Blog ≫ 2026 ≫ Belle and Sebastian rocked
Went to see Belle and Sebastian yesterday, and the whole day rocked. Worked in the morning, that was pretty productive, me and the AI just getting on with things. Stopped at lunchtime, nephew came over to visit, and then four of us headed to Margate. T2 stayed here on his own, did not fancy the idea at all. Train there was fine, via Ashford, busy until Canterbury then we got a table. Then off the train in Margate, and the place was heaving. Not all for our gig, but there was a soul festival going on too, lots of live music around the town. First we headed to a bar wife had heard of, Floc's first pub. Headed away from the seafront for this, so passed lots of other very busy bars, including some good looking micropubs. Floc have taken over a lovely old pub The Lifeboat in Market Street. Maybe it wasn't lovely before, but they have made it lovely. It's very trendy, lots of Margate is. It was fairly quiet when we got there, we got some seats and then quickly upgraded to an actual table. I had the WEIRDEST beer, a mango sour, it looked more like a smoothy. I guess they made a sour beer and just kept adding juice to it until it was drinkable. It was nice, but so unlike a beer.
Then looking for actual real ale, first place said er no to T1 being in, no under eighteens at all. It looked a bit rough anyway. Then instead to The Bull's Head which was very nice. Sat in the garden, with a proper normal beer, a pint of Gadd's, and it was also good. This place has a blue plaque, Eric Morcambe had his wedding reception there.
Then to the gig, a bit of a faff to get into Dreamland, the ticket app didn't work very well but they are used to this and someone was able to help me. What happened that I need a young person to help me with my phone? We got in in time to see St Etienne the support band, but we weren't very interested, and didn't get more interested. They finished on the two songs we knew.
Belle and Sebastian were good, they rocked in their own particular way. They started with an intro video, the girl from the cover of the album who was a fan in their very early days. Then started proper with the whole of If You're Feeling Sinister in album order, then a break, then a set of mixed hits. Nothing off Tigermilk though? Weird. They played The Boy With The Arab Strap, which I don't love, but the nephew did, and we thought that would be the end. Then they played another one I don't know and got loads of kids up on the stage, and I thought that was the end. Seemed to be fizzling out, so we left to make sure we got our train. THEN they played Lazy Line Painter Jane, their best song, as we were walking back to the station...
Full setlist:
- The Stars of Track and Field
- Seeing Other People
- Me and the Major
- Like Dylan in the Movies
- The Fox in the Snow
- Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying
- If You're Feeling Sinister
- Mayfly
- The Boy Done Wrong Again
- Judy and the Dream of Horses
- Step Into My Office, Baby
- I'm a Cuckoo
- If She Wants Me
- Seymour Stein
- Another Sunny Day
- The Boy With The Arab Strap
- I Didn't See It Coming
- Lazy Line Painter Jane
I think there's only two original members in the band now, but it's Stewart and Stevie, and probably other members have been and gone over the years.
Taxi home, and all good. What a great day out, we must go back to Margate again when it's less busy.
Overdrawn, keeping fingers crossed for premium bonds prize day on Monday.
Oh look, I saw Belle and Sebastian that same date in 1997 too, so is that really twenty-nine years?? Surely not. The famous Union Chapel show which was actually very early in their career.
Sunny intervals and light winds, 14 - 22℃.
I have seen Belle and Sebastian probably 8 times, and Belle + Sebastian related acts 1 times; Union Chapel (1997), Manchester Town Hall ('97), Manchester Town Hall ('97), Bowlie Weekender @ Camber Sands (1999), Brixton Academy (2002), Glastonbury ('02), London Astoria ('03), + Dreamland (2026), though I still have some bragging tagging to do so this may go up.
⬅️ Run stats 1/8/26 - 6'10/K :: Parkrun 233 ➡️