Stockholm and Lightspeed Champion

After a good evening watching K I set off about 7:15 am to get to Heathrow and fly out to Stockholm. Journey went as sweet as a nut, as per usual jeez I'm a lucky traveller. After it being -14 and covered in snow the week before again my luck was in as the weather was beautiful. OK it was only 5-6 degrees and a bit chilly on the exposed waterfronts but the sun was cracking the slabs the whole four days. Again this is a total phenomena how I manage to get good, almost freakishly good weather wherever I go. Here's some more pics:-

http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w236/slightmalecoyote/Stockholm%2003-08/

Lightspeed Champion, Debaser, Stockholm, 28/3/08.

I'd spotted that Laura Marling and Lightspeed Champion were playing at a club called Debaser (a Pixies fan?) on the Thursday and Friday nights respectively. I found the club late as it's parked under a big bridge linking Sodermalm (south? is that right H?) to Gamla Stan (Old Town). Laura Marling had sold out on the Thurs so I enquired about LS for the following night. Not sold out so if I got there in good time tomorrow (Fri) I would be ok.

Lightspeed Champion is one of the guys who used to be in Test Icicles, one of the more interesting band names ever, I dare you not to read another word.

I got to the club about 8:10 after having a lovely meal in a little restaurant in the old town, Swedish Herring followed by some Lamb I think, bloody expensive though!. I got there and paid ok on the door. Debaser is a small club similar to the Roadhouse in Manchester to give a point of ref. The stage was a good height, stomach level but had a curtain pulled across. I bought a drink took a seat and took out my book as I was told LS was not on till 10.30 - 11, the support? 'there isn't one'. I just sat and read my book and the time soon passed, about 10.20 the place was filling nicely so I took up residence at the front of the stage blah - blah - blah.


At about 10.50 the curtains just opened and LS came on. I must admit I wasn't sure about his record. It has some good tunes on it but I thought the material would translate better live. The material is nothing like the Test Icicles stuff this is more tune full and song based. His band consisted of a bass player a violinist and a cute lady drummer. First thing to note he was an excellent musician and played most of the set on guitar but some songs were played on keys. Even though I was up to speed on the material it all came across well live.

I got chatting to a Swedish lad next to me before he came out for the encore and he asked if I would introduce him to the band, Yawn!.

Anyway I had an enjoyable night and left soon after the show and headed up into the Old Town.