GDFAF #14, the last in this series of sequential gig going, was at the Actress and Bishop in Birmingham’s Jewelry Quarter. This was my first visit and it’s quite a nice little venue. Above what appears to be a standard biggish city centre pub (I didn’t dawdle) is a small (but not too small) room with a stage slapped in the middle. To the right of the stage is a cluster of sofas with a row of high tables and stools in front of the performers meaning you don’t get that awkward chasm of floor when people don’t want to move forwards. It’s very cosy with a somewhat random assortment of occasional lamps, if a little disorienting when you first come in from the cold and are thrust into the throng, but I liked it a lot. It’s probably the closest I’ve come to going to a gig in someone’s living room.

This was another Unsigned Band Night but it felt different to those held at the Jug, Flapper and Bar Academy because this venue could really only put on unsigned bands. Given the space and the amount of furniture the capacity was probably no more than 100 if that and even though it wasn’t packed tonight it still felt busy and alive. Transplant this gig to Bar Academy and it would have felt empty and dead. That’s not to say this is a lesser venue – the sound was good and the atmosphere no less professional – but the “club house” feel of the place made it perfect for this type of event. As for the crowd, and bearing in mind how woefully inaccurate these assumptions are, it seems a little more hipster-ish than at the other venues. Maybe the cosy nature (and low lights) of the place was bringing out the best in them but people of both genders seemed prettier, and not in an “oh look it’s the fucking beautiful people” way either. Of course I’m feeling somewhat stale after 13 gigs so maybe it was relative, who knows. Anyway, on to the bands.

First up were Strange Time who are what is known in the trade as a “baby band” – relatively freshly formed and finding their feet. They were also the first local band I’d seen all fortnight with women taking the fore (they had a male drummer) which was notable. The Birmingham scene does tend to be very bloke dominated and while I’m sure most other cities are the same this does strike me as a shame. But back to StrangeTime and I immediately found myself thinking of PJ Harvey and Elastica, followed by my thinking how fucking predictable of me that was, but then most new bands are aping someone as they find their own voice so it’s probably fair. The vocals did have that angry PJ feel to them without slipping into moaning for the sake of it and there was a real strength to the whole band with a steady beat rumbling under the slowing songs. My only criticisms would be a lack of movement on stage and that the set, while very competent, didn’t build and seemed to me to keep the same level throughout. But otherwise very promising.

I got over comparing StrangeTime to PJ Harvey as soon as the next band, The International Karate Plus kicked off as they sounded exactly like Dinosaur Jr. And that, in my book, is no bad thing. They produced a controlled cacophony of noise but held it together very tightly with some interesting flourishes along the way. I was particularly taken by how all three of them sung including the drummer who made a valiant attempt to play with his sunglasses on. Apparently they’re from Cardiff and a flyer shoved at me showed a pretty extensive national tour had occurred over the summer which would explain the good stage presence they’ve honed, though it did make me wonder about the economics of traveling to a gig like this. Maybe they were already in the area, who knows. Overall they were good, very competent and enjoyable to watch, and I liked the sounds they made.

Our third, and for me very final, act were I Am Zeitgeist who I suspect were a little drunk. Not that it affected their playing at all but they seemed to be having a little bit too much fun up there. I was most taken when the non-singing guitarist played a series of high pitched notes at the beginning of the first song that sounded like a Nintendo game and there were a few interesting moments like this scattered around the set. Even though there was a distinct touch of the Oasis about the vocals (often a kiss of death for me) I won’t hold it against them too much. They brought it a whole gamut of influences to a pretty funky beat and some nice melodies and at the end trashed their equipment in the most delicate manner I’ve seen, except for the drummer who went for the big kick and scatter.

And it was all over. Fourteen gigs in fourteen fifteen days. Blimey.

Well, I did it.

But it’s not over. Expect a number of post-mortem posts over the next week or so and I try and make sense of what I’ve been through, write some of the additional pieces for the Inevitable Zine and start sketching out what’s going to come next. And something will come, don’t worry about that.

Right now, though, it’s time to switch off the computer and get my ass into bed.

Thanks to everyone who’s stopped by and read this stuff, and major huge thanks to my sponsors without whom I’d be somewhat depleted financially. Your goodies will be with you in the New Year.

And above all, thank you Birmingham.