What was your last concert you went to ?
Posted by: sjust on 18 October 2004
Just returning from one of the Enjoy Jazz Festival concerts currently happening in my area. The old man and the younger lady burnt the house down ! Let's put the cover of forgiving and forgetting over the sound of the P.A. but fortunately you were able to hear both the piano and the saxes through the amplifiers, and that was a pleasure to do ! Shepp (whom I saw before, when he was much younger) still has so much energy that flows directly into his horn (and voice !!!), that it's breath taking. May he still live long and produce music, music, music !
Best regards, freundliche Grüße
Stefan
Hi Howard,
I will not see Any Artist @ the O2 or Wembley Stadium type venues. They are anti music as far as I'm concerned. They are just corporate event centres designed to fleece the masses.
They can shove it!!!
The only venue I would consider visiting with a larger capacity than the RAH is the first direct arena in Leeds - http://www.firstdirectarena.co...ation/seating-plans/
As I said, our brains are wired to music we like, so discussions about Steven Wilson or anyone else that doesn't appeal is pointless. My musical horizons have expanded enormously in the last year, as reflected in my posts. I like moving forward with new discoveries and embrace the idea of being challenged. Therefore, points of view may vary 
I'm also going to Koko, but next Tuesday to see To Kill A King, who have been very entertaining at their previous gigs, especially @ the Scala, Kings Cross.
TTFN - Denis
It's a fair point that concerts at arenas like Wembley or the O2 are rarely intimate affairs. Wembley in particular can be dreadful. I still have bad memories of Live Earth 6 years ago. We were sat miles away from the stage, couldn't hear or see a great deal and then had the joy of being kettled for an hour or two while waiting to get home (I'd forgotten the long queues from my previous visit some years earlier to see the Stones there) . Not fun.
The O2 is a much better experience but it does depend on where you are. The best concert I've been to at the O2 was a show given by Keane (seriously) who had thoughfully extended the stage via a jetty right into the centre of the arena. Half way through the concert we suddenly found ourselves within touching distance of the band while they played a few tunes in the centre - we even made the video! Great fun.
Barring classical venues such as Cadogan Hall and the Royal Opera House (gorgous building, sublime acoustics and seats start for less than half the price of a cinema ticket!), my favourite venue is probably the Shepherds Bush Empire - not too big but big enough to attract some great acts. Seeing Jill Scott play there, in particular, about 5 or 6 years back was an unforgettable experience.
The good news is that my next event in the calender is a return to the ROH next month. Can't wait.
Boomtown Rats at the Roundhouse, saturday night, really didn't know what to expect but really enjoyed it. Bob Geldof was on good form, and the band really looked as if they were enjoying themselves. One funny thing that happened was when Bob was shaking his tamborine the bass guitarist came forward at just the wrong moment and Bob whacked him on the head, I still laugh at that. Overall a very enjoyable night.
Superb new rock band called 'Heaven's Basement'. I saw them play in St.Albans a few months back - great live and the CD 'Filthy Empire' is superb. Nirvana meets Foofighters.
the last concert I went to ,started at 5.30 in the morning!
It was the faboulos Japanese pianist Atsuko Kohashi playing together with the Dutch master bassist Frans van der Hoeven at a so called Sunrise Concert.
Very special experience,beutifull music and I guess that being used to going to concerts in the evening,after a day full of impressions, the contrast was so great when the first thing I experienced that day was going straight to a concert.
It felt as if I was able to concentrate and listen on a much deeper level.
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Hammersmith - Monday 28th Oct
Excellent renditions of Mercy Seat and Stagger Lee amongst others.
Unlike some I loved the explosive loud bits!
Richard
Boomtown Rats at the Roundhouse, saturday night, really didn't know what to expect but really enjoyed it. Bob Geldof was on good form, and the band really looked as if they were enjoying themselves. One funny thing that happened was when Bob was shaking his tamborine the bass guitarist came forward at just the wrong moment and Bob whacked him on the head, I still laugh at that. Overall a very enjoyable night.
saw them In Vicar Street a few weeks back.
It could have been terrible but it really was quite good. predominantly played music for the rats first 3 albums (only Banana Republic not from these). The soundtrack of my youth to some degree but couldn't get over how powerful these songs could still sound. Biggest surprise was "She's so Modern" - I was waving my crutch madly!
TOTP repeat on BBC4 had the wonderful moment last week when the lads tore up pictures of John Travolta and ONJ. )relay enjoying those BBC 4 TOTP repeats).
SJB
Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters at the Albert Hall yesterday.
I was looking forward to this - Percy always offers surprises and I haven't seen him live since July last year.
The gig was part of BluesFest so it was a late (10.30) start. We took our excellent stalls seats (dead centre, right behind the mixing desk) to a soundtrack of New Orleans funk and North African music as excitement within the packed RAH built.
The band took the stage as Skin Tyson plucked out an acoustic guitar overture, then Planty, looking as good as ever, strolled onstage and launched into a coruscating "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" and we were off. For the next hour and 40 minutes we were treated to a selection of top tunes, including more LZ material than I've seen at a Percy gig since the days of Plant & Page.
Highlights for me included the aforementioned "Babe", "Black Dog" re-imagined as a North African drone, "Spoonful" done largely on synths and an extraordinary "Fixin' To die" which combined CCR-style choogle with Link Wray and Johnny Guitar Watson-style space guitar.
Great interplay between the universally excellent musicians (with Juldeh Camera on riiti, oud and vocals particularly outstanding) and Percy in relaxed and charismatic form. Sound was generally good, although the bass was a bit muddy and the vocals a bit toppy.
Set list:
John Mayer at Wembley Arena on Sunday 26th October.
Have been a huge huge fan for a few years, though his last few albums have left me a bit cold. However, he managed to make a gig for 12000+ people seem intimate! and his voice and guitar playing we're exceptional. Great to see he's recovered from the throat problems he's has recently, and is actually better vocally now than before the problems.
One of the only people I've seen who sounds better live than on album. Superb stuff, and looking forward to seeing him again.
Matt
Went to see The Brit Floyd last night, Excellent , If you have not seen them before & you like the Floyd and they are playing anywhere near you it's a must see.You will not be dissappointed I very much doubt that Floyd could better last nights performance, the way the show was put together & flowed was brilliant, the sound & the lights!
Goldfrapp, Hammersmith Apollo last night.
This was my 20th time of seeing The 'Frapp and I reckon this gig easily fell within the top five, if not the top three. We had good stalls seats, almost dead centre, 17 rows back.
The band (drums, bass, synth, violn, cello, guitar) ambled onstage and were quickly joined by Alison, to huge applause. First number was "Jo", my favourite from the new album. The first six songs, all from "Tales of Us", were played pretty straight, with minimalist lighting. The audience was respectfully quiet throughout.
Then we got a rarity, "Yellow Halo", which was superbly done and then the lasers and lights were cranked up, resulting in easily the best light show I've ever seen at a Goldfrapp show. From then everyone stood up and we got a string of greatest hits (although everyone sat down again for "Thea") accompanied by idiot dancing.
Highlights for me were the aforementioned "Jo" and "Yellow Halo", plus an exquisitely arranged "Lovely Head", a Floydian "Little Bird" complete with psych freakout and laser bombardment and a delicate "Clowns".
It was a nice contrast with the last show I saw, at Somerset House in July, which was very much a greatest hits set with a few numbers from the still-to-be-released "ToU" thrown in.
Last night Alison wore a very simple black dress and concentrated on her singing rather than show(wo)manship. She was in mighty fine voice. Sound was pretty darn good.
Setlist:
Encore:
Glad you had a good night with the Frapp... Who's next?
Take care G
Bill Bailey at The Barbican, York, Wednesday 30th October.
Absolutely hilarious. Also very clever and a brilliant musician.
steve
Glad you had a good night with the Frapp... Who's next?
Take care G
Dylan, and a lot of jazz G.
Nick Cave & Bad Seeds Koko Club Camden Sun 3rd November.
Great show covering most of the latest album plus old favourites such as Mercy Seat, Red Right Hand, from Here to Eternity, Stagger Lee & a wonderful Into my Arms.
We also got Where The wild roses Grow duetting with Kylie!!
Ace.
Youn Sun Nah & Ulf Wakenius, Cologne. excellent venue, excellent sound, great gig.
Another trip to see Peter Hook and The Light, Sugarmill, Stoke. A fabulous 2 and a half hours in the presence of Hooky and his tribute band. They supported themselves (as 'The Slaves of Venus') playing Warsaw and Joy Division numbers. Back for the main set consisting of the first 2 New Order albums; Movement and Power, Corruption & Lies. The encore included Temptation and Blue Monday whereupon an already lively crowd really got going.
If you have liked anything New Order ever did; give this night out a try. Cheap ticketing policy too - around 25 quid. Roll on the next one; he has stated he wishes to play live everything he ever set down on record so Lowlife and Brotherhood should be along soon.
Just back from seeing The National in Belfast, arrived on stage later than than stated start time, but they certainly made up for it with a fantastic performance! Matt Berninger what a showman spent most of the encore in with the fans ,did a fair bit of crowd surfing as well. only downside for me was they did not play "American Mary". Anyone going to the O2 in Dublin tomorrow is in for a treat!
Roger McGuinn. Good show.
Must have been one of loudest gigs I have been to!
Set List From the Odessey Belfast
I know he isn't really everyone's cup of tea on here but went to see Billy Joel at the Birmingham NEC last Friday, we were 7 rows from the back and apart from everyone sitting down all night it was a great gig, it was worth the admission price alone just to hear 'Scenes from an Italian Restaurant' live again.
From one extreme to the other, Queens Of The Stone Age next at Wembley next Saturday, really can't wait for this as I absolutely love their latest album.
On Saturday I went to the Ja Ja Ja Nordic Festival at the Roundhouse in London.
Scandinavia is one of my very favourite parts of the world so the idea of a full day of Nordic music, food, film, art and culture was mouthwatering. Unfortunately I was infested with the lurgy that day and to make matters worse, the headliners, The Raveonettes, had to pull out due to their guitar player being admitted to hospital with appendicitis.
There were some decent bands on - I enjoyed the Shout Out Louds and Black Lizard especially but I felt absolutely bloody awful due to man flu.
But would go again if they hold another festival.