Recent gigs

[davidmjs]

Octopus-limbed sticksman Michael Jerome was unavailable, but the great Dave Mattacks came off the subs bench to do a remarkable job.

Just my opinion but I struggle with the concept of DM being a sub for anybody (however true it may be)...

[Dan O.]

Octopus-limbed sticksman Michael Jerome was unavailable, but the great Dave Mattacks came off the subs bench to do a remarkable job.

Just my opinion but I struggle with the concept of DM being a sub for anybody (however true it may be)...

I cannot disagree, he's DM for goodness' sake ! I was just making a brave attempt at a sporting analogy...  

[mickf]

I saw RT at The New Theatre, Cardiff on Tuesday night. I heartily agree with Dan's verdict, including the support act, Jim Moray. Having not heard the new album prior to the show, I was looking forward to hearing some of the tracks from it. On first hearing, I'm pretty impressed.  All, in all, a great evening. However, my journey home was to put a dampener on the whole experience. Due to overnight roadworks, a normally 35 minute journey took almost two and a half hours, meaning I didn't get home until almost 1am. But I can't blame Richard for that!

[Jules Gray]

However, my journey home was to put a dampener on the whole experience. Due to overnight roadworks, a normally 35 minute journey took almost two and a half hours, meaning I didn't get home until almost 1am. But I can't blame Richard for that!

Why not? After all, people blame him when it rains at Cropredy.  

Jules

[Shane (Skirky)]

Yet another RT review thread, in which not one, but two people spell ‘Zak’ correctly. https://theafterword.co.uk/a-night-out-with-richard-thompson-2/

[Adam]

Just back from RT at the Royal Albert Hall - phenomenal. So many special guests, and what a set list! Highlights included:

-Danny Thompson, 85, and still bossing that double bass during Al Bowley.
- the guests, including Ralph McTell, Squeeze and Crowded House, playing their hits with a beaming Richard Thompson playing along
- the hugely talented extended Thompson family, especially during Bright Lights. Linda T running over to kiss Richard at the end of the song, prompting Kami to archly say that it’s not often her parents share a stage these days!
- everyone on stage for a rousing Tear Stained Letter - I counted 8 guitars!
- finishing the set with meet on the ledge; felt very right for some reason that I can’t articulate.

Loads of other high points, but I’m too knackered to think right now!

[Jules Gray]

Just back from RT at the Royal Albert Hall - phenomenal. So many special guests, and what a set list! Highlights included:

-Danny Thompson, 85, and still bossing that double bass during Al Bowley.
- the guests, including Ralph McTell, Squeeze and Crowded House, playing their hits with a beaming Richard Thompson playing along
- the hugely talented extended Thompson family, especially during Bright Lights. Linda T running over to kiss Richard at the end of the song, prompting Kami to archly say that it’s not often her parents share a stage these days!
- everyone on stage for a rousing Tear Stained Letter - I counted 8 guitars!
- finishing the set with meet on the ledge; felt very right for some reason that I can’t articulate.

Loads of other high points, but I’m too knackered to think right now!

Sounds utterly fab!

Jules

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Just back from RT at the Royal Albert Hall - phenomenal. So many special guests, and what a set list! Highlights included:

-Danny Thompson, 85, and still bossing that double bass during Al Bowley.
- the guests, including Ralph McTell, Squeeze and Crowded House, playing their hits with a beaming Richard Thompson playing along
- the hugely talented extended Thompson family, especially during Bright Lights. Linda T running over to kiss Richard at the end of the song, prompting Kami to archly say that it’s not often her parents share a stage these days!
- everyone on stage for a rousing Tear Stained Letter - I counted 8 guitars!
- finishing the set with meet on the ledge; felt very right for some reason that I can’t articulate.

Loads of other high points, but I’m too knackered to think right now!

Sounds utterly fab!

Jules

So it does…I would love to hear Richard and Linda together!

[DarrenWilliams]

Just back from RT at the Royal Albert Hall - phenomenal. So many special guests, and what a set list! Highlights included:

-Danny Thompson, 85, and still bossing that double bass during Al Bowley.
- the guests, including Ralph McTell, Squeeze and Crowded House, playing their hits with a beaming Richard Thompson playing along
- the hugely talented extended Thompson family, especially during Bright Lights. Linda T running over to kiss Richard at the end of the song, prompting Kami to archly say that it’s not often her parents share a stage these days!
- everyone on stage for a rousing Tear Stained Letter - I counted 8 guitars!
- finishing the set with meet on the ledge; felt very right for some reason that I can’t articulate.

Loads of other high points, but I’m too knackered to think right now!

Sounds utterly fab!

Jules

So it does…I would love to hear Richard and Linda together!

I'd like to hear RT and John Etheridge trading solos!

[davidmjs]

Just back from RT at the Royal Albert Hall - phenomenal. So many special guests, and what a set list! Highlights included:

-Danny Thompson, 85, and still bossing that double bass during Al Bowley.
- the guests, including Ralph McTell, Squeeze and Crowded House, playing their hits with a beaming Richard Thompson playing along
- the hugely talented extended Thompson family, especially during Bright Lights. Linda T running over to kiss Richard at the end of the song, prompting Kami to archly say that it’s not often her parents share a stage these days!
- everyone on stage for a rousing Tear Stained Letter - I counted 8 guitars!
- finishing the set with meet on the ledge; felt very right for some reason that I can’t articulate.

Loads of other high points, but I’m too knackered to think right now!

Sounds utterly fab!

Jules

Any more Fairporters (other than DM) in attendance if not actually on stage - Simon?

[Adam]

Just back from RT at the Royal Albert Hall - phenomenal. So many special guests, and what a set list! Highlights included:

-Danny Thompson, 85, and still bossing that double bass during Al Bowley.
- the guests, including Ralph McTell, Squeeze and Crowded House, playing their hits with a beaming Richard Thompson playing along
- the hugely talented extended Thompson family, especially during Bright Lights. Linda T running over to kiss Richard at the end of the song, prompting Kami to archly say that it’s not often her parents share a stage these days!
- everyone on stage for a rousing Tear Stained Letter - I counted 8 guitars!
- finishing the set with meet on the ledge; felt very right for some reason that I can’t articulate.

Loads of other high points, but I’m too knackered to think right now!

Sounds utterly fab!

Jules

Any more Fairporters (other than DM) in attendance if not actually on stage - Simon?

I didn’t spot anyone….another thing I’ve just remembered, I think this is the first time that I’ve seen RT since 1991 when he didn’t play Vincent Black Lightning…

[davidmjs]

I didn’t spot anyone….another thing I’ve just remembered, I think this is the first time that I’ve seen RT since 1991 when he didn’t play Vincent Black Lightning…

I've seen Fairport twice when they haven't played MOTL.  We should form a club...

[Andy]

I didn’t spot anyone….another thing I’ve just remembered, I think this is the first time that I’ve seen RT since 1991 when he didn’t play Vincent Black Lightning…

I've seen Fairport twice when they haven't played MOTL.  We should form a club...

So have I, they played "Best Wishes" instead.

...but have you ever been to a gig when they didn't play "Matty"?

[mickf]

A last minute discovery that 'The New Radio Ballads' performed by Bob Fox, Jez Lowe and Julie Matthews was on at Blackwood Miners Institute, just five minutes down the road, prompted me to pop down. I'm so glad I did. It was held in the downstairs bar, rather than the main auditorium, which was perfect, as it gave the evening a sort of 'folk club' feel that fitted in well with the occasion. Quite why they have chosen this year to celebrate the ballads, which were first performed in 2006, I have no idea, but who cares?

They started the evening singing three Ewan MacColl songs from the original radio ballads from the late 50s/early 60s, including one of my old favourites 'Jack of All Trades', then three songs from each of the six 'new' programmes. As Jez and Julie had been part of the team that wrote them and Bob had been involved in the original performances, they were able to give plenty of background details regarding the songs' origins.

A fascinating and highly enjoyable evening that I nearly missed. So glad I browsed my emails and saw the advert for it on Friday morning.

[ColinB]

A last minute discovery that 'The New Radio Ballads' performed by Bob Fox, Jez Lowe and Julie Matthews was on at Blackwood Miners Institute, just five minutes down the road, prompted me to pop down. I'm so glad I did. It was held in the downstairs bar, rather than the main auditorium, which was perfect, as it gave the evening a sort of 'folk club' feel that fitted in well with the occasion. Quite why they have chosen this year to celebrate the ballads, which were first performed in 2006, I have no idea, but who cares?

Bob and Jez are coming to the end of their Pitmen Poets tour and if you've never seen them there's the chance of watching their Keswick gig online...

Folkscape will be Livestreaming the final gig on Tues 11th June from Theatre by the Lake, Keswick and it will then be available to watch on demand for a limited period afterwards.

Details here: https://www.folkscape.live/

Happy watching

full details/ticket links on my website gigs page:
https://www.bobfoxmusic.com/main/gig.htm

[davidmjs]

Erland Cooper at the Barbican on Sat night.  It's a great project - Carve the Runes then Be Content With Silence.  Basically he recorded a piece of music with an orchestra, then deleted all the digital files leaving one analogue tape copy.  He then buried the copy in the earth somewhere secret at home (Orkney).  Clues were set and it was eventually found after about 18 months by a local couple, it was then cleaned and played back, and a new piece of music was created from what was left on the tape.  This was the debut.  And it was utterly brilliant.  Paul Weller certainly enjoyed it anyway.

Sue and I decided that the touristy parts of London are increasingly no longer for us.  The South Bank was positively hellish.  We loved North London though...Ally Pally, Muswell Hill, Crouch End etc.  We enjoyed the hilarity of estate agent's windows as well...or until we worked out what her flat (which she sold for £98k in '99) was worth anyway.

[Shankly (Peter)]

I didn’t spot anyone….another thing I’ve just remembered, I think this is the first time that I’ve seen RT since 1991 when he didn’t play Vincent Black Lightning…

I've seen Fairport twice when they haven't played MOTL.  We should form a club...

Can I join? I saw them once when they didn't play it. (St Helens in 2010)

[DarrenWilliams]

I didn’t spot anyone….another thing I’ve just remembered, I think this is the first time that I’ve seen RT since 1991 when he didn’t play Vincent Black Lightning…

I've seen Fairport twice when they haven't played MOTL.  We should form a club...

Can I join? I saw them once when they didn't play it. (St Helens in 2010)

I remember it well. I think the sound was frustratingly bad for the band and they didnt appear after Matty. It was a really poor turn out aswell.

[John From Austin]

Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, ACL Live, last night!

The ASB included Steve Lukather (Toto), Colin Hay (Men at Work), Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), drummer Greg Bissonette, and utility players Warren Ham and a keyboardist resembling Roy Wood, whose name I didn't catch. (The absence of Edgar Winter, who joined the tour in 2023, was unexplained.)

Ringo was in fine form. He's frankly ageless, and he bounced around during "With a Little Help From My Friends" like a 20-year old. It is really fun watching him and Greg lock in on the drums, although as usual Ringo deferred almost all drum fills to his partner. The highlights were definitely the three Men at Work songs, with "Overkill" being my favorite moment of the evening.

We had our favorite Mezzanine table, but our view was largely blocked by a solitary woman who stood for most of the show, waving her arms and apparently trying to get Ringo's attention. I know opinions vary, but mine remains: Stand if the people behind you are standing. Sit if the people behind you are sitting. And only sing along if you're a professional.

[davidmjs]

Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, ACL Live, last night!

The ASB included Steve Lukather (Toto), Colin Hay (Men at Work), Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), drummer Greg Bissonette, and utility players Warren Ham and a keyboardist resembling Roy Wood, whose name I didn't catch. (The absence of Edgar Winter, who joined the tour in 2023, was unexplained.)

Ringo was in fine form. He's frankly ageless, and he bounced around during "With a Little Help From My Friends" like a 20-year old. It is really fun watching him and Greg lock in on the drums, although as usual Ringo deferred almost all drum fills to his partner. The highlights were definitely the three Men at Work songs, with "Overkill" being my favorite moment of the evening.

We had our favorite Mezzanine table, but our view was largely blocked by a solitary woman who stood for most of the show, waving her arms and apparently trying to get Ringo's attention. I know opinions vary, but mine remains: Stand if the people behind you are standing. Sit if the people behind you are sitting. And only sing along if you're a professional.

I'm sure it was great, but I still can't quite get my head around going to see a Beatle live and the highlights are, um, Men at Work songs.  The world turned upside down, indeed....