Elvis Queen's Festival Belfast 28 October 2011

[johnfoyle]

Setlist deciphered from my notes -


1. Oliver's Army ( acoustic guitar)
2. Either Side Of The Same Town ( acoustic guitar)
3. Veronica ( acoustic guitar)
4. Good Year For The Roses ( acoustic guitar)
5. New Amsterdam / You've Got To Hide Your Love Away ( acoustic guitar)
6. Last Boat Leaving ( acoustic guitar)
7. Suit Of Lights ( acoustic guitar)
8. Everyday I Write The Book ( acoustic guitar)
9. Bedlam ( acoustic guitar)
10.All Or Nothing At All ( acoustic guitar - sitting down)
11.A Slow Drag With Josephine ( acoustic guitar )
12. Jimmie Standing In The Rain/Buddy Can You Spare A Dime? ( acoustic guitar)
13. Watching The Detectives ( backing track intro., electric guitar)
14. Radio Sweetheart/Jackie Wilson Said ( acoustic guitar )
15. Gods Comic ( acoustic guitar )
16. Alison/Over The Rainbow ( acoustic guitar )
17. Almost Blue ( piano)
18. Don't Bother Me /It Doesn't Bother me ( acoustic guitar - sitting down)
19. I Want You ( electric guitar)
20. Pennies From Heaven/A Voice In The Dark ( acoustic guitar )
21. Indoor Fireworks ( acoustic guitar )
22. Poison Moon ( acoustic guitar )
23. National Ransom No. 5 ( backing track intro., piano, klaxon)
24. Shipbuilding ( acoustic guitar )
25. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? ( acoustic guitar )
26. Pump It Up ( electric guitar )
27. I Hope ( acoustic guitar )

[Neil.]

Sounds great - 'I Hope' live is wonderful. Elvis solo is always such a treat. It's like you're getting him all to yourself - just you, his guitar, and that voice. Glad it was a good 'un.

[bronxapostle]

so we are indeed up to RANSOM # 5 already? i hope some mp3 person can make a thread to have all five in one spot for us please.

[Ulster Boy]

Setlist deciphered from my notes -


1. Oliver's Army ( acoustic guitar)
2. Either Side Of The Same Town ( acoustic guitar)
3. Veronica ( acoustic guitar)
4. Good Year For The Roses ( acoustic guitar)
5. New Amsterdam / You've Got To Hide Your Love Away ( acoustic guitar)
6. Last Boat Leaving ( acoustic guitar)
7. Suit Of Lights ( acoustic guitar)
8. Everyday I Write The Book ( acoustic guitar)
9. Bedlam ( acoustic guitar)
10.All Or Nothing At All ( acoustic guitar - sitting down)
11.A Slow Drag With Josephine ( acoustic guitar )
12. Jimmie Standing In The Rain/Buddy Can You Spare A Dime? ( acoustic guitar)
13. Watching The Detectives ( backing track intro., electric guitar)
14. Radio Sweetheart/Jackie Wilson Said ( acoustic guitar )
15. Gods Comic ( acoustic guitar )
16. Alison/Over The Rainbow ( acoustic guitar )
17. Almost Blue ( piano)
18. Don't Bother Me /It Doesn't Bother me ( acoustic guitar - sitting down)
19. I Want You ( electric guitar)
20. Pennies From Heaven/A Voice In The Dark ( acoustic guitar )
21. Indoor Fireworks ( acoustic guitar )
22. Poison Moon ( acoustic guitar )
23. National Ransom No. 5 ( backing track intro., piano, klaxon)
24. Shipbuilding ( acoustic guitar )
25. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? ( acoustic guitar )
26. Pump It Up ( electric guitar )
27. I Hope ( acoustic guitar )

John, I had "She" also, sitting down so (I think) immediately after All or nothing at all

[johnfoyle]

Apologys all - She was done as 'Boy states.

[blureu]

so we are indeed up to RANSOM # 5 already? i hope some mp3 person can make a thread to have all five in one spot for us please.

When and where did versions #1-4 occur? I've lost track.

[And No Coffee Table]

Good Year For The Roses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r9VVG2QxFU (not the best image quality...)
Pump It Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lurPl2TaHTE

[docinwestchester]

so we are indeed up to RANSOM # 5 already? i hope some mp3 person can make a thread to have all five in one spot for us please.

This is one wacked-out version of NR:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTs_2kphP9Q#t=0m13s

Similar to the soundtrack from the video he filmed in Japan (NR #2?)

[Ulster Boy]

so we are indeed up to RANSOM # 5 already? i hope some mp3 person can make a thread to have all five in one spot for us please.

This is one wacked-out version of NR:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTs_2kphP9Q#t=0m13s

Similar to the soundtrack from the video he filmed in Japan (NR #2?)

It was racous. What I didn't capture on that video was when he turned the klaxon (police siren) on....

Other thoughts from the concert:

Watching the Detectives starting with the backing track from the recorded version, is that a new trick? Some of the electronic pedal effects seemed to confound him a bit at times...

Nice that the venue was able to provide a grand piano, unlike the electronic keyboard that had to suffice in Sligo.

The chewing of gum (?) as John spotted, did make him look at times as if he was struggling with dentures...

Not an awful lot of between song banter, though he seemed in amiable form. The schtick during Radio Sweetheart and God's Comic could have been from 25 years ago (but enjoyable nevertheless). Somone called for "Tramp the dirt down" and he quipped "not long now!" He managed to get in a plug for the May 2012 tour.

Opening with Oliver's Army was a neat move, a song written following his first appearance in Belfast in 1978. He changed the line to "boys from the Mersey, the Lagan and the Tyne..."

[johnfoyle]

Rave blog review -

http://memineandotherbits.wordpress.com ... -building/

[johnfoyle]

Belfast setlist ( before I got it autographed in Sligo the following day )

[sweetest punch]

PLU: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qj3I1SXJ9o
WTD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhMv1k-StHc

[Man out of Time]

Review on the BBC "Across the Line" site, by Owen McNulty. Not entirely positive, but he does like National Ransom #5 ...

People were still filing in to the Waterfront when out skipped Mr Costello in a bespoke suit, cocked hat and the trademark glasses. The stage looked great with a grand piano and 5 guitars all in a pretty row and he picked up one of the acoustics and started strongly with ‘Oliver’s Army’. It was a good safe start from the veteran of 30 something albums and got the crowd on his side straight away.

There is no band on this tour and a solo show like this is a great opportunity to display the finer points of song craft from one of the modern greats. And with a captive audience that’s exactly what was provided. He strummed gently through ‘Either Side of the Same Town’, Veronica and a moving version of ‘A Good Year for the Roses’ but he loses points for the odd glance at the lyrics sheet in front of him. It’s understandable that someone who has written so many songs might forget a lyric or two but a veteran of the stage shouldn’t be resorting to cheat sheets.

The first half of the set was a pretty mixed bag. His guitar playing by his own admission is a bit rough and was even out of tune through a finger picked version of ‘Everyday I Write the Book’. Taking a seat he played ‘She’ and a cover of ‘All or Nothing at All’ and his voice absolutely soared sounding terrific.

There were a few touches of self-indulgence throughout the set which just didn’t work in a solo gig like this. He tried a guitar solo on ‘Bedlam’ which sounded silly. During ‘Watching the Detectives’ he used a loop station for what sounded like the first time. He segued one of his best songs, ‘Alison’, into Jimi Hendrix’s ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ which is just pointless. And the 3 encores were tiring.

He is a class act though and provided some magical moments as well. Striding to the front of the stage and singing a cappella for the latter half of ‘A Slow Drag with Josephine’ which was incredible. Sitting at the piano for the first time of the night, he tore hearts apart with an incredible version of ‘Almost Blue’. And the call and answer at the end of ‘Radio Sweetheart’ was a standout moment from someone who was really starting to enjoy himself. He used the intro to this song to compare how things used to be in his day contrasted to the airwaves and minds now polluted by manufactured pop music and TV shows – he still has plenty to say for himself.

One of the evening’s highlights was at the start of the third encore. Some people had started leaving when sirens started thundering and a huge drum track played and Costello came bounding back out with a loudhailer in hand and blasted out ‘National Ransom’. It didn’t sit with the tone of the rest of the gig at all which was why it worked so well. It was invigorating and confusing all at once and I loved it.

The gig was good - a great addition to the Belfast Festival and the crowd absolutely loved it. In truth he could have burped the alphabet into the microphone and the crowd would still have loved it, such is the devotion of some of his fans who wouldn’t provide the most impartial of barometers and were on their feet after each of the last 8 or 10 songs, even the ropey version of ‘Pump It Up’ which just doesn’t work without that bass line. He recovered with a big finish though and a class performance of ‘I Hope’. It was stunning.

At 28 songs long, it was a comprehensive set and gave a marvellous demonstration of one of the most varied canons of a music icon. The crowd enjoyed it and Elvis evidently enjoyed himself. I’ll have another quick moan about some of the self-indulgence the old punk showed (three bloody encores!) but I’ll be in a massive minority of people who had anything negative to say about it. He’s back on the road next year with the band but tonight was a great opportunity to see some of the great modern pop songs played how they were conceived; with just one man and his guitar.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/acrossthelin ... terfr.html

MOOT

[Ulster Boy]

Is there a recording from this show?

[johnfoyle]

Yes. Sulky Boy has it but due to job commitments he hasn't had the time to upload it etc. Give him time - he'll get to it!

[Ulster Boy]

Excellent John. No hurry.

[sulky lad]

Thanks chaps, just home at weekends with jobs to do, will try and get either this or Amsterdam up before trekking back to Devon !

[sulky lad]

Belfast show now up on dime :-
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-deta ... ?id=387442

[Ulster Boy]

Don't suppose there's a non-torrent version for a dope like me?

[sulky lad]

Send me your address in a pm and I'll make you a copy over the weekend, Ulster Boy

[johnfoyle]

http://theultimatebootlegexperience2.bl ... st-uk.html