Week Commencing: 21/3/05
By: Toby L
Went,
To the Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals launch yesterday (Mon 21st), and, save for sampling some kidney-rupturing oysters, came away feeling somewhat invigorated.
It's a testament to recent musical times that one weekend can house not just modern-day MTV-definers Foo Fighters, not just revival legends Pixies, and not just gargantuan metal titans Iron Maiden, but also that The Killers, Razorlight, The Charlatans, The Coral, Marilyn Manson, Iggy & The Stooges, Queens of the Stone Age, et al, can form a mere supporting cast. Tickets on-sale now, people. Get moving quick.
Amusing sight of the night? A slightly tipsy Bruce Dickenson of the Maiden insulting the weekend's sponsors, and self-righteously recounting his decision to join the Iron brigade, with reference to a tragically deceased veteran DJ.
'It's brilliant to be back at Reading,' Brucie gushed. 'It's flat and it's the best festival site in the UK. It was where I got into festivals going as a punter and it's also where I got into Iron Maiden. I was there with my band Samson when they asked me join Iron Maiden. I asked the late, great Tommy Vance what I should do and he said, 'Don't take it...' It's the one time I ignored him.'
Bless the Vance, bless the Dickie. We'll see you there. For further festival line-ups and news, visit our dedicated festivals 2005 page.
Gigs this week, London: Happy Mondays, with support from The Farm, ply a two-day Brixton assault (Fri-Sat 25-26th; £25:00); Ian Broudie opts for Infinity in posh Mayfair (Wed 23rd; £12:50); Jimmy Eat World continue notching up their emo-pop kerfuffery for the kids in the capital at the Astoria (sold out; Tues-Weds 22nd-23rd); Queen Adreena are ICA-ing themselves on Tuesday (22nd; sold out); Secret Machines busy up Electric Ballroom in Camden (Thurs 24th; £12:50); Razorlight proffer a two-day feast at the cavernous Alexandra Palace on Weds and Thurs (23rd-24th; £18:00, if you can get a ticket); The Rakes headline their grandest date thus far at the Garage (Weds 23rd; £8:00); The Zutons affirm their 750,000 album-sales status(!), by playing a big boys venue - two nights at Brixton (Tues-Weds 22nd-23rd; sold out); and Xfm host a 'Big Night Out' on Thurs (24th; £9:00), featuring live-sets from Nine Black Alps, Do Me Bad Things, and Hard-Fi.
UK Charts, this week: Peter Kay scores a novelty number-one alongside Tony Christie with '(Is This The Way To) Amarillo', Basement Jaxx with 'Oh My Gosh' open 'greatest hits' promotion-time with a hit at eight; 'Holiday' by Green Day is eleven; Queens Of The Stone Age's 'Little Sister' opts for eighteen; twenty sees 'The Widow' from The Mars Volta; The Black Velvets's '3345' is thirty-four; 'You Got Nothing On Me' is 36 by The Glitterati; and Beck's return with 'E-Pro' scores thirty-eight; 'Early Morning Rain' by Paul Weller just makes the top-40 at its most pivotal point; 'Get Ready For Love' by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; makes 62; 'Damn Damn Leash' from Be Your Own Pet conjures 68; Alterkicks and 'Do Everything I Taught You' are 71; and The Explosion just dent the seventy-five at, well, seventy-five. Albums - Stereophonics, once again semi-credible according to the once nay-sayers, snatch the top spot with 'Language. Sex. Violence. Other'; an eponymous effort from The Bravery is five; 'Hotel' from former trance-mutant Moby manages eight; 'Human After All' via Daft Punk achieves number-ten; 'Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge' by My Chemical Romance scales a saucy sixty-nine; and a final new entry courtesy of Brendan Benson at seventy closes proceedings ('The Alternative To Love').
The Current rockfeedback Playlist: new albums ahoy - Daft Punk's 'Human After All'; Beck's 'Guero'; and 'Feathers' by Washington, DC psychedelic revivalists, Dead Meadow.
Ta.