Bristol

It's time!  On Monday I turn 40.  The last time I saw Ben Folds Five, I was in my 20s.  And the next time I see Ben Folds Five I'll be in my 40s (I bought tickets for Brixton before the Bristol date (which I can walk to) was announced).

Anyway, I'm trying not to get too excited yet about attending THE FIRST BEN FOLDS FIVE GIG IN THE UK IN 13 YEARS TONIGHT.  Ahem. 

Who's going?

Happy birthday! Not going tonight, but will be there in Nottingham tomorrow night. I'm so excited and not ashamed to admit it lol

I'll be there! Can't wait. Never seen the Five live (and never thought I'd get the chance).

Safe to assume the last time you saw them, Ben was also in his 20's and will now be in his 40's!

What.  A.  Show.  Two hours of utter aceness, even with Darren having lots of technical problems.  I don't write down setlists (too busy with the watching/jumping/singing lark) but I'll just go through the album tracklistings now and I can work out what was played, then try to assemble it roughly into the order I think it came in...

Michael Praytor, Five Years Later
Missing The War
Hold That Thought
Jackson Cannery
Selfless, Cold And Composed
Alice Childress
Sky High
Landed
Erase Me
Uncle Walter
Tom And Mary
Draw A Crowd
Brick
Philosophy
Battle Of Who Could Care Less
Do It Anyway
Narcolepsy
Kate
Army

_____________

Song For The Dumped
Underground

The first four or five songs and the last four are definitely in the right order, the rest is sketchy but that's definitely all that got played.  Also a couple of improvs - one about some local public toilets that are a standing joke and he always sends a picture to a friend but didn't have a chance this time, so he asked others to do it.  Check the messages sent to @samsmyth on Twitter.  And the other was in response to someone asking why they never play in Wales.

They were evidently a bit jetlagged too, but that wasn't going to stop this being great.  I suspect some songs got cut because of the banter, because they had two hours and used every minute of it and hit the curfew...

Roll on Brixton on the 4th.

Wow!

That. Was. Brilliant. Started off a bit slow, very jet lagged and a few duff notes. Alice Childress could have been played faster as could have Sky High, but really - once they got warmed up they blew the roof off. It just occurred to me that I saw their last UK show at the Royal Albert Hall back in 99 and their first since then in Bristol. And it compared well. No matter how good I thought Ben was in concert solo - the three of them is a million times better. Can't imagine what Brixton will be like when they are over jet lag. Come on Brixton...

Pics up too: www.flickr.com/stuarthogbenphotography

Set list:
Praytor
Missing the War
Hold That Thought
Jackson Cannery
Selfless
Erase Me
Alice Childress
Sky High
Draw a Crowd
Landed
BOWCCL
Uncle Walter
Brick
Do It Anyway
Emaline (they didn't play it....it wason the setlist though...)
Philosophy
Tom & Mary
Narcolepsy
Kate
Army
-----------
SOTD
Underground

There was one other at the end of setlist that is way out of focus on my pic of it. Damn, wish I knew what that was.

Top night!

Emaline didn't get played?  Bah.

My guess is that it would have been One Angry Dwarf at the end, as that's pretty common.  There was a strict curfew (for a club night) and they had used their full two hours...

AH! As the American in the crowd, I must interject a few things.
 ONE. HOOORAAAAAAAAAAAY the set list was longer. TWO full hours. YAAAAAAAAAAAAY.
TWO. STU you're pictures are fantastic
THREE. Darren's black shirt is back. Oi

The band were great of course. But I'm never going back to the O2 academy bristol again. What a terrible layout for a music venue. I'll just go to a London show next time. Or Wales.

THREE. Darren's black shirt is back. Oi

BUT HE'S WEARING A JACKET!

Quote from: Allison on November 24, 2012, 02:46:02 AM

THREE. Darren's black shirt is back. Oi

BUT HE'S WEARING A JACKET!

yeah, same one from the reunion in 08

It looked as though Darren was really enjoying it, which is good to see. I didn't realise how much those guys were missed over the last decade until last night.
Thanks for the kind words on the photos Allison, I was snapping likes demon! I have found the full set of my pics floating round the net under my alter ego... http://www.contactmusic.com/pictures/ben_folds/1-1

The band were great of course. But I'm never going back to the O2 academy bristol again. What a terrible layout for a music venue. I'll just go to a London show next time. Or Wales.

I live in Bristol and couldn't agree more.  For years I hardly went there unless I REALLY liked a band (there no way I'd have missed this one).  In the end I found the answer was: get good earplugs (that don't muffle the sound) and get down the front - it's the one place with a decent amount of room.  Stand at the back and you're screwed.  And make sure you don't need the loo during the set...

Incidentally, brilliant pictures Stu.

Great pictures mate.

Agree with comments about the venue (hated it) & the fact they seemed a bit jetlag for the first few songs. Still loved the gig, though - can't wait until Brixton next week.

Not a big fan of Bitter Ruin but they've got two London gigs to win me over...