en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal The Last.fm journal for davidjennings. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2012/09/30/5mikrv_photos,_setlist_and_brief_comments Sun, 30 Sep 2012 22:18:52 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2012/09/30/5mikrv_photos,_setlist_and_brief_comments Wed 26 Sep – Alasdair Roberts
Gig details at Gathered in Amber blog]]> http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2011/12/18/5912we_link_to_setlist_and_notes Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:29:50 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2011/12/18/5912we_link_to_setlist_and_notes Thu 15 Dec – Alasdair Roberts

Some brief notes on this show at gathered in amber blog]]> http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2011/10/25/4v1hti_archive_trails_at_cafe_oto Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:18:15 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2011/10/25/4v1hti_archive_trails_at_cafe_oto Sun 23 Oct – Archive Trails
Here's my review. Excerpt:
Galoshins is a half-hour piece, with Shane doing most of the puppetry for the three characters: admiral, Galoshins, and the doctor charged with reviving dead Galoshins. Alasdair was narrator and conversant with the doctor. There was some incidental music, a rendition of Hamish Henderson’s Flyting O’ Life and Daith (I can’t remember who was life and who was death, but you can place your bets), some percussive swordplay by Shane, rhythmic broom sweeping by Ali, and squelchy drone from an old analogue synth. A white butterfly went AWOL, and it was all rounded off with an old Hogmanay blessing about money in your pocket and beer in your cellar.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2011/05/05/4d68ii_setlist_for_4_may Thu, 5 May 2011 09:08:00 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2011/05/05/4d68ii_setlist_for_4_may Wed 4 May – Alasdair Roberts


Edit this setlist | More Alasdair Roberts setlists]]> http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2011/05/05/4d68gx_setlist_for_3_may Thu, 5 May 2011 09:06:10 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2011/05/05/4d68gx_setlist_for_3_may Tue 3 May – Alasdair Roberts


Edit this setlist | More Alasdair Roberts setlists]]> http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/10/28/40c4p2_alasdair_roberts_set_list Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:07:50 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/10/28/40c4p2_alasdair_roberts_set_list Sun 24 Oct – Marginalised: Songs Of Love And Loss, Alasdair Roberts


Edit this setlist | More Alasdair Roberts setlists]]> http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/09/19/3xcw9s_notes_on_alasdair_roberts,_with_emily_portman,_in_london,_sept_2010 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 12:59:08 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/09/19/3xcw9s_notes_on_alasdair_roberts,_with_emily_portman,_in_london,_sept_2010 Fri 17 Sep – Alasdair Roberts, Emily Portman

(Cross-posted from Gathered in Amber)

My first Alasdair show for nearly six months — I haven’t had a drought so long for a couple of years. The setting couldn’t have been more different from the last one. It was my first time at Kings Place, more like a conservatory space than the rowdy Deptford Arms folk club. I’d heard the acoustics were good, and Emily Portman sounded fantastic. The sound was so clear I imagine it would make everyone sound like they’re on ECM, and thus maybe not so ideal for Alasdair.

Emily joined Alasdair for a few songs, and their performance of The Lover’s Ghost was ideal for this space. It was from that point that the show really took off for me. How long cans this stream of astounding songs that Ali’s been writing carry on? I reckon it’s been going about two and a half years now. (And I still count The Amber Gatherers as my favourite collection of songs in the last decade, but what’s come since feels like a different beast.) On this showing, it’s not over yet.

The eighth song is the same as the eleventh in this setlist from May, and the final one was evidently played at Moseley a fortnight ago. Both sounded great, especially the latter, which adds wren and ptarmigan to the menagerie of birds to feature in Alasdair’s song. (Can that be right? No wren until now?! Please correct me if I’ve forgotten something.)


Edit this setlist | More Alasdair Roberts setlists]]> http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/08/12/3u7d8k_test_of_setlist_imported_from_setlist.fm Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:28:26 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/08/12/3u7d8k_test_of_setlist_imported_from_setlist.fm Fri 11 Dec – Alasdair Roberts, Oh Ruin

Edit this setlist | More Alasdair Roberts setlists]]> http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/04/02/3j9loi_alasdair_roberts_newunreleased_songs Fri, 2 Apr 2010 18:21:24 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/04/02/3j9loi_alasdair_roberts_newunreleased_songs I've seen Alasdair Roberts quite a few times over the past six months, and very glad that I have, as he seems to be on a bit of a roll at the moment. Almost every gig has one or two new songs -- and the quality is invariably high. Here's a list of those new songs that I've heard live

What Cares the Crow for the Plaint of Lapwing?
The Haruspex of Paradox
Scandal and Trance
The Boy of Blazing Brow
The Loudness Wars
Song Composed in December
The Laverick and the Blackthorn
The Hidden Sin (title?)
The Untrue Womb (title?)
Green Wood Waxes Early (title?)
+ one other that closed his set at Pure Groove in March, but I didn't catch any title

That's enough for a whole new album, but first we'll have the Too Long In This Condition album, which is traditional songs, so presumably won't include any of these.

Two questions:
1. Anyone have any additions or corrections to this list?
2. Anyone heard Alasdair play any of the songs from The Wyrd Meme live? (his website still doesn't mention the existence of this record, and I've never heard him mention it either)]]> http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/03/29/3iwucx_alasdair_roberts_set_list Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:40:43 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/davidjennings/journal/2010/03/29/3iwucx_alasdair_roberts_set_list Sat 27 Mar – Kit & Cutter

Alasdair Roberts' gigs have been reliably revelatory over the last six months: always some new diversion from the well-trodden path, usually in the shape of another fantastic new song, but this time also including a little short story rap about the "ochster pack" (ochster being celtic for armpit), a highly apocryphal account of the first use of St John's Wort to treat depression.

The Cruel Mother*
Medley: Further Along*/St Columba's Ochster Pack/Riddle Me This
Farewell Sorrow (first lines sung in German)
The Laverick and the Blackthorn
The Demon Lover*
Song Composed in December
Sir Hugh, or The Jew's Daughter*
Three Sisters/Babylon*
Bonnie Susie Cleland*
The Haruspex of Paradox

* = traditional song, assumed to be from the forthcoming album Too Long In This Condition, except for The Cruel Mother.
Further/Farther Along is the American spiritual also performed by Elvis, Sam Cooke, The Byrds and many others]]>