What was your last concert you went to ?

Jethro Tull Wednesday Bournemouth pavilion theatre. Very good it was too. I have some comments to make but will leave them to the W/E as I know some forum members are going to see them Saturday.

Last night we went to see "Gone with the Wind - the Musical" at the New London Theatre, Drury Lane. Still in preview so not the fully finished article, but actually a very enjoyable version of the story. Music was a lot better than many of this genre, with at least one potential hit tune. Far too long - we got out at about 11.10 from a 7.30 start - but I suspect that they are still paring it down.

quote:

Howard,
come on out with it?
Munch

No I'll wait. I don't want to spoil it (in a good way) for anyone.

What I will say is get there on time,there is no support act.

Yesterday evening....

COHEED AND CAMBRIA

AWESOME FUN!!!!!

Manu Katché quintet!

Great hard hitting jazz, Manu is a phenomenal drummer. The group is Piano/Acoustic Bass/Trumpet/Saxo/drums.

I liked it so much, I bought the CD

Peter

Wow! I'd love to see Manu play live - awesome drummer indeed!

Saw him playing with Jan Garbarek not long ago at the Sage in Gatehead, he was superb.

Regards

Nic

The Long Blondes at The Roadmender, Northampton last Wednesday.

Also got to meet Kate Jackson afterwards which made me smile for at least 3 days!

Steeve

Donald Runnicles conducting the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and McMillan's 3rd symphony. Thanks to the orchestra's marketing manager Stephen Duffy, I also got to meet the conductor afterwards and now have a nice signed CD of one of my favourite recordings.

Now off to bed very happy.


regards, Tam

Well blow me away. I bought a ticket on the spur of the moment. A friend sent me the Mande Variations which I thought was ok. Had a trip to a christening in the afternoon and didn't fancy venturing out. Anyway I did go and found I was in the front row of Hall 2 at the Sage (Gateshead) which is probably my favourite venue and hall anywhere. I saw an instrument which resembled something the kids had put together with bits and bobs from the beach. Toumani was introduced by Rosa the director of the Sage who clearly is a big fan and watched the show.

From the start I was absolutely enthralled. No singing just Toumani Diabate playing the Kora. Wow, so hypnotic, so skillful, so much sound from one instrument using only his thumbs and forefingers which I could barely see move - I thought at one point that he wasn't playing it and there was a tape going in the background. It is the first gig I have been to where my eyes were closed for 90% of the time (except Bob Dylan but i was asleep). Two hours went by in a whirl. A very uplifting and spiritual concert. He basically played some of the Mande Variations and a couple of other things which one he called an improvisation - the skill and emotion in his playing was wonderful.

Toumani comes from 71 generations of Kora players and he is teaching his son (72) and is from Mali and one of his mentors is the late great Ali Farke Toure.

NicNaim saw him last year with the Symmetric Orchestra - I can imagine that was some gig but on his own with his strange instrument with 21 strings (made of fishing line) was just stunning. If you can open your mind and let the music in - go see him.

Went to see Mark Ronson in Nottingham last night. Fantastic show and terrific audience. Lousy accoustics and sound engineering on the vocals tho'.

quote:

Originally posted by Steeve:


The Long Blondes at The Roadmender, Northampton last Wednesday.

Also got to meet Kate Jackson afterwards which made me smile for at least 3 days!

Steeve

Hey Steeeeeeve - one of my work colleagues daughters is dating or getting married to the drummer. I only recognised the name of the band from your post (and the photo)

I guess you didn't notice the drummer that much - he was the one changing the lightbulbs

Hi Diccus

Wow. I did speak very briefly to the drummer actually. He was the only other band member who came into the bar but he didn't stay long. Seemed like a nice chap - I'm sure your colleague has chosen well! I believe he used to go out with one of the other band members who isn't Kate but I'm not sure which one.

Kate was lovely though even if she did say "we do get people of all ages coming to our gigs" Very welcoming and friendly. I just went over and said "just wanted to say hello and the gig was amazing" and immediately got a hug and a kiss. And yes, I was even shameful enough to ask for a photo together...don't worry I will pull myself together soon enough and stop acting like a lovesick schoolboy!

Steeve

quote:

Originally posted by Steeve:
Hi Diccus

Wow. I did speak very briefly to the drummer actually. He was the only other band member who came into the bar but he didn't stay long. Seemed like a nice chap - I'm sure your colleague has chosen well! I believe he used to go out with one of the other band members who isn't Kate but I'm not sure which one.

Kate was lovely though even if she did say "we do get people of all ages coming to our gigs" Very welcoming and friendly. I just went over and said "just wanted to say hello and the gig was amazing" and immediately got a hug and a kiss. And yes, I was even shameful enough to ask for a photo together...don't worry I will pull myself together soon enough and stop acting like a lovesick schoolboy!

Steeve

She's only a girl Steeeve

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Carling Academy, Birmigham, last Monday night.

Totally rocked. Best Nick Cave concert I have seen. Superb.

Went to Krauss and Plant in Manchester last night. Took a while to get going but was quite wonderful!

Mike

Alkinoos Ioannides at the Carling Academy Islington (London) last night. What a treat to see this great Cypriot troubadour in a smallish, standing only, venue. And what a cracking band he had with him - Stavros Lantsias on keyboards, Yiorgos Kaloudis on cello, bass, lyra etc, and the amazing Michalis Kapilidis on drums. These are some of Greece's most highly acclaimed musicians.

They played for just under 3 hours; everything from seriously funky jazzy rock to solo acoustic songs to an unamplified unaccompanied Cypriot lullaby to finish. Not only that but most of the crowd were singing along with nearly all the songs - Greek audiences really know how to enjoy themselves at concerts!

Alkinoos is a great singer/songwriter and worth checking out, even if you don't understand all the lyrics.

Chris

Porcupine Tree at the Enmore theatre in Sydney AUSTRALIA a couple of Saturday nights ago.Utterly Brilliant.

James

Not the best known band, or the biggest venue, but quality overshadows quantity.

Free System Projekt at St. John's Baptist Church in Leicester on Saturday 17th May.

Think over two hours of Tangerine Dream in Rubycon (mid 70s) mode, in a great and atmospheric setting.

It really was one of the best electro' gigs I have ever seen, on a par with Tangerine Dream '82, and Jarre a couple of months ago.

(more on the Tangereine Dream thread)

Jamie

Harry Manx at The Judith Wright Centre in Brisbane.

A bit too "easy listening" for my tastes but he is a really nice guy with a good line in self-depreciation humour. The other half enjoyed it so much she bought one of his CDs.

Cheers
Scott

Just got back home from the Joe Jackson concert at the State Theatre Sydney which I went to with MilesSmiles.

To get quickly to the point, I thought it was an excellent show. Very simple, just Joe, bass and drums with very good sound. The set list was made up of a lot of songs from the new album Rain which came across very well and I really like his new CD, 4 songs from Night and Day (felt like uni days again), a David Bowie track - Scary Monsters and a few hits like It's Different for Girls and Is She really Going Out with Him.

He really is a super piano player and the miking on the piano was first rate. Time flew by so quickly which always means I was enjoying it.

Definitely worth catching if he is coming your way.

Adrian

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:
Just got back home from the Joe Jackson concert at the State Theatre Sydney which I went to with MilesSmiles.

To get quickly to the point, I thought it was an excellent show. Very simple, just Joe, bass and drums with very good sound. The set list was made up of a lot of songs from the new album Rain which came across very well and I really like his new CD, 4 songs from Night and Day (felt like uni days again), a David Bowie track - Scary Monsters and a few hits like It's Different for Girls and Is She really Going Out with Him.

He really is a super piano player and the miking on the piano was first rate. Time flew by so quickly which always means I was enjoying it.

Definitely worth catching if he is coming your way.

Adrian

Can only agree with you, great acustics - outstanding miking of the piano, both bass and drums top notch.
An all around great night out with Lontano and Joe.

Monty Alexander trio at the Petit Journal Montparnasse on Tuesday and then the Artemis Quartet at the Champs Elysée theatre on Wednesday.

Monty was quite Monkish and the Artemis are quite simply the best string quartet that I have seen live in an age.

Back from the Richard Thompson gig at Royal Festival Hall, yet another superb performance,this guy is a genius, assisted by the junior female Thompson for a couple of numbers. Mary Gauthier was good also.