What was your last concert you went to ?

This week I saw Gregory And The Hawk - a very talented young lady from NY, who if she wasn't so anti-establishment, would be signed to a big label, and would be selling thousands! Huge cult following. Somehow she bridges the gap between screaming teens and fans of adult contemporary. Check it.

I also caught Jeniferever, who are from Sweden, touring the UK. I've just released their EP on Naim Edge. It's crazy to think that their refined arrangments came from the minds of a bunch of scene-kids in their early 20s! The band they are touring with are called iLikeTrains. A deep Nick Cave-esque vocal - and some simple yet empowering bluesy-rock. Jeniferever blew everyone away though.

Yesterday a friend asked me to accompany him to KID ROCK because his girlfriend was ill.
At the beginning there was some hesitation by me, because my image of Kid Rock was a littel bit influenced by thinking he is a poser ,Pamela Anderson and surrounding himself with half naked women with big boobs, okay not bad in a concert
After a second thought i went with him, and i must say, the man is a real musican.
It was a very good concert, more old fashioned southern style rock-music than the hip hop/heavy metall he made in the past.
An old fashioned band (2 Guitars,bass, sax, 2 drum-sets 2 background singers and a man at a turntable for the older songs like cocky etc.
What did i learn, the image he has in the press/Mtv etc is not the way he is performing live .

Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett at the Brighton Komedia last night ,having seen Little Feat do a storming gig at Trowbridge was a bit apprehensive about these two on there own.Turned out to be a great night with a lady bassist and a certain mr Beer helping them along.Last gig in the UK next chance is Jamaica in the new year! I wish.

front row seats at an excellent Christy Moore gig in Vicar Street, Dublin.

I was with my cousins form Sunny Scunnie so a loud cheer was heard when he mentioned he got the song "Ordinary Man" after a gig in Cleethorpes.


SJB

quote:

Originally posted by Sloop John B:




front row seats at an excellent Christy Moore gig in Vicar Street, Dublin.

I was with my cousins form Sunny Scunnie so a loud cheer was heard when he mentioned he got the song "Ordinary Man" after a gig in Cleethorpes.
SJB

Wow - the top man - I bet it was superb.

Indeed it was an exceptional gig.

1 Missing You

2 Listen

3 Merseyside

4 Gortatagort

5 Galway Races / Ruby Walsh

6 Smoke and Strong Whiskey

7 Ordinary Man

8 Rory's gone

9 Shovel

10 Duffy's cut

11 Little Musgrave

12 Declan : I will

13 Matty

14 Casey

15 Stitch

16 Beeswing

17 Joxer

18 Black is the color

19 Hattie Carroll

20 North and South

21 Ride On

22 Quinta Brigada

23 John O'Dreams

Encores

24 Lisdoonvarna

25 Yellow Triangle

26 Biko Drum


a few songs I hadn't heard before of which John Spillane's Gortatagort was just beautiful


Here's something John Spillane just posted in his blog...

"I wrote a song called GORTATAGORT (THE FARM), about the farm where my mother comes from in Bantry, County Cork. I named all the fields in the song and tried to capture the feeling of the place. I spent all my holidays there when I was a boy.

Anyway … Christy Moore, the great Irish folk singer, got on to me and was really into the song, said it moved him deeply, and asked if I would be comfortable with him singing it. Well, I said, it would be a great honour for me and for my family if he sang that song.

Well, I invited Christy to visit the place and we met in the Colomane Bar and went up to visit the farm. We were met by three generations of women and had a lovely visit to the farmhouse. We had high tea. Then Aunty Mary played some tunes on the fiddle -- The Red River Valley, some Waltzes and a Slide -- then I sang Gortatagort in the kitchen at Gortatagort with the clock ticking away time on the wall. Then Aunty Chrissie cried inconsolably; then Christy Moore sang the Cliffs of Dooneen. Then I took Christy on a walk around the farm and showed him all the places in the song. It was a really lovely day.

Great excitement being in touch with Christy about this song. He really studied it deeply and was living and breathing it, walking around inside in my song. I love it.

This is the third song of mine that Christy Moore has done, the first two being "Johnny Don't Go To Ballincollig" and "Magic Nights in the Lobby Bar"
Happy days in the Hit Factory. Another ball in the back of the net!

Delighted!"



SJB

Kings of Leon at the O2 (downstairs, standing). They never really ignited and the crowd seemed to be made up almost entirely of tossers.

I think they're best in smaller venues like the Brixton Academy or the Hammy Apollo, I think that's it for me with the KoL now, they're just evolving into a stadium band. Still unsure about at least 50% of that new album too.

Coldplay at the O2 last night - awesome! Crowd on its feet for the whole show.

Tracy Chapman at Manchester Apollo on Sunday. It was a wonderful solo performance.

Oasis at Madison Square Garden...9 hours from now. 12th row

quote:

Originally posted by Vaughn3D:
Oasis at Madison Square Garden...9 hours from now. 12th row

It was a great show!! Enjoy. I have a few boots from other shows on the tour sounding very good. And dont miss teh opener Ryan Adams and The Cardinals. He did a great show, if you like that sort. Reminded me of Neil Young and the Stray Gators.

The Rezillos upstairs at the Academy Newcastle in front of about 350 people. Played the whole of "Can't stand the Rezillos" in the same running order as the original album. Then played some new stuff and four encores.

More fun that it is right to have, while still wearing your clothes. Great stuff.

Regards

Nic

Ahmad Jamal, Salle Pleyel (Paris) last Saturday, really great concert, I had a hard time staying still on my chair, fortunately I was able to move quite a bit where I was sitted
The guy is 78!
Was fantastic!

13/12/2008 20:00

Ahmad Jamal : piano
James Cammack : contrebasse
Manolo Badrena : percussions
James Johnson : batterie

http://www.sallepleyel.fr/francais/programme/detail_rep...ion.asp?id_rep=18929

The Who at Indigo2 last night - still in shock, absolutely mind blowing!

Oasis at MSG was a great show. It took a few songs for Liam's voice to get warmed up, but the sound was great and as powerful as any heavy metal show that I have been to. The new drummer is also very good and Noel sang six songs, which I enjoyed. For me the highlight was "To Be Where There's Life" which isn't one of my favorite tracks on the new record, but took on a new tone when it was played super heavy. I've seen them live 4 times now and this was the best show.

Pierce Turner in the Sugar Club Dublin.


Exceptional gig as usual from Pierce.

Pierce normally resides in New York, coming home to his native Wexford for Christmas. For our New York Naimees the following would be well worth checking out:


St. Paddy's Day
March 17th 2009
Joe's Pub at the Public Theater
425 Lafayette St., NYC
Reservations: 212 967-7555
or 212 539-8778

A Special Evening:
Phillip Glass plays the piano with Friends Suzanne Vega and Pierce Turner, book now to avoid disappointment.

April 5th 2009, City Winery
155 Varick Street, New York, New York 10013
(212) 608-0555



SJB

Just got back from the Leonard Cohen concert here in Sydney - too late for a detailed write up, but in one word - FANTASTIC!
Thank you Lennie.

Jeff Beck at the Brisbane Convention Centre's Great Hall.

Support was Jeff Lang who is a pretty amazing guitarist himself. He plays acoustic guitar but at times his playing style makes it sound as effortless as if he was playing an electric. He also sings most of his own compositions.

I'd only seen JB once before at Hammersmith on the Guitar Shop tour when he played as loud as AC/DC. This time it was far more controlled and the volume was perfect for the venue.

He kicked off with a slightly hurried Bolero and then launched into a collection of tracks from all eras of his career. The highlight for me being "Stratus" from the Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" (which I understand is what inspired Blow By Blow - particularly Tommy Bolin's guitar playing). This was one of the few tracks where he appeared to feed off the other musicians in the band and be driven on by them.

Don't get me wrong he's got a fantastic group with him but at times it felt a bit like they were there simply to provide backing for Jeff's soloing rather than jamming with him.

That's my only minor gripe though because it's just a pleasure to watch someone who is obviously such a virtuoso. Other highlights were "Brush with the Blues" and the second to last track "Where Were You" from Guitar Shop in particular was mesmerizing - just JB on his own
playing his "spare cos the other one is broken". This really showcased his command of dynamics and tone to the full - you could almost feel the vibrato and you could certainly hear the amps hissing in the background.

I have to hand it to the crowd at this gig as they were a very appreciative audience who didn't make a sound throughout (apart from generous applause) which is so different to so many gigs these days where some people yak to each other continuously. Actually there was one request for "Space for the Papa" which I was hoping he would play also but he at least acknowledged it by playing the main theme for a couple of bars before launching into something else.

I understand he's changed management recently and is working on a new album. I just hope it can be more of a band effort this time which will push him to even greater limits.

Fantastic stuff Jeff.

Cheers
Scott

Both at the Blue Note NY:

Yesterday night - Holly Cole
Tonight - Robin McKelle

Not quite concerts, but close enough:

Last summer: Sleeping Beauty and The Rake's Progress, both at the ROH.

I obviously need to get out more often...

Richard Thompson's 1000 Years of Popular Music, last night in Brighton. Up there amongst the most enjoyable concerts I've ever been to.

Chris

quote:

Originally posted by Madhatter:
Richard Thompson's 1000 Years of Popular Music, last night in Brighton. Up there amongst the most enjoyable concerts I've ever been to.

Chris

Chris - I was there as well and thought it was a fine show. Very impressed with the guitar playing.

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:

quote:

Originally posted by Madhatter:
Richard Thompson's 1000 Years of Popular Music, last night in Brighton. Up there amongst the most enjoyable concerts I've ever been to.
Chris

Chris - I was there as well and thought it was a fine show. Very impressed with the guitar playing.

Adrien et all,
if you don't have it, try to see Richard Thompson's Austin City Limits dvd, with Danny Thompson on bass. I am no expert on RT, but this set is stellar.

regards,
Jeff A

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Anderson:

Adrien et all,
if you don't have it, try to see Richard Thompson's Austin City Limits dvd, with Danny Thompson on bass. I am no expert on RT, but this set is stellar.

regards,
Jeff A

Thanks Jeff - I will add it to my wishlist as I do not have any RT DVD's.

Cheers