A quick dash across Bloomsbury from Senate House, down Kingsway, over Aldwych and to Somerset House in time to join the queue and obtain an additional ticket. Wonderful and strange to be able to walk to a concert, rather than the usual effort of arranging trains or persuading someone to drive. An incredible venue, the majority of the square being devoted to the show. The weather, which had been rather threatening, turned pleasant, and even the plague of flying ants which seemed to be roving the banks of the Thames gave up once we were inside the compound. Noticed Professor Sandhu (the final keynote speaker from the conference) arriving too - excellent taste, these academics!
Purchased vastly overpriced beer (even by London standards) and settled in for the music. The Shins were up first - pretty, clever power-pop stuff. I have one of their records, and like it a lot. They were a bit lost out here, but they had a great time and the audience seemed to like it.
Having seen Belle and Sebastian back in December I sort of knew what to expect, but they confounded me entirely with a strange set! Kicking off with the first four songs from 'Tigermilk', they confessed they only stopped because no-one remembered 'Electronic Renaissance'. Quite a bit of the most recent album, along with the usual surprises - including 'I Know Where The Summer Goes' and Stevie Jackson's take on 'Blue Suede Shoes' (after which he apologised to Elvis Presley).
A complete string quartet helped the sound to fill the venue, and was used to excellent effect on 'Lord Anthony' and 'If You Find Yourself Caught In Love' among others. As always I've completely forgotten the set-list, but another high point has to be 'Piazza, New York Catcher' with just acoustic guitar and Stuart's voice.
Somehow, the band wasn't quite as sharp as the Bath show, but a longer set with some unusual song choices, lots of banter from the stage, and an incredible setting more than made up for this. Left Somerset House happy, for a pleasant meandering walk home just as most of London seemed to be coming out to party - I must be getting old...
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
