quote:

surprise surprise - it was a sophisticated electro/punk/hip hop thing

is there any other type of (modern) German music?

Saw DJ Shadow at liverpool uni last night. quite quiet as far as numbers go, but a great gig. anyone who says dj's have no musical ability so see how this guy uses turntables!! totally amazing and great fun to boot.

Ryan

Hello, yesterday went to see / hear Soinninkajo choir (at Espoon Steinerkoulu, that is Waldorf School of Espoo, Finland) with my son (13) and daughter (7). Beautiful classical and medieval songs of christmas-time (and related).

http://www.soinninkajo.org/

Robbie Williams in Milton Keynes (September 2006)

He is such an excellent showman !

P.

Arab Strap,
playing their farewell gig in glasgow. R.I.P. 10 years of tears, the world will be a slightly less miserable place now, and all the worse for it.

Colin

Last Thursday night, November 30, the Chicago Symphony, Boulez conducting, Ravel/Ligeti/Bartok. Exquisite. Boulez is my fave.

Friday night I went to see The Charlatans at Brixton, and they were ace.

Before that it was the Killers, who were good but who are starting to exhibit alarming Quuenish tendencies. Before that? The Esbjorn Svensson Trio at the Barbican, who were awesome, as were Jarvis Cocker at Koko and The Raconteurs at Brixton. That, sadly is it for the year now...

K

'The Be Good Tanyas' playing at the Albert Hall in November. Kathryn Williams supported, both stunning, great night.

Madness at the Arena in Newcastle, with my son and four of his little mates.

Consumate performance by the nutty boys, who had the crowd in their hand from the first words "Hey you, don't watch that, watch this" etc..."

The kids stood and danced all through, I stood and jerked around a bit in my version of dancing.

Back stage passes to meet the band meant a memorable night for the youngsters. I could feel the musical baton being passed between the generations.

Suggs and Co; thanks for a great nights entertainment.

Regards

Nic

"Messiah" Royal Albert Hall on Friday night. We were slapdab in the middle of the front row, behind the conductor. Spine-tingling choral work. Very interesting to be so close to the orchestra. I hadn't before realised just how hard the first cello works in this piece.

Jarvis Cocker at the Roundhouse.

Absolutely superb, faultless stuff. Richard Hawley was among those plaing with Jarv, and the final encore was a fantastic version of "Silver Machine".

The gig was being filmed BTW.

K

PS Anyone else been to the Roundhouse since it was done up? I think it's now the best venue in London. Great facilities, alongside a fantastic erformance space. Hope to see a lot more bands there.

I went to see Tool at Nottingham Arena a couple of weeks ago.

When the band started up my heart sank. The sound was shockingly bad, muddy, just really disappointing. I was sitting there, feet in a pool of beer, more beer cascading over me from the swinging pints of the only two people in the section who were pissed enough to think they had the room to be on their feet. When lead singer MJKeenan announced that we'd come a long way from Rock City he was right. A long way in altogether the wrong direction.

The evening improved considerably when I upped sticks to go and stand all by myself in the empty section directly opposite the stage. I never sat down again, although OMG they're difficult to dance to. Suddenly, by dint of not being stuck in the corner, the sound was massively better. The visuals were outstanding throughout. Never has a group taken such care over their cd covers, inlays, and this effort was more than replicated in the silent films tailored to each song, projected behind the band. Stunning. Then came 10,000days, the band came to sit together stage front, one of them lit their lighter and all the smokers followed suit. Beautiful. We all knew what was coming. Then they fired up the most amazing lasers. Massive fat tubes of pure and deadly green, firing all over the shop and frequently just over my shoulder. If i'd raised my paw I would have lost it.

As expected, the band were flawless. What a voice! What a sensational drummer! The setlist was impeccably chosen. It was a great night. I've finally seen one of my favourite bands. I'm so relieved I did something about that terrible seat, that I got away with it under the noses of some rather over-zealous security; more than anything I'm annoyed that so great a band could agree to play such horrible venue..These sheds are everywhere, monstrous, identikit, corrugated-iron-roofed, holiday-on-ice warehouses where the only consideration given to the music is a few palty curtains draped over the back wall. Rock City used to be great, Newcastle's City Hall remains similarly good, but these arenas are soulless and the last concert I attended certainly suffered for it.

Last night went to see the greatest band in the world: Tenacious D in Brighton.
I wondered how they were going to do it, but it worked really well with their mixture of songs, set parts, props & storyline. Blinkin loud when they went into full metal chest-thudding Sabbath mode.
I have to admit that great though it was, I was glad that it ended when it did. Good stuff, and very different to anything I've seen on stage before.

Naimshake, i saw tool in manchester at the men. made comments earlier in thread but to reiterate the sound wasn't too bad and like you i thought they were immense!! I saw them in Glasgow earlier in the summer in a small 3000 capacity venue. no light show but again a really polished performance and more interaction with the crowd.

Like you, my favourite band and incredibly underrated and ignored by the mainstream.

Ryan

Naimshake

Great review.

I think the city Hall is however over the Hill and has been overtaken by the Sage, particularly for acoustics if not for atmosphere. We are now getting artists in Newcastle/Gateshead that generally just do the rounds of London/Birmingham/Manchester/Edinburgh/Glasgow., which Pimps our Ride somewhat.I almost refuse to go to sheds unless i've got a fabulous seat. I have a rule these days that if i can't see the whites of their eyes i'm not comin' in. Mind my idea of a big gig is The Sage main hall, Northern Rock room is also great, after that I twist if I have to watch gigs at The cluny because I have to stand and put up with people enjoying themselves (and being able to drink when i'm driving) and talking when the band is on and smerking tabs, ha not for much longer. My fave venues are The Live on the quayside and recently The Little Theatre in Low Fell. Also a crackin venue in Dipton called the Store.

Right son, take me back to the home i've been out long enough and put a blanket over me knees its chilly out

Diccus

Liane Carroll at my local jazz pub - what a voice!

I take it the children's school Christmas carol concert doesn't count then....

Did any one go and see HMHB Last night in London? Munch

buzzcocks and morrissey 2 weeks ago

The Hampshire Grenadiers, last night at Woking Leisure Centre. Fantastic gig.