06:18am, Thursday 25 Nov 2004
Song of the Day: Keane - With or Without You (Live @ BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale)
I've only just come down and able to write this post!
First of all - the gig.. absolutely fucking AMAZING! Got there at 11, hung out with other Keane boardies til 11.30. Tom popped his head round briefly to say hi, then went back to rehearsing.
We were led into the studio.. not the actual place where the DJ's broadcast from, but a proper recording type studio where the bands play. Up a short flight of stairs, the viewing gallery meant you could look straight down onto the band. Tim, Tom & Richard were there already, rehearsing.
Seeing these guys play in a setting like this is like watching your (very talented) mates jam. There's no pretentiousness, no diva attitude - just heartfelt renditions of some of their most famous hits. The latest single, "This Is The Last Time" (released 22nd Nov here in UK) was performed beautifully, with Tom hitting the high notes perfectly, Tim belting out on his piano with all he was worth and Richard hidden away in an alcove slamming his drums like there was no tomorrow. I've heard this song played live many times, seen it myself 3 times now, but this was special.
Next they played "Bedshaped".. a haunting, melancholy ballad worthy of any teary movie scene. A song about being close early in life, then being apart, then meeting up at the end was absolutely beautiful. Again, I've heard it countless times.. but this time I got to see the emotion in the band. Could feel the vibration of Tom's voice, Tim's high piano notes and the boom of Richard's drums in my chest, and it was like the song was performed for the first time.
They closed the set with a cover of U2's "With or Without You" which I've always quite liked - until now. Hearing them play a song I hadn't really heard them play before, with such firey passion that did the original song justice, I was awestruck. Goosebumps on my skin, I nearly cried at the emotion of it all - it was that good.
During the breaks to the songs, Jo Whiley would interview the band. At one point, she picked me and another boardie out from the crowd to ask one question each, on air. I have never been so shit scared in my life. I was shaking, I couldn't think of anything intelligent and I was about to speak directly to one my the most exciting acts to come out of Britain in ages - all on national radio. Live. No pressure or anything.
If you want to hear the whole set, and hear me asking my question, you can check out Jo Whiley's website here. Here's some pictures I blatantly ripped off the BBC website :)
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