Feeder @ KOKO

Just got back from seeing Feeder!

They played KOKO in Camden, so it was just up the road. It was all part of this iTunes festival thing going on all month, they give away free tickets, but you have to win them. Providentially I won!

Feeder were one of the first bands I properly got into, along with Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I got their album ‘Comfort in Sound’ for Christmas ’03/’04 (?) So they hold a special place in my heart for that reason.

I’m also have an affection to them because of a track from that album (Comfort in Sound) entitled Just The Way I’m Feeling not only because I have fond memories of listening to it on Virgin Radio and on Christmas morning, and not only for it being a cracking track with a very cool video. I also love it because Sibyl adores it just as much as I do, so it kind of became ‘Our Song’. (Awww)

They formed in Newport, South Wales, in 1992, a place very near where my father grew up. I had no idea when I first liked them that they were welsh. I later started a huge debate with my friend claiming they were Welsh when I KNEW that they weren’t, but they were – Grant Nicholas (front man) just doesn’t have much of the unmistakable Newport accent.

So I’ve stuck by Feeder through the years, and they haven’t exactly had the easiest past. In 2002, the band’s drummer Jon Lee committed suicide in his Miami home. So things haven’t been great for them. Which accounts for why some their music, post Echo Park has been a bit wet. But I saw them in 2006 at Reading Festival and they were fantastic. Still rocking, and by no means soppy or rubbish. So today I had high expectations.

Support came from Infadels who funnily enough used to have some trumpet playing done by Sibyl’s amazen brother in law Ivan Anchant. They’re a good band, and have a nice happy sound.

KOKO is a nice venue, intimate yet spacious, ideal for Feeder. I will now outline the top 3 things I LOVED about the gig, followed by the top 3 things I HATED.

1. They played most of the songs I like! Just The Way I’m Feeling, Buck Rogers, Come Back Around, Just A Day, Lost and Found, Feeling a Moment and Pushing the Senses. Every single one of these tracks were played amezenly, and I would greatly recommend you download each and every one of the tracks above, for some awesome Rock/Metal/Pop action! The two best were Just a Day and Buck Rogers – if you only want to download two tracks download those two.
2. Most of the people at the venue were great, what I want at a gig is to be able to dance happily, with no inhibitions, knowing that I am very much enjoying the music, and ensuring that everyone around me is in the same position as me. Almost everyone around me were just like this – very much enjoying the music, REALLY enjoying the big tracks, and generally very good. Woo!
3. We were in a perfect position, not too close to get crushed, not too far away to not see clearly and not be able to dance. So that was great.

Now for the downsides,

1. As mentioned, at a gig I want to be able to dance happily, with no inhibitions, knowing that I am very much enjoying the music, and ensuring that everyone around me is in the same postition as me. When Feeder just got on there were this couple standing in front of me and Sibyl, who were obviously rock concert virgins. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, I would happily say to anyone ‘gig going is not the greatest past time ever, I’d greatly recommend going, but it ain’t essential’ and I have nothing against freshies, who feel to embarrassed to have a good time. What annoys me was that this couple insisted on not moving and on standing very near the front, occasionally having a little wiggle and taking a photo on their camera phone (I’ll get onto that). Fortunately we got away from them, but it ruined the start for me. Now that was one end of the spectrum, but then we have the ones who need to calm it a little bit. There was this huge guy, quite chunky, tall and sweaty; standing next to us. Well I say standing…. Now if you’re big you must take responsibility for your actions, I could have sworn that his head almost went through the ceiling, the height at which this guy was leaping, not only was he leaping about, but he insisted on chucking his girlfriend on his shoulders, which all gig going people will understand, is the most annoying thing ever. AND he was also one with the camera phone.
2. CAMERA PHONES & CAMERAS are doing a great job at changing the atmosphere of good gigs. Why do people insist on thinking that getting some footage on you rubbish little phone of the gig is going to do any good? Not only does it obscure others vision, it takes away from the atmosphere, there ain’t no fun going on when you’re surrounded by a camera crew. It gets worse – this being a big corporate event, it had to be filmed, they decided to stick a camera man in the audience – right bang in the center; and this camera man has the nerve to give me a dirty look when I accidentally on purpose shove him out the way!
3. They didn’t play a couple of songs I really love, one is called Shatter and the other is one off of Echo Park and it’s called Seven Days in the Sun I also would hae liked to hear High. Anyway… I was thinking, Feeder will never ever be that cool, they will never be ‘punk-rock’ don’t get me wrong – they are an absolutely phenomenal live band but it got summed up to me when Grant Nicholas grabs his guitar as if he’s about to smash it, but then stops – as if he was child realising that he shouldn’t hit his little sister. BE COOL!

Overall I’d day that it was a highly successful, enjoyable gig. I would have paid for it – the fact that it was free was a bonus.