Roadie. DJ. Promoter. Reviewer. Punter. Nige Tassell's adult life has
been defined by live music. It's the fabric of his being, his bloodline,
his DNA. He is Mr Gig - or at least he was. A few years ago, Mr Gig hung
up his backstage pass and headed off to raise children in rural
isolation. Now, with house renovated and kids domesticated, he turns
back to face the music and barely recognises his former love: the
astronomical ticket prices; the sea of mobile phones obscuring the view;
the once-iconic venues selling naming rights to drinks companies.
On a mission to rekindle his passion for live music, Nige embarks on a
round-Britain trip from super-sized arena shows to microscopic folk
festivals, from blacker-than-black death metal gatherings to brightly
coloured '80s pop revivals in an attempt to get his groove back. Along
the way, he finds himself the recipient of a Michael Eavis practical
joke, scoffs his way through Elbow's backstage banquet, endures a
near-death experience en route to a festival on a remote Hebridean
island, and even goes gladioli shopping with a Smiths tribute band. Will
Nige fall back in love with live music? Can he make peace with middle
age? And will he ever again be able to rightfully call himself Mr Gig?
Nige Tassell is a freelance music journalist whose work has appeared in
The Word, Q, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, New Statesman and
Paste. He has also presented music documentaries for BBC Radio 4. His
journalistic highlights include scoffing cake in the Test Match
Special commentary box, interviewing Boy George while pushing his son
around the aisles of Morrisons and being (surely!) the only person ever
to travel to The Ivy by National Express coach.
