October was another blinding month for us here at Gigslutz and it’s a right chin stroker trying to choose just one highlight. From a brilliant Sancho Panza boat party up the Thames with lots of happy people including our own Amy Bryant (Tom Tom Club still ringing in my ears) to topless photos of Peter Hook it’s been another cracking month.
The first thing that came to my mind when thinking of a highlight was the Jon Brookes tribute night at The Royal Albert Hall. It was an emotional rollercoaster of a night and getting to watch Liam and Bonehead sound check Columbia was a bit of dream come true whilst having a chat and a few bevies with them all beforehand was amazing and the gig wasn’t bad either! However the circumstances it came about I cannot look at it as a ‘highlight’, if you know what I mean. I’d prefer it if that never had to be an event, as wonderful as it was.
I’m therefore going to go for a new band I saw playing at Alan McGee’s 359 club night in Liverpool. They’re called Sugarmen and are one of the best bands I’ve seen in a long time. Who knows what the future holds but these lot have it all. Their show in The Picket on 7th October had it all and could potentially be the best live set I’ve seen all year. Hats off to Sugarmen. Sweet as fuck!
Keep your eyes on the site over the coming weeks. We’ve got some top stuff lined up. More reviews, giveaways, blogs, gigs all over the land, and we will preparing to take our radio show to Hoxton Radio too. Finally, thanks to everyone for reading, and a mega big thanks you to all the editorial team and contributors. Couldn’t do it without you all. Onwards.
Cheers, Steve (Editor)
Elliott Homer – Features Editor
Despite having been deeply immersed in The Jesus and Mary Chain’s back catalogue in preparation for an interview with former Creation Records boss Alan McGee (coming soon folks!), I still have found plenty of time for new music this month. Pick of the bunch has to be Fall Out Boy’s new EP. As throwaway as it may seem at a scandalously brief 13 minutes, ‘PAX AM Days’ has had me in thrall of its retro stylings and got me pogo-ing around the place like a nutter. Highly recommended, especially after a lot of sugar.
Mari Lane – Unsigned Artists Editor
My highlight of the last month would have to be seeing the one and only Wilko Johnson live at KOKO. Despite the obvious emotional impact of the night, he put on a celebratory show filled with joy and sheer brilliance. Not only is he a magnificent blues guitarist, a legendary rock star, an actor in one of the most successful TV shows of the last two years… But an all round performer, a real gent who is capable of putting on a truly unforgettable and inspiring show time and time again.
Amy Bryant – New Music Editor
The Morrissey autobiography. It completely threw me. It’s woefully miserable, hilarious for all the wrong reasons and claims to be a Penguin Classic…yet it displays an amazing writing style I’ve never seen before (trust Mozza to disregard the chapter altogether). The top quote has to be one concerning his profession as a singer, he claims “I will sing, too. If not, I will have to die.” Ahh, you have to love him, the ol’ diva.
David Ham – Co Founded the ‘slutz.
My highlight was attending a very small function in Barcelona and seeing Ronnie Wood there. May I be so bold as to say he recognised me as we’d once met at the Half Moon in Putney where we watched a band do a cover of Whole Lotta Love and enjoyed the laughs as he turned to me and said “that’s where they’re going f**kin’ wrong”. In the dressing room afterwards, I showed him my Dad’s painting on my business card which was of Ronnie smoking a roll up and he called my Dad in the middle of the night from my phone to tell him “alright Dad, it’s Ronnie Wood, you’re the bollocks”.
So fast forward 3 years or so and there we are in Barca and I said to Ronnie “hello mate, we met before at the Half Moon in Putney”, and Ronnie immediately replied with “yeah I remember how’s yer Dad?.
Geezer.
Dave gets Wood
Lindsay Lights – Contributor
October has been a great month for gigs but my highlight has got to be Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at Hammersmith Apollo. We caught them on the first of their three night run and with a career-spanning set, the crazed genius of Warren Ellis, and the big man himself sexing up the front row, it really was a night to remember!
Jenna Good – The Guru.
I’m the otherside of the world right now but my highlights have definitely been living rock and roll through Geordie Steve’s whats app messages. From hanging out with Liam Gallagher at the Jon Brookes gig, to DJ sets with Abi from The Zutons… GO STEVE! You’re the best groupie in England x
Maz Healey – Contributor
So my highlight of October was not nearly being punched in the face in a less than salubrious area of the West Midlands nor was it my near death experience due to my own poorly executed overtaking manoeuvre, it’s Ryan Keen. Loved the intimate gig in Birmingham and have had the album on repeat in the car (relaxing soundtrack for when the need to drive like The Stig takes over). That boy can play. Seriously, those fingers….
Tash Walker – Contributor
My October musical highlight would have to be Tears for Fears releasing the deluxe edition of The Hurting for their 30th anniversary. Although I didn’t buy the super pricey CD, it got me listening to their music again which flooded me with childhood memories and a real appreciation of how influential they have been throughout the decades. An added piece of trivia for you all – Tears for Fears were originally called History of Headaches.
Gary Byfield – Contributor
Lady Gaga’s mind-bending X factor performance aside, my October highlight has to be the encore at Johnny Fuckin Marr’s Roundhouse set. What a way to sign off a rousing success of an evening. Donning a fedora and a t shirt the man came out and played Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want and finished off with There Is a Light That Never Goes Out. Grown men cried and I was speechless!
Allan Nersessian – Contributor
On 21st October I went along to the Royal Albert Hall to witness the amazing Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club. It was an electric night with musicians at the top of their game and it was pretty impossible to stay seated whilst the Cuban rhythms enticed us all to shake our hips. At 82 years of age it was a delight to see Omara Potuondo singing as brilliantly as she always has whilst even managing to bewilder the audience with some graceful salsa steps. Having been fortunate enough to see the late great Ibrahim Ferrer it was great to see his friends and fellow band-members still playing some of the most incredible music. Even though I didn’t understand a word of it sometimes the music is enough to move you.
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