour, they were also “on it” from the outset, mobile and kinetic, the sound much better on the hill than on the floor, blasting through a strident early “Golden Rule”, all drumbeat and drama, purposeful and pounding. A slow-burn singalong “God And Satan” built to a huge choral climax, whilst “Who’s Got A Match” showed a decided Seafood/Sonic Youth vicious guitar attack, jagged riffs strafing the crowd, and overall their confident display gave the impression it won’t be too long before they’re headlining here in their own right. Their best number, “Bubbles” echoed from all sides of this huge amphitheatre, before the lighters-aloft “Many Of Horror” precipitated a jagged and crushing closing “Mountains”, closing out a damn fine set from a band I’m really warming to. Mon the Biff!

So, there we stayed as dusk fell and DJ Bob Mould succumbed to temptation, playing Sugar’s “A Good Idea”. The witching hour nevertheless came quickly, and promptly at 8.15, with no entrance music or introduction, Dave Grohl raced onstage and down the runway joining the stage to the mixing desk set-up, about a hundred yards into the mosh, like some demented dog finally set loose. The rest of THE FOO FIGHTERS followed onstage, kicking in to savage opener “Bridges Burning”, the opening track to their current “Wasting Light” album, easily their best and most consistent since 1996’s classic “The Colour And The Shape”. And we were away…

Similar to their obvious antecedents Husker Du, Foo Fighters music primarily comes in 2 different digestible packages; the balls-out, amphetamine fast straight-ahead rocker with strident, yell-along chorus and a nevertheless melodic edge; and the thicker, mid-paced yet more anthemic moshpit sing-along. Both were fully in evidence tonight early doors; an immense “Pretender” saw 67,000 arms aloft pointing “who are you??” towards the stage, and the subsequent “My Hero” was off-kilter, strident and if anything even huger, a crescendo of noise and strobe.

“There sure are a whole fucking lot of you out there,” said Grohl, before a comedy monologue (including calling Foo Fighters gig virgins “nerds”, but then saying, “that’s ok, we used to suck but now we’re rad!”) which essentially told us he was going to skip the comedy monologues and concentrate on the rock! This was an occasionally odd performance from the widely acknowledged “nicest man in rock”; without the natural swagger or stage charisma of, say, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Grohl seemed to feel the need to augment his usual open and enthusiastic persona with some Denis Leary-esque dialogue and antics. This was nevertheless entertaining, as was the rock: “this one’s for the crazy motherfucker in the boat,” he shouted to a crowdsurfer in a rubber dinghy (!) by way of intro for “White Limo”; a huge cheer followed him downing a beer in one during an elongated note at the start of the excellent “Arlandria”; and another scamper down the runway saw him appear on a little stage behind the mixing desk during “Stacked Actors” for a riffery shoot-out with his onstage guitarist, via the big screen.

The sublime “Walk”, possibly their best number since “Everlong”, followed, then the debt to Husker Du was acknowledged by a warm introduction of today’s DJ, “the genius that is Bob Mould”, onstage for “Dear Rosemary”, Grohl also admitting, “we wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for this man”. Mould, humble as ever, nevertheless prowled the stage like he owned it, battering his Fender and growling his lines with his usual startling conviction during this brilliant rendition. A pregnant pause halted the subsequent “Monkey Wrench” as Grohl announced, “this is the part of the song where I scream until I see stars and feel like I’m gonna fall over,” before doing just that. Then, after a quick loo break for us, the lengthy “whoa-oh”s at the end of “Best Of You” saw Grohl cracking a huge grin, before a powerful “All My Life” rounded the set off.

Grohl once again took the small mixing desk stage for the encore, delivering a solo “Wheels” as night fell, before taking the stage again during “Times Like These”. Unlike the previous night, we didn’t get Alice Cooper as a guest, making do with Seasick Steve for a nondescript blues jam (hey, I’m psyched for his success, but his primitive blues doesn’t float my boat). We did, however, get a savage “This Is A Call” before Grohl, now back to his Mr. Nice Guy self, gushingly complimented us all prior to a final “Everlong”. We’d known this was the final number, and debated missing it to get a flyer and avoid the traffic, but that would have been, as Rach put it, “like going to Egypt and not seeing the Pyramids”. So we stayed, and she was right; my word, it was mighty! A lighters-aloft, robust and powerful as all hell run-through of their finest moment, with a delicious mid-song pregnant pause and a massive climax, the perfect way to end a great set, with fireworks accompanying our sprint back to the car.

So, 3 fine rock bands all delivered on the big day, with hardly a scrap of paper between them for top act. I’m still undecided about that! However the different tack worked a treat, as we left the arena on “Everlong”'s last note, on the stroke of 11, and blasted back largely unencumbered, getting home for 12.30! A perfect result, to end a great day out!

799 JIMMY EAT WORLD, Minus The Bear, Bristol Academy, Sunday 14 November 2010

The second gig of a hectic weekend saw Rachel and I heading down the M4 to Bristol, after Rachel's mum turned up to babysit, for the return of live favourites Jimmy Eat World, touring their current album "Invented", another prime slab of emotive, heartfelt and occasionally euphoric rock to add to an increasingly quality canon of work. Hit the venue just before 8 after a clear run, and got the drinks in and found a good viewing spot before openers Minus The Bear. A beardy 5-piece from Seattle, they ploughed a furrow of polite, innocuous but inoffensive soft rock, with one surprising rocker which had tinges of The Foo Fighters' "Everlong", to throw the rest of their ho-hum material into sharp relief. "I thought they were about to play "Abracadabra"," said Rach midway through their first number, and she was spot on.

Luckily, for dynamism, power and sheer emotional overload, we had Jimmy Eat World to come crashing in, with their full-on, hard-rocking yet no less tuneful guitar onslaught. Wandering on at the appointed hour of 9 to little fanfare yet to a rapturous welcome from this young crowd, their were straight "on it" with the powerful, dramatic opening salvo of "Bleed American", the forceful, driving middle-eight a real feature and nice guy vocalist Jim Adkins already pouring heart and soul into his performance. My two pre-gig "wants" were dispensed with 2nd and 4th number in; firstly oldie "A Praise Chorus", bringing the first sing-along of the night for the hook, "crimson and clover, over and over", then newie "Coffee And Cigarettes", the most accessible number from their new CD, and almost Gigolo Aunts-like in its' driving melody and crashing tide of harmony. The enthusiastic crowd really went nuts, surprisingly so, for the jagged "Futures", forming a furious moshpit, however for me, the set really took flight for "Big Casino", the soaring hook delivered powerfully and brilliantly. The vicious "Pain" kept this increased momentum going, as Jim, now really getting a sweat on, delivered a passionate vocal display of the kind of bleeding raw emotion usually reserved for a Perrino or a Janovitz. "Work" was another highlight, before Jim, as if looking to turn a release valve on the intensity, complimented a punter's "Space Invaders" shirt with the comment, "my 8 year old would think that's totally rad!" before slowing the mood with a couple of more acoustic numbers, before picking up the heat again to finish the set with a couple of oldies, the sing-along "Blister" and the lengthy slow-burn to crescendo "Goodbye Sky Harbor".

The encores culminated in another sing-along for the poppy "The Middle", which merged into final number, the "Velvet Roof" like slashing guitar dynamics of "Sweetness", the hookline "whoa-oh"s resonating around the packed venue. Brilliant, inclusive stuff to cap a stunning 1 1/2 hours of prime rock, delivered by a band in top form. They're supporting Foo Fighters at MK Bowl next year, and on this form, might just upstage them...!

541 JIMMY EAT WORLD, SEAFOOD, London WC2 Astoria, Friday 25 January 2002

A rare gig where we took the train, as the old motor was still in the garage! So we got the 6 pm to London amidst all the rainclouds and gloomy weather. Hit the Astoria at 7.30 sharp, only to find queues reaching all around the block! Eventually got in, after 20 minutes wait under a heavy and foreboding sky, but barely had time to get our bearings before da Food came on, just before 8 pm!

So, Rachel and I piled into the moshpit for their opener, the acerbic "Western Battle", with David as ever yelping like a scalded cat. The amphetamine rush of "Guntrip" was up next, with the boys (and girl) struggling manfully with the poor sound quality but still giving a performance of tension and energy.

"Are you ready for Jimmy?" asked David before an impromptu acoustic version of the first verse of "Salt Sweat Sugar", which drove the very young Emo kids wild - a shame that they didn't react to da 'Food's own stuff in such an enthusiastic way! "Folk Song Crisis", with the white noise interlude evoking memories of Bob Mould's similar wig-out on that very stage some 13 years ago, capped an indifferent-sounding but as ever dynamic and energetic set.

Nipped up to the balcony for Jimmy Eat World's set, as the dancefloor was heaving! The Phoenix, AZ. boys came on promptly at 9 pm, no fuss, and hooked straight into the punkish rush of "Salt Sweat Sugar", the excellent insistent single from last year, with the most dynamic middle eight of any 2001 song. An equally good "A Praise Chorus" followed to rapturous applause, and at this point you got the feeling that this was no ordinary gig, but a real defining event. However, I have to report that the gig drifted for me a little after that, with the boys delving into the more angular, difficult and edgy post-grunge of their previous 2 albums, rather than the instantly catchy emotive pop-punk of their current incarnation. I took a wander as well, bumping (predictably) into Kevin Seafood and (not so predictably!) Som from My Vitriol!

JEW ended their set with an unfamiliar yet more straightforward punky number, then encored with "The Middle", Jim Adkins exhorting the crowd to, "like this one because you like it," and the brilliant "Sweetness", with its' "Velvet Roof"-esque rhythmic base and excellent running hook. So, first and last the best for me, but a set full of promise for greater things! And an early gig too - off at 10.15, bumping into old sparring partner Jim Morrison (Carter USM/ Jamie Wednesday) and his daughter Holly on the way out of the venue, and on the 11.00 train home! With KFC too!

552 JIMMY EAT WORLD, Midtown, Bristol Academy, Thursday 28 March 2002

They're dropping like flies at the moment! This time Ady had to pull out at short notice as he had to get his patio re-laid (!), but luckily Tim could join Rachel and myself for this sell-out show at short notice. So we hit the road at 7 and parked up in the multi-storey, hitting the already-packed venue for just after 8.

Got a bar balcony viewing slot at this venue, which had been revised since my last visit (more dancefloor and upper balcony space), for support act Midtown, from Noo Joisey. They came on to Guns'N'Roses' "Sweet Child Of Mine" and rocked out in a rather generic pop-punk kind of way, like Blink 182 without the cartoon geekiness. Some good moments but unspectacular fayre overall, but they went down a storm with the kids in the mosh, finishing their set with a refrain from "God Gave Rock'N'Roll To You".

Met an old Bristol buddy - another Tim! - for a chat at the bar, before taking my place again for Jimmy Eat World, on at 20 past 9. Again, they took the stage to no intro music or fanfare, and kicked in with "A Praise Chorus" from "Bleed American". I have to say that the early part of their set, whilst having much of their trademark sensitive poppy punk sound, was either a little too note-perfectly polite or flat for my liking, and it wasn't until the slow burn of "Anderson Mesa", with its' hypnotic guitar lines, that the set really kicked off. The haunting and catchy "Lucky Denver Mint", up next, was their best number all night, and they kicked on from there to close the set in a more emphatic and energetic manner. A messy yet energetic "Bleed American" (introduced as such by vocalist Jim Adkins, rather than by its post-9/11 name "Salt Sweat Sugar") closed the set, and the encores of the jaunty sing-along "The Middle" and superb new single "Sweetness", with its' nod to Buffalo Tom's classic "Velvet Roof", really put the exclamation point of a set which started slowly but ended with a roar. A bit of a lift and car-park exit-mare on the way out and home, but still back home for midnight!

663 JIMMY EAT WORLD, Fortune Drive, Bristol Academy, Wednesday 15 June 2005

First of 4 gigs in 5 days (mad!), this was a rescheduled one from March, when we'd gotten all the way there before finding out they'd postponed due to illness. D'oh! This time however the trip was not in vain - we parked up at 10 to 8 and got into the already full venue for this sell-out show, grabbing a good viewing spot on the viewing platform stage left.

Support Fortune Drive were on at 8 - a local 5-piece playing a brand of urgent, insistent and itchy rock, with a tiny black vocalist occasionally sounding Motown soul-ish in his vocal inflections. Difficult to pigeonhole, their mainly fast-paced upbeat pop-rock impressed occasionally, despite some flights of indulgence and a seemingly superfluous keyboardist. Nevertheless, one to watch?

Jimmy Eat World came onstage at 10 past 9 - or rather, tousled vocalist Jim Adkins popped on solo to a minimal backing track, regaling us with a couple of lines from their "Futures" CD title track, before a slow-burn opener which gradually involved the rest of the band, layering sound on carefully.

Then straight into the rock - an utterly incendiary "Bleed American", and thereafter a raw, rampant set of powerful, emotive top-drawer guitar rock, played with those good old fashioned virtues like passion and conviction. Easily surpassing any past JEW set, tonight they were "on it", their recent "Futures" CD giving them the extra drive and focus their sets have occasionally lacked (for me, at least). "Work" followed an early "Lucky Denver Mint" and a sing-along "The Middle", after which Jim, one of the nicest guys in rock, apologised profusely for the original cancellation (which most wouldn't bother doing, let's face it), but then remarked, "hey, we're having a party tonight, right?"

Sure we were! The full-length "Futures" featured an extraordinary vocal performance from Adkins, his face contorted with passion. He means it, maaan! However, this was even eclipsed by set closer "A Praise Chorus", hooky, strident and just bloody brilliant. Encores including a breathless "Pain" and "Sweetness", their most Buffalo Tom-like number, concluded a great set which actually recalled the Tom in terms of emotional projection. Leaving the venue, I was hard pushed to remember a better set so far this year. Tonight, Jimmy Eat World really stepped up a gear!

666 GREEN DAY, JIMMY EAT WORLD, Taking Back Sunday, Hard Fi, Milton Keynes Bowl, Sunday 19 June 2005

How appropriate that after 25 years of gigs following the Devil's music, No. 666 should be Green Day, the feisty bastions of punk recently "reborn" with their excellent "American Idiot" CD.
So, despite U2 at Twickenham yesterday, we were off again in scorching heat at midday, this time driving the whole distance and parking up in the Bowl car park "A" opposite the venue. So, into the huge grassed amphitheatre-type arena for 2.30, meeting up with friends at the top of the bank stage left, whiling away the afternoon chilling and catching some rays!

First band on, Hard Fi, finally joined us at 5 to a disproportionate welcome from the amazingly young crowd (whole families were here - this was a punk rock family day out!). Late replacements for Orange County identikit punks Simple Plan, Hard Fi peddled an innocuous Britpoppy noise out of kilter with the vibe of the day. Odd, but they still went down well. Taking Back Sunday, next up, also rocked the kids but their blend of shouty emo and spiky but samey punk failed to move me. No tunes to rub together!

However this accusation could never be levelled at Jimmy Eat World. We went onto the arena floor for their set - again, as per their Bristol set last week, Jim Adkins took the stage at 7.35 with the opening couplet of "Futures", but this time the band were straight on afterwards and straight into "Pain", then the awesome "Bleed American". The sound was a bit iffy for their set but this was only a minor detraction from another set of powerful, punchy and tuneful emo-punk pop-rock. JEW have raised their game considerably on this tour and now have consistency to add to their stunning tunes, "A Praise Chorus" was again a highlight, as was the Buffalo Tom-esque closer "Sweetness", before which Jim rallied the crowd by saying, "you guys really have no idea how badly Green Day are going to hand you your ass tonight!"

Meandered back a little to get a better view of Green Day via the big screens at the back and sides of the stage, as, pre-empted by the "Blitzkrieg Bop" drunken bunny and the "Nature Boy"/ moon landing theme again, Green Day took the stage. They were straight on it again, ripping into another vitriolic "American Idiot", Billie Joe Armstrong exhorting the crowd to sing, "so loud, every fucking redneck in America hears it!" They'd certainly have heard the climactic fireworks eruption at the end of this number - a great advantage to the outdoor venue!

A brilliant, sinewy "Jesus Of Suburbia" followed, sweeping through its 4 parts with gusto, the audience hanging onto Billie Joe's every movement. I know U2's Bono (whom we'd seen yesterday) has the reputation of being the ultimate audience mass communicator, but tonight Billie Joe held this audience in the palm of his hand, knocking Bono's performance yesterday into a cocked hat. All 65,000 of us were Billie Joe's bitches tonight!

The set followed the same pattern as their recent Cardiff gig - statement of intent powerfully made, then the cartoon punk rock fun and frolics. The "let's form a band" segment was particularly memorable, as Billie Joe dragged a 14 year old kid in identikit "mini-me" clobber up to play the guitar riff, before being given said guitar at the end! Their version of "Shout" was the only really unnecessary moment in an otherwise totally fat-free, brilliantly planned and expertly delivered set. Rat Scabies lookalike drummer Tre Cool, strong-arm bassist Mike Dirnt in his low-slung Johnny Ramone pose, and hyperactive centre of attention Billie Joe made for a stunning visual spectacle in themselves, never mind the frequent pyrotechnics!

After a near 2 hour set which simply ripped by, a strident, awe-inspiring "Homecoming" and a solo "Good Riddance", followed by the inevitable fireworks display into the inky sky, completed a quite remarkable resurrection for Green Day. On the strength of the last 2 nights' shows, the mantle of "Ultimate Stadium Band" may just have changed hands!

Note for future Bowl gigs though - parking in the car park was the right thing as they cordoned off the local streets afterwards, but getting along the A-roads back home was slow - not home till 2.15 a.m. D'oh!

678 GREEN DAY, JIMMY EAT WORLD, Flogging Molly, Los Angeles Home Depot Center, CA USA, Sunday 9 October 2005

We'd also sorted tix for this gig before we hit the US West Coast on our honeymoon, a home-state gig for the triumphant Green Day, climaxing their world tour which we'd seen twice already this year. But hey, we're in LA, so are they, so why not?

So Rachel and I took a drive from our downtown hotel to the Home Depot Center, a smart purpose-built stadium forming the home of LA's footy team (real footy, not this gridiron nonsense!) the LA Galaxy. Parked up, got our will-call tix and found our way to our allocated spot, which was a grassy knoll behind the far goal facing the stage. A bit far away, but hey, we're guaranteed a good view!

Took in first support Flogging Molly, a punkish thrash through a fiddly-diddly Irish sound, like the Pogues on fast forward. Fun but I couldn't manage a whole pint of it! Took a wander around and bought quite the smallest "big dog" for tea - more of a poodle than a leonburger - then back on the bank as Jimmy Eat World came on at 6.45. Opening with the "Futures" refrain, they then romped through strident, powerful versions of recent singe "Pain" and a tough "Bleed American". Clearly in a hurry, an early and excellent "A Praise Chorus" got us going, although it took the popular "The Middle" to really spark the still-sparse crowd into life.

(Here's a thing - the gig purported to be sold-out, and whilst the seats got full for Green Day, the floor was barely 2/3 full even for the headliners! Fire regulations must be really strict in the US!)

Anyway, back to JEW - their set seemed totally short, over in about half an hour, with "Sweetness" the climax of a short but sweet sampling.

Took another walk, blagging a free t-shirt from the KROQ sponsor stand, which hosted an impromptu appearance from the drummer of Slayer, there with his wife and son! Also got pretzels and chatted with a couple of Green Day first-timers, warning them what to expect.

We knew of course - the drunken pink bunny tottered out as the PA played "YMCA" and "Blitzkrieg Bop" before Green Day took the stage at 7.45, bursting into "American Idiot", complete with the sing-along chants and fireworks climax. This is the third time we've been party to this extraordinary show this year but it doesn't get tired. Yet again punk rock went stadium with style and substance, yet again the theatrics were justified and complemented rather than overshadowed the rock, yet again Green Day themselves seethed with venom and righteous vitriol, yet again Billie Joe Armstrong held the audience totally in the palm of his hand!

However, this one seemed to matter more to the band - back in their home state and determined to end their world tour on a high, Green Day were on it from the get-go and their power and musicianship overpowered the theatrics and pyrotechnics. A haunting "Wake Me Up When September Ends", dedicated to the heroes of Hurricane Katrina, was a standout moment in the set, and the final encore "Time Of Your Life" ended a brilliant night fittingly - just as the same song had ended our wedding reception!

No "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" tonight, oddly, and a slightly reshuffled set, but once again a supreme 2 hours entertainment from a punk rock band at the height of their powers and becoming increasingly comfortable at stadium level. We sprinted out at the end of "Time Of Your Life" and beat the traffic away - good thing to as the drive from South to Central LA was 45 minutes! That's how big and sprawling this place is!

739 JIMMY EAT WORLD, Sparkadia, Southampton Guildhall, Sunday 17 February 2008

Rachel's first gig of 2008 is old faves Jimmy Eat World, who delivered another shiny, catchy and strident CD "Chase This Light" last year and are maturing nicely into one of our most reliable and consistent acts, both "live" and on CD. They've not let us down yet... An excited Rachel drove us down to the easy-to-find Guildhall, and we parked up at the front. Free after 6pm. Yay! Got in at 8.15, midway through support Sparkadia's set. A very impressive number greeted us - a doomy yet soaring epic, recalling the likes of Joy Division and The Wild Swans in its grandiose sweep. The rest of the set was similarly impressive; the young vocalist, looking to curry favour with the Southampton audience with some kind words about Matt le Tissier, said the CD was out in May, at which point they'll be back. On the evidence of this highly promising, heroic sounding half-set, so will I!

We got a drink and grabbed a superb viewing position stage right for the entrance of Jimmy Eat World at 9; lights out, straight on, no messing! Straight "on it", too, with an energetic rendition of recent single "Big Casino", followed up with the angular, Buffalo Tom-isms of "Sweetness". "Damn, there's a lot of you out there," Jim Adkins said to this cavernous venue, before leading the band through their well-paced set, the mid-paced rock of "Work" following this frantic start. The mid-set double salvo of "Bleed American", all power, pace and the usual brilliant middle eight, followed by oldie "Blister" with Tom Linton taking vocal chores - how long would it take to walk across the United States all alone? - were the two set highlights for me, an awesome coupling. However Jimmy Eat World pretty much hit the bullseye each time out with their passionate, committed delivery of their emotive punk pop. A great set, caped with a 4-song encore, which nevertheless still clocked in at a relatively short 1 hour 15 minutes. No "A Praise Chorus" (my favourite JEW number - boo!) or "Lucky Denver Mint" which was disappointing, but after a sing-along "The Middle" to climax this set, this at least meant we were home at 11.30, set-lists in tow. Yay!

So, after another fine, occasionally awesome but never less than great set, Jimmy Eat World still haven't let us down. Long may that continue!

A footnote to this was that Rachel went to the Bristol gig the following Saturday while I babysat, and "A Praise Chorus" was second number in. Damn!