Blog ≫ 2023 ≫ Big Sunday gig day out part 9 - the gig
To the gig! We had tickets on the Dice app, and I had a slight feeling it wasn't going to work. I'd had them since 2020 I think, and you can't actually see the tickets until two hours before the gig, to discourage reselling. But, it all worked, we were scanned, and stamped and in.
The venue wasn't too busy but livelier than it might have been. I think we had missed an opening act, but we hit the bar and had a wonder round and find a spot to watch the middle band. They were called Dig Lazarus and were really good. Very bass driven, a bit of the sound of Queens Of The Stone Age in parts, but proper traditional rock anyway.
Then Love / Hate, at last. Well, it's Jizzy Pearl's Love / Hate. He's the singer, and I recognise him, but not the others in the band. A great set though, playing everything we know off the first two albums (except the song that would get them cancelled now), all our favourites. A good performance, a good set, it was much better than either of us had expected. Bearing in mind this is the delayed thirtieth anniversary tour, and you can't always go back. I saw them for the first time on the final day of 1990 at the Marquee Club, so thirty-three years ago.
I read that even he left the band at some point, so I wonder if there is another version of Love / Hate going around, maybe just called Love / Hate?
We looked around for Love / Hate merch, but there was none, not sure why. I was wondering how they can afford to play a show like this, assuming they are not based here, especially without the t-shirt sales. I did see quite a few Love / Hate t-shirts, including one for a tour in 1990, and some other more recent ones, so there must be shows I have missed. There was a merch stand for Dig Lazarus and the band were manning it themselves, so we had a chat and took some pictures and bought some stuff so at least they hopefully covered their costs this evening.
Everything ended in time for me to get the last train. Earlier in the day I had an idea to leave the gig early and try and get the penultimate train, but the evening was going so well and the band were good, so that went the same way as the not drinking plans.
I was on the last train out of Kings Cross in good time. Think I might have dozed off briefly on the train, luckily didn't miss my stop. Then only a fifty minute walk home, making for a very late Sunday night indeed. And now we're all caught up. Just time to add some photos.