TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Artists => Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2019 => Topic started by: richardkendell on August 11, 2019, 02:56:24 PM



Title: Martin Barre Band
Post by: richardkendell on August 11, 2019, 02:56:24 PM
I have never been keen on Tull and nothing has changed after this. Not for me I'm afraid.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: YaBB Master (Colin) on August 11, 2019, 03:14:37 PM
Tull went through a lot of 'eras', some of which I loved, others left me cold and this was a very shortened set for them.
Yes, I found it patchy. I'm sure others felt the same, but not for the same tracks.  


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Sue & Chris on August 11, 2019, 03:16:23 PM
I'm a Tull fan and I enjoyed it, although it was a bit of an odd setlist (starting with several obscure(ish) album tracks from Stand Up?  Really, Martin, that's your plan?)  Once it got going with the seventies material, there was some good stuff to be had. I particularly enjoyed the knockabout fun of 'Bungle in the Jungle' and the 'Heavy Horses/Songs from the Wood' medley (unlike Martin, it seems!)  I thought the singer did a serviceable impersonation of mid-'70s Ian Anderson, too!

But the absolute highlight was Dee Palmer on keyboards.  I spent a while wondering who that game old bird at the back was - then the penny dropped and I realised that Dee Palmer used to be David Palmer, who was in the band in the '70s.  She was having an absolute ball and it was so infectious - I could have watched her all day. Thanks, Dee, for putting a smile on my face.  Best bit was when the sheet music she was using ('secured' using brightly coloured clothes pegs) fell off the stand mid-song and landed in a messy pile at her feet.  She stopped playing, picked them up, looked helplessly at the keyboard, shrugged and proceeded to merrily wave the sheets about in the air!  A pity she didn't get to do the piano intro to Locomotive Breath, but perhaps they were running out of time?


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Nick Reg on August 11, 2019, 04:07:46 PM

I'm a Tull fan and I enjoyed it, although it was a bit of an odd setlist (starting with several obscure(ish) album tracks from Stand Up?  Really, Martin, that's your plan?)  Once it got going with the seventies material, there was some good stuff to be had. I particularly enjoyed the knockabout fun of 'Bungle in the Jungle' and the 'Heavy Horses/Songs from the Wood' medley (unlike Martin, it seems!)  I thought the singer did a serviceable impersonation of mid-'70s Ian Anderson, too!

But the absolute highlight was Dee Palmer on keyboards.  I spent a while wondering who that game old bird at the back was - then the penny dropped and I realised that Dee Palmer used to be David Palmer, who was in the band in the '70s.  She was having an absolute ball and it was so infectious - I could have watched her all day. Thanks, Dee, for putting a smile on my face.  Best bit was when the sheet music she was using ('secured' using brightly coloured clothes pegs) fell off the stand mid-song and landed in a messy pile at her feet.  She stopped playing, picked them up, looked helplessly at the keyboard, shrugged and proceeded to merrily wave the sheets about in the air!  A pity she didn't get to do the piano intro to Locomotive Breath, but perhaps they were running out of time?



I dealt with David a few times on business, usually on the phone, and met him once . It took me a while to click but I thought she was fab and at 82 years old amazing.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Jules Gray on August 11, 2019, 04:10:22 PM
I saw a documentary on Tull recently and I thought Dee stole that show too.  Good for her.

Jules


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Will S on August 11, 2019, 04:56:06 PM
I know a few bits of Tull, and lots I don't, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I did enjoy it on the whole, even when the songs were unfamiliar, and more so when I dis know them!  Shame (from my point of view) we didn't get a bit more of the later - Broadsword, etc - period songs.  But perfectly acceptable, and I'll give them 7/10.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Adam on August 11, 2019, 05:10:38 PM
Really enjoyed it. I’m a huge Tull fan, and it was great to hear ex-members breathing new life into the songs. Hats off to Dee Palmer - brilliant. Dare I say more enjoyable than a contemporary Tull show? 9/10 from me.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: David W on August 11, 2019, 05:15:40 PM
Odd narrative from Barre, not much joy IMHO.

6/10

DW


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: davidmjs on August 11, 2019, 06:55:04 PM
Can't believe Dee is 82!  Good on 'er...

What was the "odd narrative" from Martin, then?  


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Albie on August 11, 2019, 07:08:46 PM
Martin Barre is playing at Salop in a couple of weeks. I think I'll give it a miss, Merry Hell are on another stage at the same time.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: davidmjs on August 11, 2019, 07:28:30 PM


Can't believe Dee is 82!  Good on 'er...

What was the "odd narrative" from Martin, then?  


Lines like "this was when we stopped having fun", no mention of Ian as far as I remember - he just seemed a bit curmudgeonly.

DW


Ha.  Considering how utterly appallingly he's been treated by Anderson, I think he did well not to tell us what he really thought.....


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: abby (tank girl) on August 12, 2019, 01:01:06 AM
honestly we are all so bloody negative!
what did we expect?
i thought the vocals were blinding, i didn't expect anyone to do ian justice.
jethro tull doesnt exist any more.
the last time i saw tull being brilliant was in 1997.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Andy on August 12, 2019, 01:07:08 AM
Really enjoyed the Tull tunes, "Heavy Horses" was great.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: davidmjs on August 12, 2019, 06:17:35 AM


jethro tull doesnt exist any more.



I wish someone would bother to tell Ian (and his promoters) that.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Bingers (Chris) on August 12, 2019, 11:49:57 AM
I’m a big Tull fan and thoroughly enjoyed the Martin Barre Band. Shame they didn’t do Thick as a Brick but they could have done with a longer time slot. Only slight downer was that Martin Barre himself seemed miserable and was not enjoying himself


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: David W on August 12, 2019, 12:23:50 PM

I’m a big Tull fan and thoroughly enjoyed the Martin Barre Band. Shame they didn’t do Thick as a Brick but they could have done with a longer time slot. Only slight downer was that Martin Barre himself seemed miserable and was not enjoying himself


Exactly


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Bridgwit (Bridget) on August 12, 2019, 12:25:23 PM
Have just found out that his middle name is Lancelot!  :D


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: johanna/ulla on August 12, 2019, 10:15:25 PM

Only slight downer was that Martin Barre himself seemed miserable and was not enjoying himself


WHAT? He enjoyed every Minute of it!!!


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Bingers (Chris) on August 12, 2019, 10:22:00 PM


Only slight downer was that Martin Barre himself seemed miserable and was not enjoying himself


WHAT? He enjoyed every Minute of it!!!


He should’ve told his face then  ;D


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Lubiloo (Lorna) on August 12, 2019, 11:09:54 PM
I am not too familiar with the music of Tull, overall, but I enjoyed the set.

I thought the vocalist was fabulous, in that he really performed the songs, facial expressions and everything, really putting a lot into conveying the lyrics.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Bridgwit (Bridget) on August 13, 2019, 09:15:06 AM


Only slight downer was that Martin Barre himself seemed miserable and was not enjoying himself


WHAT? He enjoyed every Minute of it!!!
I was watching bits of it on YouTube last night and he was clearly having a great time! The whole band were  :D


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: abby (tank girl) on August 13, 2019, 11:39:20 AM


Only slight downer was that Martin Barre himself seemed miserable and was not enjoying himself


WHAT? He enjoyed every Minute of it!!!


oh Johanna i didn't see you this year !


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Ancient Muse (Andy) on August 14, 2019, 03:06:44 AM
These were our stand-out highlight of Cropredy (well, definitely Phil's anyway, and I love to see him enjoying himself).
I loved the old familiar songs, Phil actually knew the less familiar ones, and sang along. A couple of chaps in pinkish tshirts near us smiled and danced from start to finish and the singer got Ian Anderson's style off to a T. Very good, very enjoyable.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Wardi on August 14, 2019, 01:38:27 PM
A splendid set and my highlight of the weekend.  The singer was excellent and it was great to see old stagers Clive Bunker and Dee Palmer in the line up.  The girls were in good form too, I loved that version of 'Life's a long song'.

Tull were the first band I ever saw at 14 years of age so I did have slightly watery eyes after hearing all the old favourites.  Take a bow Martin 'Lancelot' Barre.


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: vince42 on August 14, 2019, 11:11:04 PM
A fine old set; just a little disappointed that, given we had Caravan the day before, we didn't get any of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles...


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: Paul on August 18, 2019, 05:25:01 PM
Absolutely loved it. I did have to check that the singer wasn't Ian Anderson's son; he had all the mannerisms as well as the voice. Martin always comes across a bit like a history professor; very earnest, and loves his subject. He is a brilliant guitarist. Thought Dee was wonderful, only found out her history reading this thread, she obviously loved playing. Both drummers gave their all. Must try and see them do a full concert.

Paul


Title: Re: Martin Barre Band
Post by: davidmjs on March 08, 2022, 10:30:06 AM
Not really the right place for it, but didn't really warrant a new thread..

from Martin:

UPDATE: March 3rd 2022
 
It is with deepest regret that I must make a very difficult decision to cancel all my UK shows in 2022. After returning from my USA tour, which has been personally very challenging – I am taking time out to undertake a very overdue minor operation for an ongoing health issue. I have tried to continue balancing my music, health and fulfilling covid postponed shows for the past few months but alas, can no longer juggle the three, and need to finally take some time out to focus on my health.
 
I want to personally apologise to all my UK fans, who I know will be dissapointed. But, at this time in my life I am now putting health and my wellbeing first.
 
Thank you for your support and well wishes!
Martin