Another superlative weekend at End of the Road.
Favourite sets: Deerhoof, Fat Dog, Bodega, Yeule, Mabe Fratti, They Hate Change, The Courettes, Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul, Teke::Teke, Panic Shack.
I saw Wolf Alice at Oran Mor around, I think 2015? Shortly before their first album - but (like Wet Leg last year) there was already a bit of attention building up. I think the King Tut's gig will have been earlier than that.
I don't have a lot of saw-them-when-they-were-unknown tales, but I did see Rhian of Wet Leg in her solo guise back in 2016, and Self Esteem in one of Slow Club's very early gigs back in (I think) 2006. Pleased to see her making a name for herself now as well.
Seems kinda bizarre, as someone who mostly only likes music that is never going to be commercially successful, to see all these grammys and brits going to a band I saw at the Mash House less than a year ago. But well done Wet Leg, I'm chuffed for them.
2022 has been terrific, after a couple of quieter years. Here's my top ten - in alphabetical rather than any other order.
Black Midi - Hellfire
Charlotte Adigery and Bolis Pupul - Topical Dancer
Dama Scout - Gen Wo Lai
Hurray for the Riff Raff - Life on Earth
Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B
Otoboke Beaver - Super Champon
Richard Dawson - The Ruby Cord
Rosalia - Motomami
Stella Donnelly - Flood
Wet Leg - Wet Leg
Doffs of the cap also to BCNR, Grace Cummings, Nilufer Yanya, Porridge Radio, yeule and probably a bunch of others I've forgotten, as well as others that deserved more than the one or two listens I gave them before moving on or forgetting about them.
As someone who wasn't much into the Arctic Monkeys in their first incarnation, I've found their last two albums much more interesting; this one doesn't seem as good as Tranquility Base though.
Nothing has changed. There's still been no accountability, no recognition of failings, and the people who treated us with such absolute contempt - not even so much with the initial decision but in the aftermath of it - are mostly still on the board.
f**k them.
Happy Christmas, everyone.