There are times when I really truly wonder why I bother buying tickets to see gigs. This was one of them. When I booked these tickets I'd read something nice about Lightspeed Champion, probably in an NME. They were raving about him. And what with him being involved with the now defunct Test Icicles, how could I resist?

Quite apart from the fact I'd never heard the Test Icicles, and therefore had absolutely no idea what I was letting myself in for, I'd completely forgotten to check the diary and missed that it was immediately after a bank holiday weekend. Now, that's not so bad, all things considered. I'd spent the previous day on a nice walk in the sunshine. I was so enthused about the sunshine I called my mate to enjoy it with me. So we had a beer to celebrate. Thing is, it was really sunny, so we really celebrated long into the night.

I wasn't much for celebrating the next day. I looked at the tickets at work, not enthusiastic. I struck on a good idea. I'm sure I mentioned these tickets to my pal. I emailed him and asked him if he wanted them. "Sure", he replied, "what time shall we meet?".

Bugger. Wasn't getting out of this was I? So, reluctantly, off I headed to Camden. It wasn't so bad, the sun was still shining and I enjoyed my walk through the park. In Camden, I nearly crashed into a strange looking fellow with a tremendous looking hat. Quite out of the ordinary, even for Camden. The oddest thing was I was sure I recognised the chap. Couldn't quite put my finger on it though.

After a quick pint in the tup, we headed off to the venue. I like Koko. It's improved a lot since the old Palace days. At least your feet don't stick to the carpet anymore. Well, to be fair, they wisely took the carpet up and replaced it with shiny wooden floors. But it's a great venue.

It was also loud. Or more to the point, the first band were. Bloody, gratingly, annoyingly loud. And quite honestly awful. And I'm glad I saw them as a support act, because I nearly bought a ticket to see them top of the bill once to see what the fuss was about. Ox. Eagle. Lion. Man. are not my cup of tea. My mate pointed out that their words were probably quite poetic and meaningful. It's just that you can't bear to listen to them because the music really doesn't encourage you to try.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the next band get on stage. It was Operator Please. I'd seen them earlier in the year in Wimbledon. And they played pretty much the same set tonight. I thought that they're beginning to find their feet in the UK, as they sounded tighter, more focussed and, well, way more fun than they did in Wimbledon. I really think they're going to peak during the festivals, so if you get a chance, go see them.

As Operator Please left the stage, I could honestly say that I could have gone home happy, but the main event was to come. After a short while, an old friend came on. No, hang on, it was that bloke I'd bumped into on the high street. Lightspeed Champion. Man of the people. In a hat.

It's at this point I struggle with a review. I'm hopeless at describing music. How can I describe it? Don't know. Er... Acoustic.. ish.. Pop... ish... Indie... ish.. I liked it though. I liked it a lot to say I want to see him again. The band was superb, which greatly adds to the Dev's voice which is outstanding. Talking of outstanding voices, he was joined on stage by Emmy the Great, who added vocals and strings. I wasn't expecting that, and it only added to my enjoyment of some fabulous songs, played by a great band.

Not a lot more to say really - I loved the gig. Apparently there was a big celebrity following there as well. I've never heard of Alexa Cheung. Perhaps you have. She's famous apparently. She was there. So was Kelly Osbourne. Whoever they are, they've got great taste in music, obviously. Great gig. Great night. It only goes to show, sometimes all the signs of it being a really crap evening count for nothing.

http://www.myspace.com/oxeaglelionman
http://www.myspace.com/operatorplease
http://www.myspace.com/lightspeedchampion