Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Pretty self-explanatory
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sweetest punch
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Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by sweetest punch »

Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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docinwestchester
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by docinwestchester »

Are the Swiss familiar with what the expression "blue balls" means here in the U.S.? Probably not, I would guess.
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Man out of Time
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by Man out of Time »

Poster for the event, featuring some, er, blue balls. Interesting to see Laura Mvula get top billing.
BBF13_Plakat.jpg
BBF13_Plakat.jpg (32.8 KiB) Viewed 11689 times
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johnfoyle
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by johnfoyle »

Anyone etc.?
Azmuda
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by Azmuda »

docinwestchester wrote:Are the Swiss familiar with what the expression "blue balls" means here in the U.S.?
This reminds me of the "Mall's Balls" in Adelaide.
taramasalata
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by taramasalata »

I'm going of course!
Strange but definitely marvellous to get to see him for the 2nd time in 14 months in Switzerland, after the great gig in Zurich last year with the Spinning Songbook this time Lucerne at the KKL, a venue with an excellent acoustics and a fantastic surrounding right on Lake Lucerne with a magnificent view on the lake and the Alps from the spectacular roof terrace, the same place where he took the stage together with Allen Toussaint in 2007.
From reading all your great posts from this your's European tour with such an exuberance of good humour and joy of music and his never ending enthusiasm about music I'm really looking forward to it. The Spinning Book was a great thing but it didn't always work in the best dramaturgic way if you have to start with "Turpentine", warm up with the crowd with "She", play the unknown-to-most "Talking in the dark" just to HAVE to follow with "Tokyo Storm Warning" .... as happened to him last year in Zurich! It must haven been the Swiss politeness (or fear of stepping out of the social norm) that made them stay .... and become very delighted the longer it continued (and it did up to nearly 3 hours!).
So maybe I get to meet Hans again, a dedicated follower of our board as a reader, though as far as I remember from our last year's brief chat doesn't post. So Hans, if you read this, let me know, maybe we could meet again there for a chat, would be nice.
johnfoyle
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by johnfoyle »

Enjoy!
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And No Coffee Table
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by And No Coffee Table »

Watching The Detectives: http://vine.co/v/hKIuXOXMJHJ
taramasalata
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by taramasalata »

The Setlist as far as I noticed it:

Man out of time
Mouth almighty
Blue chair
American gangster time
Everyday I write the book
New lace sleeves
45
Radio Radio
Stations of the cross
All time doll
Watching the detectives
Bedlam
One bell ringing
Shipbuilding
She
Almost blue
Green shirt
Oliver's army
Bullets for the new-born king
After the fall
Brilliant mistake

1st encore:
Slow drag for Josephine
Jimmie standing in the rain
Beyond belief
What's so funny about PLU
I don't wanna go to Chelsea
I want you

"Do you want more?"
All these strangers
Alison

(not so sure about where the encores started...)

All in all it was an excellent gig, great playing & singing, wonderful setlist (6 songs from National Ransom!, After the fall, 45, New lace sleeves, Mouth Almighty!), great location, full house.
Like most times it took them 5,6 songs to really get into it, there was a bit of pressure and urgency missing in the beginning and the sound still had to get better, so it wasn't that fantastic as the setlist suggests. And I wonder why he is always playing these sonically wonderful but always rather tough-to-get-the-people-excited seated venues... Rock'n Roll doesn't mix with sitting!
After "New lace sleeves" he finally started talking to the audience by joking about the new born royal of the day not withholding the nice fact that the still nameless one is being born in the same hospital as Declan: "I feel sorry that my birth hasn't been such a boon to mankind as...
This is the story of my life in 3 1/2 minutes" he continued and segued into "45".
What makes concerts by EC so great, even if you see him for the 15th time, is his ever changing setlists and the miracle that songs that you would never had expected suprisingly stand out as highlights of the show: Yesterday that's what happened with fantastic renditions of "Stations of the cross", "All time doll", "One bell ringing" or "After the fall" (duet with Steve Nieve).
Another miracle is the fact that he can still make songs like "Watching the detectives" (with a long claustrophobic interlude, a slight reference to the upcoming Wise up Ghost?) or "I want you" play as vibrant and urgent like it had been written today. And taking his freedom to play "All these strangers" very quietly and subtle with the whole crowd up on their feet after 2 1/2 hours.
One of the BEST shows of him that I have seen, sheer brilliance!
Last edited by taramasalata on Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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docinwestchester
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by docinwestchester »

Another brilliant setlist. Thanks for the review.
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verbal gymnastics
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by verbal gymnastics »

I agree with the comment about the varying setlists.

And you got American Gangster Time. I haven't seen that one live.

Personally I love that he's opening with different songs.
Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo?
sweetest punch
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by sweetest punch »

Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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Man out of Time
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by Man out of Time »

A decent photo gallery although Steve fails to appear, and Pete and Davey only in the corner of the shot.

http://ch.tilllate.com/de/photoalbum/ov ... 0659904#p1

Enjoy

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Man out of Time
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Re: Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne (SWITZ), July 23, 2013

Post by Man out of Time »

She (during which EC goes walkabout in the auditorium):



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