Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013/ Grantham the day before

Pretty self-explanatory
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verbal gymnastics
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Simply amazing for a number of reasons - but as I don't have access to a laptop today here's some snippets:

Great to meet so many forum members - sheeptotheslaughter and his lovely family, history repeats. Fishfinger King, johnfoyle who it's always good to see, MOOT
Lovely staff at the venue - thanks for the gig poster which Elvis and the boys duly signed
Brilliant set
Elvis' walkabout into the standing crowd
Detectives/Help me and walking to the balcony where, at the end he shouted Green Shirt and the BA d played it Elvis spun the wheel to show the rainbow jackpot
Pretty words and Kinder Murder
Phil Jupitus was great in the cage
Elvis was clearly surprised to see Rhoda Dakar (I didn't realise it was her until reading the above posts)

The vibe was great and it was fantastic to be right at the front on the barrier. Elvis was chatty and told a couple of new stories. There's no doubting that the imposter speaks twitter is Elvis. He told us about his train journey from York to London in which the train broke down at Grantham (where Margaret Thatcher was born). The imposter speaks posted a picture of Grantham station.

The band was chatty outside. Pete said to me "Here's a man who knows all the words" and said Elvis just came out with playing Pretty Words in the afternoon. Pete thought "Bloody hell!".

Davey was very friendly as ever and gave me a warm greeting. He was with his son who had spun the wheel and danced onstage. Elvis said Davey's son was a drummer and could teach Pete a few licks.

Steve was friendly and chatty.

They all didn't know what to make of the venue but there were no complaints from us.

Elvis was very friendly and spent a lot of time happily posing for photos and signing bits and pieces. I asked him if they could play All the Rage. Elvis laughed and said "Hmm. We haven't played that for a while!". So if it gets played you'll know who to thank :lol:

Just a couple of MOOT points - it was me who said about the Lights Out lyric and Alison also included You've been cheating.

Hard to believe but this was better than the second Royal Albert Hall gig.

Roll on Basingstoke!
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Bradwellboy
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by Bradwellboy »

Hi All

Another great night in Southend and great to see John again and other members.

Many thanks to Azmuda for posting a couple of my pics from Twitter.

Phil Jupitus had a great time on stage and the other pic is just before the start of the gig and is my son who's name happens to be...............Declan

Roll on Cork will tweet from there.
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Incidentally there was a conversation about the "n" word in Oliver's Army in one of the threads recently. Elvis definitely and deliberately mumbled it last night.

And I forgot - Stella Hurt and I want you were stellar!
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by sulky lad »

As myms and back are killing me from the packing, I just want to say I hate you all for attending this gig withput me :roll:
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Sulky - you're going to hate me and fishfinger king even more as we're both going to the last 3 shows :P 8)
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by sheeptotheslaughter »

Verbal, thank you for the kind words about the 'Sheep' family.

It was lovely to meet you and John and have a good chat. Great to meet the band and have photos taken with them.

The show was great. Up there with one of the best Elvis shows I have been to. I'm not a lover of Bedlam but I thought that was one of the highlights. Good to hear Green Shirt and Pretty Words. Last time I heard Green Shirt was the London Palladium many moons ago.

The only downside was young miss sheep was due at college yesterday for an exam at 9am, she overslept and we forgot. We had met her lecturer at the show beforehand so she knew young Sheep had a night out. (Actually there was no downside really)

A Brilliant night out, to those of you attending the rest of the tour have a great one and hope to see you soon.
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by johnfoyle »

My photos -

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... _11_jf.jpg


I still can't believe my luck on getting to this fantastic show. Elvis was in top form, commanding the stage and keeping the show going in a brisk manner , offering up a fine tuned version of the 'Spinning show that I saw last year in Dublin. The ensemble showed the benefit of having been on the road for a few weeks. Not the nervy, super careful moves of a band doing a new show, nor the tired, going through the motions, jaded , end-of-tour auto pilot that may be ahead. The inclusion of obscure numbers seems to constantly refresh them. Speaking to some us afterwards Pete & Davey did mock horror faces when talking about Elvis' seeming random suggestion that afternoon in the sound check that Pretty Words be done for the first time by this set up. It is, of course, all show on their parts - they must have secretly loved the opportunity to show their ability and it showed in the bite and determination that was on their faces.

It was great to meet up with so many , before and after. It's been a crazy week for me. A close relative survived a accident totally unharmed on Monday. It could so easily have gone the other way and this could have the worst week of my life. It wasn't but the thought of that possibility was - and is - still in my mind. It has also served, as these events usually do, to make me more willing to appreciate things like Elvis' show all the more. Roll on Westport next week!
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by verbal gymnastics »

I don't think the horror was mock from the way Pete was talking. However I do agree that they love playing more obscure sing which really give them all the opportunity to show their skills and versatility.
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by Azmuda »

Girls Talk / Watching The Detectives / Help Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf2iLsmwXsM
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by Man out of Time »

Pretty Words:




The sound quality is better than the picture quality, shot from the balcony by someone holding their phone at 90 degrees to horizontal, but still very grateful to have it.

MOOT
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by Man out of Time »

Live review posted on 23 June 2013 by blogger Vet Sounds

"Live Review - Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Southend Cliffs Pavilion (19th June 2013)

So I thought this would be good but...

What a night that was. The fact the gig was literally down my road always adds to my enjoyment, knowing you don't have to travel home a long way home after a late show is obviously a huge bonus, but I'd seen the tour last year, and seen Costello with different projects 2 times before that, so I felt I had pretty realistic expectations of what to expect, but there was some extra magic in the air tonight.

The current tour has a rather novel concept; a large game-show wheel stands prominently to one side of the stage with various song titles on (along with some "jokers" and themed sections), a pretty assistant ventures into the audience, brings a couple of punters up, they spin the wheel, Elvis and the band play the song chosen by the wheel, while the enlisted punters relax at the on-stage bar or dance in the cage on the other side of the stage.

The wheel doesn't dictate the entire set. If certain major hits aren't selected by the wheel, he plays them anyway. Generally, he was asking people what they most wanted to hear on the wheel, and then duly obliging their wish, in addition to the result of the wheel. There are also sections of the set where Elvis plays songs not listed on the wheel at all. The wheel serves to add a human element to the show, and adds a level of unpredictability to the set. In this way, it liberates the set rather than confines it.

The wheel, the audience participation, the unpredictable set, all serve a purpose and provide the makings of a really fun evening, but Elvis' performance takes it to a whole new level. He's almost like a performing encyclopedia of music; veering between genres with equal aplomb and skill. The wheel landed on "She" quite early in the set, and although my heart sank initially, by the end of the song I had to clap. He ingests enough energy into the earlier new-wave stuff to satisfy that type of fan, but it's in the quieter moments that the full scope of his talents becomes apparent. A particularly jaw-dropping moment occurred towards the end of the night, acoustic guitar in hand, playing a couple of ragtime, Americana-tinged tracks from his last studio album "National Ransom", he steps away from the mic and launches into a spurt of "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime"; the authority and nuance in his voice, just reaches out and shakes you to your core.

Seeing and hearing him "wig-out" in some of the more epic moments of the set is particularly satisfying too. Elvis generally keeps his music lean, but extended moments like "I Want You" and "Stella Hurt" bring real scope and rock credentials to the set; another weapon in his arsenal of musical wonders.

You also realise the sheer amount of great songs he's amassed over the years; hearing "Lip Service", "Radio Radio", "Shipbuilding", "...Chelsea", "Alison" (need I go on?), all in the same evening, is just sheer joy. And there's a case for closing every gig everywhere with "Peace, Love, and Understanding" being a legal requirement.

Elvis, in a way, has a similar approach to Springsteen with his live shows; he wants to draw the audience in, he goes for length (Elvis is on for nearly 2 hours 40 minutes), getting through about 31 songs, allowing for big hits, current creative directions, and deep cuts for the hardcore. Where Springsteen opts for pulling signs out of the crowd to add spontaniety to the set, Elvis has opted for a giant wheel which allows for audience interaction. It's just so well-judged.

I left the venue giddy with joy. That was up there with the best gigs I've ever seen. I don't even think I would've minded a longer journey home. "

Roll on 4 June... I have my ticket for row E. Shame it will be seated this time.. "No Dancing"?

MOOT
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013

Post by johnfoyle »

Elvis tweeted some photos the day before the Southend show -

@ImposterSpeaks: Standing on a platform at York station

Followed a hour later by -
@ImposterSpeaks: Standing on a platform...etc... #iknewitwouldcometothis #iblamedrbeeching #onyerbike
https://twitter.com/ImposterSpeaks/stat ... 5009050624


Image

Image

MOOT posted elsewhere -

Elvis told the story of his stop at Grantham station on stage in Southend. Apparently his train from York back to London broke down just outside Grantham and limped into the station there. All the passengers got off, and Elvis said it was like a bad dream for him. He was expecting a posse of "villagers with blazing torches" to appear demanding retribution for "Tramp The Dirt Down". Apparently this did not happen and he reached London unscathed.


Chris Toast today posted on Instagram that he is working in Grantham for Christmas. I hope that EC label doesn't get him grief! :D

Image
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013/ Grantham the day before

Post by verbal gymnastics »

I am so pleased to reread this thread. It's without doubt one of - if not the best Elvis gig and night I've ever had.
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013/ Grantham the day before

Post by sulky lad »

:x
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013/ Grantham the day before

Post by verbal gymnastics »

It's probably best that I don't also mention the two Songbook Shows at Brighton Centre when Chris Difford came out and they played different Squeeze songs... :lol:
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Re: Elvis/The Imposters, Southend on Sea, 19 June 2013/ Grantham the day before

Post by Fishfinger king »

verbal gymnastics wrote:I am so pleased to reread this thread. It's without doubt one of - if not the best Elvis gig and night I've ever had.
Yes it is good to read again. If not the best then certainly in the top three. Makes you itch to see a run of Imposters gigs in 2018!
Can't you see I'm trying to change this water to wine
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