12 posts tagged “glasvegas”

We get to the O2 and in the pouring rain I argue with the security to get under the building into the proper car parking area.   Ken meets us inside with our passes and we go and find Jo who is waiting outside the main entrance.   We find our seats in time to go and see Glasvegas who are opening on the tour.  I am impressed that there is such a big turnout this early to see them.   They look amazing as well, all of them have lost weight, and are looking stylish; Rab has jettisoned the trench coat and James is wearing a smart jacket.   He actually looks like Elvis Costello tonight that is until he strips down to a muscle man T-shirt and shows off ripped arms.  The set list is surprising as they throw Geraldine out first .   James is looking like a real star now though; I can start feeling very confident for the future.
   We grab a drink before coming back for Kings of Leon.  The screaming blows me away, I have never been to a concert where so many girls are losing it, clearly I need to get out more or move my roster around a bit.   It is a big deal to have the Kings back in London, this is the place that took them to their heart first and they know it.   For all of their international success we are still ahead of the game, selling 2 million records, a figure unimaginable for a rock band in 2009.   They have stepped up their game; the tracks sound amazing, lean raw.  There is a precise menace to “Crawl” a deliberate understated power here that is thrilling to watch.   Likewise “Pistol of Fire” it is slower and heavier than on record and way more exciting.  I could just sit back and watch each member of the band go through their paces, each of them is so compelling.   Nathan is particular is a drummer to rival any in the world.  I am so proud that Scarlet has been given sticks by the John Bonham of today.
"Fans" is so heartfelt, a song about the crowd that is giving up everything for the band.  When they perform “Sex on Fire” the screams go up another level, I didn’t think it could get this crazy.   “The Bucket” is magnificent; all of the tracks they pick off ”Aha Shake Heartbreak” arguably their most overlooked record go down a storm.   Mark leans across to me telling me how their songs have an incredible resonance in a room like this.   He is right, they are the last true stadium rock band on the way up, they have that quality that resounds with classic rock from the seventies and eighties.   I am so lucky to have it happen on my watch.  They are properly delivering tonight as well.   Watching Caleb and Matthew duke it out on duelling guitars is like something from the Allman brothers.
They encore with a matchless run, “Knocked Up” into “Closer” two of Jo’s favourite tunes, then into Revelry”, and finally “California Waiting” how good is that?  

I get the tube down to Brixton; at least I get to read some French on the way.   It is chaos in there, so this is what the Brits would be like of the NME ran it all.   It does have a real energy, there is anarchy to it all and the red carpet and paparazzi is for real instead of the polite staged affair at The Brits.   I go and say hi to Glasvegas, Kasabian and MGMT who are all down the front on their tables.   I get to hear that Blur, or rather Damon and Graham are performing which makes for a really very special occasion.   I desert my label and go and sit with MGMT near the front.   Mark Jones is in front of me waiting for Grace Jones to appear, she is presenting an award.   
   The host is Mark Watson, trying to get the place gong by shouting “Cunt” a lot” The venue actually works well for a show, everyone feels at home here, Indigo didn’t work in the same way.   What it does deliver is amazing sound “White Lies” have never sounded so good, delivering an impressively brutal rendition of “Death” Then it all kicks off proper with Elbow performing with a full orchestra and Guy Garvey driving the beat home on the drum.   It is a huge powerful sound that could bring granite to tears of emotion.  Grace Jones steps up with suitable crazed charisma to present Muse with best Live Act.  Florence and the Machine arrive to give The Arctic Monkeys best DVD.   It all gets exciting when the cast of Skins appear to present the best new band award.  It has been a good year but it is MGMT who win the award.   The table erupts and Ben and Andrew step up to the stage in pretty bemused fashion.  Total stars giving another surreal twist to the Narnia stage setting.
Dizzee Rascal picks up Dancefloor Filler for him and Calvin Harris’ “Dance with Me” his entrance is the blueprint for how it should be done, climbing over the audience, slapping all of their hands before diving back into the crowd and being carried aloft by them all.  Franz Ferdinand are up on stage in some strikingly colorful suits performing a new song from the album before launching into Blondie’s “Call Me” with La Roux who looks like a very exotic bird for the evening.  Then we get Kings of Leon picking up Best Album, a pretty major achievement, poor loves are in a dressing room in Germany and it is difficult to burst with excitement on that environment.   Big Pink are presented with the Philip Hall Radar award by Rab and Caroline from Glasvegas.   “Didn’t do us much fucking good tonight” chuckles Rab, which is fair comment, they really should be picking up an award.
The moment of real genius for the awards though is getting Damon and Graham back on stage for the first time in public since The Royal Festival Hall back in 2000.   They perform an acoustic version of “This is a Low” and it really does get me, I never thought I would be seeing this again and it is so wonderful to hear Damon singing that song again.   He walks from the stage with his arm round Graham and all is right with the world once more.   Dave and Alex get to crash the party, presenting the best solo artist award to Pete Doherty who still looks an absolute star in this vast fedora.   I go and sit with all of The Blur boys for a while; it is quite something seeing them all together again and all looking so happy and excited.   Jamie is with them bouncing with enthusiasm.  The family is reunited.
Elbow rightfully pick up Outstanding Contribution and The Mighty Boosh of course get the Best TV show.   Glasvegas and Florence deliver an absolutely incredible performance of “Suspicious Minds’ over this huge wall of Phil Spector guitars.  They look incredible up there wrapped around each other on the stage, a proper moment.  The Killers get Best International and then MGMT walk off with Track of the Year for “Time to Pretend” We are all going mental at our table by now, I think they are the only ones to win two awards this evening and it is a real affirmation of everything we have all achieved.   What a journey that has been.   I am sure there are more awards but by now everyone is on their feet and it is all getting properly chaotic.  
The night ends with The Cure delivering a Greatest Hits set.   I would never have expected this to be a fitting climax to what has been the best NME awards I can ever remember, but along with everyone else in the room I find myself squeezed down the front singing along to every word.   They look sensational, Robert Smith all happy and excited at the centre, Simon Gallup a total picture of Rock and Roll cool, straight out of the Ace Café, looking not a day older than when he first joined the band.   And Porl Thompson, a total freakshow but how amazing is he to watch.   This is a band conjured up out of the imagination playing songs that everyone knows and loves at breakneck speed.   It is amazing.   We are all up in the tables dancing to “Killing of an Arab”

We get to Brighton and park up the road from the Dome.  We get inside he venue where Friendly Fires are onstage.   I am struck by how they look, how young they are.  Ollie turns to me and says this is the first name tour where he has looked to sign all of the acts on the bill.   Backstage we run into Henry from White Lies who is curled up on the floor outside his dressing room.  He is very friendly.   We push through to Glasvegas’ dressing room to find Rab, Paul and Caroline.   I sit chatting with Rab when Florence bursts in.   She is so pleased to see me, gives me the biggest of hugs.    She is talking 90 to the dozen the whole time, often in a random fashion.     James emerges from the shower.   He looks well.   The whole band look good.  It is down to having regular catering on tour, not eating kebabs at midnight.  It is so good to see James.   He gives me such a big hug, I realise how lucky I am to work with him.
Ollie and I go out to watch the gig.   The last time I was here was to see The Scissor Sisters when they were filming their DVD; it was a really big gig for them.  It is terrific to see how Glasvegas have come on since I last saw them.  They carry themselves with so much more confidence.   James is electric on the stage, a proper frontman.   In the past he would have been glued to the spot in front of the mike hiding behind his wayfarers.  Now he is diving across the stage like Bruce Springsteen.   This is what I always hoped he would turn into.  The volume is brutal and I am grateful for earplugs.   I am shocked how they give away “Geraldine” and” Lonesome Swan” as the first two songs of the set, my two favourite songs.  But again it is a display of confidence and they manage to maintain an incredible confidence throughout.