Scouting For Girls (FeastyFest) - Sunday 10th September - Cheam Park

Brief review:  Cheam's FeastyFest seems to be getting bigger year on year. Festival favourites Scouting for Girls are the headliners this year and I think it's fair to say, entertained everyone who had made it to the front of the stage and a fair few more besides.

Venue and View:  Front right, about 6-7 rows back

Setlist
I Wish I Was James Bond
Heartbeat
Everybody Wants to Be on TV
This Ain't a Love Song
Posh Girls
Millionaire
Bad Superman / Stacy's Mom
Year 3000 (Busted Cover)
Elvis Ain't Dead
The Missing Part
She's So Lovely

Spike / The Quireboys - Friday 8th September - Underworld, Camden Town

Brief review:  Spike and his version of the Quireboys rock The Underworld. Not packed, but then again this was a pretty expensive ticket and it wasn't clear if this was a solo or band show. In the event, it was both - a show of 2 excellent halves.

The first half also featured Mark Stanway on keyboards, whereas original Quireboys Chris Johnstone & Nigel Mogg joined in the fun in set 2.

Venue and View:  Front right, standing.

Setlist
Set 1 - Solo and Frankie Miller Songs
Be Good to Yourself
Cocaine
Brooklyn Bridge
Raining Whiskey
Fortune 
Intensive Care 
Have a Drink With Me
Rise Above

Set 2 - Quireboys
Can't Park Here 
Misled 
There She Goes Again 
Sweet Mary Ann 
Hey You 
7 O'Clock 
+
I Don't Love You Anymore 
+
Jeeze Louise 

Tyla - Thursday 7th September - Troubadour, West Brompton

Brief review:  London’s rock and roll hub (errr!) of West Brompton hosts Tyla from the Dogs D’Amour. A bit niche in terms of 80s/90s rock, but should be good. Quite a snug venue. But Krombacher on draft which is a £7.16 bonus!

Lots of stories and a generally chronological run though some of Tyla's best works.

Venue and View:  Cellar based venue with dreadful sightlines and a flat floor stage. Standing towards back peering over heads.

Setlist
Heroine
Errol Flynn
Billy 2 Rivers
Drunk Like Me
Angel
How Come It Never Rains
Satellite Kid
Trail of Tears

Quireboys - Saturday 2nd September - O2 Academy, Islington

Brief review:  The Quireboys (version without Spike). Moved from the much larger Kentish Town Forum, the O2 Academy is probably a more realistic venue for the band at the moment. Not packed, but enough there to make an atmosphere and the band were on good form. Griff's vocals are definitely improving show on show and the band are as solid as ever.

Venue and View:  Front right, standing.

Sutton Folk Festival (Del Amitri, Nick Lowe) - Sunday 19th August - Manor Park, Sutton

Brief review:  Manor Park in Sutton (popular hangout at school lunchtimes!) for a folk festival. Definition stretched - we are here for Nick Lowe and Del Amitri - who’s show T shirts have the tagline of “Drunk In Glasgow Since 1982”! All good, apart from the bar queue.

The show made me realise that I don't own any Del Amitri albums or CDs - that anomaly was put right very soon after this excellent perfomance.  

Venue and View:  Capacity crowd of 2,000. 2 easily accessible stages - we went "front right" for both.

Setlist
Nick Lowe
Man That I've Become
People Change
Long Limbed Girl
Lately I've Let Things Slide
I Live on a Battlefield 
Lay It On Me Baby
Rome Wasn't Built in a Day
Tokyo Bay
Heartbreaker 
Love Starvation
Far Celestial Shore 
Cruel to Be Kind
Trombone
Heart 
I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)

Del Amitri
Musicians and Beer
Always the Last to Know
Not Where It's At
Kiss This Thing Goodbye
Nothing Ever Happens
Mockingbird, Copy Me Now
Driving With the Brakes On
Missing Person
Move Away Jimmy Blue
Roll to Me
You Can't Go Back
Here and Now
Spit in the Rain
Stone Cold Sober
+
Be My Downfall

Who's Next - Sunday 13th August - Half Moon, Putney

Brief review:  Decent Who tribute band with a reasonably "hardcore" set. The guitarist especially stood out, but a rocking performance from all the band.

Venue and View:  Central view a couple of rows back.

Dani Cox ("Gobby Holder") Acoustic - Sunday 13th August - Marquis, Covent Garden

Brief review:  Acoustic performance from Dani in a small London pub. Her performance was delayed slightly by a bloke running in to grab a chair to try and attack someone outside whilst shouting "I am not a f***ing p***phile!". He was apprehended by the bar staff and presumably the police called. 

With typical humour the incident was mentioned during Dani's set of largely Slade and glam covers.

Venue and View:  At the bar, but very much to one side.

The Who - Sunday 23rd July - Sussex CCC, Hove

Brief review:  Sunday evening in Hove with the legends that are The Who.  Already had 2 of the CSI triolgy in the fantastic middle band-only electric section. Quadrophenia to come, but for now enjoying the fantastic Won’t Get Fooled Again. Awesome!

Venue and View:  Central pitch seats - about 20 rows back

Setlist
Part 1 (with Orchestra)
Overture
1921
Amazing Journey
Sparks
The Acid Queen
Pinball Wizard
We're Not Gonna Take It
Who Are You
Eminence Front

Part 2 (Band Only)
The Kids Are Alright
You Better You Bet
Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
Substitute
I Can't Explain
My Generation
Cry If You Want 
Won't Get Fooled Again
Behind Blue Eyes 

Part 3 (with Orchestra)
The Real Me
I'm One
5:15
The Rock
Love, Reign O'er Me
Baba O'Riley

Texas - Tuesday 11th July - Pryzm, Kingston

Brief review:  Greatest Hits (and nominal Q&A) from Texas. Very good so far even if singer Sharleen is giving Motley Crue a run for their money in the profanity stakes!

Venue and View:  Front right (very right!) on the floor by the speaker.

Setlist
After All
Summer Son
Keep on Talking
Let's Work It Out
Black Eyed Boy
Inner Smile

Halo

Billy Joel - Friday 7th July - Hyde Park, London

Brief review:  Billy Joel at Hyde Park as part of the British Summertime shows. We naively assumed this would never sell out at the high prices bearing in mind his demographic (70,000 standing tickets at £100 minimum a go? "No chance!") - and of course it did! That meant a late scramble for resale tickets and luckily a mate had a spare!

Despite skipping most of the support acts (I caught the end of Daryl Hall who sounded... errr "rusty"), the headline show was predictably excellent. Joe Jonas joined for Uptown Girl which was slightly underwhelming compared to other guests who occasionally play with Billy, but he performed more than adequately.

Venue and View:  In a slightly different postcode from the stage, but in the front 20% to the left. Apparently impossible to find for those friends bringing back beer!

Setlist
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
The Entertainer
Vienna
Zanzibar
Start Me Up (Snippet)
An Innocent Man
The Longest Time
Don't Ask Me Why
New York State of Mind
Allentown
She's Always a Woman
Sometimes a Fantasy
Only the Good Die Young
The River of Dreams (With River Deep Mountain High interlude)
Nessun Dorma 
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Piano Man
+
We Didn't Start the Fire
Uptown Girl (with Joe Jonas)
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
Big Shot
A Hard Day's Night 
You May Be Right (with “Rock and Roll” interlude)

My Life (with “Ode to Joy” intro)