Ty Segall Live: The Crossing – Birmingham U.K
By the time Ty Segall was announced he’d be playing in Birmingham, I’d already booked to see him 5 days before in Manchester. Now some might say seeing him once was enough, but as an avid, long-time, some might even say obsessive fan of Ty, the only thing better than seeing him once on a tour was of course seeing him twice!
Three Bells
The tour, in support of his latest studio album, Three Bells, saw the set heavily laden with tracks from said record, The Bell. Void, I Hear (which has a great David Bowie ‘Fame’ guitar groove to it) Hi Dee Dee, My Best Friend, Denee, and more, as well as other tracks taken from across his vast back catalogue, this is quite possibly another example of myself being an obsessive fan, as keeping up with his prolific output has cost me a small fortune in records!
Now I’d love to be able to say for certain what was played from across those other albums, but I was so focused and excited about watching him and his band, who I must emphasise are a force of nature, that those details are a tad sketchy in my memory, which isn’t the greatest at the best of times! As I type this, Breakfast Eggs, Goodbye Bread, My Head Explodes, Girlfriend, and My Lady’s On Fire all seem to be coming back to me as possibilities from the night!
A Worthwhile Wait
It’s been a long time waiting for Ty to play Birmingham (I’d know!) but it was worth the wait, and The Crossing was the perfect venue of choice, with a great high stage providing a superb view, a decent sound set up that lets you absorb every note the musicians that grace the stage play and lighting that sets the tone for each act. This all combines for an amazing gig experience as an audience member. This is a place where even in a busy crowd it doesn’t feel like you’re packed in like sardines (which makes such a difference to enjoying a gig) and hopefully, the wait for him to return to Birmingham won’t be too long, though he’ll have probably have released another handful of albums by that point!
I will certainly be at the next show in Birmingham, and probably many others that pop up across the United Kingdom, and I would hope anyone reading will take up the chance to grab a ticket as well. It will be a night you won’t forget.
About Ty Garrett
Ty Garrett Segall, born on June 8, 1987, is an acclaimed American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and record producer. His prominence in the music world largely stems from his solo career, where he has produced fifteen studio albums, numerous EPs, singles, and collaborative works. Segall is an active member of several bands, including Fuzz, Broken Bat, the CIA, GØGGS, and Wasted Shirt. His past affiliations include bands such as the Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Party Fowl, Sic Alps, and the Perverts.
During live performances, Segall is supported by the Freedom Band, featuring regular collaborators Mikal Cronin on bass and backing vocals, Charles Moothart on drums, and Emmett Kelly on guitar and backing vocals. The lineup is complemented by Ben Boye on keyboards and, at times, Shannon Lay on guitar and backing vocals.
Photos taken by Rob Hadley: Click HERE to see more of his work.
