What was your last concert you went to ?

Last night at Finnish National Opera:

Il viaggio a Reims

If you visit in Helsinki and have some spare time this is worthwhile evening entertainment.

(If not strictly speaking a concert but a music piece anyhow.)

African Guitar Summit at the Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver. Exuberant, rhythmic, melodic and talented group of musicians. Great fun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Guitar_Summit

Rammstein at The O2 Arena last night - one of the best gigs I have ever been to, absolute amazing from the way they entered to the arena to the moment they left! Here is a video of the Intro and Sonne (not mine, I was under the bridge by the small stage).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5P1dsxAcj0

Hi Richard,

I posted this review in the 2012 Concerts thread by mistake. Could you remove it please + this comment in bold, thanks.

ATB

Denis

First time Field Music gig last night @ King's College. Really enjoyed the tight playing and solo/harmony singing. I must say they reminded me of the feeling I had at my very first gig in 1969, when I saw Jethro Tull. I had no idea at the time, that 'live' music could enrich and expand the studio perfomance we listened to then and now on the medium of our choice.

They are my new favourite 4 piece 'live' boy band after seeing my favourite 4 piece girl band last year, 'Electrelane'  

It was a relief the aircon came on just as the band started, as the atomosphere was becoming Uncomfortably Humb . I will also order more FM related CD's

Looking forward to the next London on 17th Oct, buy here -> http://www.field-music.co.uk/

I was there too along with Alex S and NickL.  Great event!!

Just back from our local arts theatre The Hawth, saw The Hampsters, up to their normal high standard, but they had in support the musical disaster area/ comic genius ? that is John Otway, hilarious.

The Mark Knopfler concert in Berlin. It was 1996, I think.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at the Orpheum.

Conductor / Performers

Pierre Simard - Conductor        (Engaging and talented)

Benjamin Grosvenor - Piano    (This kid is 18. A prodigy)

Repertoire

Dukas    The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Just try not to think of Mickey Mouse!)

Ravel     Piano Concerto in G Major

Berlioz   Roman Carnaval

Bizet       L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1 & 2

Our friend, Beth, was awesome on the English Horn, as usual.

MM, Chateau St. Michelle is 10 minutes away.  You gotta get out more often, at least for a concert. Knopfler was there in 08.

Saw Ringo there with my son (second time) last summer.

Australian Pink Floyd Show

I saw the show at the Victoria Hall, Hanley on Monday and it was superb.
In some ways the Floyd make a good subject for such a tribute act as the show works on the overall spectacle, lights and musicianship. On all counts they score highly.

APFS, we are going on Tuesday (20th) , really looking forward to it, new lead guitarist and  all.

APFS are certainly receiving some good feedback from forum members. I enjoyed their show in Dublin recently.

Just now, Tord Gustavsen Quartet at the Turner Sims, Southampton. Really enjoyed the gig but couldn't quite decide whether the addition of Tore Brunborg on sax really added anything. Maybe it's just that not having the new album, I was just a lot more familiar with them as a trio. 

The trio material is appealingly spare for me. And yet at some point in the second half there was a extended track which I didn't know with bass and drum solos, where all four seemed to rock out, which I loved. Almost needless to say, I bought the CD on the way out (having borrowed a tenner first, class)

Couldn't help noticing a number of attractive women in the audience who were 'prematurely blonde'.

Chris

Chris, I really enjoyed the show tonight and thought it was an outstanding. No amplification, just the sound of the instruments naked.

I like Tore Brunborg and I think the Quartet has really worked well. I think it even worked well on some of the older trio tracks, where he played along. 

You will enjoy the new album, it really is very good indeed.

Tord really has created a musical space all his own executed meticulously well by all, especially the drummer.

Last night I went to see the Neil Cowley Trio at their "big" gig in London. Enjoyable, a bit of fun, but as far as I am concerned Tord and the team were a league or two above. 

Killing Joke at the Academy Newcastle last week, so loud I asked for some ear defenders from the bar staff, and they were kind enough to oblige, so the money spent on upgrades has not been entirely wasted.  Last saw them in 1980/81, Geordie was still as cool as he was then, Jaz probably still as bonkers, although he clearly has talents I was not aware of.

Legendary East German conductor Klaus Tennstedt described Jaz Coleman as “the new Mahler”. Jaz was composer-in-residence for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and has written for the LSO, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic, as well as working with Nigel Kennedy, Anne Dudley and Sarah Brightman

This year, Triple Grammy winner, Jaz Coleman, will once again take a break from his job as the Prague Symphony Orchestra’s composer in residence. A more fascinatingly diverse musical career than his cannot be found, oscillating as he has between the white heat of Killing Joke and the world’s greatest symphony orchestras. Coleman has also recorded with amongst others, the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, The Auckland Philharmonic, and the New Zealand String Quartet, topping the American crossover charts with three top fives, and two No. 1s, one of which stayed in the top spot for an incredible 103 weeks. In 2001, Coleman was commissioned by the Royal Opera House for his first large scale opera.

Jaz Coleman is currently writing a mass for choir and orchestra, consisting of Killing Joke’s music with the original lyrics, translated into Latin for a full chorus to be recorded over two nights in London, while the band as a whole prepare for a summer of festivals around the world, a new album, and some rather, rather big plans for 2012.

By contrast, coming up on Sunday, Tord Gustavsen at the Sage on Sunday with Diccus.

Regards

Nic

Not only is Jaz Coleman multi-talented as a composer/performer, but he is charismatic to a point where he can move a crowd in any direction, and disturbed enough to make that a frightening prospect.

I have seen Killing Joke twice, the first time on the 'Pandemonium' tour in 1994 (which is my favourite album by them), and at the end of 'Exorcism' he was so into the track that it was quite frightening seeing writhe on stage, and frightening to the point where you were worried that he may take the crowd with him.

A friend also experienced the same fear at a Killing Joke gig a few years beforehand, for the same reason.

As always Geordie is cool, and has the humour to defuse Jaz at his most intense.

I must try some of Jaz's orchestral work sometime, and hope you enjoy Sunday's show Nic.

Jamie

Jamie,

Dead right.  Not sure exactly what it is he does, but my description to the mate I went with was that he was "mesmeric".

Already looking forward to Sunday.

Regards

Nic 

Just back from Brighton Center, Aussie Pink Floyd Show.

Absolutely superb, great sound, excellent light show and bass like a sledge hammer, the center sounded like it was shaking to bits. Surprisingly very little "ear whistles" after wards.

 This is one of the best gig sound setups I have ever heard. They have done some changes to the center whether this has anything to do with it, I'll have to find out the next gig there.

Good news Howard! We're off to see them next Saturday in Ipswich. 

Great Tony, I only hope they are as good for you. There seems to be  constant good reviews (here and elsewhere). 

I think it has an awful lot to do with the PA they now use and the guy who *really* knows what he's doing behind the desk. 

They were outstanding in Liverpool, same thing there with the sound. Liverpool arena is a very similar shape if slightly smaller venue than where I'm off to tonight :-)

Will let you know.

They have changed the setlist round a lot haven't they - my mate nearly fell of his seat at the start  - he was not expecting to go straight into **********  for certain!

White lasers, now they are a bit special.

New album is really growing on me.

Neil Cowley with strings* doesn't have any appeal for me but I think they may be coming up at the Turner Sims. 

Meadow (also Tore Brunborg) at the Turner Sims were incredible I thought, and maybe you got to that one too? The drummer was a gorgeous 'voice'.

Chris

* wait a minute, maybe I'll have a bit of a listen on iTunes first.

A truly amazing night at the NIA Birmingham with the Aussie Floyd. 

Having 'seen' the show at Liverpool I thought I knew what to expect! At liverpool we were on the *extreme* right hand side, tonight right above and immediately behind the mixing / lighting guys.

BigH has already described the sound - by far and away the best ever in the NIA, as for the lighting and tech - just amazing. So many very clever touches, the Australian prism took a while to sink in with a few ;-) but is just one of the many.

Here is a split second glimpse of the mayhem that is 'comfortably numb'. The entire set / lighting changes so quickly some effects only last a split second.

Went to see the Waterboys last night at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, managed to get a front row spot, slightly deaf today though  they played songs from early Waterboys first, then a 20 min break followed by a set from their new album then finished off with a couple of encores of absolute Waterboys classics.

Great venue, great crowd, atmosphere and energy, excellent gig.

Wait for it.......Roxette....and very good they were too....