What are you listening to?

[TheDonbytheDee]

Just back from the Squeeze and Madness gig.

Squeeze were so, so good. You'd have to be a very confident band to let a group like Squeeze open for you then have to follow them.

No problem for Madness, they have the playing live lark down to an artform.

Got a lot of the more unknown hits from their extensive catalogue, which was music to my ears.

Tonight was my penultimate gig of the year. I have an ABBA tribute gig at the music hall in two weeks, to finish of the year.

I love ABBA.

Next year I finally getting to see my all time favourites Kraftwerk down in Manchester.

They played the Capitol, Aberdeen , back in 1991 and Karl Bartos was still with them.

None of my pals fancied it, as they were quite as reverred as they are now, so didn't bother going. We'll see them next time they are up I said!

Better late than never, even though they have become their own tribute band.

I'd also like to catch Sparks live too and with Ron in his 80s and Russell not far off, I'd better try and get something sorted.

Edited Sunday at 23:21 by TheDonbytheDee

[TheDonbytheDee]

52 minutes ago, Ajja said:

I go to a lot of gigs with my daughters and we seek out new bands in small venues, usually in Glasgow. They always joke that they are often the only ones aged under 50. It’s the 6music dad effect. Guys like me hearing new music that’s based on old music and in small venues that remind me of the gigs I used to go to. Young team seem to prefer festivals and big venues. Must be soul destroying being 18, in a band and starting out your gig circuit and when you look out over the audience it’s full of bald guys in their 50s nodding their heads knowingly. 

Sounds good that, going to gigs with your daughters.

No chance my sons would go to a gig with me. Too big a clash of tastes.

I agree with you comments about six music. 

We might be old, but our coin will be more than welcome, as nigh on impossible for bands to make a living from music now. A lot of youngsters don't want to pay for music and record companies would rather sell the records of their legacy acts than support new bands or singers.

If I'm at a gig of a new band or a new band is supporting an established act, I always try and buy some of their merchandise to help them out.

Edited Sunday at 23:34 by TheDonbytheDee

[Mason89]

I was in Berlin the other week, right next door to the Uber Arena. Kraftwerk were playing the night I had to leave. Raging 

[TheDonbytheDee]

2 minutes ago, Mason89 said:

I was in Berlin the other week, right next door to the Uber Arena. Kraftwerk were playing the night I had to leave. Raging 

I nearly got to the Berlin gig, work got in the way in the end. Would have been cheaper overall than Manchester, which is just mad.

They played a gig in Vienna last year and we had a trip booked to Vienna, for the day after, just couldn't make it work.

Thought it was never going to happen with them and then up popped their 2026 UK tour, with both Scottish dates, clashing with work.

Bit the bullet and splashed out on Manchester. Not so much the tickets, but the hotel and flights were silly money. 

I miss out on the cup final though, when we go to defend our trophy.

 

[swaddon]

10 minutes ago, TheDonbytheDee said:

I miss out on the cup final though, when we go to defend our trophy.

 

There's always 2027 when we aim for our third cup win in a row.

[RicoS321]

I happened upon a Jam tribute on Friday in toon, who were fairly decent. The age and gender profile was stark! I did notice a couple of young girls with their dad in the corner - good work. Most of the gigs I go to are similar, regardless of whether the bands are twenty years younger than me or not. It's mainly Aberdeen gigs I go to, and you recognise the faces. 

The Jam tribute were a five piece band, which is unusual these days. I remember watching Arab Strap a few years back and they mentioned that it wasn't economical to bring the rhythm section along with them, so it was just the front two and the machines. It must be very hard for a new band to stay afloat on those terms. I suspect it would put a slant towards the middle class end of the spectrum, where the band were largely backed (or accommodated) by parents. That may or may not have an effect on the quality of songs and lyrics. 

I think the industry more generally has changed. I often chuck on the TOTP reruns on BBC4 on a Friday night, and for some weird reason they always start with 1998. You could see the deterioration at that point, from even the earlier part of the decade. There have always been manufactured bands, but it was the sheer volume of them by that point. The cheap, formulaic, pish churned out over and over. The shitey girl and boy bands, in the exact same format doing the exact same dance moves, singing the exact same songs (or someone else's). The capital that runs the industry had found a way to break the back of it and make money with far less going out the door, complete control over the "artist" and a way to generate controversy by ogling over who they were or weren't dating (rather than if they'd thrown a telly out of their hotel room). Just a mirror, or perhaps a precursor, to the way that the rest of society has functioned for fifty years. Enshittification I believe the kids are calling it these days. I suspect some good music will come out the other end once it all blows over.

[Mason89]

Aiden calls me a fanny on an Arab Strap live album 

Top that. 

[Ajja]

55 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

I happened upon a Jam tribute on Friday in toon, who were fairly decent. The age and gender profile was stark! I did notice a couple of young girls with their dad in the corner - good work. Most of the gigs I go to are similar, regardless of whether the bands are twenty years younger than me or not. It's mainly Aberdeen gigs I go to, and you recognise the faces. 

The Jam tribute were a five piece band, which is unusual these days. I remember watching Arab Strap a few years back and they mentioned that it wasn't economical to bring the rhythm section along with them, so it was just the front two and the machines. It must be very hard for a new band to stay afloat on those terms. I suspect it would put a slant towards the middle class end of the spectrum, where the band were largely backed (or accommodated) by parents. That may or may not have an effect on the quality of songs and lyrics. 

I think the industry more generally has changed. I often chuck on the TOTP reruns on BBC4 on a Friday night, and for some weird reason they always start with 1998. You could see the deterioration at that point, from even the earlier part of the decade. There have always been manufactured bands, but it was the sheer volume of them by that point. The cheap, formulaic, pish churned out over and over. The shitey girl and boy bands, in the exact same format doing the exact same dance moves, singing the exact same songs (or someone else's). The capital that runs the industry had found a way to break the back of it and make money with far less going out the door, complete control over the "artist" and a way to generate controversy by ogling over who they were or weren't dating (rather than if they'd thrown a telly out of their hotel room). Just a mirror, or perhaps a precursor, to the way that the rest of society has functioned for fifty years. Enshittification I believe the kids are calling it these days. I suspect some good music will come out the other end once it all blows over.

Excellent post and so much to unpack. To paraphrase one of the greatest comedians ever, you know the best albums cos they’re the ones on drugs. 
 

Mr Bill Hicks, RIP

[TheDonbytheDee]

You are so correct about seeing familiar faces at gigs in Aberdeen, Rico.

There was a couple of old skool punks at the Skids on Saturday night, complete with Mohicans. You'll have seen them about town plenty over the years.

The youngsters were going up and asking for selfies with them.

 

I'm sure a Jam tribute act brought out the Weller clones, striving to keeping it real.

Fair play to them, but some of the dodgiest barnets around, when you go to a Jam tribute, or even a Weller gig.

 

[BigAl]

Appreciate that this won't be everyone's cup of tea (wasn't actually sure it was mine to be honest) but went to see Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra on Friday night at the SEC Armadillo

Over two hours of pure entertainment, what a pianist the man really is, ably backed by his fourteen strong band, not to mention being joined on stage by amongst others Ruby Turner and Imelda May as guest vocalists.

All this and change out of £60 per head, money seriously well spent.

Already awaiting details of 2026 tour so that we can return again 

[RicoS321]

5 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Appreciate that this won't be everyone's cup of tea (wasn't actually sure it was mine to be honest) but went to see Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra on Friday night at the SEC Armadillo

Over two hours of pure entertainment, what a pianist the man really is, ably backed by his fourteen strong band, not to mention being joined on stage by amongst others Ruby Turner and Imelda May as guest vocalists.

All this and change out of £60 per head, money seriously well spent.

Already awaiting details of 2026 tour so that we can return again 

I've seen him three times. Once, him and his brother played the piano (the same one) for a song, and his brother was nearly as good as him. The only downside to seeing him these days is usually the venues are of the large corporate pish variety. He's fantastic though, despite being a little bit of a weirdo. Wouldn't be surprised if something came out in a decade or two.

[BigAl]

3 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

I've seen him three times. Once, him and his brother played the piano (the same one) for a song, and his brother was nearly as good as him. The only downside to seeing him these days is usually the venues are of the large corporate pish variety. He's fantastic though, despite being a little bit of a weirdo. Wouldn't be surprised if something came out in a decade or two.

Ken fit you mean about him 

His brother is the keyboard player in the orchestra. 

I wouldn't single out any individual musician as I thought they were all immense to be fair 

[BigAl]

On 07/12/2025 at 00:13, TheDonbytheDee said:

No, I have a decent grasp of new music and the youngsters aren't overly interested in it, like they once would have been.

My youngest listens to loads of old stuff, says modern stuff aimed at his age group is mainly pish. His words, not mine.

It's music, but not as we knew it.  Possibly a lot of it is down to the streaming age and everything being on tap.

They'll never know the joy of taping music off the radio, which was once deemed to be the ruination of the music industry.

 

Top forty countdown, finger poised over record/pause button hoping to fuck that the person doing the countdown wouldn't talk over the end pf the tracks you were recording 

[Mason89]

32 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

He's fantastic though, despite being a little bit of a weirdo. Wouldn't be surprised if something came out in a decade or two.

I have a theory about David Attenborough, which isn’t that popular because he’s a national treasure 

[TheDonbytheDee]

2 hours ago, BigAl said:

Top forty countdown, finger poised over record/pause button hoping to fuck that the person doing the countdown wouldn't talk over the end pf the tracks you were recording 

Aye, those were the days.

 

[RicoS321]

2 hours ago, Mason89 said:

I have a theory about David Attenborough, which isn’t that popular because he’s a national treasure 

Was it that he died ten years ago?

[Mason89]

12 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Was it that he died ten years ago?

I just think he ticks a lot of boxes… 

[BigAl]

Next gig is China Crisis at The Old Fruitmarket the day after returning from Prague 

[Ajja]

Love the Old Fruitmarket as a venue. 

[TheDonbytheDee]

4 hours ago, BigAl said:

Next gig is China Crisis at The Old Fruitmarket the day after returning from Prague 

Excellent live. Their singer Gary Daly, is very funny and a good frontman.

A group that never quite hit the heights they possibly deserved, but they have been building up a good live following, these past few years.

I love their first two albums and Diary of a Hollow Horse.