The B-52’s, Trapdoor Social – Apollo, Hammersmith
I’ve had a lot of angst about whether to write B-52’s, as they were known for years, or as B-52s, as they were known in their later years and as the ticket says. I’ve gone with the former, as the latter just doesn’t look right to me. This is the kind of thing that worries me.
The B-52’s have been with me since my teenage years. I loved Rock Lobster and Planet Claire when I was discovering music in my teenage years, and Love Shack still remains one of the best pop songs I’ve ever heard. I discovered the Cosmic Thing album in 1990 when Love Shack climbed up the charts here in the UK, and played it a million times.
So I’ve always been gutted that I haven’t seen them live – until tonight. They did play a gig in London in 2012 but I was out of the country when they visited, so it’s been a long, long wait.
The gig didn’t disappoint. It was as fantastic as I expected it to be. Fred was on particularly good form throughout. I have a lot of time and respect for singers who talk their way through their songs (as my many Art Brut gigs will testify).
It wasn’t the longest of sets – they’ve been going for more decades than you would have expected – but it was still an amazing show. And they weren’t the ones sitting down throughout the show …
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Setlist:
- Private Idaho
- Mesopotamia
- Give Me Back My Man
- Lava
- Channel Z
- Funplex
- Legal Tender
- 52 Girls
- Roam
- Party Out of Bounds
- Cosmic Thing
- Dance This Mess Around
- Love Shack
Encore:
- Planet Claire
- 6060-842
- Rock Lobster
Sunday 30 June 2019, 762 views
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Gigs
- 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
- Republica, Freya Beer – Powerhaus, Camden
- Pop Will Eat Itself, Sigue Sigue Sputnik – 229, Great Portland Street, London
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