What was your last concert you went to ?

Telegraph - 4 stars

You could have heard a pin drop in the O2. The hushed, reverent atmosphere for Peter Gabriel’s orchestral show was more reminiscent of an intimate theatre than the 20,000-seater arena. Taking its cue from his recent Scratch My Back album of cover versions, Gabriel’s new show is a model of self-effacement and understatement, in which the lyric and melody are the focus rather than (as in so many rock shows) the occasion itself.
As if to emphasise this point, both singer and orchestra started hidden behind glowing red screens, opening with a lush, slow, intense version of Bowie’s Heroes, the lighting slowly shifting to reveal their presence. The song built from sombre delicacy to a massive climax, with Gabriel’s voice rising from a whisper to a strained blast of emotional power. This intimate-to-raging dynamic formed the twin poles of the first half of the set, which stuck to the cover versions of the album, lyrically complex songs from the left-field of rock stripped almost to their bones, with no rhythmic drive or sonic effects to distract from the emotional truth. This extended to every part of the staging. Gabriel has always had a fondness for hi-tech theatrical effects and his digital displays dazzled without diverting attention.

It was a brave, demanding performance that required listeners to pay intensely focused attention, but the rewards were there in powerful interpretation of Arcade Fire’s My Body Is A Cage and a black, disturbing take on Regina Spektor’s Après Moi. The second half of the show, though, was the real pay-off for Gabriel’s fans, in which he offered up orchestral interpretations of his back catalogue. Gabriel himself has always been as offbeat and complex as any of the artists he covered in the first half, but rhythm has also been crucial to his oeuvre and now he and arranger John Metcalfe allowed the New Blood Orchestra to find their groove. Gabriel himself suddenly seemed looser and more relaxed, letting his voice really flow through an immense take on Signal To Noise and starting to physically dig into San Jacinto and Digging In The Dirt.
By the time he reached a celebratory Solsbury Hill, all preciousness was forgotten, Gabriel strutted the stage like a star and the audience were on their feet, singing and clapping along, finally behaving like a crowd at a rock gig rather than aesthetes in an art gallery.

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
After last nights gig i thought i would give Ane Brun a look.
anebrun.com

Albums on spotify.

Was also at the Peter Gabriel gig last night and can only agree wholeheartedly with all the comments made about the show. Have just listened to Scratch My Back this evening with a completely different appreciation & understanding of what it is about.

EMOTIVE, IMPRESSIVE, SUPERB...

Have admired PG for many years, seen him live a number of times and this is one concert that will be remembered for a very long time.

Editors last night at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Despite the fact that I was shattered after a very hectic weekend it was all soon forgotten as they had everyone on their feet from start to finish. It was a really energetic performance and Tom Smith as a frontman is excellent. The sound as usual at The "Phil" was excellent with the mix spot on and no one instrument being overbearing, which sometimes happens (or so I seem to have thought more often these days). It was as loud as I have heard at this venue (front row seats may have added to this?) but not a problem as it just seemed so right for the show. Lighting/backdrop were pretty good as well. (Reminder - I really do need to get that decent camera I have been promising myself!). Would I go and see them again - hell yeah!!

Setlist:

In This light And On This Evening
Lights
An End Has A Start
You Don't Know Love
Bones
A Life As A Ghost
Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
Blood
Escape The Nest
Last Day
Bullets
The Big Exit
The Racing Rats
Munich
Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors

Encores:

No Sound But The Wind
Bricks And Mortar
Papillon
Fingers In The Factories

quote:

Originally posted by RichardM:

That's funny, I was just about to say that. Sheffield, City Hall, last night (Sunday).

We though that, to be brutal, Rogers was a bit off. Seen him before and his voice just didn't seem to have the power. Plus, he and the (excellent, if flashy) bass player were the only ones who really seemed the part. The guitarists and drummer gave me the impression of being in a covers band and just playing on their time away from the day job.

The Joe Perry Project (support act) should have been renamed the Joe Perry Vanity Project.

steve

quote:

Originally posted by Paper Plane:

quote:

Originally posted by RichardM:

That's funny, I was just about to say that. Sheffield, City Hall, last night (Sunday).

We though that, to be brutal, Rogers was a bit off. Seen him before and his voice just didn't seem to have the power. Plus, he and the (excellent, if flashy) bass player were the only ones who really seemed the part. The guitarists and drummer gave me the impression of being in a covers band and just playing on their time away from the day job.

The Joe Perry Project (support act) should have been renamed the Joe Perry Vanity Project.

steve

Steve,

That's a pity. I think that you must have caught them on an off night. I saw them at Manchester, having taken the plunge and paid twice face value on e-bay for front block tickets, I was prepared to be a little disappointed.

I took my 18 year old daughter, and we were impressed from the off when they launched into Can't Get Enough. It was the first time I have seen Paul Rodgers, having been a fan since the early 70s, and I thought he was a brilliant showman and his voice sounded in good form too.

The show was a little short, but we left wanting more.

I do agree about the support band though.

Regards

Richard

Bad Co Brighton Center 10/04/10. Super show Sally and I really enjoyed it, at tad short at 90 mins, all the songs you would expect, a little tear again during Shooting Star(lots of pictures of lost guys and girls on the screen) simple light show and back "projection", sound was pretty good too, even had a guest appearance by Joe Perry, which only made it about 12 songs we didn't want to see him in. I thought he was average in Aerosmith and was average here, he doesn't have a style of his own, makes up for it in BS.
Bad Co we saw as one of our earliest gigs together '79 ish Wembley ,I seem to remember we enjoyed that one too.
Seems we had a good night compared to Steve.
I'm not sure what they found to fill the 3DVD box set of the Manchester show.

quote:

One hell of alot of hair dye on those heads

I think it's the same as mine natural light blond! Paul might have used a bit though.

Thanks Stu Sally said Thursday it was the first time she really felt like going out, so we had an excursion to the local Indian for our youngest's B/D yesterday, and todays short excursion to Brighton.

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:

quote:

One hell of alot of hair dye on those heads

I think it's the same as mine natural light blond! Paul might have used a bit though.

Thanks Stu Sally said Thursday it was the first time she really felt like going out, so we had an excursion to the local Indian for our youngest's B/D yesterday, and todays short excursion to Brighton.

Great to see Sally back in action, I've never seen Bad Co live.

Elliot Sharp and Carbon in the Grand Theatre in Groningen (Netherlands), exiting free jazz, rock, experimental, atonal, wellwhatever type of music.

quote:

Originally posted by Sofa:



Elliot Sharp and Carbon in the Grand Theatre in Groningen (Netherlands), exiting free jazz, rock, experimental, atonal, wellwhatever type of music.

Great pics.

Nice pics Sofa - not an artist I have heard of...

quote:

Nice pics Sofa - not an artist I have heard of...

Thanks. Here's some information about Sharp.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg...&sql=11:aifpxqr5ld0e

Last Thursday was Crowded House at the Auckland Town Hall (I was also privy to a playback of the new album at Roundhead Studios a few weeks back).
This was followed by Carole King & James Taylor at Vector Arena. The band consisted of Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Dan Kortchmar!!!

I believe both acts are heading to Europe soon

Astra at The Scala Kings Cross. Progtastic!!!

The Dropkick Murphys on Tuesday. Not bad live, but unlikely to buy their records I suspect.

Regards

Nic

Pietari Inkinen conducted the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at Auckland Town Hall on Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday Hilary Hahn played a truly inspirational Sibelius Violin Concerto, and the orchestra delivered Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony - soulful on the outside and vigorous in the middle (as it should be). Last night we got two contrasting works, with each other and with Friday - Metamorphosen by Strauss and Bruckner No 7. A big bouquet to Hilary Hahn, and Inkinen is definitely "one to watch".

Not really a concert, but a Record Store Day release promo at Musuc Millennium east side store in Portland, last night.

Black Prairie



Jenny Conlee - accordion
Chris Funk - dobro
Jon Neufeld - acoustic guitar
Nate Query - upright bass
Annalisa Tornfelt - violin, vocals

co-mingling instrumental bluegrass, gypsy french-cafe music and infrequent songs with vocals, Black Prairie is a "side-project" of three members of the Decemberists (Jenny, Nate, and Chris) joining with two other locals (Jon of Portland-band Jackstraw and Annalisa). A very enjoyable 8 song set on a beautiful spring day in the Pacific NW.

Jeff A

Shawn Colvin last night here in lovely Albany. Very good.

Sunday 18th Jazz cafe Camden. Antonio Forcione and Adriano Adewale.
A most enjoyable gig , AF is a master guitarist and AA the same on percussion, good if small crowd not too bad a venue.

Melody Gardot, 19th April Birmingham Symphony Hall. Absolutely superb from start to finish. Great band also but she really did take centre stage. Very talented and quite sexy!

ATB
KK

Robyn Hitchcock Academy Islington on 20th.

Fantastic The man on top form with band. It sounds great when you're dead.

Robyn H played Aberdeen the other week -I can't believe I didn't know he was coming up - I'd love to have seen him.

quote:

Originally posted by Andy1912:
Robyn H played Aberdeen the other week -I can't believe I didn't know he was coming up - I'd love to have seen him.

Real shame you missed him Andy. I've seen him a few times recently with other guests performing mostly acoustic style. First time I've seen him electric since the Venus 3 tour a couple of years back. Great selection of back catalogue including a couple of Soft Boys tracks. Incidentally on The Venus 3 tour they played an astonishing version of See Emily Play that raised the hairs on the back of my neck!! Awesome.