DMA's, the Guest List and Matt Felix at Brixton Academy

I will spare you the hour's anguish I spent trying to get the ticket I had actually bought, but the agency said they didn't issue the ticket, one had to use the venue app, then the app required you to log in through the agency account... Basically an utterly pointless shit show between SeeTickets, Ticketmaster and the O2, mainly the latter. Quite simply if you are an agent selling me something then you should be entirely responsible for providing it - not just say you have to find it through the venue somehow. (OK, so I didn't spare you entirely....But trust me there was a long version...)

But after a busy day in the office I headed out into the rain (will it ever stop raining?) to join a queue at Brixton Academy. A queue which was probably not as long as it might have been as it was in the pouring rain. My reward for perseverance was not only a place standing at the front, but pretty much central too.

The opener made the stage fairly quickly too (and therefore to a slightly sparse audience). Matt Felix, a lanky singer songwriter dressed in baggy black clothes on a skinny frame. He clearly was a man of style. And although a solo act he had a band, all similarly but not identically attired. Appearances clearly mattered to him. And it was an enjoyable enough set too, so not all style over substance. But not sure I would go out of my way to see him again

The second support clearly already had a fan base, including two overexcited teenage girls next to me! The Guest List are a five piece indie band, and they are a band I would go out of my way to see again. Indeed my first thought was why I hadn't come across them before, largely answered by the lead singer announcing "We are the Guest List from Manchester". They are not from these parts, so I hadn't seen their name around the London venues I frequent. But after a few songs I recognised one and realised I had seen them as a support act before, about a year ago. 

Suffice to say I really enjoyed their set start to finish, and they were rather better than the last time I saw them. Lead singer has a loud strong voice (for a skinny lad). The style of music is very much to my taste. They just felt more assured than when I saw them last.

So much for the starters. Main course were the ever excellent DMA's. The "excuse" for this tour was that they were playing their first album, Hill's End, in full for its 10th anniversary. Its just one of those defining debut albums. Subsequent, both their and other people's, follow up albums might have good tracks but you feel there are fillers in them to make up the numbers for their record company's demand for a new album every other year. But every  track on Hill's End is great start to finish.

DMA's are an extraordinary band full stop. If one was merely describing them they wouldn't sound appealing. They are not a good looking bunch of blokes, and dress even worse. Real chavs. Lead singer, Tommy O'Dell, doesn't offer much in the way of personality (and during musical interludes during the set would sneak behind the drum kit for a quick fag). Rhythm guitarist Johnny Took sings along, but they don't give him a mic, so presumably has a terrible voice. And on record they sound good but a little middle of the road.

But live they are just brilliant. How come? Well O'Dell may look like a guttersnipe in baggy jeans/tracksuit just off the street, but has the sweetest voice. The songs are fantastic and anthemic and have the whole audience joining in throughout, not just the odd chorus. That MoR feel on record is replaced by a much rockier sound when live. And Took may not sing but his dramatic and comic poses on guitar make him a sort of second frontman. 

No style, oodles of substance.

This was a totally joyous, raucous gig, with much crowd surfing down the front towards the end. And this was only their first night of two...

Tommy O'Dell

Took on rhythm guitar taking centre stage

 

Bristol University and Museum

Luka, diligent lad that he is, decided he needed to hit the books Sunday morning (and not, I am sure, just have a lie in) so we had arranged to meet up again at the Albion pub for a late lunch. I booked a table for 2:15. 

So after a full breakfast at my hotel I decided to go to the museum and art gallery, but first had a wander around the University itself. This is not really Luka's haunt as it is all the STEM stuff. But it is a fine set of Victorian buildings with a few new additions. And it wasn't raining. So took my camera and roved around with hardly another soul about.

Actually the Bristol Grammar School which is adjacent

I wandered into Fort Royal Gardens, which I thought would be amazing in summer. Well they were originally designed by Humphrey Repton, second only to Capability Brown in standing. At least in winter I had them pretty much to myself, even if there were only a few hellebores and crocuses out.

I read the blurb about this statue, expecting it to be some notable academic at Bristol. No, it turned out to be some woman who died of cancer and whose cells had been used in research. Which seems as unlikely to be a worthy subject of a statue as anyone else who had donated their body to medical science. But apparently what made her special was that she was black. So even if they couldn't find a black woman to have achieved anything herself, at  least they found a black woman who had something important done to her cells.

Then into the Museum and Art Gallery which is really quite extensive, and has a thoroughly eclectic collection. (And although free, I found over lunch that Luka and Anna had never visited it...)

The ground floor has a decent Egyptian collection but rather more remarkable are the Assyrian carvings

Fearsome warriors but with neat little handbags

There is a large natural history collection but I largely ignored the skeletons as that is where all the under 5s were out. Sunday morning, what else do you do if you are middle class and have little kids?

But I love rocks and minerals and they have a fine collection of them

And up a further floor a good art collection from old masters to modern art

 I also took in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition that I normally see in London. No photos of that as they are forbidden, but it was very good and as always I think  the winner of the under 10s category beats any of my shots. Sigh.

Finished up about 2pm, collected my bag and returned to Clifton to the Albion pub, arriving about 60 seconds ahead of my young friends. Perfect. And Danny Dyer was there. Almost touching fame.

Sunday roasts all round. Not the best, and in any case I wasn't truly hungry after breakfast. But it was a comfortable way to spend an afternoon and finish off a very enjoyable weekend. I may get myself invited down again....