The Beta Band. I heard about them from High Fidelity - nice cinematic moment (or an eternal curse on their career). The gig was full of guys who looked (and nodded) just like that record store. The girls nodded too. There was dancing on the spot. Some strange Happy Mondays thing. I just don't trust dancing.

So yeah - the feeling was a little like Gomez. Another happy band trying to infiltrate with rays of joy and (old) cool. I don't mean that in a bad way, but I'm still in the aforementioned Interpol mood. I got tickets to go see them this morning. I'm barely even in the mood for that.

The concert itself - it started strange. Sound was screwed. I felt I was in a bass trap. Not the usual Ambassador sound. Things just weren't going right. Lots of monitor requests and amp fiddling. Then it slowly got better. By the time they'd finished I was watching a very good band. Everything was sounding better, feeling better. It was all just better. So yeah - they started weird, and then turned into the Beta Band. I'm such a bitch. Two drum kits. Forgot how loud that can sound (from Adam Ant?). Pushing hard through my earplugs.

I ended up with an extra ticket I couldn't shift. I was more or less there on my own. Same general feeling. Had to stand around the front with it for ages. Failed to give it away in the end. Nobody suitable walks by the Ambassador unless they 're going in.

hmm...