Upcoming shows

Looking forward to these over the next month or 2:- 

Jeff Beck - Indigo2 

Woodedz - Half Moon, Putney 

Mott The Hoople - Hammersmith 

Magnum - Islington

U2 - Friday 14th August - Wembley Stadium

Let me be honest, I'm not too much of a U2 fan - especially the lead singer! That said, I recognise that they are a pretty good band with some excellent songs, so - pride suitably swallowed, I shelled out for a "view from the Gods" ticket at Wembley. And guess what? Apart from one truly awful song involving words like "password", "click" and "reboot yourself" - I think it was "Unknown Caller" - the rest of the set was very good.

Setlist Breathe, No Line On The Horizon, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, London Calling (snippet) / , London Bridge Is Falling Down (snippet) / Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet), Elevation, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Movin' On Up (snippet), Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Unknown Caller, The Unforgettable Fire, City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo / Acquiesce (snippet), I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight / Two Tribes (snippet) / Reverend Black Grape (snippet), Sunday Bloody Sunday / Rock The Casbah (snippet), Pride (In The Name Of Love), MLK, Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet), Where The Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love (snippet) / Acquiesce (snippet), One, Mysterious Ways / Norwegian Wood (snippet)+ Ultra Violet (Light My Way), With Or Without You, Moment of Surrender 

Setlist from http://www.u2setlists.com/360.shtml

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]