WASP @ The Cavern Club, Liverpool

Last night Thee Claw Boys went along to see WASP play a gig at "the legendary" Cavern club. You know, the "famous" Cavern Club where The Beatles played when they were still relative unknowns? Well, that's where I'm talking about anyways. I had a great time, in spite of the fact that you could see that WASP were only going through the motions.

After the gig finished we went out on the town for a few more pints and somehow found another gig in a place down the road (in the basement of a pub called Flanagans). It was 3 old guys were singing traditional Irish songs. I say "old", they were probably only in their 50s and Blackie Lawless (the singer in WASP) is about the same age. Next we carried on up the road, we went to a place called Yates's that was full of scallies and H nearly had a scrap while I got up on stage to sing La Bamba on the karaoke. I think that we ended up in a pizza shop at 2 o'clock in the morning, blind drunk.

As for the WASP gig, they mainly played a set comprising of songs taken from "The Crimson Idol" album, which is now 15 years old. I dunno exactly why they need to celebrate an album's 15th anniversary, but they played the whole album from start to finish. The thing about The Crimson Idol is that it was a concept album and almost every other song taken from it includes a verse that goes "Where is the love to shelter me / Give me love, love set me free". During the night Blackie must have sung that line about 50 times. WASP are only 5 dates into a 50 date European tour and every night he'll have to sing that same line over and over and over. Half way through the set Blackie Lawless announced that they most likely won't ever be doing another European tour after the current one ends... by the time they get to the last gig in the tour I bet they'll be completely sick of singing that line!

A small moan about the merch at WASP gigs.. I've been to see them twice this year and both times I have had a run-in with the same guy on the merchandise stand. Last night he told me off for standing on a step to take a photo of the band on stage. I told him in no uncertain terms that I disagreed with his authority in the matter and that he should behave himself.

Also, Blackie Lawless was wearing knee-high, high-heel black leather boots on stage. I don't know whether that is completely awesome or completely cheesy. Either way they were certainly rock n roll and very comment worthy.

Gorilla Biscuits @ Manchester Academy

The Gorilla Biscuits reunion show in Manchester tonight was something else. Every song was sung with passion and it was easy to see that Civ meant every word of the lyrics as he sung them. It fact, the whole band looked as though they were having a great time up there on the stage. Easily one of the best gigs I've been to in 2007.

Note: Support on this night was from Honour Among Thieves and Blueprint For A Downfall.

Narcosis @ Liverpool Roadkill

NOTE: This turned out to be Narcosis's last ever gig.

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Great gig tonight. This was the 3rd time that we've seen Narcosis play in 2007 and the first time that I've had a chance to watch how they all perform together as a group. They are so tight as a unit, that is to say, amazing timing from each of the guitarist and the drummer combined. It's almost military how they are able to keep together for songs that seem to be performed in suites; they play about 5 or 6 songs in a row at breakneck pace before having a minute or so to get ready for the next medley. They play at such a blistering speed for most of the set and yet it still doesn't sound like a jumbled mess of guitars being simply mangled at high volume.

Also this evening I picked up a copy of the Narcosis "Romances" LP on vinyl from the merchandise table whilst at their gig. £8. And (from the very same merch table) a copy of Bitches Brew by the saintly Mr Miles Davis... on double CD... for a paltry £5.

The person who was running the merchandise at tonight's gig was a very pretty slightly built girl, short blonde hair in a bobcut, black tights, blue denim shorts and a small black tank top. She was sat on her own while looking after the merchandise when I saw her and she could have easily been dismissed as the girlfriend of one of the guys in one of the bands. Turns out she was the singer in tonight's gig support act, a kind of emo grindcore band called Rolo Tomassi. They'll probably protest about the emo tag though! When it was their turn on stage most of the blokes in the audience quite noticeably turned towards where she was stood to get a good look at her. When she announced the name of the song that they were about to play she sounded very girly. But you should have heard the noise out of her when it was there turn on stage!! She was screaming and shouting like a demented lunatic for about 20 minutes. And then, after they had complete their set, she went back over to the merch table and sat there, looking all diminutive again.

Rolo Tomassi weren't my kind of thing though. They did give a good performance though, at least they did do before we went across to the pub next door for a quick pint about half way through their set. (I will pay more attention next time I see them play, promise!)