Frig - What happened to June?

OK - I always apologise here, the part when I feel really guilty for some reason I am not keeping this thing up to date. God forbid if I do ever have kids, they will be pissed off to see Mammy kept all the sunniest goings ons for her eyes only. I should not have to apologise really though because there is only one person who reads this shite on a regular basis and it is only my x-boss, so it does not really cause too much stress, well, it does, I am waffling on about it, yes I feel guilt as Marianne Faithfull said three weeks ago when I saw her at the Fillmore.

If only to brag about all the gorgeously live gigs I have been to since Coachella in April (I still need to put the line up on my blog re this event, and also gather more pictures, although most are to risque for publication, and Madonna already did that book so I guess I will sneak them in the old archives somewhere; I tell you when I am 65 I will not be able to rely on my seriously deteriorating memory to bore my Grand kids to death with - THIS will be my only tool for recollection and I really should document more for my benefit). (Breathe).

I am just gonna list the gigs I have been to recently.

Joan Armatrading at Mountain Winery, Seratoga.
She was great, the first note induced a serious eyeball flooding. Her music evoked so many childhood memories, I just had to shed a few tears, she was real, her voice not a note out from her CD's. I had to use itunes for the first ever time for purchase, as I needed to download her greatest hits just to brush up before the show. My Mum and I went along, and sat in the outdoors with a near-on full moon. Question: Why do Americans feel the urge to talk all the way though a sit down $50 show? About what they are having for tomorrow's dinner and such. The conduct in the cinema is far more disheartening and this gig was the first one I had to ask someone to stop being so disrespectful and downright rude. They moved seats! Always polite - never too aggressive, well a little since it was Joan and there were a fair few 'butch' biatches about, so I had to be a bit firm.

Fratellis at The Fillmore, San Francisco.
Brilliant show, right at the front of the stage. I must say though the roadies provided nearly as much entertainment as the band. Brilliant Scottish looking blokes, Mum actually reckoned the amp man was the glass collector from the band's local! Mum, Stacey and Zoe (visiting from Keighley, Yorks UK) and Christine (visiting from Edinburgh) her half sister Pier and myself went together and danced and shouted our heads off for a very good set, which needed a little bit more audience participation if I have to make a comment. The lead singer did not engage with the audience quite as much as I'd have liked. They left my favourite song 'Chelsea Dagger' for the encore and what an encore, the crowd went crazy.

Sierra Leone Refugee Group, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco.
My God, these boys and lady could play! I cannot really put my finger on a genre for this band, they were thrown together in a refugee camp and obviously decided to pass time by banging on a few instruments, singing, rapping and dancing. A feast for the ears. Never seen a bassist with grey dreads down to his ass before, he insured my eyes did not suffer fatigue, in fact if I wanted to I could have taken the cheeky chappy home. Got very drunk this evening all because of the amount of dancing I was doing.

Hot Chip, The Fillmore, San Francisco.
The best band at Coachella Music Fest. By far, they rocked and my second dose of them made me firmly believe that there are one of the most original, entertaining in a quirky way, lads from home who are causeing riots here. The police stated the next day that this was an illegal rave, seriously guys it is not exactly in a barn in the middle of Kent, we bought tickets and from what I know no E's were being flogged. Rave! It rocked. But I could not liken it to any of the raves I ever attended in my youth (listen to Granny here!). They are so good live, their CD doe not do them justice, you have to see these boys live.

Marianne Faithful, Guess where? Yeah the Fillmore, San Francisco.
Seated at round tables elegantly lit with votives, Mum and I, I treat her for her birthday, sat in a very different Fillmore than what I am used to. It was all very civilized, until Marianne opened her mouth! I have some of her CD's and have only played them a few times, however after this show I cannot stop playing her. She is fantastic. Girls, she is one for the ladies.

OK so there's a few. I have tickets for The Kings of Leon in September will be stood in line at Popscene in two weeks for Maximo Park, this venue is really small, and tickets can only be bought on the door, so it is a pain in the ass, but the last gig I went to there was the Teddybears and they were worth the wait on a chilly foggy night. So I am in line for that one. The Klaxons are plying next Thursday for $15 so I may pop up to the city for that one.

OK, back to Howard Stern on Sirius. He is having a butr ring hoopla game at the moment- all very entertaining I am sure ;-)