I've never really stopped going to see Public Enemy, so I *know* how good it's going to be. I mean, they usually do 75% of the album anyway and they're still a fearsomely good live band. But yeah, I guess if you haven't seen them since the Def Jam tour then your memories are probably a little bit more rarified than mine.

I'm going tomorrow too, and may be up for pre-show drinks depending on stage times and train timetables.

Ah great stuff. I'll give you a bell tomorrow day time.

My ticket hasn't turned up yet, but I'm assured it'll be here today.
Depending on whether I go home after work or not, I'm free from either 5-ish or 7.30-ish for drinks.

Totally agree with Carcass that they've never stopped being great live. I think this is the first time they've been over and I've not got a ticket. I think because of Chuck D's reservations about just playing the album, he's going to make double sure it's a brilliant show. Enjoy yourselves!

I'm a bit behind the times here, but...

That review of Crystal Castles was good. I, too, am a bit surprised that they are apparently getting away with citing 'noise'/agit as their modus operandi. To me, they're great as electropop ...but little else. It was good to see Bitshifter's name dropped in a review, particularly to throw it all into relief a bit. Those 8-bit/Chipstyle bands have been doing this stuff since the late '90s, after all. I also find it a little bit galling that that scene, which I have loved for ages, might now get overrun by these nu-rave kids with their studied sub-teen dishevelled-ness. I'm all for more people becoming aware of the 8-bit scene, but I don't know if I want them to associate it with that!

I heard Crystal Castles before I saw them and boy, was I disappointed when I finally did!

(edit: I'll soon re-start my 'Uncle Clivey's Care & Share' thread and probably start it with a long overdue 8-bit compilation, I think.)

Here's my Chuck D interview, btw

I've not seen that HHC piece (I used to know Andrew Emery, back in the day when it seemed like the entire staff of HHC worked at Paul Raymond), but he's wrong. The artists deserve another payday, the kids who know nothing but 50 Cunt and his ilk need to realise just how fucking good hip-hop was and could be again, and I want to jump up and down like a twat one more time.

QUOTE:
And the name of the song was Bring The Noise. And the Nottingham crowd went bonkers.

Hah, I love the idea of Chuck D saying 'bonkers'. Like it's a well-meaning attempt to engage with British slang. Bless.

Amazing gig last night (even if the sound was a bit muddy, for instance you couldn't hear the plinky-plink piano sample on "Black Steel", just a low thud). I had to leave when they were well into the non-Millions material, and for all I know they're still playing.

Great interview, Nish, by the way.

Oh and Carcass, who is Ringo P Stacey? Is it someone better-known under a pseudonym?

Cheers, mate. Only had 10 minutes allotted, managed to get 15. At the end of the interview, when I put the phone down, you can hear me squealing like a 1970s girl-pig who has just seen Woody out the Bay City Rollers.

By the way, what time did they go on?

Quite late. About 10.30 (although the PR person told me 10.45, so I missed "Countdown To Armageddon" and "Bring The Noise". Was due to go on till about 12.30, but the way Chuck was talking, he had no intention of respecting the curfew.

Excellent.