Yes and it was such a lovely atmosphere EC obviously enjoyed himself, they play the RAH tonight which of course is EC’s second home so perhaps he’ll join them there. It was all seated which thought was odd for Hawkwind not that I’m complaining I quite like a comfy seated gig now…when EC came on everybody rushed for the front we were lucky to have seats in row D …a night to remember.
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I don’t know how I missed this one love their music usually check the Jazz fest lineup thoroughly…must try harder!
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Been a great year for concerts, I’ve been a bit remiss in highlighting them here so
Squeeze Vicar Street, a really enjoyable gig, band so tight, clearly enjoying themselves and what a back catalogue. I don’t usually go for these Greatest Hits tours but Squeeze very much are a working band
The Philip Glass Ensemble, Music in 12 parts, in the national Concert Hall, shocking I know, but I only lasted for 9 of those parts.
Some great sounds but I was in the middle of a busy week and decided to cut my losses.
Sugar Club, Portico Quartet, very interesting, demographic was nearly uniformly 28-35 year olds clearly very in the Portico Quartet, the music was a bit samey for me, but when everyone eventually got up and danced there was a great vibe.
But coming very close to my best of the year had to be last night’s Robert Forster in Whelans.
One of those gigs where the artist clearly felt the love from the audience and seemed quite touched by the reaction. I’m somewhat biased but Dublin audiences are great and what made this gig so stellar was the symbiosis of artist and audience.
.sjb
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Saw Hawkwind last week in Cambridge, no Clapton but great nevertheless. 50th anniversary so had to be done since I’m very unlikely to be around to see their 100th 
Sub
Robert was shown your comments in Birmingham last night and you’ll be pleased to hear that he was in full agreement!
Chris
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Primal Scream - Albert Hall Manchester.
Great night all the hits and more special guest Johnny Marr for encore.
My light shines on!
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Went to see Wagner’s Walküre, yesterday, in Amsterdam. Last chance to see Pierre Audi’s beautiful staging, and the singing was, simply, breathtaking. In many years of opera, possibly the best night ever.
Cheers
EJ
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10th August, E&TVP at Acklam village in Ladbroke Grove. Notable because Ese’s black Gibson made its live debut…
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21st Augus – E&TVP’s debut at Jazz Train, a regular Wednesday night affair held at Rolling Stock in Shoreditch. Good to see Nick, Stella, Chris, john, @steviebee and many familiar faces there:
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Nice set list and my birthday👍
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On way home from chemical brothers at the O2. Oh my word they were special. Probably loudest concert I have heard at this venue. They even managed to get New Orders Temptation into it somehow. Awesome stuff but my ears are ringing !
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30th August: Another debut for E&TVP, this time at Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub in Walthamstow. A rather unprepossessing place but the band were invited back and Ese felt sufficiently moved by the enthusiastic crowd response to attempt a Hendrix cover at the start of the second set. Jackson did a fantastic, Donny Hathaway-esque keyboard solo in “Untitled”.
Good to see @steviebee and his good lady Laura there.
First Set
I Don’t Mind
She Said [Plan B cover]
Fairytale
Grey
Home Is Where the Hatred Is [Gil Scott-Heron cover]
Peace Of Mind
Untitled
Second Set
Manic Depression [Jimi Hendrix cover]
Where Did I Go Wrong?
Dub
Family Affair [Sly & The Family Stone cover]
Keep On
Grenfell Blues
Dynamite
Colours
Fly Away [Lenny Kravitz cover]
Summer Breeze [Seals & Crofts/Isley Brothers cover]
I Wanna Be Adored [Stone Roses cover]
Silver Spoon
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12th September: I accompanied Ese to the Laylow Club in West London with my new Sony PCM D100 recorder, and taped her solo set there:
I Don’t Mind
Fairytale
Peace Of Mind
Up In Smoke
Grenfell Blues
Where Did I Go Wrong?
Family Affair
Home Is Where The Hatred Is
Grey
Silver Spoon
Later immortalised as a live album. 
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Saw the New Black Eagle Jazz Band at the Cultural Center in South Yarmouth, Mass, USA. They were great. Never heard a Trombone nor a Clarinet ike I did tonight. The guitar had amplification, but none of the other instruments did. Great to hear what musical instruments played by professional sound like. I was in the second row.
Did your neck ache whilst watching the concert?
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14th September: Off to Cerys Matthews’ festival, The Good Life Experience, held in the beautiful North Welsh countryside (Hawarden). Headliner was Norman Jay, who did a barnstorming set, but my own charges performed earlier in the days, and went down a storm.
By a spooky cooincidence, a fire broke out backstage as the band performed “Grenfell Blues”! Fortunately it was extinguished with no damage done and nobody hurt.
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20th September – to the trendy Notting Hill Arts Club, where Ese & The Vooduu People played a headlining set, notable for the live debut of new stand-in bassist Indigo, a 21 year old wunderkind. A well-received set, though the sound left a bit to be desired.
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Saving Grace, Salisbury City Hall, 10 December 2019
Saving Grace describes itself as a co-operative comprising Suzi Dian (vocals), Oli Jefferson (percussion), Tony Kelsey (mandolin, baritone and acoustic guitars), Robert Plant – (vocals) and Matt Worley (banjo, acoustic and baritone guitars, and cuatro).
It was a superb evening’s entertainment, with support from The Rails, an excellent male/female acoustic guitar duo, which reminded me of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.
As for the main act, well it was one of the best performances from Robert Plant that I have seen, and I’ve seen him in most incarnations since Zeppelin. Better even than the outing with Alison Krauss. As Bob Harris said of this band earlier this year: “I’ve been privileged to share some amazing moments with Robert through the years but none were more magical, kind and beautiful than the performance by his new band Saving Grace this evening. One of the best gigs I’ve seen in years”.
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Not The Rails? As Support? What is the world coming to. Their new album has been flagged up in the Best Album of 2019 thread. All can say is the main act must have be very good indeed.
They also play with a full band, which is a spectacular show, James is a very serious guitarist, occasionally reminiscent of his father-in-law Richard Thompson when he cuts loose. He plays with the current incarnations of the Pogues and the Pretenders as well as The Rails.