Clash of the Titans: Mi-Sex, Dragon, The Angels, Bedford Big Top, Christchurch,26th February 2016.

I'd seen this advertised and had discussed it with a mate one night before we went to the Star Wars Movie. I was right into Mi-Sex when I first started collecting Records back in 1980 when I was 13 and indeed their "Space Race" Album was the very first record I ever owned. I never saw them live. Dragon didn't really interest me but I remember several Angels songs that were popular with the Lads in our initial party days. Anyhow I decided I probably wasn't going to go to this concert until I ran into some old friends at the aforementioned mate's 50th Birthday recently and they said they were going and I thought it would be cool to catch up with them again at this concert. The Mrs. was keen as she wasn't at the party and wanted to also see our friends again. The aforementioned Mate also decided he was going to go at the last minute.

 Got to the concert just a few minutes before the first band started, found out our friends were still making their way to the venue so headed into the Marquee to have a listen. First up was Mi-Sex and it was straight into all their hits and it sounded pretty cool to hear all these great songs blasting loud from the sound system

The original singer of Mi-sex died quite some time ago but the younger guy who was doing the singing did a pretty good job of it. I really enjoyed their set.It was also interesting to note that they played a couple of new songs and said they were working on a new album but it didn't really impress me that much although it is pretty hard to judge an unknown song at these type of gigs.Our friends found us near the end of the Mi-Sex set and we headed back out the back of the marquee to talk and catch up. We hung out outside the back of the marquee for the Dragon set, although the Mrs. did head up the front on her own to check them out as they were her favourite band of the night. Of course Dragon had a couple of real big hits here back in the late 70's early 80s and the whole crowd was singing along with those songs but I was unfamiliar with most of their other music.

The Mrs. and I headed up near the front for the Angels set and ended up about 5 rows of people back from the stage, The rest of our friends were content to stay out back as it was bloody hot in the marquee on a very very warm night. We only stayed up front for the first two songs because it was way to fucking loud. Even for me. My ears were starting to ring even on top of the already mild tinnitus I already have and as I had no ear plugs, I decided to get back out to the back with my mates. It was just too loud. I could actually feel the pressure in my ears. I think it was to do with the shape of the Marquee, which is long and not all that wide and to get the sound projected down to the back of the venue they really crank it but I found it too distorted. Even my phone struggled with the volume up front while making a small video. The Angels rocked out and we sang along with most of the songs we knew but overall they didn't really knock my sox off and three of us agreed that Mi-Sex were the best band of the night.

Tami Neilson and Her Hot Rockin' Band of Rhythm! - Wunderbar, Lyttelton, New Zealand, 20th February 2016

I got an introduction to Tami Neilson via a mate with her Dynamite album which I had a few listens too and although impressed, didn't feel the need to go out and buy the record itself. Soon after I caught a new song on the TV from her new album, "Don't be Afraid" and was blown away by the vocal Tour de Force on that song. I missed her previous live show here from her church tour late last year so was real keen to head along to see her preforming songs from this new album( which is a real killer).

With all the exposure Tami has been getting lately, I was surprised she was playing at such a small venue, but it actually wasn't quite as full as it could have been and it is nice to see the gig up close and intimate.

 The Mrs. and myself headed over to Lyttelton with a couple of friends and had a lovely Indian curry just across the road from the venue before some drinks at the Wunderbar's Bar, overlooking the Harbour and all the lights. The doors to the concert room were opened just past 9pm and the support act was soon on the stage doing their thing. A three piece of stand up acoustic bass, electric guitar and a female vocalist who also played fiddle, they were a bit different and hard to describe but really underwhelmed me and the singer was a bit shy and didn't really know how to use her mic properly. The sound mixing/quality wasn't all that impressive either and so I was a bit worried about what Tami was going to sound like also in this small venue. The support act(and I'm damned if I can remember their long winded name), played about 30 minutes.

 After the obligatory break between acts, Tami appears on stage and they took me a bit by surprise by opening the show with the "Don't Be Afraid" song(see vid below), which I feel is her strongest number. Still, it was very impressive and the sound was excellent. They followed that up with the next two tracks from the latest album, "Holy Moses" and "Lonely" and I thought she was gonna do the whole album in sequence, but then we skipped to a song from the other side of the record before going back to some material from her "Dynamite" album. Tami does a real mix if styles, with some slow mournful country ballads, to swamp blues and rockabilly and others harder to pin down. it was a great show, she has such a powerful voice and might be one of the best singers I have see live, just so impressed. Great show, great venue, great night.