527 AMERICAN HI-FI, Crackout, London Camden Underworld, Wednesday 29 August 2001

Back on the gigging trail so soon after Reading Festival! This one was due to be Bowling For Soup up at the Vic in Swindon, but as soon as the Hi-Fi named a follow-up headlining date for their triumphant Reading show, there was really no contest... Rachel was staying in London on a work thing anyway, so I drove up as Swindon Convoy Car 1, hitting Camden at 7.45 and meeting a work-frazzled Rach for a drink in a Camden bar (to the welcome strains of REM's "Disturbance At The Heron House"!), until Swindon Convoy Car 2 arrived.

The "sold out" signs had apparently gone up for this gig, which amazed us all on the strength of a few Radio 1 airplays for single "Flavor Of The Weak", and the dancefloor was already well full when we got in. Hit the bar for a drink, and interrupted the Hi-Fi guys wandering into the venue; good thing not too many people know what they look like at the moment! Introduced Jamie and Drew to the crew, and had a chat with the affable and laid-back Mr. Arentzen before they all disappeared backstage to ready themselves.

Caught a couple of numbers of support act, the painfully young Crackout. They were agitated and speedy, but I largely ignored them and chilled at the bar area, getting psyched up for the Hi-Fi! Wandered down at 9.15 to the crowded dancefloor, determined to be as near the front as possible. I was well up for this one and in a state of high excitement, accompanied by a more circumspect Rach.

The Hi-Fi dashed on at 9.30, guitarred up already as before, and introduced themselves as, "a rock'n'roll band from Boston, Massachusetts." And rock'n'roll they did, bursting into life with "Scar", and sending the packed dancefloor mental. The Hi-Fi formula is simple; catchy hooks and simply constructed pop songs played with balls-out guitar and speed. Kind of an updated Cheap Trick, or a cross between the pop flippancy of the Wannadies and the rockier stylings of Foo Fighters. What sets them apart, however (as always seems to be the case with Boston bands), is their ability to really turn it on "live". Despite a serious guitar lead problem causing Jamie to swap guitars and plugs around with increasing agitation until it got sorted - in the process becoming more animated than I'd ever seen him! - and also causing the Hi-Fi to whack through a couple of numbers sans lead guitar, they sounded brilliant, and played with passion and gusto. "Fuck the USA," Stacy said at one point to a frenzied audience, "you guys are the best!". Get used to it, guys, there's more where that came from!

Encores included a superb and totally appropriate rendition of Redd Kross' classic powerpop toon "Lady In The Front Row", after which Rach and I emerged once again, soaking and elated.

Hung around for awhile afterwards but eventually left before the band emerged as I was soaked and increasingly chilly. Home via Rach's hotel, and in at 1.30, still buzzing from the Hi-Fi!

528 YOU ARE HERE, Phase Rotate, Swindon Victoria, Thursday 13 September 2001

I thought I'd give my new boots a debut rock gig, then nearly regretted it when I had to park in a small space and kept hitting both pedals with my very chunky boot sole! Nevertheless, I sorted it out, and Rachel and I met up with YAH guitarist and good friend Tim in the pub. Chatted while the support band plied their dull AOR sounding trade in the back room. We actually ventured in to check them out for a couple of numbers; and quickly wished we hadn't bothered! However, they were running late which meant You Are Here didn't get onstage until 10.30.

The band, now featuring new bassist Liam, took a couple of numbers to settle back in; "Confidence In You", with its Midway Still-esque stop/start riffery, sounded a little rushed, and they made their usual mess of "Not A Summer Song", Tim this time the culprit with some spectacularly off-key guitar work! However they settled during a fine "Feeling Confused" and delivered a fine sounding and rocking set. The guitar sound dominated the mix and lent a harder edge to their sometimes introspective pop, and new guy Liam is obviously a veteran of this type of thing, relaxed and confident onstage, throwing some quips around between songs and giving a more visual dynamic to this often static band by jumping about and throwing shapes. This even rubbed off on Mark, the normally static vocalist abandoning the mikestand and prowling around the stage staring menacingly at the floor.

Newie "Ordinary Day" was the highlight, perhaps their best song yet, with a more sophisticated, Sebadoh-like construction, and "Trying To Write" the breathless set finale, before encore "Hard To Stop" closed the evening. You Are Here are well warmed up for next week's big Garage show, and on this form should impress. Keep reading...

529 YOU ARE HERE, Isaacs, Redman, London Highbury Garage (Upstairs), Tuesday 25 September 2001

Not working at the moment, so spent the day in London shopping in Camden, before meeting Rachel (who's working up the Smoke this week) and heading over to Highbury Corner for 7, grabbing some dinner at the Old Cock Tavern (a pub I can't go into without thinking about the Gigolo Aunts!) then hitting the venue at 8.15.

Took a seat as the place filled up and Redman opened. They were good; a dynamic young singer reminiscent of Talk Talk's Mark Hollis, and one very good sinewy and spooky number reminiscent of Joy Division. A promising start. You Are Here and the Swindon supporters coach arrived as second band Isaacs were on, boring us all witless with their Oasis impressions (even with a bank of keyboards!).

Swindon's You Are Here - guitarist Tim and vocalist Mark in particular suffering with colds - kicked off at 10.15, rushing through "Confidence In You" and for once playing a good "live" version of "Not A Summer Song"! The sound was a little uneven - the dynamic guitar sound of the last gig was occasionally absent - but overall the boys rose above their illnesses, laughed off their odd errors (a good thing!)and played well on a tight and small stage, which obviously restricted any movements. However, Mark once again let go of the mikestand and the band rocked out, "Ordinary Day" now sounding spot on, and the punky "Trying To Write" finale receiving a huge roar of approval. Good stuff! Then I saw Rach into a cab back to her digs, and joined the YAH coach home!

530 THE SHEILA DIVINE, Lester, De Kreun, Bissegem-Kortrijk, BELGIUM, Friday 12 October 2001

Yup, that's right, Belgium! Our Boston friends The Sheila Divine were attacking the Lowlands, and Rachel and I were up for a piece of that action! So, with the aid of the AA and a superb hired Skoda Octavia to replace our battered Rover which had developed radiator problems the previous night at the thought of going Continental, plus 3 hotel bookings (which turned out to be 4!) and a great big road map, we were away! A re-arranged crossing saw us Sea-Cat over to Ostend the previous day, staying in Ostend (which smells of freshly baked bread and has lots of old baroque churches!) overnight, then moving on to Ghent on the day of the opening gig. Eventually found our hotel after driving (on the wrong side of the road, of course!) down some pretty but confusing roads, spending the rest of the day checking out Ghent and the Castle Of The Counts (ah ha ha!), before heading off early evening after planning our gig beat-route to Bissegem-Kortrijk!

Took a wrong turn off the E-Way, but found the gig nonetheless after asking at a local petrol station. "Straight on - you will not only see De Kreun, you will also feel it!" was the advice. Hmmm! Parked up by the nearby railway station and went into the pub which was attached to the venue. Hit the pool table, then Sheila Divine vocalist Aaron Perrino came wandering through, joining us to hang out, so I introduced him to Rach and we caught up with this softly-spoken and personable chap. He in turn introduced us to a new Sheila - drummer Ryan Dolan, Shawn Sears having left amicably and now managing Merrie Amsterberg. Ryan is a long-time TSD fan from Portland, Maine, so is well chuffed to be drumming for them, even if it means he can't wear his TSD t-shirt out anymore!

Bassist Big Jim Gilbert, our main TSD contact and the man who put us on the guest lists for these shows, joined us. Jim mentioned during an extensive catch-up that The Gravel Pit are "taking a break," well hopefully this means more Gentlemen material instead! We also find out the main reason why The Sheila Divine come over to Belgium so much; the beer!

We wander into the venue - a big back hall resembling an old barn, no less - to catch some of local support band Lester. They play a trad rock set which doesn't really inspire overall, but has some nice touches a la Daryll Ann, another band from the Low Countries. However, Rach and I decide to wander back into the pub for a drink, there being no bar in the back room, and run into the 4th Sheila, guitarist Colin Decker, and old friend of new drummer Ryan, who tells us TSD are due on at 9.30.

By now the venue is really full, so we head back in at the end of Lester's set and take our places - stage centre, down the front! The sense of anticipation is pretty high, particularly with Rach, who's not yet seen this lot, and it's heightened by Jim mentioning they're going to try 4 or 5 new songs on us.

After tuning up, The Sheilas kick off their set at 9.45, with a moody new song, "Calling All Lovers", which follows the usual TSD recipe of building to a spine-tingling crescendo before releasing it all in one "pop". However, "Sideways" and "Every Year", the strident and thrilling duo from recent album "Where Have My Countrymen Gone?" really kick-start things, and get Rach and I rocking for all we're worth. After that, it's superb all the way; a brilliantly paced, light and shade coloured set of this unique heart-crackingly emotive band's work. From "Countrymen", which builds and simmers like a pot coming to the boil, then overflows with the huge hook, through "Like A Criminal", with its' dramatic slashes of guitar and thrilling, "rock you, yeah yeah yeah!" finale, to "Wanting Is Wasted", where Aaron out-Mac's Ian McCulloch for downright vocal surliness, this lot have all bases covered. But it's a couple of newies which win through for me; "We All Have Problems", as straightforward a rocker as they've written, and dramatic finale "Running With The Devil", which I believe was called "Kiss Army" at their CD release shows earlier this year, during which Aaron eschews the usual stationary cool persona, and throws a wobbler, shuffling across the stage like a demented crab, wrestling the mikestand and screaming for all he's worth; "Back To The Cradle", indeed!

Elated and sweaty, and swept up in the tide of emotion this band generates, we take some time to gather our thoughts afterwards. Catch Jim after, who gives us free t-shirts (good thing too, as ours are soaked!), and to and about whom I remark, "looks of Andy Partridge, moves of Adam Clayton!" despite the fact that onstage in his green shirt, he looked like EdV tonight... We chat to the rest of the boys afterwards, particularly Ryan, who turns out to be another old fan of Big Dipper, Dumptruck and the like. We're also introduced to Jim's Belgian friends Geno and Helga, who are responsible for getting TSD over to Belgium in the first place! Then photos and final thanks before leaving, grabbing bratwurst and chips from a kiosk by the level crossing, and driving back to Ghent. No trouble at all this time!

531 "ROCK TERNAT", Saturday 13 October 2001

Day 3 of Belgium, and this one's all about Rock Ternat! We packed up and left our hotel in Ghent, then zoomed along the E40 to Ternat, finding the Festival site 3 hours too early, so killed time by visiting Ikea! Returned to the site, parking the car on the road verge then wandered down a dirt track to the collection of fenced-off small fields and big tents that comprise Rock Ternat, an annual festival with a 4-5,000 capacity. Picked up free passes at the gate, big Jim coming through for us again, then after gaining entrance at 2.45, we got the beers in to watch the first band! This is YUM, whom we watch down the front in the single big band tent; they're a good start, all rhythmic and unorthodox, similar to Darkstar, but occasionally rocking in a haunting, Gothy manner. Also, their vocalist has good taste in red velvet shirts and knows how to hold a tune - he sang in English and introduced the songs in Flemish, however, which has to be confusing, or so I thought until meeting him afterwards and finding out he was half Canadian, half Dutch! Good band, though, so we buy merch.

BASTION are next up; they're unfortunately the kind of Euro disco pop bollocks that got Euro disco pop bollocks a bad name! There's 10 of them onstage and they're all shit! So we wandered around the festival site and caught the sun, killing time before the main dish of the day.

THE SHEILA DIVINE are up next, just after 5pm, and by now there's a hard core of fans down the front - including us! Once again, they open with newie "Calling All Lovers", which calls for a stellar performance from guitarist Colin Decker - and gets it! The slow-burn of "Opportune Moment", which builds like pressure then erupts in a joyous, "it's my life!" hook, follows, giving Aaron ample opportunity to exercise those gymnastic tonsils of his. Once again, the man hits every note he's called upon to hit, be it at angelic schoolboy pitch, or at a screech like a scalded badger. "Countrymen" is a particular tour de force, calling for a choral falsetto which he nails - every time!

By now, we're surrounded by a manic moshpit, and crowdsurfers - yup, Sheila Divine crowdsurfers! So much for Rachel's idea that it'd be calmer down the front today than at De Kreun last night! Also, we're being regaled with an insistent chant from the Belgian TSD massive of, "we want "Hum"," egged on in no small part by big Jim Gilbert! So the boys abandon the set order, and the familiar opening bassline is met with a rapturous ovation, as "Hum" is let loose by the Sheilas. The band lap this reception up, especially Jim, whose huge frame and extravagant gestures are totally accentuated by the big stage he's allowed to let rip on today! "Automatic Buffalo" closes the set, but the boys are ushered back on again for one final number, which fittingly is the tense, raucous "Running With The Devil", with its increasingly familiar hook, "back to the cradle," which preceded, once again, another flip-out from Aaron, his face red and pulsing with passion. Again, breathtaking and superb!

That's what we were here for! So we emerged from the front, totally sweaty, and grabbed some eats before next band MAURO. They featured a floppy fringed Jonathan Ross lookalike with a silly pencil moustache on vocals, but peddle very trad 70's AOR, like the Stones after they'd gotten too old and boring. Needless to say, we don't stick around for long but head for the bar tent instead. Back in to check out next band STARFLAM, who were an even worse idea - a French rap act which was as bad as it sounds. You couldn't fault the eclecticism of this bill, but one wondered why; after all, everyone (except us, so it seemed) was primarily here for the Sisters Of Mercy!

We ran into Belgian TSD friends Geno and Helga, who were just heading home at this point; not a bad idea as it turned out! We'd resolved however to stay to hear THE SISTERS OF MERCY, partly because they were the only other band on the bill that we'd heard of! However, they came onstage swathed in so much dry ice you'd be forgiven for thinking there was a fire, and worse, they had no "live" drummer, instead employing a very loud drum machine which suffocated all the other sounds and rendered the Sisters songs, often haunting and powerful, instead turgid and impotent. Even the sinister power of "Temple Of Love" was wiped away by the swathes of drum machine, and we could hardly see the strutting and preening Andrew Eldrich through the smoke. So we left.

That was nowhere near the end of the night, however! First we had to contend with a double-parking-mare, then an event photographer - who'd recognised us as, "the English fans following The Sheila Divine around Belgium," from our car's UK plates, although we'd never seen or met him before! - kindly directed us to Brussels, whence we spent ages driving frustratedly around the one-way system before finally finding and parking near our hotel - at midnight! However, it was too noisy to sleep, thanks to a bar opposite our hotel, so we went out to drink ourselves asleep with Belgian beer. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

532 THE SHEILA DIVINE, Lester, Club 9, Koersel, Belgium, Sunday 14 October 2001

Day 4 of Belgium; awoke thick-headed and almost late for breakfast, then headed out of the crowded and dirty Brussels city centre for a day out at the Atomium and Mini-Europe! Back early afternoon, then "checked out" of our hotel without checking out- we've got another night left but we're not planning on returning if we can possibly help it! Headed off to the North of the country getting off the E-Way at 6ish and driving around trying to find either a hotel, or the gig, or both! Eventually we stopped in a pub, where a kindly patron drew us a map to both! So, we located the venue - down an alleyway off the main drag, next to a kebab shop! - then found the suggested hotel, a rather sumptuous looking but competitively priced country house! Result!

Had a little rest before changing and heading off to the venue. Bumped into Jim in the lobby of this youth club type building, in the corner of a large car park. Jim's selling TSD merch from a large sofa, so we joined him for a chinwag as he greeted a lot of people arriving for the gig. Not a surprise really, as this is the 8th time The Sheila Divine have been to Belgium! Ryan passes through as Lester kick off their set. Once again they sound unobtrusive, occasionally nice and pastoral in a Daryll-Ann manner, but don't tempt us off the sofa, particularly as Jim ran off at one point and left us in charge of the merch!

Eventually we wandered in as The Sheila Divine are setting up and turning up. Once again they're straight into their set, no nonsense, with "Calling All Lovers", followed by "Every Year", a personal favourite sadly omitted from the Rock Ternat set. Once again with a bit of elbow, knee and leg room, Rachel and I take our last chance to dance with both hands, rocking out in extremis, showing these Belgians how to dance madly! As for TSD - well, what can I say about these boys? The Music - soaring, majestic, emotive rock that builds and then releases the tension in joyous measure, similar to the heroism of early U2, the thrust and sensitivity of Buffalo Tom and the melancholic plangent cool of the Kitchens Of Distinction, but alone and unique. The performance - Jim all angles and extravagant hand gestures, Pete Townshend meets Adam Clayton; Ryan laid back and cool, applauding his own band during song breaks, so obviously a fan and loving it up there; Colin all effort-led facial expressions and doubled-over shapes; and Aaron, immobile, varying between the white faced angelic voice and the red-faced angry howl to the heavens. What else to say? I think I've said it all; quite quite brilliant!

"We All Have Problems" is once again superb, Aaron bellowing at a statue of David that a Belgian fan has inexplicably put onstage, but my own favourite was "I'm A Believer", asked for in tonight's set, and got! This requires the full throttle scream all the way from Aaron, and he sensibly comes down an octave once or twice, without the song losing any of its potency. The final encore, again "Running With The Devil" kicks up the noise and fuss before "Automatic Buffalo", fittingly the last song we hear from The Sheila Divine in Belgium, calms it all with heart-wrenching emotion and cool.

This is our last night - tomorrow's just about travelling home via Bruges for some sightseeing - so we stick around to catch our breath afterwards. I grab a poster and get the boys to sign it as our official tour souvenir, before the Belgian hosts usher The Sheila Divine into an interview in the (rather foul smelling and extremely cerise-coloured!) girls toilets! Nevertheless, we stick around, determined to wring every last drop out of this one, and we're rewarded as Jim emerges and ushers us to the private bar, where much after-hours drinking is going on and Ryan is acting as barman! We chat for ages, mainly to Jim and Ryan, before reluctantly (and extremely tiredly!) saying our final farewells to the Sheila Divine. 3 brilliant shows and on the guest list for them all - boys, you really did us proud!

533 MY VITRIOL, SEAFOOD, Queen Adreena, Bristol University Anson Rooms, Friday 26 October 2001

Back to the old UK gig trail! And not a bad one in prospect either; we were humming and hahhing about this one before Seafood were announced as My Vitriol tour support, and when they were, we couldn't get tickets quickly enough! So, my turn to drive to Brizzle; we picked up Dave and new girlfriend Ceri, then got Ady and hit the road, getting a good parking spot (for once!) near the Uni.

Got the beers in and wandered into the then-sparsely populated hall for opening act Queen Adreena, a new band on me, but one featuring former Daisy Chainsaw vocalist Katie Jane Garside. She came on to little fanfare and intoned some low-key screeching number which was followed up by some clumsy, gothy malarkey. Didn't like Daisy Chainsaw either, and saw nowt to change my mind about her new charges, so we hit the bar again before the real catch of the day.

Seafood were late on - 9pm - but after a cacophonous bout of white noise riffery to introduce themselves, David stepped up to sing, "there's a house on a lake," the opening line to their cataclysmic finest moment, "Porchlight". What a way to start, I thought as I piled into the mosh. Little did I know... "Porchlight" was as powerful, insistent and edgy as ever, its' quiet mid-section blending into the cathartic climax perfectly, as usual. "Cloaking" up next, the angry, passionate, "get up, get up, get up, get up soldier," hook being met with a crazed response from the moshpit. "Western Battle" and splendidly spooky new single "Splinter" followed, both crashing, splendid and breathless. then...

"This is our last number; you're just getting a taste of Seafood tonight," explained David. Five songs - 5 bloody songs??? Crappity crap! However, we couldn't really argue with the final number; the 8-9 minute sleazy indulgence of noise and fire that is "Folk Song Crisis", merciless and manic, with a white noise mid-section to rival Bob Mould, and the screaming cacophonous climax seeing David screaming, crouched, with rage, and Kevin coaxing every ounce of feedback from the combination of bass, monitor and mike-stand. I think the wretched town fell!

So Rach and I emerged, sweaty and unbowed from the mosh, yet a little perturbed about the shortness of the set. Still, we met our gig buddies and grabbed some air and fluid before heading back in for headliners My Vitriol. They came on to white noise and smoke, and kicked into their slightly late 80's style blend of spiky rock and ethereal mood music. After the blown-out dynamics of Seafood however, this seemed a little flat and took some time to get going, "Cemented Shoes" a notable early exception, at which point I joined the jumping section of this by-now full crowd.

We stayed in the mosh for easily their 2 best numbers - the Husker Du-esque primal howl of "Losing Touch" and the hookier amphetamine rush of "Always; Your Way", but by now I was tired of punters landing on my head, so took off. Good for My Vitriol that they've taken a step up, but they should really write more songs like those 2, and tonight Seafood blew them away, no contest!

Afterwards, we bumped into - inevitably - Kev Seafood, who'd understood my gestures to him onstage and had saved me their set-list - for what it was worth!