Well, just had two days of a Carmen consortium meeting. Very interesting to see how things have changed as time goes on. Also, two days of University food with a stop of at "Louis" last night; the latter is in Jesmond, so as you might guess the restaurant was affected and effete. You could tell that it was very high quality, though; they used big white plates, with the food in the middle and a sauce drissled around the outside. It's good to eat such high quality food even if, as in the case, it doesn't taste that great. The soup was vegetables lightly boiled in a weak broth, while the aubergine lacked only aubergine. The University food, on the other hand was, well, University food; lunch today consisted of potato in several forms.

Tonight I had some bread, humous and a salad, with sweetcorn to start. Ah!

I used to listen to the Chumbas lots. They bestrode the 80's and the 90's particularly as a live band; they were constants on the festival scene. They consistently produced wonderful pop records, danceable and wonderful, underpinned with an anarcist heart and strong political message which always seemed at a counterpoint to their lightness of their sound.

Unfortunately, I was really busy in the 90's and never saw them live, which was a pity; so I was a bit surprised when they turned up in the SAGE programme; why not, I thought.

Turns out, in the mean time, they have transmogrified into a 4-piece acoustic folk band; the harmony and lyricism of "homophobia" has ceased to be a standout and become their mainstay. As in the past, they retain their ear for catchy tunes, a strong sense of humour and lots of politics thrown in. The acoustic band seems here to stay; an 8 member electric bank is just too expensive in this day and age.

I'm kind of sad to have missed them in the first incarnation; but I'm really glad to have seem them in their second. They were wonderful and I enjoyed every minute, even if I could have done with a bit of dancing.

Turns out that I have not actually been inside the Tyne pub before, although I walk or ride past it more or less everyday. Nice place inside; has a slightly mid-west US feel, with a long bar, high stools and a Budwieser neon sign. Fortunately, the beer bears little resemblence to the US counter-part, and they've put coat hooks under the bar, which means your jacket doesn't great trambled when it falls of the back of your chair.

There were 3 support acts on; all three were pretty poor at promoting themselves and I didn't pick up the names, although the last one sounded improbably like "The Courgette Sisters". First, up where man, woman, two guitars, nice songs. Fluent and organised, there were fairly good, although perhaps moving toward the inoffensive end of things. Second, were a strange four piece who mixed flamenco, blues and folk; sometimes successfully, sometimes less so. When they got going, though, they banged out a fair rhythm. If they can get over the occasional tendency toward complexity for the sake of it, they will be great. Finally, the aforementioned Sisters. Good stuff, nice voices, but they didn't dazzle me.

The main act, Elliot Brood, have been billed as Death Country. Actually, this pretty much covers it; the songs are country inspired, all acoustic instruments, but then with fuzz on top. Add in the occasional metal chord change and you have it. Pretty good as it happens, lots of opportunity for headbanging and general dancing around even if, by this stage, I was falling asleep in my beer. It was helped by the atmosphere; quite a few Canadians who were probably a bit surprised to find their band playing over here in a small pub. Often the best kind of gigs these.