Roddy Frame @ Oran Mor 10th Nov. 2008

Roddy was on great form at the Oran Mor as he performed tracks from his own solo projects to some classic Aztec Camera songs.

Down the Dip & Birth of the True
Roddy Frame - Live at The Oran Mor 1 of 2


Reason For Living
Roddy Frame - Live at The Oran Mor 2 of 2

The Alarm - King Tuts 7th November 2008

GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY!

The Alarm take Glasgow by storm.

Friday 7th November 2008 will go down in the annals of Rock and Roll as one of the finest displays of musical magic ever. The Alarm were in town on the second night of their adventerous Guerilla Tactics Tour that is taking place in four cities (Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and London), over four nights for the next three weeks.

Mike Peters is still a man so passionate about music and he has gathered about himself a real quality band who for the past four or five years have been The Alarm. Unlike many bands from a bygone era The Alarm have continually been releasing new material and seeking to raise the profile like choosing to release the album by performing in Times Square earlier this summer and having a digital store right there on the street.

Guerilla Tactics is the third album release since the rebirth of the band (In the Poppy Fields and Under Attack being the other two. It should be pointed out that they have actually released more than that but these titles have been available with far reaching distribution). Very little has changed about The Alarm. Their songs are still of anthemic quality, their shows are a cross between the football terraces and a revival meeting. They have a spirit of 1977 Punk Rock yet a sound that appeals to far more people than the punks.

The sold out crowd at King Tuts in Glasgow were treated to a set list that embraced both The Alarm of the 1980's and the new Alarm of the present. Beginning with 'Marching On' , 'Where Were You Hiding' and 'The Stand' they then moved on to the present with storming versions of 'Alarm Calling', 'Superchannel' and the exceptional 'Situation Under Control' that speaks of Mike's battle with cancer. Without skipping a beat they are back on old ground with 'Rain in the Summertime' and fan favourite 'Blaze of Glory'. That ended the first set.

Fifteen minutes later a cheer in the crowd goes up. Mike is right there in the middle of it, guitar in hand and a close and communal sing-a-long breaks out as Mike plays 'Walk Forever By My Side', 'Unsafe Building' and 'Breathe'. What has been noticeable about the show thus far is that Mike Peters wants to align himself with the fans. He doesn't want distance. At various points in the evening he is diving in, shaking hands, giving high fives, he's a man who wants to touch lives because their lives have touched his. It's beautiful to watch a man so consumed with passion that he wants others to feel it also.
The second set begins with the rousing sounds of 'Three Sevens Clash' and Mike and the band move so effortlessly from new to old as 'Absolute Relality' follows. 'My Town' from the brilliant 'Under Attack' is then followed by 'Fightback' from their latest release. It only quietens down for a moment with the impressive 'The Drunk and Disorderly' before launching into an all out rock and roll assault: 'Cease and Desist', 'Without A Fight', 'Rescue Me'. '45 RPM', and ending the set with 'Spirit of 76' and 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker'.

The place is bouncing. Condensation is dripping off the ceiling and the crowd are still up for more and so that's what they get. 'Into the 21st Century' leads off a really sweet encore set and that blends into a short verse and chorus of 'One Step Closer' before launching into one of their most widely known songs in '68 Guns'. The final song in the set is 'Love, Hope Strength', but wait a minute, they're not done yet! A nod to their hero Joe Strummer crowns the night, 'White Riot'!

Glasgow is always a special place for The Alarm and once again this evening's show demonstrated why. There was not a soul in at King Tuts who did not give their all in the pursuit of the ultimate rock and roll show. They did so because the band gave their all.

We went out in a Blaze of Glory tonight and we got a week to rest before we do it all over again!

Update

Yeah I know, it was July when I was last here but hey, it's my blog! Joking aside, it's been a busy time. Gigs, taking photos for bands and recovering from a broken foot!

This month is a busy one for gigs. Tonight I'm out to see The Alarm @ King Tuts and will see them again at the same venue on the 14th and 21st of this month. Also squeezing in Roddy Frame on Monday 10th @ Oran Mor, Glasgow, and Anberlin on the 25th @ King Tuts.

Already got two shows booked for 2009. Last weekend in January it's time for The Gathering again. A whole weekend of music by The Alarm. Then in February it's the return (finally!) of P.O.D. They haven't been here in Scotland since 1992 when they played the Barrowlands whilst promoting the very brilliant 'Satellite' album. This time around they are playing at The Garage (15th Feb. 2009). Very excited about that show.

Emmylou Harris @ Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow 9th Sept. 2008

Two nights after seeing Underoath at The Garage it was a very different concert that I went to at the Royal Concert Hall. Emmylou Harris was in town to promote her brand new CD 'All I Intended To Be'. A fantastic show that included tracks from her very impressive back catalogue as well as tracks from the new album. Here's a few photos from the night. I had really great seats (fifth row) and had a great time with my mate Eddie.

Underoath & Oh, Sleeper 7th September 2008

On Sunday 7th September 2008 Underoath rolled into Glasgow on their short UK tour. Supported by Oh, Sleeper the sellout crowd enjoyed a great night of hardcore Christian Metal. Here's a few pictures from the night.

Some of the pictures might show up as quite small here so click view image to see the full image.

Underoath @ The Garage



























Oh, Sleeper @ The Garage

B52's Glasgow. 21st July 2008

In typical fashion I'm late with everything. Here's some Video and Photos from the exciting B-52's show at the Carling Academy on Monday 21st July 2008.


Give Me Back My Man

The Alarm - Rock the Colonies Tour

Filmed on 13th July 2008 @ The Irving Plaza, New York City.

Mike Peters in New York

On Monday Mike Peters was in New York City to launch the new Alarm album 'Guerilla Tactics'. He performed on 44th and Broadway (Times Square). Here he is performing 'Fightback from the new album.



Go to the link below to listen to Mike Peters on the radio playing tracks from the new album and also an in-depth interview.

http://www.jamnow.com/MembersProfile.aspx?UserId=2697

Where Does the Time Go?

Okay, it's about time to start posting some stuff again. Where does the time go? I was recently in New York City and I'll post some pictures in a little while. Apologies to those who have visited and wondered where on earth I have been hiding.

Mudcrutch!

Tom Petty is back with his old band, the delightfully named Mudcrutch. The album is pretty quality stuff. I guess it's not that much differnt to what he has been doing with his other band The Heartbreakers.

Read more about the band at Wikepdeia or check out their own website mudcrutchmusic.com

The first single from the new album is called 'Scare Easy' and below is a live version of it filmed in Santa Cruz in April of this year.