Soft Machine concert at West End Centre in Aldershot, UK
Sat, 17 Nov 2018

Loved them in their early days (the Allen, Ayers and Wyatt era), so when I saw they were playing at the West End Centre in Aldershot I thought I'd go and see them!

I was a little concerned that the venue was all-seated, but found a spot next to a nice lady of a certain age and her husband, and eagerly waited for the music to start.

As they launched into their first number, the lady beside me *physically recoiled in horror*. I sympathised, but being made of sterner stuff sat placidly waiting for it to improve, but it didn't.

Ever sat trying to enjoy seven totally different pieces of music being played at once, seemingly in diifferent keys and time signatures? And there are only four of them on the stage? I've often referred to it as Musical Masturbation, played for their own pleasure, no concern that anyone else is enjoying it - I shudder to think what they're like in bed.

It is the ONLY gig in my life where I've chosen to leave part way through (being an all-seated event, I was trapped until the interval) and I went to a local pub with a live adult-oriented-rock covers band (thank heavens for the Lion Brewery!) and enjoyed palatable, if rather predictable, music and a nice pint.

Avoid.