Ride the wave

Some nice pictures here by my mate Tommy Miller from Ride's Camden Roundhouse gig on 24 May. Unfairly lumped in with the shoegazers that came after them but a band I held in high esteem up to and including the first album (beyond which they were always going to struggle to maintain the quality while forcing themselves to diversify the sound). It was great seeing so many people who had clearly carried on listening to and loving them for years after their demise letting go and losing it to those perfectly constructed bursts of noise. Don't think you'd get that sheer ecstatic release for Chapterhouse, or Moose, or Revolver (Tommy was off to Thousand Yard Stare the following week so there is no accounting for nostalgic taste). Truly a last burst of 'indie' where that meant a reverence for 60s patterns and harmonies but also an acute artistic sensibility that would limit its populist reach (the form outweighed the substance). It was good to see Gardner, Bell, Queralt and Colbert revel in the love shown them too (the BDS protester at Field Day notwithstanding; Gardener had recently played in Israel)

The hat's getting annoying Mark lad.

Yes, most of them are 40 plus, and look the same. Must be the only time I have been at a gig and middle aged men have elbowed me out of the way in their rush to the moshpit.

And one crappy one from me.