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Monday December 01, 03
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04:22 PM - The 'Head Master Ritual
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Radiohead, then.
Not in my top five gigs of the year, but they were really quite good for the most part. It was a faintly interesting day.
I was supposed to be going with just my main gig-going mate, but it turned into a group of eight of us eventually, none of whom I would describe as mates (apart from the one I've already described as a mate), but who are mostly alright. Instead of going to Glasgow at a reasonable time, we spent far too long drinking in my town, watching the football, before going to the train station and going through to Glasgow. No conductor came round and so we dodged a fare.
Then, once in Glasgow, we went to another sort of trendy looking bar in the city centre, where they, as it was St Andrews day, were generously giving out nips to customers. Or maybe it was their first howevermany customers? I don't know. The place was quiet. Anyway, doors were open at 7pm, but it was about 7:30pm before we decided we should make a move for the not-particularly-close venue.
So we ended up missing pretty much all of the support, who were Asian Dub Foundation. This was mildly annoying because I had essentially missed it because of other people. Had it been up to me, I would have been there on time, as I always make a point of catching the support. (Every gig I've been to this year, I've seen the support.) And moreover, I was quite looking forward to seeing ADF, knowing and quite liking a few of their tunes. Though I own nothing by them.
That was a bit irritating, then.
But Radiohead were good. I shan't bother trying to remember the set-list for you, as Radiohead set lists can be easily enough found on the internet, but I didn't fare all that well with my wish list. They did, indeed, play nothing off Pablo Honey (hurrah!), and they played three ? tracks off The Bends (Just, My Iron Lung, Fake Plastic Trees), but not, NOT, Street Spirit! Bastards. They play it every bloody night. Except last night, of course. Five-ish off OK Computer (Lucky, Climbing The Walls, Paranoid Android, Karma Police and No Surprises), but not Airbag. Wankers. They did play my Kid A trio, including EIIRP, which was the final song and highlight of the evening, quite transcendent. In terms of individual songs I've seen played live this year, I think it ranks high. They played five tracks off Kid A in fact, which is nice as it's my fave. It's genuinely great, the only 'Head album I'd say that about. They never played ...Plates off Amnesiac. In fact, they played I Might Be Wrong but I don't think they played anything else off it. And they played shedloads off HTTT, including There There. They could have pandered to me more, I think.
But they were very good, probably better than I expected, and my opinion of them may just have grown a bit.
Getting home was an adventure. They did two encores. Of course, this was to be expected, anybody who had bothered to find out anything about their recent concerts knew they would. Why bands do this sort of thing is a mystery. Crowds come to expect encores, like it's their right to one, and hence a bit of mild clapping and generally hanging around secures you one. I think bands should decide whether to do an encore on the basis of the audience's enthusiasm. But no...
Yes, so, two encores, and consequently we missed the last train home. Now, as everybody who pays attention knows, I am closer to Edinburgh (Scotland's cultural capital) than Glasgow (Scotland's thuggery capital), and so, after we tried a couple of alternatives, such as the buses (there were none), we had to get a taxi home rather than spend the night in Glasgow. Hey, I was working. Otherwise we could have tried to get into a club! It turned out okay, though. Fifty squid a taxi, four in each taxi, so it wasn't all that much more expensive than a train return. And remember, careful readers, we didn't have to pay on the way in.
Late to bed, then, but I haven't been too tired today and made it through work fine.
The only other exciting event of today, besides going to my mate's and winning the European Cup in PES3 with Hungary, was getting a ticket for Suede next Sunday, in Glasgow again. I'm quite looking forward to it.
Until later, folks...
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I'm glad you had a good show from Radiohead. It's hard when a band's *possible* setlist grows to the size of Radiohead's. There are just too many good songs for them all to get played every night. Better luck next year...