So, armed with “most” the previous lessons learned, I headed to to see Johnny last night. I managed to follow all apart from one, in that due to time and everything going on, I was unable to listen to Johnny’s new CD. So other than a few bits of previous work, I was going in pretty blind.
That said, Johnny Marr is a bit of a strange hero for me anyway – let me explain. Of course I know The Smiths, however I wouldn’t class myself as a fan, though I do admire their work. I know a little of Johnnys work with the Cribs and Modest Mouse – and a bit of his solo stuff. However I was honestly introduced to his music via Mr Finn.
There have been various moments when Johnny has popped up on stage with Finn and each time, I have been captivated by him. There is just “something” likable about the man. Each time I “mean” to dig deeper, but then I just get sidetracked. But then I will bump into him at a gig and have a chat with him or his missus and it re: energizers my thoughts.
Last time that happened was at a Liam Finn gig in Manchester. A few of us were casually sat waiting for Liam to take the stage and Johnny saunted in, with his wife in tow and just sat in front of us. It was around the debut of Finn Seniors Pajama Club CD and we knew of Johnnys involvement. This led to us interrupting his night out, but he was such a gent and talked to us for ages.
So it was a no brainer to grab a ticket for this gig. I felt guilty at not hearing the new music before, but given I was confident it was going to be a rocking night, I felt pretty happy with the situation. The gig of course led me back to the Brudenell Club where I saw Ethan Johns. However, it was clear from the off that this was to be a completely different night.
The buzz was palatable on arrival. Many hardcore Johnny fans had arrived early and as luck would have it, Johnny was actually sound checking as I arrived. Due to the nature of the venue, only a thin glass door parted Johnny from the fans, so it was as good as being in the room and gave a good indication of what was to come.
Unlike the Ethan gig, there was no support. Just Johnny on a 9 and after firstly bumping into a Finn Frenz in the queue, then secondly having a chat with a lovely, if crazy, family from Hull, I got a pretty good position in the room. I had already scoped out the best place to stand whilst at the Ethan gig, so that worked really well.
The small place filled up pretty quickly and by 9, the atmosphere was electric and Johnny wasn’t to disappoint. Showing off his unrivalled guitar prowess, the showman came alive on stage with ease. He raced through a full 4 songs before acknowledging the audience with a simple “Cheers”. Being new to a lot of the songs was actually an advantage tonight, as I couldn’t really distinguish too many old v new, so I had no preconceptions – other than the Smiths songs.
So to my ears, they were all pretty fresh and sounded bloody good. There were a few audience interactions, including one girl near me who was desperate for Johnny to wish her and her man a happy anniversary. Johnny responded, but fell short of the request at that point, but circled back later to play them a tune. Whilst I can’t provide a set list, I can say that “How soon is now” and “Bigmouth strikes again” were 2 of the Smiths tracks on the night.
However, from the tracks I knew, it was the rendition of Marr’s Electronic song “Getting Away with it” that was the highlight – Marr took this song to new heights, with an extended solo that we witnessed Johnny “lost in the music” – it was a joy to watch. The chatters behind me aside, the crowd were pretty respectful and “in the zone”. Most hung on Johnnys every word – not that there were many, but with his stage presence, I guess there doesn’t need to be.
Overall, it was a brilliant night and a much needed distraction. Though I didn’t actually get to speak to him, Johnny was gracious enough to sign Young Ollie a cd thanks to a young lass who nipped it to the private party back stage. I did, however manage a chat with Johnnys son Nile, who I had previously seen playing support for the aforementioned Pajama Club. Tonight he was guitar tech, but will be out on the road soon with his new band – another to add to the 40 list for sure.
Next gig is The Hollies next week in Harrogate. An impulse ebay purchase and whilst I think I only know a couple of their songs, I will probably know more. After that, its the Eels in Leeds and I really need to crack on and find a few more!
So, tonights song comes from Johnny Marr and the previously mentioned “How soon is now” and as with many Finn fans, it seems that the Marr hardcore are just as dedicated to getting the music out there as we are – so one kind fan recorded and put up the songs from last night already…
Anyone who has followed my ramblings thus far, will be aware that I turn Forty this year. I wanted to do something to mark this occasion and had a few thoughts.
Running a marathon was first up, but frankly, my knees are pretty much fucked after all the running I have done over the years. I fear that this is something that will never happen.
I did think about jumping out of a plane and I was inspired beyond belief after seeing this spellbinding jump by Felix Baumgartner but am ashamed to admit I haven’t got the bottle to attempt such madness. Gone are the days of bravado and Bungee.
A party seems a bit clichéd and there would be a headache on invites and format. My idea of a good night would perhaps bore the pants off most of my friends.
A holiday will be saved until next year as the missus reaches the same age, so a double celebration makes sense. Which leaves me looking for some other way of marking the naughty Forty.
So I finally settled on “Forty for Forty”. The initial idea was 40 gigs in one year, however I am late starting due to illness and to complete this would be a heck of an undertaking to find 40 bands I actually want to spend money on.
It also meant that I would have no time to do other things I quite like to do. So after 40 more seconds of thought, it seemed a no brainer to widen the net to 40 “shows” – this will encompass Theatre and Comedy as well as music.
My trip to London this weekend has kick started my quest with 2 shows in a day. Upon my return, 2 more shows have been booked, with an additional one going on sale this week.
It will still be a challenge as I will have to keep to a budget, but it should be an exciting ride. Feel free to keep tabs on my journey HERE.
Todays music comes from Johnny Marr – and the brilliant “Down on the corner” – as mentioned above, tickets for his show in Leeds go onsale on Wednesday, so fingers crossed he is added to the 40…
