The Gig Reviews Thread

[Richard R]

Just what the title says really, a thread for reviews of live concerts. Pop, funk, jazz, choral. Anything you went to, but specifically not gigs you played.

 

A companion thread to the long running:

 

[Nail Soup]

Good idea…. Hopefully I’ll have cause to post here. My next gig has been postponed by a year, so I might do the one I went to last week.

[Richard R]

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets,

Birmingham Symphony Hall, April 22, 2022

 

This was booked 2½ years ago, and sadly the friend who booked it died last year. So it was with mixed feelings, but huge anticipation, that his brother and I took our seats last night, right up in the grand tier of Symphony Hall.

 

Man- that was a heavy gig! Thunderous drums and phenomenal bass underpinning early Floyd played with more passion and energy than on any LP. Truly astonishing to hear, and the band so obviously enjoying being back on the road.  Most of the set was as on the "Live at the Roundhouse" album, but with 'Candy and a Currant Bun', 'Saucerful of Secrets' and 'Echoes'.  Hard to pick out any one song, but Guy Pratt's bass break in the middle of 'See Emily Play' was unexpected and superb. The keyboards and guitar playing was of the highest order - and who would have thought Gary Kemp could rock, shred, and distort a guitar like that?

The sound was crystal clear, from the bass and toms though to the lightest shimmer of cymbals and gong. The occasional banter and introductions to songs were also hugely entertaining, Nick sounding like Radio 4 and the rest of the band gently ribbing him about his being born in Birmingham. 

 

I would see them again in a heartbeat.

[Richard R]

44 minutes ago, Nail Soup said:

I might do the one I went to last week.

 

Please do. There should probably be a time limit of maybe a couple of months or so, otherwise we'll be reminiscing, not reviewing, but a week isn't too long. 

 

(Someone else can start the reminiscing thread. Especially if they can honestly say they saw Pink Floyd at The Swan in Yardley, Birmingham in 196x 😉 )

[ambient]

58 minutes ago, Richard R said:

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets,

Birmingham Symphony Hall, April 22, 2022

 

This was booked 2½ years ago, and sadly the friend who booked it died last year. So it was with mixed feelings, but huge anticipation, that his brother and I took our seats last night, right up in the grand tier of Symphony Hall.

 

Man- that was a heavy gig! Thunderous drums and phenomenal bass underpinning early Floyd played with more passion and energy than on any LP. Truly astonishing to hear, and the band so obviously enjoying being back on the road.  Most of the set was as on the "Live at the Roundhouse" album, but with 'Candy and a Currant Bun', 'Saucerful of Secrets' and 'Echoes'.  Hard to pick out any one song, but Guy Pratt's bass break in the middle of 'See Emily Play' was unexpected and superb. The keyboards and guitar playing was of the highest order - and who would have thought Gary Kemp could rock, shred, and distort a guitar like that?

The sound was crystal clear, from the bass and toms though to the lightest shimmer of cymbals and gong. The occasional banter and introductions to songs were also hugely entertaining, Nick sounding like Radio 4 and the rest of the band gently ribbing him about his being born in Birmingham. 

 

I would see them again in a heartbeat.

A friend of mine was going to see this tonight. I’m glad it was good, didn’t realise Guy Pratt was on bass duties.

[stewblack]

I saw Cory Wong recently. He was his usual amazing self on the guitar, and the musicians were as tight and capable as you'd imagine.

However, CW was strangely mute that evening. He has a great facility for banter, others have said his between songs chat was like getting a stand up routine to go with the great music. But not when I saw him. He barely said a word.

I also had a niggling disappointment that, no matter how good the band was, it wasn't his band. I understand his reasons, but I would have loved to see the Wongnotes in all their glory, and I guess I expected to. 

So a mixed review from me. 

[Nail Soup]

8 hours ago, ambient said:

I’m glad it was good, didn’t realise Guy Pratt was on bass duties.

Based on the "Live at the Roundhouse" recording he did a great job on vocals too (co-lead vocals with Gary Kemp).

[Nail Soup]

The Bug Club, Bedford Esquires 13th April

 

3 piece band , Gtr, bass drums, two vocals. On record their USP is probably the vocal harmonisation, but live really bought their instrumental capabilities to the fore. Guitar has no effects pedals... just uses the knobs on the guitar. Lots of great lead guitar. Great Bass tone and playing. Drummer usually plays quite straight 'support the song' style, but on a few occasions showed he could really go for it when needed.

Great show, really enjoyed it.

 

On the other hand the support band were terrible. Singer, bass player and laptop 😞 . The singer had put a lot more effort into his between-song banter than the music. I had suffered them before at the same venue. So obviously chosen by the venue rather than the headline band. Sounded like a poor man's Divine Comedy.

I always make the effort to watch the support band - have seen loads of great ones, some OK ones and the occasional stinker.

 

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by Nail Soup
Added pic

[Andermtc]

11 hours ago, Richard R said:

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets,

Birmingham Symphony Hall, April 22, 2022

 

This was booked 2½ years ago, and sadly the friend who booked it died last year. So it was with mixed feelings, but huge anticipation, that his brother and I took our seats last night, right up in the grand tier of Symphony Hall.

 

Man- that was a heavy gig! Thunderous drums and phenomenal bass underpinning early Floyd played with more passion and energy than on any LP. Truly astonishing to hear, and the band so obviously enjoying being back on the road.  Most of the set was as on the "Live at the Roundhouse" album, but with 'Candy and a Currant Bun', 'Saucerful of Secrets' and 'Echoes'.  Hard to pick out any one song, but Guy Pratt's bass break in the middle of 'See Emily Play' was unexpected and superb. The keyboards and guitar playing was of the highest order - and who would have thought Gary Kemp could rock, shred, and distort a guitar like that?

The sound was crystal clear, from the bass and toms though to the lightest shimmer of cymbals and gong. The occasional banter and introductions to songs were also hugely entertaining, Nick sounding like Radio 4 and the rest of the band gently ribbing him about his being born in Birmingham. 

 

I would see them again in a heartbeat.

I was also there and 'Echo' your comments. The interaction amongst the band is good and you see guys playing because they are enjoying it, also clear that Nick and Guy are the the 2 mainstays and have known each other for a while, nice little bit of banter about Tony Hadley and Rogers Waters.

Whole gig started with Guy on bass on One of These days, and if you watch his lockdown licks eps 5 he explains how to play it.

[Richard R]

5 hours ago, stewblack said:

 I would have loved to see the Wongnotes in all their glory, and I guess I expected to. 

The Wongnotes - what a fantastic band name!

[stewblack]

Larkin Poe in the Marble Factory, Bristol last night.

Mind blowing. I knew I liked them, I had no idea how good they are. The musicianship was extraordinary, and the singer has one of the best voices I've ever heard. 

If you like the blues, and you like to rock you can't go wrong, go see them.

[upside downer]

PUBLIC IMAGE LTD

Rock City, Nottingham, 23rd June 2022

 

It's the last date of PiL's UK tour and the crowd have been warmed up nicely by a spirited set from Brix Smith and her all-female band promoting the new album 'Valley of the Dolls'. The main attraction enter the stage and go straight in with the first album polemic Religion II. We're less than ninety seconds in and John Lydon is reprimanding someone recording the moment on his phone.

"Put that f__king thing down and listen to the band!", he tells the bewildered punter. The opener features the now familiar plea from Lydon to the soundman to "turn up the bass" which shakes the room and, no doubt, a few bowels of those who have imbibed too much ale.  A might fine take on Memories is next up followed by The Body and Warrior, which is the first of several tracks to feature some sterling work from Lu Edmonds on the electric saz.

 

A smattering of varying quality tunes follow from the more recent albums released since the band reconvened and then comes the extraordinary Death Disco from 1979 masterpiece Metal Box. A funk-punk howl of anguish, Scott Firth's pounding bass sits underneath Edmonds' chiming guitar workout. Lydon's on top form and seems more focused than on previous tours when he's been somewhat ragged in his approach to song structures and has had his bandmates doing a hell of a lot of nervous eye contact and nods to hold things together.

 

After a mixture of different era songs we get to highest PiL chart single This Is Not a Love Song from 1983 which has had a radical and welcome live reworking, Edmonds' saz to the fore again. First single and statement of intent Public Image brings the set to a thundering end and a halt for a fag break before the band return for 2015's sweary tribute to Lydon's old man, Shoom. Leftfield collaboration and Hollywood-haranguing Open Up is last but one for the evening and there's a raucous cheer for Bruce Smith's drum intro to the superb Rise, one of PiL's career highlights. "Anger is an energy" the crowd sing along and, when things are wrapped up at the end of this highly entertaining evening, give the band a really appreciative ovation, which Lydon seems quite moved by. There's a lot of love in the house. I heard quite a few people on the way out saying it's the best they've seen the band play and I couldn't disagree. A minor quibble? I'd like to have heard a couple of more 'classic' tunes like Poptones, Flowers of Romance  or the epic Ease but that's just me nitpicking. Apparently some studio time is booked so we can look forward to another PiL album.

Edited June 27, 2022 by upside downer