Hello. As you may have realised, I am not your usual Editorial lady, Afsheen, but a woman of equals, Kate. Afsheen has bestowed the baton on me this week and, not unusually, I have something to rant about.

I can’t stand the 30-something beer-bellied types at some gigs who come along after kind-of liking a song they heard on Heart FM. They only go to about two gigs a year, usually held at Wembley Arena. When at the venue, they behave as if they’re down their local pub or the Walthamstow dog tracks, consuming alcohol like their stomachs are kegs and getting shirty with other attendees. Going to gigs by the likes of Klaxons, Lost Penguin, Emmy the Great, Lightspeed Champion and Rat*Att*Agg, I don’t usually have to worry about such people, as it’s pretty certain they won’t be there: for a start, you won’t find their gigs advertised on a Carling email alert – you have to actually make an effort to find out when and where it’s happening.

Apart from Klaxons, who’ve recently become big (in indie terms any way), you’re unlikely to hear any of these bands on the main radio stations or MTV. I am thrilled that Mr Beer Belly and his stupid ladyfriend are oblivious to the fantastic music being generated below the surface, as nights out are a real pleasure when mixing with a range of people of different backgrounds and ages who have one very important thing in common: a dedication and love for the music. Shoreditch may get a bad rep for being a hub of fashionistas and posers, but at the heart of this is creativity and a thrill of the new. I’d rather an unpredictable night in a disused warehouse in east London than MOR boredom in a Carling-sponsored venue anyday!

Sadly last Friday I accompanied (note the word ‘accompanied’) a friend to see The Feeling at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The venue is shite, with toilets like at school and an alcove with a strip light and a fridge they amusingly term ‘the bar’. Suitably, the place was overflowing with shaven-headed men in Ben Sherman shirts and their scantily-clad girlfriends, mid-twenties women who love commercial radio, and of course, lovey-dovey couples (sick). As The Feeling ploughed their way through their MOR catalogue, I looked around at all the swaying hands and wondered quite how I’d ended up there. It was, frankly, a living hell for the 90 or so minutes the jazz-twiddlers were on stage.

Afsheen and Mojo on the other hand had a better time at The Feeling’s gig the day before my experience; read all about it shortly.

Also coming up (I’m really really excited about this one!) is the Editor’s interview with none other than Dr. Karl Kennedy from Neighbours, otherwise known as actor and member of the band Waiting Room, Alan Fletcher! Don’t forget to check out my Klaxons single review and live review if you haven’t already!