It's been a month.

Not written anything in a month. It has been a busy festive period all round. 

For a start there was work, the djing, the social whirl, the family arriving home and visits to the parents.

And it is all supposed to be a relaxing time.  And the weather. Snow then snow and then some more snow.

On the social front I was off to see The Raveonettes play at ABC2 on the Tuesday, on Wednesday I had my work night out, next evening I was at the SECC to see The Pet Shop Boys, following evening I was dancing at the Little League festive bash and then on the Saturday I was back djing.  Too much at my advanced stage in life!

The Raveonettes were ok. That's about as in depth as you are going to get I'm afraid. Other bloggers had written about how dynamic they were on stage and I'd thought highly of the latest lp, even though it was more a refinement of their sound rather than an advance. Unfortunately, I found the duo rather static onstage with little banter beyond the 'hello Cleveland' variety. This might pass elsewhere but in the small ABC2 there is no excuse for not trying to acknowledge the punters. The sound wasn't the best, the song selection meant it sagged in the middle, and all told it never really got going.

Shame, perhaps it was just a bad night for them .

By contrast The Pet Shop Boys. To be honest I'd bought the tickets on a whim in the summer. If spending £70 on two tickets could ever be described as a whim. Then I saw them on the tv performing at T in the Park and Glastonbury and thought, big mistake, Tennents voice is shot. I'd then half -heartedly talked of selling the tickets on but in the  half-hearted way I do most things found myself on the 18th December still the proud owner of 2 tickets for the Pet Shop Boys.

So off we went with no haversack but plenty of trepidation.

They were great. Partyish atmosphere , plenty of visuals, dancers on the stage, building blocks on the stage and a selection of songs that made you realise just how many huge hits this band has had.  The sound was ok, as ever at this cavern of soullessness it could have been a lot louder. The plethora of goings on on the stage at the selective use of the backing singers to assist Neil to get close to the notes meant it was all very toe-tappingly enjoyable.  Toss in some explosions and a confetti cannon and it was almost enough to convince me to give up my life in the half dark of indie clubs and embrace the main stream.

Knowing every song ever written, there remain few that always make me swallow hard and insit that the tear in my eye comes from a sliver of confetti but 'Being Boring' is one of them.  Played as one of the encores it was, for me, the highlight. The last time that happened was when, in the same hall, Kanye West emotionally laid it bare during 'Hey Mama'. Perhaps there is something in this mainstream stuff after all. 

Now when do those Lady Gaga tickets go on sale?