Soundgarden at Hyde Park

 
Hard Rock Calling 2012:
Soundgarden
Iggy & The Stooges
Cold Chisel
Hyde Park, 13 July 2012

There was mud galore and it rained heavy into the night but this was a glorious show and I cannot even tell you the thrill to see and hear Soundgarden back together. And of course Iggy Pop was as wild and entertaining as ever. All in all it was completely worth standing in the pouring rain for.

Best gigs of 2010

This year I don't think I've ever been so many seated gigs but I have to say it's been pretty nice to not only have a guaranteed place and not be pushed around but also have a nice little sit down during the show. I guess I'm getting old because I used to measure how good a concert was by the amount of bruises I sustained throughout. Maybe because of this there wasn't as many shows that blew me away (aside from the first three) but I have to say that overall I've seen some fantastic gigs this year and got to see a few legends in the process. So, in descending order, here's my 10 favourite shows from 2010 (with links to the original write-ups). Let's hope 2011 has just as many great concerts to look forward to.

10. Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses at Bush Hall

9. Robert Plant & The Band Of Joy at The Forum

8. She & Him at Koko

7. Crosby, Stills & Nash at Royal Albert Hall

6. Jeff Tweedy at Union Chapel

5. Elvis Costello at Royal Festival Hall

4. Joanna Newsom at Royal Festival Hall

3. Rickie Lee Jones at Union Chapel

2. Iggy & The Stooges at Hammersmith Apollo

1. Kris Kristofferson at Cadogan Hall

Iggy & The Stooges at Hammersmith Apollo

Iggy & The Stooges
Suicide
Hammersmith Apollo, 3 May 2010

Iggy Pop these days seems better known for hawking car insurance on TV than his music. Sending up his image as a wild rock and roller, he appears to have become this cartoonish figure that even non-music fans would instantly recognise. It sort of makes you wonder then, if your gran knows who the weird, rubbery old man who likes to take off his shirt is, maybe his shows have become as tame as his image seems to have. Thankfully that's not the case at all, something he blasts away with certainty the moment he jumps (literally) on stage with his old comrades The Stooges at this ATP show featuring the band playing their classic album Raw Power in its entirety.