POP STARS. Impress your pop star mates with the number of encores you get by simply playing a short set and then making up the time by returning to the stage as often as you want.
Apologies to Viz, but that's what Elvis Costello did the other night. Touring with just Steve Nieve on piano, he played a strange kinda set - starting with 'Accidents Will Happen' and a few crowd-pleasers, he did around half of 'difficult' new album 'North', and then disappeared, at just around the hour mark. Normal gigs might well clock in at around 60 minutes, but apart from the fact that it was £25 a skull, Elvis usually plays for double the time.
Which was evenytually what happened. I've lost count, but 5 encores, I believe it ran to, including one in the middle that must have contained 11 or more songs.
What of the show? Well, I've seen him better. 'North' is hardly 'Armed Forces' in the catchy tune stakes, but even the arrangements of the older material were a bit disappointing. Muffled vocals on 'God's Comic', overdone stuumming drowning everything else out on 'Man Out of Time'. And the acapella trick that he's done in the Concert Hall to such great effect in the past - he basically 'fills' the massive auditorium without the aid of a mike - was again weighed down by too much piano backing. Of course, the surprise factor of what's a great vocal feat was also lost on us experienced Costello campaigners, but one of the Costello virgins that was with us (hi, if you're reading) was thoroughly impressed with everthing about the gig. I'd not say familiarity bred contempt for Elvis, but even what was actually a pretty good gig can disappoint when compared with some of the shows he's done in the past.   ¶ 7:51 AM

  The problem with these blog things is that you never quite get round to typing anything into them. Thus, musings on the Killing Joke gig a few nights ago. Or, musings on the venue. Spent the first half-hour hanging around waiting outside for the guest list problems to be sorted out (a gaggle of journos hanging around in the freezing cold; there's a mental image to brighten your day). The stewards were in fact very pleasant about the whole thing but unable to help too much - as everyone would be trying the "let me through, I'm a reviewer" trick. Eventually a bloke who looked like he might have been with the band (he just *looked* like that, ok?) was able to ask someone and reappeared with special dispensation just in time for the main attraction taking the stage.
As it happened, the gig was a bit disappointing. Jaz Coleman put in extra effort with his makeup, the band played most of the hits, interspersed rigidly with tracks from the (excellent) new album, and all the gang - Geordie, Youth and Raven - were there, though Dave Grohl was conspicuous by his absence. But for me, the problem was the sound in the newly-refurbished venue. Bass-heavy and muddy, songs which should have been driven by anthemic guitar hooks were muffled and shadows of their former selves. Final complaint - the choice of a venue which 'closes' at 10pm in preparation for a club night seems strange. Apart from anything else, it allowed us only one encore before we were kicked out into a cold Glasgow night. Something which was particularly common in Edinburgh, it appears that this disease has spread west. Now, there are benefits to an early finish - you can find somewhere cheaper to continue drinking, or you can even take in another gig if you get your skates on. But the Garage is hardly the ideal setting for these princes of the night...  ¶ 7:04 AM