- Live Reviews
It’s not often that a true rock legend ventures into the Essex Republic, as traditionally with London on the doorstep, the fans will travel to you there. However, for reasons that became clear later, this legendary guitar wizard brought his all-conquering band of fabled musicians across the border to a sold out audience of ardent fans.
The tour is supporting the release of new album Shockwave Supernova, but the 2 hour plus set delivered such a vast compliment of his 15 album catalogue that no fan left until the final fret refrain of his Surfing with the Alien encore. Satriani’s talent and, multiple Grammy nominations, afford him the opportunity and luxury of being able to gather an impressive plethora of rocks finest musicians into the band. Drummer Marco Minnemann and bassist Bryan Beller of Aristocrat’s fame and the outrageously talented Mike Keneally providing orchestral duels with Joe to the obvious delight of the gathered masses.
The sight of Keneally’s talent for multitasking guitar and two keyboards will live long in the memory. A five minute solo from drummer Minnemann, receiving the biggest cheer this night, was stick perfect and epitomised the level of musicianship on view. Joe himself, as you would expect is a true fretwork expert, but was kept honest and on his game by the quality of his band. His axe battles with Keneally often declared a draw in track after track of testing solos.
The crowd on the night was clearly engaged and Satriani’s easy manner with them was well received especially when he told tales of the tracks and the band, particular cheer went up for the revelation that his long-term manager was Southend born and bred, and by all accounts the reason for this particular venue being chosen for the latter end of the tour. A tour that had started mid-September in France and, with three dates to follow this, all the band was clearly enjoying the bonhomie of life on the road playing to appreciative crowds.
The set carried great visuals projected on a tri split backdrop, especially complimenting the interstellar tracks Crystal Planet and Surfing with the alien. Not many tours this year are going to have this level of quality and assured musicianship. With three gigs left, including the tour finale at the Apollo in Hammersmith, I assure you that it will be one of the finest rock nights you could treat yourself to if you grab yourself and your mates a night out with these rock ambassadors.
Final tour dates remaining are Bristol Colston Hall 8th Nov, Plymouth Guildhall 9th Nov & the tour finale at Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith London on 10th Nov
Iain @docswallow
Set List:
SHOCKWAVE SUPERNOVA
FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM
ICE 9
CRYSTAL PLANET
NOT OF THIS EARTH
ON PEREGRINE WINGS
FRIENDS
TIME
IF I COULD FLY
BUTTERFLY AND ZEBRA
IF THERE IS NO HEAVEN
CATACLYSMIC
CRAZY JOEY
ALL OF MY LIFE
LUMINOUS FLESH GIANTS
ALWAYS WITH ME ALWAYS WITH YOU
GOD IS CRYING
GOODBYE SUPERNOVA
SATCH BOOGIE
BIG BAD MOON
(Encore)
SURFING WITH THE ALIEN
- Live Reviews
It’s midweek in London, the weekend is poking it’s head above the horizon and a packed out Brixton Academy crowd is here to pay homage to a band so fine, that they really can’t contain their excitement that they like thousands of others are in the know about Death Cab for Cutie, whilst the rest of the millions are still watching X Factor!
That general crowd buzz was evident from the off, which meant that the crowd noise for the Seattle based based support Chastity Belt seemed at times louder than this fine 4-piece themselves!
Chastity Belt really look to have a fine future ahead with their rough-edged lo-fi tunes. Keep an eye on this outfit.
9pm and the 5-piece Death Cab for Cutie take to the stage, which they occupy for the next two hours with 24 songs from their vast and ever-growing catalogue of songs.
Brixton is really a second home for these guys, the 5th time Ben Gibbard announces they have played the venue and the whole gig really does feel like a homecoming. The band are full of fire and passion, which after a year on the road and on their third visit to the UK in 2015, is admirable indeed.
It’s impossible to highlight one song over the other, because the set is just spot on from the opener ‘The New Year’ to closer ‘Transatlanticism’. The show is played a breakneck speed one song after the ever with the odd pause for breath and a quick chat.
The mid set introduction of ‘Summer Skin’ went down a storm as did the acoustic solo rendition of ‘I will follow you into the Dark’ which, Ben dedicated to those present who had been at Glastonbury this year but, was a song they could not fit into their set on the day.
A truly magnificent show, you really felt they could have played on for another couple of hours at least!
Pete
Set-List
The New Year
Crooked Teeth
Why You'd Want to Live Here
Photobooth
Black Sun
The Ghosts of Beverly Drive
Grapevine Fires
Little Wanderer
Company Calls
Pictures in an Exhibition
You've Haunted Me All My Life
Summer Skin
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
I Will Possess Your Heart
El Dorado
You Are a Tourist
Doors Unlocked and Open
Cath...
Soul Meets Body
Bixby Canyon Bridge
Encore:
Brothers on a Hotel Bed
No Room in Frame
Marching Bands of Manhattan
Transatlanticism
- Live Reviews
Whether it was the clocks going back, the cold autumnal weather or the fact that it was a dark, wet Monday night, the thought of venturing out to the Plug in Sheffield was less than appealing.
All thoughts of the roaring fire back home however were extinguished the second the hairy beanpole launched into the beautiful I Love You, Honeybear from the same titled second album released earlier this year. And what a voice this guy has....no wonder he left the drums behind with Fleet Foxes and headed stage front and centre. The clarity, power and sheer beauty of his output sounds even richer and fully formed live than it does on record.
Strange Encounter from the same album is led into directly following the opening track, and its the end of this song before the sold out audience is addressed......”thanks you lovely baby faced people”..
True Affection is the next track, all bizarre dance moves and falling to the knees, before the first track from debut album (from this Nom de Plume anyway) is played. Only Son Of A Ladiesman from Fear Fun goes down really well, as the audience sings along and we all appreciate the fabulous backing band. Mr Tillman alternates between vocals only, and acoustic guitar and vocals and his banter increases as the night goes on. Apparently he couldn’t stay in Manchester last night due to all the hotels being full due to the Manchester derby......”Does anyone here give a damn what I’m talking about ???!!”........No was the answer.....Americans and football eh ?
The “horrible little song” Im Writing A Novel is up next, before the gorgeous Chateau Lobby No.4 almost brings down the house.
Last track for me for the night (which clown put a 7am meeting in my diary for the morning ??) was promising to “turn it up a notch”..........”i was being ironic - haven’t you lot got a dry sense of humour ?!” was the simply stunning Bored in the USA, just voice and piano, and the canned laughter backing track. I don’t think the night could have improved from this point.
So not only content with releasing one of the albums of the year, his live show is also one of the most entertaining of the year.
Bless you Father John Misty.
Keith
- Live Reviews
Tonight's show was advertised as intimate (we all know that this is venue-speak for small). In fact the Venue 2 above the Hare & Hounds is so intimate that the band emerge from a dressing room at the back of the room to carve a path through the 150 capacity audience to reach the stage, to play the tougher, angrier songs from her 'Welcome Back To Milk' (apparently a reference to utilising her lactose intolerance as a constipation cure).
Beth Jeans Houghton is backed by a traditional rock band line-up of two guitars, bass and drummer. The band kicks into 'If You're Legal' and then straight into the tribal drums and whoozy guitars of 'Mr Hyde' (surely one of the songs of the year?) as a double whammy to start the set. Next is 'Black Flag' which slides and grinds its way out of the PA as Beth stalks and prowls around the stage like a peroxided panther. Although she's clearly struggling with a heavy cold tonight (for which she apologises), she's still an interesting and intimidating stage presence.
There are three new tracks played tonight, 'Eden', 'Buddy' and 'Swallow' all of which are a continuation of the Du Blonde sound and fit neatly into the rest of the set, which ends tonight as does the album with 'Isn't it Wild'. However as a twist on the album version Beth leaves the stage to let the band finish the track with a big rock out. Mike Lindsay of Tunng having been discharged from the folktronica of his day job releases his inner guitar rock god throwing the full set of soloing shapes as the band build to a climatic finish.
For the encore Beth says they're going to try a cover version, and those of us of a certain musical age and quality recognise the intro “whoo, whoo, whoo's” of Pixies 'Where Is My Mind?' when we hear it which the rocking band blast through for a great finish.
Alisdair Whyte
- Live Reviews
The largest capacity indoor London show for The Tallest Man On Earth had the man himself lost for words when chatting between songs. On the road for most of the year, the band had over 70 shows under their belt by the time they returned to London last night.
The show was kicked off by Megafaun man, Phil Cook, who brought the blues with him all the way from North Carolina. A man who has been in the music business for over 20 years has only this year, released his first solo album.
You can tell the confidence of an artist when he stops mid song early on in the set, for the crowd to sing the next line and Phil is quite rightly brimming with confidence. An excellent album in ‘Southland Mission’ and an excellent 45 minutes set.
Kristian Matsson a.k.a. The Tallest Man On Earth literally bounced onto the stage at 9.15pm and left in triumph at 11pm. He actually had so much pent up energy inside him that Kristian looked like he had been watching Samuel T. Herring of Future Islands, for some of those moves! Early on it was clear that this was one of those gigs that was going to be something special.
The twenty plus song set performed for the most part by a four-piece band arranged on a platform behind the main man, flew by with hardly time to draw breath and pretty much all albums and EPs were covered.
There was a genuine kinship amongst the entire band. A prolific song writer with a unique voice and a class guitarist (and what an array of guitars The Tallest Man On Earth had to hand).
The showed ended with the title track from new album ‘Dark Bird is Home’ which highlighted all the aspects for the various parts of the unit. Sweet and gentle acoustic beginning and the thunder crack as the band came in midway through the song.
Still a young man, there is much more to come from this guy yet. A tremendous show.
Pete
- Live Reviews
Presumably, a lack of ticket sales had shunted tonight's gig to the games room at the back of the Brudenell, as a trio of local bands had taken centre stage in the main room, and had pulled in a tidy crowd.
Bruce Soord (main man from The Pineapple Thief) explained that as fellow KScope label mates, he had been invited by SBP to open for them on this tour, and showcase songs from his upcoming debut solo record. After introducing the Bruce Soord Band (Darren on electric guitar..), a button was pressed on his Apple Mac and the first of 5 songs was launched into. I say launched; glided would have been more appropriate as there was a definite Pink Floyd feel to the songs, Bruce playing acoustic, Darren on electric fender strat and the Mac filing in the background dreamscapes.
It was really rather nice stuff, and a departure from the Pineapple Thief theme, which presumably something Bruce aimmed for as a solo artist. Final song The Willow Tree was the most impressive, even after the false start (“I always mess this up” - and he did), with its finger picked acoustic start, and ending with the electric guitar solo from Darren. This sounds like an album worth a listen when it's released in November.
10 minutes later, and with no histrionics or ceremony, the 6 members of Sweet Billy Pilgrim took to the stage, not exactly having to fight through the crowd to get to the stage. I counted 54 of us in attendance - criminally under attended. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to bother the band one iota, and they were charming, engaging, chatty and clearly enjoying themselves throughout.
Opener of the set was the new album Motorcade Amnesiacs’ opener Candle Book and Bell, before reeling off the next 4 tracks off the same album. Lead singer Tim Elsenberg invited us to watch the recently released video for track Slingshot Grin, and especially his acting chops alongside “some famous people”.
After the lovely Tyrekickers on which Jana Carpenter takes the lead vocals, the first older track is played in the form of Archaeology from Crown & Treaty.
It’s almost impossible to read an article about SBP without seeing the term "Mercury Nominated” against their name (for album Twice Born Men), which is again puzzling as to why they don’t enjoy more success than they do…the curse of the Mercury prize??
They are also a difficult band to pigeonhole. They definitely have prog rock elements to their sound - I guess backed up by KScope signing them up for their latest album. There’s also some folk in their, and some edgy rock, especially on their latest album. It all makes for an intelligent, alluring mix and sound.
Kraklite and Blue Sky Falls close the set, with the beauty and satisfaction that these songs provoke, although I certainly had mixed feelings at the end of the gig. It felt almost like a personal performance for me alone, something they were actually offering in their Pledge Music campaign for the new album, but also tinged with sadness that they aren’t yet playing to a much larger audience.
Keith
- Live Reviews
The largest of the academy venues in Manchester hosted the night which is a testament to the overnight (!) success that Future Islands have enjoyed since the release of 'Singles', even though it is their fourth album. Obviously “that” song and performance on Letterman has also had something to do with it.
First up, was Beth Jeans Houghton’s latest incarnation Du Blonde, a fully formed rock band with a harder edge than first outing with the Hooves of Destiny. Looking every bit the late night rock chic, on they came to a barely paying attention audience and launched into If You’re Legal from their (only) album Welcome Back to Milk. After Black Flag and Hunter the audience started to pay attention, and they were being won over by the huge operatic voice emitting from this fragile looking woman. The 30 minute bellowing set was over, and off they went to a standing ovation.
Next up, and unknown to this reviewer were Dope Body, fellow Baltimore residents like Future Islands, and it turns out the lead singers from both bands share an apartment. "He’s my homie” explained Samuel T later in the evening.
This was a full on energetic, classic rock with elements of punk stage performance. The shirts were off most of the band after the first song, as the energy was huge and lead singer Andrew prowling the stage like a born performer. Giant riffs mixed with thunderous drumming mixed with bellowing vocals had me stage front and centre, however they were not to everyone’s taste, especially some who had come just to hear Future Islands synth rock. Andrew confirmed to me after the show that the set consisted of tracks from new album Kunk which I bought, and he hoped to see me at the next show as “we are playing very close to here……..in Glasgow…” Keep an eye on these dudes.
Finally the main attraction took the stage to an almost hysterical reaction, and the first 5 minutes to me summed up their attraction. Instead of ignoring the audience, and launching into their first track, Samuel T Herring took a few minutes to pace the very front edge of the stage and basically have a chat, thanking everyone for coming, looking all around the space as if he was savouring every second of the night, and telling everyone we were in for a great night. It’s called engaging with your fans…..simple yet effective.
Every move, every bonkers dance he did, and everything he then said was cheered to the rafters. Most of 'Singles' was played, including the ubiquitous 'Seasons', which for the first time did not get the biggest cheer of the night, suggesting the fans are appreciative of all their songs equally now.
Samuel was sweating almost as much as we were; he genuinely puts his heart and soul into every performance which again I think the fans appreciate. Unfortunately, the other band members are completely secondary in a live setting; this show is all about Samuel T and his unusual style and his interaction with the crowd. And boy, the crowd loved him back. This is what entertainment is all about, and with three bands on the set, excellent value for money too.
Keith
- Live Reviews
This show is advertised as Haiku Salut - Lamp Show and first sight of the stage confirms this description to be accurate, as connected by a spaghetti of cables, there are laptops, various electronic gizmos, percussion, brass and stringed instruments and approximately 20 living room lamps giving the impression that Arcade Fire are about to perform in the vintage lighting section at B&Q (other DIY/hardware shops are available).
Support comes from a three-piece from Bristol, Jilk, who play instrumentals with lots of looping effects with added violin and trombone. Their final track is a collaborative single 'Periscopes' they released with Haiku Salut earlier this year, the two groups combine for a building, floaty and brass-coated instrumental reminiscent of the long lost Flotation Toy Warning. The announcement at the start of this track will the last spoken word from the stage tonight.
After a short break the main set starts and it's a stunning performance. The three members of Haiku Salut (Louise Croft, Sophie and Gemma Barkerwood from the Derbyshire Dales) perform a set of instrumentals with keyboards, piano accordion, snare and bass drums, acoustic guitars and ukulele, parts of which are cleverly looped to form the repeating backing tracks, which allows the track to build and grow as it progress and more instruments are added. All of the instruments are played live by the three piece, which involves impressive musical talent and on-stage choreography as they continually move across the stage without colliding, or more than one member picking up the same instrument. At one point I counted five individual instruments being played by the musicians.
Adding to the spectacle is the aforementioned lamp show. A fourth member, half hidden in the shadows stage left appears to program the vintage lamps to glow, pulse, flick on and off and fade in time with the sounds generated by the band.
Tracks from their two albums are played, highlights include 'Bleak and Beautiful (All Things)' first track of recently released album 'Etch & Etch Deep' which builds into a lovely accordion and brass passage and would fit perfectly into Yann Tiersen's Amelie soundtrack. The pretty, tinkling piano at the start of 'Foreign Pollen' is looped to allow the big, bulky brass and drums to take over.
Whilst there's no interaction with the audience apart from a collective bow and wave at the end , it's far from a cold performance as the warm, lifting instrumentals are all played with loads of feeling to a totally engrossed audience.
If you're feeling jaded with watching a band plodding through a replication of their latest album, Haiku Salut's performance will lift your spirits as they provide an enchanting alternative and remind you again of the wonderful possibilities of live musical performance.
Alisdair Whyte
- Live Reviews
If anyone asks me who my favourite artist is, I answer Sufjan Stevens. He has been since my first listen of Seven Swans in 2004. Most of the subsequent releases have simply reaffirmed how much I like him and how much his music means to me. It's not a slavish devotion. Some of the releases have been merely interesting or good, rather than great; but the body of work, as well as what I know of how he creates it and why, has never added up to less than being my favourite.
With this, it's been a major issue for me to have never seen him live, bar his messing around with the National once at the Brixton Academy. So, I was more than a little excited to find that he was headlining at the End of the Road. And more than a little apprehensive - how would his music translate to a festival setting? To cut to the chase, when asked what my favourite ever show was, my answer will be, instantly, Sufjan Stevens at the End of the Road Festival. That would also be my answer to my favourite ever experience of any type of art.
Of course this is all subjective, but it was everything you'd want: heartfelt, fun, exciting, moving and, throughout, almost impossibly beautiful. I'll never, ever forget how I felt while watching this performance. I'll never forget the effect that the show seemed to have on others: often fragile, subtle songs of loss were played to a festival crowd who were moved to near silence (even those who were worse for wear and asking at the start if this was the War on Drugs…).
So, this is less of a review than a relating of a very personal experience. There have been other reviews of his recent shows (all raves) and of this show (ditto). I'll leave it to them to list the songs, relate wonderful intra-band dynamics of camaraderie and changing of instruments, the playfulness of confetti sprinkling, etc. For me, it was just unforgettably special.
Kevin B.
Photo: KenJamesWallace
- Live Reviews
After an amazing set by the Polyphonic Spree at Moseley Folk Festival last weekend, including all 14 of them joining the Monkees for an encore, I found myself wondering what on earth was going on with them. Where they serious, or is it a joke? As I set off through the crowd to those two essentials of festival life, bar and toilet, I found the keyboard player of the Spree walking towards me. He was easy to recognise, even without the flowing white robes, being 7 foot tall with striking hair. He looked friendly so I stopped him and told him what a great show it was. He smiled even more than before, and said: 'it's impossible not to be happy, being on stage like that 'So I asked him…’Listen….is the band serious, or humorous? 'He beamed down at me and answered,‘Yes’
Kevin Hand
- Live Reviews
It was the luck of the ballot draw which enabled us to purchase tickets for this intimate gig at Village Underground, London. In the application for tix it was very clearly stated this was a no phones event and anyone taking pics or filming would be ejected from venue. (I don't have a problem with this at all. If we need shots get a press pass for Ken!)
It's not the 1st time we have been lucky enough to catch Foals at a small venue in recent years. At a trip to 60 Million Postcards in Bournemouth a couple of years ago I declared my days of getting close to Foals were over such was the sweaty mess that ensued that night! So there we were, at the barrier, for what was going to be a memorable gig. The audience looked quite calm with a larger amount of female interest than I would have thought. I was wondering when the surge of males would come flying forward!
Support came in the form of That F#cking Tank, guitar/drums duo from Leeds kicking out some thumping tunes 65 Days of Static'esque or PSB without the newsreel! It was enough to give some interest while waiting for the main event. Everything was set at 9pm and Foals didn't delay too long before taking the stage to huge cheers and as they ripped into Snake Oil BOOM the crowd erupted! The Village Underground turned into one mad mosh pit. (I have now taken a safe spot at the side, still nursing a bruised shin from Girl Band last week!)
They probably played more old tunes than I thought they would, thinking this would be a showcase for mostly new songs, but this delighted the crowd, the room was dripping with the energy expended throughout Olympic Airways and My Number.
Time for a slight breather with new tune Mountain At My Gate highlighting the band's incline and how tight they are as a unit. Best moment of the gig came when at the opening of Spanish Sahara a few bods sat down and quickly everyone in the room joined in, singing along but totally idolising the band at their feet, it was breathtaking as the song reached its rocking crescendo with everyone back on their feet in the maelstrom.
The best thing about this moment was everybody was feeling it and nobody was filming it. Front man Yannis raised his fist to the crowd and pumped towards his heart. I really think he felt it too. The set carried on in that vein, peppered with the softer tune A Knife in the Ocean showing this band can touch your soul as well as tear up the floor. Yannis declared the end was nigh, but not before a rip roaring encore including Inhaler and Two Steps and a sortie around the venue with his guitar followed by a crowd surf, held aloft by adoring fan's hands.
An incredible show, FOALS are a fantastic band with so much style to their diversity is it dance, math or indie rock.
I knew we had to be quick off the mark to secure tix for their Southampton show on pre-sale last week I was not wrong the nationwide tour sold out in 5 minutes!
Sally @sally_wally
New Album 'What Went Down' is released on New Music Friday 28 August, 2015
- Live Reviews
I am on a bit of a mission to visit those legendary concert venues that I have not had the chance to to see a band play in before so, a Friday night offering of Camera Obscura at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire was just too tempting to turn down,
It's a lovely venue as well, very reminiscent of a church hall. Built in 1923 it must have seen many dance nights long before last Friday. The place has a very homely feel and reasonably priced and decent beer!
Because of the small size of the venue every gig will be intimate and tonight is no exception, with a true music loving crowd in attendance, even the very assured and able singer/songwriter in support was given an attentive hearing.
I guess this was a 'dipping our toes back into the water' gig for Camera Obscura who were also headlining the Visions Festival in London the next evening. Tracyanne Campbell expressed nerves at the start of the 15 song set but that certainly did not come across in the performance.
The band was in fine shape and really gave a good run through their history (so far) over the 90 minutes of the set. Everyone was happy, band and audience alike and as the evening progressed and the venue got hotter and hotter the songs became even more danceable!
Let's hope there is a new album on the way soon!
Pete
Set
Troublemaker
Let's Get Out Of This Country
Tears For Affairs
Honey In The Sun
Cri du coeur
Books Written for Girls
Eighties Fan
James
Desire Lines
Break It to You Gently
Do It Again Lloyd
I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
If Looks Could Kill
Encore:
French Navy
Razzle Dazzle Rose