What was your last concert you went to ?

The Waifs last Tuesday, Tivoli Theatre Brisbane, Australia.

I joked with a fellow hifi club member that the sound would not be as good as our systems - but of course nothing beats live music and the sound was about as good as I have ever heard at a live show. Lots of sisterly banter on stage, excellent performances from all in the band - although some might have been frustrated when Donna got the giggles and took forever to complete "London Still" - the anthem for a gazillion Aussie travellers in the UK and a pretty good song to boot. If you have not heard of them check them out on the web. I love their blues influenced stuff, some of the almost country songs are not really my thing but live it was all great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_emz0o638PQ

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Did you go twice?

You could say that, she has just been playing for me at home

Ben Kweller at The Zoo in Brisbane last night. I wasn't feeling that great with a cold that's been hanging around for a couple of weeks but Ben was on good form. We had seen him at Byron earlier this year when I understand he wasn't 100% and it felt like one of those "going through the motions" type of gig.

None of that last night with him switching between electric and acoustic guitars and electric piano for a few songs. A couple of covers (God Only Knows & The Joker) thrown in and even a rendition of Happy Birthday to a girl at the front.

Cheers
Scott

Just back from another excellent Richard Thompson gig @ The Anvil,Basingstoke . Him and the band on top top form. Despite the crowd being very docile and polite, no whoopping and shouting out, no clapping along,no pictures being taken, just goodly applause at the end of the songs and standing applause at the finish.

Howard

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Originally posted by Cyrene:

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Originally posted by sjust:
Keith Jarrett in the Alte Oper, Frankfurt, tonite...

What an arrogant penguin he can be. After 20 minutes he stopped playing in the middle and held a lecture about why coughing was a personal insult (or along these lines...), re-started, stopped with the next cough, left the stage, came back, closed the piano hood, re-started, stopped, started to play "bar music" (coughing wildly), etc.

A desaster. After 50 minutes he disappeared for the break.

Second half was a miracle. Full of what was the expectation for the concert. Magic moments in spades. 1h30 plus 4 encores. One better than the other. All in all an evening to remember.

Like this?

Only saw this today, Cyrene, but... To be fair: He was way more polite than in Italy. There's something that must torture him to death, playing in public. Very strange.

Mia Dyson at The Zoo in Brisbane last night. First time I've seen her with her new band.

Unfortunately the volume was so loud that her voice which is one of her major assets was getting lost in the mix for most of the gig. Shame cos when you were able to hear properly it was as good as it gets.

Cheers
Scott

Two gigs in a week scott! They will have to give you your own space at the bar. I think the Zoo and the Tivoli are definitely the best two venues in Brisbane based on who plays there and the feel of the place.

I suspect you mean that the mix was a bit dodgy rather than the volume was too high. Under the Valley Music Harmony Plan all venues are legally limited in how loud they can go based on the volume at street level being about 85dB. Some would say that rules are meant to be broken but given the long road travelled to try and save venues it would be unproductive to push the envelope too much.

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Originally posted by Briz Vegas:
Two gigs in a week scott! They will have to give you your own space at the bar. I think the Zoo and the Tivoli are definitely the best two venues in Brisbane based on who plays there and the feel of the place.

Agreed regarding venues. The Globe isn't bad also but sitting on the sloping floor gets a bit tiring for those of us the wrong side of 40

I think that's it for about a month now until the Zappa plays Zappa concert/tribute at the Lyric then the Police in January at a very different sort of venue.

Last night because Mia had a second guitarist the mix was didn't work for me. They had both guitar amps side by side and as she is the main attraction I guess her amps are set a bit higher and so the second guitarist looked like he was struggling to hear what he was playing. I'm not sure of any of this - that's just how it appeared to me. Anyway she is an amazing talent who deserves her success.

Cheers
Scott

The Blue Nile at Belfast Grand OperaHouse last night a sublime concert from the band , " we'll be playing most of our hits tonight " raised a few chuckles !during the encore paul Buchanan asked for requests someone suggested " Play them all again"

ICP, with Mischa Mengelberg and Han Bennink at the BIM-huis in Amsterdam, yesterday. Brilliant!

Arcade Fire. Manchester MEN on Saturday. Great band but poor sound. The crowd were still singing "Wake Up" in Victoria Station on the way out.

Got free tickets to Genesis latest tour. Zzzzzzzz. Los Endos and pre 1975 stuff was worth showing up for, but the rest is just boring.

Beverly Knight last night - absolutely brilliant - an English Tina Turner, but with more R&B / soul going on!

Just returning from a very inspired gig by Charly Haden's Quartet West - basically their kickoff to release their latest Quartet West album. Great venue, great band, great music. Unforgettable.

Off to see Haden playing duets with Mehldau, on Monday...

Thomas K, where art thou ???

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Originally posted by sjust:
Just returning from a very inspired gig by Charly Haden's Quartet West - basically their kickoff to release their latest Quartet West album. Great venue, great band, great music. Unforgettable.

Off to see Haden playing duets with Mehldau, on Monday...

Thomas K, where art thou ???

very jealous

A bit of a step outside my usual listening, tonight I attended an amateur production of the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. I only went because a friend of mine was involved, but while it wasn't the greatest musical ever written, the did a good job of it, and it was a very enjoyable evening.

regards, Tam

I have got over it by now! It was in Krakow last August, where I saw a poster advertising a concert by a great English violinist [not Kennedy by the way] who I certain I shall not have the chance to hear in concert again.

It was so terrible that after having the Bach D Minor Double Concerto badly played, but not ruined, to find the grand Mozart Sinfinia Concertante for Violin and Viola completley ruined I left before they could start the third piece. Not even a young soloist should attemmpt two concertante pieces let alone three in one concert...

I was staggered.

ATB from George

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Originally posted by Gary Shaw:
The Decemberists - Royal Festival Hall
The Crane Wife 1 & 2 in particular raised hairs.

Unfortunately, due to illness of one of the band members, they have cancelled their american tour with Laura Veirs, after the initial two shows last Sunday and Monday in Chicago.

if interested, great recordings of October 28 and October 29 at the Vic Theatre in Chicago are available at www-dot-archive-dot-org under THE Decemberists.

Wishing them well and heal quickly.

Jeff A

Local Swing Orchestra (about 20-piece, brass, wind, rhythm section and vocalists). Music live and local. Excellent.

The wizened old boy that runs it is remarkable, with an incredible method. He takes people who can't play a note, and they're playing within three weeks. In the ten years he's been running it, he's produced four competant professionals, and a band that performs very well.

The National at Manchester Academy 2 last night. 4th time I've seen them. They were sounding great but were slightly subdued. The singer normally ends up finishing the set from the middle of the crowd but he didn't leave the stage once this time. Mind you they've been on tour for a while now so they are probably exhausted.
Support was St. Vincent. I didn't really like her album (Marry Me) but she was pretty good live. She also looked a lot better in person than she does on the album artwork.

Charlie Haden / Brad Mehldau in Christuskirche, Mannheim. A moment of music making which I will never forget. Pure magic. I have seen microphones and hope it will appear on CD, one day.

Dave Pegg and Friends, B'ham Town Hall 3 Nov.

To celebrate his 60th birthday, Dave invited friends and former colleagues from all of his ventures to join him at the renovated Town Hall where he has appeared many times in his 40-odd year career.

From Fairport we had (among many) Nicol and Swarbrick, from Jethro Tull Ian Anderson and Martin Barre and from other collaborations Steve Gibbons, Ralph McTell and Beth Nielsen Chapman plus about 25 others. All on stage at the end for the expected "Meet on the Ledge"

For those locals who remember shows at the Town Hall in the 60's to 90's, the renovation (IMHO) has been worth the wait and we should be able to look forward to more gigs in the future - the first being the aforementioned Beth Nielsen Chapman on 19 Nov.

With Symphony Hall and the "New" Town Hall both being superb (if rather small) venues, all we need now are the quality acts to do them justice.

Welcome back TH

Have a good day,

Ron

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Originally posted by sjust:
Charlie Haden / Brad Mehldau in Christuskirche, Mannheim. A moment of music making which I will never forget. Pure magic. I have seen microphones and hope it will appear on CD, one day.

Sounds idyllic Stefan! Will look out for that with hope...
BTW have you heard the trio discs on BN with Konitz and Haden? Gorgeous plump sound on those albums too.

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Originally posted by pumpkinhead:
The National at Manchester Academy 2 last night. 4th time I've seen them. They were sounding great but were slightly subdued. The singer normally ends up finishing the set from the middle of the crowd but he didn't leave the stage once this time. Mind you they've been on tour for a while now so they are probably exhausted.
Support was St. Vincent. I didn't really like her album (Marry Me) but she was pretty good live. She also looked a lot better in person than she does on the album artwork.

Christ, that was subdued was it? They were tremendous and, for one example, blew away Arcade Fire at the MEN the previous weekend.

Mike

Another Rush fan here, went to see them at NEC on 12th Oct - Excellent and well worth the money - they rocked for over 2 hrs!

Next Concert 'Asia' at BIC in March 08.