KILBURNFLYER

Girlschool were very good at the Astoria 2 with Blitzkreig supporting which made it even better. Was never a big fan and although I must have seen them about 20 times over the years but this was the first time I have seen them as the headline band. Top job ladies. As an aside, a very odd thing happened - a bloke in a Motorhead T-Shirt complained twice that I was "standing in his way" - FFS it was a tiny gig in a tiny venue and most near everyone was jumping about having a good time. Regrettably I just laughed at him - got the right T shirt mate but so not the right attitude.

KILBURNFLYER

My last gig of the year tonight - Girlschool at the Mean Fiddler so thought I would have a quick review of 2008. Overall a good year for gigs - 32 separate concerts, 2 festivals and 2 overseas trips - one every 11 days or so which is not bad for a 40 something with a relatively busy job. The good the bad and the ugly are below:

Best gigs; Muse at Dubai and the Royal Albert Hall, Wildhearts at Hard Rock Hell and the Forum, the Infectious Grooves at Mean fiddler, Bunneymen at Royal Albert Hall, B52s at the Roundhouse and surprising Slayer at Hammersmith (again twice in as many days)

Honourable mentions to AC/DC at Madison Square Garden (again twice) - not what they were but still really enjoyable - and Marky Ramone at Dubai technically a tribute Band but still great.

Shit Street - Korn and As I Lay Dying at Dubai and Black Label Society at Hard Rock Hell - excited about seening them all but really shit. Purple in a car part just pants. Saxon at Shepherds Bush on St Georges day was also very very disappointing - am a forgiving sort so saw them twice since and they got better.

Newbies of note - The Answer supporting AC/DC, Pride Tiger and Big Linda - am sure I will see all three again and again.

Most fun - Hard Rock Hell, Marky Ramone and Muse at Dubai (everyone else was either shit or really shit) as well as Overdose (AC/DC tribute band after Madison show)

Meets of note - Schenker in a sulk in a wet street in Colchester - still one of my heroes, Pete Way at Hard Rock Hell slowly getting pissed but really nice, friendly and talkative. The drummer/singer from Pride Tiger who was just so nice - genuinely nice - at both Hard Rock Hell and at the Barfly.

Event of the year - Hard Rock Hell - line up and venue not as good as 2007 but still a great weekend.

Moment of clarity - 20 seconds into Wildhearts at Hard Rock Hell I just knew they were going to be brilliant - and they were. Tigertailz doing Creeping Death which made me reconsider whether they were actually not the crap band I thought they were.

Sad bits - Mitch Mitchell dying, Wolfmother splitting up and the terminal decline of Deep Purple.

Hopes for 2009 - already booked for The Answer, Metallica (twice) and AC/DC (thrice), Priest and Megadeth, Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as Hammerfest. Hope for lots more especially want to see the return to Europe of Suicidal Tendencies and Van Halen - both have played the US recently so get your arses over the pond.

KILBURNFLYER

Seeing the Who at the Indigo 2 was a real pleasure - it is such an intimate venue for such a massive band that they could have come on farted and left and I would have been happy. As it was they played a sorming set starting with Can't explain - which they actually played twice after Pete Townsend complained of an "inner ear problem" at the end of the first version - after leaving the stage they returned a few minutes later to start again. Highlights included lots of old favourites including Baba O'Reilly, Magic Bus, 5.15, My Generation and a storming version of Won't get fooled again. All rounded off with an extended medley from Tommy. A splendid evening.

KILBURNFLYER

Pride Tiger and Big Linda at the Barfly. A great venue and tow great bands who - although very short 35 min sets - we excellent. both have great potential if they can follow up on good debut albums and I assume I will have to see them at much larger - and more expensive venues in the next few years. A great privilege to see them in such a tiny venue with such a tiny crowd - 50 at most. Pride Tiger have the edge on songs and stage personality and I am sure will go on to great things.

KILBURNFLYER

Wildhearts were on great form at the forum last night even if they didn't seem at all happy with the sound on the stage. It was fine out front. Very similar to Hard Rock Hell show - the entry to Nita Nitro has got to be one of the best things I have seen all year - although longer set and a few more oldies thrown in for good measure. I still can't believe this lot aren't a massive draw - they are fucking brilliant in concert and have a decent catalogue of good songs. the "A" who supported were good - 4 years since they last played together - and the first support Tragedy - a heavy metal Bee Gees - nuff said.

set-list (ripped from Dave Ling): ‘Nita Nitro’, ‘Vanilla Radio’, ‘Someone That Won’t Let Me Go’, ‘Everlone’, ‘The Revolution Will Be Televised’, ‘Suckerpunch’, ‘Sick Of Drugs’, ‘Carmelita’ (Warren Zevon cover), ‘Caffeine Bomb’ and ‘My Baby Is A Headfuck’, followed by encores of ‘Geordie In Wonderland’, ‘Understanding Jane’, ‘Noting Ever Changes But The Shoes’, ‘Just In Lust’, ’29 X The Pain’, ‘Rooting For The Bad Guy’, Medley: ‘Lonely This Christmas’/‘Red Light, Green Light’, ‘Getting It’, ‘Caprice’, ‘I Wanna Go Where The People Go’, ‘My Old Friend The Blues’ and ‘Love U Till I Don’t’.

Pride Tiger and Big Linda tomorrow.

KILBURNFLYER

The 2nd instalment of the Hard Rock Hell festival was as enjoyable as the first. The line-up wasn’t quite as much to my taste but was good nonetheless. After a 4 hour drive from London picking up two mates on the way we arrived to be greeted by a very dull and overcast Prestatyn – the camp itself has clearly seen better days but you spend so little time in the rooms that it doesn’t matter. Check in was well organised and everything was ready and waiting for our arrival. Room right near the main venues which was good and all as clean and basic as you would expect. No complaints. Missed the first half of Big Linda which was a pain as especially wanted to see them but Heavens Basement and Attica Rage were both good – latter band fronted by a guy we met last year. Budgie and Lizzy on the main stage were also both superb and the raised VIP viewing area was great – worth the extra by itself. A few technical hitches spoilt the start for Budgie but they recovered well – opening with Panzer Division Destroyed and finishing with Breadfan was great. Lizzy stormed through a very familiar set list – Jailbreak to start and through most of live and dangerous (Rosalie and Rocker both sadly dropped) and closing with Black Rose - by themselves made the whole day’s travelling worthwhile. Organisation of venues was a bit chaotic – it was pontins first time with a proper rock festival – so nowhere near enough bar staff and lack of a decent smoking area late on were irritating. The end of the day (somewhere around 3am) saw Tigertailz do an absolutely storming version of Creeping Death – the song of the weekend.

Day two started early – Spit Like This on stage at mid-day – but worth dragging myself our of bed. Stage 2 saw most of the during the day action – Waysted and a very impressive band called Pride Tiger were the highlights. Met Pete Way in the Bar (where else) before the show and what a nice bloke he was – always had time for his fans and very chatty with everyone. His other band members a bit nervous about how much Vodka was going down his throat before the show but they performed well – Pete Way is one of the few people who could get on stage in a Spice Girls T Shirt and not look a complete dick – the man is a legend. Pride Tiger were superb – bought their album last night and a second listen confirmed my view that they are a very tight band. Met the drummer/singer – also very nice chap – who told me they are playing the Barfly in Camden on Friday – also with Big Linda so am definitely on for that. Orange Goblin and Clutch were both decent but Black Label Society were a bit disappointing – far too much dicking around on the guitar and not enough getting on with playing more songs. Highlight of the whole weekend were the Wildhearts who were just fucking brilliant. For some insane reason I have not seen them before in spite of a mate telling me I should go every time they have played over the last 6 or so years. Completely blew everyone else off stage. The whole thing rounded off by Viking Skull good solid set and Blitzkreig who covered 4 priest songs in a long medley and were a fitting end to a great weekend.

Roll on Hammerfest in April.