Wednesday 31 December 2014

2014 In Gigs: 142 in total and a top 13



I went to 142 concerts in 2014 (down from 154 in 2013!), so I wanted to compile them quickly and run through some of my favourites. The year has been punctuated by loss, my beloved Death By Audio is gone (my tribute is here), I will miss that place forever. Glasslands (as of NYE 2014) and 285 Kent are also no longer with us, I wonder if I'll ever walk down South 2nd Street again. We also lost Kim's record shop. If my favourite coffee place (Abraco) ever goes I might just go and live in the mountains.

Scattered among the massacre were some shining moments however, and my baker's dozen favourite shows of the year are as follows (I'm trying to be objective about this).

1) Metz - Death By Audio - 21st of November

The penultimate night at Death By Audio also featured Protomartyr, Nots and Sleepies. I went to 7 of the last 9 nights at the venue and I could just list all 22 shows as being the best, but like I said, I'm trying to be objective. It's a cliche term to use, but Metz are a force of nature when they play live. The only previous time I had seen them was in a record store and they were bouncing off the walls then as well. They tore the roof off (literally) and while I sort-of grew out of my moshing phase at aged 21, I even got in the thick of things during their set. 

2) Screaming Females - Brooklyn Night Bazaar - 16th of May

Of the five Screaming Females shows I saw in 2014, their headline set at Brooklyn Night Bazaar just shades it. I could probably have picked any since they are always on form (I reviewed their show at Knitting Factory here), but everything seemed to click up a gear at this one. Guitar solos-a-plenty, and the venue's surprisingly good sound system did the band justice among the hipster trinkets and foodies around the market. 

3) Del Amitri - Hammersmith Apollo - 7th of February

My first love was Del Amitri, and having played their last shows back in 2002, I was always hopeful of having another chance to see them at some point (they never broke up, the phone just stopped ringing, as they said). Thankfully 2014 saw the band play some shows and I had no choice but to go back to England to see them. I also went to the show in Oxford but they seemed a little more into the London show, which is no surprise as Oxford can be a bit sedate for crowds. I even got to interview Justin Currie this year (see here).


4) Tweens - Death By Audio 3rd of April

I saw Tweens during CMJ in 2013 and waited impatiently for the release of their debut album (my second favourite of the year), I caught a further two shows later in the year (for 2014's CMJ) but almost by default, a show at DBA will pip most others. 

5) Jeff the Brotherhood / Diarrhea Planet - Death By Audio 12th of October

A great double-whammy of a show I reviewed here.

6) Ty Segall - Death By Audio - 14th of November

The first time I ever had to queue for a show at DBA (and a sign of things to come for the final week)! Ty Segall and Death By Audio, you needn't say any more, the two go hand-in-hand. Suffice to say it was quite the show with bodies flying everywhere.

7) Goat - Webster Hall - 18th of June

A big regret of 2013 was missing Goat's show at Music Hall Williamsburg and I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Their hypnotic psyche-rock spectacle has to be seen for yourselves, words won't really do it justice. 

8) Curtis Harding -  Mercury Lounge (10th of June) and Glasslands (11th of June)

The breakthrough artist of 2014 for me is Curtis Harding, with his debut album, Soul Power being my favourite album of the year I had to see both of his NYC shows, which I reviewed here.

9) Slowdive - Terminal 5 - 25th of October

2014 brought some surprises our way, one of which was the reformation of 90s shoegaze titans, Slowdive. Terminal 5 may well be the worst venue in New York, but sometimes you have to put your prejudices aside and suck it up. The band delivered a dream setlist and their meticulous approach to their music must have also helped as the acoustics were even good at the venue!

10) Bob Mould - Bowery Ballroom - 10th of September

Whilst Bob has always been a consistent artist, and often spectacular, he does seem to be in somewhat of a second wind at this stage of his career with his Sugar-esque releases of late. The show at Bowery Ballroom featured heavily on Husker Du songs and he just blitzed through the whole set. 

11) St Vincent - Prospect Park - 9th of August

I've got to be honest, I wasn't really feeling the Annie Clark love-in for her self-titled album, it seemed like style-over-substance and a diet version of David Bowie. However, I had heard she was good live so I made the fairly short walk to Prospect Park and waited hours in line for this free show. She really played a spectacular set fitting of a large outdoor show, I like the album a lot more now too (but it's not top 20 of the year material).

12) Guided by Voices - Bowery Ballroom - 23rd of May

Bob Pollard has pulled the plug on GBV again (hopefully only temporarily once more), so it seems like more of a treat in retrospect to have seen them again this year play their usual million-song setlist. An added bonus was opener Doug Gillard, whose album, Parade On, is an understated treasure of the year, Doug joined the band onstage for a couple of mid-period GBV tunes, including one of my favourites, Fair Touching

13) King Khan and the Shrines - Le Poisson Rouge - 6th of June

Appearing for the second year in a row (their show at Webster Hall made my 2013 list), it's impossible not to have a great time at their shows. 


Here are some nerdy stats: 

The venue I went to the most times was of course, Death By Audio, 22 times to be exact. Other double-digit visits for shows included Mercury Lounge (10) Baby's All Right (10) and close enough, Glasslands (9).

The band I saw the most times were Screaming Females, clocking in 5 shows. Which is great because they are the best live band around right now. I also have tickets to see them in February 2015. 

I saw shows in three different countries, including back home in England and also Germany (Berlin), it could have been 4, but there weren't any in Barcelona on the days I visited, I missed a few things either side of my travel dates.

All pictures are mine, leading image is of Kaki King at BRIC House (who probably should have made the top 13 in fairness!).

And the full list (note that the odd date format may be incorrect, I try to keep UK format dd-mm-yy but a few probably slip through the net!):


Band
Date
Venue
Lost Boy? / Slonk Donkerson / Heeney / Breakfast in Fur
04/01/2014
Mercury Lounge
Brick Mower / Timeshares
06/01/2014
Death By Audio
Potty Mouth / Radiator Hospital
06/01/2014
Glasslands
Hunters / Delicate Steve
10/01/2014
Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Journalism / Slonk Donkerson / Sham-poo / Little Racer / Mainland
14/01/2014
Pianos
Palehound
16/01/2014
Spike Hill
Jeffrey Lewis / Nu-Sonics
17/01/2014
Mercury Lounge
Fucked Up / Diiv / White Lung / Guardian Aliens / Lodro
19/01/2014
285 Kent
Imaginary Boys
23/01/2014
The Bell House
Neutral Milk Hotel
24/01/2014
BAM
Del Amitri
2/5/2014
Oxford New Theatre
Del Amitri
07/02/2014
Hammersmith Apollo
Black Angels / Roky Erickson
18/02/2014
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Yvette / Christines
21/02/2014
Glasslands
Grand Resort / Friend Roulette / Dead Stars
22/02/2014
Radio Bushwick
Future of What
25/02/2014
Studio X
Nada Surf
27/02/2014
The Bell House
Vivian Girls / Waxahatchee / Juan Wauters
01/03/2014
Death By Audio
Vivian Girls / Shellshag / Pottymouth
02/03/2014
Baby's All Right
Cheatahs / Eternal Summers
04/03/2014
Baby's All Right
Kaki King
06/03/2014
BRIC House
A Winged Victory for the Sullen
18/03/2014
Joe's Pub
Vaadat Charagim / Yonatan Gat / Exocomet
20/03/2014
Death By Audio
Brick Mower / Shellshag
21/03/2014
The Acheron
Screaming Females / Thou / Rosetta / Dead Wurm
22/03/2014
ABC No Rio
Boogarins
24/03/2014
Other Music
Solids / Pup
25/03/2014
Mercury Lounge
Allah-Las / The Black Hollies / Spires
27/03/2014
Rough Trade
Kraftwerk
01/04/2014
United Palace Theater
Tweens / Shellshag / Scully / Bennio Qwerty
03/04/2014
Death By Audio
Matt Kivel / Andrew Cedemark / Zachary Cale
11/04/2014
Glasslands
Protomartyr / Spray Paint / VBA
13/04/2014
Cake Shop
Loop / Purling Hiss
17/04/2014
Le Poisson Rouge
Fear of Men / Beverly / Beach Day / Alvvays
18/04/2014
Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Fear of Men / Nothing
19/04/2014
Rough Trade
Fear of Men
23/04/2014
Baby's All Right
Slonk Donkerson / The Teen Age
23/04/2014
Glasslands
Liam Finn
24/04/2014
Moscot
Caveman / Total Slacker / Reputante / Amanda X
25/04/2014
Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Robbie Fulks
26/04/2014
Mercury Lounge
Miss Garrison
01/05/2014
The Paper Box
Yellow Eyes / Obsidiant Tongue / Mountain God
03/05/2014
Saint Vitus
Against Me / Tony Molina
03/05/2014
Saint Vitus
Mystic Braves
07/05/2014
Mercury Lounge
You Am I
07/05/2014
Mercury Lounge
Purling Hiss / Geronimo / Lost Boy / Vulture Shit / Bbig Pig
09/05/2014
Shea Stadium
La Sera / Springtime Carnivore
10/05/2014
Baby's All Right
Screaming Females / Bleeding Rainbow / Marvin Berry & the New Sound / Lilith Velkor
16/05/2014
Brooklyn Night Bazaar
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Fletcher C Johnson, Bad Girlfriend, Juniper Rising, Onwe
17/05/2014
Baby's All Right
Guided by Voices / Doug Gillard
23/05/2014
Bowery Ballroom
Pujol
24/05/2014
Rough Trade
Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band / Tara Jane O'Neil
24/05/2014
Union Pool
Dinosaur Jr / Screaming Females / Creepoid
28/05/2014
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Forgetters / Bennio Qwerty / The Seth
30/05/2014
Death By Audio
Vulture Shit / Marriage and Cancer / Flagland / Bludded Head / Washer
31/05/2014
The Gutter
King Khan and the Shrines / Red Mass
06/06/2014
Le Poisson Rouge
Pissed Jeans
07/06/2014
Union Pool
Curtis Harding
10/06/2014
Mercury Lounge
Curtis Harding / Darlings / Homeshake
11/06/2014
Glasslands
+/- / Flower
13/06/2014
Cake Shop
Thee Oh Sees / Mr Elevator and the Brain Hotel / White Mystery / Hector's Pets
15/06/2014
Death By Audio
Goat / Holy Wave
18/06/2014
Webster Hall
Afghan Whigs
02/07/2014
C-Club, Berlin
Protomartyr / Alvvays
11/07/2014
South Street Seaport
4Knots festival (Dinosaur Jr, Those Darlings, Speedy Ortiz, Radkey, Dead Stars)
12/07/2014
South Street Seaport
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
16/07/2014
Brookfield Place
Ceremony / Nothing / Iron Lung
18/07/2014
Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Obits / VBA
19/07/2014
Union Pool
Witch
23/07/2014
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sun Kil Moon
24/07/2014
Town Hall
Celebration / Dragons of Zynth / Honey
25/07/2014
Baby's All Right
Heat
26/07/2014
Rough Trade
Darren Hayman
26/07/2014
Cake Shop
Cherry Glazer / Gym Shorts
31/07/2014
Mercury Lounge
Public Access TV
31/07/2014
Mercury Lounge
Slavve
02/08/2014
Rough Trade
Jessica Pratt
02/08/2014
Union Pool
Mark Eitzel
02/08/2014
The Wick
Kleenex Girl Wonder / Tanks Amigo
07/08/2014
McCarren Park
Asian Dub Foundation
08/08/2014
Prospect Park
Weird Womb / The Sundelles
09/08/2014
Union Pool
St Vincent
09/08/2014
Prospect Park
Charles Bradley
10/08/2014
Damrosch Bandshell
Twin Peaks
13/08/2014
Mercury Lounge
Holy Ghost!
14/08/2014
House of Vans
Boogarins / Jacco Gardner
15/08/2014
South Street Seaport
The Men / Purling Hiss / Honey
15/08/2014
Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Blood Orange / Moses Sumney
16/08/2014
Central Park
The Clean
21/08/2014
Rough Trade
Black Wine / Brick Mower / Sore Saints / The Grand Pantrymen
22/08/2014
Death By Audio
Afro Punk 2014 (Bad Brains / Body Count)
23/08/2014
Commodore Barry Park
Joanna Gruesome / Big Ups
29/08/2014
South Street Seaport
Heavy Blanket
30/08/2014
Union Pool
Tom Clark and High Action Boys / Lenny Kaye
31/08/2014
The Treehouse at 2A
Part Time / Sea Lions / Wax Witches
04/09/2014
Glasslands
Elephant Stone
09/09/2014
Mercury Lounge
Bob Mould / Cymbals Eat Guitars
10/09/2014
Bowery Ballroom
Atlas Sound / Ducktails
13/09/2014
Greenwood Park
Gemma Ray
16/09/2014
Brooklyn Bowl
Wand / Honey / Florida
15/09/2014
Death By Audio
Dandy Warhols
19/09/2014
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Justin Currie
20/09/2014
Rough Trade
Those Darlins
20/09/2014
Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Justin Currie
23/09/2014
City Winery
Mr Elevator and the Brain Hotel / Froth / Corners / Wyatt Blair
25/09/2014
Death By Audio
Dick Diver / PC Worship / Dark Blue
26/09/2014
Death By Audio
Twin Peaks / Honduras / Roya
28/09/2014
50 Kent
Screaming Females / Pujol
10/04/2014
Knitting Factory
King Tuff / Fletcher C Johnson / Honey
10/8/2014
Baby's All Right
Allo Darlin' / Saphire Mansions
10/10/2014
Glasslands
Devo
10/12/2014
Times Square
JEFF the brotherhood / Diarrhea Planet / Scully / Punani Hunter
10/12/2014
Death By Audio
La Hell Gang / Arp
15/10/2014
Glasslands
Beach Day / Flowers / Boyd Shropshire / Casual Sex / September Girls
21/10/2014
Cake Shop
James
21/10/2014
Webster Hall
Tweens / Pins / Paws
22/10/2014
Arlene's Grocery
Girlpool
22/10/2014
Pianos
Reigning Sound / White Fence / King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard / Shonen Knife / Ice Balloons / Ultimate Painting
22/10/2014
Knitting Factory
Dinner
23/10/2014
Baby's All Right
Wampire / Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires
23/10/2014
The Living Room
Meatbodies / L.A. Witch / Girlpool
23/10/2014
Death By Audio
Tweens / Wytches / Dilly Dally
24/10/2014
Baby's All Right
Doug Gillard
24/10/2014
Passenger Bar
Purling Hiss / OBN IIIIs / Hunters
24/10/2014
Baby's All Right
Dinner
25/10/2014
Cake Shop
Springtime Carnivore
25/10/2014
Pianos
Slowdive / Low
25/10/2014
Terminal 5
Parquet Courts / Tyvek / Taiwan Housing Project / Ivy
03/11/2014
Death By Audio
Woods / Woolen Men / Lame Drivers
06/11/2014
Death By Audio
Screaming Females / Ted Leo and the Pharmacists / Pujol / Shellshag
09/11/2014
Death By Audio
Ty Segall / Guantanamo Baywatch / Numerators / Rips
14/11/2014
Death By Audio
Naam
15/11/2014
The Paperbox
Fiasco, Michael Jordan, Sediment Club, Large Lady
16/11/2014
Death By Audio
Future Punx, Priests, Downtown Boys, Pink Wash, B-Boys
17/11/2014
Death By Audio
TV On the Radio
18/11/2014
The Apollo Theater
Thee Oh Sees / Dope Body / Roomrunner / Guerilla Toss
19/11/2014
Death By Audio
Thee Oh Sees / Natural Child / Jack Name
20/11/2014
Death By Audio
Metz / Protomartyr / Nots / Sleepies
21/11/2014
Death By Audio
Lightning Bolt / A Place to Bury Strangers / Jeff the Brotherhood / Grooms
22/11/2014
Death By Audio
Bob Dylan
01/12/2014
Beacon Theatre
Bob Log III
10/12/2014
Oxford 02 Academy (ex-Zodiac)
Bass Drum of Death / Mitski / Sundelles / The Lushes
28/12/2014
Glasslands