Jools Holland Show - Still Worth Watching?

[Truckstop]

They can't get another presenter in. Jools Holland is an institution and knowing the BBC we'd probably end up with some vacuous, pretentious, talentless nobody to present it. That said, I dont think I'd mind if LWJH ended tomorrow.

Guy Garvey from Elbow used to host a BBC R6 show and he was great. He was witty, got a lovely temperment and knows how to relate to his guests. I reckon they should bin LWJH and just start a new show with a similar format with Guy in the hotseat.

Truckstop

[Alfie]

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1207160' date='Apr 21 2011, 03:19 PM']Guy Garvey from Elbow used to host a BBC R6 show and he was great. He was witty, got a lovely temperment and knows how to relate to his guests. I reckon they should bin LWJH and just start a new show with a similar format with Guy in the hotseat.[/quote]

Yeah, Guy Garvey would be good... or Claudia Winkleman.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1207160' date='Apr 21 2011, 03:19 PM']Guy Garvey from Elbow used to host a BBC R6 show and he was great.[/quote]

Well, if we're digging up old shows with pro muso's as presenters then I'll have to nominate Alexis Korner's Sunday evening blues programme, which used to be on Radio 1 just after Pick Of The Pops, or whatever it was called.

It was, er, a few years ago though and AK is sadly no longer with us, but otherwise I can't see a problem.

Well, there was just one problem. Whenever I tuned in a bit too early, I would catch the closing bars of whatever pop ditty was at number one that week.

[dmccombe7]

[quote name='BassBus' post='1206228' date='Apr 20 2011, 06:38 PM']OGWT went the same way towards the end. These programs can only ever be as good as the acts appearing on them. When Bob Harris presented OGWT it was in the hayday of british rock. Bands also produced albums pretty well every year so you could see your fave bands quite regularly.

It's perhaps more of a reflection on the state of the music business at the moment. People will download and exchange music for free so how can any new tallent make a successful living? That's life I suppose. Things move on and most good things come to an end sometime.

I do wonder why they had Bootsy Collins on though. Would have preferred to hear him play with a band.[/quote]

+1
totally agree with all of this.

I can remember the OGWT from back in the 70's.
There are some good bands on LWJH but can count on one hand in past few months.

Band of Horses was last band I really enjoyed enough to buy the album.

Made a point of watching for Bootsy but disappointed he played one or two notes and that was it. Waste of time IMO.

Dave

[casapete]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1206985' date='Apr 21 2011, 12:26 PM']The Word usually had some good live music too. Shame there wasn't more performances really because the bands and audiences always looked so up for it.

I suppose on Jools you've got a seated audience. Who wants to play to a seated audience who are half a mile away? What's the point?[/quote]

Think you'll find the majority of the audience are standing in the space between the performers. The few who are seated are usually in the
area behind the particular week's cool / legendary / old acts (delete as required) and often seem to be friends of the act or chosen due
to their dress sense! ( Incidentally if you get to be in the audience you are asked to wear dark clothing so as not to stand out too much!!)
Think the audience is essential for the prog, gives it much more of a gig feel - anyone remember Bob Harris mumbling platitudes after a
stonking performance by bands on Whistle Test in the 70's ? - not good.

Still love the show though, thought this weeks was pretty good. In the absence of any other dedicated live music shows on the main channels
it still fulfills it's function IMO. Have discovered a number of artists over the years that I probably would have overlooked otherwise.
Would n't be too upset if it had a revamp so long as the basic idea was retained. And guess I'm alone in thinking the sound is okay too?!!
( could be my advancing years / deafness I suppose? )

[silverfoxnik]

[quote name='casapete' post='1207216' date='Apr 21 2011, 04:10 PM']Think you'll find the majority of the audience are standing in the space between the performers. The few who are seated are usually in the
area behind the particular week's cool / legendary / old acts (delete as required) and often seem to be friends of the act or chosen due
to their dress sense! ( Incidentally if you get to be in the audience you are asked to wear dark clothing so as not to stand out too much!!)
Think the audience is essential for the prog, gives it much more of a gig feel - anyone remember Bob Harris mumbling platitudes after a
stonking performance by bands on Whistle Test in the 70's ? - not good.

Still love the show though, thought this weeks was pretty good. In the absence of any other dedicated live music shows on the main channels
it still fulfills it's function IMO. Have discovered a number of artists over the years that I probably would have overlooked otherwise.
Would n't be too upset if it had a revamp so long as the basic idea was retained. And guess I'm alone in thinking the sound is okay too?!!
( could be my advancing years / deafness I suppose? )[/quote]

+1

A large number of the audience is made up of the various artist's management/record label/publisher/friends etc...

Despite it's perceived faults, the key for me is that Later a) does promote and support live music and it provides an outlet for many acts that would otherwise never get on mainstream TV..

[daz]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1206472' date='Apr 20 2011, 09:49 PM'][/quote]

Why didn't we have Bootsy on instead of Alan McGee and his blatant plug for his documentary. Then at least there might have been a chance of something good coming from that silly multi function bass of his.
That little 'Jam' with Jools was excruciatingly bad. Jools didnt have a clue where to go and plink plonked away in an embarresingly poor fashion. I think the B man is loosing his mojo. To think he put on his big hat and shiny suit for a mere two finger twenty second shuffle.

Edited April 21, 2011 by daz

[Doddy]

[quote name='daz' post='1207372' date='Apr 21 2011, 06:39 PM']That little 'Jam' with Jools was excruciatingly bad. To think he put on his big hat and shiny suit for a mere two finger twenty second shuffle.[/quote]

But if he hadn't then Jools wouldn't have been able to showcase his average boogie woogie chops.

[KK Jale]

I went to the filming of a Later show last year… a friend of a friend got us passes. You're made to BUY your own bottled beer in the canteen beforehand and then not allowed to take any drink into the studio. I was appalled!

As most people know, it's all done on Tuesday night… the Friday show is recorded in a one-hour take with no re-runs, then there's a 15-minute break, then they do the 10 o'clock show live. So when Jools says "and you may hear such-and-such on the Friday show... " it's already happened.

As casapete says, the seated folks are band friends, PR, record company monkeys or BBC staff on a night out. Comely lasses are shepherded to the front of the standing areas.

It's a rotten situation to concentrate on the music - the live sound is far worse than the TV feed.

Still, got to see the Specials! (Oh, and Franz Ferdinand, the wonderful Carole King, and the utterly pants Yeah Yeah Yeahs).

And we blagged our way into the aftershow in the Pop Bar afterwards... which Jools never, ever attends, apparently. Though he does go down my local every other Monday night, so I'm very used to ignoring him.

Edited April 21, 2011 by KK Jale

[grahamd]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1206447' date='Apr 20 2011, 09:30 PM']f***ing MAGNIFICENT.[/quote]

Makes your hairs stand up eh. Raven on fine form, RIP

[iconic]

do you know, I thought the programme had finished years ago!

.....I used to make a point of always seeing it or recording it, even Matt Johnson was on it back in the 90's!

[url="http://www.remusicas.org/videos/-;xl6wH2VX_mQ.html"]http://www.remusicas.org/videos/-;xl6wH2VX_mQ.html[/url]

then, well it sort of went a bit too like a parody of the fast show's jazz club with a potificating/studenty/muso air about it, for my liking at least, either that or I'm getting old....strange, 'cos the OGWT managed to pull off this stuffyness nonsense?

OGWT, I loved that...bit young though back then, so see more of it now I'm older on youtube and see what I missed.

.... now the The Tube that was quite special....the sight of Mark King's on the hoof E string tuning.....

To be fair, I have met Jules Holland (nothing to do music, twas cars), real nice guy and with these sorts of programmes it must be so hard to please, anything popular then "ohh, it's gone commercial"...something odd and "what the fk was that?!?"

Edited April 22, 2011 by iconic

[stingrayPete1977]

Is KD Lang actually a bloke nowadays or what?

[JTUK]

KD Lang was very good, IMV...and what is the problem with Hugh Laurie..? he can certainly play.
So, he has something to plug...that is the whole point of the show..!!!!

[neilb]

Glasvegas....God help us!! Just a Joe Strummer lookalike yelling in a mic with a light rope on it,more Butlins than rock. Like to hear him try and sing without the overprocessed vocal additions!!!

Guitarist did really have to bring his mini Manhattan rig didn't he??? More visual than ability.

All in all, a load of old horse sh*t.

[Bassassin]

KD Lang was the star, no doubt - wonderful voice, even if she does appear to be transforming in to some sort of lesbian Elvis.

I quite enjoyed Fleet Foxes - very much their own thing, if that makes sense, and reminded me of the power of a good, overblown vocal harmony arrangement.

Hugh Laurie - clearly a fine musician but singing was a mistake - a stuffy English comic actor trying to sound like an old black American guy from the 30s just seemed like a comedy skit with no punchline.

So along with Hugh, the rest of the show was varying levels of wince & cringe. Vintage Trouble were OK, nothing special but played well, the singer has the voice & the moves, but the rest of the band had plainly been practicing their gurning & Twitchy-Dancing in front of the mirror. It became like a themed evening of trying too hard - the ranty bloke with the two drummers was just awful, and as forced & contrived as any manufactured boy-band, and the special needs guy in the other band needs to learn when to just sing, rather than doing the same little trick all the time.

Sad fact is that if Jools is the last gasp of live music on UK TV, maybe it would be for the best if someone just stuck a pillow over its face.

Jon.

Edited April 24, 2011 by Bassassin

[AndyTravis]

The programme in the 90's was a right of passage for me, and through the 00's reassured me through my musical self discovery.

Maybe the state of the programme says more about the current state of music?

I love the preview concept of a live show on Tuesday as much as I hate how much 'Later' it is on a Friday night.

I dislike Jools' brown nosed 'love your album' crud, he's a terrible interviewer, and always seems a little pissed up. The joining in with people, and the obligatory appearence by his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra is wearing a bit thin.

He's just a bit clueless at times.

Anyhow, every now and then, there is a gem...my favourite from my experiences of Jools...

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTcF6mZ5Tvk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTcF6mZ5Tvk[/url]

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Most of the stuff that's on it these days is not for me. He seems set in trying to show too many diverse acts in a short time. (one minute it's Metallica-5 mins later it's
Hugh Laurie) There's not much on the box regarding live music these days anyhow, so I guess it's something.
Alot of the older programmes may be missed by some .The Tube? I hated that Muriel Gray woman sooo much! Okay , it depends on who you like,
but I only remember ZZTop &Twisted Sister as being raw and outstanding. (Tho' I stand corrected)

The word ? Saw someone drink their own vomit amongst other things-ugh! Remember L7 & Sepultura being good.

Whistle test ? Yeah, alot of good stuff here, like UFO& Ted Nugent who I've never seen on TV since.

ECT That was good.

I've got a couple of the rock DVDs from the later with jh series. I liked The Hives,and At the Drive in. Last one I bothered watching
was the one with Alice in Chains on.

It would be nice if JH could have Rammstein, Satch ,Slayer and Rush on the same show. That'll never happen tho'.

[Beer of the Bass]

I think what happened with McCoy Tyner was a major cock up on the part of the producers. If they had any familiarity at all with his performances (i.e. done their homework), they'd have known he wouldn't fit in to their 4-minute slot and structured the program accordingly.
And if you dislike Jools Holland at the moment, try reading his autobiography and you'll like him even less!

[casapete]

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1206374' date='Apr 20 2011, 08:25 PM']Whistle test was brilliant, I used to love those old thirties cartoons they used to have when they didn't have live bands.... And the Otway performance of Cheryl's going home, remains one of my most watched youtube vids, brilliant!

Mind you, I'm still lamenting the passing of "something else" and the brilliant Tony Wilson, now there was a live music programme!

I only ever watch Later if Richard Thompson is one, which he seems to be every other series.

[url="http://youtu.be/G8C-BwAbAdc"]Otway OGWT[/url][/quote]


Lets not forget in our dewy eyed reminiscing that a lot of (mainly the earlier) OGWT editions were not live performances.
Often the more 'rock' bands mimed in the studio, with just the lead vocal being live - anyone remember Alice Cooper, NY Dolls etc?
Also seem to remember The Tube having bands mime occasionally.
Later with Jools does seem to be predominantly still a 'live' show, with just the occasional bit of 'fairydust' being added ( come on
down Cee Lo Green etc), so credit where it's due etc......

[Fat Rich]

Watching Hugh Laurie doing his New Orleans act on Jools reminded me of this:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwgS1ctxglw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwgS1ctxglw[/url]

Might be OK for the One Show but LWJH?

I'm another who fast forwards and sometimes through the whole show, but sometimes there's something well worth watching.

It could probably do with some better acts but it's still probably one of the best music shows on telly at the moment.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1210849' date='Apr 25 2011, 01:40 PM']It could probably do with some better acts but it's still probably one of the [b]only[/b] music shows on telly at the moment.[/quote]
In the tradition of lesser forums - fixed that for ya!

You're spot-on about Hugh Laurie. [i]And[/i] he used to be funny.

J.

[skej21]

PJ Harvey on Jools tonight. Always been a huge fan. Needless to say I will have uncontrollable rage if Jools plays his honky-tonk sh!t and ruins it.

[dlloyd]

[quote name='skej21' post='1212114' date='Apr 26 2011, 09:59 PM']PJ Harvey on Jools tonight. Always been a huge fan.[/quote]

Me too but that was on the nuttier side.

The Unthanks were great.

[skej21]

[quote name='dlloyd' post='1212152' date='Apr 26 2011, 10:32 PM']Me too but that was on the nuttier side.

The Unthanks were great.[/quote]

Agreed, on both counts.

That guy with the loop pedal was bloody awful too. What the hell has happened to this show?!

Are they expecting us to be impressed by a bloke looping a recording of him making spitting noises, and then layering loops of him FAILING to sing a simple 3rd in tune over the top?

P!SS OFF, JOOLS! P!SS OFF!

Edited April 26, 2011 by skej21

[benebass]

[quote name='KK Jale' post='1207402' date='Apr 21 2011, 07:04 PM']I went to the filming of a Later show last year… the Friday show is recorded in a one-hour take with no re-runs, then there's a 15-minute break, then they do the 10 o'clock show live. So when Jools says "and you may hear such-and-such on the Friday show... " it's already happened.[/quote]

This makes sense - I always think the Tuesday show is a bit flat compared to Friday.

Tonight's show seemed to work better as it was more about the guests than it was about Jools. I still think it needs a revamp though - I reckon it'd do well if they move it to a 100% live slot on BBC1 after the 10 O'Clock news on a Friday...and we might see the end of the Graham Norton show!

B.