Principles, Schminciples

I’ve never been the type of person who sticks hard and true to a set of internal, moral and ethically drive, rules. I don’t believe the world works that way, there is no black and white, only various shades of grey.

Unless, of course, I decide that something is black, or white. Then it is, of course, a matter of life altering discourse (some of which I have covered here in the past and a particular instance has reared its head again in the form of personal mugs at work and the ‘stealing’ thereof).

Over the past couple of years I’ve been rediscovering my love of live music and, whilst it’s mostly been somewhat commercial bands (as in, those that have a level of awareness in the greater public, I am NOT a cool music hipster, and no, I don’t care) I do find myself gravitating towards bands playing in smaller venues. Without getting all arsey about it, it just sounds and feels better to hear and see a band in a smaller venue. I’m not talking about The Beatles at The Cavern or anything, I’ll happily be part of a few thousand strong crowd, but once that crowd gets to about the 2500 mark (which as it happens is about the capacity of the O2 Academy in Glasgow) I start to lose that connection you can get in a smaller, more intimate setting.

That is the main reason I dislike larger venues, well that and the acoustics are usually crap as they weren’t designed for music but for exhibitions and trade shows. I speak, as I’m sure most of you have already realised, about the S.E.C.C.

Actually that’s not what I’m talking about at all, is it. No, what I really, in my usual long winded fashion, am trying to say is that I’m breaking a principle. One I’ve held for several years now, namely that I’ll be attending a gig in the S.E.C.C. despite vowing not to do so.

In my excuse, it’s to see a gig by a rather marvellous band called Elbow. I’m hoping their next step up the fame ladder takes them onto a different venue next time but, for now, I find myself in the position of “can’t not” see them.

For every rule…