The Gigwatcher 30/05/2007

As the sun set he turned into a bear.

And so the unpleasantness begins again; has it really been a year already? To think, once upon a time I entertained ideas of going on Big Brother. Oh foolish youth.

I mean, can you imagine if it was me naked on a couch that time instead of Jade Goody?

*koff*

Quite. Moving swiftly on, here's what I found listed in the back pages of this week's Beth Ditto-tastic NME:

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ The Hope, Brighton - 11/06/2007
Fujiya & Miyagi @ Audio, Brighton - 26/06/2007
Shiny Toy Guns @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 18/07/2007
The Gossip @ The Dome, Brighton - 15/09/2007
Maximo Park @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 08/10/2007
The National @ The Pyramids, Portsmouth - 10/11/2007
Mika @ BIC, Brighton - 28/11/2007
Mika @ Brighton Centre - 30/11/2007
Kings of Leon @ Brighton Centre - 06/12/2007

If I'm not sat in front of the TV enjoying the irony of watching people having to interact with each other because they don't have a television (!) I'll bung the above gigs into the SoMC Events Calendar as soon as I can be bothered. As I may have inferred once or twice, the Events Calendar is completely gratis to view and is chock full of gigs through til the end of the year, like these:

Contra, Rattlesnake & Amethyst @ Black Bar, Portsmouth - 30/05/2007
The Veils @ The Joiners, Southampton - 31/05/2007
Brenda @ The Hobbit, Southampton - 01/06/2007
Courtney Pine @ The Opera House, Bournemouth - 02/06/2007
Toupé @ The Joiners, Southampton - 02/06/2007
The Who @ The Rose Bowl, Southampton - 02/06/2007
Transglobal Underground & Autons @ The Bandstand, Southsea - 03/06/2007 (free afternoon entertainment)
The Warm @ The Cellars at Eastney, Portsmouth - 03/06/2007
Tom McRae @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 04/06/2007
Ben Taylor @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 05/06/2007
Gary Moore @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 05/06/2007
Mute Math @ Concorde2, Brighton - 20/06/2007
Suzanne Vega @ The Dome, Brighton - 02/07/2007
Feist @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 17/07/2007
Nizlopi @ Talking Heads, Southampton - 25/08/2007
Madina Lake @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 24/09/2007

Following his recent stroke Bo Diddley's gig at The Brook on Tuesday 5th June has obviously been cancelled; punters are advised to contact their point of purchase for ticket refunds. Ex-Doors Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger's appearance as Riders On The Storm at Southampton Guildhall on Tuesday 19th June has also been cancelled.

Things are looking more hopeful for The Brook; having stayed open the past few weekends the venue has confirmed that all scheduled gigs in June will be going ahead (with the exception of the Paradise Lost and Caliban gigs, which have moved to The Nexus); excellent news but the venue isn't quite out of the woods yet, so please show your support. Unfortunately The Brook can't take phone bookings again as yet; you can book securely online or pay cash on the door though.

Nick Courtney, otherwise known as the guy who runs the Open Mike Club at The Milton Arms' Barn every Thursday, has organised a cancer benefit gig at The RMA Tavern on Sunday 3rd June. The line-up includes Pathway, Monkey Butlars and Bemis. Tickets are £5 and can be purchased by phone from 02392 837730 or, alternatively, from Nick's shop, Sweet Memories Records on Fratton Road.

And that's it for another week. This afternoon I have mostly been listening to Scott Matthews (mellow) and The Mars Volta (bonkers). Join me next week when I'll be pulling rabbits from a top hat.

:o)