Elvis (solo), Birmingham (UK), June 21, 2010

[sweetest punch]

Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/1F0 ... orcatid=60

[And No Coffee Table]

Setlist from the wiki site:

01. 45
02. Either Side Of The Same Town
03. Veronica
04. Down Among The Wines And Spirits
05. I Hope You're Happy Now
06. Condemned Man
07. Good Year For The Roses
08. Everyday I Write The Book
09. Bedlam
10. All Or Nothing At All
11. Slow Drag With Josephine
12. Jimmie Standing In The Rain
13. Watching The Detectives
14. Radio Sweetheart / Jackie Wilson Said
15. God's Comic
16. Hope
Encore 1
17. My Three Sons
18. Sulphur To Sugarcane
19. Alison
20. The Spell That You Cast
21. Shipbuilding
22. Bullets For The New-Born King
23. High Fidelity
24. Man Out Of Time
25. King Of Confidence
26. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
27. One Bell Ringing

"Hope" is new.

"King Of Confidence" was last played November 28, 1986.

[bronxapostle]

nice solo set indeed! wish i saw some of those songs in NY back in APRIL!

[verbal gymnastics]

The actual (which was Elvis'!) written setlist was

45
Either side of the same town
Veronica
Down among the wines and spirits
Brilliant mistake
I hope you're happy now
Condemned man
Good year for the roses
Everyday I write the book
Bedlam
Jimmie standing in the rain
Poison moon/King of confidence
A slow drag with Josephine
Watching the detectives
Radio sweetheart
God's comic
The river in reverse
Alison/In another room

Sulphur to sugarcane
Spell that you cast
Shipbuilding

One bell ringing
Peace love and understanding

All or nothing at all
Man out of time/I hope/I want you

This was in my view a much much better show than Meltdown. The acoustics in the Symphony Hall are fantastic and Sulky Lad had got us great seats four rows back dead centre. This made A slow drag with Josephine much easier to follow because it's a very quiet song and I shouldn't think it carries weIl if you are quite far back. Inexplicably there were four empty seats next to me but two of these were filled by people moving from their other seats to get closer.

Elvis really knows how to gauge the audience. There was one long encore which was simply building on the relationship and keeping the momentum going. He had a couple of sound problems and earlier, after Detectives (which had seen some "unusual" loops ) he caught my eye and raised his eyebrows. There was some buzzing I think which the sound engineers were trying to get to the bottom of after.

He was in a jovial mood and it took a little bit of time to get going. In fact it was only after Radio Sweetheart that the crowd came to life.

I hope your happy now was a beautiful soft reading and the new song, Hope, was also very soft.

King of Confidence was a fantastic treat and I wonder if it's on the new album. Sulky Lad and I were very pleased to see that one. I was going to shout out for Baby Pictures but that would have been stretching it a bit far.

One of the beauties of Elvis is that the printed setlist bears little resemblance to what he actually plays. We got High Fidelity and then he was standing thinking of what to play and then did a "Ooh I know what I'll play" and decided to play Man out of time. After he played Peace Love and Understanding he said he'd got time for one more song and ended on a new song. Having said that, we saw One Bell Ringing a year ago.

My Three Sons was played as a response to someone shouting out "My Three Sons Declan" (not that I think Elvis minds playing that one). Someone else shouted out for Just A Memory and Elvis said "he'd have to come back on that one".

We were lucky to get so many new songs.

Elvis was extremely kind outside and signed anything going and happily posed for pictures with anybody who asked.

One person asked Elvis what the best song he'd written was. Elvis said it was a difficult question and I said "The next one". Elvis said that was a good answer so I'll be looking to see if he uses it in any interviews!

Elvis has also lost a tremendous amount of weight but looks good for it.

I also spoke to his manager and said I was driving back to London (150 miles) and she said "So are we". On the way back I had visions of passing themon the motorway or bumping into them at a service station.

It was a great night. Roll on Wednesday.

[migdd]

Great account of what sounds like a fabulous show. Thanks, vg!

[sweetest punch]

http://www.expressandstar.com/entertain ... rt-review/


Elvis Costello In concert at Birmingham's Symphony Hall
Tuesday 22nd June 2010

The Attractions are long gone but Elvis Costello can still draw a crowd.

Birmingham Symphony Hall was full last night for his solo show. There was just Costello on stage – along with stands holding six guitars, which he frequently changed as he ran through his songs.

He walked on in suit, collar and tie, topped with a jaunty canvas hat. This was in contrast to many fans, who wore just shorts and T-shirts as the sun shone outside.

Costello’s opening included 45 and Veronica. Applause rang out for a stripped-down version of Good Year For The Roses, with none of the familiar country slide guitar.

Costello will be playing in front of much bigger crowds this weekend when he appears on the Paul McCartney bill at Cardiff and at Hyde Park in London but I doubt he’ll get more warmth and appreciation than was shown in Birmingham last night for his mixture of folk, blues and jazz influenced work.

[oldhamer]

I was there as well. It's only the second time I've seen EC live. The other time was with the Brodsky's last year, so it was fantastic to see just him with a few guitars.

A really impressive show. Loved all of it, just trying to think of some highlights. "Either Side of the Same Town" showed just how good a singer he was. God's Comic is one of my favourite EC songs so was great to hear a live version, complete with amusing audience singalong. "Radio Sweetheart" was a nice treat, I'd forgotten just how good a song it was. My jaw finally dropped to the floor when he played "King of Confidence". One of my favourite KOA outtakes, though I prefer "Shoes Without Heels" personally.

I liked the new songs. Is Josephine written by EC? The way he played it, I thought at first it was an old C&W song from the '50s or '60s. EC played it unamplified. My friend, who came along not knowing any EC songs, thought that version was "tremendous". So we have another convert. There were six songs I hadn't heard of - do we know if they'll all be on the new album.

In case you're interested, as VG hinted "I hope you're happy now" was like the slowed-down version on KOA bonus disc. Everyday I write the book sounded like the version Ron Sexsmith did on Spectacle.

I really wanted to shout out a request for "I'll Wear it Proudly", but didn't have the balls. Maybe next year...

[migdd]

Two of the rarities from the show:


King Of Confidence
MP3 (192k, 3.7 MB) [2:42]
http://www.mediafire.com/?m4nt5yjyg0y

I Hope
MP3 (192k, 4.4 MB) [3:13]
http://www.mediafire.com/?w5wyzuhwhyj

[Lester Burnham]

Wow, 'I Hope' is really quite good. I transcribed the lyrics (at least, my approximation of them) and while they're kinda basic, they really do take on a whole new meaning with the music and Elvis's pained voice. (Maybe it's just me, but there's a debt of sorts to 'Broken', which I really like, so I might be in the minority when I say how much I like this song!) This sounds to me like it could be an album closer, a la Neil Young and songs he does on pump organ, etc.

Here's my shot at the lyrics:

Sometime, somewhere
We're gonna meet again, I know
And I won't love you anymore
I hope

Somewhere, somehow
You're gonna need me
Like I'm needing you right now
I hope

Keep on dancing and let the music play
Tonight's the night I'm gonna dance the night away
Tomorrow, tomorrow
You'll be gone

So long, goodbye
I know that I'm gonna cry
But I'll forget you by and by
I hope, I hope

[charliestumpy]

Ta for 'hope' - very nice.

[Neil.]

I just heard Hope live in Cardiff, for the first time. I almost burst into tears. It's one of the best things he's ever done - one of the best live performances I've ever seen him give. I hope.... it becomes a standard, a late-career hit. We can but - yes, you guessed it - hope.

[johnfoyle]

http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=529

[funkygibbon666]

Wow, my recording is featured on the BigO! I am honoured

[verbal gymnastics]

I'm honoured too as part of my review is quoted as well!