Grasping to Stay in the Present

Published on Tue 31 Jan 2017

I made a relatively last minute decision to see The Hotelier the other night (one off The List already!). I cycled like the wind to make the 6.45 train and, unbelievably, found a space on the first floor of the new station cycle park. I'd not been to The Dome in Tufnell Park before, but it's in the same building (and a similar feel) as The Boston Music Hall where I saw Frightened Rabbit at about the same time last year. I particularly enjoy the shocking state of the ceiling. I was completely obsessed with Goodness for a month or two last year but I'd not been entirely convinced about seeing them live because of a few youtube videos from a few years ago where they didn't sound that great.

The support act, Crying were a really good support act. Not bad, but really not that good. They reminded me of the closing credits of an early 90's teen movie - lots of (programmed) synths and guitar solos with that quite processed 80s sound. It was a bit annoying at first but I sort of came round to them. The drummer was inconspicuously awesome - it can't have been easy keeping perfectly in time with the pretty complicated backing tracks.

I needn't have worried about how the band sounded. They had some technical problems with one of the guitars for the first song but carried on regardless and by the second song it was as live shows should be - like the albums but bigger and more intense. Everything they did from Goodness sounded lovely but the highlight for me was Your Deep Rest. A bit emo I know, but that bit where the drums go half speed is huge. It's so hard to get to things these days that I have quite a lot invested in each one. Most things have lived up recently and this was no exception. I also went to the Grill House for chips and meat and garlic mayonnaise on the way home for the first time in half a decade. That also lived up.