Dan Baird & Homemade Sin - Sunday 26th July - Borderline

Mr Baird and friends at the intimate Borderline. When we got there for the early start, the place was empty. By the time the show was 30 minutes in, it was totally rammed. Great band, great set with some unusual covers. 2 hrs 25 minutes almost non-stop and we even made the tube!

Anyone got the setlist?

Scouting For Girls - Thursday 23rd July - Epsom Racecourse

2nd visit in a fortnight to evening racing + gig at Epsom racecourse. This time it's for Scouting For Girls - a band whose album I bought on the strength of a single - and really enjoyed. The relative lack of material led to a set that included all the songs that I liked plus an excellent cover of "Live and Let Die".

Setlist

I Need a Holiday

Glastonbury

Keep On Walking

Elvis Ain't Dead / Can't Help Falling in Love

It's Not About You

The Airplane Song

The Mountains of Navaho

I Wish I Was James Bond

Live and Let Die

Michaela Strachan

Heartbeat

Thank You Epsom

She's So Lovely

Thunder - Saturday 11th July - Hammersmith Apollo

A week on, and Thunder's final headline show. An emotional evening at a packed Hammersmith Apollo provided a fitting end for a great band after 20 years. Thanks for the memories guys - hoping to see you reconsider and be back for the 25th Anniversary! 

Setlist (from Thunderonline.com) Loser / On the Radio / Higher Ground / Low Life in High Places / The Devil Made Me Do It / Gimme Some Lovin' / Empty City / Like a Satellite / River of Pain / You Can't Keep a Good Man Down / Love Walked In / I Love You More Than Rock ‘n’ Roll Encore: A Better Man / Backstreet Symphony / She's So Fine / Dirty Love (Including ‘Billie Jean’ excerpt and ‘Shakin’ All Over’)

Bryan Adams - Tuesday 7th July - Southampton Guildhall

An acoustic outing from Mr Adams (a first for me) at the pleasant (seated) Southampton Guildhall. An outrageous £69 (with booking fee) ticket, but this was just about justified by a good performance including some rarely heard material.

As you'd expect from an acoustic show, a few too many ballads, but with the bonus of some amusing tales between many of the songs, this was an evening not to be missed. 

Setlist: Run To You / Tonight We Have The Stars / Back To You / Here I Am / Thought I'd Died And Gone To Heaven / Let's Make A Night To Remember / Can't Stop This Thing We Started / I Thought I'd Seen Everything / When You Love Someone / Heat Of The Night / Not Romeo Not Juliet / Everything I Do / Cuts Like A Knife / Lonely Nights / This Time / Mysterious Ways / Please Forgive Me / Summer Of '69 / Walk On By / Heaven / When You're Gone / The Right Place / The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You + Somebody / Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? / Never Let Go / Straight From The Heart

Thunder - Sunday 5th July - Cambridge Corn Exchange

Thunder's farewell tour (sob!). Decided to do the Cambridge show as well as London next week, especially as the band are promising an ever changing setlist for this final fling. A packed and extremely hot venue meant we were stuck 3/4 of the way back, but a fine show was delivered. Trains and nightbuses meant I wasn't home until 3am, but this was one show that was worth the hassle. 

Setlist (from Thunderonline.com) Loser / Welcome To The Party / Higher Ground / Low Life In High Places / Gimme Some Lovin’ / Moth To The Flame / The Devil Made Me Do It / Love Walked In / Stand Up / You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down / Don’t Wait For Me / I Love You More Than Rock ‘n’ Roll Encore: A Better Man / Just Another Suicide / Dirty Love (Including ‘Billie Jean' excerpt)

Status Quo - Thursday 2nd July - Epsom Racecourse

The Quo were back at Epsom for another "Epsom Live!" performance - the first since the opening of the new Grandstand. Fresh from their successful set at Glastonbury, the band were in good spirits and excellent form.

Bryan Bros Band - Saturday 27th June, Hand in Hand, Wimbledon

The Bryan brothers are the top Men's double pairing in World tennis. Taking a break from the Wimbledon championships, they played (with their band) at the small "Hand in Hand" pub on Wimbledon Common.

A pleasant evening - a bit hazy after an all day jaunt at the Twenty20 cricket (Surrey v Middlesex at the Oval). From what I can remember, another Tennis star - Mardy Fish - turned up on vocals for some of the show and the band played a competent mix of mainly cover versions. 

Unexpectedly bumped into some people I know and there also seemed to be lots of attractive girls around. Most seemed connected with the band!

Britney Spears - Saturday 13th June - O2 Arena

Britney Spears - surely that doesn't fit in with the normal gig profile on here does it? Well, no - but this was a treat for Mrs B. So what was it like? Well, to be fair, it was pretty good as a "show". Like many, I'm not convinced by how much of the vocals were actually "live", but as a spectacle it was an impressive bit of theatre. 

Support was from "Ciara" - which may or may not be another "chart act" to add to my list of acts seen. I didn't know too many of the songs, but it didn't really matter as most were catchy and well received by a mainly young and female audience. 

Setlist

[Act 1: The Circus]

Welcome to the Circus @Tape[Video introduction]

Circus

Piece of Me

Thunderstorm @Tape[Performance interlude]

Radar

[Act 2: House of Fun]

Martial Arts Segue @Tape[Performance interlude]

Ooh Ooh Baby / Hot as Ice

Boys 

Sound-Off @Tape[Performance interlude]

If U Seek Amy

Me Against the Music @Info[Bollywood remix]

Everytime

@Set[Act 3: Freakshow / Peepshow]

Everybody's Looking for Something @Tape[Video interlude, features "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This") by Eurythmics]

Freakshow

Get Naked (I Got a Plan)

Britney's Hotline @Tape[Performance interlude, contains elements of "Breathe on Me", with excerpts of "Boys", "I'm a Slave 4]

Breathe on Me

Touch of My Hand

@Set[Act 4: Electro Circ]

Band Jam Segue @Tape[Band interlude, contains elements of "Circus"]

Do Somethin'

I'm a Slave 4 U

Heartbeat @Tape[Dance interlude]

Toxic

...Baby One More Time

Break the Ice @Tape[Video interlude]

Womanizer

Circus @Tape[Reprise: The Bow]

Per Gessle - Monday 4th May - O2 Academy, Islington

So, a trip to Islington for Per Gessle - the male half of Roxette, for probably his first ever UK solo show.

The show had been downgraded from the Shepherd's Bush Empire and to be honest, probably suited a venue this size. That said, it was a fine evening of catchy pop tunes, with a fair selection of Roxette classics included. Most of the crowd appeared to be of Scandinavian origin and Per was greeted with true "hero-like" worship. Great fun, although is was a shame that Marie Fredrikson (other half of Roxette) chose the gig in Holland a few days later to be surprise guest!

Setlist (Order not 100% certain!):
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS
DROWNING IN WONDERFUL THOUGHTS ABOUT HER
STUPID
THE PARTY PLEASER
WISH I COULD FLY
SHE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE
7TWENTY7
I HAVE A PARTY IN MY HEAD
LATE, LATER ON
LISTEN TO YOUR HEART
DO YOU WANNA BE MY BABY?
OPPORTUNITY NOX
DOESN'T MAKE SENSE
CHURCH OF YOUR HEART
DANGEROUS
JOYRIDE
+
C'MON
HEY MR DJ
ARE YOU AN OLD HIPPIE, SIR?
THE LOOK
IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE
+
SLEEPING IN MY CAR
(I'M NOT YOUR) STEPPIN' STONE
QUEEN OF RAIN

Saxon - Thursday 23rd April - Forum, Kentish Town

Surprisingly, I'd never seen Saxon before and knew little of their material. Supported by the impressive Doro Pesch, this was a good fun evening. Despite my lack of previous listening, there were enough good songs to keep me on the lookout for a "best of" CD in the near future! Extremely long encore too with a bit of Judas Priest! 

Setlist Battalions of Steel Heavy Metal Thunder Demon Sweeney Todd Ride Like the Wind Requiem - We Will Remember Strong Arm of the Law The Letter Valley of the Kings Bands Played On Hellcat The Eagle Has Landed (Der Adler ist Gaylanded) Come Rock of Ages (The Circle is complete) Machine Gun Never Surrender Wheels of Steel + Live to Rock Motorcycle Man + Crusader You've Got Another Thing Coming (with Doro) + 747 Strangers In The Night Denim and Leather Princess of the Night