Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, Miles Kane – Finsbury Park, London

Some gig I didn’t go to.
Rightly or wrongly I always had a feeling of “the one that got away” with the Arctic Monkeys. I had tickets to see them at the 300-capacity Chinnery’s on their last “small tour” in 2005, just before they hit the very big time, but my daughter was born the previous day so I gave the tickets away to a friend. (Probably a good idea, with or without hindsight). Instead, I’m trundling along 9 years later to see them in a fenced off part of London’s green belt with 50,000 other people, most of whom have northern accents and all of whom are off their tits.

Some gig I DID go to.
I hadn’t got a chance to see them live until I was dragged along to this behemoth of an extravaganza. Not all bad news, I thought – I’d get a chance to see Tame Impala, whose Lonerism album was stuck to my virtual record player for all of last year.
Sadly – this wasn’t the exciting experience I expected. I’ve been a bit out of the loop with these kind of “park” gigs and didn’t realise there was a “VIP area” which meant that I was unable to access the nearest 100 yards to the stage because I hadn’t paid extra on top of what was already an exorbitant ticket price. As a result I was unable to hear the subtle nuances of the psychedelic Aussie’s set due to all of the drugged-up boneheads talking and shouting at each other all around me.
The AM experience itself was workmanlike but not spectacular. Miles Kane was pretty good – I interviewed him a few years later and can confirm he is a thoroughly lovely guy.
The highlight of the evening was probably walking to the pub near the station at the end of the set. I can’t remember seeing so many drunk or drugged people wandering into the road in front of incoming traffic either. Pretty sure one of them got his arm broken by a passing car, but he soldiered on all the same.
Needless to say, my photos are not all time classics at this one.
Friday 23 May 2014, 781 views
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Gigs
- Aggrasoppar – OY Brewery, Tórshavn
- International Pop Overthrow 2025
- Gigantic Indie All Dayer – Marble Factory, Bristol
- HMS Morris, Pictish Trail – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- The Others – The 100 Club, Soho
- Stray Tracks: White Gates Band, Mystery Team, Basharan, SNM, Monumental – Pink Toothbrush, Rayleigh
- Franz Ferdinand, Master Peace, Great Leslie – Empire, Shepherd’s Bush
- Melys, Yr Anghysur – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Ynys, Sybs, Lafant – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- Sultans of Ping FC – Saint Luke’s & The Winged Ox, Glasgow
- Franz Ferdinand, Permanent (Joy) – Grand Central Hall, Liverpool
- Half Happy, em koko – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
- My Life Story – The Quarry, Liverpool
- Melys, Osgled – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- They Might Be Giants – The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm
- Darling Buds, Simon Love and the Loves – 229, Great Portland Street, London
- Fightmilk, Tugboat Captain – Paper Dress Vintage, Hackney
- Bugeye, Lucky Number You – The Victoria, Birmingham
- Art Brut – The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
- Sultans of Ping FC, Meryl Streek – The Ritz, Manchester
- Chroma, Baby Brave, Lila Zing – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- Melin Melyn, Ynys, Pys Melyn – Town Hall, Llangollen
- Antarctic Monkeys – The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury
- Bloc Party – The Institute, Digbeth, Birmingham
- Urdd Gobaith Cymru: Achlysurol, HMS Morris, Llareggub Brass Band – Mathrafal Field, Meifod
- Echobelly, Camens – Live 45, Kidderminster
- Futureheads, Adult Play – Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury
- Adwaith – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
- Melys, Pys Melyn, Sophie Kilburn – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Sea Power, Callum Easter – Town Hall, Birmingham
- Dydd Miwsig Cymru: Morgan Elwy, Tew Tew Tennau, Mynadd – Y Institwt, Llanfair Caereinion
- Bikini Beach Band – The White Hart, Stoke Newington
- Pacifica, House of Women – Academy 2, Islington
- Fonda 500, Bugeye, Hurtling, Colossus – Amersham Arms, New Cross
- Snow Coats, Toodles and the Hectic Pity – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Snow Coats – Tunbridge Wells Forum
- Darling Buds, Keeley – The Thunderbolt, Bristol
- Fightmilk, Feeble Strength – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Thousand Yard Stare – The Lexington, Islington
- Thousand Yard Stare – Prince Albert, Brighton
- Be Your Own Pet – Rough Trade East, Whitechapel
- Brian Butterfield – Bush Hall, Shepherd’s Bush
- Pulp – Apollo, Hammersmith
- Blur, Self Esteem – Wembley Stadium, Wembley
- Blur, Wu Lu – City Hall, Newcastle
- Salad, Repetitive John – Arts Club, West Hampstead, London
- Salad – The Hope and Ruin, Brighton
- The Others – The Garage, Highbury
- Fightmilk – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Ynys, Gillie – The Victoria, Dalston
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