Astoria, London
(UK), 21/7/1998
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From : Gary@blandest.demon.co.uk
Date :22/7/1998 01:32
Subject : (UT) Astoria mini-review
Just a quick note to fill you in on what the gig was like tonight. Well, not
many people seemed that interested in UT, what with all the talking going on.
They came on to some rather uplifting operatic type music, then went into Forget
About Me. Settle Down was next, this is my fave song after Tyre Tracks. People
seemed a little more interested then.
Finest Little Space is next, I'll never like the first bar of this song, though
when it shifts gear, it's great.
Then they play Landslide. Richard Hustwayte, you MUST like this song! It's not
all acoustic, it has keyboards! :) I love it, great drumming.
Andy says something: "Free gigs are great, aren't they? This song is called
Building." He's not wrong.
Then they play Solved, and finish with Higher Than Reason, which seems slower
than usual. So there you are, a 30m set. I'm glad it was free. Hi to everybody
I saw (mossj, Stuart, Ulen, if that IS your name :), I thought I'd leave and
come home since everybody seemed engrossed in conversations with drummers, and
I've got work tomorrow... oh, today. Someone can do a better report.
Gary
From
: Ulen (u1en@yahoo.com)
Date :23/7/1998 01:09
Subject : Re: (UT) Astoria mini-review
Well, my good intention to mail a review hot off the press came to nothing -
since crawling in at 2am seemed a little late to start... Thanks to the sensible
people in charge of the A40 deciding to cause us an hour long queue last night
to get as far as Hangar Lane - simply 'cos they wanted to change a couple of
lightbulbs or suthin'.
Well, Gary's done the music review - what can I add? Shame the mix of music onstage had attracted the kind of fan prepared to stand near the front to shout "F@#k off - you're cr@p" to ut. (Me and Stu were gonna get to the front when bb were on to return the compliment - but would both have to admit (grudgingly) that they weren't three bad after all).
ut played a good set (although far too short), and Andy seemed on good form - smiling and joking between songs. Nige was but a mere speck at the back of the stage, Jason was lost in his own thoughts as per usual - and Jim didn't really have chance to let rip - they didn't play wtk (boo).
Rewind then to before the gig. Many of us on the list were trying to meet each other in the upstairs, er middle bar. I'd planned ahead and met Stu outside. At the bar we kept meeting listees, and prety much stuck around and listened to Scott4 (who) and Idlewild from there.
Big hello (again) then (in no particliar order) to: Owen; Chris (I think); Faith; Ruth; Zoe; Matt; Fluffy Katie; Emily; Mojoju, er David and um, Gary (apparently) - sorry meeting you must have escaped me. Oh and mossj who made it for only the last three songs - but hey that was half the gig! And Richard of course (thanks for the lift even though you won't read this as you're not on the list). There was someone else... - erm. Oh yes - Stu ! ;-)
The whole band were seen (and pestered for autographs) in the bar after. Andy seemed a little distracted - but appeared to have enjoyed the gig. When asked "Did the hecklers bother you?" He simply said "What hecklers?" Nige was chatty as usual - as was Dave (Hi. Ring me?) though the constant stream of attention he was attracting made more than the odd sentence un peut difficile. Life in the fast lane eh?
Look out for the gossip (that I politely missed off here) at my website when I get the photo's back (next week). Roll on OxStock!!
Ulen (yes that is my name)