1,395 MIDWAY STILL, The Charlemagnes, Oxford Bullingdon Arms (Front Room), Tuesday 15th July 2025

 

Well, this is becoming a bit of a habit… and a most welcome one as well, I might add… A mere 370 days and 60 gigs (for me) after the last time (gig 1,335, last July), and for the 4^th time in 5 years and 16^th time overall, 90’s “live” favourites Midway Still make another “slight return” to my Dance Card, with yet another tongue in cheek “World Tour”, this time taking in an Oxford gig as the nearest date to the ‘don. Given that I was actually there the last time they played the “city of dreaming spires”, at Jericho Tavern waaay back in April 1992 (gig 208, where, it should be noted, they drew more people for that gig than Pulp did at the same venue a month later!), I was well up for yet another dose of their noisy, ramshackle yet eminently tune-laden brand of 90’s post-grungy US-influenced Husker/Dino/Lemon/Tom-esque indie rock.

Happily, after a break of a year due to a clashing holiday, Tim was on board as well, so we headed off through ominous drizzle, parking up easily in the old Tesco car park, and heading across the road to the venue. First thing to note was that we entered through the storefront into the front bar, as the gig was in this smaller room rather than the more spacious (yet still not particularly large) usual back-room venue. Second thing was that no-one seemed to have an interest in serving us at the bar, so sod it, we went dry! Paul, Russell and Dec, collectively AKA the Fine Gentlemen of The Still, joined us shortly after for warm greetings and brief words with both us and a number of the early comers, before openers The Charlemagnes kicked off dead on 8 pm. Featuring Ben Harding of 90’s indie hopefuls The Senseless Things, this lot eschewed the taut hyper-brisk colourful indie pop of his former charges in favour of some more 70’s CBGB’s bluesy sleazoid proto-punk noise, with occasional Dinosaur Jr-esque laze rock riffery (esp. during a later “Not Everyone”). “Legitimate Concerns” was a bit of an outlier, featuring some tuneful choral harmonies, and I liked their closing version of Leatherface’s overlooked Geordie rocker anthem “Not Superstitious”, but my favourite part of the set was the burly bassist staring through the open door to the Tesco opposite and commenting, “it’s really weird [playing while watching] people doing their shopping!”

I’d missed a chunk of the Charlemagnes’ set as my tummy unexpectedly started playing up but nonetheless took a spot down the front for the Still, ready to rock out as best as my 6-decades old self would allow. Kill or cure, then… The boys took the stage to the minimum of fuss, Paul confessing, “this is like some weird family reunion – I know everyone in the audience by name!” That being so, said familiarity bred a nonchalant, relaxed vibe; nothing to prove to anyone here, The Still ploughed into this opening night set with their usual hard rocking ease, opener “Claret” featuring some particular speedy drum rolls from animated drummer Dec. Paul complained of some guitar mix issues during “Note To Self” (“it’s like playing in your living room…”) but honestly, even from my front row vantage point, the mix sounded clear throughout. 

The merch man joined me in rocking down the front to his favourite, the rarely played “Apple”, and “Me In You” was an incendiary fire-breather as The Still really warmed to their task. In good fooling too, particularly Paul, for which every song was a “no thought required” or “needs some thought”, and the transition from the hardcore punkish “Fuck You” to the slower “tricky ballad” of “Drag To Care” was, “going from stupid to a bit more stupid!” “What You Said” was a powerful, Huster Du-esque mid-set highlight, followed by a mad story about Dec believing Martha and the Muffins won Eurovision! Inevitably, the joyous singalong of a brilliant “Better Than Before” (“our smash hit song from 1992!”) was a closing set highlight, although the boys remained onstage for the “encore”, Paul thanking all and sundry for coming, then me for, “dancing like a lunatic in front of us!” You’re welcome, bub! A blistering rampage through MBV’s “You Made Me Realise” segueing in with an equally breathless and hurtling “Come Down” then rounded off this remarkably swift-feeling hour-long, superbly well-rocking yet remarkably tight, intuitive and together (especially for opening night!) set from this veteran power trio.

Luckily no-one grabbed Paul’s list midway through the last number this time, so I scooped it up, along with a CD of last year’s Birmingham gig recording, before we had a quick catch-up on recent events with Paul, then bade fond farewells to the Still lads, pausing for Tesco eats to settle my tum (although my dancing to the Still was more “cure”, I’m glad to report…) then heading off home. Given that tonight’s turnout could best be described as a compact and bijou gathering of the devoted, I’m not sure how sustainable this yearly jaunt is going to be, but let’s face it… if Midway Still keep coming back, then so will we!

1,335 MIDWAY STILL, Birmingham Sunflower Lounge, Wednesday 10th July 2024

 

Not mine, I'm afraid... sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you...

Well, Midway Still keep coming back! My 90’s “live” favourites, the UK’s answer to the likes of Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr., The (early) Lemonheads and co. with their hard rocking, riff-heavy grunge/ laze rock riffery aligned to seriously brain hugging tuneage, the band who, after a decade or so of relative inactivity, returned to tear “Shiiine On” 2021 (gig 1,199) a new one with an utterly incendiary set which still remains my favourite “Shiiine On” set ever, and who followed that up with a short UK sprint last Summer, calling in at Bristol on the way (for gig 1,289)… and are back for more this Summer! Maybe it was so much fun last year they thought they’d do it all over again, but whatever the reason, I’m up for more Still, so I grabbed tix for their Portsmouth gig on 11/7, the nearest to the ‘don on this jaunt. However, a chance to go to the overlapping 3-day “2000 Trees” Festival (gig 1,336 – watch this space!) then scuppered that plan, but as I’m a bit mad, me, and was still up for The Still, I booked for a shlep up to Birmingham on Festy Eve. Yikes!

Unfortunately, fellow Still aficionado Tim couldn’t make either date due to a pre-booked holiday, so I drove solo up the M5, taking a couple of goes to find a parking spot due to fucked street meters, but eventually finding a lot around the back of the venue. The gentlemen of the Still were chilling on the seats outside the venue, so we caught up and chatted punk rock, vocalist Paul also confirming that yes, they did have so much fun in ‘23 that when the promoter proposed more of the same this year, they needed little hesitation…! Got the round in for a thirsty band before we (well, Paul, drummer Dec and myself anyway, Irish bassist Russell having no dog in the fight, as it were) sat down to watch England’s Euro 2024 Semi-Final game against the Netherlands with Kay, a chatty fellow Still punter. So, sorry to supports Mega Fishy Four and Dealing With Damage (who sounded pretty decent from a floor above) for ditching you in favour of the footy…

The Still were due on at half nine, so I ventured downstairs, with the footy still midway (!) through the second half and delicately poised at 1-1, and took a front and centre spot in this small but happily well-attended room. The boys were tuning up onstage then the lights went out, Paul querying, “have we started then?” Straight into the rocking and robust descending hook of “Note To Self” to launch matters, the sound in this compact room sounding clear, balanced and much better than Bristol last year; not that that mattered so much to the Still, who were giving it loads and rocking out as hard as ever, Dec in particular having a ball, sporting a huge grin as he bashed away on the early, laconic Lemonheads-esque “Jamie And Gigi”. 

“What’s the score?” asked a semi-interested Paul before a janglier yet ragged “Daylight”, before introducing the band as “Tittingford Interchange! We changed our name to Namibian Wizard but there was another band with that name...!” An amphetamine hurtle through “Counting Days” was followed by cheers from upstairs greeting a late England winner in the footy, so we could all then relax into the gig. “Kemper” was ace, the growling Dead Kennedys hardcore vibe of “Fuck You” was, “as punk as it gets for us!”, but the subsequent “Better Than Before” was again a glorious, euphoric loose-limbed singalong and mega set highlight for me, as usual getting me seriously sweaty dancing down the front in this little pressure cooker venue.

"We’ve talked so much we’re running out of time!” announced Paul as they bumped up to the hour, which was true, the relaxed, self-effacing band banter often as entertaining as the rock! So, they furiously hurtled through final numbers “What You Said” and the savage, incendiary run through MBV’s “You Made Me Realise”, as usual interspersed with the whole of a crashing “Come Down” and a Bob Mould-esque squalling noisefest, before leaving with a cry of, “hooray for England! Bollocks to everything!”, along with (tongue-in-cheek, maybe?) promises to be back next year. I unfortunately missed out on a list this time, with some asshat swiping Paul’s list as Midway Still were still midway (!!) through that epic last number – that’s not what you do, bunky! Cognisant of my potentially early start tomorrow for “Trees”, I then bade fond farewells and fingers-crossed “see you next year!”s to the guys before hitting the road for a meandering cross country journey via Evesham, Kay’s earlier warning about Motorway closures proving prescient, whilst listening to England fans inexplicably phoning in a radio show and complaining about Gareth Southgate’s tactics in getting England to that final! Mad! Home about 12.30, sweaty and pooped, but happy to have had another round of The Still… fingers crossed this does become a regular thing!

1,289 MIDWAY STILL, Falling Stacks, The Setbacks, Bristol The Crown, Wednesday 12th July 2023

“Because Midway Still aren’t coming back…” There’s a Facebook fan site thusly named, celebrating the early 90’s (post-Grunge, pre-Britpop) underground indie scene, when bands such as Mega City Four, Senseless Things and our titular heroes The Still would load up in a van, drive the length and breadth of our green and pleasant land and ply their usually raw, ragged and ramshackle punkish mess in front of any group of long lank-haired, big-shorted indie-kids who’d ‘ave ‘em. For various reasons, sadly, we’re no longer likely to see the Things or the Megas, but it just seems that recently, Midway Still just keep coming back… An utterly incendiary set at Shiiine On 2021, despite initial collywobbles, not only won “Band Of The Weekend” for this returning rabble, but on reflection is currently my favourite Shiiine On set evah! So, two years later, more of the same? Hell fucking yeah!

 

Tim of course is also a Still acolyte, having put them on twice at Swindon’s Vic (May 2010, gig 788 being the most recent time), so he was up for this one too, picking me up at 6.30 for a drive down the M4 to the first of 3 new Bristol venues for me in the next couple of months. This one was a down and dirty tiny beer cellar downstairs room, complete with bitumen-black painted brick curved ceiling, below a ramshackle and sprawling city centre pub. This one might get sweaty…! But first, after checking out opening act The Setbacks (a veteran 5-piece playing basic and formulaic unfocussed poppy punk, all pounding drums, power chords and shouty vocals) and deciding they weren’t for us, Tim and I got a drink and sat in the alley outside the front, catching the last of the evening sun. Good thing we did, in fact, as the good gentlemen of Midway Still sauntered up, greeting us like long-lost comrades, and joined us for a drink and chat! I was happy to share the news of my brother’s full recovery from Covid (he’d just gotten out of ICU when we last spoke, at Shiiine On 2021) and we chewed the Cud (pardon the pun – first time I saw the Still, waaay back in 1991’s gig 196, was supporting The Cud Band!) as other friends and fans wandered by, or joined us briefly. Maybe not the 90 attendees at last night’s Birmingham gig, but still plenty of love in Brizzle tonight for The Still!

 Eventually wandered down for the late-running last knockings of main support Falling Stacks (who were an improvement on the openers, but still just background noise to my and Tim’s bar chat). Took a spot down the front as The Still plugged in, Dec Kelly’s eye-catching kinetic rolling drum style and Russell Lee’s driving bass and Ramones-esque wide stance thereafter underpinning a ragged, powerful opening “Note To Self”, pretty much setting the tone for the set. “I’m 55 – time I sorted my fucking life out,” deadpanned guitarist/ vocalist Paul Thomson before the Lemonheads-like laze rock of “Jamie And Gigi”, then the frantic luge hurtle of “Counting Days” was introduced with a pithy; “this next song is 32 years old; only a little bit younger than me! [Mind you,] Dec’s been in this band since he was 12 – he’s now 70!”

 

The Still were in fine fooling tonight, then, their snarky and sarky comments and self-deprecating humour as much a feature as the rock, which was fast, fierce and elemental, and, with the “Handle With Care” labels long faded, delivered with a raw and ramshackle vigour and enthusiasm belying their “veteran” status. And, belying my own advancing years and dodgy knees, I rocked out down the front as best I could, happily working up a sweat (Full Cleo! Yay!) to The Still. An early string breakage (“that hasn’t happened for fucking years!”) necessitated Paul’s borrowing of the support’s guitar, the man giving us a “Back in Black” riff (“it’s our new single – Back and Shite!”) to tune up. The driving Dinosaur-esque verse and pounding, descending hook of “Me In You” was tremendous; the “juxta-fucking-position” of “Miss You” and the breakneck “Fuck You” a thrilling double-whammy; and whilst “Better Than Before” was looser and relatively sedate, the subsequent “What You Said” brought the heavy riffery roaring back with a vengeance. However, they saved the best for last; after getting the 5-minute time warning, Paul thanked the hardy yet enthusiastic souls (“it’s amazing you’ve all come to see this shambolic fucking wreck of a band!”) before letting loose with a rip-roaringly brilliant “You Made Me Realise”, once again including the whole of “Come Down” in the middle-8 feedback fest before a lengthy thrilling riff-heavy outro. Great stuff!

 Grabbed some air and more chats and compliments with the boys outside afterwards, before bidding farewell and heading off for a drive home punctuated by idiot lorries on the M4. I’ll ache in the morning, but as always, well worth it… If they’re going to deliver such incendiary performances as this, as far as I’m concerned Midway Still can keep coming back… and back… and back!

1,199 THE 2021 “SHIIINE ON” WEEKENDER, Various Venues at Butlins Resort, Minehead, Friday 12th – Sunday 14th November 2021

 

After a 2 year Covid-induced absence… it’s once more time to “Shiiine”! This, now a regular fixture in the Rose social – let alone “gig” – calendar, was another sad pandemic casualty in 2020, so when announcements arrived for the 2021 bill, featuring some intriguing new – and more recent – acts to this predominantly late 80’s/ early 90’s UK indie rock/ dance crossover flavoured festival, we were all over it! Our “Core Four” this year were initially expanded to 6, last year’s debutant Ady enjoying it so much that he was well up for a repeat, and old friend James, who booked solo last year but joined us for “the hang”, also came in on our 6 berth booking. Unfortunately, last minute withdrawals put paid to James’ attendance and, more significantly, Rich’s. Bugger! Still, at least that meant Matt and Ady would each have their own room in the 6-berther…!

 

So, on an unseasonably bright and warm November morning, Rach and I picked Ady up at 9.45 for a swift drive down to Minehead, parking up at Tesco for the usual breakfast fixings and snacks shop, before being joined in short order by Matt, hot-footing over from Wookey as usual. The usual catching up (damn, been too long) ensued over shopping and the traditional seafront fish and chip lunch, then a slightly different booking in process as we were all ushered to a new hall at the back of the resort complex to get Covid-checked and individual wristbands handed out. All very efficient, actually, so we were in our first floor 6 berth apartment and settling in by early afternoon! Then out to the main “Skyline Arena” (the big open space under the iconic Butlins tents) for the first music of the weekend from THE CLAUSE at 3.45. A new name on me, this young lot had one good song, soaring second number “Time Of Our Lives”, a few other decent touches amongst their usual sneery 90’s Manc/ 60’s Stones blues mix, and one later number, “Forever Young”, which owed a lot to U2 (the intro riff very reminiscent of the intricate opening to “Where The Streets Have No Name”!). Decent start… Looking to avoid Welsh baggy rap act Goldie Lookin’ Chain (that very description makes me shudder!), next up, we wandered over to the already-late-running Inn On The Green for DIRTY LACES, another young band with similar influences to The Clause, but playing it slower, looser and baggier, with some chap in a lab coat (!) occasionally offering some Doors-ish keyboard licks amongst his usual guitar work. Their fast and furious rawk wig-out at the end of their final number was the most noteworthy element of an okay, if slightly ham-fisted set. Still, waaay better than GLC…! Stayed put for CROSS WIRES, next up, who were more like it; a bit all over the place stylistically, with 60’s West Coast psych rock and Tex Mex inflections thrown randomly into a dark, almost Gothy shouty post-punk Fontaines DC-like noise, with an intense and energetic vocalist who was often scaling the front barrier, wide-eyed and bristling with conviction, giving it loads, despite looking like the kind of bloke who’d change your front lights at Halfords! I’m not sure I liked the shouty, almost hectoring vocal delivery, but he meant it, maaaan, and Cross Wires were easily the best of this initial crop of new bands, with set closer “Twisted Up In Time”, eerie and haunting and their best number.

 

We got drinks in then – all on water by 6 p.m. on Friday evening! Actually, I lied, we weren’t all on water, Ady was chugging away as usual…! Then into the Skyline Arena for THE PIGEON DETECTIVES, an intriguing post-millennial addition to the Shiiine On roster of acts. I’d liked them fine a few years back, would have seen them “live” at the Oasis back in 2007 were it not for a Hold Steady gig being rescheduled for that day, but lost interest in their later, more “landfill indie” releases. However, they were a pretty apposite band for a burgeoning festival, lead singer Matt Bowman a tousle-haired, mic-juggling and energetic stage presence (albeit modelling his post-lockdown home baking body, as most of us are actually!), rabble rousing and energising the crowd into laddish singalongs of their repetitively catchy, knockabout, almost cockernee-sounding (despite hailing from Leeds!) indie pop. The “Teenage Kicks”-like riff and terrace chant hook of “Going Out” was the first proper roof-raising singalong of the Shiiine On weekend, with a rollicking, high-jumping “Take Her Back” and the rather excellent actually “I’m Not Sorry” a fine double whammy to end a better than expected set, during which I was admittedly slightly distracted by a bloke wearing an inflatable pig costume (!), and another guy asking to take a photo of my white creeper shoes (“they’re proper mint, mate!”) !!

 

THE CORAL, next up, were more Shiiine On debutants, with early numbers “When It’s Gone” and “In The Morning” breezy and whimsically folksy numbers. However I’m not a fan, and their somewhat gossamer music seemed a little lightweight after the Pigeon Detectives’ more robust fayre, plus my knees were aching, so I sought refuge in Hotshots bar, finding a seat next to a nice bloke called Mike and chatting about England’s footy game against Alabnia (as the Butlins’ poster called the National Team’s opponents tonight!). T’was 5-0 at half time with a scorching Kane scissor kick the best of the bunch, plus my knee recovered, so we headed back in for headliners FEEDER. Another band I liked fine and saw a bunch of times around 20 years ago without really getting heavily into them… they’ve always operated in similar territory to bands I’ve liked more (hooky heavy post-grunge but not as good as Foo Fighters, chunky guitar singalongs but not as good as Weezer, spritely energetic riff-heavy indie but not as good as Ash, you get the idea…), so I was intrigued rather than enthused by their headliner status here, hoping they’d deliver a Shed Seven-type of revelation. Taking the stage to the Spaghetti Western theme to “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly”, their slow-burn opener “Feeling A Moment” nonetheless got the crowd going with some anthemic “who-hoo”s, although their second number was abandoned due to bass problems, vocalist Grant Nicholas looking visibly agitated as he admitted to us, “we’re trying to sort out a couple of things…” Fears about a set-long Lightning Seeds-like issue were soon allayed, with a subsequent “California” a proper banger, and “Fear Of Flying” an excellent companion piece to Ash’s “A Life Less Ordinary” and a personal set highlight, heralding a sorting of the sound. After a jumpabout “Buck Rogers”, however, the set for me descended into a swathe of alright-ness – good honest indie rock, no doubt, but unremarkable and a bit samey. A strong finish was called for, and actually the boys delivered; old school proto grunger “Insomnia” and a proper first-album delve for the languid singalong of “High” was then followed by an anthemic “Seven Days In the Sun” and set finale, the messy but utterly banging amphetamine rush of “Just A Day”. Finishing 20 minutes over time (!), Feeder, whilst hardly being that Shed Seven-style reinvention (the earnest, serious Grant Nicholas lacking Rick Witter’s overt swagger), delivered a good set that ended splendidly and yeah, were pretty much worthy headliners, even to my cynical ears. Well done boys.

 

So as festivities ended in the Main Arena, we joined the queue for Centre Stage, hitting this large ballroom venue midway through THE SHAKES. They for me sounded an unrehearsed and messy early 90’s Manc nasal noise, and clearly nowhere near as good as they thought they were, definitely misplaced arrogance in my book. Going down well with this buoyant, slightly drunken crowd, so hey, what do I know, but for me? No great Shakes! This bumped us up to 11, Rach surprisingly turning in at this point, but Matt and myself (having also lost Ady at this point) sticking around for Stone Roses tribute band THE CLONE ROSES. I was never a massive Roses fan, so this quickly turned into a bit of a trial for me, the Clones covers veering between passable and often disappointingly insipid and understated. “Waterfall”’s plangent guitar work was OK and “This Is The One” the best sounding of the set for me, but “Fools Gold” was flat and dull and “She Bangs The Drums” disappointingly thin. And then we got a drum solo! A fucking drum solo! The drummer must own the van, methinks. After that bloated self-indulgence, I was done for the day, heading back to the apartment at this overlong set’s conclusion at 12.30, with “Just A Day” ringing in my ears!

 

What turned out to be a landmark Day 2 started with a fried breakfast, this time mainly provided by my dear lady wife! Then off with Rach and Matt to Splash Waterworld for the pool party, which initially started OK with some vintage 60’s stuff (Doors, Them, Motown deep cuts etc.), but then got all 90’s Technotronic! So I did some lengths before cutting it short, heading back to the apartment for a rest, then meeting Ady at the Inn On The Green (quiet early doors, pretty much everyone being up in Centre Stage for Stones And Roses, whom by all accounts were a band I’d have utterly loathed!) and running into Dave, Gareth and the rest of the Abstraction Engine lads, also here for the weekend. UTOPIATES, who were a baggy bag of ol’ shite, and THE ROOM, who were doomy and a bit dull, formed a distant backdrop for our chatting, but I was 1000% all in for the next act…

 

The lads from MIDWAY STILL had turned up earlier to load in, and happily drummer Dec Kelly recognised me from their recent (I say recent, I mean back in 2005 and 2010!) Swindon reunion gigs. They then took a bench out on the Green and after a suitable interval (and prompted by Ady!), I popped over to join them, enjoying a convivial conversation with the fine gentlemen of The Still, centring around my brother’s recent illness and the fucked-up post-Covid world we’re all still trying to get accustomed to. I’d also mentioned that my next set-list would be my 900^th , at which point they mentioned they didn’t have one for their set (!), then vocalist Paul Thomson duly wrote an impromptu one up on the back of a receipt, giving it to bassist Russell Lee for safe keeping onstage, as he had the best eyesight!

 

Thus buoyed, I grabbed a bit of barrier for The Still’s late entrance at 4.30, in front of a respectable crowd which, with my crew, the AE boys plus old mate Steve and his wife Caz, included 10 Swindonians (!). The self-effacing Thomson warned us to, “brace yourselves,” before kicking into galloping opener “Counting Days”, which was driven at a supersonic, Ramones-like pace by Kelly’s forceful, propulsive drums. “Sound OK?” inquired Thomson, to which some wag down the front (OK, me…) shouted, “more guitar!”, which was duly delivered during a looser yet tougher sounding “I Won’t Try” (their debut; “Single Of The Week in the NME, and it’s been downhill since then!” quipped Thomson, ironically). However, the subsequent “Daynight” took a couple of attempts to start, sounding thin and understated throughout, Thomson ultimately calling a halt and abandoning it midway through with an, “it’s not working…”. Uh oh…

 

Actually, this proved an utter, if unexpected masterstroke, as the subsequent “What You Said” was magnificent, bristling, venomous and visceral, setting a ridiculously high bar which the rest of the set nonetheless lived up to in spades. Their Husker Du/ early Lemonheads/ Buffalo Tom/ Dinosaur Jr. US proto grungy popcore noise (which would have been right at home in seminal 80’s Boston venue The Rat!) always took on another dimension “live” back in the day, and on the evidence of this afternoon, time thankfully hasn’t dimmed The Still’s fire. “Jamie And Gigi” was as superb as I’d ever heard it, Thomson’s languid vocal inflections almost recalling a young Dando, and “Better Than Before”, one of my favourite tracks ever to dance to at Levs in the 90’s, was fulsome, powerful and infectiously catchy. Some bloke (not me this time) shouted out, “Fucking mint! End of!” at its conclusion, a buoyed Thomson replying, “that is correct!”, and I think we all felt that way. But the best was saved for last… a savage, snarling cover of MBV’s seminal “You Made Me Realise” was punctuated during the mid-song feedback-fest by The Still segueing in the whole of a rampaging, undulating and utterly incendiary “Come Down”. Just awesome; this afternoon the 3 reprobates of The Still delivered what I term an “American Hi-Fi” moment – not note-perfect in any way, but as raw, ragged, exciting and essential as rock’n’roll gets, reducing me to a sweaty, aching, gabbling mess along the way – and in the process not only easily swept the Band Of The Weekend honours (yeah, already!) but may have delivered my favourite Shiiine On set ever. Yes, ever!

 

After that, I was glad for a break in the proceedings – with no interest in the Skyline shenanigans over the next few hours (never been a fan of The Farm, despite “All Together Now” being an anthem for Shiiine On, particularly this year, and as for Black Grape, well, I know from experience that anything involving the Salford Village Idiot is going to be utter carnage and not worth my time…), I headed back to the apartment, gratefully logging into Sky Go to watch the Brazilian GP Sprint Race! A much-needed rest and some eats later, I was back out for 8ish, aiming to go deep tonight and catching up with the crew for CAST’s Skyline Arena headliner set. Never my cup of jangle back in the day, I’ve seen Cast both deliver dull and relatively Alright (pardon the pun) sets here in the last few years; unfortunately this one veered to the former, with a dreadfully plodding opener, a subsequent “Sandstorm” and almost jolly “Fine Time” double better, but the subsequent set descending into a sluggish and stodgy acoustic strumalong plod. I was thinking, less like their evident heroes The Beatles, more like the turgid likes of 70’s folk rock staples Fairport Convention! Yikes! So after half an hour, I took the advice of “Walk Away”, and escaped to Hotshots for a sit down!

 

Cast were done at 10, at which point my crew headed to Reds for Neds (Acoustic this time), but not being a fan, I was off to the Inn On The Green, and a revelation… CANDY OPERA, a Liverpool 80’s band who totally passed me by back in the day, eased into their set with a languid “See It Through Your Eyes”, which positively oozed well-constructed blue-eyed soulful 80’s songwriting, variously recalling Lloyd Cole, Prefab Sprout and the much overlooked The Big Dish! Subsequent numbers evoked a 60’s, almost Motown feel aligned with some Lou Reed-like laconic cool (a point I made to vocalist Paul Malone afterwards, his reply being, “Lou Reed and Motown? That’s us!”), some more upbeat, hooky pop stuff (viz. “Crash” and a rockabilly-inflected, almost Woodentops-like “#Text Delete”), and one bona fide powerpop anthem in “These Days Are Ours” (Malone commenting, “this was played at Anfield, which was a bit of a problem for me [as an Evertonian]!”). A fine, intelligently crafted set, and kudos to the band for handing out free t-shirts at its’ conclusion!

 

A quick trip back to the apartment to dump my free tee and £5 CD, enjoying a conversation with Malone about Liverpool rock on the walk back (“You saw Pete Wylie recently? Isn’t he fat!!”), then a chat with Steve and Caz at the back of the Inn on my return, subsequently missing all but the last, tambourine-led number from THE WALTONES, but I was joined by my crew for THE CHESTERFIELDS, on at ¼ to midnight. A “live” staple of mine back in the mid-80’s (usually whilst drunk, with Rich, and in London), I’d also seen this new, ersatz line-up a couple of years back (Sept 2019, gig 1,153), feeling that at that time they’d done full justice to their history and the legacy of sadly departed main vocalist Davey Goldsworthy. Tonight, unfortunately, was a little different; whether down to the sound, the mix, the understated, almost polite delivery, whatever, not sure, but these spritely jangle-pop songs of my youth initially sounded limp, tired and disappointingly flat, with Helen’s vocal’s, which worked well at The Louisiana a couple of years ago, sounding somewhat jarring. A chugging, swayalong “Goodbye Goodbye” threatened to improve matters, but ironically, it was a slow newie that turned things around; “Songbird”, written in homage to Davey and featuring a list of their 80’s contemporaries and influences (glad to hear the excellent Bodines getting a namecheck!) was plaintive and heartfelt, and “Ask Johnny Dee” was excellent, easily the best sounding of the set. “Completely And Utterly”, racier and pacier, was also a fine-sounding end to a curate’s egg of a set, but one which at least ended well. I’m not giving up on them yet…

 

Into the expanded Reds for the first time this weekend for me, for the last number by the popular DEJA VEGA, pulling the second of their double shift by covering for the late-withdrawing Bentley Rhythm Ace. Unfortunately said number was one-note, monotone, one dimensional and interminably long, and a real trial by ordeal, my knees and sides properly aching by now. But I was determined to get to 1 a.m. and tonight’s denouement, THOUSAND YARD STARE… vocalist Stephen addressed us as, “the final stragglers – more power to you, and we’re your prize!” on his arrival onstage, then kicked into chugging newie “When It Sparks”, before the ebullient, jet-propelled funky drummer bounce of oldie “Buttermouth” and a harder-edged newie “Upping Sticks”. No apples this time (!), but once again Stephen was a curiously captivating frontman, pacing the stage like an expectant father, all nervous energy and off-mic rambling and chanting, the band racing through TYS’ trademark energetic indie jangle behind him. A slower burn, almost plaintive “Seasonstream” was a mid-set highlight, before the inevitable frantic “0-0 After Extra Time” (“after all these years – no one has scored!”) and oldie “Wonderment” concluded another very fine TYS Shiiine set, well worth staying up for!

 

The gang were however determined to make it to the end of Steve Lamacq’s Indie Disco, however; I stuck it until 2.30, by which time everything South of my non-existent belly-button was so sore, it was all I could do to hobble back slowly and painfully to the apartment, thankful both for my bed and for the post-Still rest earlier this afternoon. The gang made it to 4 a.m. though – kudos to them!

 

A fitful and achey night however still saw me feeling better for Day 3, which started slowly, then saw us wandering into town on a positively balmy sun-kissed November Sunday for a tasty Carvery roast lunch at The Hairy Dog! So the entertainment started late for us, with Centre Stage hosts REPUBLICA at 3. Like most people here, I only know a couple of Republica numbers, neither of which I was inclined to sit through swathes of buoyant but samey electronic pop to get to, despite vocalist Saffron’s enthusiastic and ebullient performance, easily the best thing about this band. 3 numbers in, I was done and into the Skyline Arena for DODGY, who were not as knockabout or trite as I’d feared, instead impressing with some chunky 60’s influenced sweeping pop, with an early “So Let Me Go Far” a decent hooky choon, and “Staying Out For The Summer” a breezy and unexpectedly harmonic delight. Late replacements for The Bluetones, they joked about this state of affairs (“who you gonna call? Dodgy!”) whilst entertaining more than Mark Morris’ plodding and anodyne mob would’ve done… Unfortunately, a schedule clash saw me abandon them midway through, instead repairing to The Inn On The Green, putting up with some late-running chap with an acoustic guitar leading the crowd through some singalong Britpop staples, before former Inspiral Carpets vocalist TOM HINGLEY, erm, did the same actually! However, his were all Carpets songs, initially delivered with lots of bawdy, self-effacing humour (“I’ve had a couple of ciders so this is going to be shit!” and “I’m going to play songs by Metallica – in Polish…” were 2 early Hingley remarks…) and no little heart (a rousing singalong “This Is How It Feels” dedicated to those lost in recent times). Thereafter it all started to get a bit silly, however, Hingley downing a pint in one before a throwaway version of my favourite Inspirals number “Move”, and I was happy to wander back to catch the final numbers of Dodgy’s set before my anticipated Highlight Of The Day!

 

Rach and I had run into the impressive monolith that is Mark Burgess on our way to the Inn On The Green earlier, pausing for a pic with the man and informing how much I was looking forward to THE CHAMELEONS’ Skyline Arena set later that afternoon. So, no surprise then that I was on the barriers, front and centre, for this one, in a buoyant mood which was aided in no small measure by the Arena DJ playing some obscure indie classics from Easterhouse, Comsat Angels, The Mighty Lemon Drops and Killing Joke! Totally appropriate mood-setters for The Chameleons, then, Burgess leading his charges onstage, spot on at 4.35. From the off they were amazing; opener “A Person Isn’t Safe Here Anymore” sounded dark, deep, rich, resonant and uncommonly good, with an undercurrent of bristling menace leading into the hook “man of steel”, which echoed around the arena. An early “Monkeyland”, all stretched and creepy slow burn early doors, built the atmosphere to an intense level before popping like a cork with the strident “just a trick of the light” hook, and an unexpected “Intrigue In Tangiers” was a windswept and anthemic stomper. “Caution” was icy, languid and somnambulant, meandering brilliantly along its’ 7 minute length, before the tumbling, intricate riffery of “Swamp Thing” topped even that, Burgess and the band deliberately slowing this and other numbers down to give them extra drama and gravitas. A joyous “Second Skin” rounded off a quite brilliant set, probably better than their 1 a.m. Reds set which earned them 2018 Band Of The Weekend honours that year, the Skyline Arena stage lending their material a greater sense of widescreen power and majesty. The stuff dreams are made of, indeed! A welcome cherry on the cake was my friend the DJ sorting me out a set-list (most other Arena lists being hoovered up quickly and apparently chucked in a bin backstage by some ignorant new roadie – bah!) – nice work!

 

A tough act to follow for me, then, but old Jamie Wednesday and Carter USM mate JIM BOB, along with his band The Hoodrats, gave it the old college try, impressing with a sturdy selection of poppy recent material and old Carter USM “beatbox battlehymn” numbers, which actually sounded pretty good given the full band treatment. Good to hear the jovial sea shanty wordplay of “Prince In A Pauper’s Grave” (which appeared on my one Jamie Wednesday set-list from gig 78, waaaay back in 1987!), the tough and dramatic polemic of “Bloodsport For All”, and rousing set closer “The Only Living Boy In New Cross”, rounding off an unexpectedly fine set. Bring the band again next time, Jim!

 

This led us beyond 7 p.m., into the last couple of laps of Shiiine On for another year, and to Rachel’s potential highlight. Another slightly surprising “recent” band addition to the Shiiine On band pool, Scotland’s GLASVEGAS, despite increasingly patchy follow-ups to their stunning 2007 debut album, had always impressed mightily “live”, so hopes were high for this one. We weren’t to be disappointed; despite a fairly sparse turnout around our usual spot (in front of the tent stanchion, house right, near the stage) Glasvegas were “on it” from the off, a deliciously mournful and affecting “Flowers And Football Tops” giving chills down the spine of all and sundry, then an epic “World Is Yours” was shimmering and shining with its Jesus And Mary Chain meets Cocteau Twins guitar dynamics. Overall, this was a superb study in rock’n’roll insouciance from the band, and particularly vocalist James Allen, who, with his heavily accented vocals and black-clad cool, should by all rights be now be as respected as a Strummer or McCulloch, I really believe that… A heartfelt cover of “Be My Baby” (“my favourite song ever – my fiancee’s over there – this one’s for her,” announced Allen) sounded splendid and entirely in context; “Go Square Go” got the crowd singing along to the rambunctious “here we fuckin’ go!” hook, but it was the final double whammy of “Lots/ Sometimes”, starting all deep and mournful and accelerating into chaotic and dramatic punk rock, and a stunning “Daddy’s Gone”, sounding both epic and bleakly personal at the same time, which were the highlights of another sparkling Glasvegas set. Woah. And we’re seeing this lot at The Thekla next February…!

 

One to go for us, and none more fitting to close out things (well, maybe the strangely absent Wonder Stuff…) than PETER HOOK AND THE LIGHT. On in front of a packed final day crowd to the sound of Kraftwerk’s “Trans Europe Express” and sporting a Christmas “Baa Humbug” tee (“as you can see I’m in a festive mood”), Hooky’s set took a couple of numbers to bed in, an early “She’s Lost Control” edgy and claustrophobic yet thin, with “Transmission” the first number to really take dramatic flight. Dispensing with a clutch of Joy Division numbers early on, Hooky then moved into New Order territory with a ringing, haunting and resonant “Ceremony”, which was probably my overall set highlight; however a subsequent “Regret” and particularly “Crystal” were overlong and not particularly great, “Love Vigilantes” welcome but a little thin sounding as well, and “Blue Monday” sounded rushed. “Perfect Kiss”, by contrast, was great, absorbing and full-on effects-wise, and “Temptation” was a brilliant, bubbling indie dance delight.

 

“Two years of weird shit – I’m so fucking glad we’re still here, and you’re still here!” roared Hooky before a brilliantly fitting communal singalong to “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, ending his fine if initially patchy sounding set – and the musical aspects of Shiiine On, for us at least – on a suitably fitting and high note. That was it for us – back to the apartment for a good night’s sleep, checking out Monday morning at 9.30 and swiftly driving home. Another splendid Shiiine On in the books then; this one a little less manic than recent times, drinkies-wise, but for me featuring a bona fide all-time classic set, thanks to those punk rock reprobates from Midway Still. And hopefully we won’t have to wait 2 years to Shiiine On again!

 

SHERIFF’S SHIIINE ON SELECTION

 

Friday Best – FEEDER

Saturday Best – MIDWAY STILL (you had to ask?)

Sunday Best – THE CHAMELEONS

Overall – 1. MIDWAY STILL, 2. THE CHAMELEONS, 3. GLASVEGAS

Best New Band (if you can call a near-40 year old band “New”, that is…) – CANDY OPERA

We Can Be Heroes – MY CREW (as ever), THE GENTLEMEN OF THE STILL, MARK BURGESS, PETER HOOK, JAMES ALLEN, THE SUNDAY ARENA DJ, THE GUY IN THE PIG OUTFIT (who apparently smuggled a condom costume into the Arena on a later day…!), THE HAIRY DOG CHEFS!

788 MIDWAY STILL, Hotel 75, Band Of Burt, Swindon Victoria, Friday 14 May 2010

The welcome return to Swindon for 90's live favourites Midway Still, a band who after a "slight return" a few years back with a sprinkling of gigs and a single, "Fuck You", now seem to be upping the ante a little more seriously, with a new CD "Note To Self" out on Boss Tuneage and a return to town organised by uber-fan Tim, who roped me into writing the blurb for the Vic website! So I took a drive up the hill after the kids went to bed, hitting the bar early doors and hanging out with Tim and the Still boys before they shot off to watch the footy. I'd brought along copies of a few of their set-lists from back in the day, which amazed and amused - luckily they couldn't recall the drunken oik who crashed backstage at the Link in 1993 with a "Grunge Is Dead" t-shirt and stars'n'stripes shorts on!

Hung out with Tim on the door of the back-room venue as people meandered in and out during the 2 local supports, Band Of Burt who weren't my cup of Zappa-esque challenging bluesy tea but did their stuff well, and Hotel 75, who were punkish and clumsy and didn't. Honestly though, I didn't pay too much attention really, as I was chatting to Tim, Penny and crew!

Took a wander down the front when The Still were due onstage at 10.30, in front of a poor turnout (Swindon punters, bah!) of nevertheless enthusiastic folks. The Still, thankfully, didn't let that dampen their spirits as they set to their task with commendable conviction, drummer Dec in particular flailing furiously and propelling this rock behemoth along like a high-octane jet engine. I'd previously talked with Dec about Taang! Records and Boston pre-grunge rock, and in a sense Midway Still are kindred spirits to the likes of Dinosaur Jr., early Buffalo Tom and Lemonheads etc., aligning their amphetamine-fast, supercharged guitar overload with ridiculously easy and catchy melodies - a "bat's ear for a tune amongst all the guitar fuzz", indeed! "Counting Days" was a groovy early highlight, and the set, punctuated by their self-deprecating banter and some piss-poor jokes from Dec, was laid back yet noisy, thrilling and a whole barrel of fun, and sounding as good as I've ever heard The Still. New numbers from "Note To Self" were prime chunks of catchy guitar rock, showing that even after all this time, the apples still don't fall too far from the tree; yet oldies like the Husker Du-esque "What You Said", the groovy "Disappear" and the phenomenal "Better Than Before", as uplifting and sing-along as ever, won the day and got me rocking as best I could down the front, given my seriously buggered knee. Great to see The Still with their appetite for the simple joy of playing rock'n'roll well and truly restored!

Hung out a bit afterwards, grabbing congratulatory words with the boys and an elated Tim, and getting my second signed set-list in as many nights, before the time caught up with this veteran. Nevertheless, a real welcome return, and hopefully not the last time The Still come back to town!

196 CUD, MIDWAY STILL, Bristol Bierkeller, Wednesday 23 October 1991

Damn, I've been brainwashed! Veronica has been playing me Cud records non-stop for the past 4 months or so, so when a tour passed by, we kind of had to get tickets! Luckily Andy is a big Cud fan too, so we got a lift down to the Bierkeller with him.

After a quick pint in the Prince Rupert (de rigeur for Bierkeller gigs!), we hit the venue in time to catch the start of Midway Still's set, which was totally at odds with their polite dancey single "I Won't Try", instead being thrillingly noisy in a Lemonheads East Coast US laze/ grungy rock kind of way, and I totally enjoyed it while hitting the pool tables (again de rigeur for Bierkeller gigs!). They played an electrifying "I Won't Try" and finished with stomping demolitions of both The Stone Roses' "She Bangs The Drums" and My Bloody Valentines' "You Made Me Realise"! A real blast!

Cud on at 5 to 10, led by vocalist Carl Puttnam, a thick-set, round bespectacled ginger tousle-haired frontman with an infinite capacity for entertainment. "Two days on a health farm and you can notice the difference," he quipped as the band launched into a super fine set of bouncy, uplifting pop music, full of old fashioned stuff such as good strong tunes and choruses, fun, and fine singing from Carl's unique larynx. "Hey Boots" and "Push And Shove" were the highlights of a memorable set!

205 MIDWAY STILL, Supp. Mega City Four, Reading University Student Union, Saturday 7 March 1992

After a brilliant Cowboy Junkies gig (nay, experience) last night, anything would have been a bit of an anti-climax. But hey ho, it's off to Reading Uni we go, for something completely different...

Got there too early for the bar to open (!) so had a walk around campus, then got back in time to see Midway Still deliver a support set full of power, intensity and fire. With rocking choruses and driving guitar skirting around the outside of grunge but keeping the tuneful side of potential disjointed heaviness, they currently appear to be the band Teenage Fanclub seem to be scared to be, and they really rocked the place!

I watched a few Mega City Four numbers before confirming that actually they don't really appeal to me, just finding them dull and formulaic after the energy of the Still, so I retreated to the bar and left MC4 devotee Rich to them. Still, he enjoyed their set, and I loved The Still, so fair play to both of us!

208 MIDWAY STILL, Jacob's Mouse, Oxford Jericho Tavern, Thursday 14 April 1992

My first gig I've travelled to with this extraordinary character Clive; whenever I think I'm too old for gigs at a ripe old 26, I'll just remember he's 35 - and still rocking. I hope I am at his age!

Got to the Jericho in time to see Jacob's Mouse, who featured a hairy drumming vocalist giving it some serious welly in a set with very loud guitar and overall more good than bad bits.

Midway Still came on at 10, promoting new LP "Dial Square" - are they closet Arsenal fans, perhaps? Their set bristled with pace, power and bollocks, delivered in an arrogant swagger of an attitude by a confident band who know they're going places. Thrilling, visceral noise punctuated a set I spent hammering away to in the mosh. I could have done without enthusiastic stage-divers landing on my head, but all in all a small price to pay to see "The Still" in this form!

234 MIDWAY STILL, Pop Am Good, Bristol Fleece, Wednesday 10 March 1993

Expecting a packed one tonight for the return of our favourite hairy noiseniks The Still, but there were surprisingly few people out early doors at the Fleece for support Pop Am Good's set. Energy and melody, but messily and shambolically presented and focused, were the key points of their set. Like a jam session in a student union bar, really...

The place thankfully filled up for The Still, who came on at 10, roaring impressively into opener "What You Said". A noisy and thrilling hard rocking set, based around a clutch of new songs from a possible forthcoming LP (soon as you can, please, boys...) plus old faves like "Found", "I Won't Try" and the phenomenal "Better Than Before" followed. Clive and I formed part of an expanding mosh as, as ever, we gave it loads to the Still's energetic rock stylings! Quick words of congratulations with the band afterwards; they also commented on my "Grunge Is Dead" t-shirt. "But we're not grunge," was their comment, to which my reply was, "what you are, is shit hot live!" No arguments there!

245 MIDWAY STILL, Caffeine, Swindon The Link Centre, Thursday 17 June 1993

I decided to wear my stars and stripes shorts to this one, as I was expecting a hot and sweaty time! Also, I persuaded my brother to come along, thanks to my erudite description of The Still as a dirty black rock'n'roll band! None more finer...

Local band (I think) Caffeine stank the place out with their ham-fisted sub Rage Against The Machine grungy mess and crappy rappy antics. Grunge is dead, you know - and I had the t-shirt on to prove it!

The Still came on at 10 to a rabid welcome, and blasted into a couple of fan favourites, followed by a well-chosen set varying from hard-rocking Husker Du-like oldies from first LP "Dial Square", to their more thoughtful, considered (relatively speaking - they still rock, of course!) new stuff, but all played with their usual venom and strident power and riffery. Clive and I, down the front, gave it loads as usual to The Still, and the expected sweat duly arrived!

Popped backstage for mutual compliments and encouragement. It seemed they enjoyed it too, despite Swindon having a reputation for being a "difficult" gig. Well, you're welcome back any time, boys!

268 MIDWAY STILL, Pope, Baby Chaos, Swindon Monkey Club, Friday 20 May 1994

My 7th time to see the wonderfully noisy, post-grunge rock reprobates Midway Still, and it turned out to be the last - at least for the time being! We found out when we arrived that, sadly, they're calling it a day, with the usual, "we're not fashionable in the press anymore," "we can't get bookings," reasons to blame. A great shame, and a sad indictment on the "build 'em up, knock 'em down" inflated power of the music press. Huh.

Played pool, losing to Clive (wot??) before openers Baby Chaos came on and impressed considerably more than lately with a dynamic guitar set. Then played some table footy with the posse before Pope, Frankie Stubbs' (Leatherface's former main gravelly voice) new power trio, came on. Less glaringly noisy than the 'face, they were nevertheless both abrasive and melodic, and played a (cover?) version of Leatherface's finest hour, "Not Superstitious". A good set.

Lamented the Still situation with Still frontman Paul Thompson, before the boys took the stage, apparently for the second-to-last time ever. Blasting through a best-of selection, their forceful, energetic set was equally received by an enthusiastic Swindon crowd (surely not?). Clive and I gave it more than loads, grasping this last opportunity to enjoy one of the most visceral and thrillingly noisy, yet no less tuneful, live bands of recent times, and the band themselves were dragged back on for 2 unscheduled encores. Going they may be, but tonight Midway Still left us with a bang!

438a MIDWAY STILL, London King's Cross Water Rats, Thursday 4 May 2000

Bugger! I was really looking forward to this, a seemingly "one-off" reunion of 90's Husker Du "understudies" the Still. I got there after a long day in Ipswich on business, but started feeling ropey, with a fluey attack. So I waited in the venue, and when Rachel, Tim and Mark arrived, had to ask Rach to drive me home, whence I stayed in bed with a serious chest infection for 3 days!

Nevertheless, The Still are doing more gigs, so my 8th time of seeing them is on the horizon...

449 MIDWAY STILL, Malibu, Sarah Gillespie, London King's Cross Water Rats, Friday 2 June 2000

Well, it took all of 5 days to get back into the swing of UK gigging after our Boston trip. This time I was determined to see the reformed Midway Still, after having to cry off due to illness on arrival here last time! Tim picked us up at 5 and we headed straight into Kings Cross, with Rachel and myself doing weird things in the car window with Tim's cuddly alien and Jar Jar Binks! Parked around the corner from the venue, and set up station in the bar on arrival, ignoring the supports (first sounded folky, second sounded like the Cranberries!).

Into the back room venue and took up position at the front, stage right, for The Still, an old favourite of mine and Tim's first time around (in fact we bonded over our both owning The Still's "Bollocks To Everything" t-shirt!). Thankfully, they'd lost none of their power "live" in the intervening Grouchy years. Vocalist Thompson, minus the mane of old, was in superb acerbic form, and no surprise really as he seemed to know pretty much everyone in the audience! I noted, however, a similar reluctance to dance tonight as in Boston recently, so when 3rd number "Better Than Before" (an old Level 3 dancefloor staple) started up, so did I! Rocked out as Midway Still attacked a varied clutch of oldies and newies with as much vim and venom as of old. My particular favourite, the hardcore adrenaline blast of "What You Said", was the highlight tonight. Sarf London' finest Husker Du impersonators, we hope, are back, and by all accounts in rude health. More power to 'em!

I am sorry, however, to report the demise of Silver Sun. We ran into SS drummer Richard Sayce outside the venue as we went off to get KFC. He reported he's now in Malibu (wish I'd taken more notice now!) and the rest of SS are on the verge of calling it a day. Still, we've got Midway Still (seemingly) back - fair swap!

452 MIDWAY STILL, Spraydog, London Highbury "Upstairs At The Garage", Friday 21 July 2000

Took the afternoon off work to prepare for this one, after a gruelling first week back. Rachel came over and Tim picked us up at 6, then we waited for Mark to do his hair and join us! Traffic and circumnavigating accidents put us over to the Garage for 8.30, for a drink before the venue opened at 9. Got in early to the strains of Grandaddy - a good omen!

But not for the first band, Spraydog, who were quite the worst band I've seen this year by some distance. It wasn't even that their stuff was bad - mainly standard indie guitar fayre - but that they were just totally... inept! Their female vocalist couldn't sing, play anything or even harmonise, and more laughably couldn't even hit a tambourine in time. The most superfluous woman in rock that I've ever come across; she must either own the van or be offering sexual favours to the whole band. Incredible that they even got the booking...

We were swayed to come along tonight by an e-mail proclaiming that this may be the last of the current run of Midway Still reunion shows. Apparently we weren't the only ones to get that message, as the place was quite crowded for their entrance at 10.30, onto the surprisingly narrow stage. Good thing they're only a 3-piece! From the opening bars of breathless opener "Counting Days", it was clear that The Still meant business tonight. They went for it with a vengeance, as did I, happily joined this time by our travelling crew and an increasing Still massive, particularly a pony-tailed bruiser next to me. The set really took off, however, after "I Won't Try", their baggy concession number, after which the sound went from slightly harsh to pretty much perfect, and the atmosphere from hardcore club to a Still celebration. "Better Than Before", their early 90's grunge/ pop crossover "smash", was magnificent, and the 40 minutes of sweat and fun were topped off perfectly by their rambunctious cover of Rainbow's "Since You've Been Gone". A superb show - again - which led to us screaming "encore" for ages after - even after the band had started to pack up!

We hit the road at 12, bumping into Still vocalist Paul Thompson on the stairs, who totally failed to recognise Tim, his "web-master"! He complimented my "Bollocks To Everything" Still t-shirt (yes, I was breaking one of my gig rules tonight by wearing a t-shirt of the band I'm going to see - bad boy!), and said that thankfully this wasn't the last Still gig - they're having too much fun doing them at the moment. It shows!

477 MIDWAY STILL, Gallus, Mobster, London Kings Cross Water Rats, Thursday 14 December 2000

And here are more 2000 comeback kids!I dunno, recently it's been The Wonderstuff, The Posies and now the Still; tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1993! So, Tim picked us up at 5, bearing in mind recent travel nightmares, and the traffic was so much better that we parked up in Kings Cross just before 8. Who'd have thunk it! So we hit the Water Rats bar - which had obviously had a lick of paint and a polish since our last trip - and stayed there while Mobster, a messy US sports metal shouty sound-alike, were on. We did, however, trot into the venue for Gallus, who were better and recalled The Fat Lady Sings and Hothouse Flowers with their mid-paced, acoustically charged sweeping epics. The long maned vocalist was an Eddie Vedder sound-alike, yet they left a favourable impression overall.

However, we were there for some Xmas Punk! And we certainly got that from The Still, who kicked off at 10 with a rollicking new number, then into the thrashy Husker Du groove of "What You Said". I got the jumping about really started during the brilliant "Better Than Before", their one brief flirtation with indie-pop stardom, and subsequently rocked out to this messy yet enthusiastic set of retro thrashy yet tuneful and hook-led rock. A smattering of newies coloured the set, and final number "Since You've Been Gone" ran roughshod over the Rainbow soft-metal original, before they were booted off stage for running over time. Bugger!

Grabbed a couple of quick words with vocalist Thompson afterwards; with some new numbers, Midway Still are very much a going concern again, and Tim left promising to get the Still a show in Swindon. Now, that'd be something...

653 MIDWAY STILL, You Are Here, Swindon Victoria, Saturday 5 February 2005

After a lot of badgering by Tim, Midway Still finally return to Swindon for their first gig since their "last ever", first time around. So we were up for a bit of Still tomfoolery, and managed to drag quite a few people out for it as well!

Hung out in the Vic awhile, mainly taking the piss out of the Big Man's massive new t-shirt, before joining the assembled punters, mums and dads (!) for You Are Here's first gig since their Pills support. They again belied any ring-rustiness they may have had, delivering a very together set despite poor sound. Mark seems a completely different frontperson from the mikestand-clutching waif of yore; showing a nice line in fancy footwork during "Feeling Confused", not getting fazed when forgetting lyrics during an excellent "I May Hate You Sometimes", and ranting away like a good 'un during set closer "Goodbye", this was probably his best frontperson performance yet. And ably backed up by Tim and Co. with some rocking US college pop-influenced stuff.

Old favourites the Still were on at 10.30, tuning up with some Sabbath style heavy riffery before blasting into an ear-splitting "Counting Days". they also were beset with sound problems - particularly the bass - but attacked the set with venom and fire. A couple of new numbers augmented the set, drawn otherwise mainly from early 90's post-grunge Dinosaur Jr./ Husker Du influenced debut LP "Dial Square". Slack, fucked up laze rock at its' noisiest and most dynamic, capped with a vicious "You Made Me Realise", despite a false start.

Had a quick chat with Still mainman Paul Thompson after my 11th Still experience - he complimented my Damn Personals "Our Rock Will Fuck You" t-shirt. You know, that slogan is just as appropriate for the Still!