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Haven't been to one for a while and wondered whether anybody else here actually goes out to see live acts, whether that is rock, pop, jazz, blues, folk, show or classical (I now expect AHB to be a fan of baroque). Thus a thread for the purpose.

Went to see the Stereophonics a few weeks ago, supported by the Enemy. Both groups were very good but the NEC is a bit impersonal.

Tonight we went to see Dodgy at the upstairs' bar of the Carling Academy, Birmingham.

Much as a like the Hereostophics and the Hemeny, I am a much bigger fan of "the most under-rated band on the planet" AKA Dodgy. They were wonderful and I had a chat with Nigel Clarke who is as nice as his songs. Great night.

Who else actually sees live music?

We have in the past but not for a couple of years. Last one's I remember were:

• Embrace at Keel University (great venue) and again in the open air in Leeds.
• Snow Patrol at the Birmingham Carling Academy (noise cap was a problem)
• The Pogues at Manchester Apollo - fantastic fun
• Rooster at Nottiham Rock City - Jo made me go cause she fancied the singer who kept taking his shirt off
• Gary Glitter - 1987 to 1991 at the SECC in Glasgow - before he was confirmed as a perv.

Derek

Just remembered something. In the very early 80's I had a ticket to see Queen perform to 70,000 Scottish nutters at Celtic Park. I gave up my ticket on the day of the gig because I managed to secure a date with a hot chick.

She was rubbish, and I've regretted that decision ever since.

...but I'm not bitter about it

Derek

Not seen any of those, despite liking both Snow Patrol, the Pogues and pre-paedophilia Gary Glitter.

Outings in recent years, other than toddling of to the Godiva Festival (about 1/2 mile away, great to see the Human League):

Blondie;
Starsailor;
David Bowie;
Duran Duran (honestly very good) with Goldfrapp (with a horse-tail);
John Otway;
Neville Staples (Specials);
Hazel O'Connor

No disappointments.

To be honest, I don't think I have ever been disappointed by live music. I love it.

Tonight we went to a new posh(ish) restaurant in Hathersage, deep in the Peak District, to celebrate my birthday and that of my (almost) mother-in-law. There was a keyboard player and a jazz singing female in the corner doing some ch, ch-ch-ch, ch, ch-ch-ch stuff at low volume and it was great.

Live music rules

Derek

Very jealous about (Specials)

I remember being somewhere scummy with a madness tribute band playing. I was only mid 20's but can remember thinking I might die of a heart attack if they played One Step Beyond one more time

Derek

Derek Tumbleweed wrote:To be honest, I don't think I have ever been disappointed by live music. I love it.

Very few examples where it has gone wrong. Mostly due to overly-high expectations.

I love going to concerts, and in Utrecht and Amsterdam we were lucky to get a very good range of artists. In the coming years, it will either be mega events in Dubai, or jazzy stuff in hotels (going to a jazz event tonight...). Some of the concerts that I thought were very good:

- Damien Rice
- I am Kloot
- Claw Boys Claw (dutch rock-oldies re-united)
- Calexico
- Manu Chao

I go about once a month.
Last gig I've been to was Eels, 2 weeks ago.
Before that it was Nada Surf.

Next week is I Am Kloot, if they don't cancel again.

Most memorable gigs (up to now):
Teenage Fanclub at The Barrowlands in Glasgow
Belle & Sebastian in Berlin
Dinosaur Jr. in Amsterdam
and looong time ago The Cure

KillerB wrote:...I now expect AHB to be a fan of baroque...

Funny you should say that...

My last attendance at a live music event was to go to the Woodley Music & Performing Arts Festival (an annual thing) for three consecutive weekends in Feb/March. The music is generally classical but some of the singing is local folk singing. There are some amazing performances - last year's stand-out was a 16 year old girl who sang folk tunes with no accompaniment and just made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up her voice was so haunting.

And yes, I did make a point of being at the Baroque Piano sessions as I do love Baroque music...

I go to a lot of classical music impromptus or jazz drop-in sessions when I'm in London. If I'm in London late afternoon or evening and have no-one to drink port with then I will pick up a ticket at the Barbican or Royal Festival Hall to see whatever happens to be on. I do the same when I'm in Dublin as the hotels that I use are 5 minutes walk from the National Concert Hall, I'll just pick up a ticket to see whatever is being performed. Last time I did that I saw a great performance of Verdi's Requiem For The Masses performed by the massed choirs of the Dublin Schools.

Last rock concert I went to was McFly in spring 2007. Next concert (of any kind) that I will be going to is this weekend to see the Berkshire Youth Orchestra perform a selection of classical pieces. Mid-April I'm off to see Scouting for Girls at the Hexagon in Reading.

Given the musical talents of my children, I see an awful lot of classical and jazz music - just as well I like it!

Alex

How was Eels? I just missed the show due to our move to the desert. I went to the 'with strings' concert a couple of years ago and liked it very much.

RonnieRoots wrote:How was Eels? I just missed the show due to our move to the desert. I went to the 'with strings' concert a couple of years ago and liked it very much.

The gig itself was great. It was just E and Chet and a lot of different instruments. A huge setlist and 2 lengthy encores.
The venue was poor though (Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn).

Scouting for Girls is on my list to go to, along with Squeeze, Sparks, Buzzcocks and the Divine Comedy. REM were sold out before I realised that they were on tour

Saw the Cure three times back when they were popular - twice in Coventry and once in Portsmouth. If we go back in time then I have a list as long as Conky's arm:

Boomtown Rats, Jam, Buzzcocks, Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Stranglers, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Stiff Little Fingers, Kinks, Divine Comedy, Level 42, Simply Red, Will Downing, Cleo Laine, Carmel, Ruby Turner, B.B.King, George Benson, George Melly, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Spandau Ballet, Gillan, Judas Priest, etc. etc. etc.

KillerB wrote: George Melly

The man from the tele?

Derek T. wrote:

KillerB wrote: George Melly

The man from the tele?

Yes, the one on the documentary a few weeks ago.

Unless you are thinking of Roger Melly.

KillerB wrote:

Derek T. wrote:

KillerB wrote: George Melly

The man from the tele?

Yes, the one on the documentary a few weeks ago.

Unless you are thinking of Roger Melly.

No. Definately George. I knew he had been on the tele at some point, something that I'm not sure Roger ever actually achieved?

Derek T. wrote:

KillerB wrote:

Derek T. wrote:

KillerB wrote: George Melly

The man from the tele?

Yes, the one on the documentary a few weeks ago.

Unless you are thinking of Roger Melly.

No. Definately George. I knew he had been on the tele at some point, something that I'm not sure Roger ever actually achieved?

No, Roger had a tele programme as well.

KillerB wrote:

Derek T. wrote:

KillerB wrote:

Derek T. wrote:

KillerB wrote: George Melly

The man from the tele?

Yes, the one on the documentary a few weeks ago.

Unless you are thinking of Roger Melly.

No. Definately George. I knew he had been on the tele at some point, something that I'm not sure Roger ever actually achieved?

No, Roger had a tele programme as well.

What? On the real tele? Or just in drawings in a comic?

Derek T. wrote:

KillerB wrote:

Derek T. wrote:

KillerB wrote:

Derek T. wrote:

KillerB wrote: George Melly

The man from the tele?

Yes, the one on the documentary a few weeks ago.

Unless you are thinking of Roger Melly.

No. Definately George. I knew he had been on the tele at some point, something that I'm not sure Roger ever actually achieved?

No, Roger had a tele programme as well.

What? On the real tele? Or just in drawings in a comic?

Real Tele

GARY GLITTER!!!


Thats so wrong on so many different levels.

Conky wrote:GARY GLITTER!!!


Thats so wrong on so many different levels.

oh, come on?
come on
come on, co-ome on
come on, co-ome on
come on. I say?

D-ya wanna be in his gang?

Apparently he was a great admirer of Dinosaurs?

So much so he always made sure the kids left his concerts with a Megasorearse.

(apologies if my spelling lets me down)

Luckily a good friend of mine works at a local (and well known) radio station here in L.A. So i get free tickets and (often) all-access passes to the shows. Nothing like being backstage or on stage with the talent. I've been lucky enough to hang out and talk for long periods with some of my favorite bands....and its amazing how many of them like good wine!

ADV wrote: I've been lucky enough to hang out and talk for long periods with some of my favorite bands

Have you really met Britney, Christina and New Kids on the Block?

Derek T. wrote:

ADV wrote: I've been lucky enough to hang out and talk for long periods with some of my favorite bands

Have you really met Britney, Christina and New Kids on the Block?

And Cher and N'Sync

Gary Glitter thought he had All Access Passes, and look where it got him!

Who's Gary Glitter?????

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Glitter

Odious little man. But had Derek jiving in the aisles...apparently?

I think scary little man is a better description...

In November 1997 Glitter was arrested after child pornography images were discovered on the hard drive of a Toshiba laptop that he had taken to the Bristol Causeway branch of PC World for repair. The following years held further trouble for the singer. Glitter was convicted of possession of child pornography on 12 November 1999 and classified formally as a sex offender, serving two months of a four-month sentence. He was also charged with having sex with an underage girl, Alison Brown, when she was 14 years old.

He's also currently sat in a Vietnamese Jail. And he's not there for the weather, either!

In my defence, I attended the Glitter Gang concerts in the days before anyone knew that he was a kiddy-fiddler. I make no excuses for his sexual exploits, but his concerts were great fun when you had no knowledge of the other aspects of his life.

I am planning to go to the Epsom derby on Saturday. It is an 8 mile walk (aka pub crawl!) from Reigate. I just looked at the website today and Hot Chocolate are playing after the final race!

The Proclaimers come to play here coming Thursday.
It will probably be fun to see (or just stand in the back and downing numerous pints), but we'll miss it, because we already planned our own '500 miles' to walk somewhere in the country.

Alex K will be proud of me. I'm spending my Saturday at another Chamber Orchestra concert. On the programme tonight:

The Praetorius Consort play a selection of prices for Early English Woodwind instruments.

Brahms' Sonata in E minor (Opus 38) for cello.

A variation on Offenbach's "The Bold Gendarmes" arranged for string trio and piano.

Handel's Sonata in G for Oboe.

Sicilienne et Allegro Giocoso by Gabriel Grovlez, arranged for Bassoon and Piano.

I strive to keep up the level of culture among the forumites!

I will be well relaxed by the time I get home to where the rest of my Martinez 85 awaits - as does a large pile of ironing!

I am duly proud of you.

I have tickets to see Gary Numan next month. He is extremely good live and can recommend him to anyone. Strange that he doesn't get much credit for his influence on modern music, other than the Sugarbabes that is.

This past friday I went to the "Vans Warped Tour" A concert with a ton of bands in a large area. It was well over 100 degrees (around 103-104 degrees) and I thank goodness I had an all-access backstage pass so I could head back there and cool off...those Monster Energy drinks mixed with Vodka sure did help It was a great time hanging out and talking to a lot of band members and other very good looking females, who were scantly clad in the summer heat

The backstage party is even funner, with one of the bands pulling cooking duty for everyone....lots of fun, but I was suffering from a bit of heat drain on saturday

I took my 13 year-old son to a concert tonight, which we both enjoyed. On the schedule was Tchaikovsky's Hamlet Overture, Haydyn's Oboe Concerto and Dvorcak's First Collection of Slavonik Dances.

And then we went to McDonald's on the way home

AHB wrote:I took my 13 year-old son to a concert tonight, which we both enjoyed. On the schedule was Tchaikovsky's Hamlet Overture, Haydyn's Oboe Concerto and Dvorcak's First Collection of Slavonik Dances.

And then we went to McDonald's on the way home

Why are you embarassed about the highlight of your son's evening?

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:I took my 13 year-old son to a concert tonight, which we both enjoyed. On the schedule was Tchaikovsky's Hamlet Overture, Haydyn's Oboe Concerto and Dvorcak's First Collection of Slavonik Dances.

And then we went to McDonald's on the way home

Why are you embarassed about the highlight of your son's evening?

I'm not in the least bit embarassed about my son's evening's highlight. The oboe soloist is young, very pretty and he is quite besotted by her. She was the reason that he suggested we should go.

McDonalds was just a necessary evil on the way back which he described as "Not quite as bad as he was expecting, but still pretty awful."

I took my 13 year-old son to a concert tonight, which we both enjoyed. On the schedule was Tchaikovsky's Hamlet Overture, Haydyn's Oboe Concerto and Dvorcak's First Collection of Slavonik Dances.

That was because your son learned a very valuable lesson...she may look pretty on the outside but what she does for a living can be a lesson in torture. Best just to keep staring at her picture in the magazines. Micky-Dees on the other hand always comes through

You are all philistines. My son decided he wanted to spend his Saturday night at a cultural event, listening to the local Philharmonic Orchestra playing some pieces written by some of the greatest exponents of music that history has ever known. I know that this was the real reason that he decided to go and the fact that the principal oboist is someone he likes was just a coincidence.

You are all philistines

I resemble that remark
Actually, I love all types of music and even as a kid was the only one of my friends that had rock, heavy metal, some country, new age, classical, and techno albums. Sure I caught some flax at first, then it was amazing to see many of my friends start listinging to other things.

the fact that the principal oboist is someone he likes was just a coincidence.

YEAH!

Andy V wrote:

You are all philistines

I resemble that remark

I think it's a fair comment, after-all has anyone else here heard of Haydyn and Dvorcak?

JacobH wrote:I think it's a fair comment, after-all has anyone else here heard of Haydyn and Dvorcak?

Touché.

JacobH wrote:

Andy V wrote:

You are all philistines

I resemble that remark

I think it's a fair comment, after-all has anyone else here heard of Haydyn and Dvorcak?

Aren't those 80s hair bands?

Commendation to your son. But also advice: many people fancy a pretty girl whose face appears in the press. There will be much competition per unit delight (i.e., prettiness good; ‟appears in press” makes much work per unit prettiness). Hunt elsewhere. Good luck.

jdaw1 wrote:Commendation to your son. But also advice: many people fancy a pretty girl whose face appears in the press. There will be much competition per unit delight (i.e., prettiness good; ‟appears in press” makes much work per unit prettiness). Hunt elsewhere. Good luck.

What are the metrics by which a unit of delight and a unit of prettiness are measured?

JacobH wrote:What are the metrics by which a unit of delight and a unit of prettiness are measured?

Positive Fonseca 1966 and negative beer.

Went to see George Michael over the summer with my girlfriend. What a concert! He was amazing, lol...

Today's concert was by the Vivaldi String Orchestra at Winchester College, who played:
- Bach's (JS, before Jacob asks) Suite in D major
- Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins in B minor
- Holst's Saint Paul's Suite

They absolutely nailed the Saint Paul's Suite. Excellent evening out with my better half in a city we have not visited before but to which we will certainly return.

Am I really the only one going to concerts these days?