New Gig Thread

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Sat May 13, 2006 5:34 pm

Just came back from the N.C-show. Lots of fun. No 'The Needle Has Landed' though, one of my faves from Fox Confessor...

She sold cds and clothes after the show herself. Got an autographed copy of an EP, Canadian Amp, that's only sold during tours according to her.

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Sat May 20, 2006 8:38 pm

Just came back from seeing Springsteen in Oslo. What an incredible show!

I was blown away. This was my first time seeing him live. I have said that I wish it'd been with the E-Street Band. Now I know I mean that, because I seriously doubt they'll ever top the fun I had this time. The Seeger Sessions-band were fantastic. Great, unexpected fun versions of Johnny 99 and You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) too.

Also, aside from the horrible 12-hour car-ride back and forth in one day (:?), I'm really looking forward to seeing him tomorrow in Stockholm. It'll be the last show of the European tour, so hopefully we'll get something even better!

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Mon May 22, 2006 12:18 pm

Good to hear it was great. I wish I'd been there, the reports have consistently been that audiences have been really won over by this band, many by initial doubters (of which there were loads of at the backstreets forum). People even paid decent dollars to see the 'rehearsal shows' (proceeds went to local food banks, I should point out).

They're not coming to Oz but apparently an album with The E Street Band will be next. Saw him solo on the The Ghost of Tom Joad tour and it was utterly mesmerizing. However he tours, I'll be there. I really want to see the E Street Band, and will if they come, but I just hope it's not at a shithouse (ie. bad) venue.

How was Stockholm? Did he play anything just by himself?

Chrille · Post by **Chrille** » Mon May 22, 2006 2:10 pm

The Stockholm show was great too. I liked the music better, but Oslo was more fun because the audience caught on much quicker. He played Adam Raised A Cain and Long Black Veil (fantastic) as I'd hoped (but wasn't expecting). Highlight for me was an awesome version of Open All Night, he played that in Olso as well, but I didn't actually realise it was that song at that time.

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Wed May 24, 2006 10:41 am

A belated report on two shows I saw in San Francisco: Jimmy Scott and the Fall.

I haven't seen Jimmy Scott mentioned on this board, but my sister loves him and it's easy to see why. A contemporary of Billie Holiday, Jimmy Scott has a hormone imbalance that makes his voice sound very feminine, and he became a reluctant icon for the gay and lesbian community (but he's neither gay nor, um lesbian). He ended up in one of those horrible contracts where the guy would neither record him nor allow him to record with anyone else, and he was working as an orderly when Lou Reed tracked him down. Then Lou Reed got a bunch of biggies (including EC) to let Jimmy Scott record their biggies (like Almost Blue) for free, and now he's performing again! He's in his eighties, so we figured this might be our last time to see him, and he was pretty awesome. He has this really slow, unique phrasing that I've never heard before, and even though he is definitely showing his age (he didn't really feel like walking all the way offstage after the show, so there wasn't too much suspense about the encore), he's still got IT.

The next night, on a whim, we saw the Fall. Has Mark E. Smith ever had IT? Because it was so terrible that had I not been flirting with a guy who was surprisingly good at guessing people's Zodiac signs, I probably would have left early. It's one thing to mumble and stumble about the stage, but boring miss buenos aires is unforgivable! And the rest of the band, who all looked younger than The Fall itself, were, um, not tight. Yawn yawn yawn. I felt guilty for dragging my sister there, but she made friends with the opening band (The Talk, much better), so all was well.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed May 24, 2006 6:18 pm

Come on, MBA, you were in the presence of a legend, a bona fide unique musical entity. I loved it when I last saw them live. And the band were well tight. Maybe he's sacked them and got new people in. I loved his two mic stuff, and the occasional glance at a piece of paper in his pocket (words? setlist?), and the hard intensity of it all. The Fall have very, very often had it in spades. have you not listened to some of their magnificent recordings? Acquired taste, maybe, but touched by the hand of god.

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Wed May 24, 2006 6:24 pm

Going to see Twilight Singers June 2. I've been a big fan of Dulli for many years.... Afghan Whigs, Twilight Singers, solo, all of it. He's one of the first GUYS I've ever seen on stage and thought, "You know, he's kinda sexy...."

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Wed May 24, 2006 6:53 pm

Saw Hard Fi last night and The Editors tonight at the Ambassador. By a long way Hard Fi were better. They let drink be served, played every crowd pleasing trick in the book and faithfully reproduced their excellent album. Leadman Richard Archer worked the crowd like a pro and, generally, helped provide one of the most entertaining shows I've seen.
Not so The Editors. To allow under 18s in no drink was served and it showed. Nevermind the relatively dead crowd, the band was so glum. They're basically a pop version of Joy Division that works well on record. Tonight they seemed tired or trying to be terribly serious. Whatever it never really took off. Back to back stand up loud shows have me exhausted, I should be recovered by next weeks back to back Rosanne Cash and Ron Sexsmith shows.

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Thu May 25, 2006 9:19 am

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Come on, MBA, you were in the presence of a legend, a bona fide unique musical entity. I loved it when I last saw them live. And the band were well tight. Maybe he's sacked them and got new people in. I loved his two mic stuff, and the occasional glance at a piece of paper in his pocket (words? setlist?), and the hard intensity of it all. The Fall have very, very often had it in spades. have you not listened to some of their magnificent recordings? Acquired taste, maybe, but touched by the hand of god.

Otis, somehow I knew you would raise to the bait! It's a bit silly of you to assume I've never heard the Fall just because I thought they were terrible in concert. (By IT I meant stage presence, I realize it may have been a bit vague.) I have 70 Fall songs in my collection, but even if I had no idea who they were, basking in the glow of a falling-down drunk bona fide unique musical entity is not quite the same time as enjoying a genuinely good performance. Sorry to criticize one of your idols.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu May 25, 2006 6:26 pm

Due respect should be accorded. It must have been an off-night.

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Thu May 25, 2006 10:41 pm

Otis, when you make excuses for him, you're just enabling him!

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Fri May 26, 2006 12:53 am

This is an interesting tour for the Fall. After the third or fourth show (Phoenix) his band, with the exception of his wife, quit. They simply could no longer put up with Mark's behaviour. His label was able to recruit a guitarist, bassist and drummer from another group in their stable. According to the unofficial Fall website, these guys have been suprisingly good - especially the Grizzly Adams looking bass player. There are a lot of MES apologists on that site. MES and the Fall are the most inconsistent live band on the planet - I once saw him do three songs and walk off - about 10 minutes total - basically abandoning the band onstage in front of about 75 people in Providence. I've seen them put on fantastic shows before and after that one. They recently played 4 consecutive nights in Croydon with one show lasting about 20 minutes and another one going over an hour - it all depends on his mood as to what you get. For a lot of people it's all part of the curious compulsion that returns them to the neighborhood of the Fall.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Fri May 26, 2006 1:30 am

So my quip ('Maybe he's sacked them and got new people in') was entirely accurate. I guess it's always highly likely - especially when in the US! The last lot were good,m they he was very rude about them in interviews wanting to be stars. Hard and tight, loved the drive of it. I was also right re 'off-night', it seems. Despite it all, he remains MES and they remain the Mighty Fall. Four nights in Croydon! Only The Fall.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Sun May 28, 2006 6:58 am

And Moz? Well????? *drumming fingers*

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon May 29, 2006 9:48 am

I'm still recovering. Awesome. Looking for a spare half hour to tell all you interested people. One for the Moz thread, I feel!

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:30 pm

SEU JORGE

Just got a ticket to see him perform in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts on July 5th. Should be cool and different. (FYI this is the Brazilian guy who sang the David Bowie songs in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.)

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 6:11 pm

Nice one! Well it's highly likely that brazil will be in the WC semi-final that day, though he'd get the gig out of the way first given the time diff (game probably 3pm your time). Unless he's a very unusual Brazilian, he'll be mad with excitement.

Cool looking dude.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 6:18 pm

The gig is at 8:30 pm... so perhaps he'll be drunk and elated! Or drunk and demoralized...

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:00 am

Fantastic South Bank Show (long-running UK arts TV prog) on Seu Jorge last night. What a man. Charted his favela roots through to homelessness (he took to the streets after his brother was shot in a meaningless attack) and on to participation in theatre and a theatrical musical act to solo stardom with Carolina and then the Aquatic Life (with him performing Life on Mars at night on a balcony looking down over Rio. He was playing lovely songs with three others just sitting in the middle of a favela. Great voice, great words, great songs. He said he's no good at football, and his guitar is his ball!

ReadyToHearTheWorst · Post by **ReadyToHearTheWorst** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:51 pm

Lou Reed @ The Sage, Gateshead

Loud & rockin' - most excellent. Am not over familiar with much beyond 'the hits' but he did Waiting for the Man followed by White Light White Heat, and shortly after Set the Twilight Reeling ended the main set. The encores finished with Perfect Day.

Wife of chum didn't enjoy it. She'd been listening to Transformer all week, and so was greatly disappointed.

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 2:55 pm

Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, last Saturday night under the shed at the local Harley-Davidson dealership.

Yes, really.

Nice summer evening, clean portapotties, cold beer and lawn chairs, really really loud set from Scott. Mostly favorites from his first two albums, which was wonderful for me 'cos the new one hasn't really grown on me yet, with the exception of 8MPG. It goes like this:

So I invent a big engine
make it run on bullshit
put in on a chasse
Buddy, itâ€™ll never quit

I call that a nice cold drink in the arid desert of E TN musical happenings right now. Elvis, I'm counting on you.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:11 am

I have booked two tickets for Mrs VG to see Keane in Brighton. I am desperately hoping I do not have to go with her.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:59 pm

Go on, you know you want to really!

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 3:33 am

Saw the Eels on friday night at the London Astoria. Good show, although the polar opposite of the with strings shows. Some interesting covers eh?

The Other Shoe
Old Shit/New Shit
Rock Show [Iggy Pop/Peaches]
Crazy Love [Willy Dixon]
Eyes Down
After The Operation
Dirty Girl
Jesus Gonna Be Here [Tom Waits]
Mother Mary
That's Not Really Funny
My Beloved Monster
A Magic World
Rags To Rags
I'm Going To Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart
Last Stop: This Town
Not Ready Yet
Railroad Man
Dog Faced Boy
Souljacker Pt.1
I Put A Spell On You [Screamin' Jay Hawkins]
That's Life [Frank Sinatra]
-------------------------------------
Cancer For The Cure
I Like Birds
-------------------------------------
Saturday Morning
You Are The Quack [Smoosh]

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 9:24 am

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Go on, you know you want to really!

Public school rock - yeah!

It's fair to say that I'm not keen on Keane.