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/msfliss/journal The Last.fm journal for msfliss. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2011/03/17/4a0zr8_a_mix_of_old_and_new,_masterfully_done Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:26:37 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2011/03/17/4a0zr8_a_mix_of_old_and_new,_masterfully_done Wed 16 Mar – The Decemberists, Blind Pilot

I've listened to Blind Pilot a few times on my last.fm player, but didn't have any enduring memory of their sound from that experience. Not knowing quite what the expect, I was pleasantly surprised - obviously, any band asked to open for The Decemberists will be quality, but Blind Pilot managed well in front of such a large crowd. They gave the impression of being a pop/rock band using acoustic instruments, rather than the folk-influenced rock I'm used to from Colin Meloy. I thought the first two tracks were a bit lack-luster, but by the time they got to The Story I Heard and 3 Rounds and a Sound, they'd really hit their stride. Sadly, there were quite a few people at the Apollo who weren't there for the music and instead chose to chat loudly throughout Blind Pilot's set, which spoiled the experience a bit for me. Others had a similar complaint. Why pay £20 for a ticket if you're just going to gas with your mates rather than enjoy the music?!

After the requisite break to allow the roadies to tune the vast number of guitars Colin gets through in the course of a single show, the main lights dimmed. Blue lights came on over the stage and a voice came over the loudspeaker announcing itself as the Mayor of Portland, Oregon, Sam Addams. He proceeded to coach members of the audience into introducing themselves to their neighbours, and then took us on a short guided visualisation of a walk through a rainforest in the Pacific Northwest. During the course of our walk, we "bumped into" a band a travellers - who were, of course, the band.

They opened with Shiny, a track off of Five Songs that I hadn't heard very often. Then they moved into material from the new album, Down by the Water, Calamity Song, and Rise To Me. The first two suited the venue very well, with their good energy and eminently singable choruses, and Rise to Me is always touching.

They launched into some old favourites after that (The Bagman's Gambit and We Both Go Down Together ["Our song about joint suicide"]).

The band included two songs from The Hazards of Love in the set-list. Perhaps I'm unusual, but I really don't like that album - not because the music is bad, but because it's just not as good/accessible as their other material. For me, you could easily tell when a Hazards of Love track came on because the audience went quiet/couldn't sing along and stopped dancing. Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga) is catchy, yes, and a decent song, but it just doesn't ring with the same clarity as their other tracks. Shout out if you know what I mean or disagree - always happy to hear from others.

Then, after a brief, impromptu Bob Seger cover (Night Moves) that lasted a minute or two, including some good audience participation, the most ambitious 20 minutes of the night were attempted - The Crane Wife 1 & 2 and The Crane Wife 3. I felt like Colin's voice stood up well and rang out clear and true into the venue. My boyfriend commented that it lacked the starkness of the album version, but I marvel at any band that can play a lengthy love ballad-cum-parable based on a Japanese folk tale and keep a crowd of 5000 completely entranced.

After that, Rox In The Box was introduced as an "early 20th Century Butte County labour song". What a tune - it had more energy live than on the album and everyone was singing along happily. This segued nicely into Don't Carry It All, another song everyone could sing that has a lovely beat carrying it. The other obvious choice from The King Is Dead was This Is Why We Fight, which again had everyone singing along on the chorus enthusiastically.

Then the stage was plunged into red light and the band launched into The Rake's Song, with Colin afterwards accusing us of being complicit in child murder. 16 Military Wives finished the main body of the set, with some immense audience participation (although not as good as the orchestration Colin pulled off at the Coronet in November 2009!). I will always appreciate the Decemberists front man's ability to banter with large numbers of people. Highlights of banter from this evening were his assertion that he can never understand hecklers in London and thus assumes everything said is a compliment. When someone shouted out, "What a band, what a fucking band" he conceded that he had heard however!

The first encore was spoiled (in my opinion) by the inclusion of another Hazard's track, The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned). Why play this track when there are at least a dozen the audience were dying to hear (I heard shouts for Eli the Barrow Boy and O Valencia! just in my section alone, and I would've loved to hear California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade or Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then), for example). I'll bet the number of people hoping for The Drowned was similar to the number hoping for Night Moves!

Then, of course, they concluded the first encore with The Mariner's Revenge Song - what else? Delightful banter and practice proceeded the main event, as we had to practice screaming on cue. Favourite part of this bit of the gig was the audience waving in time from side to side with the band during the shanty interlude in the middle. Awesome!

Sadly, I had to leave early because of trains (why, oh why is the Apollo so far from any of the main train stations?!) and so apparently missed June Hymn and a bit more chatting. While it's a good song that I enjoy, I'm glad I didn't have to leave only to find out they'd played one of the old classics.

Overall, it was a polished, accomplished performance. The band were relaxed and fun. Sara Watkins did well in her role on fiddle/electric guitar/vocals. The spark was missing for me, though - it was a very good gig, but it wasn't a special gig. I wonder how much of that had to do with the size of the venue, the choice of material, the fact that we were the last stop on a tour (and hence maybe the band were a bit tired?) - it's hard to say. For £20 a ticket, I would've liked a bit more but I guess as the band becomes more popular (as they should - amazing music comes from The Decemberists!), it's less likely to have those special moments. It's a shame, but I'd definitely go again next year if I had the chance. Can't wait to see what their next album brings!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2011/02/03/4743oh_seven_years_later... Thu, 3 Feb 2011 16:20:48 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2011/02/03/4743oh_seven_years_later... Wed 2 Feb – Azure Ray, Scams

I had the good fortune to see Azure Ray live for the first time in a tiny little subterranean venue in a tiny little town on 14 February 2004. My memories of that gig are a bit impressionistic and left me with a feeling of raw intensity and intimacy. In my mind, I expected the gig at The Borderline to be similar - but it wasn't.

It wasn't a bad gig, by any means. The Borderline, too, is a small subterranean venue, where fans can stand right by the stage to get an up close and personal with musicians. Beer at London club prices always leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but that's not down to the band of course.

First, a word about Scams - I commented to my boyfriend that they were almost the opposite of Azure Ray. Well, maybe not quite that extreme, but they were high energy, loud, and male, while my impression of Azure Ray over the years has been low key, quiet, and female. They were a fun bunch of boys, although I didn't know any of their songs. I felt a bit sorry for them having to face the touch London scene with their bright Northern hopes (being greeted by blank stares when they tried to get people to clap along, for example, might have been crushing!), but they did well and played a nice set. Clearly, however, people had come to see Orenda and Maria.

After a short intermission while instruments were tuned and set up, the band took to the stage. Seven years ago, my memory was of just Orenda and Maria on stage, so it was quite a shock when two men and a woman took to the stage as well - Hannah, James, and Billy, if I remember correctly. Far from the stripped down, evocative, raw show of memory, they gave a polished, professional, mature performance (apart from Maria's gaff with the guitar lead!). Moments of the hair-raising intensity I remember came during Displaced and other "oldies but goodies". I wasn't familiar with the new material, but on first listen it was polished, emotional, and slightly more musically complex than the other songs. Certainly not unpleasant or vastly different from their back catalogue. The cello and percussion in particular were very nice.

The band left the stage around 10pm and returned for two quick encore pieces. They closed the show with Rise, which was as spine-tingling and special as ever, especially with the whole audience clapping along. James even popped back on stage to help our timing with his drums.

Overall, it was a nice show. It wasn't terribly exciting or ground-shaking. Highlights included Maria forgetting to plug in her lead and her DIY echo-effect on Don't Leave My Mind. The band were pleasant and funny.

I certainly wasn't disappointed, but it differed so much from my first experience of seeing them live that I was slightly thrown. Obviously, as people and musicians they are maturing all the time and seven years is a long time. I think I preferred the old intensity, but I'm interested in seeing where they go in future years.

Tracks I remember being played: Hold On Love, Sleep, Safe and Sound, Raining in Athens, November, and The Drinks We Drank Last Night. They probably played many more beyond this, but I can't remember! Comment below if you want to add to my list.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2010/11/10/41c6nt_a_night_to_remember Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:48:13 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2010/11/10/41c6nt_a_night_to_remember Wed 10 Nov – Hauschka, Library Tapes, Braindead Collective

I hadn't been expecting anyone other than Volker Bertleman, aka Hauschka to be playing at St Michael'sbut was pleasantly surprised by both Braindead Collective and Library Tapes. The church itself was absolutely wonderful as a venue - small, intimate, with great acoustics and lots of interesting features to look at while your mind wandered with the music.

Braindead Collective were big, bold, theatrical, at times demonic and others serene. They played a seamless set, moving through their many different moods like a well-oiled machine.

Library Tapes were familiar from my last.fm recommendations, but it was interesting to see the live show. Lovely ambient street noises combined with simple yet enchanting piano work and sparse, haunting violin interludes. Again, it all flowed together as a seamless set and was beautiful throughout while passing through different emotional states. There was a real dream-like quality to the performance.

And then there was a brief interlude while Volker prepared the baby grand piano. He carried an unassuming plastic carrier bag and from it he pulled all sorts of strange items (cutlery, wooden sticks, duct tape, pingpong balls, children's tambourines, etc.) and began sticking them inside the piano. It was fascinating to watch him work. When he had finished preparing, he was introduced and then he himself told us a bit about what he was going to play. He couldn't play much from Foreign Landscapes because it requires a 12-piece orchestral ensemble. Instead, he played pieces that, in his words, represented music from many of his albums. I had the impression they were mostly bespoke pieces, unique to the venue and the particular way the piano was prepared this time around.

The one identifiable track he played was Mount Hood, a piece which he shared with us relates to a place he feels a special connection with in the Pacific Northwest of America.

The highlight of the show for me was when he placed 30 or 40 pingpong balls into the body of the piano after completely removing all modifications. He then began to play the most powerful, uplifting music, and you could see the pingpong balls dancing and jumping inside the body of the piano.

The intimacy of this gig, and the incredible nature of what Volker does, combined to make this an unforgettable night. If you're ever going to see Hauschka, you want to see him like this.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2010/05/13/3mt5hm_a_queer_and_wonderful_evening Thu, 13 May 2010 09:36:14 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2010/05/13/3mt5hm_a_queer_and_wonderful_evening Wed 12 May – Joanna Newsom, Roy Harper
We arrived just after 7.30pm and weren't going to see Roy Harper at all. However, on hearing some of his music drifting out into the bar area, we decided to go in and check him out. James thought he was interesting and have some good moments on the acoustic guitar. I agree, but also felt like he was a bit too avant guard, a bit too self-indulgent old man for my taste. Still, he was sweet and really seemed to care about Joanna (and vice versa).

After the interval (and some ice cream while watching the sunset - the RFH is a lovely venue!), the lights dimmed and Joanna Newsom made her way onto stage into a circle of light centred on her harp. She sat down and played solo for the first song, a beautiful, haunting taste of things to come!

I haven't heard the new album yet, so all of the material from that was new to me. The crowd was polite and silent during each song, clapping heartily at the end. However, when the first notes of The Book of Right-On issued from the harp, a big cheer went up. We love our old favourites!

She played a few other songs from older albums (I particularly enjoyed the live rendition of Inflammatory Writ - great energy and quite different from the album version) mixed in with the new stuff. The new album seems a lot less lyrical and a lot more personal, a lot more about love and being held, etc.. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but quite a departure from what I've grown to expect from Joanna musically. Her voice was spot on, though, and the band were amazing.

Humorous event of the night: she had to stop about 10pm to tune her harp, and so the floor was opened for questions. No one really had any questions, but people had some "cheesey" jokes. It was a sweet bit of audience interaction, and when someone did ask a question, it was answered seriously and candidly.

Overall, it was a quirky, sweet gig, much like Joanna herself. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. There was a huge mix of people, from young to old - it's rare to see that much of a spread at a gig, and I think that speaks to the universal appeal of Joanna's music. If you missed this gig, you missed out.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2010/01/20/3cqozh_fresh_and_fun_gig Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:40:07 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2010/01/20/3cqozh_fresh_and_fun_gig Wed 20 Jan – Laura Veirs, Cataldo, Old Believers
We arrived late, and so only got to see the last few songs by Old Believers. Even so, I could tell he was excellent - good range, great sound, interesting lyrics. Bought his CD and can't wait to hear more.
Then came Cataldo, aka Eric Anderson all on his tod because the rest of the band weren't there. It was a fun set in which he played the electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and banjo in turn. His patter and stage presence were excellent, complimenting his informal musical style nicely. Definitely a quirky sound and very fun.
Finally, Laura Veirs took to the stage, sporting a six month baby belly under her big acoustic guitar. She was adorable and friendly, diving straight into the music with the minimum of chat. There was no nervousness or tension about her or any of the Hall of Flames (comprised of the opening acts + violist Alex Guy) - they all seemed very much at ease and as if they were enjoying themselves in Cambridge. The set mostly comprised of songs from the new album, with a few oldies-but-goodies (most notably for me, Rapture). The encour was a particularly bright bit of the set, with an excellent adaptation of a poem by a French poet - comment if you know the poem, please!
Overall, it was a very fun gig with bits of audience participation, but mostly just a relaxed, friendly, homely atmosphere and some great music. A real gem of a show - hope you can catch Laura before she pops in April!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2009/12/11/38epbz_something_missing... Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:47:33 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2009/12/11/38epbz_something_missing... Wed 9 Dec – Placebo, Silversun Pickups, The Horrors

I arrived in the middle of the set by The Horrors. They have an interesting sound, which was better live than in the recordings that I had heard - definitely channeling the new wave vibe with a bit of influence from old-school punk as well. They definitely had their moments.

After an intermission during which the audience were shown a series of short films, the stage was set. There was a big white sheet up about 8 feet from the front of the stage and two mike/peddle arrangements on either side of the stage. The opening notes of the first song came on and the sheet was ripped down, revealing a plethora of musicians.

What you need to know about Placebo's live show is that it's a big production. There were at least four people playing strings, two or three backup singers, a man with a saxaphone, a man with keyboards/a bank of computers, an extra guitarist, and more, plus Brian and Stefan. Stefan was wearing an outrageous shiney silver suit and was full of energy, while Brian was more conservative in a waist-coat and tight black jeans, his dark hair hanging in his face.

On either side of the stage there were massive screens showing live video footage of the show run through some artistic filters. This probably helped those at the back of the arena, or in the very high seats and made for interesting eye-candy for those of us with better seats. Behind the musicians on the back wall there was another video screen that played arty video throughout.

There was energy - the audience really seemed to engage with the songs, especially as the gig gathered momentum. The encores felt forced/predictable, but that may be a feature of stadium gigs - I'm not sure. As someone who likes their music but isn't a fan per-se, I found the gig to be a bit soul-less. The highlight for me was the lovely version of Meds they did - it wasn't just a reproduction of what you can buy on the album, but had a real character.

Overall, it was a passable stadium gig. The flourish at the end with masses of silver confetti flying into the air was a bit over the top, but it was interesting to see the band in action and to have a visual on how big their sound is. There were a lot of people involved in making that music! There was something missing, though, for me. That may be because I've been to some fairly intimate gigs over the past few months and I wasn't in the stadium mindset, or perhaps my personal feeling about the band. I was left with the feeling that I'd heard a lot of the same stuff before and I don't think the gig was worth what I paid for it, but true fans seemed to enjoy it a lot.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2009/12/08/382hmt_a_quintessential_folk_gig! Tue, 8 Dec 2009 11:13:51 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2009/12/08/382hmt_a_quintessential_folk_gig! Mon 7 Dec – Horse Feathers, Emily Jane White

When we arrived at Hoxton Square, the bar was quite dark, lit only by candles and Christmas tree lights. It turned out that there were power problems in the area, which meant Emily Jane White was late in starting. She was worth waiting for, though - captivating stage presence, powerful voice, warm personality, and outstanding musical ability. Her finger-picking was fluid and adept, and the tracks she did on the electric piano were big and bold. I hadn't heard her before tonight, so it was an excellent introduction. Apparently she normally tours with a violinist and a cellist, but they weren't with her so it was her first time playing solo in several years.

There was a short interlude before Horse Feathers took to the stage. Justin Ringle's voice was different live to the recording - I think the levels weren't quite right, sadly. However, it wasn't terrible and the rest of the instrumentation sounded excellent. They played a reasonable set, including Dustbowl, a personal favourite of mine. There were several tracks where a bass drum was used to excellent effect - the rumble in my breastbone was very pleasant. Other musical highlights were the delightful harmonies created when everyone sang, the use of the saw, and the two songs the band played acoustically as an encor at the end. They came down off the stage into the middle of the floor and asked everyone to sit down on the floor; the crowd obliged. They then played Like Lavender and Blood on the Snow completely acoustically before finishing for the night.

Overall, it was an intimate, cozy gig under unusual circumstances. The room got very hot from the rope lights and candles, but all of the artists put on a brave face and gave excellent performances. This was what a folk night should be!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2009/11/23/36n5he_a_very_fun_gig_indeed! Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:52:10 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2009/11/23/36n5he_a_very_fun_gig_indeed! Thu 19 Nov – The Decemberists, Emmy the Great

I arrived on my own after getting horribly lost around Elephant and Castle - who knew it was just an easy left out of the tube station?! By the time I got there, the queue stretched around the block, but it moved quickly and efficiently. I was upstairs in the balcony and managed to get a central position with a decent view. Having never heard Emmy The Great before, I didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. They played some warm, fun folk-inspired stuff. The singer's voice is lovely and there was a good banter with the ground at one point.

The stage set-up for The Decemberists took a while due to the sheer number of instruments involved. There was a rack at the back left of the stage that held no fewer than six guitars, plus multiple drums, keyboards, cymbals, tambourines, you name it! When the band finally took to the stage, they immediately lay into The Hazards of Love. The lighting was very colourful and suited the mood of the set perfectly - lots of blues and greens giving way to reds and oranges. I hadn't heard the album before, and it's certainly a departure from their older stuff. Much heavier, with some real rock riffs running through it. It was neat to experience it, but I have to admit that I was holding my breath for the second half...

After a long break, a slightly smaller incarnation of the band took to the stage for the back catalogue. They played some of my real favourites (most notably for me, Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then) and Eli, the Barrow Boy), and did something very fun with Billy Liar. Since we were all singing along, Colin decided to orchestrate us by dividing the audience and assigning different parts to the sections. He then conducted us and the effect was truly beautiful - a giant choir singing a beautiful melody led by an artist we all love and respect. Magic! Ending with The Mariner's Revenge Song was fun, including a giant inflatable killer whale being tossed around in the pit.

The real highlight for me of the show, though, was the incredible showmanship of Colin himself. He was at times humerous, serious, philosophical (Steve and Dennis!), and lyrical. As a frontman, he did the difficult job of bridging the gap completely between the audience and the musicians - he was present with us, interacting with us at all stages, not just performing the songs.

Technically, the gig was brilliant. The sound levels were almost spot on (some of the female vocals got a bit lost, but other than that each instrument was defined, clear, and beautiful), some difficult instrument changes mid-song were navigated with aplomb, and the overall effect was very good indeed. It was a very professional, very intimate-feeling performance that was worth going to work quite tired the next day - if you missed it, you missed an excellent show. If you were there, I hope you hold onto that feeling for a long time! It's up there in my top three best gigs ever.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2009/10/22/33pfqs_an_epic_night_of_post-rock Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:00:06 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2009/10/22/33pfqs_an_epic_night_of_post-rock I was at the Underworld last night in Camden to see This Will Destroy You. I'd heard a few of their songs on my recommended radio and impulsively bought a ticket (next time, I'll buy two and bring a friend!). I'd also heard a few tracks from one of the support acts, And So I Watch You From Afar, but hadn't heard anything of the other support act, eaststrikewest, who were up first.

I was particularly impressed by the vocalist of eaststrikewest - he had a good, clear, powerful voice and the balance of the instrumentation was pretty good. They're definitely one to watch for the future and it was great to see them.

And So I Watch You From Afar were up next. They had great energy, with some awesome riffs. Lovely, heavy stuff. I definitely got more out of seeing them live than I had done listening to them at home, and it's made me want to go back and listen to their album with fresh ears. Adorable Norn' Ireland accents never go amiss, either! I'm looking forward to seeing them support Oceansize in December at Heaven.

Finally, the big guns came on at about 9.45pm. This Will Destroy You are a bunch of unassuming guys with beards and glasses, but don't let that fool you. They are absolute masters of the genre and, in my opinion, are up there with Explosions in the Sky or Sigur Rós in terms of beauty and complexity. Really amazing performance. I have a sneaking suspicion I missed a second encore, but I had a train to catch - that's the problem with gigs on a weeknight!

Overall, I had an excellent time. It was one of the top three gigs I've been to (and I've seen Tool live three times!), spoiled only by being there by myself and wearing the wrong shoes. Also, the jerks who asked if they could stand to my left and then ended up blocking my view made it less than perfect. I'll be down in the pit next time, I think. Amazing. Thanks to all of the bands for an excellent night!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2008/06/16/20ymgc_one_of_those_tracks... Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:29:22 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/msfliss/journal/2008/06/16/20ymgc_one_of_those_tracks... I heard Life's a Beach as part of the soundtrack of Jump Tomorrow, a sweet little indie film. The track immediately grabbed me because of its minimalistic, haunting vocals and strong bass line, enhanced by some funky jazz interludes. It's a song that captures a mood incredibly well - for me, it encapsulates a summer evening, returning home from a holiday or weekend away. It's beautiful, simple, and incredibly moving. Sadly, I think it's something of a one-off from Touch and Go, listening to their other tracks. I really do recommend you go out and listen to this track.]]>