glittertigger (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
glittertigger) wrote2007-02-16 05:23 pm
glittertigger) wrote2007-02-16 05:23 pm
Two gig reviews
The acoustics are never great in the basement of the Zodiac, which may partly explain my disappointment with the gig on Monday night.
We went to Intrusion on Tuesday which was busier than usual and full of people in exciting outfits. The music wasn't quite to my taste this time, so I spent more time chatting than dancing. I did prove I can (just about) dance in the black lace boots.
I was touched on Wednesday to receive a card made from beautiful paper with flower petals in it. We had an enjoyable evening cooking an elaborate dinner together in my flat, which was much more fun than going out to a restaurant at the same time as everyone else.
Goldrush were messy live, which was a let-down after hearing their much better recorded stuff. Most of them appeared competent, but the main problem was the guy on the right who played four different instruments (keyboard, trumpet, guitar and violin), none of them that well, all of them too flamboyantly and (this part was the soundman's fault) all of them loud enough to almost drown out the rest of the band. If you have perfectly good drums and rhythm guitar, why overwhelm them with comedy pre-programmed keyboard rhythms? Grrrr.
Electric Soft Parade were much more polished and professional and all good musicians. My only gripe would be that the songs were all rather similar, although any one song taken individually would be great.
Electric Soft Parade were much more polished and professional and all good musicians. My only gripe would be that the songs were all rather similar, although any one song taken individually would be great.
We went to Intrusion on Tuesday which was busier than usual and full of people in exciting outfits. The music wasn't quite to my taste this time, so I spent more time chatting than dancing. I did prove I can (just about) dance in the black lace boots.
I was touched on Wednesday to receive a card made from beautiful paper with flower petals in it. We had an enjoyable evening cooking an elaborate dinner together in my flat, which was much more fun than going out to a restaurant at the same time as everyone else.
Last night I went to the Live Lounge in the QI bar. The room only has space for about twenty people (plus a few more in earshot round the corner). Half of The Epstein were there as the support act. Three great guitars and three guys who really know how to play them – what more do you need? Straightforward country rock played brilliantly. Olly played rhythm on a Taylor and did most of the vocals. Jon was playing great slide on an Ibanez electric and playing lead on both that and a semi-acoustic with more resonance at the lower end and a Bigsby tremolo. Stef was mostly playing a beautiful borrowed Gibson with the best tone I’ve heard in a long time. I can see why he looked so sad when he gave it back at the end of the set. And they are finally releasing something, but only on 7-inch vinyl, a decision which I don’t quite understand.
I really wanted to like Roger Tarry and his band, who played next. They were charming, professional, good musicians and had done a fine job of scaling down their sound to fit the room (the drummer was using brushes and wasn’t miked up). They looked a little alarmed when objects flew through the air at them during their first song, but once they realised it was a pretty French girl throwing rose petals, they asked her to carry on! They play mournful, Nick-Drake-ish music and the lyrics are clever, but the instrumental stuff is similar on each track and I found it all a little soporific, so I slipped off home to sleep after the first five songs.
I really wanted to like Roger Tarry and his band, who played next. They were charming, professional, good musicians and had done a fine job of scaling down their sound to fit the room (the drummer was using brushes and wasn’t miked up). They looked a little alarmed when objects flew through the air at them during their first song, but once they realised it was a pretty French girl throwing rose petals, they asked her to carry on! They play mournful, Nick-Drake-ish music and the lyrics are clever, but the instrumental stuff is similar on each track and I found it all a little soporific, so I slipped off home to sleep after the first five songs.