David Ingham

My SXSW 2009

3/17: Andy Friedman, Romantica, Freedy Johnston (w/Jon Dee Graham), The Savage Trip (w/Michael Hall), Grant Hart (from Husker Du), The Silos (w/Jon Dee Graham), Amy Cook, The Blue Aeroplanes, 3/18: Rebekah Pulley and the Reluctant Prophets, Ronnie Elliott, Hoots & Hellmouth, Jon Dee Graham, James McMurtry, Randy Weeks, Ladyhawke, The Heartless Bastards, The Avett Brothers, The Decemberists, 3/19: The Magic, Human Highway, The Hard Lessons, Lucero, The Hold Steady, Dead Confederate, Phosphorescent, The Black Lips, Primal Scream, 3/20: Little Steven (keynote), The Mighty Stef, The Brothers Movement, The Thermals, The Hold Steady, Howard Elliot Payne, Hamell On Trial, Ed Harcourt, The Whispertown 2000, The Felice Brothers, The Hold Steady, The Shys, The Chesterfield Kings, 3/21: The Hold Steady (interview), Delta Spirit, Fanfarlo, Wallis Bird, Echo and The Bunnymen, James Harries, Moriarty, Silversun Pickups, News on the March.

Sequestered In Memphis

For those who doubt the redemptive power of rock'n'roll, I invite you to check out the new tune by The Hold Steady. It's called Sequestered In Memphis, the first single from their upcoming album, Stay Positive. You can listen to it over at their myspace page. It's got everything, great riffs, horns, Springsteenesque piano, great lyrics and a shout-out-loud chorus. Ben Nichols from Lucero on backing vocals too. Makes you want to turn it up to 11 and jump around. I just can't wait to see this live.

Sequestered In Memphis

It started when we were dancing
It got heavy when we got to the bathroom
We didn't go back to her place
We went to some place where she cat sits
She said "I know I look tired,
But everything's fried here in Memphis"

Now they wanna know exactly which bathroom
Dude it doesn't make any difference, it can't be important
Yeah sure tell my story again

In barlight, she looked alright
In daylight, she looked desperate.
That's alright I was desperate too,
I'm gettin' pretty sick of this interview.
Subpoenaed in Texas
Sequestered in Memphis

I think she drove a new mustang
I guess it might be a rental
And I remember she had satellite radio
I guess she seemed a bit nervous
Do you think I'm that stupid
Well what the hell, tell the story again

In barlight, she looked alright
In daylight, she looked desperate.
That's alright I was desperate too,
I'm gettin' pretty sick of this interview.
Subpoenaed in Texas
Sequestered in Memphis

I went there on business

The album is out on July 14 and they're touring in the UK and the US - details on their myspace page.

Stay Positive!

Update: Listen here...

Bruce ServicePack and the Vista Street Band

I don't know whether to laugh or cry...

[Thanks Robert]

Bruuuce!

U23D

You’ve got to see this. It’s a U2 concert movie filmed over several shows on their recent tour of Latin America…and it’s filmed in 3D! We saw it on the huge screen at the IMAX in Seattle and it is just jaw dropping. One minute you’re on the stage, next you’re in the mosh pit, next you’re flying over the stadium. You’re all sat there with your oversized glasses on, looking a little like Bono himself, grinning from ear-to-ear as Edge plays his guitar solo right in your face or Adam’s bass lines thump your chest. It’s just an amazing experience.

The Hold Steady are the saviours of rock and roll

If you read The Guardian you’re probably well aware that they love The Hold Steady. A couple of weeks ago they proclaimed their Glastonbury appearance to be “The gig of the festival.” Earlier they gave rave reviews to their records, Separation Sunday and Boys and Girls in America.

For me, The Hold Steady is just the most exciting band around. A month or so ago, Helen and I went down to Portland to see them play at the Crystal Ballroom. They played the Monday of the Memorial Day long weekend. We’d spent the weekend over in Hood River hiking and relaxing and when it came to the evening of the show I’d almost forgotten we were going to see a band. They weren’t playing til late and we sat in the downstairs bar having a few drinks til around 10 or so. We made our way upstairs and jostled for position, still pretty relaxed. When they finally came on stage and started playing, I was overcome by this complete sense of energy, excitement and joy. I was leaping around like an idiot (along with many other idiots!). The show was everything I expected and more; I was 18 again, feeling how I felt when I first heard bootlegs of Bruce’s live shows from the 70s.

Craig Finn, singer with The Hold Steady, understands this feeling too - check him out at the Springsteen tribute show from back in April.

In The Guardian’s latest piece on the band (from where the title to this post comes), Michael Hann shares his experiences:

But in the end, I guess, I love the Hold Steady because they make me feel like I did when I was 18. I don't mean girlfriendless, uncertain about the future, and prone to adolescent moodiness. I mean excited about the possibilities that music can offer, that someone you've never met can sing to your soul.

Don’t miss them if you get the chance.

The Hold Steady

From this week's edition of Seattle's The Stranger.

Couldn't agree more ;-)

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Showbox

Dirty, that's the best way to describe the guitar sound opening the new Black Rebel Motorcycle Club record, Baby 81. It reminds me of the John Squire riff that opens The Stone Roses' Love Spreads. It's a sound that we haven't heard from BRMC for a while. Their last album, Howl, had a much more low key, alt-country feel than their first two records. I loved Howl, it was my album of the year for 2005, I bought copies for friends and everything, but I missed those dirty guitars and awesome rolling, rumbling bass lines. Well they're back and were in full effect at their Sunday night show at The Showbox in Seattle.

They played most of the new record and the new songs came over strong, better than on the record in many cases, especially "666 Conducer" which I thought was just brilliant live. They played just a few songs off the first two records including "Whatever Happened to my Rock and Roll (Punk Song)" which was as great as ever. Throughout the set they switched instruments a fair bit with Robert playing bass, guitar and piano and Peter playing guitar, bass and trombone - very cool.

After the end of the main set, they reappeared for an encore without Nick. I think they said he was suffering from allergies or something. It was definitely unplanned. Anyway, whatever the cause, the result was great. First Robert played "Mercy" (in the dark) and then Peter came out and played "Fault Line" from Howl. Then we had a great version of "Promise" before an all acoustic version of "Ain't No Easy Way" with Robert playing guitar standing behind the drum kit, pounding the bass drum with his foot - very cool. Then, a real surprise, Robert played Dylan's "Lonesome Death of Hattie Carol" - an excellent version too.

The impromptu acoustic encore reinforced the point that while BRMC make the most beautiful dirty garage rock, they still sound great when stripped down to the bone. Go and see them if you get the chance.

SXSW 2007

Just back from Austin and another fantastic few days of music at South By Southwest. This was our forth year and it was especially sweet for me this time to be able to catch up with my music-loving chums from Nottingham and Newcastle that I don’t see often enough anymore. We spent a few days in New York on the way (well, on the way for the UK folks anyway) and I managed to catch up with my friends Fiona and Neal there too.

It’s very easy to overdo it at SouthBy; the first couple of years it was like drinking from the fire hose, so much to see and do and you wanted to see and do all of it! This year we took it a bit easier, did slightly less running around but still managed to see some great music. Out of the 1400 or so bands that played Austin last week, here’s the few that I managed to catch:

Tuesday Swollen Circus: Teenage Prayers, Michael Hall, Scrappy Jud Newcomb, The Silos, Carrie Rodriguez, PreNup, Patty Hurst Shifter

Wednesday Pete Townsend keynote, Simple Kid, Barbara Kooyman & The Texamericans (w/ Carrie Rodriguez and Michelle Shocked), Ian McLagan & Bump Band (Ronnie Lane Tribute w/ Pete Townsend), The Scanners, Willowz, Patty Hurst Shifter

Thursday The Storys, Amy Winehouse, Justin Rutledge w/Luke Doucet, Attic Jam (Rachel Fuller, Pete Townsend, Mika, Willy Mason, Joe Purdy, Alexi Murdoch, Martha Wainwright), Stax 50 Revue (Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MGs (featuring Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn), William Bell, Eddie Floyd and Jimmy McCracklin), Mika

Friday Michelle Shocked, Freedy Johnston, Joe Purdy, The Watson Twins, Buffalo Tom, The Drams, Steve Earle, Hoodoo Gurus, Justin Rutledge

Saturday Patty Hurst Shifter, Buzzcocks, Kings of Leon, Spoon, Iggy Pop & The Stooges

SXSW 2006

For some reason this didn't get posted last year; anyway better late than never here's what I saw at South By in 2006.

• The Resentments (Saxon Pub)
• Steve Wynn (Flipnotics)
• Cordero (Swollen Circus - Hole In The Wall)
• The Silos (Swollen Circus - Hole In The Wall)
• The Herms (IODA Party - Emos)
• Phosphorescent (IODA Party - Emos)
• Magneta Lane (IODA Party - Emos)
• Cordero (Industry of Music Party - Taproom)
• Patty Hurst Shifter (Industry of Music Party - Taproom)
• The Silos (Guitartown Party - Mother Egan's)
• Patty Hurst Shifter (Guitartown Party - Mother Egan's)
• Collin Herring (Exodus)
• Willy Mason (Antones)
• World Party (Exodus)
• The Plimsouls (Exodus)
• The Go! Team (Exodus)
• Newton Faulkner (Radio 2 Party - Brush Square BBQ)
• Marah (Twangfest Party - Jovitas)
• The Guillemots (Eternal)
• The Spinto Band (Eternal)
• Boy Kill Boy (Eternal)
• The Flaming Lips (Eternal)
• Jon Dee Graham (Whisky Bar)
• Ian McLagan (Whisky Bar)
• Willy Mason (NME Party - House Of Mean)
• Phosphorescent (End Of An Ear)
• Patterson Hood (No Depression Party - Cactus Cafe)
• Teddy Thompson (No Depression Party - Cactus Cafe)
• Beth Orton (No Depression Party - Cactus Cafe)
• Tim Fite (Antones)
• Billy Bragg (Cedar Street Courtyard)
• Marah (Antones)
• Brian Jonestown Massacre (Bourbon Rocks)
• IV Thieves (Pop Culture Press Party - Dog & Duck)
• Peter Case (Pop Culture Press Party - Dog & Duck)
• Steve Wynn (Pop Culture Press Party - Dog & Duck)
• Marah (Yep Roc Party - Yard Dog)

There are a few photos with notes here and the full set is over here.