Suede at the Electric, Brixton

There should have been four of us at this gig. And it should have been at the Brixton Academy. But events transpired to trash all that. The Academy had to close because of a riot at a gig at which two people died. It is still awaiting reopening having had its license reviewed. Needless to say the problem wasn't really the venue's fault, but the Nigerian rapper's fans that decided to turn up without tickets and just invade the place. Obviously if it had been Suede's fan base the place would have been fine. But as it was, Suede had to transfer from a night at the Academy to the two at the nearby, but much smaller, Electric.

A smaller venue is usually a nice thing. And this might well have been too. But below is the queue to get in about 15 minutes before doors even opened.

I wasn't going to get involved in all that, instead opting for a curry with the sole surviving other member of our original band, Andy, whose wedding I attended in the previous post. The other two guys both succumbed to work commitments. So then there were two...

We still got in with nearly an hour to spare before Suede were due on, but the floor was already rammed by then. So basically we stood at the back by the bar, but I somehow managed to get a decent view throughout the night between two rather jug eared guys in front of me. I have my camera to thank for the decent photos, and the fact that the back at the Electric is nowhere near as far as at the Academy. (But I did lose a few snapshots to one jug ear or the other suddenly appearing at the side of my photos!😀)

This was a typically energetic, even frenetic, performance from Brett Anderson. At 56 he would put much younger men to shame. My God he puts a lot of effort in. His blue shirt by the end of the evening was a distinctly darker hue, being utterly drenched in sweat and sticking to his torso. It was quite hot enough even at the back and not moving around - the catch of sweaty gigs in the middle of December - freezing outside, a sauna indoors. Impossible to dress for.

Anyway, the gig started with a flurry of songs of the latest album, Autofiction (I won't say "new" as it has been out for over a year now), then went into a greatest hits phase as if to appease the fans, and then onto a mix of old and new including some rather obscure songs (although not too obscure for Andy whose knowledge of Suede verges on the encyclopedic!). The overall experience was, as usual with Suede, rather brilliant. I quite liked Brett's insistence that their latest album was their best one - I actually tend to agree. And that is highly unusual in a band of this vintage. It may not have as many singalong hooks as some earlier stuff, but overall quality is just great. An album to listen to more than to dance to maybe.

 

Nenagh - an Irish wedding

"Pace yourself" was the sage advice from the taxi driver as he drove us from Shannon airport into Tipperary for my friend Andy's wedding. By my reckoning he was the sixth of my ex-trainees to have invited me to their wedding. But this was my first Irish wedding. And Irish weddings are known for the craic. Which might be loosely translated as "alcoholic excess".

Andy and Orna just had the most luck with the weather. Friday and Monday were wet, but the actual weekend of their wedding was dry with blue skies. Which is a lot to ask for from Ireland in late October. It wasn't a church wedding but rather took place at Ashley Park House, a beautiful venue in the middle of the Tipperary countryside. As you can see.

With a lake at the front - Lough Orna - fitting for a bride called Orna!

Now I should say despite the fact that this entry is about a wedding, there are almost no wedding photos. For good reason, the bride and groom asked for no photos of the ceremony. And frankly I didn't have the heart to ask them to pose for the billionth time for a photo. After the professionals had their go. So I settled for a couple of long range shots of their professional shoot.

And this is where the ceremony actually took place - a glass and wooden lodge overlooking the lake. Would make a great birdwatching spot too.

I had time before the ceremony started so wandered around taking some shots of the grounds and gardens without getting in anyone's way.

Drinks in the house after the wedding while the reception was set up

And the reception venue. This place clearly did a lot of weddings!

The tables were themed according to gigs the couple had particularly enjoyed over the years.

I didn't take photos of the reception when it got underway. And let me just say I failed utterly to take my taxi driver's advice. I did not pace myself. Wine glasses were constantly filled and then people kept bringing me drinks from the free bar. Let's just say that I safely got back to my B&B, but I only knew that because I woke up there. I have no recollection of how I arrived!

Anywhere here I am with the groom and another ex-pensions trainee, Jess.

Cruelly when I showed this photo to another of my mates he said "You really need to get shorter friends". But looking at this, he has a point!

So next day I walked from my B&B to the pick up at Abbey Court (which I would move into for my last night)...

...for a boat rip organised by the happy couple. Fortunately another nice day. A lot of people looked pretty hungover even for a midday departure.

But we all piled onto a boat tour down the Shannon. There was a beautifully dramatic sky.

Then back to the wedding hotel for a barbecue. Again with time to kill I took another spin around the walled garden with other guests.

Next day and I was staying the night in the Abbey Court hotel just outside Nenagh. All official entertainments over I had decided to take a late afternoon flight home to allow me to take a look around the historic town of Nenagh. Unfortunately the weather had now turned, but nevertheless I left behind the warm grandeur of the hotel to walk into town. Fully clad in my waterproofs.

So what does Nenagh have to entertain a tourist? Well there is a ruined abbey (hence the hotel name "Abbey Court"). This would have looked nicer against the backdrop of blue skies.

And Nenagh has a castle

Although in practice it is really just one tower of a castle. And it was closed because it was a Monday.

Churches of course. This is Ireland

And a museum. But it was closed. Because it was a Monday.

The law court was an impressive classical edifice.

With an interesting group of statues at the front, dedicated to local Olympic athletes, although when I say local some are only of descent from people who were locals as the rather lengthy marker stones explain. 

My plan had been to finish up with lunch at a gastropub in the town before my taxi. But sadly it was just so wet I cut my losses and trudged back to the comfort of the hotel to dry off!