Album covers

A few of my favourite albums

black lips

So last night I finally saw my favourite band The Black Lips play live, but how did I end up jumping around on the stage with a microphone in my hand singing with the band???

The black lips at Manchester sound control. Thursday 28th August 2014.  I bought 2 tickets a few weeks ago but didn't really advertise the spare one very well to my friends and with nobody really keen on a last minute Thursday night out I went by myself and stayed over being as I've a day off work on Friday. 

 
I was surprised at first that a small venue had not completely sold out but they don't go in for glossy in your face over promotion, they shy away from being too fashionable.  The understated back drop to the stage is just a big white sheet with black lips and some cartoon flowers in spray paint, balloons and toilet rolls are being thrown about until there's trails of paper draping from the rafters all around the stage.

 The band are genuinely enjoying themselves on stage, dancing around, interacting with the crowd rather than some bands I've seen who just seem to be bashing through another day on tour.  As their hour long set bounces along the crowd get more excitable which culminates in a mass stage invasion on their last song "bad kids" at which point it was impossible to hold myself back and leapt over the barrier to join around 30 other stage invaders, I happened to be right next to a mic stand and so rather incoherently helped the them through the second half of the song.  

 The band seemed to enjoy the chaos and came hugging and shaking everyone's hand as we clambered back off the stage.  Despite turning up on my own with two tickets in my pocket I had a great time. two tickets = double fun?

Black Lips

 The Black Lips new album is once again pure brilliance.  It's not like they're unknown but most wouldn't know any of their songs or albums which in one way is a shame but in another is great becausetoo much  popularity often spoils a good thing.  With seven studio albums to their name, each somehow progressing and improving on the previous I reckon it's only a matter of time before one of their tracks gets enough radio airtime and suddenly goes mainstream, what happens then is everyone starts claiming that they've always loved the Black Lips and that they've had all their albums since day one (since they googled and quickly downloaded them all after hearing this one song on the radio a few times last week).

 So on that basis I'm here saying listen to the new album because it's brilliant but don't go telling eveyone if you like it, it's our secret.  And if you don't like them?  Yeh, good, I'm glad.
Luckily for you I've linked a stream for the whole album on soundcloud below and then you can buy it via any of these links
http://black-lips.com/underneath-the-rainbow-is-out/
Amazon
Play.com


Favourite at moment is "Waiting", track 8.
 For the previous albums I'd say they roughly rank in order of brilliance from newest down to oldest.  Early albums are a good listen with a scattering of great songs through to recent albums which are quality start to finish.
 And as a last word if anyone fancies making a note that I've never seen them live then you don't need to wait for special occasions, they don't tour the UK very often at all so if you see anything then get me tickets and I will be your friend forever!

Noc-A-Homa

Love a new Black Lips video, always makes me smile. The one band I've never seen live but would go to great lengths to do so. I did have tickets for them in Manchester last year but it got cancelled and they didn't really play any other UK dates, maybe I need to cross over the Yankee side of the pond to see them play..... but that's probably not likely to happen