The joys of live music

Went to the Water Rats tonight, saw Hello Saferide. Now, in honesty they could have just played Introducing... and Toby and I would have been happy. But they're great live - a huge mob of Scandinavians on stage at once, a melodica, and an incredibly venemous rendition of Last Bitter Song. And they didn't leave High School Stalker till last, which is a sign of courage, right.
First band up - single singer-songwriter with good lyrics, but the guitar wasn't all that. What was really frustrating was the headliners, Au Revoir Simone. I say this because their live sound doesn't really seem to come through on CD the way it does at the gig. OK, that's partly to do with having a few beers inside you, but also what they complained about from the soundman (thunderous bass that made your body shake) is just what you miss from the recordings of their songs. Had to get the train back, so left early, but the first 5 songs or so were pretty great, in a langourous, Roland keyboard type way. What the Cushtie Jazz Big Band could have been, if we had had 3 female singers and an attention span...
What else: still recovering from Saturday's party extravaganza - up to no good, up to 5 in the morning, chatting to a diminutive Italian beauty* in a bathroom full of beer, and then talking an accountant from Brighton into submission later on. Amazing what the power of a well timed talk can do to people.
*Somehow persuaded into coming to the gig. Has gravity changed direction, or are we reaping the other side of months of bitter moodiness at never going out and meeting interesting people, by getting all the fun at once?