The Gaslight Anthem at Brixton Academy

My story from Monday night begins in the same way that so many of my stories seem to – I’m in a packed out Brixton Academy, beer in hand, waiting with anticipation for a band to come on stage. This time it’s The Gaslight Anthem, a band who has graced my iPod for a few years now and who I’ve been lucky enough to see on two previous occasions. (The most recent of which was at a rainy Download in 2011, and put it this way, if a band can make you forget that you’re knee-deep in mud you know you’re onto a winner.)

Hailing from New Jersey, and headed by frontman Brian Fallon, The Gaslight Anthem released their debut album Sink or Swim in 2007. They followed it up in 2008 with The 59 Sound, and the same year made British music history as the first band ever to appear on cover of Kerrang without the magazine having previously written about them. American Slang, released in 2010, took a different approach to song writing according to Fallon, who citied influences such as Rolling Stones and Derek and the Dominoes. (This man has taste.)

The thing that made Monday night so exciting for me was the extent to which I’ve been enjoying their latest album, Handwritten, which was released in July. When a band have four or more records under their belt, you tend to be crossing your fingers and hoping for the old stuff – the songs that made you fall in love with them in the first place. The Gaslight Anthem however, consistently impress me with every new album, and there are songs from each one that I love in equal measures. So although I was hoping to hear earlier songs like 1930 and The Backseat (in fact pretty much anything off The 59 Sound!), I’ve fallen hard for some of the songs on Handwritten and was eager to hear something new.

I got my wish and highlights from the new record included Mulholland Drive, Too Much Blood and Keepsake. Their performance was flawless as ever. There’s no messing around with these guys, they keep the chat to a minimum and just play a damn good set. Their laid-back attitudes and the pure enjoyment of what they do always seems to bring out the best in a crowd, it’s infectious and Brixton was literally a sea of smiles.

I think that what I, and so many others, love most about The Gaslight Anthem is their ability to tell a story. They really paint a picture with their songs and have a beautiful nostalgic quality, and that is what sets them apart from the teenage angst favoured by so many bands. (Although don’t get me wrong, I can still handle a bit of teenage angst too!)

They seamlessly blend folk style and storytelling with a New Jersey punk attitude. Even when they first emerged on the scene, you had a strange feeling that you had been listening to them your whole life. Not because they are in any way boring or predictable, but because they are genuine and exude a certain confidence in what they do that just feels right.

If you have seen them before you will understand why I was so happy on Monday, and how even the nightmare journey home that didn’t see me stumble into my bed until 3am couldn’t ruin my night. I have been told they have been getting some Radio 1 airplay lately, and quite honestly they deserve every bit of success they get (although please god, spare them from the ridiculous Kings of Leon style saturation of the airwaves...).

But if The Gaslight Anthem have managed to escape your radar up until this point, my advice is very simple: go and find Great Expectations and turn it up. Loud. You won’t regret it.

www.thegaslightanthem.com

Blink 182 at Brixton Academy

When I was at school, many years ago, Blink 182 were my dirty little secret. I thought that they were far more 'pop' than 'punk' and that admitting that I liked them was a bit like saying I liked Britney Spears. Which I didn't.

Fast-forward a few years and I made a shocking discovery… that all of my friends (many of whom were male, heavily tattooed and in bands themselves) loved Blink 182 as much as me. And they weren't even a little bit ashamed to admit it!

The only problem is that I never went to see them back then and they have since become so commercially successful that they mostly play the kind of massive venues that I'm not a huge fan of. The emotion tends to get a little lost in a stadium, when the band are blurry dots in the distance and you are relying on the big screens to know what's going on. So when Blink 182 announced a date at Brixton Academy I was one very happy bunny.

Aged 27 I'm not even remotely embarrassed to admit that when they appeared on stage on Wednesday night, I was insanely excited and had a big fat smile on my face – ok the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc probably contributed to it, but that smile stayed on my face the whole show.

The setlist included songs from every album and it's a struggle to pick out any highlights as they have so many classics, and they just kept coming... Feeling This, The Rock Show, What's My age Again?, Dumpweed, I Miss You, Always, Josie.... seriously too many great songs to name!

There was even a short acoustic set that included Going Away to College and All of This (minus the lovely Robert Smith) and a four song encore that included Carousel and Dammit.

There are gigs that are disappointing, there are ones so good they make you a bit emotional and there are the ones that you know are a once in a lifetime opportunity. But this gig? Quite simply it was one big smile-fest from beginning to end. To see Blink 182 at Brixton was something I thought I'd missed out on many years ago and I am very grateful for the opportunity. Especially when the next night's show was cancelled due to Mark's bronchitis!

Get well soon Mark and I'm sorry Blink 182, that I ever thought I was too cool for you.

Incubus at Brixton Academy

Last week I went to see Incubus at Brixton Academy. I’ve seen them play several times over the years, the most recent of which was at the Hammersmith Apollo, and to be honest that particular show wasn’t the best I’ve ever been to. Brandon Boyd displayed a distinct lack of enthusiasm, barely addressing the crowd, and the set list seemed (for want of a better phrase) half-arsed.

For this reason we very nearly didn’t get tickets for last week’s gig, but I’ve seen them play well before and I had faith that they could turn it around. Thankfully they didn’t disappoint me! Somehow they felt like the Incubus of old, combining the energy of the Science and Make Yourself eras with the slickness of Morning View.

And what a set list! There was a nice mixture from their latest album and back catalogue, and Science wasn’t ignored as it has been so many times before. In fact the highlight of my night can be summed up in five little words: A Certain Shade of Green. Other highlights included Privilege and Here in my Room (neither of which have been performed much in recent years) and Drive, which I just don't get sick of hearing.

After all these years I’m still not bored of Incubus. For me their appeal lies in the fact that they still have their own sound – it changes from album to album but remains distinctive, so they never sound ‘of an era’. It's hard to believe that Morning View is 11 years old now, it just doesn't date.

The only predictable thing about Incubus is Boyd’s predilection for removing his clothing during every performance. But you know what? As long as the music comes first, I for one am not going to complain.

Tenacious D at Brixton Academy

I glimpsed a little Download preview last night with Tenacious D’s gig at Brixton Academy. It was exactly as I expected; a highly entertaining night with damn good sing along potential. The first part of the set was devoted to their new album Rize of the Fenix before they cracked on with the classics.

Yes The D can be puerile and yes some people are put off by the crude content (the stage was adorned with a giant inflatable phallus of a phoenix), but let’s not forget the fact that these guys are genuinely talented musicians and they put on a hell of a show. Would Dave Grohl really endorse anything less?

The only downside to the evening was entirely my own doing, well almost… It was partly Nando’s fault (too much food and beer hits me hard sometimes) and partly due to the fact that Brixton Academy was hotter than usual - a combination that made me feel seriously nauseous about 20 minutes in.

I headed out to the bar to sit down for a minute and quietly judge myself for being so pathetic, when a random guy decided to join me and question me about my taste in music. It turns out that he was the one thing guaranteed to turn a nauseous lady into a completely sick one… an enthusiastic Coldplay fan. Oh dear lord.

The night's highlights included Tribute, Double Team and Beelzeboss and I can safely say I’m looking forward to seeing Tenacious D again on Saturday, but this time I will be staying well away from Nandos and Coldplay fans. Can’t promise the same for the beer…

Right, I’m off to pack for Download and to prepare myself for the mud. After a week of rain I think my Hunters are about to become my new best friends!