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[AndyR]

Okie-Cokey... Kate Bush last night.

Pretty much "gosh!"

What a band! Quite possibly the best band I've ever had the privilege to see live. And the sound... crumbs.

Sadly, there's NO WAY she could have or will "tour" this show. I realised this watching it, even before reading the program this morning. Set-up in any venue would take days, maybe even weeks, it just wouldn't be viable trying to move it between different venues on a conventional tour.

Anyway, how did it grab me?

First few songs were like a straight gig. It was stunning. For me, King of the Mountain was a high-point of the whole thing. I suspect the set was designed for this, it was almost perfect sequencing leading up to this climax from which the Ninth Wave emerged.

Ninth Wave - truly stunning visuals and theatrical stuff. I was emotionally involved with the story (that I had NEVER suspected even though I've owned the album since it was released!). BUT... My personal taste is for music... so I did have moments of "this is great, but I really wanted to see Kate Bush doing some songs".

None-the-less, by the time it finished and she announced the interval I was extremely, "oh good grief"... Interestingly, if the gig had finished there with a couple of encores, I would have been satisifed with just part 1. It was after all about the length of most headliner's sets.

Second half was very interesting. To me, the music to Sky of Honey is a lot more, well, musical than I find Ninth Wave. The theatrics and presentation include the band (they're behind the set in the Ninth Wave). The music is incredible and very hypnotic. Both Mrs R and I found ourselves drifting off with our eyes closed. The visual stuff, though stunning, didn't manage to demand my attention enough to stop me getting lost in the music - so I suspect I missed something... But I suspect that would be an entirely valid way of consuming it as far as Kate Bush was concerned.

Encores: I'm not that familiar with Among Angels yet - it was wonderful (solo at piano), but felt a bit long and rambling. I think she missed a trick, I think a Man with the Child in his Eyes (which I believe that physically, at least, she could still sing) would have brought the house down even further than she managed anyway. Then Cloudbusting did the job it was meant to do. I felt a little sad that it hadn't been in the initial 6 song opening to the first set because, well... it's probably my favourite song of hers, and I wanted to be able to feel it the way it affects me when I listen to it in private... but I couldn't do this because we had to stand up to see, and the crowd treated it like an end-of-show crowd-pleaser. I'd have been a lot happier if Running Up That Hill had been treated to this final encore slot instead.


Leading up to this gig, I'd been wondering, like others, what all the fuss and fanfare was about a few weeks ago. She's a very good singer/songwriter and performer, I have all her albums, as a creator myself I've always felt a very strong emotional tie with her, but... the outpourings a few weeks ago seemed somewhat over-the-top to me.

But actually witnessing it, try as I might, I haven't been able to reduce my impression below "Oh my god... she's a complete genius, no-one will ever be as good as this again". Yes, she's a just a singer/songwriter, but she's a bit bluddy good at it, and she manages to affect so many different types of people.

This morning, I read the program. It was kind of obvious really, just watching it, but I found that the work in writing, staging, etc, etc, this thing started in March 2013. She and a bunch of other people put 18 months into this production. Nothing was left to chance. Just like her albums, she does her utmost to get what she wants into the thing she creates. I'm full to bursting with admiration for her and what she's achieved with this.

Oh, finally, I suspect she might not play live again, not as a headline show, anyway. Maybe she might consider moving this entire thing to a similar residency in another country... but other than that I don't think she's going to perform like this again. I don't see how she could manage it. There is a possibility, having got the "but how would I top what I did last time?" out of the way, that she'd be prepared to tour a standard "gig" like the opening of this show. But I find myself wondering whether she realises how much her music (and her presence/voice) actually stand up on their own, quite nicely, thank you. I kind of hope that someone might convince her that she could do a straight "gig" and plenty of people would fall over themselves to be there and relish it.

[Flash Harry]

Great review Andrew.  I'm so envious, I failed to get a ticket, there are people at work who have been to see her, but I think you 'got it' more than they did. 

I'm even more parrot sick than I was.

[johnnype]

SLAYER - Sonisphere festival, Oslo, June 2014.

After standing amongst ten thousands of sweaty teenagers dressed in black for 30 minutes, four fat, bearded men took the stage. Without any interaction with the audience, they started playing a song that sounded just like every other Slayer song. The bass drum was so loud, I thought my kidneys were being smashed to gravy. The singer did not sing, he shouted for his life. The lead guitarist sounded like he had never played a guitar solo throughout his entire life.

Once the singer finally said something, he talked about how nice the weather was. Then they proceeded with the song "Raining Blood", ironically.

After 45 minutes of songs that sounded exactly the same, the band left the stage without further notice.

I'd rate this concert 10/10. Best festival experience ever.

[Farrell Jackson]

Gayle and I went to see Brian Wilson and Al Jardine in concert last night. They took the stage with 9 accompanying musicians ( two key players, drums, percussion, bass, sax, two electric guitarist, acoustic guitar and they all sang). Brian mostly sat at his white baby grand piano playing on select songs, conducting, singing lead on select songs, singing along on all the backing vox/harmonies,  but he let his hired young singers belt out those high melodies and  harmonies. I was surprised to hear Al Jardine sing so many songs. All the music and harmonies were spot  on. The eleven guys on stage created a huge sound but the audio level was not overbearing at all. The song list include early songs through Pet Sounds...in fact they played the song Pet Sounds. The audience enjoyed all the songs but the two that got the crowd going was  Good Vibrations and God Only Knows. I was amazed at how well they pulled off every song flawlessly. Brian is showing his age in his voice and movements but he's still very much the master music maker.

Farrell

[Greeny]

Gayle and I went to see Brian Wilson and Al Jardine in concert last night

Lucky lucky lucky! Sounds amazing. A proper treat.

[bruno]

Off up to London tonight, to see Daughtry at the roundhouse - can't wait

[chapperz66]

Down to London tomorrow to see Flying Colors at the Islington Assembly Hall.  Great band.

Paul

[Blooby]

Down to London tomorrow to see Flying Colors at the Islington Assembly Hall.  Great band.

I would love to see them, but they don't make the rounds much.  Caught Neal Morse a few years ago, and Steve Morse lives a half hour away from me, so I've seen him many times through the years.

My last show was Gov't Mule on Thursday. I would love to leave a glowing review, but the sound was poor where our seats were. They did break out "Dreams" with Derek Trucks, which was extra special as the Allman Brothers didn't play it during their last two and I suppose final shows I saw. They also opened with a bombastic version of one of my favorite Al Green songs (video below from earlier in the year).

Gov't Mule - 10/9/2014
Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL

Set I: I'm A Ram, Thorazine Shuffle, Little Toy Brain, Banks Of The Deep End, Stoop So Low, Forsaken Savior*, The Sky Is Crying^, Dreams^^

Set II: Done Got Wise, Creep, Patchwork Quilt, When The World Gets Small > Drums > Unring The Bell, Lola Leave Your Light On, World Boss

Enc: I'm So Tired, Working Class Hero

Notes:
*with Kofi Burbridge
^with Kofi Burbridge, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Tim Lefebvre & Tyler Greenwell
^^with Kofi Burbridge & Derek Trucks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWoCknQelDQ

[bruno]

Chris Daughtry last night was amazing. I don't think he sang a bum note all night, and he really sings at 100% all of the time. Damn fine band, and have never seen so many guitar changes. Am hoarse from singing along - Mazz was very happy. We first hooked into daughtry in 2006 watching American Idol - first time and last time we watched one of these shows, couldn't get into the next year, too many plastics and nobody real like Chris.

Loved every minute, and can't wait till next concert :-)

Like my tee - I am officially a fan-boy :-)

[chapperz66]

Flying Colors at the Islington Assembly Rooms last Monday.  Great gig.  There aren't too many artists who get me down to London on a Monday evening, but these old boys are amongst them.  Nearly 2 hours of superior music made up for queueing in the pouring rain for the best part of an hour.  "Doors at 7pm" - yeah right!  Having said that, apparently they had played the night before in Switzerland and travelled by coach to London which sounds a bit ambitious to me.

Steve Morse had a few problems with switching on his Engl amps, but was brilliant nonetheless.  Portnoy almost makes me want to be a drummer, although he seemed to be getting a bit miffed that the people in the seating area upstairs (me included) weren't standing up.  Call me a miserable old bastard if you like but I paid extra for a seat so I'm bloody well going to sit in it!  Especially since I had the prospect of walking a mile or so back (in the rain) to the hotel afterwards.  I'll stop moaning now.

It was also great to see people I really admire in a pretty small venue like this. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoVQe4aV8I4