Band Schmand Grand um Stand

My first significant memory of seeing a live band was watching The Dandy Warhols many, many years back with Ali. It wasn't very crowded, most of the crowd didn't seem to know the music well and into some silence or other we shouted "take it off, Courtney" at the (hot) lead singer. In return he deadpanned into the microphone "why does everyone always say that?"

There is something special about seeing live music and it's easy to forget when you fall out of the habit.

Tonight I was out, quite randomnly and not particularly plannned, to see Perth band The Simian Line and, even putting aside my predeliction for skinny indie boys in tight pants, cute jackets and shaggy hairstyles they were great.

The production quality of a CD is hard to beat but harder still to replicate are the vibrations of the music coming up through the floor and along your legs, the excitement of the crowd when they recognise the next song and the capacity of each band member, however repulsive initially, to become incredibly attractive during a one hour set.

It is so much easier to fall in love with a band and mentally swear your undying loyalty to them during a good set than while sitting at home with the CD on in the background and that is the best thing about gigs - the immediacy and the sensation that you're one of a select group experiencing something

Also, obviously, a side effect of the live music life is a tendency to come home drunk and crap on while your brain ponders what the fuck happened to your ID and when exactly it is someone will take your goddamn word that you are, in fact, well over 18. Hopefully the same somebody invents a handy gadget to prevent me from blogging drunk - hey it would be doing us all a favour.