Portishead Glastonbury 2013
Aside from the Stones performance, the other highlight of Glastonbury 2013 for us was Portishead’s awesome performance on the Other Stage on Friday night. Competing for a crowd with the Artic Monkeys, Portishead succeeded in drawing a big crowd. Their performance was simply perfection in itself. The sound was crisp, clear and loud; the visuals were subtle and impressive, mixing 60s psych with visual reverb and subdued dark black and white images, and Beth’s singing was note perfect, moving, passionate and intense. Roads is my favourite track and last Friday their performance of the song was stunning. The set was a mix of favourites, just the right length, and as usual there was no encore. From the moment the large letter P appeared in the centre of the screen to the end of the last song We Carry On the crowd were just transfixed. This was the third time I have seen this band, and it was easily the best. A classic performance. Setlist: Silence; Mysterons; The Rip; Sour Times; Magic Doors; Wandering Star; Machine Gun; Over; Glory Box; Chase the Tear; Cowboys; Threads; Roads; We Carry On.
Posts Tagged ‘music’
3 Jul
Portishead Glastonbury 2013
2 Jul
The Rolling Stones Glastonbury Festival 2013
The Rolling Stones Glastonbury Festival 2013
We are still recovering from this year’s Glastonbury festival. The weather at the weekend was super, and Marie, David, Laura and I had a great time at the festival. For me the highlight was, without a doubt, the first appearance of the Rolling Stones at Glastonbury. I so wanted them to live up to the occasion, and by and large, they did. Their set had a few small changes from the gig that I attended at the O2 London last November. Anticipation for this gig was high, and the expectation of the festival crowd was pretty high. The Stones came on stage just after 9.30pm on Saturday night, opening with Jumping Jack Flash. Jagger was a bundle of energy strutting about the stage; Keith was Mr Cool chugging out those familiar riffs. We were sitting on a viewing platform towards the back, and the sound was clear but it just wasn’t loud enough. It did improve as the set progressed, but didn’t reach full volume. I heard later that some of the speakers near the rear of the field weren’t working. Nevertheless, this was a great opener and the crowd was completely up for it. The field was rammed; I’ve never see a place so full; I wonder how many people were watching Chase and Status on the Other Stage. Next up was It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll, followed by Ronnie’s electric sitar signalling the start of Paint It Black. This song has become one of my favourites. The screens showed black and white images of the band; very sixtiesish. Wonderful; it just doesn’t get any better. Then we were into Gimme Shelter; Jagger trading lines with Lisa Fischer who did an excellent job. The next song was a surprise. Mick explained how he had spent Friday night visiting Shangri La and watching the Artic Monkeys (yeah right, Mick, sure you did) and then met a “Glastonbury Girl”, which was the title of the next song. Actually it was a reworked version of their 1968 song Factory Girl, with the lyrics changed to match (“offered her my luxury yurt” ! :)). A nice touch which went down well with the crowd, and although a little tacky was a pretty good song. Wild Horses followed and then a new track Doom and Gloom, which I’m sort of getting to like now. Then Jagger introduced Mick Taylor for Can’t You Hear Me Knocking. Don’t get me wrong, this was an excellent Stones performance, but it was around this point that I began to wonder what some of the crowd were making of it. Sure Stones fans would love it, but I sensed the majority of the crowd didn’t know (or care) who Mick Taylor is, and had never heard these songs. Still the crowd reaction remained strong and positive. Anyway next up was Honky Tonk Women which everyone sand along to. By this point I realised that we weren’t going to get any special guest; but hey who cares, this was Glasto and the Stones. Then Keith got his turn to lead on a couple of songs which were You Got the Silver and Happy. Mick returned for Miss You, and was joined by Mick Taylor for Midnight Rambler. This one took me back to Knebworth in 1976 (but, again, I would guess the majority of the crowd didn’t know it). Then we got another surprise. Mick announced that they were going to play a track from Their Satanic Majesties and the band launched into 2000 Light Years from Home. This was, apparently, the first time the Stones have played this for more than 20 years. The screens showed some great psychedelic liquid lens effects. Amazing. We were on the home run now. Sympathy for the Devil was next, and at this point the metallic phoenix perched on the top of the pyramid stage started to flex its wing and rise from its slumber. Start Me Up, Tumbling Dice and Brown Sugar completed the main set. For the encore, the band returned to play You Can’t Always Get What You Want, accompanied by the same choir as at the O2 gig. Satisfaction was the very last song with everyone singing along and Jagger being the ultimate showman. Excellent. The Stones nailed it and showed why they remain at the top of their game some 50 years after they started classic british rock. Was it good? Yes of course. I can think of only two areas that could have been improved. First the sound and the volume at the back of the field wasn’t as good as it might have been. And second I thought for a Glasto crowd a few more hits would have really slayed everyone. But then you really can’t always get what you want. David and I will see them again at their second Hyde Park gig on 13th July. I can’t wait.
1 Jul
Elton John Raby Castle 2000
Elton John Raby Castle 2000
From the Raby Castle website: “Home to Lord Barnard’s family since 1626, Raby is one of the finest medieval Castles in England. Built by the mighty Nevill family in the 14th Century, Raby remained in the Nevill family until 1569 when after the failure of the Rising of the North, the Castle and its lands were forfeited to the Crown. In 1626, Sir Henry Vane the Elder purchased Raby and the Castle has remained in the Vane family ever since.” 
This was a solo concert with Elton and piano in the grounds of Raby Castle, Durham, as part of a tour of stately homes. It had been some 10 years since I last saw Elton in concert. I went with Marie and we really enjoyed it. We had seats close to the front, and a great view. The weather wasn’t too good with a little rain as I recall. The tickets were expensive at £50 each, which seemed a lot at the time. Setlist: Your Song, The Greatest Discovery, Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Daniel, Harmony, Honky Cat, Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Philadelphia Freedom, Sacrifice, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues, Burning Down The Mission, Blue Eyes, Empty Garden, Crocodile Rock. Encore: Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me, The Circle of Life, Benny and the Jets, Candle in the Wind.
30 Jun
Elton John Knebworth 1990
Elton John Knebworth 1990
The next time I saw Elton John was on a multi-act bill at Knebworth in 1990. This was the Silver Clef Award Winners Concert and had an amazing line-up including Pink Floyd, Cliff Richard & Genesis; The Shadows, Tears for Fears, Eric Clapton, Dire Straits, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant (with guest Jimmy Page), and Status Quo. Pretty strong bill! I won a pair of free tickets in a competition; I think is was with KitKat, and Marie and I went down for the weekend. This was a great concert, which deserves a blog post of its own. I’ll save that for another day, and limit my reflections today to Elton’s part of the day. Some of the acts such as Paul McCartney and Pink Floyd got to play pretty full sets, but most of the other bands were limited to a few songs. Elton played three of his own songs: Sacrifice; Sad Songs; and Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting, and also jammed with Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler, playing Sunshine of Your Love and possibly a couple of more songs. Pretty sure Ray Cooper was also in the band.
29 Jun
Elton John Newcastle City Hall 1986
Elton John Newcastle City Hall 1986
Elton was back at the City Hall in 1986. The tour was to promote his latest album, Ice on Fire, and started in the autumn of 1985 and continued until October 1986. Elton ended 1986 with a series of concerts in Australia at which he was accompanied by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The UK performances were staged in a mix of arenas (he played nine nights at Wembley arena) and small and intimate venues including Newcastle City Hall, Manchester Apollo and Edinburgh Playhouse. He played several nights at each venue, including three at Newcastle. The entire tour lasted for eighty-six shows and covered eleven continent. 
Setlist: Highlander; Tonight; One Horse Town; Better Off Dead; Rocket Man;
Honky Cat; Burn Down the Mission; Someone Saved My Life Tonight; The Bitch Is Back; A Song for You; Blue Eyes; I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues; Restless; Passengers; Bennie and the Jets; Sad Songs (Say So Much); Shoot Down the Moon; This Town; Nikita; I’m Still Standing; Your Song; Wrap Her Up; Candle in the Wind; Can I Get a Witness
28 Jun
Elton John Wembley Stadium Summer of 84 concert
Elton John Wembley Stadium Summer of 84 concert
This was the second time Elton had headlined at Wembley Stadium, fronting a line-up which also featured Big Country, Kool and The Gang, Wang Chung and Nik Kershaw. Big Country stepped in at the last minute as replacement for Paul Young who was unwell. I went with my mate Dave, we were both fans of Big Country at the time and we were pleased to see that they were added to the bill. The rest of the acts were ok, standout memories for me are Nik Kershaw and Wouldn’t It Be Nice (the superlative song The Riddle was to follow later that year), Dance Hall Days by Wang Chung, and Kool and the Gang’s set which was also a highlight. 
Elton was on top form that day, and the concert was a big success for him; particularly considering his less than successful previous appearance at Wembley Stadium 9 years before. I have two programmes from that day, one was produced for the concert itself, the other is Elton John’s own tour programme for the European tour, of which this concert was part. I was back at Wembley Stadium the following year for Live Aid, and Elton was again on the bill. 
Elton John setlist that day: Tiny Dancer; Hercules; Rocket Man; Daniel; Restless; Candle in the Wind; The Bitch Is Back; Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me; Sad Songs (Say So Much); Bennie and the Jets; Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word; Philadelphia Freedom; Blue Eyes; I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues; Kiss the Bride; One More Arrow; Too Low for Zero; I’m Still Standing; Your Song; Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting; Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; Crocodile Rock; Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On / I Saw Her Standing There / Twist and Shout.
27 Jun
Elton John Newcastle City Hall 1982
Elton John Newcastle City Hall 1982
This tour was to promote Elton’s Jump Up album, which was his 16th studio album. The tour started with two nights at Newcastle City Hall, and finished with sixteen consecutive performances at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. By this point in his career Elton was a true megastar; his recent hit at the time was “Blue Eyes”.
Setlist: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding; All the Girls Love Alice; Someone Saved My Life Tonight; Better Off Dead; Ball and Chain; Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny); Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; The Bitch Is Back; Pinball Wizard; Ticking; Elton’s Song;
Chloe; Where to Now St. Peter?; Where Have All the Good Times Gone?; Rocket Man; Bennie and the Jets; Teacher I Need You; Dear John; Your Song. Encore: Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting; Daniel; Crocodile Rock
26 Jun
Elton John Newcastle City Hall A Single Man 1979
Elton John Newcastle City Hall A Single Man 1979
This tour saw Elton playing solo, without his band, and accompanied by percussionist Ray Cooper during the second half of the show. I hadn’t been aware of Ray Cooper before this show, but for me, and the rest of the City Hall crowd that night, he was the star of the show. Ray used an array of percussion instruments in such a unique and charming way that he stole the show that night. The tour called at the City Hall for two nights. From Wiki:”Cooper absorbed the influence of rock drummers from the 1960s and 1970s such as Ginger Baker, Carmine Appice, and John Bonham. Incorporation of unusual instruments (for rock drummers of the time) such as cowbells, glockenspiel, and tubular bells, along with several standard kit elements, helped create a highly varied setup. 
Continually modified to this day, Cooper’s percussion set offers an enormous array of percussion instruments for sonic diversity such as the tambourine, congas, crash cymbals, cowbells, roto toms, tubular bells, the gong, snare and timpani.” Setlist: Elton solo: Your Song; Sixty Years On; Daniel; Skyline Pigeon; Take Me to the Pilot; Rocket Man; Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me; Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; Roy Rogers; Candle in the Wind; Where to Now St. Peter?; I Heard It Through the Grapevine. Elton with Ray Cooper: Funeral for a Friend / Tonight; Better Off Dead; I Think I’m Going to Kill Myself; Crazy Water; Bennie and the Jets; Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word; Part-Time Love; Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting; Pinball Wizard; Get Back; Song for Guy
25 Jun
Elton John Newcastle City Hall 1976
Elton John Newcastle City Hall 1976
Support Murray Head 
By 1976 Elton John had a batch of hits behind him and was a major rock star in the UK and across the world. Elton toured the UK and called at Newcastle City Hall where demand for tickets was mega. A mate and I got up early (ie 6am) on the day the tickets went on sale and went through to the City Hall to queue for our seats. The queue was pretty large by the time we arrived, but we still managed to score some seats, although we were upstairs at the side, and by no means in good seats. 
The tour was called “louder than Concorde” although I’m not sure why, as Elton John was hardly what I would call a loud act at the time. The programme has a silver cover which didn’t scan well! The back cover incorporates a push out paper Concorde, which I restrained myself from making and flying. Support for this tour came from Murray Head who had hit the charts with Say It Ain’t So. Elton put on his usual high energy show to a rapturous reception from the Newcastle crowd. Typical setlist from 1976: Skyline Pigeon; I Need You to Turn To; Sixty Years On; Border Song; Daniel; Love Song; Bennie and the Jets; The Greatest Discovery; Candle in the Wind; Rocket Man; Tonight; I Think I’m Going to Kill Myself; Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me; Better Off Dead; Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word; Someone Saved My Life Tonight; Sweet Painted Lady; Your Song; Island Girl; Don’t Go Breaking My Heart; Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
24 Jun
Elton John, Beach Boys, Eagles Wembley Stadium June 1975
Elton John, Beach Boys, Eagles Wembley Stadium June 1975 
Line-up (pretty great actually): Elton John, The Beach Boys, Eagles, Joe Walsh, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Stackridge, DJ and compere Johnnie Walker. This was a big gig for Elton John. He had just changed his band, with only Davey Johnstone remained from the previous line-up, and was about to release a new album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. I went down to London with a couple of mates and we stayed at a friend’s flat in Acton. We spent a couple of days in the capital before the concert and went to see Ducks Deluxe at the Marquee club, which was pretty good fun, except one of our party took ill and we spent half the night in hospital. The Wembley concert had an amazing line-up with Stackridge opening the day, Mutter Slater on his usual top form. Next up were Rufus who featured Chaka Khan, and delivered some funky soul rhythms. The rest of the bill featured Joe Walsh (Rocky Mountain Way was a big crowd favourite) and then the Eagles who performed all their hits and were joined by Jackson Brown on piano for Take it Easy. But the day belonged to one band: the Beach Boys who transformed the London stadium into sunny California and had us singing along to endless hit after hit. They went down a storm and Elton had a lot to live up to. 
This was one day when Elton made the wrong call. He decided to devote the majority of the set to playing the new Captain Fantastic album in its entirety. Now remember the album had only just been released and most of the crowd won’t have known any of the track. This didn’t go down well with the crowd, who were up for a greatest hit set, particularly after the Fun Fun Fun of the Beach Boys. People started to leave the stadium in their droves, including us. We made our way back to Acton where a couple of the flatmates were having a domestic. We decided to avoid that and set off on our 250 mile drive home, getting back in the early hours of the next morning. Setlist: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding; Rocket Man; Candle in the Wind; The Bitch Is Back; Dixie Lily; Philadelphia Freedom; Chameleon; Bennie and the Jets; Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds; I Saw Her Standing There; Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy; Tower of Babel; Bitter Fingers; Tell Me When the Whistle Blows; Someone Saved My Life Tonight; (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket; Better Off Dead; Writing; We All Fall in Love Sometimes; Curtains; Pinball Wizard; Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
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