New Gig Thread

[Otis Westinghouse]

Splendid. First Pophead and now you, nice to see people following the tour around the country.

[verbal gymnastics]

As if seeing Paul well a few weeks ago and in a few weeks' time, I've just booked to see him at Brixton Academy on 24th November.

Either Mrs VG or myself will be going to see The Kooks on Friday at the same venue. As Mini VG is now taking a bottle last thing at night, I'm hoping Mrs VG will be able to have a good night out, leaving me home alone with a sleeping baby, beer, crisps and a whole lotta My Name Is Earl to watch

[so lacklustre]

Billy Bragg at the Reading Hexagon last night. Did just short of two hours with a good mixture of new (7 or 8 from Mr Love & Justice) and old songs with plenty of chat (as usual). Good to have The Short Answer and The Saturday Boy. Front row centre tickets in 2000 all seated venue, sound was excellent and had a good time. Wallis Bird, a London based Irish singer/songwriter opened, she had the gift of the gab and average songs (very KT Tunstall in style).
Approximate set list:
World Turned Upside Down
To Have and Have Not
Farm Boy
The Short Answer
The Saturday Boy
Way Over Yonder In The Modern Key
I Keep Faith
I Almost Killed You
Greetings To the New Brunette
Sexuality
Mr Love & Justice
Tank Park Salute
Levi Stubbs Tears
Something Happened
Pinball Wizard (first verse whilst doing Johnny Cash impression)
Old Clash Fan Fight Song
O Freedom
Power In the Union
Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards (incorporated Boris line)
-----------
Sing Their Souls Back Home
A New England

[bambooneedle]

Did he justify himself pretty well?

Power In the Union... yeah right... I hate his simplistic treatment in songs like that. He completely avoids mentioning what a bunch of selfish, meddling idiots they can be. I heard a live performance of Power And Accountability where he was rousing up easy reactions from some drunks in some pub, with him doing his best to put on that ostensibly righteous and self-justified voice (so phony!) with cliched lines about something being made overseas and migrants taking their local jobs... stuff like that. He's a dickhead. Tries to appeal to what he thinks are the most basic and unenlightened group emotions because he's almost guarranteed a reaction that way, tends to stereotype workers etc a lot.

[so lacklustre]

Whereas Axl Rose Freddy Mercury and Michael Hutchence are/were the true voices of the people. I don't know where you get your apparent abhorance for BB, perhaps if you made the effort to go and see him live you would get the passion, humility and sincerity that he puts over. He is first and foremost a great entertainer, he writes great songs several of which have been covered by (or given to) others. He does a lot of good - one of his current projects is to supply musical instruments to prison inmates to help rehabiliate them rather than turning them into career inmates. As part of the project he recently spent three days giving a song writing course at Walton Prison (Liverpool), and he played a song (April Fool's Day) that he and the inmates wrote together at last night's gig. The unions may contain some self righteous self-serving idiots but as a whole they have also done a great deal of good. Without them we would still be largely oppressed and a much larger proportion of the country/world would be in poverty. It is the unions and the broad left who have fought against the far right fascists of the NF and BNP over the years and to large extent been successful. The BNP have recently been gaining support in some parts of the country over here but that is due to the lack of vision of Blair's Labour government over the past ten years.

http://www.jailguitardoors.org.uk/

[Otis Westinghouse]

When I saw him live I totally reconnected with my 1983/4 university student political conscience when the country was being raped by Thatcher and the miners tossed on a slagheap. And the political group insignia on the backdrop took me straight back to then too. Fight the fascists! On paper you could have been cynical, at the gig it was inspiring. His mixture of consummate entertainer (one third talking to two thirds music, more or less, with the talk often worthy of a good stand-up comedian (e.g. making observations that Woody Guthrie was partial to under-age girls and the 'Way Over Yonder in the Minor [not 'Modern'!] Key' was a celebration of this, all done subtly with respect for the great man) . We queued up for his book signing at the end, and it was nice to see close up what a genuine, caring sort of person he is. Phony is the absolute last thing he is. Sure he may have traded in grimy Barking for leafy Dorset, but he's earned hit through his honesty and graft.

[bambooneedle]

He is first and foremost a great entertainer,

His mixture of consummate entertainer ...

He's a clown who has figured out his routine. He could never be a genuine political agitator, too much of a caricature.

I'm not against unions but I wonder if Bragg had had to deal with the union that i've had to whether he'd still paint such a pretty picture about them, all idealized heroism and altruism and perfect camaraderie et al. That's not honest, and he knows it. Same with his flirting with that bar crowd's racism. I still have that recording on my other hard-drive so maybe I'll show you one day. It was in America and it was in reference to Mexicans. But his positions are fixed, it's all black or white, the union is great and that's that, they're heroic, he can't allow himself to write anything more confronting or challenging or insightful, he's got to stick to that safe route. That's not the sort of approach I find entertaining.

Otis, I've read a bit about his book where he tries to define English values and patriotism etc, how did you find it?

[BlueChair]

Booked Red & I to see The Swell Season, also known as Glen Hansard & Marketa Irgolva, the talented duo and Academy Award winners from Once. They're playing at the legendary Massey Hall in September. Can't wait.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Otis, I've read a bit about his book where he tries to define English values and patriotism etc, how did you find it?

I didn't read it, a friend was getting a signed copy for her bro's Christmas prezzie, but I like what he says on Radio 4 whenever they get him on to talk about the subject, his angle being the opposite of what you accuse him of, it's not all black and white. We're all mongrels, we can be proud of certain aspects of our English heritage, Englishness is quite a confused concept, etc. He's a good example of someone with a true working class accent and identity who is also very intelligent and articulate and is therefore quite a change from the usual voices you hear on Radio 4. I love what he stands for.

I've been paying my union dues since first taking up work in this country and am proud to do so, and there is power in unions. Not a return to the 1970s way of doing things, but protection of workers' rights and dignity. In this country people are being screwed over their pensions left, right and centre, and my company (the oldest publisher in the world blah blah) were no exception. What had been a fantastic pension became not much good and no compensation was offered over the change and it was very poorly instituted and communicated, and the union managed to get us all some compensation and official recognition that this had been mishandled. There is power in a union and God bless Billy Bragg for having the honesty and integrity to sing of such things, in among his many potent songs about love and relationships. I've never been that big a fan and don't generally listen to his music, but live he is inspirational.

[eleanor ruby]

I saw Jason Webley for the fourth time last week. If you haven't heard of him, you should check him out. He does a sort of gypsy folk/polka thing on accordian and guitar; he's an incredible songwriter; and he puts on the most fun live show I've ever experienced. He was accompanying Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, who rock in the truest sense of the word. Also, this month I am seeing Local H, a two-person rock band from Chicago, for the fourth time.

In June I am seeing The Dresden Dolls' frontwoman, Amanda Palmer, perform with the Boston Pops (this I cannot wait for), and I don't think I have anything else to look forward to until Radiohead and (hopefully) Nine Inch Nails in August. This has been a rather lackluster year as far as concerts go -- not because there is nothing to see, but because I have very little money. Ah well.

[Who Shot Sam?]

In June I am seeing The Dresden Dolls' frontwoman, Amanda Palmer, perform with the Boston Pops (this I cannot wait for)

Wow, that should be something. I like their stuff.

Radiohead, Nick Cave, Elbow, Tom Waits all touring this summer and it looks like I'll miss all of 'em. Crap. I really wish RH had scheduled something other than a festival date for the NY area.

[eleanor ruby]

Yeah, the Amanda Palmer/Boston Pops show should be incredible. I tend to gravitate toward her solo material, and they will be doing both Dresden Dolls and solo songs with new arrangements.

Speaking of Nick Cave and Tom Waits, they are both coming nowhere near me. Well, Cave is coming to Madison Square Garden... which just doesn't sound like fun. I'd like a more intimate setting, especially seeing as how I've loved The Bad Seeds for years and have still never seen them live. Sigh. I feel like I'm running out of time.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Well, Cave is coming to Madison Square Garden... which just doesn't sound like fun. I'd like a more intimate setting, especially seeing as how I've loved The Bad Seeds for years and have still never seen them live. Sigh. I feel like I'm running out of time.

It's not the arena. It's the theater at MSG. I have another commitment that I can't get out of, unfortunately. He's one of those guys I've wanted to see live for years.

[Otis Westinghouse]

I almost saw him this evening. Friend had a spare, but I had school appointments with my son and couldn't have got down to the Hammy Apollo in time.

[eleanor ruby]

It's not the arena. It's the theater at MSG. I have another commitment that I can't get out of, unfortunately. He's one of those guys I've wanted to see live for years.

Same here. Maybe it would be worth making the trek after all...

[BlueChair]

Aimee Mann is playing a free in-store performance after work at my favourite Toronto record store, Sonic Boom. Red & I will be there and will report back later.

[Emotional Toothpaste]

Going to see Wilco a week from tomorrow night here in St. Louis

Old 97's a couple weeks after that

and I'm going to make sure this time I get up close seats to Tom Waits on the 26th at the Fox, cost be damned. The Orphans Tour in Chicago sitting in the upper balcony, obstructed view - sucked.

[BlueChair]

Great turn-out for the Aimee Mann in-store! Everyone from little kids to folks in their early 60s were there. I got there early enough that I was able to see her and her band (which was just her on acoustic guitar, some guy on bass and some other guy on keyboards) do a quick soundcheck.

I didn't keep a huge amount of track, but she only played songs from her new album, Smilers, which comes out in June... probably about 6 or 7 of them. They were all very good songs... I'm looking forward to the record and seeing a full show when she returns in August.

[pophead2k]

Aimee is always terrific live. Because most of her material is decidedly mid-tempo, there's not a lot of ebb and flow, but her voice is a thing of beauty and the bands she has assembled are always sympathetic to the song. The new one is great (got my hands on an advance-advance copy). Produced by Paul Bryant, her bassist, with nary an electric guitar in sight. Lots of moog textures, but very pop. The acoustic guitar based Little Tornado is just fantastic.

[BlueChair]

She kind of has her comfortable songwriting methods that she sticks with, but hey, so did people like Van Morrison and Nick Drake, and we didn't fault them for it. And although I've only heard about half of the songs from this record, it sounds to be her best in a while - certainly since Lost In Space if not the stunning Bachelor No. 2 (which remains in my personal Top 10 Albums of All-Time)

[BlueChair]

And here are some photos, snapped with my mobile phone!





On another exciting note, I finally booked tickets to see Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (feat. T-Bone Burnett) in Toronto - July 14!

[queenofthefleapit]

Just got back from a trip to see Radiohead in Charlotte NC. Great show!!! I am very tired and hoarse from screaming/singing along (which, to me, is always an indicator of a great concert). Thom Yorke's singing blew me away, as always- he is quite the showman in a odd sort of way. Setlist:

Set 1: All I Need, There There, Airbag, 15 Step, Nude, Sail to the Moon, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, Myxomatosis, Idioteque, Morning Bell, Videotape, Optimistic, Where I End and You Begin, You and Whose Army?, Everything in Its Right Place, Bangers & Mash, Bodysnatchers

Encore 1: Go Slowly, Talk Show Host, Exit Music, Planet Telex, House of Cards

Encore 2: Paranoid Android, Reckoner

[strangerinthehouse]

Myxomatosis!!!

I saw Radiohead on Tuesday at the Florida Fairgrounds Amphiteathre and I really wished they had played that song but it was still an amazing show. The strips of light over the band were pretty cool, especially during the National Anthem.

I was able to sneak in my video camera and recorded a several songs, I did miss out on Thom Yorke's trademark dancing because there was a cop standing right in front of me.

There was a cool moment with the screen during You and Whose Army, where all you see is Thom in a black and white screen as the music plays. "That's for the Folks on the Hill," he said afterwards.

I do think that some of the mellower songs from In Rainbows got lost in the big amphitheatre audience and since I was a bit far I felt like watching Weird Fish/Arpeggi would have a greater impact in a smaller venue.

Here's some screen grabs from the video:

[queenofthefleapit]

Yeah, the Charlotte crowd went nuts over Myxomatosis. Hell, they went nuts over the vast majority of the songs. My personal freak-out moment had to be when they broke into Paranoid Android (which Thom introduced as a "nasty little bastard").
Great band, great show...

[Otis Westinghouse]

And I like the way they followed that to close with 'Reckoner', which I reckon to be one of the best things on the very god In Rainbows. Can't believe I still haven't seen them live! Really should have on this tour. Next time...