What concert did you attend in 2018?

The White Buffalo at O2 Academy Bristol.

The gig was great but unfortunately the same cannot be said of the venue.

Very much looking forward to this one this evening....

Grigory Sokolov | Klavierabend

Joseph Haydn: Sonate (Divertimento) Nr. 32 op. 53 Nr. 4 g-Moll Hob. XVI:44
Joseph Haydn: Sonate (Divertimento) Nr. 47 op. 14 Nr. 6 h-Moll Hob. XVI:32
Joseph Haydn: Sonate Nr. 49 op. 30 Nr. 2 cis- Moll Hob. XVI:36
Franz Schubert: 4 Impromptus op. 142 D.935

As always, Sokolov delivered. A great concert - amazingly fluid amazingly tonality.....and again 6 encores. He is definitely the man. Some pictures tomorrow.

6 encores! At Pollini's annual Chicago visit yesterday, he delivered 3 encores.

This year he looked much better than the past few performances. Still looking much older than actual his age (76)  he did not struggle walking to the piano.

His very first piece Chopin's Prelude Op.45 was not quite together sounded rather disjointed with some awkward phrasing.

But as the program progressed he became more comfortable and showing his masterful styling. Particularly slower segments were rendered with  deep thoughts and insights. Also I noticed that this was the first time his Fabbrini Steinway did not sound clangy. I understood why he liked his piano. There was no excess *fat* just see through transparency and clarity of each note all the way down to the lowest keys. Possible that because, for the first time I was sitting on the main floor and closer to the piano so I could hear what Pollini was hearing out of his piano. At close up, even busy passages, I can make out melody lines and notes with *in-tune* bass. ( sort of like how a well done accoustic suspension speakers delivery low frequency notes )

Book 2 was wonderful in spite there were a few misplaying. I still prefer Horowitz's "Fairies are exquisite dancers" & Général Lavine but I appreciated monochromatic shades of grays and textures.

La Cathedrale Engloutie reminded me somewhat of Richter's set where sunny bright surreal blue sky backdrop and ice cold clear ocean. His Etude was effortless. Intense but remaining lyrical. And the final encore was my favourite Berceuse provoking memory from the past.

After the recital, I had an opportunity to get his autograph and shake his hand.

Bert Schurink posted:

As always, Sokolov delivered. A great concert - amazingly fluid amazingly tonality.....and again 6 encores. He is definitely the man. Some pictures tomorrow.

Looking forward to the Schleswig-Holstein-Musikfestival, where he will perform the same program. He somehow knows how to make it easy for the audience to be totally absorbed by the music, a bit like a hypnotist.

Now some photos...

Natalie Prass - last night at Bush Hall, London.

The venue, which I’d not been to before, is small and cute with an upstairs open-air terrace bar. Worth seeing what’s on there from time to time as it’s an nice intimate place. Well suited to Natalie Prass, whose music - while she can rock in a southern boogie style when required - is gentle and has understated heart and soul. The single encore (much kudos for only playing one song as encore - who does that nowadays?) was apparently impromptu (she’d slated something else), a version of ‘Violently’ which was as vulnerable as it was touchingly beautiful.

New album out on 1st June.

Good to hear - we've tickets for next week at St Georges Bristol.

Busy 2 nights. Sunday we saw JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN at the RFH London. Joan Wasser’s voice was in fine form, and she played a selection of songs from her last album Damned Devotion. The gig lacked a bit of atmosphere, whilst Joan did her best to encourage dancing it was never going to happen at the RFH. We were in row J though so had a good view.

Then last night, perhaps the highlight of the two gigs, NATALIE PRASS at Bush Hall Shepherds Bush. Playing a selection of songs from her new album, plus from her debut. Now I am a big Natalie Prass fan, but last night was very special. Small venue, great sound, and the band were really tight. Can’t wait for 1st June when the album is out. If you have never heard her before, try her debut. Really well crafted southern soul sound, from the Spacebomb studios. Highly recommended.

I saw Nerina Pallot perform at the Wedgwood Rooms, Portsmouth yesterday evening.  Given the size of the venue and stage, she only had a drummer and bass-player in support, which meant that a number of her newer songs didn't have the full content of her studio recordings, or of that when I last saw her at Hoxton Hall.  But she seemed to turn this to an advantage, making the songs simpler and more intimate.  Indeed she played several familiar songs solo, either playing a guitar or electric piano. These songs, e.g. Mr King, were particularly lovely.  She seems to have adopted Sophia as her 'signature' encore song, and she knows her audience know the song and expect it so positively encourages the audience to sing this lovely song with her.  Nerina is one-hell-of-a talent.  

Bert Schurink posted:

Now some photos...

 

 

Magnificent pipe organ pipes backdrop!

3 very good and diverse local,guitarists, playing in a cafe about 5 miles from home. James Dey is a lovely sensitive singer songwriter, John BIglanss writes complex compositions and tender songs about his family, Dan Day plays excellent guitar and tin whistle with Celtic themes.

There’s something lovely about this type of gig, the guys are yards away from you, and they really play and sing from the soul. Beautiful evening of music making.

Saturday, 3rd February. To a grim industrial estate on the fringes of deepest, darkest Tooting, where the By the Horns Brewery (purveyors of craft ales to the South London hipster massive) were holding a musical evening in their beer hall. 

Topping the bill, guests of honour, were Ese & The Vooduu People. The band were due on to play two sets straight after the Ireland v France rugby match. Ese herself, a lady of Nigerian extraction who cares little for the antics of beered up and bellowing middle class gels and boys was absolutely petrified.

Fortunately the band silenced the doubters and rugger buggers with a storming show that mixed well-chosen covers ("Police & Thieves", "My Girl", "Fly Away", "Family Affair", "Valerie", "Manic Depression" etc) with originals.

Acoustically, the place left a lot to be desired, but it was a great place to play and the owners made the band most welcome, watering and feeding them handsomely.

On 19th February, to one of my favourite London venues, Café Oto, for a unique evening, with  the experimental ensemble Apartment House playing two pieces by the late, great minimalist Julius Eastman (1940-1990): "Buddha" and the 25-minute "Stay On It". An absolutely fantastic evening.

You can read about it here:

https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/even...form-julius-eastman/

Friday 4th May, St Georges, Bristol, Eric Bibb - everything one expects from the man.

The stand out bit? The support act got a standing ovation, Rob Green, don't judge by what you find on YouTube etc, the live performance was electric.

Two recent concerts at Symphony Hall Birmingham.
Last Thursday
Strauss Death and Transfiguration,
Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2,
Sibelius Symphony  No. 2.
Edward Gardner Conductor
Baiba Skride Violin
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Last night;
Mozart Symphony No 35, Haffner,
Bruckner Symphony  No 8.

Bruckner Orchester Linz; Markus Poschner Conductor

I much preferred Thursdays concert (which was much better attended) than last nights, the last movement of the Bruckner I find particularly hard going.
On Thursday we were sat behind someone who, as soon as the music began, started flicking through his programme instead of giving his full attention to the music, very strange and a little distracting. Why not read the programme before the concert or during the interval, but not during the concert.

notnaim man posted:

Friday 4th May, St Georges, Bristol, Eric Bibb - everything one expects from the man.

The stand out bit? The support act got a standing ovation, Rob Green, don't judge by what you find on YouTube etc, the live performance was electric.

We were there too - totally agree with your review 

We saw Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan at the Turner Sims in Southampton yesterday. It was a wonderful concert, made more enjoyable by being able to see everything that Bill was doing with his array of pedals, as we we in the second row and had a perfect view. Thomas Morgan is an astoundingly talented bassist. He seems incredibly shy and awkward and had Bill guide him around the stage by putting a fatherly arm around his shoulder. It was almost painful to watch at times, but the music, and the interplay between them, was just wonderful. And you can take a glass of beer into the hall; no plastic cup required. A lovely evening. 

Just got back from seeing Bon Jovi at Madison Square Garden. In NY on holiday and it was too good an opportunity to pass up.  Hard to believe its 32 years since the first time I saw them in Edinburgh. 

They were fantastic, played for over 2 and a half hours! Great fun hearing the old classics again. So much energy from the band and this was reflected back from the crowd. All 20000 of them. JBJ talked about its been 35 yrs since they first played at the Garden, opening for ZZ Top. 

Went to see Wilko Johnson at Leeds Uni. last night, and the band were in storming form.

Norman Watt-Roy delivered an object lesson on bass playing, and Dylan Howe was rock solid on drums all night.

Wilko? In fine voice, and bonkers as usual, eyeballing the audience throughout.

Support was from Hugh Cornwell, who managed to fit a few old Stranglers' favourites into his set, so, all in all, a great night out. 

Same gig as Dave. Hugh Cornwell was a very cool support act, great to hear Nice and Sleazy live for the forst time in decades.

Pretty much what Dave said, Norman Watt-Roy was superb all night, more a co-lead guitar than a bass, Dylan Howe is a class act on drums, and between Howe and Watt-Roy they are a rock solid backline. Wilko is still mad, one of the most recognisable guitar styles around, and he still has all the old moves, great front man. He doesn't seem to have changed at  all since his early days. Really enjoyable high-energy rock, Johnny B Goode as the encore had me humming the tune all the way home.

(Last time I saw Dylan Howe was a few years back at Dean Clough in Halifax, where he was leading his own band playing jazz versions of Berlin-era Bowie, quite a big change of style.)

https://youtu.be/kqpfnv3_48A

Beth Hart, Bochum, Germany, so great! I saw her three times on this tour, every show is totally different. Christoph 

We have just booked to the the Uriel Herman Trio at Duc des Lombards in Paris, in a couple of weeks time. It has a good restaurant too, which will be good. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

We have just booked to the the Uriel Herman Trio at Duc des Lombards in Paris, in a couple of weeks time. It has a good restaurant too, which will be good. 

Yep. I think that venue trumps my recent visit to the Wedgwood Rooms, Albert Rd in Pompey, Nigel.