Your 2014 Concerts

I have booked Gregory Porter for the 15th of December, should be interesting.

Saw the man himself last night at Symphony hall, superb and you are in for a treat.

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, next Monday at Leeds O2.

Been watching their performance from Glasto and recent appearance on Jules Holland.

Can't wait!

Levellers tonight in Bristol, ususally excellent live and on a freebie. Happy days  

Kind of a gig - I was lucky enough to have been invited to the 2014 Mercury Music Prize do at the Roundhouse (I saw a dozen live acts in one evening, namely:

Damon Albarn

Bombay Bircyle Club

Anna Calvi

East India Youth

FKA Twigs

GoGo Penguin

Jungle

Nick Mulvey

Polar Bear

Royal Blood

Kate Tempest

Young Fathers

Some acts - Albarn, Mulvey, BBC - left me completely cold, I enjoyed GoGo, Polar Bear, Calvi and Royal Blood. Didn't think that much of Young Fathers' performance - but listening to their album afterwards I think they were, in the context of the MMP, worthy winners.

Back to the Roundhouse last night, this time to see good old Percy. I have seen Mr Plant once a year for the past 15 years, and he never fails to surprise, or delight.

Last night was no exception - the band was superb, as was the sound and the beer (very good session IPA) and Sir Percy was as charismatic as ever, and in absolutely astounding voice. Highlights for me were "Little Maggie" and "Turn It Up" from the new album, and a wonderful, jazzy "What Is..."

 

Hi Kevin, I was also there at Roundhouse last night and concur. The band were superb and the song selection also very good. I have never seen Zeppelin before but have seen Robert Plant a couple of times and he is always great value.

Glad you enjoyed it too.

Great can't wait...seeing him in Leeds on Monday!

Set looks similar, from what I can recall, as The Honeydrippers at Nottingham Boat club in about 1981! Saw Paloma Faith last night great concert with stunning cover of River Deep Mountain High.

Jack White in Leeds next Monday followed by Robert Plant the following Wednesday in Blackpool. What a great week or so 

Bet it didn't sound the same though! Percy's moved on quite a bit since then...

Yes cheers Prem, it was a very good night. I also really like the Roundhouse as a venue - probably my fave in London...

He always moves on, sometimes good, sometimes great and occasionally dreadful ( Now and Zen)

I see Foo Fighters are doing some UK shows next Summer.  Anybody seen them live?  Worth going?

Cheers

David

My son says yes and yes.

David

I've seen them before and would say they're worth seeing, they have some good tunes/riffs, lots of energy and put on a very good show. Not sure I can be bothered to see them at Wembley Stadium (where they're playing in London next year) however.

Just been informed by my son that Royal Blood from Brighton are supporting Foos.

http://www.allmusic.com/artist...0003205165/biography

Thanks for the feedback.  Wembley does not fill me with joy either.  Last band I saw there was Queen which rather dates me!  Might check out the VIP ticket options to see if there is something more appropriate for my advancing years :-)

Paul Carrack, York Barbican, Sunday 9th November.

Judy Collins performing tonight in Waukegan Illinois.

Spent the weekend in Ely to see Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble at the magnificent Ely Cathedral. A magical experience as the singers moved around the vast space of the Cathedral and Jan's wistful sax echoed around. Moving from the first note to the last, and unlikely to ever get the chance to see them together again.

With you there BB. Superb. Saw them at the beautiful Temple Church in London on Friday (14th Nov) and it was their penultimate gig together - an extraordinary evening.

If anyone's interested, here's a short review I wrote for a magazine (these days getting a review out there ultra-fast is more important than writing a considered one):

Yet as the 22nd EFG London Jazz Festival springs into life, one long-running partnership draws to a close. Over the past two decades Norwegian alto/soprano sax master Jan Garbarek has forged a fruitful (artistically and commercially) relationship with leading early music vocal quartet the Hilliard Ensemble. For their penultimate concert together on Friday night at Temple Church, London, the collaborators treated the audience to a selection of songs and chants from the 11th to the 21st Century, taking in everything and everyone from Arvo Part's haunting "Most Holy Mother of God" to traditional Scottish song. Gabarek sometimes echoed and commented upon the serene harmonies of the Hilliards; sometimes he blew with a celestial passion, forcing notes to clatter and soar around the church.

The venue itself, slap bang in the heart of the Inns of Court, is both breathtakingly beautiful and entirely appropriate; its vaulted ceilings provide the perfect setting (indeed, Garbarek turned his back to the audience and used the nave as a kind of vast stone echo chamber) for this at once fiery and crystalline, meditative music. If the music was serene and still, the vocal performers were not, moving about the church and adding an extra dimension to the sound – this was music that seems to come from everywhere, and nowhere, at once. It’s a pity that such a successful merging of talents has to end, but it has ended on the highest of notes.