Diary of an up and coming sociopath

Okay, obligatory “post-gig” update. As you may have gathered, being an avid and frequent reader, I spent yesterday at a Pixies gig. For a change, I took a camera with me, though I didn’t bother using it very often because I’m not much of a photographer. However, that does mean that for a change, there are images to go with this update.

The day began, sometime on Friday morning. I probably slept through that part. I left for Oxford at around half 2, remembering to grab my expensive and much-coveted Pixies ticket. Here’s a picture of Fillerbunny guarding it for me, to ensure that I knew where it was and that it was in sight enough for me to remember it.

“Here you go, sir.”

The drive to Oxford was a familiar one, I’ve done it so many times that I barely need to even think about it. Just sit back and listen to whatever radio station can be received at that given minute. There was a large smash up on the other side of the A34 as I approached Oxford, but by the time I remembered I had a camera, it was too late. I parked outside the old house in Oxford, re-using my parking permit which technically, I should’ve surrendered. The house seems to be empty still, but then, they’ve also totally removed the bushes at the side of the house which ian and I occasionally sliced under control.

I took a walk down to the comic shop. Another photo opportunity was ruined when I walked passed a homeless person who had presumably, collapsed and/or died on the street overnight. People had just found him, and the ambulance was there with paramedics shouting his name in an attempt to wake him. I doubt they’d have taken kindly to photographs at this point, so I decided to just let the assembled crowd keep gawping and not draw attention to myself with flashes and whatnot. On my way around st. clements and cowley road, I was looking out for the stickers we put up a week ago. The ones on scaffolding and a lamp-post were still there, but the one on the crossing light had gone. It was pleasing to see them there, I’m not sure why exactly, but it gave things a sense of continuity. I don’t live in Oxford now, but the proof that I did recently is still here.

I collected some comics, bemused by the conversation two guys in the shop were having - one of them had bought 7 issues of a comic worth 50p because he was convinced it’d soon skyrocket in value, which is an utterly hilarious notion, and I could tell the shop owner and his employee thought so too. After comics, I walked up Cowley Road to go and buy some Ear Plugs from boots. I remembered somewhere on the M40 that I’d neglected to bring any, and since I’m quite concerned about the damage 10 years of gigs has done to my hearing, I’m very conscious about keeping the necessary safety equipment to hand. I also bought a paper, and some Fanta, and chocolate, which I left in the car for my late-night journey home. It was a hard decision to make, as well, but I also left my jacket in the car. I didn’t really want to have it during the gig, since they can get in the way of a good time, and cost money and time for the cloak room. I decided to chance the rest of the day in just a t-shirt.

On the new and improved, and excessively huge Oxford Tube, I read about Google’s “botched” flotation and the devaluation of the degree. Apparantly, according to a new report, I’m completely fucked. The bus driver seemed unusually sarcastic; I get the impression he wasn’t too thrilled with the new buses. As part of his safety announcement he informed us that “today’s challenge, a starter for ten, is to find the flush on the new toilet.” Later he informed us a delay leaving one of the stops was due to a low oil pressure light illuminating, but after he radioed through it turned out to be software error. He informed us that “for reasons he has no understanding of” there would no longer be a stop at Palace Hill (or something like that). When we were going through London, whatever road that takes us out of Notting Hill and towards Marble Arch was closed off, and he said “The next stop will be Marble…or maybe not, since they’ve closed the road ahead.” His intercom was also picking up his conversations with the other drivers, and it was amusing to hear him accuse the BMW driver in front of being slow turning out because he was taking coke or shooting up.

Once at Victoria, I planned out my route and bought tickets. I had planned to get off the victoria line and change for the northern line at Euston, but just as we arrived, they informed us that there was a “suspicious package” on th eplatform and that Euston had been evacuated, so my plans fell apart. Luckily, King’s Cross was the next stop, and that also allows you to change to the northern line, so I just did that. The Kentish Town Forum was really easy to find (not least because you could just follow the trail of touts) and I queued up outside, just before the doors opened. Unfortunately, the heavens opened at roughly the same time, with a comedy-style downpour soaking me and everyone else thoroughly. You could probably have seen that coming after I decided to go t-shirt only.

There was no support band, my personal favourite way of doing things, though I did have to stand around for 2 hours until the Pixies came on stage. I had almost dried off when they did, but shortly after I was soaked again, this time in sweat and beer. I’m always glad when someone spills their beer in a moshpit because it’ll teach them to be a fucking idiot bringing the damn thing in there in the first place. It’d be better if people who smoke in moshpits all had their eyes burnt out though.

The pixies opened with “in heaven” which is currently one of my favourite Pixies tracks, so I was pleased. I took my earplugs out because it turned out that the sound was actually really good, which increased my enjoyment immensely, even if it meant I did waste money bying them earlier. They then went into the slow version of “Wave of Mutilation” so I seized the opportunity and took a picture of Frank. I did it blind, so I was only just pointing int he right direction, and I had to up the brightness a bit, but I got Joey in too.

“Giving hope to the balding and overweight.”

They played just about every song I wanted them to (I could’ve done with Bam Thwock, but they haven’t played that live at all yet) including a load they didn’t last time I saw them. As if to prove how much of a hardcore fan I am, but the time it got to the encore I was trying to figure out what songs were even left ( of the ones that they’re playing live) which they hadn’t already done, only to have them play Debaser. I’m such a hardcore fan, I forget about one of their most popular tracks. After the first 12 songs, I was planning to go and get a drink, but I didn’t want to leave the pit in case I missed Velouria and Gouge Away, so I decided I’d stay until those two tracks were done. Unfortunately, they were the penultimate two tracks of the first set, so I ended up just staying there. The full setlist, so you can all drool over it, was like so: In Heaven/Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf)/Blown Away/The Holiday Song/Nimrod’s Son/Mr Grieves/Winterlong/Here Comes Your Man/Where Is My Mind?/Vamos/Planet Of Sound/Crackity Jones/Isla De Encanta/Something Against You/Broken Face/River Euphrates/Gigantic/I Bleed/No 13 Baby/Monkey Gone To Heaven/Dead/U-Mass/Velouria/Gouge Away/Cactus/Caribou Encore: Wave Of Mutilation/Debaser/Tame

It was good to hear “where is my mind?” since they didn’t play it last time and it’s the song which literally introduced me to the pixies. I also took a photo of Kim during Caribou, which I present here:

“Also giving hope to the balding and overweight.”

On the way out, I considered getting a bootleg t-shirt, but I really didn’t have the money, and they all seemed a bit low quality. I considered bartering to get a T-Shirt for a fiver instead of a tenner, but it was raining still, and with only a t-shirt on my back as it was, I felt like getting to the train station. Back at Victoria, I got a coke from Burger King because it’s loaded with sugar, and guaranteed to not have been shipped over from korea in some crooked shopkeeper’s effort to save money. I took a picture of me on the Oxford Tube as well, just to prove I exist. I’m not exactly looking my best, but that’s becaue I’m knackered.

“I am riding on a bus.”

The drive back from Oxford was pleasant and much less tacxing than I was worried it’d be. I was totally awake, which was something I was concerned about. The fanta and chocolate also got eaten, which vindicated my earlier tentative purchase of them. I listened to Virgin Radio’s “The Edge” on the way back, and was surprised to hear Easyworld’s next B-Side, a cover of “Young Hearts Run Free.” Especially since The Edge claims to be about new guitar music, and the b-side clearly contains a piano and no guitar.

So anyway, that’s the Pixies for you. Or for me. Whatever. Worth the money? Well, yeah, but then it wasn’t me who paid. This was technically a birthday present (2nd September people, note it in your diaries.) so happy birthday me.