Recent gigs

[Will S]

Steve Hackett, Paramount Theatre, last night!

I really enjoyed this, despite being completely unfamiliar with his music. He's a bona fide guitar hero, and I find it appalling that Genesis couldn't make room for him all those years ago. In any other band, he would have been the star.

Glad I finally got to cross this one off my bucket list, although seasonal allergies forced me to flee before the encore.

BTW, I suspect he scheduled his southern jaunt to coincide with our total eclipse today. I hope he got a better view through the clouds than we did here at Chez J From A.

I was just listening to the Foxtrot at Fifty CD yesterday (which is what I think he was playing the other night?).  Excellent as ever!

[Tasha]

Back from my 'mini cruise' in the Netherlands. First of all, it turns out it wasn't really a cruise at all. Boarded on Friday evening, spent Saturday and Sunday in Amsterdam then travelled to Rotterdam on Sunday evening. Spent Monday in Rotterdam then back to Amsterdam and disembarked on Tuesday. But, leaving that aside, the music was superb. Thea Gilmore was at her brilliant best, with occasional help from her 18 year old son, Egan, on violin. Steve Knightly was on top form, joined for a few numbers by Track Dogs. Then on the last night, Track Dogs took centre stage. They were joined by Steve, Thea and a few others for some of the songs and a good time was had by all. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience (and the food was amazing!)

sorry I missed this report back Mick! Glad you had a good time. perhaps the word Cruise should be omitted from the literature next time  

[John From Austin]

Steve Hackett, Paramount Theatre, last night!

I really enjoyed this, despite being completely unfamiliar with his music. He's a bona fide guitar hero, and I find it appalling that Genesis couldn't make room for him all those years ago. In any other band, he would have been the star.

Glad I finally got to cross this one off my bucket list, although seasonal allergies forced me to flee before the encore.

BTW, I suspect he scheduled his southern jaunt to coincide with our total eclipse today. I hope he got a better view through the clouds than we did here at Chez J From A.

I was just listening to the Foxtrot at Fifty CD yesterday (which is what I think he was playing the other night?).  Excellent as ever!

You are correct - the first set was Steve Hackett solo and the second set was Foxtrot in full. I missed the encore, which included "Firth of Fifth" and "Los Endos."

[davidmjs]

Not really a gig but in many ways more of one than the musical it bills itself as - Operation Julie at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Saturday.

It's a brilliant telling of the story and the way they pull it off is extraordinarily original.

Tip top soundtrack: Gong, Ten Years After, Robert Johnson, The Moodies, Hawkwind, Crimson, Budgie, Deke, Man, Donovan, Budgie, Pink Fairies, Caravan and BJH.

Tour dates below

https://theatr-nanog.co.uk/operation-julie

Highly recommended

[Tasha]

Not really a gig but in many ways more of one than the musical it bills itself as - Operation Julie at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Saturday.

It's a brilliant telling of the story and the way they pull it off is extraordinarily original.

Tip top soundtrack: Gong, Ten Years After, Robert Johnson, The Moodies, Hawkwind, Crimson, Budgie, Deke, Man, Donovan, Budgie, Pink Fairies, Caravan and BJH.

Tour dates below

https://theatr-nanog.co.uk/operation-julie

Highly recommended

Having lived in the area at the time this was going on  Id love to see this!

[davidmjs]

Not really a gig but in many ways more of one than the musical it bills itself as - Operation Julie at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Saturday.

It's a brilliant telling of the story and the way they pull it off is extraordinarily original.

Tip top soundtrack: Gong, Ten Years After, Robert Johnson, The Moodies, Hawkwind, Crimson, Budgie, Deke, Man, Donovan, Budgie, Pink Fairies, Caravan and BJH.

Tour dates below

https://theatr-nanog.co.uk/operation-julie

Highly recommended

Having lived in the area at the time this was going on  Id love to see this!

If anybody is interested in the history, my mate Andy Roberts has covered it far better than most in Albion Dream (A History of LSD in Britain, which is getting a new edition soonish) and even more specifically, his biography of Smiles himself (In search of Smiles) which is bloody excellent.  Alston (Smiles) is a jolly fine fellow.  I loathe musicals, the very idea of them, but this gets around the conceit with some hugely clever direction.  Effectively the actors are a band, and they really are a band.  I've told the director they really need to get a soundtrack out.  Some of their covers are better than the originals...

[John From Austin]

Friday, Laufey (pronounced LayVay), with opening act Grace Enger, at the Bass Concert Hall in Austin!

I was one of the oldest attendees of this sold-out show, escorting my 11-year-old granddaughter to her first concert! The crowd was mainly late teen/early 20-somethings, mostly women, many wearing white dresses and bows in their hair (the equivalent of wearing a shawl to a Stevie Nicks concert, I am advised).

Laufey is a fine songwriter, blessed with a powerful alto voice, and superior skills on cello, guitar, and piano. She was backed by a jazz band supplemented by a string quartet led by her identical twin violinist sister, Junia. She is a delightful performer and the audience knew every word of her songs. I don't know how to categorize her music - it's more pop than jazz but it's very sophisticated and played with real instruments.

I am mightily impressed, and I hope she goes onto a long career. I told my granddaughter she will always be able to say she saw Laufey at the beginning.

Singer/songwriter Grace Enger opened the show with a series of tuneful originals. She also hung out for over an hour after Laufey posing for pictures, including one with my lovely granddaughter. What a great night out!

[Chris from Fieldtown]

Friday, Laufey (pronounced LayVay), with opening act Grace Enger, at the Bass Concert Hall in Austin!

I was one of the oldest attendees of this sold-out show, escorting my 11-year-old granddaughter to her first concert! The crowd was mainly late teen/early 20-somethings, mostly women, many wearing white dresses and bows in their hair (the equivalent of wearing a shawl to a Stevie Nicks concert, I am advised).

Laufey is a fine songwriter, blessed with a powerful alto voice, and superior skills on cello, guitar, and piano. She was backed by a jazz band supplemented by a string quartet led by her identical twin violinist sister, Junia. She is a delightful performer and the audience knew every word of her songs. I don't know how to categorize her music - it's more pop than jazz but it's very sophisticated and played with real instruments.

I am mightily impressed, and I hope she goes onto a long career. I told my granddaughter she will always be able to say she saw Laufey at the beginning.

Singer/songwriter Grace Enger opened the show with a series of tuneful originals. She also hung out for over an hour after Laufey posing for pictures, including one with my lovely granddaughter. What a great night out!

That is such a lovely post to have read and your granddaughter is blessed by being able to share this first concert with you. Sounds like you got a pretty good deal with the music, I'm sure many parents have to suffer for the the sake of accompanying their children to those early music events.

[John From Austin]

The great Teddy Thompson, last night at 3Ten Live @ Austin City Limits!

Teddy played solo without a net, revealing some guitar skills I hadn't heard previously. He was in fantastic voice. His singing is supple and his tone is gorgeous. It really is a gift. He played a number of selections from his new country album, and also tripped through highlights of his solo career. He concluded with a lovely rendition of "Persuasion." Two thumbs way up!

(P.S. - For some reason the photo is a bit smooshed.)

[Andy]

Wendy and I went to see Leveret at Pontardawe Arts Centre tonight. All three on top form, but the audience size was not great - around 55 paying punters. How bands can keep going in the face of certain losses every time they tour, I have no idea.

Here's an interesting Guardian article on this very subject, published today.

[Shankly (Peter)]

Just got back from seeing The Warning in Manchester tonight. Wow! What a gig. If these girls aren't huge stars very soon there's no justice in the world. Luckily, they're playing in Liverpool in July, so I'll get to see them again soon.

[Andy]

Reality check: There is no justice in the music world.

[Shankly (Peter)]

Reality check: There is no justice in the music world.

This is true!

[John From Austin]

Wendy and I went to see Leveret at Pontardawe Arts Centre tonight. All three on top form, but the audience size was not great - around 55 paying punters. How bands can keep going in the face of certain losses every time they tour, I have no idea.

Here's an interesting Guardian article on this very subject, published today.

I didn't mention it because I wanted to be upbeat, but Teddy drew about 35 people to 3Ten Live Sunday night. The venue is 350 capacity. He remarked that his Saturday show in Round Top, at a three-day dance-hall extravaganza headlined by Rodney Crowell no less, drew a sparse crowd. He did sell out the handful of CDs he produced after the show, so there's that.

I listened to a Sandy Denny interview in which she referenced not having any money. She explained that she had to pay her band, so every time she got her hands on a little money, it immediately went back out the door. Sounds like nothing's changed for artists at that level of success.

[Shane (Skirky)]

Wendy and I went to see Leveret at Pontardawe Arts Centre tonight. All three on top form, but the audience size was not great - around 55 paying punters. How bands can keep going in the face of certain losses every time they tour, I have no idea.

Here's an interesting Guardian article on this very subject, published today.

I suspect that that article was written to order. The Weeping Willows - an Australian duo - are embarking on a fifteen date UK tour shortly, The Paperboys (from Canada) are doing twenty dates in Europe (I’m including the UK in that definition) - they may well be losing green but as we all know, the first time Fairport made any money was when they got dropped and paid off by Phonogram, so this isn’t a new story. As Dr. Hunter Thompson so sagely opined,  "The Music Business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."