You've got to hand it to some people. At their gigs earlier in the year, Incubus proved that they were drawing large crowds and selling out their gigs. Indeed, while I was doing an interview with Brandon for YAZ, Mike, the guitarist, said to Brandon that the next time they played in Nottingham, they'd been told that they'd play the main hall, not the smaller Disco section. So this time round, what happens? The tickets kinda give away that it's in the smaller place again. And so a few days before, maybe less than that, someone realises that they are actually going to be big enough to play the main hall. So that's arranged. Just have the small problem that door time is now an hour earlier than on the tickets due to the curfew. Nice move people. Can someone hand whoever organises this stuff a brain. They come in handy sometimes.
Anyway, all that meant, was that they had to delay One Minute Silence from starting until the original doors opening time. But it had the knock on effect off having to cut short the times a bit, and also meant that OMS still took to the stage to a near deserted venue. Fortunately that doesn't deter them, and they soon get a pit going. And as more people stream into the venue, more join the pit, until by the end of the gig, things are pretty much going full tilt. The infamous circle pit sees a return, and basically, well, OMS will be headlining this place by the end of the year. They play about half the album, which is all great, as well as a brand new track, Spoonfull of Sugar. Yap attacks his latest victiim, Mark Morrisson. Don't worry if you don't see the gigs. It's caught on tape in an interview. About 10 - 15 minutes of a full on verbal assault. By the time Remain Calm finishes proceedings, they've won over a bunch of new fans. Course, if whoever arranged the gig in the first place had done it properly, they'd have won over even more of the people who were only now streaming in.
The knock on effect is that Far also are rushing against time We've not got much time tonight says Jonah, so lets make something beautiful out of what we have.. And they do. Opening up with Mother Mary from the new Water & Solutions album, the set tonight concentrates heavily on the latest offering. As such, it means that there's not maybe as frenzied a reaction as when they played here the last time with the Deftones. Wear it So Well, Man Overboard, Seasick, get the place going. As last time, you can sense them gradually wining over the unfamiliar and the unconverted. Jonah wears a huge smile for pretty much the entire gig and seems to be loving it. At the moment, it's maybe a slower progress than Incubus have made over here, but that's maybe reflective that the material isn't as in your face, and instead is more introspective. But when things blow up, then they'll blow up big. The fuse has been lit. Things are brought to a close with Punchdrunk (thankyou Jonah), System and Bury White. Expect to see and hear more of them again soon, not least another interview in an upcoming YAZ
I think I'm begining to get the hang of this dropping the name of the zine in gig reviews. Just need to remember to put links in to it each time.
Anyway, things are running late when Incubus take to the stage. Or rather, the new DJ, DJ Kilmore takes to the stage to do a small opening slot. Aynway, following this, the rest of the band join and the place, to steal a cliche, which is always nice, goes Apeshit. The set list is pretty similar to the last time they were here, taking in most of the S.C.I.E.N.C.E album. My Favourite Things, A Certain Shade of Green (which opened), Calgone, and the others. It's all such great music, performed well, and still with a sense of enjoyment and humility shining from Brandon. Despite the fact that he's got certain women, ok, most of them, drooling over his every move!
The infamous (and unspellable) djeridou (what a lame attempt) is brought out for the intro to Redefine, and the slightly less infamous Jonah guest on Calgone. The set finishes with Be A Hot Dancer, complete with snippet of Maiden's Powerslave (well, OMS aren't doing the Number of the Beast intro at the moment). Maybe Brandon should've auditioned for Maiden! Nebula and New Skin are the encores, and it's over. Looking around, the place is heaving. Some are the people who have entered Rock City in the last few minutes for the club night, most are here for the gig. So who thought in their right mind, that this gig should've been booked for downstairs. Wake up and smell the reality.