Alphabeat at Oran Mor, Glasgow, july 9th 2007
Thursday, July 10, 2008
What a gig!
They played a short (ish) set, about 1hour 15mins. but managed to get through the whole of "This is Alphabeat" album and also a deliciously awesome cover version of Sugababes, "Push the button".
anyway the review...
The Alphabeat gig has been posponed since June. We turned up with some wonder about the gig. Upon turning up to the door we were age checked. I am 31 and the bouncer did ask me if I was over 18. This was unexpected but delightful. I was worried that this would be an omen for the age of the concert goers inside but I need not have worried. Inside the venue was filled with a variety of ages and was about half to three quarters full.
As I have previously noted Oran Mor suffers from two main issues, an 11pm strict curfew, and conversation noise. The crowd can be made of people wanting to chat through a concert to their friends rather than listening to music. using this knowledge positioning within the venue is key to enjoyment of the gig. We got a good position, next to a piller about 5m. from the stage and waited.
The Support band
Alto Elite were okay.
They had a good pop/rock vibe but ultimately were lacking something to take it beyond a decend to a memorable. Lacking real hooks, strong melody. The problem was I cannot remeber anything about their set with two notable exceptions.
The drummer was a lefty playing a right handed drum set up and was clearly the best inividual player with the band.
The keyboard player felt a bit like an add on. At one point he was playing possibly the worst keyboard solo every. He felt like an add on to the band, so lose the keyboard player (or get him lessons). In short, write some memorable and catchy pop songs and make sure everyone can see the drummer then you guys have a reciepe to go places.
The crowd swelled to be about three quaters full. The toilets were still remarkably clean. lots of boys with modern straightened hair!
Alphabeat
The band came out and blasted us into a pop universe. No really it is quite unreal, Anders SG (vocals), Stine (vocals), are the main focus of the gig, by virtue of being up front really. The energy from these two is quite remarkable. Anders is all over the stage dancing, (kinda reminicent of Ian Curtis and Tim Booth mixed with Bez). Meanwhile Stine has this kinda fifties dress sense and dance thing going on, kinda cute, cool and sorted.
As for the band, as a whole they groove in an excellent pop way - Anders B (guitar), Rasmus (keyboard), Anders R (bass), and Troels (drums), are a remarkably solid unit with a groove. Alphabeat didn't stray to far from the album versions, but they added a few twists and turns to move from a pop show to a rock show. Firstsong they played has become my favourite song - Fantastic 6, check it out. The album version builds but live it is totally transformed to a song of euphoric proportions.
notable things from the gig include
+ That Anders B (guitars) plays a three quarter length guitar. wow haven't seen any band use one of them for a while as a primary instrument. (perhaps that is the secret of alphabeats pop sound?)
+ This was probably the loudest gig i have been at, in oran mor. it was blasting.
+ Rasmus on keyboards hair is worth a mention as well (Flock of seagulls anybody).
+ Free badges on the way in. Nice one!
+ Lots of camera but nothing on flickr yet?
I would like to know why no encore? I know they had played the entire album and one cover version but it did seem quite weird. I noted the tour van had left the venue sharpish so i wonder if they had to catch the last plane for the airport and had to leave, but it did seem weird exspecially as the lights and music came up before the band had fully left the stage?
Anyway the gig was great. It makes you smile, sing, dance and generally have a swell time. just a quality evening of music, again! (This is becoming a habit)
Technorati Tags: alphabeat, live music, reviews
Live TV blogging - Jool Hollands 200th - BBC1 - 01 feb 08
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Live event blogging - Jool Hollands 200th
Cat Power
Feist
My program review
Headlining Radiohead - very good. three songs and another one on the website, good news really for all.
mary J bilge. - she did a wee lecture at the beginning of her record so we know exactly what she thought of the song
the main attraction from the undercard of the program was the 2 round bout between two cute, indie cred filled, heavily fringed, female vocalist's Feist and Cat Power.
Round one
(back to back performances at opposite ends of the studio)
Feist - my mooon my man - pretty good rendition, sounded live with rough edges and a heavier guitar part which gave it an edge.
cat power - new york new york - her band sounds tight and very good. Ms Marshall though, sounded a bit to much like she was trying to be good rather than being good?
round one to Feist.
Round two
Feist plays 1-2-3-4 but also plays a joker with her entire band making a brass section supporting an acoustic version of the song.
Cat Power plays "Lost Someone" musically the band are awesome and sound great. but Cat's Performance again lets down the side.
Round two to Feist
Victory to Feist two - love
Victory thrid song goes to Feist with Sealion. A Live favourite (of mine)and it pretty much rocks the room. It just sounds very good and a well deserved victory.
so in a live tv battle, radiohead beats them all and Feist beats Cat Power.
Quite how she will deal with Zooey Deschanel and her link up with M Ward as "She and Him" is anyones guess.
(Zooey Deschanel, with the cute indie cred background and heavy fringe)
Later with Jools website with radiohead performance not shown on the TV ::[[click here]]::
technorati tags - Feist, Radiohead& Cat Power
Steve Earle - live at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - 17.01.2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Steve Earle
Live Thoughts
reviews
from the guardian
from the times
from the scotsman
from the Herald
from scotland on sunday
My comments thoughts
Generally i enjoyed it. The first half was mostly older songs and the second half mostly newer songs.
The older songs seemed to go down very well with the crowd.
The newer stuff was less popular. I know mostly his work from 2004's jerusalem album forward. and i like the sound and feel of it. I think alot of fans from the earlier period haven't heard these albums or rate them. In term of atmosphere this meant the first half of set had a good feeling but the second half of the set seemed somehow more tolerated by the audience.
(Heckler 1 - Play something we know. Heckler 2 - Go buy the new album)
Lots of Heckling. at the Royal Concert Hall? Why?
Good views form the back of the hall.
The place was packed standing tickets for upstairs were unexpected and and interesting addition to the evening.
The DJ bit seemed to play havoc witht he sound for a while? the mixing of a drum and bass track with a banjo and live voice surely can not be that hard, can it?
Really like the song, "Sparkle and Shine" & "tennesee blues"
anyway it is fair to say it divided the reviews from 4 to 2 star reviews. I guess it boils down to how well you know the music, what music you know, and your perceptions on the night.
Me I thought for about 2 hours he basically sang songs and i enjoyed and engaged with it. i think thats all you can ask for really.
Technorati tags -steve earle, celtic connections & Live music
St Vincent
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Yes I am going to see the goodness of St Vincent.
No Not the island but the great singer-songwriter type woman. St Vincent. She has played with Sufjan Stevens, and sounds vocally a bit like Annie Lennox. The music is similar to pop indie sound of Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond and Feist.
I got the album "Marry Me" in the sumer after the american release. It bears repeated listening and is a real good album.
Should be a good night.
Especially as she is actually the support. Headliners are The National. Now theres a band I am quite keen on seeing.
if you are free you may enjoy an evening of music with The National supported by St Vincent, at Glasgow's ABC1 upon the evening of the 2nd November.
it will be great.I will be there. what more could you ask for.
what's that you say? The night would only be made better if rich was there as well.
Ok then, he will be. It really will be a complete night where all your wildest dreams will come true!
technorati tags - st vincent, The National, live music
Feist - Live at Oran Mor - 26/09/07
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Feist
a concert review
Hopes for the gig were high.
Rich looked tired and sort like he couldn't be bothered. to be honest. I was up for going out but to be honest i was tired and couldn't really be bothered.
Feist is a singer songwriter. Rich suggested we go before the summer. I said yes just on the name. I had no real idea what she sounded like. I got the album during the summer. but didn't really listen to it as I didn't really think the silhouette style cover really was that exciting.
With the gig coming up I made the effort to listen to the album two or three times.
I noticed her name on radio two. at Graeme's blog. I knew she was interesting. but I kept on getting interrupted when i tried to listen to the album. In the ended after a week I managed to listen through twice, but at low volume indeed.so i kinda knew some of the songs but not many.
The gig was at Oran Mor in the heart of glasgow's trendy west end! OOOHHHH. two problems with this. Oran Mor is a Noisy venue. Stand too near the bar and you cannot hear the band. As Rich and (I found out at the Sufjan Stevens gig which was awesome but noisy.The other problem with Oran Mor is trying to park anywhere in the west end I ended up in the pay and display. (£1 all night would you believe)
We got into the venue. It was busy. There were also many signs up informing us that the show was going to be recorded for the BBC. The culture show. nice i like that show. Lauren Lavern, Mark Kermode, the guy who goes round art galleries. class
anyway the support act was a kind of novelty accordion black and white film guy. not particularly pleasant. especially as the all his subtitles and words were at the bottom of the screen and out of sight.
at the change over, rich and i went for the usual position. Around the middle of the stage, around 10-15 rows of people from the front of the stage. Usually we find being reasonably tall that there is a small gap behind us. at Feist some really tall guys stood behind us.
The gig started 5 minutes late. but frankly I didnt's care. The sound was decent. Although there was the same ringing feedback around Feists vocal all night. (sort it sound technical man. it's your job to fix it)
considering this and the fact her monitors were really bothering her all gig. it was truely fabulous. we were forward enough to be at the back of the people at the front and with the tall guys behind us couldn't really hear the noise of the people at the bar chatting all gig.
My one gripe is with people using their cameras to video the gig.
This in itself isn't to bad. (see youtube for reasons why.)
The problem i have is with small people holding their camera's above their head to the point they can see the stage which is just in line with my eye line. The small guy in front of me periodically would block half the stage but i could see it all in front of me on a small 2 inch by 2 inch screen. lovely. if only i could see people in real size. wouldn't it be good?
to be honest.
Great Gig. loved every minute of it.
The reminder is a great about and feist is great fun live. beautiful voice on record and seemingly up for a full dancing video. (see below)
as gigs go it had it all
rough sound, great songs, Unbelievably good lights and a brilliant sense of fun.
technorati tags feist, Live Music, Oran Mor
The Decemberists @ ABC, Glasgow - 4th Feb 07
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
What a good concert
Matt dropped me off in town. I met up with Mr Rich, and headed for dinner. I had sme pasta in a tomato and chilli sauce. We then headed to the venue. We went in having been in possession of tickets.
I was quite surprised by several things
one
how many of the songs I could sing along with.
(I had listened to the crane wife during the afternoon before the gig) but the music sounded fresh live, it seemed to have more of an edge, yet familiar enough for me to feel familiar with the music.
two
Why do people pay 10-15 pound to talk over live music.
Don't these people watch friends? don't they know what coffee shops in this globalised aspirational consumerist society we live in are for?
three
Where do you by mirror balls that size. And If you turn it on does half of Garnetbank endure a blackout? How long does it take to slow down? Does it create it's own gravitational pull?
four
were the foursome who came a stood in front of us really into swapping partners?
anyway
The band were great. live everything went well and the show flowed well with loud bits and quiet bits.
Stand out track included, The crane wife parts 1 & 2, Summersong, and O Valencia. I really enjoyed the Version of Ssns and Daughters.
Special mention has to go to the the new girl in the band Lisa Molinaro for singing Laura Viers part on Yankee Bayonet and making it sound v.good indeed.
so what a night.
great music
great stage presence and entertainment.
good company.
lots of people to look at/mkae fun of/wonder about
and a giant mirrorball.
what more could you ask for.
