Not a bad week. Elvis Costello on Sunday in Oxford and David Gilmour in Brighton tonight.
Both great gigs in their own way but Gilmour was stunning. Can’t wait for the Albert Hall gigs
The wonderful
ESE AND THE VOODUU PEOPLE
“Jazz Is What We Say It Is” launch
Pizza Express Live, Holborn.
Ese brought the Magic:
The Reverend supplied the Angel Dust:
The Vooduu People supplied the Groove:
And the Wolf Man supplied the Howl:
Knockout.
Ryley Walker at Cafe OTO last night. The Ryley Walker gig I had always hoped to see. Brilliant musicianship and very funny. Not touring for a long time (‘I need to get a job for things like healthcare insurance’ - the reality of being a moderately successful musician) so I wish him all the best
Glad you liked it, going to the Gilmour rehearsal this afternoon. Can’t wait. Also fortunate enough to get tix for one of the RAH gigs too….
Yep @steviebee another great SRO at this splendid venue. New bassist Joel acquitted himself fabulously on his E&TVP debut, and the band’s wonderful cover of The Stylistics’ “People Make The World Go Round” got a first-ever live airing.
Here’s the setlist:
Yep on People Make… @TheKevster.
My all-time favourite version is The Pharoahs, on their album In The Basement. Beautiful.
As was Ese’s.
Had a good opening of the season in Bamberg with a Symphonic Poem of Smetana, Dvorak’s Violin Concerto with Isabelle Faust and after the break Beethoven’s 5th symphony. Next week I will see Hillary Hahn performing.
Do not be surprised if she cancels it.
Thanks for the message, will watch it…
I had the huge privilege to see one David Gilmour’s two “rehearsal” concerts yesterday in Brighton, only 1500 tickets. I run out of adjectives and superlatives when trying to describe it, so here are just four.
Majestic.
Mezmerizing.
Moving.
Masterful.
The set list and the arrangements were sublime, I won’t spoil it by listing tracks here, suffice it say that it covered Floyd with and without Rog., solo stuff and of course his latest album.
He was clearly having fun on stage. To any of you going to to see his upcoming tour you are in for an absolute treat.
Paul
I went to the Friday night show. The setlist is as good as I could have hoped for. Excellent all round. Roll on the Albert Hall….
An intimate solo show 17th September) by Ese at Babel Art House in Stoke Newington, London.
Setlist:
Yesterday I went to see the Gilmour L&S tour dress rehearsal in Brighton. As I was saying to @Lontano earlier, I enjoyed the show. The tunes from Luck and Strange are far better live than they are on record. The band are all new (apart from Guy Pratt and Greg Phillinganes) but are excellent (although the drummer’s merely competent rather than especially interesting); daughter Romany has a very nice voice and a decent stage presence too. Clearly a girl with talent.
As for DG himself, he’s looking strikingly old these days, and his voice is starting to go a bit. But his playing as good as it ever was, and I’m sure he’ll get even better as he loosens up a bit. The solo on “High Hopes” was wonderful - the best I’ve ever heard him play that song. Ditto “Sorrow”.
The setlist was kind of what you’d expect, a mix of PF and solo. The first set, a mixture of L&S and PF bangers, was by far the stronger. The second set was great in places but was let down by a trio of tunes of unsalvageable dreariness: “Coming Back To Life” plus the banal and draggy “In Any Tongue” and the embarassing snoozefest “A Great Day For Freedom”. It was a pity that set time was given over to these dirges. I would have liked to have heard some DG deep cuts, maybe from the 1978 solo album, or the sublime “The Blue” from OAI – or even something Dave-penned from PF.
But that second set also contained what was the highlight of the show for me. A grand piano was wheeled on. Backing singer Louise Marshall sat at it and DG positioned himself at his lap steel. With the Webb sisters – Hattie and Charley – and Romany gathered round the candelabra-festooned piano, they launched into a slowed down, oddly sensuous version of “The Great Gig In The Sky”. It was lovely. The encore was of course “Comfortably Numb”, with the expected apocalyptic guitar solo.
Not the best DG solo show then (I’ve seen him 19 times in all over the years) but by no means the worst. Anyone who’s seeing him on this tour is in for a treat.
Nothing solely written by RW was included, as you might expect. Albums represented were Luck & Strange (7 songs), Rattle That Lock (3), Atom Heart Mother (1), Wish You Were Here (1), AMLOR (1), The Wall (1), The Division Bell (4) and DSOTM (4).
I rather like the new album, especially between two points with Romany on vocals. It was bugging me who she reminded me of……Dido. Initially i liked her, but her voice, music just never evolved. Hope Romany can evolve.
Yeah, he’s really aged in the 5 or so years since I helped him carry his new telly out of the store. Must be all the hard living!
Saturday afternoon show for me, then off to Rome next weekend for the Saturday night show there.
Wow, hope you have a great time in Rome. Pls report back !
Paul
Jeez no wonder the tickets are sold out when you guys are going several times each!
Will be going to the 1st gig at the RAH - cannot wait!