Before I go on about music, I need to find out how to alter all the hypertext links in this weblog. I may have done it already. Depends on when you're reading this.

Anyway, on to music. On Monday evening, we went to see some bands downtown. By we I mean: my good self, Beth my good wife and Karen our good friend. Off we toddled for the RedRoom Concert series featuring three bands.

I would tell you the name of the first band, but for two very good reasons:

I can't remember it because of the beer and noise.

It wasn't printed on the stub, and that's how I can recall the other names now.

This first band were OK in a "we've practiced for hours" way, which was fine. Their bass player had on a spangly jacket and the keyboard player was wearing a hillbilly mask (making his Moog squeal like a piggy) .

The second band was Bent Blue. Singer sounded like Bono from U2, he kept moving his head around in a very odd fashion. Think Mick Jagger, Jarvis Cocker or Tweak from South Park (erk, the underpants gnomes!). It was an obvious 'look at me' ploy because the band had two microphones set up (the second one was by the guitarist who never used it) and the singer 'accidentally' knocked his one onto the floor so he had to use the mute's one instead. The music wasn't bad in itself, the singer had one hell of a voice, it's just that he'd obviously thought that they needed a gimmick and chicken-head antics were just what was needed.

The final act was Mighty Fine Wine, and that's when I remembered the first rule of local band performances. The headlining band isn't necessarily better than any of the other acts... it's just that they can get more family members to the venue. Nobody was dancing during the first band's performance... heads were bobbing enthusiastically for Bent Blue, and the place looked like a Baptist convention for Mighty Fine Wine. I've never been a fan of that type of music (white hicks sing the blues, my baby done left me and done me wrong, etc.) but they did a good job of it.

Beth and I got around to talking about music, and all the bands we've seen. She beats me if anyone's counting: during my late teens and early twenties I was seriously into the underground rave fraternity in England. The only concerts I went to that weren't a selection of DJs spinning their remixes were either Radio One sponsored concerts (The Happy Mondays, 808State and Beats International event was a good one at the Wembley Arena in London) or bands that had a techno leaning. Raves until 6am at the Brixton Academy were good. Depeche Mode were excellent. I don't just listen to electronica, though... anything that rocks or soothes is given a fair hearing.

That's when Beth pulled out her box of concert tickets. Her first concert was Pink Floyd. She's seen Pavement, Manic Street Preachers, Beck, Stone Roses, Tori Amos, X, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Arrested Development, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Aerosmith, this list could make this day's log twice as long as it already is. Her concert exploits in the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania make my love of music seem like a schoolboy crush.

I love that woman. Rock on.

Listen: Elvis Presley - A Little Less Conversation