The original plan, for that Saturday night, was to drink 85p cider from Aldi, share a cheap bottle of vodka with the girls, go to Sticky Mike's and not drink there because we're all broke. (Yes, that is Getting Drunk on a Budget 101). And in the end, we all went out on Friday night, I cried behind the baby foot table in Sticky Mike's, wasn't even drunk enough to justify the messages I sent people and since no one wanted to go out anymore on the Saturday, I decided to use the money I would have used on Drinking on a Budget 101 to go to a gig. And I still ended up very drunk in Sticky Mike's.

The only band I knew beforehand was Losing Sleep, whom I'd seen supporting my beloved Moose Blood at their Hippodrome show in December. I'd heard of Muskets because a girl I know did some photography for them, but, that was it, really.

I don't have any song titles and this is not a real life review, it's just the way I have felt during a good three hours. I have felt alive and I have fallen in love with all these bands (and my good impression of Losing Sleep has been confirmed).

The evening started with Water Canvas, and even though I missed a little bit of the set, I was very impressed with the quality of their music. Here's a thing I loved about the evening in general and all four bands put together : they were all young bands proving that there's talent lying around in this country (if we ever needed a reminder, you know) (Does anyone still doubt it?). There's talent that has grown up on Nirvana and on emo bands of the early noughties, talent that is raw and pure and honest and that deserves all of our attention. Hello Water Canvas, you have mine.

I'd heard about Muskets recently and I think they're going to get places. I don't know how to explain that feeling, but whilst I was watching them, the thought that kept clouding my brain was "I like this lot, they sound brilliant, they're going to get places". They did sound brilliant. There was something - you know, those moments when you are attracted to something, but you have no other words that "this was something else"? Yeah, that was it.

Losing Sleep. I know I'd said they had got themselves a new fan after the Moose Blood support and I stand by it - they were the main reason I went to the gig in the first place. They are releasing a new album soon and I'll be sure to listen to it and, you know what? I think you all should. There were still the Brand New circa 2001 vibes and God knows how much I love early Brand New. Yeah. That band's good. Sold.








And finally, The Winter Passing, coming straight from Ireland. Another band that swept me off my feet, so easily - I was won over by their incredible energy, the mixture between the two incredible voices and the emotion exploding through every word, every note. That's it. It was an explosion. And it all hit me like a brick in the face. I wanted more. Apparently they're coming back in April and I'm sure I'll be there. I loved this little set too much to miss it.

This isn't really a review. It's just a bunch of feelings scattered around my brain and me trying to put them into words. I don't know. 

Being broke prevented me from going to gigs this month - I missed Panic! At The Disco, I missed Cancer Bats, I missed We Are The Ocean. And last week has been really shit and depressing and sad, and I needed a little something to get my brain out of there, and that gig was just it. If I ever needed a reminder that live music is the love of my life and why it is the case, Saturday was a good one. I don't know.

(PS : I'm glad I chose the gig over the cheap cider)