Just The Ticket

Finally got round to putting some suitcases back into the loft this afternoon, an exercise I’d been inadvertently putting off for a few weeks. An unexpected bonus was finding a file full of old music memorabilia – including a wad of old concert tickets. That was the end of my afternoon plans for a visit to West Hartford, as I ploughed through the stubs reminiscing! Sharp eyed readers may note the Adam & the Ants programme – this was my first concert in January 1982, going with my Dad and cousin Rob ~ a brilliant, theatrical show!

Rob and I hit the Newcastle City Hall for our first “unaccompanied” concert: The Alarm, and that was the start of many others thereafter… including trips away with Selbys Travel for shows in Birmingham, London and Edinburgh, festivals etc.

I like that the former ace Newcastle venue “The Riverside” used to do hand-written tickets – not something that would be done today with all the ticket scams! Note the David Bowie ticket from there? He did a “club tour” in 1992, amazing!

Amongst the tickets are a few bits from the concert stage – setlists from Radiohead, Tindersticks (you’ll all have their records eh?!), The Cranberries, Cranes, plus chord reminders for Julianne Regan (All About Eve) and autographs of Robert and Simon from The Cure when they played a show at Newcastle Mayfair in 1992…

Click the photo for a larger, clearer view & see how limited my music tastes were / are!

Chevington

I spent a couple of hours at East Chevington on Monday afternoon - just after a little egret had met it's demise on the south pool - all that was left was a lifeless heap of white feathers on the mud near top corner. Good start eh!

On the south pool (and still alive) were plenty of lapwing, three bar-tailed godwit, 2+ greenshank, 5 dunlin, 1 common sandpiper plus plenty of black-headed gull and a few grey heron.

The north pool was busier - two 1s little gull, plenty of arctic/common and sandwich tern, 12 knot (one colour ringed - white on right, red/green(flag)/yellow on left.) ringed plover, cormorant and most surprisingly - a single brent goose... winter is here already??? The presence of reed warbler and grasshopper suggested it may still be summer.

Looking forward to the pace picking up soon...

Again no photographs... I'm sure I caught my camera trying to ring the Samaritans to talk about abandonment...

Quick video clip below is of a new cure show soon to be released... Paris 2008. Bit like my July birding... it's never enough.

Big Gig

Arrived back from the NME Big Gig at the London O2 today... what a great show!

Watch out for the White lies - a young band with great potential. Glum rock... I like it.

Don't waste any time with Crystal Castles - reminded me of the Newton ring ouzels' preferred feeding area... a heap.

Franz ferdinand were very entertaining and talented, but were, as expected, blown away by the cure (although I would say that...). Almost 2 hour set from RS & Co (was only mean't to be 90 minutes), with a selection of songs spanning the bands 30 years. Managed to meet up with my cousin Rob who was also dressed as smart as I, with our matching fave cure t-shirts from 1989! Managed to get to the front, opposite guitar legend, Porl Thompson (complete with high heals and a distinctly girlie dress). Much beer was drunk, so a good night all round.

For thise who may be interested, or not... here's the cure setlist: underneath the stars, from the edge of the deep green sea, the perfect boy, the end of the world, sleep when i'm dead, a forest, three imaginary boys, shake dog shake, maybe someday, the only one, inbetween days, just like heaven, primary, want, the hungry ghost, disintegration, one hundred years, it's over,

Encore: boys don't cry, jumping someone else's train, grinding halt, 10:15 saturday night, killing an arab.

Right, indulgence over, time for a spot of birding me thinks.