Went to see Van Morrison tonight at the Roundhouse in Camden, band brilliant, Van’s voice fantastic…major disappointment a 75min show, no encores…I now feel as grumpy as Van …
Went to see Phish on 5 July here in Boston at our baseball park, Fenway Park. I’d never seen Phish before. They are OK . . . no Grateful Dead mind you (and no Dead & Co,), but OK. Groovy music and a mellow crowd.
And a really beautiful night. Temp 25 C and a nice breeze and pretty moonrise over the park.
2 Likes
Just love their stuff - Trey’s guitar playing is wonderful and I hope they did the song The Wolfman’s Brother.
I saw the Nashville musician Don Gallardo last night at the Compton Parish Room. Seeing pictures of the big concerts reminds me of a conversation with Travis Stock, who plays bass with Don, last night. They often play to thousands at festivals, with the audience miles from the stage, and he said that playing small halls where the audience can look you in the eye and see everything you do is far more scary.
They are lovely guys and really great musicians. It was fun seeing someone from Nashville trying to play bar billiards in the pub. Strangely, you don’t get that in Nashville…
1 Like
I refuse to attend large stadiums and gigs, you can’t hear anything you’re usually so far away it could be anyone. And people are too busy taking photos no one is just listening. I’d rather buy the CD.
I bet the Cure were great at Sydney Opera House, though that counts as a big gig for me these days! I haven’t seen them for years and I thought they were brilliant at Glasto, on TV of course.
1 Like
They were great, and the hall isn’t that big (plus we were close to the stage). It’s about my limit these days.
4th May - to the Roundhouse for the second night of Nick Mason’s A Saucerful of Secrets.
Even better than the previous night, with the band having fun. The big news was that it was being professionally filmed and recorded, so expect a live album/DVD before Xmas!
The much-rumoured guest appearance by Roger Waters never materialised, but I did see @Denis_Anderson of this forum, which was just as good!
SETLIST:
Interstellar Overdrive
Astronomy Domine
Lucifer Sam
Fearless
Obscured by Clouds
When You’re In
Remember a Day
Arnold Layne
Vegetable Man
If
Atom Heart Mother Parts I-IV: Father’s Shout / Breast Milky / Mother Fore / Funky Dung
If [reprise]
The Nile Song
Green Is the Colour
Let There Be More Light
Childhood’s End
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
See Emily Play
Bike
One of These Days
A Saucerful of Secrets [Parts I-IV: Something Else, Syncopated Pandemonium/Up the Khyber, Storm Signal & Celestial Voices]
Point Me at the Sky
5 Likes
24th May - another gig for The Sun Ra Arkestra at Islington’s wonderful Union Chapel. It was a great show, as always, but slightly spoiled by rather muddy and indistinct sound - very unusual for this venue.
However Arkestra leader Marshall Allen was on magnificent, hard-blowing form, belieing his 95 years.
27th May. To EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney - a really great newish venue) to see The Necks. @Denis_Anderson has been nagging me for ages to catch them live - I finally did, and boy, they were sensational. This is improvised music at its very best, totally immersive and akin to being taken on a thrilling journey into the unknown. So overwhelming was the sound at times that they reminded me of Sunn 0))) (but played on acoustic instruments - drums, double bass and piano)
Will definitely go to see them again.
Good review here: http://theprogressiveaspect.net/blog/2019/06/07/the-necks/
2 Likes
That’s one Christmas 
pressie sorted , I think my friend would much prefer a DVD of a Saucerful Of Secrets over Mama Mia 2 (The singalong edition)
1 Like
Was the LSD compulsory?
1 Like
I cannot possibly say… 
1 Like
In Hyde park right now listening to Cat Power, Laura Marling, Neil Young and Dylan to come. Boy it’s hot
2 Likes
Laura Marling. Omg amazing.
1 Like
It certainly is!
1 Like
Will Hoge at the Night and Day Manchester last night. He and the band were on fire, a catalogue of fine songs and a charismatic singer, great gig!
You here as well I take it? Can’t get a beer queues way too long and not moving 