What was the last concert you went in 2016?

Sunday night (30th) The Bootleg Shadows at  Crawley's Hawth Theatre Studio.

Terrific show witty chat and well played by all 5 of them. Suitably performing in matching suits, front 3 mainly with Red Fenders, but did a few songs with White Burns  guitars. 

Wooden Shjips (Scala, London) last night.

Fine purveyors of psych/drone rock...

Louden Wainwright III at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday. Just as wacky, but also just as wonderful as always at the grand old age of 70. I don't know if it's just that I am getting older myself. but he certainly doesn't look 70 years old.

A slightly (more accurately very) eccentric supporting singer, whose name I can't recall, but a very enjoyable evening all round.

A week or two ago, Bad Company at the Glasgow SSE Hydro with Richie Sambora's band as the supporting act. I can take or leave Richie Sambora, but Paul Rogers and Bad Company were excellent. I was a little disappointed that they didn't play the old Free classic, "All right now", but they did play most of the Bad Company numbers you would expect.

Also an interesting appearance right at the start of the evening (before Richie Sambora's set) of Paul's son Steve Rogers, playing some excellent guitar and piano, and sounding remarkably like his old man. I was impressed by his solo performance, so tried to find some of his stuff on Tidal, but unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be anything there other than a single track on a compilation album.   

Last night I went to see Nitin Sawhney and friends play at The Royal Albert Hall.  We had seats close to the front so the acoustic problems of the RAH were somewhat ameliorated.  I wasn't sure what my g/f would make of the show - she didn't really know the music apart from some she had heard care of yours truly - and she emerged at the end utterly elated. Fantastic playing all-round, some amazing dancing by Honji Wang and Sebastian Ramirez, Joss Stone's voice... She summed up - "that's one of the best concerts I've ever been to".  Sounds like a recommendation to me...

Corinne Bailey Rae at Brighton Dome last night.  Fabulous voice, and good performance from the band.  If you like her music, you will enjoy her live.  I don't think her latest album is as strong as the first two, but the material from that came across pretty well, too.

She got a great reception from the crowd, not least I suspect because she comes across as a charming person.

David

Sounds like a good concert David.  If all works out as planned, I'm off to see her play at Shepherd's Bush on Tuesday.

UFO in Middlesbrough last week.  Brilliant gig from a veteran rock band, the lead singer is 68!.  Some of the best live rock guitar I've ever seen.  Highly recommended 

GoGo Penguin at the Turner Sims in Southampton, last night. A great band, and by luck we were sitting just in front of the mixing desk. I'll definitely ask for those seats again next time.

The bassist is a dour Mancs lad with the focus of a Paul Scholes.

C.

Christopher_M posted:

GoGo Penguin at the Turner Sims in Southampton, last night. A great band, and by luck we were sitting just in front of the mixing desk. I'll definitely ask for those seats again next time.

The bassist is a dour Mancs lad with the focus of a Paul Scholes.

C.

I think this has to have been the shortest concert I have ever been to. Start 8.15, done 9.30. Glad to see them doing well but after seeing Neil Cowley in the same venue a couple of weeks before, I was rather underwhelmed with it all.

A

The Smiths played for 20 minutes at a gig at Leicester University once. Mozza must have been in a huff, and there was almost a riot when they stomped off so early. They did return shortly after as an apology though, so all was forgiven. Even the best band in the world can have an off day, I suppose. 

Friday evening I went to the Royal College of Music to hear Bernard Haitink conducting the RCM Symphony Orchestra and Chorus playing Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe.  It was the first time I'd ever heard Daphnis et Chloe in a live concert - quite something!

On Friday we went to the pre album release of Steve Pledger, at the Historic Dunster Castle in Somerset. 

Spiritualized - London Barbican, Mon 7th

Billed as the biggest ever production of Ladies & Gentlemen We're Floating In Space, and having been blown away by their 2009 performances of the the album at both the Barbican and RFH, I was massively excited to see this 19th anniversary performance.  For me (and two chums)  it was a major disappointment.  'Biggest ever' translated into maybe an extra violinist and horn blower.  They made a lovely sound, and the LP is truly magical, but the gig never got near the visceral highs and sublime chills of the 2009 gigs.  And someone forgot to invite the lighting guy!  No strobes, no feeling that the entire National Grid was being beamed into your eyeballs, just the house rig (half of which are those hideous LEDs) jigging about and occasionally turning on and off quickly.

And the Barbican hardly covered themselves in glory either.  The ticket said 9pm.  Box office said not sure of stage time, but there's no interval and you can come & go as you please.  At exactly 9pm we were refused entry and had to miss the first 5 mins till we were allowed in.  What's going on?  Not even Kraftwerk start at the billed time! 

At £60 a pop (so 2 nights ticket sales = £240,000)  J Spaceman is floating in cash.  However I think we were entitled to a little more.

Never mind, Bad Manners are playing my local pub at Xmas!!

KT Tunstall at Brighton Dome last night.  She was with a band on this tour (drums, bass, keys) - last time I saw her she was solo.  It was a good, fun show.  The band were very tight (last night of the tour - so they've had lots of practice!), and KT put lots of energy into it and did lots of chat with the audience. Some fun arrangements of songs too - she started Black Horse and the Cherry Tree solo, building the rhythm with a looper, and running throughthe song.  Then she added the Seven Nation Army riff on kazoo, sang a few verses of that with the band joining in, and ended back with the correct lyrics.  I kid you not.  She put The Bangles' Walk Like an Eqyptian in the middle of one of the other songs.  One of those shows I enjoyed more than I was expecting too.

David

Danish String Quartet with Torleif Thedeen

Two extremely long and downer program but they held my attention. Shostakovich indeed is a tasking one to sit through but No. 15 is pitch black and intense. ( movements are titled —Elegy, Serenade, Intermezzo, Nocturne, Funeral March, and Epilogue )

Schubert's D956 is poignant altho comparatively sunnier next to Shosty's. I think that the latter piece could have been a bit more bitter sweet whilst maintaining tension particularly in Adagio. But the last two movement was rhythmic with exciting bold finish.

The program closed with Carl Nielsen's lovely Underlige Aftenlufte. A sentimental folk song contrasting to the evening's edgy and darkish program.

A nice touch.

Richard Dane posted:

 It was the first time I'd ever heard Daphnis et Chloe in a live concert - quite something!

I loved it particularly when the wordless chorus kicks in at the end!

Haitink was excellent with Boston Symphony, too.

Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers - The Forum, Tunbridge Wells

I didn't know his music well at all - a friend recommended him so highly that a tenner a short walk away was irresistible. I streamed his latest album a couple of times and did some YouTubing but even so it was odd going to see someone I knew next to nothing about.

Shouldn't have worried. I spent almost the entire gig with a big grin on my face.

Ben is Canadian, has a mahoosive beard, and a voice that ranges from a Cohen-like baritone croon to a raw Nick Cave (or even Tom Waits) growl/howl. His music is rooted in Americana with more than a touch of Leonard Cohen story-telling and the nearest comparison to any one person would be Leon Russell. However, he's no clone - each song goes where it wants to, when it wants to and that keeps you on your toes.

He's also got a huge stage presence, which in a small venue like The Forum, even though it wasn't well attended, meant he connected directly, amusingly and all the band clearly enjoying the gig.

The line-up (slightly different to the clip below) was drums, double bass, melodica/vocalist and Ben on Acoustic guitar, banjo, keys, but the spirit and passion were the same.

Beth Hart, Birmingham Symphony Hall, 11th Nov 2016.

It was a fantastic show despite surprisingly dodgy sound for the first few songs. In fact it generally seemd a little quiet - maybe it was just the grand surroundings that made it feel like that. It did improve as the set went on and sounded best when Beth was solo on stage singing/playing piano.

Beth +3 on stage picking songs from throughout her catalogue, some awesome renditions. I think she surprised her band to going a bit freestyle from the set list from time to time, and surprised / alarmed her crew when she went on a crowd walk through during one of her songs. I wont give away the intro in case anyone else is going to see her this time round, but it was a sublime start!

Its a fantastic venue, but I preferred the experience last time I saw her at the very much smaller O2 Institute in Birmingham several years ago - great for Beth though, she was clearly loving playing in such a lovely place.

Andres Orozco-Estrada/CSO
Baiba Skride violin

Program

Kodály Dances of Galánta

Sibelius Violin Concerto

Ives The Unanswered Question

R. Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra

There are going to be several debut scheduled for this season and one of my favourite violinist Baiba Skride finally made to Chicago playing Sibleius Violin Concerto. Her playing was finer than I remember from her wonderful Brahms Violin concerto but the quieter section was rendered with a sensibilities and good judgment. Altho, I would have loved to have bit more fire.

I was not familiar with the Columbian director Orozco-Estrada who reminded me of young Bernstein.

Even tho so over played over the years, I actaully enjoyed Zarathustra live. Orozco-Estrada could have held a bit more tension in quieter hushed segments to make the tune more effective. Altho, his rhythmic and bold styling was impressive.

Not really my type of music,  but the Just joe brown tour was in frome last night, definitely brought back a few memories from younger days....

Saw King Crimson 3 nights ago in Florence. They left me speechless! Brilliant selection of music and stunning musicianship. I've only recently got into their music but I'm so thrilled and honored to have been able to experience them live, the're on a different planet!

Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov
Chicago Recital Debut

Program:
All-Beethoven
Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23
Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 "Spring"
Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96

Faust and Melnikov made a somewhat of a low key but brilliant debut at Mandel Hall last nite.

Laser sharp Faust's delivery as well as intimate fine details were clearly heard from our box seat. Her 1703 " Sleeping Beauty" Strads was as if was a part of her body as the music flows right out of her with fluidity and ease.

Those two were extremely in-tune rhythmically altho piano had a softer and rounder sonority contrasting to Faust's cool crystal tone.

Yesterday evening we went to the Nottingham Arena to see Paul Simon and his wonderfully talented band. He was in sublime form and did a set lasting for 2 1/2 hours that covered everything from Simon and Garfunkel to his latest album.  The musicians with him were fantastic and there were instruments played that I have never seen before.  We were encouraged to dance to the likes of Me and Julio and You Can Call Me Al and were treated to three encores - the last being Paul Simon on his own with his guitar.  A fabulous way to end our concert list for 2016.

Beth Hart at the Sage, Gateshead on Sunday evening.

Always interesting to hear some of the circumstances that inspired the songs. Seems like Beth has had a challenging life when younger.

The band were really good, the songs great and were presented in a really strong, powerful way.

A great performance and certainly inspired me to listen to more of her music.

Nigel

Just back from a short trip to Porto. We had planned to go to Casa da Musica to hear Alina Ibramigova play. Shostakovitch's Violin Concerto No1 is not, to my ears, an easy piece to listen to, but is a very good vehicle for displaying the skills of a talented violinist. Fortunately the evening ended with Ibramigova playing a Bach Partita as an encore.

Wonderful venue (we also did the guided tour of the place). So good, we went a second night to hear a small group (Divino Sospiro) play 18th century music. The soprano, Francesca Aspromonte, belied her young age to deliver an assured and enjoyable performance and is not something I would normally listen to.

Casa da Musica is a marvellous concert hall.