BRISTOL BIG JEFF: CUTTING FROM THE EDGE (DECEMBER 2010)
Well readers, it has been quite a year this 2010, with it all being the start of a new decade and stuff. It was supposed to signal a the change of the times you know, like a new me and stuff, well that didn’t happen. Let me think back over the past year, sometimes that’s a bit like asking a goldfish if it can remember anything.
Right, I kick started the year with going to see the beautifully melodic post rock band Arms and Sleepers, who were absolutely perfect for a sleepy day, drenching me with beautiful melodies. I then spent most of January mooching around not really doing much, apart from occasionally going to the cinema; I particularly enjoyed Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll (the film about Ian Dury).
February is pretty much a blur, I mean I often struggle to remember the past week or so, trying to remember all the way back to February is more then a little difficult, although I do remember thoroughly enjoying Invasion and Bo Ningen. It gave me a chance to say hello to Invasion, who I hadn’t seen for a couple of years. Flying Lotus stopped by at the Thekla and said Hi to me. Non Compus Mentus played our second ever show at Mothers Ruin in Bristol with Dead Legs and another band who I can’t remember. I spent most of the show climbing on top of people over hanging banisters and stuff, it was a crazy show.
March descended into a chaotic time of running like a lunatic from venue to venue, don’t quote me too closely as to who I saw in which month, but I do remember going top see Trans Am who are one of my favourite bands of all time. For me to explain to people how much they have influenced the way I listen to music is nigh on impossible.
Around about that time I also saw Konono No1, an amazing Congoleas band who play hand built instruments and amplifiers – you could see all the frayed wires poking out of pretty much everything. They were followed up by Omar Sullyman, who I can only describe as sounding like Serbian rave music with his eastern beats thumping through.
And I spent some of this year re-discovering the beauty that is Efterklang, easily one of the most beautiful sounding bands on the planet, it’s like as if they have a Choir of Angels multi layering up melodies.
This year I also got to see The Flaming Lips at Glastonbury which was amazing, in the most ridiculous of ways. Their stage show involved millions of pounds worth of equipment with massive glitter cannons, 60ft video screens, weather balloons ticker tape and 30 random people dressed in orange costumes, seriously one of the most impressive headlining shows I ever seen.
Mind you, I think most of this year has been about reminiscing in the comeback trails of bands. Some were better than others, such as Edwyn Collins, whose show at the Fleece quite literally reduced me to tears. No one would believe that after the double brain haemorrhage he suffered five years ago, that he would be back on the stage. It was a staggeringly beautiful show.
Other come backs on the otherhand have been more about the money, I mean take a look at the vast wedges of cash the Libertines were offered to reform! Probably enough to feed the entire African continent… Most of the bands who have been reforming are bands that had their success during the 90s, especially the popular Britpop scene.
2011 will bring back more bands like Pulp, there is also the reformation of Kyuss minus Josh Homme under the name Kyuss Lives and then we have the return of Wire, this will bring much excitement to me. I also think that 2011 will see the rise in new wave of Soul Music, I can see Jannelle Monae becoming a household name. Finally, I think that music is going to get a whole lot more intense and be rife with emotional aggression, like a rebirth of Punk, Rock will take guitar music on a more feral sound, which may reflect political views. Anyway I think 2011 is going to be an interesting year!
By Bristol’s most prolific gig goer, Big Jeff
