I'm not very good at this blogging business am I? I'm sure there used to be a time when I was at it every couple of days. Maybe I'm just imagining that. I suppose I just don't feel like there's anything particularly exciting or noteworthy in my life to make a point about... I usually just end up going on about a Superkings gig or some other band's gig or TV shows or apologising for not blogging enough.

So anyway, now I've apologised for not blogging enough, let's talk about some gigs I went to and some TV shows I watched!

The Okkervil River gig at the Night & Day was pretty cool. I last saw them play the last time they were in England, back in 2003, and this time it was even better. It was really nice to see the place busy with fans as well, compared to '03 when the four of us made up about 20% of the audience (and half of those other people seemed to be there to see one of the support acts anyway). The Superkings were really good too I think, probably their best gig to date. There's so often crappy sound problems with the band, where you can't hear half the instruments, or Dave gets drunk and forgets the lyrics, so it was good to see everything spot on. Plus the audience seemed to be into it. The experience (plus the N&D's over-priced beers) put me in a really good mood, which then got even better when Okkervil River came on. Me and Dave ended up standing near the front, singing along to the songs. I guess that says something about Okkervil River (and Budvar lager), I'm usually the person stood at the back of gigs occasionally nodding my head slowly and looking uncomfortable.

After the gig I ended up staying in Manchester and actually got to hang out with the band for a bit. I got to shake Will Sheff's hand and tell him he was the person who made me want to write lyrics, which he seemed actually quite touched by, though I then spoiled it a bit by saying "well, along with a load of other people too". Heh, the only downer to the night I think was the SKs getting a lambasting on the OR message board where they were compared to the Hothouse Flowers. The Hothouse Flowers! Heehee, I kind of like how different people seem to compare the band to wildly different bands... from Nick Cave to Ben Folds to Black Heart Procession to the Beatles. I think I'd be a bit disappointed if people just went "oh yeah, you sound just like the Smiths" or whatever.

The next day I went to the Nottingham gig where the SKs were supporting Okkervil River a second night, never been to Nottingham before and it seemed okay. Though to be honest I didn't really get to experience much of it apart from a confusing one way system and the inside of a bar. We got a rider, a crate of beer, which was vaguely exciting, though poor Steve was driving so couldn't drink any. He looked like he might cry. He got revenge on me (though not deliberately I'm sure) for guzzling beer in front of him though by leaving early in the evening, and he was my lift home I had to go with him, which meant I missed Okkervil River playing. Still, the sound in that place was a bit dodgy so I think the Manchester gig would have been the better of the two anyway.

This Autumn's a pretty cool time for gigs actually, aside from seeing Okkervil River and Sleater-Kinney recently I went to see Ladytron with Julie. They were ace, I think I find Mira slightly less erotic though now that she's dressing up as some sort of bride of Dracula. Next month I'm going to see the fantabulous Clap Your Hands Say Yeah with Sian, hopefully i'm going to be able to sort out tickets/transport for Wolf Parade and the Decemberists too. Gig-antic! Last week the Superkings played at Feedback again, supporting Thomas Truax. I'd heard his album beforehand, which I thought was okay but nothing amazing. But his live act was phenomenal. It was just him by himself, but most of his songs involved him making odd noises with various objects that then got recorded and played back on sequencer things he was using, similar to what Owen Pallett does for his Final Fantasy gigs. Plus he used a series of weird instruments he'd made himself out of what seemed to be random utensils and brik-a-brak. He did this supercool thing in one song where he played the guitar with one of those hand-held fans, it sounded ace. I think that may have to be stolen for a Superkings song.

My mobile phone is broken for the foreseeable future, plus we've lost internet access at home, so I feel pretty cut off from life at the moment. I sort of avoid answering the landline most of the time as it's usually annoying sales calls. I might be reduced to using carrier pigeons or something.

Next week I'm going off to Amsterdam for a few days with my family, never been there before so I'm sure it'll be fun. Plus I'll get to meet the infamous Dean. I have to remember not to get drunk and end up falling into a canal.