I wasn't totally sure what to expect before I went to this gig, as 'post rock' is usually something I have on in the background when i'm doing work or browsing the internet and so seeing that type of music live was an idea that could have gone terribly wrong.
After some careful planning, we arrived at the Paradiso exactly as the doors were supposed to be opened, only to find that they had moved everything back half an hour. We had things to keep us busy though, such as looking at the EitS t-shirts (with designs stolen directly from Guillemots) and watching the awful guitar playing of Matthew Houck of Phosphorescent (I guess we should have followed all of those people heading in the opposite direction).
The wait inside was short, and eventually Matthew Cooper, the force behind Eluvium walked onstage and sat down in the space that had strategically been placed on the far right to annoy everybody in the venue. He was expressionless throughout, the only movements visible being his fingers on the guitar/piano and his body swaying slowly to the beat of his music. This gave everyone very little to look at during the gig as he built up layers and layers of sound with the use of a computer and looping pedals. Most people (including me) decided to close their eyes and let the music conjure up images in their minds, mainly due to there being nothing to look at but also because the soundscapes were incredibly soothing. The songs on the set list were chosen to create an alternating pattern between a song played on guitar with many layers looping over each other, and the simpler but more beautiful, piano tracks. The sound also could have been a little better as the awkward placement made the sound in the venue incredibly one-sided, with the bass notes dominating over everything (Repose in Blue!). Overall the set was short but sweet, perhaps not the best kind of music to be played in a 'large' hall such as Paradiso, as it lacked the visual aspect of a live show, but the music was fantastic and something i'd definitely go to hear again.
[3.5/5]
I tried to write down the set list to the best of my ability:
1. Under the Water It Glowed
2. An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death
3. ?
4. Radio Ballet
5. Repose in Blue
After what must have been a shockingly short 5-10 minutes, the members of Explosions in the Sky walked on, to a massive round of applause. They were definitely not the kind of people i'd expect to write that sort of music, but that feeling vanished as soon as they started playing. There was a short 'Hello! We are...' introduction using the mic placed almost as awkwardly to the right as the Eluvium setup after which, the journey began. I feel the need to say a cheesy line such as that because although they played different songs, there was never musical silence in the Paradiso until they had finished their set. Each song joined onto another through little guitar loops that would be created by any one of the (three) guitarists, during which the others would kneel down and tune up, in an almost choreographed fashion (this would happen during riff changes mid-song too), followed by the smoothest transition from guitar loop to new riff ever seen. The dynamic feel of the members was also outstanding, which made both the loud sections and the soft sections really special and emotive. The sound of these guys was one of the best i've ever heard, the mix was crystal clear, even during the painfully loud sections, and their guitar tones were so distinct that you could pick each one out at all times. The energy they had was also immense, despite not making much/any eye contact with the crowd, which went well with the climaxes of their songs. After another short, farewell speech, the band left the stage to another huge round of applause.
Overall, I don't have anything big to criticize, but it was a bit of a shame that my listening habits prevented me from recognizing the songs and distinguishing them from one another, despite it being really interesting to see how the different parts fit together for each song.
[4/5]
Again, I tried to get the whole set list from my friends and the band members:
1. Yasmin the Light
2. Catastrophe and the Cure
3. Greet Death
4. First Breath After Coma
5. Magic Hours
6. The Birth and Death of the Day
7. Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean
8. The Only Moment We Were Alone
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
05/05/08 - Juliette and the Licks
I love summer for many reasons, one of them being the big free outdoor music festivals. It's also a nice bonus when an interesting band comes to play, whether it's because they're well known or because they just make great music.
Juliette and the Licks is, of course, based around actress Juliette Lewis, and it was two of my friends' huge admiration for her that inspired me to go and check them out, more so than the music anyway. I had heard their albums and EPs once or twice through each and so I knew what to expect musically, but I was interested to see how the songs would come across in a live situation. They were introduced by someone working at the festival, who said many embarrassing and nasty things about Juliette in Dutch, so I can only hope no one translated it for her later.
The band were incredibly energetic from the moment they stepped on stage until the moment they stepped off, giving the crowd something to look at at all times. Juliette Lewis was naturally the center of attention, with her wacky dances and sexy stage moves, frequently coming to the front of the stage to get the crowd going. She was also very talkative in between songs to keep the crowd interested. The sound was surprisingly good for a big outdoor stage although the vocals were drowned out at times, and the intensity of their songs, coupled with the sunshine and the trees made for a great atmosphere. Most songs were unfortunately quite similar-sounding but it must be said that I was impressed both with the musicianship of the members (switching instruments during the last song for a little bit of showing off) and the fact that they kept the energy level of their set list at its maximum throughout, by not playing any slow songs.
[3.5/5]
1. Sticky Honey
2. 20 Year Old Lover
3. Smash and Grab
4. Got Love to Kill
5. Inside the Cage
6. Purgatory Blues
7. Pray for the Band Latoya
8. ? ("Dirty thieves" ?)
9. Get Up
10. You're Speaking My Language
Juliette and the Licks is, of course, based around actress Juliette Lewis, and it was two of my friends' huge admiration for her that inspired me to go and check them out, more so than the music anyway. I had heard their albums and EPs once or twice through each and so I knew what to expect musically, but I was interested to see how the songs would come across in a live situation. They were introduced by someone working at the festival, who said many embarrassing and nasty things about Juliette in Dutch, so I can only hope no one translated it for her later.
The band were incredibly energetic from the moment they stepped on stage until the moment they stepped off, giving the crowd something to look at at all times. Juliette Lewis was naturally the center of attention, with her wacky dances and sexy stage moves, frequently coming to the front of the stage to get the crowd going. She was also very talkative in between songs to keep the crowd interested. The sound was surprisingly good for a big outdoor stage although the vocals were drowned out at times, and the intensity of their songs, coupled with the sunshine and the trees made for a great atmosphere. Most songs were unfortunately quite similar-sounding but it must be said that I was impressed both with the musicianship of the members (switching instruments during the last song for a little bit of showing off) and the fact that they kept the energy level of their set list at its maximum throughout, by not playing any slow songs.
[3.5/5]
1. Sticky Honey
2. 20 Year Old Lover
3. Smash and Grab
4. Got Love to Kill
5. Inside the Cage
6. Purgatory Blues
7. Pray for the Band Latoya
8. ? ("Dirty thieves" ?)
9. Get Up
10. You're Speaking My Language
Saturday, April 12, 2008
11/04/08 - Motel Mozaique
Another mini-festival to which i'd come, shamefully, just to watch one band in particular; Guillemots. There were however, some other bands that I wanted to check out and Jamie Lidell, who i'd seen once before and wanted to see again.
The night started out with A Fine Frenzy, who I'd gone to at the request of my friend, who was interested in seeing them live. Playing to a packed Rotterdamse Schouwburg kleine zaal, they had created a warm and cosy atmosphere that went well with their light, melodic, piano pop. Alison Sudol, the main force behind the band, was very talkative and 'cute', for want of a better word, giggling a lot, which also added to the pleasant feelings given off by the music. Despite all of this, and the crisp mix, the songs were all a bit samey and not really my favorite type of music really. There was very, very little they did wrong, but unfortunately they weren't that exciting.
[2/5]
After walking to an alternate venue to see Be Your Own Pet and finding out that they'd finished early, I went back to the Schouwburg to see a band i'd heard about but not heard; Pivot. I was genuinely scared at the beginning of the set when they started off creating layers and layers of scary chanting, which looped infinitely to create this sludge, but after they got going, it was impossible not to be amazed. I'm not sure which was better; the crazy polyrhythmic drumming, the constantly varying texture or the neat guitar lines but I was impressed with it all to say the least.
[4/5]
I then headed over to where Jamie Lidell was playing, already half an hour or so into his set. It felt as if the energy that the band was giving off hit me right in the chest as soon as I walked in and I was shocked at how much it seemed like Jamie Lidell's live show had matured. On his own last time I saw him, he was slightly shy despite his strange mirrored shirt and jerky dance moves. Granted, he was playing to about 10 times the amount of people, but now backed with a band, it seemed as if the beast inside him had finally been let loose. He was still effortlessly joining multiple tracks together with beats but it was more impressive this time because his band also took over with live music at various points. The energy was unbelievable, the crowd was 100% into it but unfortunately, with a show as spectacular as that comes big lights, and I couldn't see for half the time I was there because of these big lights that keep flashing at me. A minor detail perhaps, but it made it less enjoyable.
[3.5/5]
Finally, after a year and a half, I was incredibly close to seeing Guillemots again. They started with a great version of Kriss Kross, starting off the concert with a bang. Following this was a heavily reworked version of Go Away, which was to be the highlight of the gig, unfortunately coming a little bit early. They then went on to play the usual live version of Made Up Love Song #43, before playing a few from the new album, again clearly reworked for the live setting, which produced some wonderful results, such as more exciting versions of Big Dog and Get Over It. After a couple more regular Through the Windowpane tracks (of which i'm slightly bored at times, I must confess) and the usual Trains to Brazil/Sao Paulo ending, an hour had passed already. Even though it was a highly enjoyable concert once again, it felt as if they were a little bit out of it this time. Fyfe was very quiet and the other members were quite subdued. The sound in the venue was also quite poor and this took away from the experience a bit. I guess the biggest disappointment overall was the lack of change in the majority of the set but as this was a standalone gig, that's understandable. I just hope that there will be more Red tracks or b-sides next time I see them in June.
[4/5]
Set list:
1. Kriss Kross
2. Go Away
3. Made Up Love Song #43
4. Big Dog
5. Words
6. Standing on the Last Star
7. Get Over It
8. We're Here (Fyfe solo)
9. Redwings
10. Trains to Brazil
11. Sao Paulo
The night started out with A Fine Frenzy, who I'd gone to at the request of my friend, who was interested in seeing them live. Playing to a packed Rotterdamse Schouwburg kleine zaal, they had created a warm and cosy atmosphere that went well with their light, melodic, piano pop. Alison Sudol, the main force behind the band, was very talkative and 'cute', for want of a better word, giggling a lot, which also added to the pleasant feelings given off by the music. Despite all of this, and the crisp mix, the songs were all a bit samey and not really my favorite type of music really. There was very, very little they did wrong, but unfortunately they weren't that exciting.
[2/5]
After walking to an alternate venue to see Be Your Own Pet and finding out that they'd finished early, I went back to the Schouwburg to see a band i'd heard about but not heard; Pivot. I was genuinely scared at the beginning of the set when they started off creating layers and layers of scary chanting, which looped infinitely to create this sludge, but after they got going, it was impossible not to be amazed. I'm not sure which was better; the crazy polyrhythmic drumming, the constantly varying texture or the neat guitar lines but I was impressed with it all to say the least.
[4/5]
I then headed over to where Jamie Lidell was playing, already half an hour or so into his set. It felt as if the energy that the band was giving off hit me right in the chest as soon as I walked in and I was shocked at how much it seemed like Jamie Lidell's live show had matured. On his own last time I saw him, he was slightly shy despite his strange mirrored shirt and jerky dance moves. Granted, he was playing to about 10 times the amount of people, but now backed with a band, it seemed as if the beast inside him had finally been let loose. He was still effortlessly joining multiple tracks together with beats but it was more impressive this time because his band also took over with live music at various points. The energy was unbelievable, the crowd was 100% into it but unfortunately, with a show as spectacular as that comes big lights, and I couldn't see for half the time I was there because of these big lights that keep flashing at me. A minor detail perhaps, but it made it less enjoyable.
[3.5/5]
Finally, after a year and a half, I was incredibly close to seeing Guillemots again. They started with a great version of Kriss Kross, starting off the concert with a bang. Following this was a heavily reworked version of Go Away, which was to be the highlight of the gig, unfortunately coming a little bit early. They then went on to play the usual live version of Made Up Love Song #43, before playing a few from the new album, again clearly reworked for the live setting, which produced some wonderful results, such as more exciting versions of Big Dog and Get Over It. After a couple more regular Through the Windowpane tracks (of which i'm slightly bored at times, I must confess) and the usual Trains to Brazil/Sao Paulo ending, an hour had passed already. Even though it was a highly enjoyable concert once again, it felt as if they were a little bit out of it this time. Fyfe was very quiet and the other members were quite subdued. The sound in the venue was also quite poor and this took away from the experience a bit. I guess the biggest disappointment overall was the lack of change in the majority of the set but as this was a standalone gig, that's understandable. I just hope that there will be more Red tracks or b-sides next time I see them in June.
[4/5]
Set list:
1. Kriss Kross
2. Go Away
3. Made Up Love Song #43
4. Big Dog
5. Words
6. Standing on the Last Star
7. Get Over It
8. We're Here (Fyfe solo)
9. Redwings
10. Trains to Brazil
11. Sao Paulo
Friday, March 21, 2008
20/03/08 - Patrick Watson
This was my first concert in nearly four months so needless to say, I was excited and looking forward to feeling that rush that seeing some good music live provides.
I didn't care much for the support act, a local band who were clearly playing the biggest gig of their career, as the huge smiles on all of the members' faces told the crowd. They actually used more of the equipment on stage than I had expected (an acoustic guitar, a cajon, a grand piano and a variety of brass instruments), their style best described as 'feel-good acoustic rock'. They were pleasant songs and the band members were really enjoying themselves but their sound was quite limited without a proper rhythm section and their music wasn't really my cup of tea.
[2/5]
The break in between felt much shorter than I remembered but it didn't make a difference to my level of excitement when the members finally came on. They set the mood perfectly with a great rendition of Close to Paradise and despite the bass having problems through the gig, the rest of the mix was great right from the start. Many of the songs were extended either at the beginning or at the end, the band effortlessly trailing off in all sorts of directions in their jams. The band, all outstanding musicians, were all really fun to watch but the guitarist stood out the most due to the different tools he used on his guitar; an electric toothbrush, a balloon and a bean bag, among others. Another clear highlight was the 'unplugged' version of 'Man Under the Sea' in the middle of the Paradiso hall (with the drummer and bassist on stage playing percussion with their feet), demonstrating both how talented they are even without effects and how much they enjoy the interaction with the crowd. This, to me, was a perfect place to end the concert, which they did, but I was a bit disappointed to see them come back on to play a few more (less exciting) songs, which definitely felt like it dragged on after the climax of the main set. Despite this, it was a very enjoyable concert, with many things to keep me interested on top of the creative reinventions of the beautiful songs. I tried to write down the set list but I didn't recognize all the songs and it appears the encore songs were chosen on the spot, as they weren't on the written set list:
[4/5
Set list:
1. Close to Paradise
2. Out for a While?
3. Drifters
4. Weight of the World
5. Slip into Your Skin
6. The Storm
7. The Midnight Express
8. The Great Escape
9. Mr. Tom
10. Man Under the Sea
---------------------
11. ? ("Lie Lie Lie")
12. Jam
13. Bright Shiny Lights
I didn't care much for the support act, a local band who were clearly playing the biggest gig of their career, as the huge smiles on all of the members' faces told the crowd. They actually used more of the equipment on stage than I had expected (an acoustic guitar, a cajon, a grand piano and a variety of brass instruments), their style best described as 'feel-good acoustic rock'. They were pleasant songs and the band members were really enjoying themselves but their sound was quite limited without a proper rhythm section and their music wasn't really my cup of tea.
[2/5]
The break in between felt much shorter than I remembered but it didn't make a difference to my level of excitement when the members finally came on. They set the mood perfectly with a great rendition of Close to Paradise and despite the bass having problems through the gig, the rest of the mix was great right from the start. Many of the songs were extended either at the beginning or at the end, the band effortlessly trailing off in all sorts of directions in their jams. The band, all outstanding musicians, were all really fun to watch but the guitarist stood out the most due to the different tools he used on his guitar; an electric toothbrush, a balloon and a bean bag, among others. Another clear highlight was the 'unplugged' version of 'Man Under the Sea' in the middle of the Paradiso hall (with the drummer and bassist on stage playing percussion with their feet), demonstrating both how talented they are even without effects and how much they enjoy the interaction with the crowd. This, to me, was a perfect place to end the concert, which they did, but I was a bit disappointed to see them come back on to play a few more (less exciting) songs, which definitely felt like it dragged on after the climax of the main set. Despite this, it was a very enjoyable concert, with many things to keep me interested on top of the creative reinventions of the beautiful songs. I tried to write down the set list but I didn't recognize all the songs and it appears the encore songs were chosen on the spot, as they weren't on the written set list:
[4/5
Set list:
1. Close to Paradise
2. Out for a While?
3. Drifters
4. Weight of the World
5. Slip into Your Skin
6. The Storm
7. The Midnight Express
8. The Great Escape
9. Mr. Tom
10. Man Under the Sea
---------------------
11. ? ("Lie Lie Lie")
12. Jam
13. Bright Shiny Lights
Sunday, December 09, 2007
08/12/07 - St. Vincent
Despite this event officially being a 'festival', I was only genuinely interested in seeing St. Vincent and so I decided to make that the title of this post.
I had been waiting for an opportunity to see 25 year-old Annie Clark in concert ever since a friend of mine saw her support and play with Sufjan Stevens a little over a year ago. I obtained her only release (an EP consisting of 2 original tracks and a cover of Nico's "These Days") through means of which I am not proud, but fell in love with it regardless, wishing there would be more to come. After a couple more tracks were 'released' through myspace, the good news finally came; Annie would be releasing her debut LP in July '07. It didn't take long for me to love the tracks I hadn't heard and the album earned the title of 'Best album of 2007', way ahead of the rest of its competition. Two shows were announced a week apart, and finally it looked like I would get a chance to see her, when I injured my foot, making it impossible for me to make the journey to the first of the two dates. I was devastated and after a torturous week of not knowing whether my foot would get better, it became clear that I would be able to make it. The time had finally come...
...but there were still a number of bands that stood in the way of that glorious moment. Boy ler were the first band of the night, playing on the small stage. Their sound was quite generic, reminiscent of 80s progressive rock, and although their sense of melody was mildly impressive, I couldn't help hating the singer/guitarist for destroying the songs with his low, mumbly voice, over-ambitious guitar solos and lack of ability to dance. I left after 2 songs because I felt that they weren't professional enough to put on a show worth watching.
[Rating: 1/5]
Windmill were the next 'band', playing in the big hall, a beautiful room with balcony seats and floor space, with wonderful acoustics. The duo were extremely friendly and calm, talking to the audience ("I just want to sit down and chat to you all"), making up a song on the spot about what they did earlier in the day (seeing a picture of a man with a dog on his lap) and executing the songs with ease. The only problem was that they were very limited with what they could do and the songs ended up sounding roughly the same - a quiet verse section with piano and vocals, followed by a louder chorus section in which the drums came in, and then various bridge sections with a mix of the two. I'd listened to Windmill's album 'Puddle City Racing Lights' once before but it hadn't been very memorable aside from the whiny vocals of Matt Dillon - something which I hadn't enjoyed so much. Therefore, I can't compare the music from the album and the live show but I can say that my opinion didn't change on the vocals.
[Rating: 2.5/5]
Wouter van Veldhoven & Mark Versteegen were starting their show in the small hall and I got there just in time for the beginning. They were sat in front of the stage with a big machine, which had the potential to be exciting but I still hadn't figured out what it was doing, even after the countless number of wires plugged in by Wouter. The 'ambience' (for it couldn't be called music) was dull and failed to get to the point, even within the 10 minutes that I was there.
[Rating: 0.5/5]
Lusine was interesting but repetitive and a bit anticlimactic. I got the chance to sit behind him and observe how he created his music, but again was unable to understand how it worked. He was able to create beautiful soundscapes, thickening them out by adding layer after layer, and then stripping it down again after he'd had his fun, before flawlessly moving onto his next 'piece'. The transitions were perfect. Unfortunately, as he was right before St. Vincent, I wasn't able to enjoy the music as much as I might have another time.
[Rating: 1.5/5]
Finally, it was almost time for Annie. My foot had started to ache quite badly during Lusine's set but I managed to forget all of that as soon as I saw Annie come out onto the stage to check her setup. I decided to move to the right side of the stage in order to avoid Annie's massive fringe blocking my view of her face and the show started quite soon afterwards. They began playing a long intro, which eventually found its way into the beginning of 'Jesus Saves, I Spend'. A couple of other tracks would feature long intros like this one throughout the set. Playing as a four-piece, they weren't able to recreate the music on the record exactly and so were forced to rely heavily on samples in some sections - this
being one of them. The drummer triggered most, if not all of them on a series of pads mounted where the toms usually are (probably to save money/effort carrying them on tour because he played his tom sounds on the pads), playing the bass part at the same time in one of the songs (Landmines?). The songs were played really well and it was great to be able to watch Annie from so close up, really appreciating what a talented guitarist and composer she is. Her voice was fantastic aside from a few cracks here and there but unfortunately, the sound people at the venue managed to turn both her guitar amp and her 'second' mic down, making it hard to hear the beautiful sounds coming out of her fingers/mouth. We got to hear a beautiful solo rendition of 'What Me Worry', which was most probably the highlight of the night, along with the gorgeous 'Human Racing'. An alternate version of 'Your Lips Are Red' was also played, which I enjoyed more than the original because it was especially violent. The only real criticism I can make is that all the members looked exhausted, which is understandable, as they had played 156 shows and had been on the road for over 200 days in 2007, but it leaves me wondering... could it have been even better? I guess we'll see next time...
[Rating: 4.5/5]
Set list:
1. Jesus Saves, I Spend
2. Human Racing
3. Marry Me
4. Now, Now
5. All My Stars Aligned
6. What Me Worry
7. Landmines
8. Your Lips Are Red
9. Paris Is Burning
I had been waiting for an opportunity to see 25 year-old Annie Clark in concert ever since a friend of mine saw her support and play with Sufjan Stevens a little over a year ago. I obtained her only release (an EP consisting of 2 original tracks and a cover of Nico's "These Days") through means of which I am not proud, but fell in love with it regardless, wishing there would be more to come. After a couple more tracks were 'released' through myspace, the good news finally came; Annie would be releasing her debut LP in July '07. It didn't take long for me to love the tracks I hadn't heard and the album earned the title of 'Best album of 2007', way ahead of the rest of its competition. Two shows were announced a week apart, and finally it looked like I would get a chance to see her, when I injured my foot, making it impossible for me to make the journey to the first of the two dates. I was devastated and after a torturous week of not knowing whether my foot would get better, it became clear that I would be able to make it. The time had finally come...
...but there were still a number of bands that stood in the way of that glorious moment. Boy ler were the first band of the night, playing on the small stage. Their sound was quite generic, reminiscent of 80s progressive rock, and although their sense of melody was mildly impressive, I couldn't help hating the singer/guitarist for destroying the songs with his low, mumbly voice, over-ambitious guitar solos and lack of ability to dance. I left after 2 songs because I felt that they weren't professional enough to put on a show worth watching.
[Rating: 1/5]
Windmill were the next 'band', playing in the big hall, a beautiful room with balcony seats and floor space, with wonderful acoustics. The duo were extremely friendly and calm, talking to the audience ("I just want to sit down and chat to you all"), making up a song on the spot about what they did earlier in the day (seeing a picture of a man with a dog on his lap) and executing the songs with ease. The only problem was that they were very limited with what they could do and the songs ended up sounding roughly the same - a quiet verse section with piano and vocals, followed by a louder chorus section in which the drums came in, and then various bridge sections with a mix of the two. I'd listened to Windmill's album 'Puddle City Racing Lights' once before but it hadn't been very memorable aside from the whiny vocals of Matt Dillon - something which I hadn't enjoyed so much. Therefore, I can't compare the music from the album and the live show but I can say that my opinion didn't change on the vocals.
[Rating: 2.5/5]
Wouter van Veldhoven & Mark Versteegen were starting their show in the small hall and I got there just in time for the beginning. They were sat in front of the stage with a big machine, which had the potential to be exciting but I still hadn't figured out what it was doing, even after the countless number of wires plugged in by Wouter. The 'ambience' (for it couldn't be called music) was dull and failed to get to the point, even within the 10 minutes that I was there.
[Rating: 0.5/5]
Lusine was interesting but repetitive and a bit anticlimactic. I got the chance to sit behind him and observe how he created his music, but again was unable to understand how it worked. He was able to create beautiful soundscapes, thickening them out by adding layer after layer, and then stripping it down again after he'd had his fun, before flawlessly moving onto his next 'piece'. The transitions were perfect. Unfortunately, as he was right before St. Vincent, I wasn't able to enjoy the music as much as I might have another time.
[Rating: 1.5/5]
Finally, it was almost time for Annie. My foot had started to ache quite badly during Lusine's set but I managed to forget all of that as soon as I saw Annie come out onto the stage to check her setup. I decided to move to the right side of the stage in order to avoid Annie's massive fringe blocking my view of her face and the show started quite soon afterwards. They began playing a long intro, which eventually found its way into the beginning of 'Jesus Saves, I Spend'. A couple of other tracks would feature long intros like this one throughout the set. Playing as a four-piece, they weren't able to recreate the music on the record exactly and so were forced to rely heavily on samples in some sections - this
being one of them. The drummer triggered most, if not all of them on a series of pads mounted where the toms usually are (probably to save money/effort carrying them on tour because he played his tom sounds on the pads), playing the bass part at the same time in one of the songs (Landmines?). The songs were played really well and it was great to be able to watch Annie from so close up, really appreciating what a talented guitarist and composer she is. Her voice was fantastic aside from a few cracks here and there but unfortunately, the sound people at the venue managed to turn both her guitar amp and her 'second' mic down, making it hard to hear the beautiful sounds coming out of her fingers/mouth. We got to hear a beautiful solo rendition of 'What Me Worry', which was most probably the highlight of the night, along with the gorgeous 'Human Racing'. An alternate version of 'Your Lips Are Red' was also played, which I enjoyed more than the original because it was especially violent. The only real criticism I can make is that all the members looked exhausted, which is understandable, as they had played 156 shows and had been on the road for over 200 days in 2007, but it leaves me wondering... could it have been even better? I guess we'll see next time...
[Rating: 4.5/5]
Set list:
1. Jesus Saves, I Spend
2. Human Racing
3. Marry Me
4. Now, Now
5. All My Stars Aligned
6. What Me Worry
7. Landmines
8. Your Lips Are Red
9. Paris Is Burning
Saturday, November 03, 2007
02/11/07 - Music Live
While at the Music Live fair in Birmingham this Friday, I managed to catch the live sets of two bands in between hours of mad guitarring/playing theremin. Although I didn't go specifically to see these bands, I decided i'd write a short review about each.
The first band was This Is Menace, a 'supergroup' made up of 4 core members (2 from the band Pitchshifter) and various guest vocalists. The guest vocalists at this show were Colin Doran from Hundred Reasons and Mikee Goodman from Sikth. They played a type of metalcore, with a lot of screaming, which automatically put me off the band and forced me to leave the tent after 2 or 3 songs. The guitarists' tones, the mix and the music were all great but sadly, the vocals could not be ignored.
[Rating: 1/5]
A couple of hours later, a ska band called Big Hand took to the stage - the only band i'd really wanted to hear after reading a short description of their music in one of the brochures handed out to me. Simply put, they didn't let me down. They played a very catchy form of ska, which appealed to the masses as could be seen by the size of the mosh/dance pit near the front of the stage that got gradually bigger as the band's set went on. They were, of course, energetic, as their music needed them to be - the trumpet player certainly attracting the most attention with his mullet and classy one-handed style of playing, which allowed his other hand to perform various actions ranging from getting the crowd jumping to holding the microphone in front of the sound hole so that he could walk around freely. There wasn't much variation from song to song in terms of style but they were fairly tight and were very aware of the crowd, managing to get everybody in the hall to slowly get lower and lower during the last song of the set, until everyone was sitting down on the floor. Being a small band, they still have a few aspects they could improve but on the whole, I was very impressed and bought 3 of their EPs after the show, splitting the cost with a few friends of mine.
[Rating: 4/5]
The first band was This Is Menace, a 'supergroup' made up of 4 core members (2 from the band Pitchshifter) and various guest vocalists. The guest vocalists at this show were Colin Doran from Hundred Reasons and Mikee Goodman from Sikth. They played a type of metalcore, with a lot of screaming, which automatically put me off the band and forced me to leave the tent after 2 or 3 songs. The guitarists' tones, the mix and the music were all great but sadly, the vocals could not be ignored.
[Rating: 1/5]
A couple of hours later, a ska band called Big Hand took to the stage - the only band i'd really wanted to hear after reading a short description of their music in one of the brochures handed out to me. Simply put, they didn't let me down. They played a very catchy form of ska, which appealed to the masses as could be seen by the size of the mosh/dance pit near the front of the stage that got gradually bigger as the band's set went on. They were, of course, energetic, as their music needed them to be - the trumpet player certainly attracting the most attention with his mullet and classy one-handed style of playing, which allowed his other hand to perform various actions ranging from getting the crowd jumping to holding the microphone in front of the sound hole so that he could walk around freely. There wasn't much variation from song to song in terms of style but they were fairly tight and were very aware of the crowd, managing to get everybody in the hall to slowly get lower and lower during the last song of the set, until everyone was sitting down on the floor. Being a small band, they still have a few aspects they could improve but on the whole, I was very impressed and bought 3 of their EPs after the show, splitting the cost with a few friends of mine.
[Rating: 4/5]
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
29/10/07 - Beach House/Arbouretum
After getting lost and taking an unnecessarily long route to the venue, we walked in to the concert 'hall', a room capable of holding about a hundred people at most - by far the smallest venue I had been to.
Beach House were the first band on - perhaps the first gig i've been to where I have only heard the support band's music. I had listened to their (only) album several times and had quite enjoyed it but I was curious as to how they would recreate the sound on the album live with only two members, as the album was multi-layered. The answer to my question was quickly answered when the band plunged straight into 'Apple Orchard' after the 4 beat count-in by Victoria, the singer and keyboardist. Despite having only guitar, keyboard and vocals, they managed to create a thick texture through a dense organ sound on the keyboard and lots of reverb on guitar and vocals. They also had the help of a sampler, controlled by the guitarist Alex Scally, which had pre-recorded drum beats to most, if not all the songs they played. It was also hooked up to a mixer so that he could alter the EQ. Although this should have made their performance dull and lifeless, it had the opposite effect (probably because they have such few members) and subtly gave the songs a sense of mood. After almost an hour of music, they left the stage to the second band of the night: Arbouretum.
[Rating: 4/5]
The most memorable trait of Arbouretum's (besides the bassist's beard) after the show was also the one that I noticed first; the incredible tone of the two guitarists, both clean and dirt guitars. This gave the overall sound a real powerful edge but also made it easier on the ears; if it weren't for the great tone, the distorted open chords played by lead singer/guitarist Dave Heumann could have ruined the show with no trouble at all. Their riffs were catchy and deliberately repetitive, with a barrage of guitar solos in every song, usually over the same single riff. What was lacking in the progression of the music however, was made up for in other areas such as dynamics and complexity of the music with the individual instrumental parts combined. The guitar solos were mildly interesting on their own but the dual guitar solos and chords played in different positions made the music more interesting harmonically, but also made it more fun to watch. They were also fairly energetic, with the bassist being the only exception. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough variation in their songs to keep me fully interested for the full hour and left me with no choice but to wish the concert would be over by the time they got to the needless noise rock inspired ending.
[Rating: 3.5/5]
Beach House were the first band on - perhaps the first gig i've been to where I have only heard the support band's music. I had listened to their (only) album several times and had quite enjoyed it but I was curious as to how they would recreate the sound on the album live with only two members, as the album was multi-layered. The answer to my question was quickly answered when the band plunged straight into 'Apple Orchard' after the 4 beat count-in by Victoria, the singer and keyboardist. Despite having only guitar, keyboard and vocals, they managed to create a thick texture through a dense organ sound on the keyboard and lots of reverb on guitar and vocals. They also had the help of a sampler, controlled by the guitarist Alex Scally, which had pre-recorded drum beats to most, if not all the songs they played. It was also hooked up to a mixer so that he could alter the EQ. Although this should have made their performance dull and lifeless, it had the opposite effect (probably because they have such few members) and subtly gave the songs a sense of mood. After almost an hour of music, they left the stage to the second band of the night: Arbouretum.
[Rating: 4/5]
The most memorable trait of Arbouretum's (besides the bassist's beard) after the show was also the one that I noticed first; the incredible tone of the two guitarists, both clean and dirt guitars. This gave the overall sound a real powerful edge but also made it easier on the ears; if it weren't for the great tone, the distorted open chords played by lead singer/guitarist Dave Heumann could have ruined the show with no trouble at all. Their riffs were catchy and deliberately repetitive, with a barrage of guitar solos in every song, usually over the same single riff. What was lacking in the progression of the music however, was made up for in other areas such as dynamics and complexity of the music with the individual instrumental parts combined. The guitar solos were mildly interesting on their own but the dual guitar solos and chords played in different positions made the music more interesting harmonically, but also made it more fun to watch. They were also fairly energetic, with the bassist being the only exception. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough variation in their songs to keep me fully interested for the full hour and left me with no choice but to wish the concert would be over by the time they got to the needless noise rock inspired ending.
[Rating: 3.5/5]
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