The last time I arranged to see a gig in Nottingham Rock City, it got cancelled because the venue deemed that not enough tickets had been sold and would therefore move the gig to the neighbouring Rescue Rooms. That gig was Einstuerzende Neubauten and I can understand exactly why they cancelled because after visiting the Rescue Rooms last night, while a decent venue it does not have a stage big enough for Neubauten’s equipment needs. The Butthole Surfers gig last night was also scheduled to be in Rock City but similarly ended up in the Rescue Rooms too. What effect this might have had on the band’s performance I’m not certain but I do wonder if being told that you’re going to a smaller venue because the ticket sales weren’t enough would elicit a “fuck you” response from the group.
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There’s some as might say that I’m trying to recapture my long distant youth.
And there’s some as might say that I never actually grew up.

There’s even some folk as might say that there’s a time to live and a time to die but you should smoke Elvis Presley’s toenails if you wanna get high!

That’s right, ladles and germs, yours truly has just bought two golden tickets for his next musical adventure in gig land in a months time. A friend and I are boarding the nostalgia train on a way trip to Rock City (Nottingham) to see Alternative punk soul rockers, the mighty, the awesome, the one and only Butthole Surfers. This more than makes up finding out that the Revolting Cocks had recently toured a week after they were in the country which was annoying. It’s difficult to keep up with bands who you think are dead and buried as to when they might tour next - they don’t do anything for a decade and then suddenly turn up around the corner and expect you to know. This time, however, I’m locked, cocked and ready to rock. Bring it on!

Remember: there’s a time to shit and a time for God and the last shit I took was pretty fucking odd!

Who are they? What do they? Any good they?

Apparently they’re supporting NIN on their tour and all I know is 2 boys, 2 girls, from Liverpool. And I’ve heard the name before.

The year for music keeps getting better. Following the purchase of a new Foetus album the other day (no link, find it yourselves you lazy gits!), the announcement of a new NIN album, another new Foetus album and acquisition of tickets to a NIN gig in March, I’ve just been informed that Neubauten are playing dates in Nottingham and London in April.

This is one happy Dragon.

In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.

Harry Lime (Orson Welles) - The Third Man

The other thing that came out of Switzerland was fabled industrial rockers “The Young Gods“. While more middle aged than young these days, the Gods are back on tour celebrating their 20th year together. They have a new retrospective/greatest hits album, XXY, and are playing at small venues around Europe, including a gig at the Barfly in Camden on Friday 25th November.

I’ll be there - anyone else up for a nostalgic night out?

This morning I feel like I’ve put a couple of years on in one night but that’s the price you pay for feeling 20 again for a couple of hours. I met up with friends at the Trinity Arms pub (not the Tempest as previously advertised) and we had a couple of beers before heading off to the gig. We decided to skip the support (Saul Williams) and got there 10 minutes or so before the main event.

And what an event it was!

Trent and the boys rocked and there’s no two ways about it! Two hours solid and about 20 songs later it was all over. No break, no encore, just a simple, straightforward 2 hour set. But the temp built and built and with a brief interlude for some of the slower ballads (well, just “Hurt”) which were only temporarily marred by about 3 or 4 tossers who thought they were at a Boyzone gig and waved their lighters in the air, the noise levels and freneticism increased through “Closer”, via “Gave up” and “Wish” until it reached the unleashed fury of “Head Like A Hole”, by which time I was dancing around like Zebedee would if he’d just downed an amphetamine spiked Red Bull and absinthe.

It’s a sign of a good gig too if it makes me listen with new ears to a song that I previously didn’t care much for and it was like that last night. While he disappointingly didn’t play Only (an oversight considering he’s releasing it next week as his new single) he did play a few tracks from the new album and aside from the title track and “The Hand That Feeds”, I haven’t so far been taken with either “The Collector” or “Don’t You Know Who You Are” but last night they were played the way they are meant to be played and it made all the difference.

A fantastic gig. There’s nothing more to say.

UPDATE: Some camera phone pics courtesy of Sergio - cheers fella!

If anyone would like a ticket to tonights Nine Inch Nails gig in Brixton, let me know asap (leave a comment!) as we have one spare.

Ticket gone, but will be in the Tempest pub in Brixton if you fancy a drink from about 6-30/7ish!

“The Hand That Feeds” is the new single from Nine Inch Nails that’s being released in the UK on April 18th. (Halo 18 for those that know about such things) The new album, “With Teeth” is being released in May 9th according to Amazon. They are touring Europe in the summer.

I have tickets. Do you?

(And just to highlight what a good year it’s going to be, the new Foetus album, “Love”, is coming out the very next day!)