Colin’s Punk Rock World

Last month I met a man named Colin who loves punk rock about ten times more than I do – and I really love punk rock myself! He just so happens to have an excellent blog compiling album reviews, gig reviews and top tens called Colin’s Punk Rock World. It was always really well-written but, being the keen graphic designer that I am, I immediately asked if I could offer my design expertise. I initially designed a new banner for the Facebook page and tonight I tweaked the blog to match.

Yes, I am also plugging my own review that I wrote for the blog a few weeks ago. At least, it’s kind of a review but mostly me babbling about how The Gaslight Anthem ‘changed my life’ or something like that. Colin was kind enough to think it worthy of being posted anyway.

ps. Colin is also now my boyfriend but that’s kind of irrelevant here.

Last Night

The Gaslight Anthem at Brixton Academy. ♥

Well worth zooming home from work and rushing from one train to the next to get to Brixton on time. Set list-wise it was excellent; a good variety of songs – new and old – and it was far longer than any other Gaslight shows I've been to. The encore was 6 or 7 songs long! And, the highlight was Even Cowgirls Get The Blues – quite possibly my favourite song of all time.

Handwritten

If you've read my blog before, or if you know me, it ought to come as no surprise for me to say that The Gaslight Anthem are my favourite band. Their forth album, Handwritten, was released a couple of weeks ago and it's another great Gaslight album.

I've only just had a proper read of the booklet – yeah, I bought a physical CD – and found the introduction, by author Nick Hornby, absolutely perfect.

It would be stupid to try and tell you that the music you’re listening to is like nothing you’ve ever heard before. The songs on the Gaslight Anthem’s latest album are three or four minutes long, most of them, and they’re played on loud electric guitars, and there are drums, and to be honest, if you haven’t heard anything like this before, then you’re probably listening to the wrong band anyway. What’s great about the Gaslight Anthem is that there’s an assumption you’ll have heard something like this before - on the first Clash album, or on Born to Run, or the first Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers album, or maybe on a Little Richard record. That’s what hooked me in. I’ve been listening to rock n’ roll for forty years, and so maybe I’m too old to be writing this stuff, but on the other hand, maybe I know what I’m talking about, too: believe me, I know a lot of stuff sounds tired and derivative, and makes you feel as though rock music is exhausted. It’s hard to find new ways to tell stories and write songs; even clothes made out of meat won’t do you much good if your music is 1980’s dance-pop.

So you have two choices. The first is this: you do something nobody’s ever done before. You play the nose-flute underwater, put it through a computer backwards, and get a Japanese guy to rap over the top. Or you write a novel using only consonants. Or you make a movie which nobody can see. And that’s all cool, but nobody will want to read you second novel written using only consonants, so then you’ll have to write one using only vowels. And the second is this: you think, write, play and sing as though you have a right to stand at the head of a long line of cool people - you recognize that the Clash and Little Richard got here first, but they’re not around any more, so you’re going to carry on the tradition, and you’re going to do it in your own voice, and with as much conviction and authenticity and truth as you can muster. And if you can pull that off, you’ll be amazed at how fresh you can sound.

And the Gaslight Anthem sound fresh. Anyone who has ever been frustrated by anything - a girl, a boy, a job, a self (especially that) - can listen to this music and feel understood and energized. (And if I feel energized, Lord knows what they’re going to do to you.) And I’m beginning to suspect that they, like, read books, too. “Great Expectations” - now there’s a great title for a song. And here, “Howl” - there’s another one. Rocker’s who read. Songwriters who are not scared to go head-to-head with everyone else in rock’s great tradition. The Gaslight Anthem are my kind of people. – Nick Hornby, April 2012

The Gaslight Anthem @ Camden KOKO

Last night I was one of less that 1500 lucky people to see The Gaslight Anthem play an exclusive London show and needless to say it was absolutely incredible. Quite possibly the best Gaslight performance I have seen – although I've only seen them twice previously.

This is a good'un.

Towards the end of the show, Brian decided to jump off a first floor balcony
above me into the crowd. It was pretty darn epic.

Favourite. Band. In the world.

So Lucky/Stay Lucky

On 11th June The Gaslight Anthem, my favourite band, will be playing what I consider to be a tiny gig at the Koko in Camden, London. It's something like 1400 capacity which compared to the last time I saw Gaslight, at Brixton Academy, with 5000 people is pretty special.

I failed at getting tickets on the pre-sale and very nearly failed on the general sale day, despite trying both days consistently from 9am on-the-dot. I was honestly devastated to think I'd miss out on this, music means a lot to me and Gaslight especially.

BUT, not to worry. The Live Nation website went down and because I'd enquired as to what was going through Twitter, I got a reply at about 10.30am to say "We've put tickets on TicketWeb - be quick!" Twitter is amazing. I was quick, and I am going to the gig! Also, the gig is conveniently place in our assessment week so all work will be handed in - it will be a nice reward for working hard.

I hope this video sums up how awesome the band is. This is quite possibly my favourite song in the world. Ever. Oh and the title to this blog, at least the second part, is a reference to a Gaslight song from their last album. The luck was with me. ♥

New & Old

It might have taken me four months to discover this video, but oh my god. Brian Fallon (main man in my favourite band, The Gaslight Anthem) and Chuck Ragan on The Revival Tour playing Neil Young's Heart of Gold and Rocking in the Free World. I basically grew up listening to Neil Young, thanks to my dad's excellent taste in music, and I still love his music today. I know a lot of people have covered Rocking in the Free World but this is special for me because I love Brian and Chuck so much.

Apparently this was the last night of the UK tour, which explains why they didn't play it at the show I went to. If only London had been the last night like it is on most band's tours. At least it's a great quality video anyway!

The Revival Tour 2011

I travelled up from Falmouth to London just to be a part of The Revival Tour. It was unmissable in my eyes, and I even missed an awesome party in Fal-town to go to it. (To be fair, I had train tickets booked long before the party was announced, but hey, I'm gutted I missed the party.)

The gig was like no other. Four artists, all from punk bands playing folk music; Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music and the founder/creator of The Revival Tour, Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem, Dave Hause of The Loved Ones, Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio, plus Jon Gaunt and Joe Ginsberg who play fiddle and double bass (to be honest, I'm not entirely sure who is who.) And they literally all played non-top for almost 4 hours, taking it in turns to play each other's songs.

We got a tiny bit delayed on the way to Shepherd's Bush and arrived just as the show
was starting. Here's the view from behind the bar at the back.

We didn't stick to the back for long.
Dave Hause played some of his songs first. He's awesome.

Chuck modeling a stylish hat, because he can.

Some special guests joined. Not sure who they were...

Double bass man (Joe) has amazing moustache. But also moves a lot.

Hello Dave in the darkness.

Brian!

Guy in the beanie is Dan, whom I was not familiar with before yesterday.

Brian had a lot of entertaining ramblings as usual.

"I've left stains on tables from here to Germany."

Brian on his dislike for coasters.

This other chap is Ian Perkins, the other half of the Horrible Crowes.

Edging closer.

Look at that pose!

This would have been ultimately better without the head shadow.
But lookit them sing their hearts out.

Dave somehow finds his way to that back of the crowd and surfs back to the stage.

And I'll finish with my best/favourite photograph.

AMAZING.

Revival tour with Chuck Ragan

This has got to be one of the best touring acoustic musician collaborations. Founded by the brilliant Chuck Ragan, The Revival Tour features other amazing musicians such as Frank Turner, seen in the video above, Tim Barry and Ben Nichols. And soon, Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem.

I read this this morning, which makes me very happy.

Chuck Ragan: We just did a European tour with Gaslight, and we had planned to try and record the record on that tour. We were all so busy on the tour and just running hard that it was tough to record [a full-length album]. We messed around with a little bit of stuff and started doing some songs together, but the two of us decided it would be better to hold off because we want to write more together. Brian will be doing the Revival Tour this fall over in the UK and Europe, so we’ll probably put something on the Revival Tour compilation or maybe do some seven-inches." - The Rebel Yell

Gotta love that loads of my favourite musicians/artists are friends and make music together. Reading this extra detail on Wikipedia makes me think that if it's true I will be overcome with happiness.

"A revival tour with Brian Fallon and Frank Turner is planned for late 2011." Eeeee! Please be true. And please be somewhere I can get to, at a suitable time.

El Jefe

This brilliant guy designs some really great gig posters, among other things, including those for The Gaslight Anthem. Gaslight's new album is out Monday, and my special edition package with t-shirt should be arriving around then. Very much looking forward to it.

But anyway, El Jefe. El Jefe Design is the secret code name for successful designer, illustrator, author and failed-rock star Jeffrey Everett.

"The nice people of The Gaslight Anthem asked us to create a poster to celebrate the pre-order of their excellent album "America Slang". We pulled imagery from the lyrics of "The Queen of Lower Chelsea" and designed a poster that celebrates lost love and New York City. These posters were sold along with the limited-edition vinyl pre-orders and sold out in 10 minutes."