Leeds University Refectory 27-09-2010.
Now what is it about Nick Cave & Warren Ellis that reminds me of the characters from the books I used to read as a child? Sinister little characters from dark fairytales. I can just picture them dancing round a fire playing violins & cackling manically circa Rumpelstiltskin.
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| Step into the deathray. |
Oh how long we had waited, three years since the first Grinderman album & now the bread knife & me had tickets to see them twice in 3 nights.We were going to see Grinderman for the very first time & we were giddier than a box full of monkeys on a special delivery to giddy town.
I'm sure you will agree my little cherubs, there is nothing finer than seeing a band playing to a packed house & believe me, Nottingham Rock City was packed to the gunnels. DANGEROUSLY SO.
Just prior to the band coming on stage, I paid a visit to the can & it was literally a fight to get there. The room was so packed there was hardly room to breathe. Tempers were fraying & there was a real bad vibe about the place. There is no doubt in my mind that had a fire inspector been present, the place would have been shut down.
I know for a fact this show had been sold out for a while, so why did I see cash changing hands betwixt punters & the bouncers as we were making our way in? Hmm, very strange.
Grinderman came on stage mercifully early & I don't think I've ever witnessed a gig so full on,so fired up & so beautifully manic & hostile (& I'm talking about the audience here). This must have been such a thrill for the band to play. This must be the scenario that every band strives for.
I'll not bore you with the song details, because if you're reading this you probably know them anyway. Needless to say, they were all carried off with a degree of technical perfection without skimping on the ragged rock'n'rollness of it all. In short; perfection.
About a quarter of the way through the set, poor Mrs Tightpocket was feeling a little worse for wear. She'd been trampled kicked & shoved (that was after trying to move 15 yards away from the stage) & was looking more than a little upset. Then a small miracle happened. A gap appeared near the bar, which is situated to the left of the stage, I grabbed her by the hand & ran for this gap, it was beautiful, it was like the parting of the seas. Within a minute we were up the stairs, on the balcony & in 7th heaven. we had the best view in the house, not close enough to take pictures but hey, what the hell.
After finding our place of comparative safety, we could chill & absorb the show. There was one moment I was aching to witness. Oh yes boys & girls; you know the one. No Pussy Blues. For those of you seeking some kind of deep, philosophical higher thinking from the Cavemeister; it's a song about not getting any pussy really.
With it's spoken intro, it gently builds & builds to the sickest sounding crescendo of a lead break ever to come from the fingertips of Warren Ellis. This nearly tore the roof off the building, the crowd below were one seething throbbing mass, I swear there were bodies stuck to the ceiling. How people didn't come out of there with bones 'a' broken & still in full possession of all their limbs I will never know.
It took us a full 30 minutes to filter our way out of the building. We were sweat soaked, a little relieved but also glad that we had witnessed this spectacle. We only had 2 days to go to do it all again in Leeds.
Leeds was much less of a tense affair. A complete sell out but with a fantastic atmosphere.
Madame Tightpocket & me travelled there with Tony & his wife Sharon. Tony being a man who once made the journey to Barcelona to see Grinderman, only for he & his travelling companions to get so shitfaced that he missed the show. So tonight was a real big moment for my old mate Tony & Grinderman made his wait to see them more than worthwhile.
Grinderman were once again gobsmackingly awesome. Cave all high kicks & as you can see from many of the pictures he points a mean finger. It's one of the best points this side of the great Johnny Navarro.
Me old mate Jonno likened them to the early Cramps. I know what he means but I Don't think they can be likened to anyone. They are so fresh sounding, raw but touching a degree of technical perfection.
All in all boys & girls; there are 3 little words which can be best used to describe these Grinderman shows & all the other Grinderman shows to follow I'll wager:......
PURE F+++ING GENIUS.
Chin chin my dears.
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