Dinosaur Jr.

Dinosaur Jr - celebrating 30 years of ‘Where You been’ playing the Garage 15th of November.

American Alternative Rock/Indie band Dinosaur Jr are finishing the last of 4 nights playing in North London’s The Garage. The venue was a hive of activity with a packed crowd and despite the more contemporary look, after a refurb, The Garage still has that fantastic atmosphere, brimming with anticipation waiting for a band. The crowd here tonight were diverse, young and ahem… slightly older (those of us who were listening back in the late 80s/early 90s), showing this bands longevity. After an amused purchase of a four-pint cup of beer and taking in the number of amps on stage one knows that one is in store for a real treat!

The band arrived on stage with a ‘how’s it goin’ out there?’ There was tuning going on, few false starts, and the drummer Murph, with some yellow headphones on, was holding down the rhythm. ‘Out there’ started and we were off! The band started with the songs from the Album ‘Where You Been’ played in its entirety from start to finish. ‘Start choppin’ really gets the crowd going and the mosh pit comes alive. The amplified volume of J’s ferocious guitar still showed that this band are Kings of noise rock. J’s vocals still sound as good, the grey hair and beard seemed non symbiotic with his voice.
Tiffany Anders backs ‘Get me’ and tells the crowd she has been a long-time fan of the band contacting them from the band’s address on the back of their first album…they don’t do that anymore.

When you think it can’t get any better, they have the guest appearances! First Andy Blade from punk band ‘Eater’ singing ‘No Brains’ and guitarist Stuart Braithwait from Mogwai playing on ‘Pieces’. Bernard Butler, with his 1961 Gibson, joins on ‘The Wagon’ and then the piéce de résistance My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields plays on ‘Thorn’, ‘Tarpit’ and ‘Just like Heaven’.

The last song of the night was ‘Freak Scene’ it just took you back…Dinosaurs may be extinct but will always be unforgettable.

J Mascis - lead singer & guitarist, Lou Barlow – base, Murph – drummer

Set List

Out There
Start Choppin
What Else is New
On The Way
Not The Same
Get Me
Drawerings
Hide
Goin’ Home
I Ain’t Sayin’
No Brains (Eater cover with Andy Blade)
Pieces (with Stuart Braithwaite)
The Wagon (with Bernard Butler)
Thorn (My Bloody Valentine cover with Kevin Shields)
Tarpit (with Kevin Shields)
Just Like Heaven (The Cure cover with Kevin Shields)
Gargoyle
Feel the Pain
Freak Scene