Nope. I’m still in a cunt of a mood. What follows is what passes as a rant from me….
Some of the folk who read this blog will have the pleasure/misfortune to have been at gigs alongside me. They, more than any others, will know that mere words cannot get across how mad I get when someone close by decides they’d rather talk loudly to their mate/partner/total stranger standing beside them than pay attention to the live performance.
Indeed, I have been known to get violent on occasion with the worst probably being at a Malcolm Middleton gig a few years back in Glasgow when some arsehole came down towards the front of the crowd about three-quarters of the way through the gig specifically to talk to his mates who up until that point in time had been enjoying Malky and his band – I think my elbows took two of them out in due course and got them to shift away but I ended up having to punch the new arrival to get him to shut the fuck up after he’d ignored three glaring looks. I wasn’t proud of what I’d done but content that the right action had been taken to prevent the spoiling what had been a tremendous night.
Incidentally, and I’m not being sexist about it, but the problem is often at its worst when females are involved. I often get the impression that groups of females at gigs very often have one or maybe two who are there to be part of a night out rather than specifically to see the singer or band and inevitably when they get bored they start yakking. I’m not saying blokes don’t do the same but they are more likely to say to the rest of their mates that they’re off to the bar and everyone can meet up later. Females tend to try to stick together at gigs……
I suppose what I’m saying is that incessant talking at gigs is an offence that should be met with instant death.
Which is why I have great difficulty in offering any sort of praise for Mull Historical Society when in fact I’m fond of some of their material.
It all stems from when I went to see Tindersticks in the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh back in June 2001, a night much-anticipated as the aforementioned MHS were the support act. They delivered a really enjoyable set and got a great reception from the packed sell-out crowd and then we all settled down to await Tindersticks.
Now you’ll know that the main act are a band whose best moments are often of the quieter type and in the main the audience recognising that tends to be pretty reverential. Except on that night, one later arrival close by just wouldn’t shut up and the three folk he was surrounded by were hanging on to his every word. I waited till the end of one particularly lovely song that had been ruined and shuffled past a few folk specifically to have a word….only to discover to my horror and amazement that it was Colin Macintyre, the lead singer/songwriter of MHS. This only made me more angry as I explained, in what can only be described as an expletive ridden rant, that having given his band full attention and not ruined his performance by yakking throughout then I would appreciate if he’d do the same for the main band.
I couldn’t believe it when he tried to justify his behaviour on the grounds he was just telling his mates how much of a thrill it had been to perform tonight and anyways if I really wanted to hear the band I could move elsewhere in the venue. In response I swore at him again and by now, with Tindersticks about to start their next song, there were now a few anxious looks from other audience members that it was going to get out of hand…at which point Mr MHS clammed up and he and his mates headed off in the direction of backstage which is where of course he should have been having the conversation in the first place.
So that’s why T(n)VV doesn’t make much mention of a very fine Scottish indie band of the early 2000s, but since I’ve resolved to be a bit more tolerant in 2016 I thought as a nice gesture that I’d post some of their singles that sit amidst many other CDs:-
mp3 : Mull Historical Society – Barcode Bypass
mp3 : Mull Historical Society – Mull Historical Society
mp3 : Mull Historical Society – I Tried
mp3 : Mull Historical Society – The Final Arrears
mp3 : Mull Historical Society – Watching Xanadu
PS : If anyone is really interested, I’d be happy to post the b-sides…..
Enjoy.
PPS : This was highlighted in an e-mail to me earlier today from a reader by the name of Duncan Elliot. 39 seconds of genius that perfectly complements all of the above:-
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
JC,
I can’t picture you punching anyone! Regardless, I likely would have been cheering you on if I’d been there. (And good on you for approaching the other loudmouth and calling him out on his disrespectful behaviour.)
I’d love to hear the b-sides, if you don’t mind.
Great tale. Big fan of MHS strangely one of CD’s in the box was barcode bypass and I was listening to the debut album just the other day. I seem to remember seeing them in Exeter and the support band being Elbow. Might have been the other way round.
Bane of my life…..BANE OF MY LIFE! At this point I could easily commandeer your comments section and regale you with a stream of similar rants about inconsiderate audience members I’ve encountered over the years. The problem I often find is – when exactly to step in and ask them to shut up. Getting the timing wrong can just cause an escalation of noise and disturbance for others.
I can feel my blood starting to boil. Perhaps I’ll return to this subject one day in a post of my own. Well done for calling out a band member though – appalling behaviour.
Well done JC – a pet hate of mine also
I remember informing a couple of folk in Austin that I had not travelled 3000 milies just to hear them wittering on inanely.
A new pet hate which is fast creeping up is the use of mobile phones.
I was at The Chiertains on Friday night – an excellent gig but slightly marred by the woman next to me checking the Celtic/Dundee United score every five minutes. Even more annoying given that United lost
Couldn’t agree more. If people want to chat to their mates at a show there should be a separate section for them – in a different building. And as for the mobile phone brigade, it’s a shame that most of their appliances do not fit in their throats! If you have spent your hard earned money to see AND hear a band, you do not want all and sundry around you doing their best to make you irritated, however much they are supposedly not doing it intentionally. Grrrrr
Yep, completely agree. I have, myself, confronted people for the same sin. MrsRobster doesn’t like me doing it, fearing I’m going to get my lights punched out, but it has to be said. In fairness, most people don’t argue because they seem to realise there are an awful lot more people around us who will probably take my side.
Mike – you’re right about phones not fitting in people’s throats, but they do fit rather nicely up their arses!
It’s probably our age, but it seems to boil down to something the younger generations have no concept of these days – respect.
Have been close to punching a few folk at gigs in my time. C***ts the lot of them
Everything you have said is quite right…..if you want to have a chat all through a set…Fuck off somewhere else…..and if you find a nice quiet place then you won’t have to shout!
But…………..this now comes in two very annoying parts…..the morons with their cameras and “tablets” filming and taking photos throughout a gig………the ones that hold them up above their heads……..loads of them…….in front of me!
If I had wanted to watch the gig on a screen then I would have just stayed at home and done so. This lot need to be hung up. Or maybe I should just turn up with my 42” screen and hold that up above my head!!!!!
Stephen….I am occasionally guilty of taking photos during gigs on the basis that I might get something that will accompany a possible review. I’ve also taken some video footage in the past to good effect….in my defence I will point out that all times the camera doesn’t go above my eye level and I’m always looking at what I’ve captured. Like you, I can’t abide those who just randomly hold up their devices in hope more than expectation…
Excellent post and I’ve never heard the Brakes song before – that’s going straight on Facebook.
Bravo. The cinema is not your living room, and if I and others paid to see a musical act perform, please STFU because I sure as fuck didn’t pay to hear you talk.
errrr….the MHS b-sides. I actually have some but not all. Any chance you could upload the b-sides from the first album? Those days of multiple cd singles was at times glorious, but also frustrating to be a completist…thanks!