I’ve just got back from seeing the Smashing Pumpkins at Nottingham Arena, and I’m sorry to say it was possibly the most disappointing gig I’ve ever been to. Having never seen them before, I’ll admit I had high hopes, but I am totally gutted at how it actually turned out. You’d think a set including so many classic songs – including an acoustic rendition of Perfect – would be ace, but it was in fact just dull. Corgan seemed completely detached, and either didn’t want to or wasn’t able to sing the old tracks even remotely well. By the time he’d added in a couple of sarcastic comments regarding the sales of American Gothic against Mellon Collie, and then murdered 1979 acoustically, I was ready to leave. So I did, before the set had even finished, and I’m sorry to say I don’t regret it at all; overall, I’m gutted.

On the other hand, New Found Glory played an absolutely blinding set on Monday at the Rescue Rooms. In a moment of pure genius, they decided to play a request set, and it was absolutely amazing. The venue was packed – and quite small for a NFG gig nowadays – and everybody was obviously loving it. There was a real mix of old and new in the set, and I surprised even myself by enjoying their cover of Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls. Full marks all ’round; I’m looking forward to photographing them on the Paramore tour in a couple of weeks’ time.