What was your last concert you went to ?

Rush O2

The BAD

Thanks to the NHS for rescheduling a meeting in Leeds at 10:00 the day after this concert. Karen could easily have made the original scheduled date from MK (we live in Buckingham) but now we needed to look at booking a hotel room near Kings Cross so she could go direct from there early morning.

Thanks to the original hotel we booked (requesting that they confirm to us the room had an ensuite) who called us mid-morning of the booking to say the ensuite was unavailable (even though the automatic booking had said it was) but we could have another non-ensuite room with a discount. More wasted time booking another hotel and cancelling the first when the confirmation for the second came through.

Thanks to the car parking pirates at MK station where I parked and used the phone to pay for 1 days parking from 16:30 expecting to be back again before 08:00 the following morning. Their system texted me back telling me that I could park only until 04:30. The helpful information guy at MK station gave me a number to call – it happens freuqntly enough that he knew exactly what the problem was. The problem is that in Trainparkingland a day is defined as being 12 hours. Result I had to pay for another days parking to get 4 hours extra.

Thanks to Virgin trains for being 14 minutes late on the occasion of my first train journey for two years.

Thanks to London Underground for the delay on the Jubilee line which ensured we didn’t arrive at the O2 until 19:30 – the start of the concert.

The GOOD

Thanks to Rush for not starting at 19:30.

Thanks again to Rush for a fantastic show. The last time I saw them was in a cow shed outside Edinburgh called the Royal Highland Showground as an 18 year old in 1981. Sorry that Lontano didn’t “get” it (I know from his posts he attends loads of gigs so it's sad this one didn't work for him).  It could be that Rush possibly more than most are a band that you had to grow up with as this review alludes to

http://www.theartsdesk.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3771:rush-o2-arena&Itemid=27

I enjoyed this show way more than that first one 30 years ago. At one point just after they had played Moving Pictures, Geddy questioned where all those years had gone. I could only agree.

The UGLY

Thanks to the new hotel for providing breakfast just too late for me to be able to access it.

Thanks to Virgin trains (again) for allowing the ticket selling web sites to get away with incorrectly selling us a ticket for a peak train at a non-peak price which meant I had an off peak ticket (which you don't notice until it's too late) and tried to get on a peak train. Sorry I just don’t have a PHD in trains.

I was told I couldn’t use my ticket until 09:20. Great news that meant I wouldn’t get back to MK until 09:50 and then i had to get back to Buckingham to take my mother and friend (who had been staying for a few days) to the station back in MK for a 09:41 train to Dundee. Hmmm. Not going to work. Buy another ticket from a human. Got on a train later than I would have liked but which just gave me enough time to do the above.

Summary

Great show but next time I have to go to Outer Mongolia where I understand the O2 is located judging by the time and money it takes to get there I think I’ll pass.

Rush at the O2 - listened to them for years but never got around to seeing them live - loved it, absolutely awesome!

Gomez at The Junction Cambridge this evening (15.06.2011).  I cannot tell you how much SWMBO and I enjoyed this gig.  Band in good form, great mix of the familiar and the new.

(And - my first go with the camera on my new smartphone.)

Peter Gabriel and his New Blood Orchestra -- last night in Dallas area

IQ, 30th anniversary concert at The Assembly, Leamington Spa.

I know a lot of people there really enjoyed it, but for me the gig was mostly nostalgia, which is not the best attitude to go and see a band. 30 years ago I would have loved the show, but now my tastes have diversified far beyond just prog, and compared to many of the bands I have seen over the years, this just didn't work for me.

There were some good bits, but 2 1/2 hours of IQ was too much for me. Sad as a good friend of mine's brother has joined the band in the last year.

I think to play quite a complex style of music, if a band do not graduate to full time professional musician, then weekend rehearsals alongside to full time job, are probably not enough to lift the the standard of playing up that of some of the bands I have seen recently.

None of this was helped by the fact this was out first try at staying overnight in a hotel with my 5 1/2 month old daughter. I knew from Sarah, by text, that she would not settle, and when I got back to the hotel we packed up and drove home. The room was far too hot to allow a baby to sleep in, words with the hotel later I think. Sarah is currently writing a review on tripadvisor.co.uk , a dreadful experience.

On the good side we met up with a couple of old friends and had a meal and a couple of drinks together in the afternoon.

Roger Waters  Birmingham NIA Monday 27 June.

Probably my least favoured PF album and I was in two minds about going at £70 per ticket but..........

it was such a spectacular show I will be trying to attend another on the current tour. It would have been worth the cost of admission just to have seen Comfy Numb and Run Like Hell.

Have not seen RW look so happy and relaxed on stage for a long time and after the surprise (or was it)

appearance of Gilmour and Mason in London, I would not bet against a full blown reunion show or three within say the next couple of years. His "confession" of being a f***ed up person 30 years ago was maybe another hint at reconciliation?

As he is in Manchester tonight, would the tour be using two stage rigs or would the crew literally dismantle the gear from the NIA and move it the 90 miles or so up the motorway? Anyone have any idea at how long it would take to set up from an empty arena to show-ready state?

It takes me all day to break down and put back together my Naim kit.

I hope some Birmingham items are on Youtube.

Have a good day

Ron

Paul Simon last night at Hammersmith. A day late because he was advised to rest a bad throat. Took a few songs to warm up his voice but a fantastic gig with a fantastic band. Warm, effusive, rocking ( not what I would necessarily expect, but really hit the groove rocking!) wonderful. A full on two hours with hits through the catelogue along with 6 from his new album. A magical 'Only living boy in New York' and a great 'Slip sliding away'.

We just have to wait another 5 years before he returns!

james

http://www.britfloyd.com/

I was not expecting much ,but this was a blinding nights entertainment which received a standing ovation at the end of the evening from the Belfast audience.  Highlights included One of these Days, a full rendition of Echoes, High Hopes, Comfortably Numb which was outstanding & Run like Hell. Plus excellent lighting show & stage set. And a DVD of a previous performance thrown in to complete the evening. highly recommended.

John Grant at The 100 Club - Absolutely amazing. Brilliant entertainer & a great evening!!

Judas Priest , Queensryche and Rival Sons at MetroArena Newcastle on 20th July Great night was had by all ears still ringing now. Marvellous

Judas Priest , Queensryche and Rival Sons at Doncaster Dome 17th July.

Still of the best metal acts in the world. Pity KK has quit though.

Next up Maiden at Sheffield on Sunday!

steve

Judas Priest at Doncaster, last saw them in '81. After British Steel the albums were not so good. Great last weekend though, they played a lot of the old stuff as well. Green Manalishi, Starbreaker and Diamonds and Rust were amazing.

Dream Theater in Leeds. The new drummer Mike Manginni  is an excellent Mike Portnoy replacement. The response he received from the crowd at the end of his drum solo took him by surprise. A fantastic night

LAMB on Sat 16 July 2011 @ the wonderful Somerset House. They played most the new album '5' and plenty of older material, including 'Gabriel' & 'Gorecki'. The venue really delivered synth bass as loud as I've ever heard, but it was good clean 'Sub'! Lou looked wonderful and her voice was in good shape, in spite of some intense european touring. The only thing that bothered me was the lack of a real band on stage. Jon Thorne was excellent on Bass and a quartet of Strings on some songs, but the rest of the songs was via Andy's mixing desk. An enjoyable evening though.

Next up was a hunch that might pay dividends.

It sure did  Electrelane on Thu 21 July @ the Scala, KingX.

The venue was sold out, hot and had their very loyal fans going wild during and at the end of each song. The girls really controlled the tempo changes in their songs as good any band I've seen. Excellent musicians creating an electric atomosphere is what going to gigs is all about. In fact, I'm going to see them again @ XOYO, London EC2A 4AW on Tue 16 Aug.

Here's a brief Bio -> http://www.youtube.com/artist/...ature=watch_metadata#

The setlist, with song samples is here ->

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/...ngland-63d0b65b.html 

An excellent show from Portugal - Electrelane - Live @ Paredes de Coura 2007.08.15 is here -> http://www.youtube.com/view_pl...t?p=7EEB5DB785987DD5 

Iron Maiden at Sheffield Arena, supported by Airbourne, 24th July.

Absolutely superb as I expected. Good, honest metal, performed with enthusiasm and joy.

steve

Black Dub at the London Jazz Cafe.

Lucinda Williams w/ Amos Lee as the opening act.  Two weeks ago at the music camp near us.  Powerful.

The nearest I've been to gigs are parties at club events with live PAs by producers.

HomMega at Matter Aug 2009.

Xerox & Illumination, who are among my favourite producers were playing as wel as Astrix. To make it all bette rit was my 40th birthday weekend. Disappointed I wasn't working at the event, as I would have been for Hommega's (and BNE's) previous UK and IBZ promoters though, as at my age I look like a bit of a sore thumb.

I retired whenceforth from gigging and clubbing for the sake of my future listening pleasure (or at least until I get pair of ER-25 plugs).  

I'd hit a few chamber and classical concerts if there were anty locally

Dream Theater at Wolverhampton a couple of weeks ago. 

Last gig before that was Dream Theater at Leeds O2 the night before.....

I can't fathom how you get to age 40 without attending at least one concert......

Where is 'local' in this context?

Who said I hadn't been to a concert

Oh I see,

I meant to say "The nearest to 'concerts' in the last few years".

I'll maybe be going to forthcopming The Mission, Salvation and March Violets re-union gigs, re-live the old era when I did a few hundred gigs a year in various roles sound tech, lighting tech, laser tech, synth tech, drum tech, security, stage hand, medic, hanger-on and punter.  

Maybe also Symphony at the Park, as much to catch up with an old mate runs the live mastering to end of concert CD sales as to lig and enjoy the music.

For me there's nothing much new under the sun going to see a band live, I much prefer a recording of a rehearsed polished studio performance with a nice cup of tea and a sit down than poor acoustics, bad sound, sticky carpets, over-priced drinks, nowhere to sit, days of Tinnitus.....

Classical concerts are another matter, round my manor it's the same old same old and I'm on a low income just now so haven't the disposable income to .

Last night at the Auckland Town Hall: Vasily Petrenko conducted the NZSO in Shostakovich No 7 (Leningrad). It was an outstanding performance with energy and precision, very easy to see why this is a hot conductor. The NZSO were on top form too. Before the interval Michael Houstoun played a romantic Rachmaninov No.4.

The house was nearly full, which was encouraging as there was also a rugby game on (NZ 30, Australia 14 if you must know).

I recently read the novel The Conductor by Sarah Quigley, an account of the symphony's composition and very atmospheric on the siege of Leningrad. It comes with the Naxos CD inside (Russian PO, Yablonsky). I've been listening in preference to the Mariss Jansons St Petersburg PO recording out of the EMI boxed set.

I saw the same performance in Christchurch tonight. Wonderful.

Cheers

Flettster

John Hiatt last nightl. Great show!