I got a place where all my dreams are dead
Porcupine Tree are amazinggg live.
If you love their records then go see them live because despite the fact that the band are merely average themselves on stage it’s the music they produce which is just amazing and captivating.
I was in two minds about going tonight, things holding me back were the fact I’d be going alone, the cost, work the day after etc. But then again at the same time I was dying for a gig, had always quite fancied seeing Porcupine Tree play and well…I’m quite stubborn and will set off to do something just to prove that it can be done regardless.
I set off after my tea to Nottingham with a few maps on standby and hoping there would be tickets on the door, I had tried to order from See but in the end a call to them confirmed that I couldn’t order online and had to get them from the door now. I got to Nottingham fine and it was then the case of seeking out the venue, thing was I’d never been before in my car so I kinda ended up literately driving around in circles and being randomly lost. No matter where I went/turned I kept ending up going the wrong way. I got so pissed off that I eventually even tried ringing my bro who knew Nottingham well and he couldn’t help! Instead we ended up just yelling at each other down the phone ha.
By now it was dawning on 8.30 eeep! And somehow, someway I figured out what I had been doing wrong and finally took the right turning to get on the right road. After a little more hiccups I finally found the venue and the carpark near it. I parked up and legged it to the venue and paid to get in no probs. Had my camera taken off me though, I think they had a ‘no camera’ policy which was gay as my p+s was no way going to take decent shots in there. I hurried upstairs to find the venue dark and the soundings of some intro going off, I think I’d just made it in time for Porcupine Tree to start! Phew!
I found myself a neat spot right at the back where I could stand on this step and see right over the heads of everyone else. It wasn’t too far back either so it was a kinda nice comfortable view. It took me a while to get into the music and the gig but once I was sucked in it just felt awesome. Occasionally there would be a visual video on a screen behind the front-man and I actually got quite mesmerised by the images syncing up with the music - the tales they told and the meanings it showed were quite dark.
So yeah they only played a few songs I recognised and were playing lots of new stuff, I really really need to get the rest of their albums, I think I could get right into them. There’s some tracks I already love off In Absentia tho, like Trains, god that track is soooo gooddd.
None the less I came away from the gig feeling good as they were as striking as that time I saw Mew, a kinda I didn’t know quite to expect gig - but then found myself being blown away somehow. I want to go seem tem again! I know they’re playing Wolves tomorrow, Rafe and Bailey are going, mainly to watch the support band but I hope they enjoy Porcupine Tree too.
Good gig, good gig - gigging solo isn’t such a bad thing.
Work tomorrow :(