Back to Gigs
The Magic Numbers gig on Friday was just brilliant. Oops, I’ve gone straight to the end there. First things first: I walked into town to get my steps in (without my usual rucksack for a change) and listened to the Numbers all the way - on my really crap headphones. Had read so much about how poor the beer is in the venue: the Arts Club, on Seel Street – operated by O2 Academy (not to be confused with the Arts Bar on Hope Street) - and how expensive it is too. I hadn’t been in the Arts Club since it was the Masque, many moons ago.
So I walked the 4.8 miles from mine to the Keystone first with the aim to get a nice pint and fill myself up with a burger from Boffo Burgers (who operate out of the Keystone from Friday to Sunday). Sat outside in the garden cooling down from the long walk and had a couple of pints of Chapter Brewing ‘The Hay is Waiting’ and a cheeseburger and fries from Boffo. Top choices both.
Whilst I was in the Keystone I discovered I needed to prove either a negative Covid test or that I’d been double vaccinated. I haven’t had a test for a while, but I have been double vaccinated. Unfortunately I’ve never checked whether the NHS App was up to date with that - I’ve heard many people have gone on and found one or both of their vaccinations not showing. I had a fear therefore that if that was the case I wouldn’t be seeing the Magic Numbers at all. In the end I gave my app the appropriate answers so that it could find my results and hey presto both vaccines were showing so I was good to go. (I was a bit perturbed that this ‘all clear’ is only valid to sometime in October!?! What happens then with any gig going?
Said my farewells and headed for one in the Coach House. Ended up rushing a second (hey, the gig venue was going to be crap for beer). The walk took me past the Grapes so I had to go for a quick pint of Neptune ‘Ezili’ in there, didn’t I?
And then finally, after my pre-loading with beef burger & fries and some mighty fine ales, it was time to head to the Arts Club. There some people queuing outside, some of who were going through the process I’d gone thru trying to dig out their ‘I’m relatively safe’ proof before showing a ticket too. Then I was in. Huzzah! This was my first post lockdown gig with a non-socially distanced requirement (I’d been to the post-lockdown gig of Frank Turner in Top Rope Brewery, but that was with a socially distanced exclusive ‘crowd’ of 60 people). I was unsure how it would be.
Obviously it felt a bit strange (somewhere between good and ‘oh should we be doing this?’). The fact that everyone has to show their vaccination or latest test status though is at least a bit reassuring. I walked straight past the queue for the bar and headed for a bit of space on the left hand side to watch the stage (my fullness with quick beers and meat & fries worked!). Ren Harvieu was playing with Romeo and Michelle from the Numbers. I caught three of her songs before they left and the Numbers came on. The atmosphere was lovely.
The atmosphere just grew and grew and became eye poppingly good. The vibe perfect. Chatted to a few people who were along a straight line measurement between sober and not so sober - but all were in an equally mighty fine place. I couldn’t wait for the Numbers. Which was handy as there wasnt long to wait…
The tour was arranged to celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of their first, eponymous, album which was released in 2005. As the gig was on its third iteration due to covid cancelations then it was really the 16th anniversary. But if we can have the 2020 Olympics and 2020 European Championship this year then I dare say another event with a stretched out date is neither here nor there. In any case it was very much a celebration of their first, much loved, album. In fact they played the songs from the album in the order of it.
The audience loved it. Raising hands, glasses and voices along with the all of the songs. It was joyous. And I’d forgotten to be ‘not quite sure’ about being in a crowded indoor venue. I’m not sure whether it was sold out or not. It seemed pretty full to me, though not too bad to get to the bar when I finally decided I was in need of hydration again. Choices for an ale drinker were limited (and they didn’t even have any Guinness – my go to drink where ale is not about) so I ended up drinking Somersby pretend cider. Which did a job.
The music and atmosphere hardly took a dip; the album is one classic after another after all. And I enjoyed everything about it (if not the bar). They ended the gig (which included the hidden song at the end of the album) with a saxophone player joining them to play ‘Sweet Divide’ which was a beautiful epic song to end with.
Yes, all in all, a mighty good night. Can’t beat live music, can you? That’s rhetorical. You can’t.
___________
Talking of live music I ended up getting a ticket the next day for a gig next week in Liverpool. It’ll be my first time going to a Sofar gig. They don’t tell you who will be playing or where! All they say is that it’ll be arrive for 7:15 and it’ll be in Liverpool. Then 36 hours before the gig they inform you about the venue. You only find out who is playing when they step up to the microphone. An interesting concept. For £10 it is not much to gamble with and I am looking forward to this week’s event: and yes I know now I have a record of my double vaccination status. Huzzah!
If it sounds up your street (it is a worldwide thing) then take a look at the website to see if there is anything coming up where you are:
www.sofarsounds.com
www.sofarsounds.com/cities/liverpool
So I walked the 4.8 miles from mine to the Keystone first with the aim to get a nice pint and fill myself up with a burger from Boffo Burgers (who operate out of the Keystone from Friday to Sunday). Sat outside in the garden cooling down from the long walk and had a couple of pints of Chapter Brewing ‘The Hay is Waiting’ and a cheeseburger and fries from Boffo. Top choices both.
Whilst I was in the Keystone I discovered I needed to prove either a negative Covid test or that I’d been double vaccinated. I haven’t had a test for a while, but I have been double vaccinated. Unfortunately I’ve never checked whether the NHS App was up to date with that - I’ve heard many people have gone on and found one or both of their vaccinations not showing. I had a fear therefore that if that was the case I wouldn’t be seeing the Magic Numbers at all. In the end I gave my app the appropriate answers so that it could find my results and hey presto both vaccines were showing so I was good to go. (I was a bit perturbed that this ‘all clear’ is only valid to sometime in October!?! What happens then with any gig going?
Said my farewells and headed for one in the Coach House. Ended up rushing a second (hey, the gig venue was going to be crap for beer). The walk took me past the Grapes so I had to go for a quick pint of Neptune ‘Ezili’ in there, didn’t I?
And then finally, after my pre-loading with beef burger & fries and some mighty fine ales, it was time to head to the Arts Club. There some people queuing outside, some of who were going through the process I’d gone thru trying to dig out their ‘I’m relatively safe’ proof before showing a ticket too. Then I was in. Huzzah! This was my first post lockdown gig with a non-socially distanced requirement (I’d been to the post-lockdown gig of Frank Turner in Top Rope Brewery, but that was with a socially distanced exclusive ‘crowd’ of 60 people). I was unsure how it would be.
Obviously it felt a bit strange (somewhere between good and ‘oh should we be doing this?’). The fact that everyone has to show their vaccination or latest test status though is at least a bit reassuring. I walked straight past the queue for the bar and headed for a bit of space on the left hand side to watch the stage (my fullness with quick beers and meat & fries worked!). Ren Harvieu was playing with Romeo and Michelle from the Numbers. I caught three of her songs before they left and the Numbers came on. The atmosphere was lovely.
The atmosphere just grew and grew and became eye poppingly good. The vibe perfect. Chatted to a few people who were along a straight line measurement between sober and not so sober - but all were in an equally mighty fine place. I couldn’t wait for the Numbers. Which was handy as there wasnt long to wait…
The tour was arranged to celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of their first, eponymous, album which was released in 2005. As the gig was on its third iteration due to covid cancelations then it was really the 16th anniversary. But if we can have the 2020 Olympics and 2020 European Championship this year then I dare say another event with a stretched out date is neither here nor there. In any case it was very much a celebration of their first, much loved, album. In fact they played the songs from the album in the order of it.
The audience loved it. Raising hands, glasses and voices along with the all of the songs. It was joyous. And I’d forgotten to be ‘not quite sure’ about being in a crowded indoor venue. I’m not sure whether it was sold out or not. It seemed pretty full to me, though not too bad to get to the bar when I finally decided I was in need of hydration again. Choices for an ale drinker were limited (and they didn’t even have any Guinness – my go to drink where ale is not about) so I ended up drinking Somersby pretend cider. Which did a job.
The music and atmosphere hardly took a dip; the album is one classic after another after all. And I enjoyed everything about it (if not the bar). They ended the gig (which included the hidden song at the end of the album) with a saxophone player joining them to play ‘Sweet Divide’ which was a beautiful epic song to end with.
Yes, all in all, a mighty good night. Can’t beat live music, can you? That’s rhetorical. You can’t.
___________
Talking of live music I ended up getting a ticket the next day for a gig next week in Liverpool. It’ll be my first time going to a Sofar gig. They don’t tell you who will be playing or where! All they say is that it’ll be arrive for 7:15 and it’ll be in Liverpool. Then 36 hours before the gig they inform you about the venue. You only find out who is playing when they step up to the microphone. An interesting concept. For £10 it is not much to gamble with and I am looking forward to this week’s event: and yes I know now I have a record of my double vaccination status. Huzzah!
If it sounds up your street (it is a worldwide thing) then take a look at the website to see if there is anything coming up where you are:
www.sofarsounds.com
www.sofarsounds.com/cities/liverpool
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