Posts Tagged ‘folk’
18
Sep
Posted by vintagerock in Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, prog rock, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Ian Anderson The Sage Gateshead 19 Sep 2011
Will, Norm and I went along to see Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull at the Sage last Monday. Ian seems to be touring endlessly, sometimes with Tull, sometimes solo. Although I would much prefer to see a full Tull show, a chance to attend a show by the great showman flautist is not to be sniffed at. The set was a mixture of some old Tull favourites, some less known tunes, and a few classical pieces thrown in. All of these were done largely acoustically by Ian, a keyboard player and guitarist (Florian Opahle). Florian is a pretty slick guitarist and Ian’s flute playing was just superb; the smaller band setting allowing him to play longer solos than he would normally play within the context of a Jethro Tull show. Monday’s concert was in the smaller Hall 2 of the Sage, which is a much more intimate setting than the larger Hall. It was good see Ian Anderson again; and to have a chat with our old Tull mate Doug. A good evening, which will keep us all going until Jethro Tull come around again; and we also can’t wait for Ian to return next year; when he plays the City Hall with his “Thick as a Brick” show, which promises to be pretty special.
Jethro Tull website
Setlist: First half: Boris Dancing; Mother Goose; Up To Me; Set-Aside; Overture; Wond’ring Again; Florian guitar solo; Hare In The Wine Cup; Bach’s Prelude In C Major/Bouree
Second half: Up The Pool; The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles; The Poet and the Painter; Adrift and Dumbfounded; A Change Of Horses; Bach’s Toccata and Fugue; Budapest
Encores: Aqualung; Locomotive Breath
ticket
flyer for next years Thick as a Brick tour
17
Sep
Posted by vintagerock in Steve Cropper, The Animals. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
The Animals and Steve Cropper The Sage Gateshead 15th September 2011
On Thursday I went to see The Animals and Stax legend Steve Cropper at the Sage in Gateshead. To be honest, it was Steve Cropper’s appearance on the bill which had drawn me along to the concert, rather than local heroes The Animals. The latest UK incarnation of The Animals does not feature Eric Burdon and comprises original drummer John Steel, keyboard player Mickey Gallagher (who replaced Alan Price in 1965), Pete Barton on vocals and John Williamson on guitar. Their full title is actually Animals and Friends, and they have been touring consistently for the last few years, sometimes alongside special guests who have included Spencer Davis, the late, great Mick Green of the Pirates and, on this tour, Steve Cropper. The concert was in Hall 2 of the Sage, which is the smaller of the two main halls. The sold out crowd was a mix of local oldies who had obviously turned out to see the Animals, and some who, I guess, had come specially to see Steve Cropper (for example: one guy in the front row was proudly sporting a Stax t-shirt).
The Animals (and Friends) were first up and played a set of greatest hits including We gotta get out of this place, Don’t let me be misunderstood, Don’t Bring me Down, and Its my life. These were played pretty true to the originals and Pete Barton’s strong voice did justice to those great 60s R&B tunes. I’ve seen this line up once before at Bents Park in South Shields and wasn’t too impressed on that occasion. However, I thought they were on great form on Thursday. John Steel (who is 70 this year and looks great on it) stepped out from behind his drum kit at one point and told us how nervous he was playing to a home crowd (he used to live in Gateshead, just a few streets away from the venue). Pete Barton is a good front man, and must be living a dream singing songs that he grew up with. Mickey Gallagher has a strong musical pedigree; as well as his spell in The Animals, he was a member of Ian Dury and the Blockheads and played on The Clash’s London Calling.
After a short interval The Animals return, accompanied by Steve Cropper. Steve (also 70 this year) is (from Wikipedia) “best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, and has backed artists such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla, Rufus Thomas and Johnnie Taylor, also acting as producer on many of these records. He later gained fame as a member of the Blues Brothers band. Rolling Stone lists him 36th on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” They start with Time is Tight, with great keyboard playing from Mickey Gallagher. Steve’s guitar playing is as you would expect: sparse, choppy, rhythmic and spot-on professional. Steve introduces each song with a story which gives us some background. Listening to these stories you begin to realise just how important a place this guy has in the history of rock. Stand-outs were In the midnight hour, Dock of the Bay and Soul Man. A class act. The greatest hits were kept for the encores: House of the rising sun and Green onions. The old ones are the best ones after all.
The Animals and Friends website
Steve Cropper website
ticket
flyer for the show
11
Sep
Posted by vintagerock in Brian Wilson. Tagged: 60s, blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, prog rock, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Brian Wilson The Sage Gateshead 10 September 2011
We’d been hesitating for some time as to whether to go to see Brian Wilson on this tour. Although we’d all gone as a family to his last couple of shows at the City Hall and the Sage, we hadn’t fancied the “Brian Wilson reimagines Gershwin” concept. However, as the evening of the show arrived I decided that I couldn’t pass up on another chance of seeing the genuis who gave us all those great Beach Boys songs. Laura was in two minds whether to come with me, but in the end decided not to bother. I’d seen that there were still tickets available so I went along to the Sage and bought myself a ticket near the back of the hall. I arrived just in time for the start of the show. The first half of the concert was, as promised, the entire new album: “Brian Wilson reimagines Gershwin”; and it was pretty good actually. Imagine those great Gershwin songs with Beach Boys harmonies, a rock n roll beat, and strings. Quite enjoyable and just about the right lenght; not too long so that I got bored with it. Brian’s band of around eight players is, as always, excellent, and tonight they were accompanied by a local four piece string section.
Although I first thought that the Gershwin idea was pretty odd, I know think its a great idea, and the treatment of the songs is much, much better than I ever expected.
After a short interval, Brian and the band returned to delight the crowd with all those great hits. Brian seemed more talkative than on previous tours, and his voice also seemed a little stronger. He took lead vocals on most of the songs, with a couple of other members of the band doing the honours on a few of the songs.
God only knows, Good vibrations, and Wouldn’t it be nice are all landmark songs; but my favourite is Do it Again, which seems to bring back happy teenage memories for me. By the end of the evening, everyone was on their feet, with lots of dancing going on.
A great evening. Glad I decided to go after all.
First Set: Rhapsody In Blue (Intro); The Like In I Love You; Summertime; I Loves You, Porgy; I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’; It Ain’t Necessarily So; ‘S Wonderful; They Can’t Take That Away From Me; Love Is Here To Stay; I’ve Got a Crush on You; I Got Rhythm; Someone To Watch Over Me; Nothing But Love
Second Set: California Girls; Dance Dance Dance; Catch A Wave; Surfer Girl; Please Let Me Wonder; “Mary Had A Little Lamb”; You’re So Good To Me; The Little Girl I Once Knew; Salt Lake City; Don’t Worry Baby; Do You Wanna Dance?; Do It Again; Darlin’; I Get Around; Sail On Sailor; Pet Sounds; Sloop John B; Wouldn’t it Be Nice; God Only Knows; Heroes and Villains; Good Vibrations
First Encore: Johnny B Goode; Help Me Rhonda; Barbara Ann; Surfin’ USA; Fun Fun Fun
Second Encore: All Summer Long Encore
ticket
flyer for manchester show
23
Aug
Posted by vintagerock in Ravi Shankar. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, indian music, music, pop, rock, rock n roll, world music. Leave a comment
Ravi Shankar Usher Hall Edinburgh 22 Aug 2011
I fulfilled a long time ambition last night, and finally got to see the great Ravi Shankar in concert. Ravi, who is now 91 years old, was George Harrison’s sitar teacher, an influence on the Beatles and countless other bands, and played at the great 60s festivals, such as Woodstock and Monterey. This rare UK concert was at the Usher Hall Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh International Festival.
The concert started at 8.15 and finished at around 9.45pm, with no interval. The crowd was a real mixture, comprising people of all ages and backgrounds; everyone keen to see the great man perform. Outside, waiting for the doors to open, I heard voices of many different nationalities; several loking for spare tickets, as this concert had been sold out for some time. My seat was upstairs in the Upper Circle looking down on the stage. Not a great view, but I could see the entire stage (although my neck is rather stiff this morning!). Just before 8pm the hall filled and an announcement was made that the concert would begin shortly. You could hear a pin drop in the vast Usher Hall; everyone waiting in anticipation for what promised to be a very special evening. The stage was set with Indian rugs; the instruments strewn across them and in the centre was a small podium on which Ravi would shortly sit. The scent of insence hung in the air. Just before the performance started two ladies took their seats in the front row accompanied by a cute little white dog, who also had a seat bang in the middle, right in front of the stage. I wondered if there was any connection with Ravi.
At around 8.15pm the musicians took to the stage, followed by Ravi who was looked quite frail, was walking with a stick and was helped on stage by one of his fellow musicians. The reception from the audience was immense. I don’t think I’ve every heard an audience clap as loud or as long. The musicians all took their place and Ravi introduced the first raga in a gentle voice. I’d read some recent reports that suggested that he may have lost some of his musical power in recent years. From where I was sitting his playing was first class; indeed it was astounding for a man of his years. Ravi and his fellow musicians first played two short ragas, followed by a short piece for Khrisna’s birthday. Ravi introduced each piece in a gentle voice, which was almost inaudible from my seat upstairs. The final piece was a longer raga which became a jam and showcased each member of the band. Before it started, Ravi introduced his fellow musicians, several of whom had been, or were currently, his students. This piece meandered through various meoldies and rhythms, and featured extended percussion and flute interludes from each of the musicians; always returning to Ravi and his sitar. At various points he invited his colleagues to come into the piece with a simple, gentle wave of the hand; with another wave, he would tell them to stop. The piece climaxed with some strong rhythmic sitar. And then it was over. Ravi bowed, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. The little white dog who I had seen join the concert at the beginning of the evening jumped up and joined him on stage. I later learned that the cute dog is Ravi’s pet, Suki. Ravi left, and returned again with his musicians to take a final bow. A remarkable evening. As the lady in the seat next to me said at the end “Amazing. I hope I am like that at 91”. I wouldn’t disagree with that. As I walked down the stairs and out of the hall, I sensed that we had all experienced something truly unique.
ticket
programme
picture from festival programme
Ravi Shankar website
20
Aug
Posted by vintagerock in Edgar Broughton. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, prog rock, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Edgar Broughton The Duchess York 18 Aug 2011
Edgar Broughton has been a hero of mine since I grew up with rock music in the late 60s and early 70s. I caught the Edgar Broughton Band live several times at festivals (Reading, Buxton) and locally (Sunderland Mecca, Newcastle City Hall). Edgar was always outspoken, passionate and totally committed to the alternative cause, and to be honest I found him somewhat scary onstage those days. Willy and I went to see the Broughton Band at Sheffield Boardwalk when they reunited a few years ago, and they hadn’t lost any of their power. Sadly I didn’t manage to make it over to the Spirit of 71 stage at Glastonbury (there was too much mud, and it was too far from our campsite), but I promised myself there and then that I would make up for it by going along to this show in York.
On Thursday night I saw a very different side to Edgar Broughton. The show had been billed as a special one-off performance entitled “Castaway”. Edgar had promised us, through his blog, that “it will be very different from what you might normally expect from me though it will include a lot of vintage material”.
This was my first visit to the Duchess, which is a great little venue right in the heart of the lovely city of York. I managed to find my way through the small windy streets and, after driving around a little to find a parking spot, took a seat towards the back of the venue. The crowd was small but attentive, comprising those of a similar advanced age, and with several Broughton Band t-shirts on show.
The stage was set with a single chair and two acoustic guitars. Edgar came onstage around 8.30pm and launched into some beautiful acoustic picking, which developed into a wailing chant-like song, setting the tone for the evening. Edgar explained to us that “many of my songs are dark, and I make no excuse for that”. The set was a mix of new songs, old Broughton band favourites, and a few poems. It was a great evening; something different; special and to be remembered. For Almost dancing Edgar used his Blackberry to provide the “tick tock” which accompanied the poem, and the droning backing for “a small psalm” was also provided by the same technology (which let him down and switched itself off a couple of times!). Red Star is a relatively new song written about the Brixton riots; Edgar explained how he had been singing it in a house in London as part of one of his Fair days pay for a fair days work shows, and as he left London was in flames and the riots had started. Green Lights sounded great with a simple arrangement and acoustic guitar. Soldiers of the Light was, explained Edgar, written for his brother Steve. Poppy, always a favourite of mine since I saw the Band play it in the early ’70s, closed the first set.
In the second half we all chanted a drone note while Edgar chanted on top. He explained that the Christmas song had been debuted at the Micky Jones (Man) benefit in Wales. Old favourites Evening over the Rooftops and Hotel Room were given the Edgar solo treatment; both sounding as fresh as they ever did. The show closed with a reprise of the dark chanting wail that had opened the show.
Everyone seemed to genuinely enjoy the evening, including our host, who thanked us for coming along to share the experience with him. He had planned to record the event; but had forgotten to give the recording gear to the sound guy!. I really enjoyed it, and was glad that I made the trip. I’d seen a different, gentler side of Edgar, somewhat removed from the fiery wild hairy guy in a karate suit of the early 70s. And no Out Demons Out; but that was fine because it wasn’t that sort of night. The angry challenging guy is still there and he is still (as he says on his site) “Hoping to do what I can – I lean to the left – aiming to do what is right”. The drive home was pretty uneventful, although it was teaming down with rain. I left the Duchess around 10.50pm and was back home around 12.30pm.
Setlist:
arabesque the re-mix > all fall down > speak down wires > almost dancing tick tock > a small psalm > red star > green lights > the god light pop (a reading from the instantanium) > soldiers of the light > there’s a hole in it > poppy
Intermission
i want to lie (in a cool dark room) revisited > we chant > say you love me > christmas song > ice on fire > evening over the rooftops > my salvation > hotel room > six white horses > Arabesque and yoik
Edgar Broughton website
Edgar’s blog, including a poem which he performed on the evening
Link to the programme for the evening
programme and ticket
14
Aug
Posted by vintagerock in Faces, Ian McLagen, Small Faces. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Ian McLagen The Cluny Newcastle 13 August 2011
David and I went to see Ian McLagen of the Small Faces and Faces fame at the Cluny last night. It was great to see a legend playing in an intimate setting. Mac has just completed a set of dates with the Faces, and is out, along with the bass player from his Bump band Jon Notarthomas, touring the clubs of the UK and Ireland, before returning to Texas, where he now lives. His set consists largely of his own songs from recent albums, along with a Small Faces song and a few Faces songs.
He arrived on stage shortly after 9pm and started the set on his own with a song written for his old mate Ronnie Lane, Hello Old Friend. This was followed by Loverman and Been A Long Time, both songs from his recent albums. His keyboard playing is spot on and he looks and sounds great, his rough vocals sounding not unlike his former band mate Rod Stewart. He was soon joined by Jon Notarthomas on bass and gave us the Small Faces B side Get Yourself Together; a song which he explained he had forgotten, until he was reminded of it by Paul Weller.
Faces songs Cindy Incidentally, which Mac wrote with Rod and Ronnie Wood, and Glad and Sorry, a Ronnie Lane song, were also played. One of the encores was The Faces Debris, from A Nods as Good as a Wink, another Ronnie Lane, written for his dad. The set was littered with great banter with the audience and some snippets of stories, including one about Keith Moon, a pink Rolls Royce with speakers on the outside (!), an inflatable doll, and a mad midnight drive through Glasgow in the 60s on a Small Faces/Who tour. Its great to have the chance to see a legend in a small club setting. He also promised more Faces dates in 2012 and said that they should try to get to Newcastle for a show; I would love to see that come true.
Ian McLagen website
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4
Aug
Posted by vintagerock in Laura Smith. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Laura sang at this event in the Other Rooms Newcastle, along with a group of your singers and DJs. Some great talent on show, many thanks to Generator for organising this.
24
Jul
Posted by vintagerock in Foot Village, P J Harvey, Portishead. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 1 comment
Portishead and P J Harvey at I’ll be your Mirror London
Laura currently declares Portishead to be her favourite band, and I’ve quite fancied seeing Polly Harvey for some years so this lineup, coupled with the All Tomorrows Parties brand (ATP were promoting this event), made this in-door festival something worth going to. We took the train to London and dropped our things off at the usual Kings Cross Travelodge, and made our way to the venue for around 7pm. First stop was the merchandise stall, where Laura bought a festival t-shirt and was also recognised by the members of Foot Village who had played earlier in the day. Shift-Static supported Foot Village at the Head of Steam in Newcastle a couple of years ago, so Laura was delighted that the band still remembered her (and her shoes!). We then made our way to the Great Hall. The Alexandra Palace is a lovely venue, and has hosted many legendary events in the past including Pink Floyd’s 1968 Technicolour Dream and Zeppelin in the 70s.
P J Harvey came on stage promptly at 7.45 and played to a tightly packed hall. We were sat on the disabled platform, which was to the left of the stage and gave us a good view of the proceedings. Her set was unfamiliar to me, and was drawn largely from her latest album. Dressed all in black, she has a strong voice, and certainly went down well with the crowd. OK but not quite as epic as I had expected. She was on stage for about one hour, and after she had finished the hall emptied while people explored the other halls.
At around 9.30 Portishead took the stage, by which time the hall had filled up again. They delivered an excellent set. Beth’s vocals were amazing, as was the guitar work. Great use of dynamics and a very crisp, loud sound with great psychedelic 60s-ish visuals.
Portishead finished at 11pm prompt and we made our way back to our hotel via the shuttle bus to Wood Green and the tube, which all worked very well. We were back watching the TV and the sad news about Amy Winehouse by midnight.
Portishead setlist: Silence – Mysterons – The Rip – Sour Times – Magic Doors – Wandering Star – Machine Gun – Nylon – Over – Glory Box Chase The Tear – Cowboys – Threads – – – Roads – We Carry On
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24
Jul
Posted by vintagerock in Judas Priest, Queensryche. Tagged: concert, concerts, folk, gigs, heavy metal, metal, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock n roll. 1 comment
Judas Priest Newcastle Metro Arena 20 July 2011
I went along with a group of mates (Will, Will’s on Jack, Ter and Ritchie) to see Judas Priest last week. Priest are part of our collective youth; a band that we all went to see lots of times throughout the 70s and early 80s. This tour, the Epitaph tour, has been billed as their last world tour, so we all figured that we should catch them this time. Ter, Will and I saw the Priest a few years ago at the arena, and were looking forward to this one. Support came from Rival Sons(?) and Queensryche, who are one of Ter’s favourites, so we made sure that we arrived on time for them. Queenrsyche lived up to Ter’s memories, but it was the main band that we had all come to see. Priest came on stage around 8.45 and launched into a set whch covered, as promised, something from every album in their 40 year career. So we got favourites such as Victims of Change and their great covers of Diamonds and Rust and The Green Manalishi. Singer Rob Halford left the singing entirely to the crowd for Breaking the Law. Quite a few good songs were missing; why no Ripper? In some ways, Priest have become almost a parody of themselves, with lots of chains and metal on display and Rob Halford taking a number of costume changes, each one being completely over the top. And the music is super crafted metal, with great guitar from Glen Tipton and a new guy (K K Downing retired just prior to the tour) and incredibly strong vocals and screams from Rob. Rob still rides his Harley onto the stage, and we all still lapped up the old rockers. Great stuff from a great band; it’s sad that this may have been the last time we will experience the Priest. We all went home fully satisfied; they don’t make bands like this any more.
Setlist: Rapid Fire; Metal Gods; Heading Out to the Highway; Judas Rising; Starbreaker; Victim of Changes; Never Satisfied; Diamonds & Rust; Dawn of Creation; Prophecy; Night Crawler; Turbo Lover; Beyond the Realms of Death; The Sentinel; Blood Red Skies; The Green Manalishi; Breaking the Law; Painkiller
Encore: The Hellion; Electric Eye; Hell Bent for Leather; You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’; Living After Midnight
I hate printed tickets
programme
9
Jul
Posted by vintagerock in Bjork. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Bjork Manchester Festival Campfield Market July 10 2011
Laura and I went to see Bjork perform her new work Biophilia as part of the Manchester Festival. Laura proclaimed it the best gig of her life (!). I found it challenging, amazing and somewhat odd. We saw Sean from Corrie in the queue outside.
Setlist: Thunderbolt; Moon; Crystalline; Hollow; Dark Matter; Hidden Place; Mouth’s Cradle; Isobel; Virus; Jóga; Sacrifice; Sonnets/Unrealities XI; Where Is the Line?; Mutual Core; Cosmogony; Solstice
Encore: One Day; Unravel; Declare Independence
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