I don't know where they are, but Bullyrag are not here tonight. And I've seen them so many times over the last few months, that it's like missing old friends, missing the "hello, hello" coming from the stage, Boom Boom, Frantic, and all the others. Besides, the bands on in their place really weren't up to much from what I saw. Well, the second band anyway. A bit of a mismatch with the headliners.
The fact I am here tonight is testament to the quality of the new Pitchshifter material. That and because I'm going to do an interview with JS for the next issue of the zine. Come back in about a month or so's time for when that becomes available.
Previously, Pitchshifter have been a great live band, and the albums are good, but. I'd have seen them once and that would've been it, but this new material ... it's going to be one of the albums of the year and no mistake.
But Sheffield is as lethargic as just about every other time I've seen a gig here. There's a fair splattering of people, but it seems that maybe half of them are here for the club night that it will turn into.
But that doesn't deter. The set is the same as the other gigs. But tonight I discover that I know some of the words to the new tunes, especially Microwaved and wysiwyg. Disposable, subject to status, I don't like it, Please sir. Awesome, great stuff. JS berates everyone that got a Valentine's Day card, "bastard", "bastard" he points at everyone who claims to have received one. The heckles are a bit disappointing tonight, and that's JS words from the stage, not mine. Despite the relatively thin crowd, some people do make brave attempts at stagediving, or more like, stage hoping back into the crowd.
Genius, the new single, is predicted at going in at No 1, and that Pitchshifter will be presenting Top of the Pops, instead of "that irritating woman who keeps shaking her head from left to right". He's a natural onstage.
Maybe made me reassess the thought that they should be allowed to move up to the bigger venues. When you see the turnout tonight, it makes you wonder. But I'm afraid that seems to have been systematic of everytime I've seen a gig in Sheffield. Going to be a blinder of an album though.