Your 2013 Concerts.

It was close.

Eric Clapton - March 23rd, New Orleans Arena  - New Orleans, LA

Gonna see the Stranglers at Fairfield Halls in March, we would have seen them at the roundhouse in Camden but it sold out really quickly, Fairfield is all seated, don't know how that is going to work.

Last night I saw Richard Thompson in Studio 8 of BBC Television Centre - one of the very last programmes to be recorded there. It's very sad, really, the old place used to be really buzzing but now it's a bit of a ghost town as everything relocates to Broadcasting House or Salford. Even the old BBC Club on the fourth floor was dead, with just one surly barman and a few grizzled old hacks.

On to RT - I like him more now than I thought I did - although his voice does nothing for me, he is a superb guitar player and obviously a very gifted songwriter. The emphasis of his 80-minute set was the new album "Electric", which on the strength of last night, I shall be buying - my first RT album. He was supported by an excellent drummer, Michael Jerome and bassist Taras Prodaniuk, his lovely daughter Kami and another guy (whose name I didn't catch) on sax and acoustic guitar. Most of the time he played electric guitar but there was also some acoustic strumming.

He also played three instrumental Fairport numbers with Swarbs, but that folk stuff doesn't really float my boat.

Apparently an hour's worth of the set will be broadcast on BBC4 on 22nd of March, as part of a "Goodbye to Television Centre" night.

Also: Ruby Turner at Pocklington, Mick Hucknell at York (not my choice mind you but should be interesting!) and just added Steve Winwood at Shepherds Bush.

Richard

Just booked...

Thomas Dolby @ Kings Place - Thu 9 May (Solo Performance)

http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/wh...invisible-lighthouse 

Marrinsky Theatre/Valery Gergiev

• Stravinsky The Firebird
• Stravinsky Petrushka
• Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Hammersmith.

On sale @ 10.00 this morning for those interested.

http://www.kililive.com/artists/ane-brun/ 

Steve Hackett, Hammersmith Apollo, 10th May

The Bad Plus, RNCM Theatre Manchester, 13th May

Muse, Etihad Stadium Manchester, 1st June

Bruce Springsteen, Wembley Stadium, 15th June

Blondie, O2 Academy Liverpool, 18th June

Bruce Springsteen, Ricoh Arena Coventry, 20th June

PIL, The Ritz Manchester, 28th June

Steve Hackett, RAH London, 24th October

Alison Moyet, Philharmonic Hall Liverpool, 25th October

Steve Hackett, Philharmonic Hall Liverpool, 29th October

Bellowhead, Parr Hall Warrington, 8th November

The Waterboys, Philharmonic Hall Liverpool, 8th December

Deacon Blue, Echo Arena Liverpool, 14th December

So far for 2013:-

Aimee Mann. RFH 28th Jan,

Calexico  Brighton Corn Exchange 19th Feb

Richard Thompson, Brighton Dome. 22nd Feb 

Richard Thompson, Barbican. 26th Feb

Steve Hackett, Hammersmith Apollo. 10th May

Mike Oldfield, Union Chapel 25th May

Neil Young, O2. 17th June

Blackmores Night at Guildford 5th July

Roger Waters, Wembley stadium.14th Sept

Peter Gabriel, O2. 21st Oct

UPDATE

Hello Kuma,

We went to see Gergiev with the LSO at Frankfurt Alte Oper and I was really looking forward to the Firebird performance. However, it was not up to the performance that I heard on ZDF Theater channel where it was performed at the Kurhaus in Wiesbaden at the Rheingau Festival. The Beethoven violin concerto preceeding this with Vadim Repin was also amazing.

Regards,

Mark

Updated Gigs...

Thomas Dolby @ Kings Place, Thu 9 May

Steve Hackett @ Hammersmith Apollo, Fri 10 May

Alt-J @ Cambridge Corn Exchange, Tue 14 May

Thumpermonkey @ Westminster Kingsway College Theatre, Thu 23 May

Bushstock Festival @ St Stephen's Church, Sat 1 June

Tin Spirits/Sanguine Hum/Matt Stevens @ Borderline Fri 7June

Todd Rundgren @ Shepherds Bush Empire, Sat 15 June

Neil Young @ The O2, Mon 17 June

Elvis Costello @ Cliffs Pavillion Southend, Wed 19 June

Nils Frahm @ St John at Hackney Church, Thu 11 July

Hogarth / Barbieri @ Scala, Thu 12 Sept

Steven Wilson @ RAH, Sun 20 Oct

Peter Gabriel @ The O2, Mon 21 Oct

To Kill A King @ Koko, Tue 29 Oct

The National @ Alexandra Palace, Wed 13 Nov

Ane Brun @ The Forum, Thu 14 Nov

Niel Young  & Los Lobos RDS Dublin June 15th

As busy as ever I see Mark!

Neil Young LG Arena June

Smashing Pumpkins Manchester Academy July

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Manchester Apollo October

The National Manchester Apollo November

Mark,

What was wrong with his Firebird?

My old time fave is Stravinsky conducting Stravinsky but noone directs music like that.

Curious to hear the Marrinsky Theatre, tho.

King Creosote - Norwich Arts Centre, 1st May.

http://www.johnpizzarelli.com/pizzarelliBio.html

John Pizzarelli with the VSO last Saturday Night.

Brad Mehdau tonight at the Kay Meek in West Vancouver. 

Joe Bonamassa at the Dolby Theatre in L.A. in December.

We saw Loudon Wainwright III in Brighton last night. An excellent evening. 

Kuma,

Nothing wrong as such. It was just not as good as I remember the concert where he was conducting at the Kurhaus in Wiesbaden.

Regards,

Mark

Also making my way to wembley in sept to see Mr Waters

Just got tickets for Dylan, Wilco, My Morning Jacket and the Richard Thompson Trio - all performing together July 15 in Toronto.  Starts at 5:30pm.  Looking forward to a long but fabulous night!