Over recent years, the tendency in these intros has been for me to have a right old moan about the state of the world and my own private woes. Well, 2023 certainly hasn't been without its personal challenges, but I'm gonna stick (mostly) to positive vibes this time round. I can't think anybody really comes here to read my thoughts on well-documented international tragedies, and it feels like filling this bit with trials and tribulations makes for an unnecessarily negative end to the year.
Also, it means this'll be shorter.
It feels like this year's been more about one-off or new experiences for me, whether that's going to a lemon festival in the South of France or wandering round Bognor Regis listening to sea shanties; enjoying outdoor theatre at the Sussex Prairie Garden or boating on the River Arun; attending the huge Hampton Court Flower Show or the niche, retro, even steampunky Floral Fringe Fair. A lot of time off was spent driving down to Somerset to see my mum, now living in a care home, but we did get holidays in Menton and Exmoor, the latter with Vicky, Matt and their two boys. I went to a school reunion and caught up with a bunch of folks I hadn't seen for between five and thirty(!) years, went to a gig in London with my old Southampton mate Sean (who I hadn't seen for twenty years) and had some beers with Wayne (who I hadn't seen for, oh OK, just over a year). After getting out of the habit of doing interviews, it was cool to have chats with Stephen Brodsky, Will Putney and the brilliant Pest Control. There were loads of people I didn't get to hang out with this year, of course - even some of my Brighton friends were denied the pleasure of my company - but I hope to see a lot more of you in 2024.
Anyway, on with the music and Happy New Year!
And this is all dedicated to Nick Gorman.
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
To borrow a phrase off Colin TST, there are a lot of friends and favourites on this list, though maybe also a few surprises. It is quite varied sonically, with modular synths rubbing up against crossover thrash and psychedelic hardcore next to modern country. If I had to identify any trends, many of these records feel quite conceptually complete, creating a self-contained world within their grooves. And, to call back to a section in my TV review, folk influences and rural themes seem to have played a far more prominent role in my listening habits than usual over the last twelve months...
2. Dawn Ray’d – To Know The Light
1. BIG|BRAVE - nature morte
SONGS OF THE YEAR
10. Mutoid Man - Call Of The Void
9. Pest Control - Struck Down
https://pestcontroluk.bandcamp.com/track/struck-down
8. Dealing With Damage - Rinse Repeat Rinse
7. Shirley Collins - Hares On The Mountain
6. Godflesh - Army Of Non
https://godflesh1.bandcamp.com/track/army-of-non
5. Teeth Of The Sea - Butterfly House
4. The Hives - Step Out Of The Way
https://open.spotify.com/track/3zRu6qmhiijvJsCUDgzK7S
3. BIG|BRAVE - a parable for the trusting
2. Dawn Ray'd - Freedom In Retrograde
https://dawnrayd.bandcamp.com/track/freedom-in-retrograde
1. REVEREND KRISTIN MICHAEL HAYTER - ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE GOING TO HELL
GIGS OF THE YEAR
Some of these definitely fall into the 'experience' category, particularly the weekend-long blow-out marking both twenty years of Tatty Seaside Town, and the retirement from promoting of Colin TST. The unexpected reformation of Help She Can't Swim, Chat Pile playing London and getting to see my buddy and former bandmate Ash drum with Silver Moth in Lewes also all qualify, though now I'm out in the sticks and getting to any gig is more of an effort, then by default any gig I make it to is more of an event. These were all in Brighton unless specified otherwise, laid out alphabetically by headliner/in reverse order of appearance, and if bands are missing from bills it's because I've forgotten them or just didn't see them: for example, there are a couple of outfits missing from the TST XX show because a man's gotta eat sometime...
Amigo The Devil/Tejon Street Corner Thieves @ The Concorde
Bad Breeding/Plastics @ The Albert
BIG|BRAVE/Aicher @ The Hope & Ruin
Chat Pile @ The Dome, London
Dealing With Damage/Pizza Tramp @ The Pipeline
Help She Can't Swim @ The Lexington
High Command/Inhuman Nature/Stone Hand/Ninth Realm/Rhema @ The Green Door Store
Lankum/Rachael Lavelle @ Chalk
Melvins @ Chalk
Municipal Waste/GEL/Undeath @ The Arch
Obituary/Pest Control @ The Concorde
Pile/Crowd Of Chairs @ The Green Door Store
Professor Elemental @ The Floral Fringe Fair, Loxwood
The Selsey Molls @ The Lamb, Bognor Regis
Silver Moth/Samana/You&Th @ The Con Club, Lewes
Sly & The Family Drone/Joeythin/I'm Being Good/Dogeeseseegod/The Jonny Halifax Invocation/Sairie/These Towns/Epideme/Il Y A/Mighty Lord Deathman/You&Th Vs Orok/Old Mayor/T. House/Van Couer/Sex Swing/Joeyfat/The Unit AMA/Honkeyfinger/Rattle/Workin' Man Noise Unit/Terse Affection/Shake Chain/J. Josephine/Haress/Barelife/Dean Rodney Jr & The Cowboys/Hoverdonkey/Tina Kit @ TST XX
Spiers & Boden @ The Pavilion Theatre, Worthing
Teeth Of The Sea @ The Hope & Ruin
USA Nails/The Eurosuite/Staff Party @ The Albert
Vacuous/Gorgon Vomit/No Relief/Bodybag/Roy @ The Green Door Store
No comments:
Post a Comment