What was your last concert you went to ?

Thanks Howard, booked the 18th in Clapham.

Szymanowski quartet at St Michael's Church, Malton, North Yorkshire on  Friday 19th July, followed by The Mavericks at Sheffield City Hall mid-week.  Still grinning now.

Andy

Sun Ra Arkestra, at Cafe Oto last Saturday (second night of their residency there).

I'd never seen them before and didn't know what to expect. How I enjoyed it!

First, there is the fact that they swing like no other jazz band I've seen: a bit like a miniature version of he Ellington orchestra in its full majesty. Secondly, despite Sun Ra/Arkestra's avant-garde reputation, this is joyful, celebratory music. It's unusual to hear clapping along, chanting and whooping at a jazz gig, but it was entirely appropriate here. And third, is just how much energy they have - Marshall Allen and the other senior members must be in their late 70s/early 80s now but boy, can these guys still blow.

I think I will be going to see them again.

Bernie Marsden & band.

Radcliffe Centre, Buckingham Fri 14^th September 2013

He was doing 3 nights but owing to other commitments could only get to Friday’s show and having been away when it was announced we didn’t book in advance and when I enquired was told it was a sell out and had been for some time. As the venue is on the way to our local I thought it worth popping in on the off chance. Result – yes it is over-subscribed but if you are OK with standing you can come in. Thank-you folks I would have been very sorry to have missed this.

I hadn’t seen Bernie since Alaska at Knebworth Fayre in 1985 and, prior to that, a couple of times in 1981 with the good Whitesnake (as opposed to the hair metal band they later became). He played a set of his favourites that inspired him interspersed with some Whitesnake hits and I have to say I really enjoyed it. He is a fantastic guitar player and that maybe got a bit buried in Whitesnake to some extent having to compete with not just another great guitar player Micky Moody but Jon Lord on keyboards and of course "His Master’s Voice" as he referred to DC.

Lovely guy to have a chat with as well and being on home ground (I’m told he lives locally) he greeted many of those attending at the door.

The next night was a very different venue and a very different performance by a very different personality. See my take on that here https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...62#30006578901368262

Scott

Vigleik Storås Trio at Dokkhuset, Trondheim, Norway

A well respected Norwegian jazz trio playing so beautiful, making an old man like me speechless.

Storås the composer himself.

Steinar

I went to hear the RPO at Cadogan Hall near Sloane Square last night.   Natasha Paremski was playing Schumman's Piano Concerto with Paul Daniel conducting the orchestra.  There was also Dvorak's 7th symphony and his Carnival Overture, which opened the evening.  The 7th was particularly special for the RPO as the piece was written by him as a result of a commission by the Royal Philharmonic Society.  Nice to have one of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances played as an encore (I can't recall which one it was now).  A great evening in a lovely intimate setting that allows you to get up very close to the orchestra.  The only shame was that there apppeared to be a number of empty seats!

Thomas Dolby's "The Invisible Lighthouse" (plus a Q&A session and a couple of oldies, "She Blinded Me With Science" and "Hyperactive") at the Union Chapel, London, with Denis A of this forum.

A most enjoyable night.

An intriguing night of sound & vision with Thomas Dolby's "The Invisible Lighthouse". Kevin & myself had prime seats @ Union Chapel to witness Thomas telling tales of his childhood memories & his interesting family background. A tour worth catching in the UK / USA - http://www.thomasdolby.com/ 

Official Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jdsBYlZeHs 

Good music complemented by musical chat in the bar made for an entertaining evening.

My previous gig was seeing, The Fellowship for the first time...

The Band...
Zak Barrett - Saxophone...
Pete Riley - Drums
Guthrie Govan - Guitar
Seth Govan - Bass
John Dutton - Keyboards

I was absolutely staggered at how good they were. The interplay of the Five musicians was out of this world. Jazz/Fusion/Swing was all on display, rendering the crowd into a Kinell / Toothpaste smile photo shoot. This was the bands first gig since last December, as Guthrie has been busy touring with Steven Wilson. Seeing Guthrie up close is something to behold and the drummer, Pete Riley had such a wonderful touch and sense of dynamics. A memorable night!

The good news is the band are back at their old haunt, The Bassment in Chelmsford on Thu 5 Dec.
 
Zak sent me the set list from the Brentwood gig...
Jazz crimes - Joshua Redman
Tipatinas - Mike Stern
Mauritzios Party - Antonio Forcioni
Lucky 7 - Dave Weckl
Original Sevens - original
Headin' home - Joshua Redman

Hide and Seek - Joshua Redman
Rumples - Adam Rogers
Migrations - Chris Potter
Herbs And Roots - Joshua Redman
Access Denied - Dave Weckl

Hi Denis & Kevin.

Sounds / reads like you both had a fantastic evening with TD.  Only wish  I could have joined you both  . Take care & hope we can meet up soon, hopefully before the end of the year.

All the best Graham.

Thanks G.

I was supposed to be going to see the "Live Transmission" show at the Festival Hall tonight but had to miss it 

Hoping to catch it elsewhere

Live Transmission: Joy Division reworked

John Hammond solo acoustic in a small church. Steve Earle and the Dukes full electric at an outdoor venue. Fred Eaglesmith in a bar down the street.

Cheers

BBM

Laura Marling Cambridge corn Exchange 27th Sept.

Just Laura on her own with guitar. The sound was great and atmosphere also. You could have heard a pin drop during the songs no incessant irritating chatting. Everybody seemed gripped by the songs and performance. No mean feat to play solo for 1hour 20 mins in a medium size venue and hold everybodys attention completely. 

Marvellous.

Richard Thompson last night. Really great show.

My wife and I spent a very pleasant evening on Friday with my forum friend Peter (911gt3r) and his wife in Hove watching Kelly Joe Phelps.

Jo' Buddy & The Uplifters at the local bar last night. Nice roots music with great taste - I enjoyed a lot. Below is a short clip from the gig the night before (Friday).

Ron Sexsmith at the Kay Meek Centre (our neighbourhood venue). Great. He has an ever-more impressive catalogue of songs. Incredible that his early work is now over 20 years old. It doesn't seem that long.

Good band. Talented, tight and well balanced. Good sound. Nice small venue. Great seats. Virtually no phones being used to film and photograh (I noticed just one phone all evening - a pox on the house of that idiot). What's not to like? (Support act was so-so)

Thursday 3rd October, Bethnal Green, York Centre. Excellent show, small ish venue ex-swimming pool apparently. standing but a few rows of seats upstairs. Great sound, she sang well and has a unique style.

Downside the amount of talking, laughing etc, why do people do this? Maybe this is a London thing? Too much cash to spend, wouldn't they be better to meet down the pub or go for a meal? Mind you less "bragging rights" for that eh?

Upside good show and meeting up with some forum chums for a chit chat (in the pub though) !

Well Calzaghe, Benn, Eubank, Lewis and countless others have shed blood, sweat and tears @ York Hall, Bethnal Green. It was certainly an Indian Summer last night, with Laura Marling in Knockout form as she performed songs from all her studio albums. A truely great voice and a wonderful guitar technique, kept everyone quiet and respectful (at leat where Adrian & myself were standing). This is what 'live' music is all about. When you see an artist perform solo and deliver a different 'vibe' from the studio recording, it makes you appreciate them and the record even more. I'm look forward to Laura's next release and tour already.

I'm really surprised you could not hear two girls in particular as we weren't that far away.

Most enjoyable that apart.

Must have been the sweat pouring into my ears

It would have been 'Lampshade Time' if they were standing near me!

I certainly heard them, and I told them in no uncertain terms to be quiet... " I know what I want... I know what I want..."  "You want to shut up" did the trick.

Beats me why people get tanked up and not bother about ruining the gig for others. Laura Marling was just superb. Good to see some familiar faces, too )

Had the pleasure of going to see Alison Moyet last night in Dublin Olympia.

She gave a Stunning performance and is better now than she has ever been.

Booked in to see Jools Holland on Saturday at Dublin Conference centre, with Ruby Turner, who is sublime. Can't wait

That takes me back Howard. When I was on the British Boxing Board's panel of doctors I regularly  officiated at York Hall. Many happy memories. I would imagine it's a good venue for a concert.

Steve

Last night I went to the Transcender festival at the Barbican.

On offer were two different interpretations of Terry Riley's masterful In C.

First half we got Matthew Herbert, Yann Seznec and Hugh Jones on electronics with the Stargaze ensemble supplying viola, viola da Gamba, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, bass clarinet, piano, flugel, percussion and french horn.

Second half we had Pantha Du Prince (AKA Hendrik Weber) on electronics and a five-piece percussion ensemble.

In both cases spectacular visuals were supplied by the famous Joshua Light Show.

The interpretations were very, very different. Riley's original recording was never really meant to be definitive, and at its heart the piece is just a series of pulses and phrases which can be repeated any number of times according to the individual musician's whim - that's what makes In C so fascinating.

I preferred the Herbert/Stargaze version, which for me was more sensuous than the Pantha, which was more percussive, metallic even, and slightly spoilt by the use of too-obvious techno beats.

Great concert though, with superb sound.