Recent gigs

[Jim]

Madness last Friday on the penultimate night of their "The Sound of Madness" tour. Absolutely brilliant! They really are on top form and I would go so far as to say they're a British institution. A proper feel-good night  

They definitely are. Great and quintessentially British songwriting in the tradition of Ray Davies. In some ways the "nutty" image has done them no favours because it overshadows the quality of their songs, many of which have quite a melancholy core. A band that it is all too easy to take for granted.

I totally agree. They're professional, great musicians and songwriters and entertainers. They're definitely not a comedy act  

I second all of that although many people were disappointed when they played Cropredy

I was one of the disappointed ones. I'd seen Madness a couple of times before Cropredy at their own concerts, and a couple of times since at other festivals.  Thoroughly enjoyed their gigs, but felt they were going through the motions at the Festivals.  Did someone leave the band before they played Cropredy ?  I've a recollection someone called it a day.

In contrast saw the Alarm at a festival last year,  sunny day ,  pint in hand and loved them.  Saw them in Liverpool a couple of weeks ago,  rainy December evening and an over priced pint of lager in hand and was disappointed

Cathal Smythe left Madness a couple of years before Cropredy, the fourth member to leave over the years altjough the other three, Barso, Bedders and Chrissy all rejoined after a while. I'm hoping  Cathal/Chas  will return for the bands 40th anniversary next year.

[davidmjs]

Cathal Smythe left Madness a couple of years before Cropredy, the fourth member to leave over the years altjough the other three, Barso, Bedders and Chrissy all rejoined after a while. I'm hoping  Cathal/Chas  will return for the bands 40th anniversary next year.

He gave some truly bizarre press interviews around the time he left and soon afterwards.  Not sure aspects of his health were in terribly good shape.

[RobertD]

Dar Williams last night at The Bell House, Brooklyn. I've never seen her before. Familiar with her music on some level but now I feel like I know and appreciate her a lot more. Picked up her album Emerald last night and giving that a spin right now on a lazy Sunday.

[GubGub (Al)]

Dar Williams last night at The Bell House, Brooklyn. I've never seen her before. Familiar with her music on some level but now I feel like I know and appreciate her a lot more. Picked up her album Emerald last night and giving that a spin right now on a lazy Sunday.

Really glad you enjoyed it Robert. All her albums are worth hearing but if you want to dig deeper I particularly recommend Mortal City, End of the Summer and In The Time of Gods.

[Jim]

Cathal Smythe left Madness a couple of years before Cropredy, the fourth member to leave over the years altjough the other three, Barso, Bedders and Chrissy all rejoined after a while. I'm hoping  Cathal/Chas  will return for the bands 40th anniversary next year.

He gave some truly bizarre press interviews around the time he left and soon afterwards.  Not sure aspects of his health were in terribly good shape.

His life was in a bit of turmoil at the time, i'm hoping that the intervening years have been kind to him.  The band are busy booking dates for next summer but no word about Cathal. His solo lp was a very introspective affair, you could nearly taste his tears.

[RobertD]

Dar Williams last night at The Bell House, Brooklyn. I've never seen her before. Familiar with her music on some level but now I feel like I know and appreciate her a lot more. Picked up her album Emerald last night and giving that a spin right now on a lazy Sunday.

Really glad you enjoyed it Robert. All her albums are worth hearing but if you want to dig deeper I particularly recommend Mortal City, End of the Summer and In The Time of Gods.

Thanks for the recommendations. I liked what I heard and will be exploring further for certain

[ColinB]

I had an extended stay in Edinburgh over Xmas as my mum was in hospital and saw that the Glenn Miller Orchestra was playing an afternoon concert at the Usher Hall on Saturday. I was certainly one of the younger members of the audience but recognised more of the tunes and songs than I thought I would. I guess his music has been used in various films over the years and we got a couple of Frank Sinatra songs and a couple of Louis Armstrong numbers as well. They also played two Tchaikovsky pieces which Miller had scored for his band including the 1812 Overture which was pretty good.

[Albie]

Nearly Dan, at The Robin. A Steely Dan tribute, in case you hadn't guessed.    And an excellent one at that. Second time I've been to see them and they are probably the best tribute act I've seen, they more than do the material justice. Decent turn-out on a miserable night.

[davidmjs]

Just back from the Lexington (Islington) where I saw Joss Cope (bro of) - surprisingly engaging and fine; Gwenifer Raymond - unsurprisingly brilliant...she sounds like about 3 guitarists, a bass player and a banjoist, all at the same time; Haiku Salut - one of the best bands I don't know I've ever seen.  Math rock, apparently.  A glorious bloody noise.  Loved 'em.  Good stuff all round.

Oh, and somebody put me out of my misery, please.  What did the Lexington used to be?  I'm sure I've been there before a long long time ago.  I asked the barman (there's 10th anniversary stuff around).  His reply?  "10 years ago I was 8".  Hmmmm.  Fair enough.

[Col D]

Oh, and somebody put me out of my misery, please.  What did the Lexington used to be?  I'm sure I've been there before a long long time ago.  I asked the barman (there's 10th anniversary stuff around).  His reply?  "10 years ago I was 8".  Hmmmm.  Fair enough.

It was Clockwork for a few years and the Belvedere Tavern before that.

[davidmjs]

Oh, and somebody put me out of my misery, please.  What did the Lexington used to be?  I'm sure I've been there before a long long time ago.  I asked the barman (there's 10th anniversary stuff around).  His reply?  "10 years ago I was 8".  Hmmmm.  Fair enough.

It was Clockwork for a few years and the Belvedere Tavern before that.

Hmmmm...  Thanks, Col.  Neither of those ring a bell though... I'm talking about late 80's probably.... do you have dates for those names?  It's a nice little venue upstairs...

[Col D]

Hmmmm...  Thanks, Col.  Neither of those ring a bell though... I'm talking about late 80's probably.... do you have dates for those names?  It's a nice little venue upstairs...

I think Clockwork only lasted around three years, so if it's the tenth anniversary as The Lexington that would be 2005 to 2008. I think the Belvedere Tavern was its original name, although a quick search tells me it was also called both Sazerac and La Finca at some point, although I've no memory of either. Nice venue as you say, possibly my favourite in London.

[blagden]

Just back from first Great British Rock & Blues Festival at Butlin's Skegness. I booked to go largely on the back of seeing Focus but they then disappeared from the bill?

The format and venues are exactly the same as the folk event with the long intervals, sticky carpets etc. The staff are still excellent and it's still incredible value for money but for me the biggest disappoint was the quality of the music.

Most of the acts were entertaining accept Martin Barre's Jethro Tull who seemed to want to interpret every song in the way Black Sabbeth would have played them including two truly awful Beatles covers, FM / Dare who played dated AOR in a dated pomp style and Billy Bremmar who played a dozen different songs to the same tune as Loud Music In Cars.

In the worst piece of programming I've ever seen at a festival, the veteran blues singer Dana Gillespie played the pub at 12.30am this morning which I just found disrespectful, she should have been on one of the main stages, and beyond me after a full on weekend shandying!

On a more positive note much of the best music on offer over the weekend came from the Introducing Stage with Conor Selby and Crow Black Chicken the best two bands I saw and would certainly go out of my way to see them again.  

[blagden]

Just back from first Great British Rock & Blues Festival at Butlin's Skegness. I booked to go largely on the back of seeing Focus but they then disappeared from the bill?

The format and venues are exactly the same as the folk event with the long intervals, sticky carpets etc. The staff are still excellent and it's still incredible value for money but for me the biggest disappoint was the quality of the music.

Most of the acts were entertaining accept Martin Barre's Jethro Tull who seemed to want to interpret every song in the way Black Sabbeth would have played them including two truly awful Beatles covers, FM / Dare who played dated AOR in a dated pomp style and Billy Bremmar who played a dozen different songs to the same tune as Loud Music In Cars.

In the worst piece of programming I've ever seen at a festival, the veteran blues singer Dana Gillespie played the pub at 12.30am this morning which I just found disrespectful, she should have been on one of the main stages, and beyond me after a full on weekend shandying!

On a more positive note much of the best music on offer over the weekend came from the Introducing Stage with Conor Selby and Crow Black Chicken the best two bands I saw and would certainly go out of my way to see them again.  

Oh .... and Martin Harley was sublime as always.

[garrypbrooks]

Saw a VG concert by "Band of Burns" in Redhill last night, mostly Scottish 12 piece doing some really interesting interpretations of Burns songs, tunes & poems to an  encouragingly large & enthusiastic audience.

Well worth checking out, I think they'd be a great band to have on any folk festival bill.

[Alan2]

Northern Sinfionia doing Debussy, Milhaud and Aaron Copland, with a solo sax/clarinet player.  Quite enjoyed it  but it wasn't life changing.  As well it was a freebie.  

[ColinB]

This video give you an idea of what Tosta Banda are all about who I saw in Glasgow on Friday. The dancers looked like they were enjoying having the full width of the stage at the Royal Concert Hall to move about on. Support came from Malinky who are celebrating 20 years together and they featured various guest singers young and old, the only one I'd heard of being Barbara Dymock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzpaovzpLGE

[PaulT]

Hey, I really like Tosta Banda! That's a great clip, thanks!!

[Penny]

Not a gig, as such.  On Saturday in Brighton, went to 'Inside the Staircase' : a talk / Q & A by David Rudolf, the Criminal Defence Lawyer for Michael Peterson who was the subject of The Staircase (Netflix).  St George's Church, Kemptown was an excellent venue, as was the nearby pub, the Barley Mow.

The talk was stimulating and interesting as well as humourous. He incorporated clips from the series as well as some that were not used.  If you know the case and are interested, look up the Owl theory.

[Will S]

Had a good evening at Nettlebed last night for a Seth Lakeman solo gig.  Actually the first time I have seen him, and he was very good.