SPARKS

[Buckeye Randy]

Artist: Queen
Title: Queen 1 (Collector’s Edition)
Release: Rocktober 25. 2024

The promo by Queen’s website…

Release date: 25 October, 2024
Queen’s groundbreaking 1973 debut album, Queen, remixed, remastered and expanded in a 6CD+1LP box set Queen I Collector’s Edition.
“Queen I is the debut album we always dreamed of bringing to you.”
Brian May and Roger Taylor, 2024
Over half a century since its release and a vital chapter in the band’s story, Queen’s self-titled 1973 debut album has been remixed and restored by Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua J Macrae and Kris Fredriksson to sound the way the band always wanted it to. A new tracklisting, alternative takes, demos and live tracks have now been added to create the most complete version of this pivotal work. This is the very first time that a Queen album has ever received a new stereo mix.
The 6CD + 1 LP Queen I box set contains 63 tracks with 43 brand new mixes, comprising the original album with its intended running order restored, intimate fly-on-the-wall audio of Queen in the studio, demos, rare live tracks, and previously unheard recordings from Queen’s first ever live performance in London, August 1970. Absent from the 1973 release, the song “Mad the Swine” has been reinstated to its original place in the running order. A 108-page book containing handwritten lyrics and memorabilia accompanies the release.
Presented in a stunning two-piece box with fold-out poster and four photo prints.
CD1: Queen I (2024 Mix)
1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. Doing All Right
3. Great King Rat
4. Mad The Swine
5. My Fairy King
6. Liar
7. The Night Comes Down
8. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll
9. Son And Daughter
10. Jesus
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye...
CD2: De Lane Lea Demos - 2024 Mix
1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. The Night Comes Down
3. Great King Rat
4. Jesus
5. Liar
CD3: Queen I Sessions
1. Keep Yourself Alive (Trident Take 13 - Unused Master)
2. Doing All Right (Trident Take 1 - with Guide Vocal)
3. Great King Rat (De Lane Lea Take 1 - with Guide Vocal)
4. Mad The Swine (Trident Take 3 - with Guide Vocal)
5. My Fairy King (Trident Backing Track In Development)
6. Liar (Trident Take 1 – Unused Master)
7. The Night Comes Down (De Lane Lea Takes 1 & 2 - with Guide Vocal)
8. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (Trident Takes 8 & 9)
9. Son And Daughter (Trident Takes 1 & 2 - with Guide Vocal)
10. Jesus (De Lane Lea Take 2 - with Guide Vocal)
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye… (Trident Take 3)
12. See What A Fool I've Been (De Lane Lea Test Session)
CD4: Queen I Backing Tracks
1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. Doing All Right
3. Great King Rat
4. Mad The Swine
5. My Fairy King
6. Liar
7. The Night Comes Down
8. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll
9. Son And Daughter
10. Jesus
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye…
CD5: Queen I At The BBC
1. My Fairy King (BBC Session 1, February 1973)
2. Keep Yourself Alive (BBC Session 1, February 1973)
3. Doing All Right (BBC Session 1, February 1973)
4. Liar (BBC Session 1, February 1973)
5. Keep Yourself Alive (BBC Session 2, July 1973)
6. Liar (BBC Session 2, July 1973)
7. Son And Daughter (BBC Session 2, July 1973)
8. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 3, December 1973)
9. Great King Rat (BBC Session 3, December 1973
10. Son And Daughter (BBC Session 3, December 1973
11. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 4, April 1974
CD6: Queen I Live
1. Son And Daughter (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
2. Guitar Solo (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
3. Son And Daughter (Reprise) (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
4. Great King Rat (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
5. Keep Yourself Alive (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974
6. Drum Solo (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
7. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise) (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
8. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
9. Liar (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
10. Hangman (Live in San Diego - March 1976)
11. Doing All Right (Live in San Diego - March 1976)
12. Jesus (Live at Imperial College - August 1970)
13. I’m A Man (Live at Imperial College - August 1970)
LP: Queen I Live – 2024 Mix
Side 1:
1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. Doing All Right
3. Great King Rat
4. Mad The Swine
5. My Fairy King
Side 2:
1. Liar
2. The Night Comes Down
3. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll
4. Son And Daughter
5. Jesus
6. Seven Seas Of Rhye…


My opinion…I hate revisionist history! I had no problem with the sound on the EMI release or the Elektra release with more compression. I do not like including extra tracks on a reissue. That said, it sounds great.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Crabby]

Last night (8th November) at a very studenty enclave in Belfast, a wonderful concert courtesy of They Might be Giants..... An absolute blast, and this old girl managed 2 and a half hours of standing, bouncing about and generally behaving like a teenager simply because the music was so good (cheers to the horn section) the songs were wonderful and the rapport with the audience was very funny and appeared to be genuinely sincere..... Superb night!

[Buckeye Randy]

What: Ruf Records 30 Years Anniversary Tour
When: November 8, 2024
Where: Robins Theatre (Warren, OH)

Occasionally, I google up various artists to see if there is any info on upcoming releases or upcoming tours. While doing so a couple months ago I did a search on Samantha Fish. I stumbled across an upcoming tour titled, “Ruf Records 30 Years Anniversary Tour “. After reading the promo I learned it’s a tour featuring performances by artists that have been on Ruf Records. The tour includes Ghalia Volt, Canned Heat w/Bernard Allison and Samantha Fish w/Mitch Ryder.

The fact I did a search for on Samantha Fish is a little odd since I don’t own anything and I’ve never seen her perform. My interest is based mostly on the song “Deathwish” w/Jesse Dayton and the fact her most recent tour that stopped by a nearby small venue sold out almost immediately. As I've told Mrs. Buckeye, my interest has nothing to do with photos I've seen of Samantha in leather outfits that would make Suzi Quatro envious.

This concert looks really interesting, so I check on ticket availability. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Tix have only been on sale for 15 minutes and I score two front row balcony seats at Robins Theatre. I’ve never been to this venue that is over an hour drive but I'm not scared. After doing a google search of the area I discover it’s across the street from the courthouse and there are two bail bond businesses on the same block. Still not scared, I love an edgy neighborhood.

The Robins Theatre was built in 1922. At time of opening, the exterior was in Italian Renaissance style and the interior had Vermont marble columns and grand staircases with ornate walls and ceiling. The 1400 seat theater remained in operation until 1974 when the doors were closed until renovations began in 2017. Renovations included restoring the original splendor along with adding modern amenities. I think it’s great, the very first concert venue I’ve been to with a chandelier in the bathroom.

I have always preferred tickets in hand, I’m that guy that prints out tix instead of having them on my phone or picking up at ‘will call’. Many venues now only allow electronic tix so I’ve slowly, albeit reluctantly shifted to the new era of technology, old habits are hard to break. After going through the metal detector and having the wand passed over my belt buckle several times, Mrs. Buckeye flashes her phone to the ticket taker…INVALID. Pardon me? Could you please try again? INVALID!

Panic races through my body as I begin to internally meltdown and imagine a stress filled hour drive home (i.e. blaming Mrs. Buckeye for no reason and later regretting it). We go to the box office that is next door and after a short wait we are issued a pair of old school tix with names and numbers. Nice souvenir and glad I said nothing to regret

The evening begins with an introduction by Ruf Records founder, Thomas Ruf (pronounced ‘roof’). I think it’s extremely cool that this guy from Germany has built a successful record label signing country, roots and blues artists. The music begins with Ghalia Volt who hails from Belgium. She is a one-woman wrecking crew that performs while seated with her guitar and a kick drum operated by her left foot, a snare with her right. Nice 20 minute set that was warmly met.

I witnessed what I believe was a world record for shortest time between bands. In less than 10 minutes, Canned Heat took the stage and went straight into “On The Road Again”. The only original member from back in the day is their drummer, Fito (Adolfo de la Parra). The new members were certainly age appropriate to have witnessed those early shows at Monterey Pop and Woodstock. I only mention this because I’ve seen other bands with one original member that have been surrounded by much younger band mates and the authenticity to the era is non-existent.

Most bands of this ilk run through a set of oldies for a trip down memory lane. While the band did include “Up The Country” and “Work Together” as expected they also introduced two new songs. I smile that Canned Heat is still pushing the envelope with recently released material from their 2024 album "Finyl Vinyl" even when performing as an opener. Also included during the set was a guest appearance by Ruff Record stablemate and guitarist Bernard Allison who performed two songs. Job well done by all.

The majority of the crowd was of the age expected for fans of Canned Heat and Mitch Ryder. I expected a much younger crowd since headliner Samantha Fish is only 35 years old. I do understand older gentlemen being attracted to Samantha Fish (smiling). However…it was apparent from the moment that Samantha took the stage that this older crowd was here for Samantha Fish. Does this mean that the musical category of blues is generating new artists but not new fans? I won’t overthink this because of the venue and type of show certainly could factor into the equation.

Samantha with her short curly tasseled blond hair and heavy eyeliner opened with "Wild Heart". She was backed by an extremely tight outfit consisting of Mickey Finn (keyboards), Ron Johnson (bass) and Jamie Douglas (drums). She started the show with a white SG and changed guitars between nearly song but by the end she was back to rockin’ that SG.

I don’t want to overstate or understate this; Samantha Fish and her band had the best sound I’ve ever heard at a concert…the very best. Maybe it was in part due to the natural acoustics of the theatre or maybe our location of being perched at the front of the balcony. The fact that the show was not over amplified probably helped as well. Don't get me wrong, the loud parts were loud but the dynamics were extreme because you could hear a pin drop during the quiet parts. The funny thing is that the videos I've watched on YouTube sound like any other concert, go figure.

Samantha was great as she changed up the pace from slow blues to robust rockers. She had the crowd singing choruses and she also played a knock-out version of her latest single which is a cover of, "I Put A Spell On You". The highlight for me was the song "Bullet Proof". Everything was great.

Lest I forget, Mitch Ryder came out a little over half-way through the show for a couple numbers. Mitch had to be led to a microphone, he was slightly hunched and appeared frail. Appearances can be deceiving because his voice was booming and anything but frail. I was hoping to hear some of his 60's classics but instead got two songs which are from his 2024 release on Ruff Records. First was "Tough Kids" which first appeared on Mitch's 1978 album (How I Spent My Vacation) followed by a Bob Dylan cover of "From A Buick 6". As quickly as he was led on the stage, he was led off the stage.

Samantha ended her set before the encore with one of her heaviest blues numbers, "Black Wind Howlin'". Normally, I feel an encore is a predetermined fate but I'm not so sure on this evening. The band returned to perform "Goin' Down South" which was from Samantha's time on Ruff Records. She can certainly rock out when so inclined.

I really don't know what else to add other than noting the coolest band t-shirt I saw during this well-seasoned evening of entertainment. It belonged to the keyboardist for Samantha Fish whose name if you remember is Mickey Finn. Mickey was wearing a T Rex Slider album cover shirt. The cool kids in the class will know why this is funny!

Great time, I'm a total fan now and I don't even care what she looks like (smiling). Well done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: The Riders In The Sky
Where: Kent Stage (Kent, Ohio)
When: November 16, 2024

Date Night in Kent

The Riders In The Sky are a country western quartet representing a simpler time and certainly several decades before my time. What I know from their promo is they’ve been together for over 40 years and were regulars on The Nashville Network during the early days of cable. They have also won Grammys for their songs appearing in Disney’s Toy Story movies and are members of The Grand Ole Opry.

The band was dressed exactly how you would expect in their western wear with plenty of sequins. Members are; Ranger Doug on guitar, Too Slim on standup bass, Woody Paul on fiddle and Joey the Cowpolka King on accordion (stomach Steinway). The harmonies and musicianship are very good. They included some yodeling and plenty of G-rated comedy banter for this near capacity crowd on a Saturday night in downtown Kent.

I am amused that I was mere feet away from where I was in June when I was standing against the stage being blasted away by The Dictators. I’m like a chameleon.

Sooo…it wasn’t really like going to a concert, the expectations were very different. It was somewhere between going to a school play and going to a circus. Mrs. Buckeye summed up the evening with some comments. “Is this what we’ve become? I’m not ready for this”!

Very professional and entertaining band for people looking for reminders of a bygone era…I’m not quite ready to step in with this crowd but it was a fun time.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Oscar]

Hey, *I'm* an Other Artist!

I just put out an album that would probably(?) appeal to some Sparks fans. I wouldn't necessarily say it sounds like Sparks (apart from a couple spots that were directly Sparks-influenced), but I'd like to think it shares a bit of their overall sensibility. It's basically a collection of novelty songs about music -- or that was the idea, at least. You can listen to it on Bandcamp or just search for The Music of Songs by Jimmy O'Donnell on any of the usual music streaming/download platforms. The tracks that bear the closest resemblance to anything Sparksish are probably Seven Minutes in Heaven and Don't Get Me Started. Thanks in advance to anyone who gives a listen!

[Buckeye Randy]

I checked out the Bandcamp link, you're from Cleveland Heights? Hello neighbor! Any upcoming shows in the area? (Akron, hint, hint)

I've been listening to your release on Spotify mainly because I'm going to include a few tracks on a playlist with Tin Huey, Pere Ube, Chi Pig and Bizarros!

It's a solid listen, thanks for the heads up! Well Done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Alex Robertson]

Just been listening to a few tracks, I wouldn’t mind buying a hard copy if it’s available.


PS…I don’t know enough about Matt Sweeney to be able to comment on your observation 😜

[Oscar]

[Oscar]

[Alex Robertson]

[Buckeye Randy]

Title: Lazy Days: The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1975
Artist: Various Artists
Label: Grapefruit
Released: December 13, 2024
Number of Discs: 3 Discs @ 03:56:42

Do you like compilation releases by various artists? Over the years I’ve owned many on 8-Track, LP, cassette and CD and I define many as probably a little over 10. I don’t think any were bought out of pure curiosity. Have you had favorites over the years? I have.

There are some rules in this discussion (my post, my rules). What does that mean? It means when talking about compilations by various artists that live festivals are not eligible! No “Live Aid”, no “Freddie Mercury Tribute”, no “Woodstock”, no “Monterey Pop”, no “Concert For The People Of Kampuchea” and no “Mick Ronson Memorial Concert”. That seems like a different sort of topic like…’festival releases’.

One good compilation I bought on vinyl in ’78 was “Live Stiff’s Live” that includes tracks by Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury and Wreckless Eric and Larry Wallis. All songs are from a month long Stiff’s tour in 1977 and is totally live yet somehow totally eligible. I justify it because these artists were just starting and had no star power to speak of, just some great songs.

The Rhino DIY series from the early ‘90’s had great releases of UK Punk (2), UK Pop (2), New York Punk, American Power Pop plus there were others. They did a good job of collecting the genre defining songs, all killer, no filler. I had a cassette player in my car and was picking these things up for drive time plus I’ve picked a few of the discs over the years when I see them in discount bins.

I bought my son a four disc box set as part of his graduation present, Rhino’s “No Thanks, The ‘70’s Punk Rebellion”. It’s top shelf though the songs are scattered randomly with no groupings of likeness and there are obscurities to reel in completists. Still, it is essential.

The ones I mentioned were all dandy. However, I generally don’t like various artist compilations because there is usually too little killer and a whole lot of filler. This practice was started by K-tel. A record company would give K-tel rights to a mega hit if they included some singles that bombed. This practice lives today and I believe it’s alive on the release we are looking at today.

However…hard not to appreciate any comp with the star power of this release and a smattering of hits plus several songs I consider favorites.

This tracklisting is from AllMusic, the Spotify tracklisting is slightly different.

Disc 1
1 Good Lovin' Gone Bad - Bad Company
2 Imagine Me, Imagine You - Fox
3 Right or Wrong - Stealers Wheel
4 In for a Penny - Slade
5 Wild One - Thin Lizzy
6 My White Bicycle - Nazareth
7 Riding for a Fall - Moonrider
8 Everybody's a Star (Starmaker) - The Kinks
9 Precious Love - Stray
10 Jean Cocteau - Be Bop Deluxe
11 Both Ends Burning - Roxy Music
12 Blue Guitar - Justin Hayward & John Lodge
13 Good News - 10cc
14 Evil Woman - Electric Light Orchestra
15 Dan the Plan - Alan Hull
16 Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? - Ronnie Lane
17 I'll Regret It All in the Morning - Richard & Linda Thompson
18 Carol - Al Stewart
19 Ain't Gonna Stand for This No More [Single Version] - Ace
20 A Whole Pot of Jelly (For a Little Slice of Toast) - Pete Wingfield
21 Private Number - Babe Ruth

Disc 2
1 Fox on the Run [Single Version] - Sweet
2 Won't Get Burned Again - David Essex
3 In the Future - Sparks
4 Nothing to Do with Us - Jet
5 You Go to My Head - Bryan Ferry
6 Frontera - Phil Manzanera
7 Share It - Hatfield and the North
8 Stuck in a Hole - Caravan
9 Go and Sit Upon the Grass - Ivor Cutler
10 Sad Sing - Tom Newman
11 Run Billy Run - The Shadows
12 Heard It All Before - Pilot
13 Highbury Incident (Rainy July Morning) - Stackridge
14 Titles - Barclay James Harvest
15 Someone to Love - John "Speedy" Keen
16 Hit Records - Kursaal Flyers
17 Lonely Eyes - Method
18 Summer Song - Clive John
19 Blue Eyed Boy - Heavy Metal Kids
20 Delilah [Live] - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
21 Raingame - Streetwalkers
22 Arms of Mary - The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver
23 There's a Cloud in My Heart – The Brinsleys (Brinsley Schwarz)

Disc 3
1 Once Bitten, Twice Shy [Single Edit] - Ian Hunter
2 Play Don't Worry - Mick Ronson
3 By Tonight - Mott
4 Running Through the City - Brian Protheroe
5 Spirits in the Night [Single Edit] - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
6 Minstrel in the Gallery [Single Edit] - Jethro Tull
7 Highfly- John Miles
8 Take It Away - Kestrel
9 Sad Eye - The Pretty Things
10 Trust in Dick - The Winkies
11 Hard Times - Peter Skellern
12 L' Hippie Nationale - Neutrons
13 Mr. Raffles (Man It Was Mean)- Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
14 La Maison de l'Amour - Son of a Gun
15 Mad Dog [Single Mix] - John Entwistle's Ox
16 Kings of Speed - Hawkwind
17 Odd Man Out - Agnes Strange
18 Shoot Shoot - UFO
19 Lazy Day - Oddsocks
20 Back in the Night - Dr. Feelgood
21 Birthday Special - Peter Hammill

Time for a game; Which disc is best and why?

I’ll vote disc 3 because of including really good songs by Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Mott, Manfred Mann, Jethro Tull, UFO (favorite song), Dr. Feelgood, Peter Hammill. Not knocking the other discs, I just give disc 3 an edge.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Alex Robertson]

All three have artists/singles of note but
Disc2 would get my vote simply for the inclusion of Ivor Cutler

[miss sparks]

Any compilation that has song by Jet get my vote.

[Crabby]

I've tried, but l can't pick one, not with Ronnie Lane in the first one, Sparks in the second and Jethro Tull in the third..
I've always been a ditherer and this just confirms it....

[Buckeye Randy]

[Crabby]

OK then, l'm going for Disc 1 because of the Kinks, Ronnie Lane and 10cc.......

[Buckeye Randy]

It was an amazing year for music by artists both old and new.
Here is my Top 10 (+ 1) of 2024.

1. Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – The Chisel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYHSRbbnzK0

2. The Interrogator – The Paranoid Style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwzToH-Tunk

3. California – The Courettes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-Tw3ywLOA

4. Looking For A Fight – The Cold Stares
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do_j05IsxKM

5. New Year’s Reprieve – Bad Moves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BydaT8D5og

6. Doug Died – Fritz Hutchison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ioq9PytcC8

7. Girl From The Record Shop – Frank Turner ft Teenage Joans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnVJMsj8gwg

8. The Longest Kiss – The Darkness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm6-ZYvBTVw

9. Hooks - The Blackburns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKamHyDvQAo

10. Girls! – Gen and the Degenerates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmQAoywvWA

11. 10,000 Volts – Ace Frehley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhRqVUs523Y

Worth a listen if you have disposable time...

Had It Made - The Prize
Death Letter Blues - Tinsley Ellis
A Quiet Place - Nick Lowe, Los Straitjackets
You Gone Miss Me When I'm Gone - Bobby Ruch, The Real Dee Martin
Bombshell - The Cruz & The Dukes Of Harlem
Field Of Vision - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Wanting and Waiting - The Black Crowes
Make It All Right - The Offspring
I Don't Care About Anything Anymore - Spicy Mayo
Age Of Stupid - The Jellybricks
Charlotte - CVC
Tell Me Why U Do That - Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge
Sally Sayin' Something - David Uosikkinen (Low Cut Connie)
Chewing Gum - Amyl and the Sniffers
Shocked By An Electrician - Empty Pockets (w/Joanna Connor)
Traveling The Highway Home - Kelsey Waldon, Margo Price
Sacred Cow - The Dictators
Key To The Highway - Slash, Dorothy
Passionate Kisses - Sorry Darling
Dead End Road - Jelly Roll
Heart Is A Muscle - Amy Rigby
Bobby Sox - Green Day
Times Square Claire - Heatstroke
Leave The Light On - BBQ Jones
Desecrate The Cathedral - Pavid Vermin
Can't Do It Right - The Hollywood Stars
The Fringe - Cheekface
To Be Young - Chubby and the Gang
Misery - The Daniel James Gang
Lonely Road - MGK w/Jelly Roll
Friday Night - Dangereens
Goodbye Albuquerque, Tuesday Night - Cody Dickinson
Hot Night On Bergen Street - Carls
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Alex Robertson]

I’ll be getting The Voltz new ( debut) album when it comes out…loving what I’ve heard so far, really old time 70’s glam sound.

[Buckeye Randy]

I'm a fan of Todd Rundgren as evidenced by seeing 20 shows over 48 years. The fact is, I skip more tours than I attend because Todd's shows can vary wildly from EDM to appearing with an orchestra to shows of unreleased material. Todd is always 'buyer beware'.

I'll certainly be skipping the next tour that was announced yesterday.

What The World Needs Now: The Bacharach Songbook feat Todd Rundgren

Tix are premium priced starting at over $200. Yeah, I won't be there...

Does that appeal to anybody?? Anybody at all?
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[KaelMael]

IDLES with special guest Otoboke Beaver

Zepp Diversity, Odaiba, Tokyo
January 27, 2025

Zepp Diversity is located on an artificial island called Odaiba. It houses about 2,000 people, but I don't think it was fully packed. Not far away from this venue, one of Japan's biggest TV networks was holding a press conference over its scandal which eventually lasted whopping 10 hours.

Otoboke Beaver, a band from Kyoto which performed at Glastonbury last year, opened the show. They were fantastic. With their 30-minute set, they almost stole the show. Those four punk goddesses were glowing and I was in awe.

After a short break, IDLES came on to the stage and the crowd went nuts. This was when I realised that I made a huge mistake - I was in the front row. Gasp. I thought I was fully aware of, or I had been warned, the danger of being in the front row when you are seeing punk bands. Well, I had had a similar experience at Morrissey concert but anyway, I cursed myself for being foolish. As soon as the first song started, I was pushed and shoved like a punchbag. For about an hour or so I had to go through a thousand elbows in my ribs and occasional boots in the head. At one point, I was holding guitarist Lee Kiernan's ankle. A pure chaos I wasn't prepared for. Yet, I survived to tell the tale. But not without heavy bruises.

Despite it being my fault (btw, this venue has 'no moshing' rule), it was a real pity that I couldn't enjoy the music itself much. I tried to, but among that wild crowd I was merely a tiny wimp. Still, I understand why many people say you should see IDLES live. The energy they created was tremendous. But next time, I would like to experience it without having a stranger's hair in my mouth.
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My resume is dull and it's gray