Hi all,
I'm not aware of any thread here, about the live performances we saw, so let's start one!
What have you guys recently seen? And the most important: how good was it?
I haven't seen many concerts recently, but this is going to change this summer since I already have my ticket for the eurockeennes festival (www.eurockeennes.fr) and I just learnt that Colmar's foire au vins "festival" has an awesome programm! (www.foire-colmar.com) I absolutely want to see Iggy Pop and Marilyn Manson. Too bad I'm away in hollydays until the 13th or august, I'll miss the Cure
I'm not aware of any thread here, about the live performances we saw, so let's start one!
What have you guys recently seen? And the most important: how good was it?
I haven't seen many concerts recently, but this is going to change this summer since I already have my ticket for the eurockeennes festival (www.eurockeennes.fr) and I just learnt that Colmar's foire au vins "festival" has an awesome programm! (www.foire-colmar.com) I absolutely want to see Iggy Pop and Marilyn Manson. Too bad I'm away in hollydays until the 13th or august, I'll miss the Cure
Ok, since we're only 2 in this thread (for the moment, I hope ), I'll write about some pasts concerts
-my first festival, a small one here in strasbourg called the artefacts, in may 2002. There were only french rock bands so I don't think many of you know them.
I arrived when Tarmac was on scene, average music, average show. It was nice, but not more.
After that, another band called Dyonisos. I only knew one of theyr songs, that was played on the radios stations all day long, but didn't like the song that much. What a surprise! The guys (and one girl) came on the scene wearing tuxedos, not really looking like a rock band... They started to play, and then, jumped in the air, put theyr jackets off, and the music become louder those guys have energy, that's for sure! The music was really nice, and so was the show
Next band: Mass Hysteria, more neo metal than rock, that was heavy music, and I lost my friends in the crowd, I had to wait till the end of the concert to find them again, hehe...
And last band: Indochine, an "old" french band, this one was really nice. Really good show, and everybody in the public was singing, one of my best souvenirs
-next festival: the eurockeennes at belfort, during 3 days, summer 2002
I can't detail every concert, but this weekend was really awesome. Camping 3 days, that was really "sun, beer, and rock n roll"
I saw: Pleymo (french band, neo metal), Sinclair (french pop), Noir Desir (a major french rock band), Archive (electronic music): really awesome! great music great ambiance, the singer was totally crazy at the end and threw a marshall amp away
. Soulfly (OMG! the earth was shaking!) and since the brazilians won the soccer world cup a few days before, they were full up!
2nd day: Ska P: really really nice! a 10000 people fiesta A must see! Air (french electro music) nice one, cool concert. The chemical brothers: whao, that's a show! Sounds, light effects, strange/funny video animations on huge screens, everybody dancing, one of my best moments.
3rd day: Travis, very friendly guys, speaking with the crowd between 2 songs, telling what they saw all around the world, nice songs too. after that: Muse, even if I was a "fan", I'm not one anymore. Muse came on scene, barely said "hi", played, played, and leaved without saying "cya". Even if the music was nice, I was expecting more. But more came later, at the last concert: Rammstein. Oh my god, that's the best live show I've ever seen in my life! The technicians took a longer time to set up the stage, later I understood why. This band does some things on scene that I can't repeat here but it was literally awesome. A 2 hours long visual and auditive hallucination. If you're like me, and like to see a real show and not only a guy playing guitar and sitting on a chair, that's for you.
more to come
), I'll write about some pasts concerts-my first festival, a small one here in strasbourg called the artefacts, in may 2002. There were only french rock bands so I don't think many of you know them.
I arrived when Tarmac was on scene, average music, average show. It was nice, but not more.
After that, another band called Dyonisos. I only knew one of theyr songs, that was played on the radios stations all day long, but didn't like the song that much. What a surprise! The guys (and one girl) came on the scene wearing tuxedos, not really looking like a rock band... They started to play, and then, jumped in the air, put theyr jackets off, and the music become louder
those guys have energy, that's for sure! The music was really nice, and so was the showNext band: Mass Hysteria, more neo metal than rock, that was heavy music, and I lost my friends in the crowd, I had to wait till the end of the concert to find them again, hehe...
And last band: Indochine, an "old" french band, this one was really nice. Really good show, and everybody in the public was singing, one of my best souvenirs
-next festival: the eurockeennes at belfort, during 3 days, summer 2002
I can't detail every concert, but this weekend was really awesome. Camping 3 days, that was really "sun, beer, and rock n roll"
I saw: Pleymo (french band, neo metal), Sinclair (french pop), Noir Desir (a major french rock band), Archive (electronic music): really awesome! great music great ambiance, the singer was totally crazy at the end and threw a marshall amp away
. Soulfly (OMG! the earth was shaking!) and since the brazilians won the soccer world cup a few days before, they were full up!2nd day: Ska P: really really nice! a 10000 people fiesta
A must see! Air (french electro music) nice one, cool concert. The chemical brothers: whao, that's a show! Sounds, light effects, strange/funny video animations on huge screens, everybody dancing, one of my best moments. 3rd day: Travis, very friendly guys, speaking with the crowd between 2 songs, telling what they saw all around the world, nice songs too. after that: Muse, even if I was a "fan", I'm not one anymore. Muse came on scene, barely said "hi", played, played, and leaved without saying "cya". Even if the music was nice, I was expecting more. But more came later, at the last concert: Rammstein. Oh my god, that's the best live show I've ever seen in my life! The technicians took a longer time to set up the stage, later I understood why. This band does some things on scene that I can't repeat here
but it was literally awesome. A 2 hours long visual and auditive hallucination. If you're like me, and like to see a real show and not only a guy playing guitar and sitting on a chair, that's for you.more to come
September 2002, Strasbourg: Sinsemilia (french band). Everything starts the day of the concert, at 6PM. I take a look at the concerts planned in september, and what a surprise, I read "sinsemilia" today. Ok, I call a couple of friends, and we go to the concert.
Too bad, it's sold out We meet some friends outdoors, everyone has a ticket, but no spare. We were 4 friends without tickets. So we asked people around us, if they had some spare tickets. One or two had a spare ticket, but no way to find 4. And since we said "erevyone of no one" we were ready to leave We started to walk back to the car, when a friend told us to stop. We were aside the building where the concert was planned, and our friend saw the trompetist at a window, smoking a cigarette (yes, certainky a cigarette ). Our friend started to speak with him, told him that he already saw the band one or two times, but that this time we had no ticked and that everything was sold out. Then, the trumpetist said "ok, now there are 4 tickets waiting for you at the main entrance"
Whao, not only we get tickets, but for free!!!
Everything was excellent, we enjoyed the concert a lot!
Lucky me
Next one: october 02, Nada Surf Nice music, nice show, nice band. everything was nice Very cool guys, like Travis. They talk witout the audience between songs, there's some "interactivity", that's what I like
Another one in october 02: Archive 2nd time I saw them, they didn't break electronics this time very good music, an atmosphere specific to this band. Highly recommended!
Still october, the 31th, Dolly (french rock band). since it was halloween, Emanuelle, the singer, was wearing black and orange clothes. I really liked the music. The bassist, Micka, died less than a week ago in a car accident, RIP
that's all for 2002
Too bad, it's sold out
We meet some friends outdoors, everyone has a ticket, but no spare. We were 4 friends without tickets. So we asked people around us, if they had some spare tickets. One or two had a spare ticket, but no way to find 4. And since we said "erevyone of no one" we were ready to leave We started to walk back to the car, when a friend told us to stop. We were aside the building where the concert was planned, and our friend saw the trompetist at a window, smoking a cigarette (yes, certainky a cigarette ). Our friend started to speak with him, told him that he already saw the band one or two times, but that this time we had no ticked and that everything was sold out. Then, the trumpetist said "ok, now there are 4 tickets waiting for you at the main entrance"Whao, not only we get tickets, but for free!!!
Everything was excellent, we enjoyed the concert a lot!
Lucky me
Next one: october 02, Nada Surf Nice music, nice show, nice band. everything was nice
Very cool guys, like Travis. They talk witout the audience between songs, there's some "interactivity", that's what I like Another one in october 02: Archive 2nd time I saw them, they didn't break electronics this time
very good music, an atmosphere specific to this band. Highly recommended!Still october, the 31th, Dolly (french rock band). since it was halloween, Emanuelle, the singer, was wearing black and orange clothes. I really liked the music. The bassist, Micka, died less than a week ago in a car accident, RIP
that's all for 2002
For those who have a broadband connection, and would like to see the Rock am Ring festival, live
here's a streaming video here, real player format
http://www.rockpalast.de/livestream/
here's a streaming video here, real player format
http://www.rockpalast.de/livestream/
Montreal, 1989 or thereabouts, Theatre St Denis (nice looking hall from the vaudeville era, with great acoustics) hosted UB40. The opening act did a competent job. The sound guy played the usual tapes during the intermission, then he put on a horn-heavy stomp. It got louder and louder, sounded more and more live, when suddenly the curtain rose and UB40 sailed into a song. Eveyone got up to dance; nobody sat down for a good two hours of a *smoking* set.
Winnipeg, a few years earlier, Jimmy Cliff opened for Peter Tosh. The first few rows wanted to dance for Cliff, but the theatre manager told the bouncers to sit the kids down, which, for a bunch of huge bikers, they did surprisingly gently. Tosh came on post-break, the front rows boiled up to dance, and the bouncers looked, shrugged, and gave up. The theatre manager came screaming down the aisle and with his flunky started slamming kids in their chests to push them down into their chairs. Tosh was on stage grooving, saw this, leaned way over and whacked the guy's back with his cane. TM looked up, pissed; Tosh glared back behind his glasses and intoned bass profundo with all the power of the sound system: "LET THEM DAAANCE, MON". TM looked over at the bouncers, who at that point didn't care about this jerk, looked up at Tosh, muttered something and split followed by flunky. The crowd gave Tosh a standing ovation. A good time was had by all.
Francois.
Winnipeg, a few years earlier, Jimmy Cliff opened for Peter Tosh. The first few rows wanted to dance for Cliff, but the theatre manager told the bouncers to sit the kids down, which, for a bunch of huge bikers, they did surprisingly gently. Tosh came on post-break, the front rows boiled up to dance, and the bouncers looked, shrugged, and gave up. The theatre manager came screaming down the aisle and with his flunky started slamming kids in their chests to push them down into their chairs. Tosh was on stage grooving, saw this, leaned way over and whacked the guy's back with his cane. TM looked up, pissed; Tosh glared back behind his glasses and intoned bass profundo with all the power of the sound system: "LET THEM DAAANCE, MON". TM looked over at the bouncers, who at that point didn't care about this jerk, looked up at Tosh, muttered something and split followed by flunky. The crowd gave Tosh a standing ovation. A good time was had by all.
Francois.
Humm,Anti-social huh?
I kinda like Muse..but then I'm kinda anti-social myself.
Ohh yea,concerts..
Uhm,
Went to the Portland Blues Festival with my dad a few times..Not much of a Blues-type myself,but it was good!
I saw many famous blues groups/singers,but I can't remember them all at the moment..infact I can only remember one; Bobby Blue Bland (IIRC) Which,I might say...Rocked!
There were a couple other groups that got me out of my seat,but I've forgotten thier names.
(sorry guys!)It was definatly fun,even though I'm not a fan of the Blues. Seeing the Leslie cabinets on stage whirling about with the organs was great! First time I'd seen a Leslie up-close...
Just the sheer amount of SOUND coming from the stage,was..AMAZING..
The ground was throbbing from the bass-beat!
(This was a big outdoor event-very loud!)
The poor guy at the mixing console must have had his head spinning.. Holy mother of GOD,I've never seen a mixer with so many knobs and buttons.
Not actually a concert but live music as well:
My latest live experiences were last Thursday and Friday at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
Thursday night was Verdi's Rigoletto with Paolo Gavanelli as Rigoletto and Anna Netrebko as Gilda. Both of them were absolutely stunning. Gavanelli's singing and acting were first rate.
Netrebko's voice has to be heard live to be believed with it's purity and sheer dynamics ! Both of her CDs don't even come close to the real thing.
Friday night was Puccini's La Boheme with Angela Gheorghiu as Mimi. She was divine (as expected) but IMO she was topped by Netrebko's performance the night before. I have to admit that it isn't a fair comparison since both roles are very different.
But Gheorghiu has a lot of fans in the UK so she got definitely more applause than Netrebko the day before. But as already mentioned, comparison is difficult and can never be fair. It would be interesting however to see/hear both of them in the same role.
Apart from that: Both divas not only own voices that are amongst today's most beautiful soprano voices they also look drop-dead gorgeous (to say the least). Not that that improves their vocal abilities but it definitely increases the enjoyment of a live performance.
Regards
Charles
My latest live experiences were last Thursday and Friday at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
Thursday night was Verdi's Rigoletto with Paolo Gavanelli as Rigoletto and Anna Netrebko as Gilda. Both of them were absolutely stunning. Gavanelli's singing and acting were first rate.
Netrebko's voice has to be heard live to be believed with it's purity and sheer dynamics ! Both of her CDs don't even come close to the real thing.
Friday night was Puccini's La Boheme with Angela Gheorghiu as Mimi. She was divine (as expected) but IMO she was topped by Netrebko's performance the night before. I have to admit that it isn't a fair comparison since both roles are very different.
But Gheorghiu has a lot of fans in the UK so she got definitely more applause than Netrebko the day before. But as already mentioned, comparison is difficult and can never be fair. It would be interesting however to see/hear both of them in the same role.
Apart from that: Both divas not only own voices that are amongst today's most beautiful soprano voices they also look drop-dead gorgeous (to say the least). Not that that improves their vocal abilities but it definitely increases the enjoyment of a live performance.
Regards
Charles
How about "heard"
Every Saturday night at 6:00 pm Eastern time Garrison Keilor does his "Prairie Home Companion" on National Public Radio -- you can hear it on www.wnyc.org -- this past weekend the Mila Vocal Ensemble sang (along with the Ditty Bops) and it was just an incredible. The show was broadcast from Ravinia Illinois -- the prior week Keilor's show was broadcast from the Blossom Music Center where the Cleveland Orchestra has its summer home.
Non-USr's would get a nice taste of what the middle of America is about by listening -- at least in our 1950-ish idealized Minnesotan version -- always entertaining.
Every Saturday night at 6:00 pm Eastern time Garrison Keilor does his "Prairie Home Companion" on National Public Radio -- you can hear it on www.wnyc.org -- this past weekend the Mila Vocal Ensemble sang (along with the Ditty Bops) and it was just an incredible. The show was broadcast from Ravinia Illinois -- the prior week Keilor's show was broadcast from the Blossom Music Center where the Cleveland Orchestra has its summer home.
Non-USr's would get a nice taste of what the middle of America is about by listening -- at least in our 1950-ish idealized Minnesotan version -- always entertaining.
Being old and all ;-) ...
In >1976< I went and saw Deep Purple, Chuck Berry, Leo Sayer (got dragged along with others), Wings (Friday Feb 27th), ACDC (had been listening to them as early as 1974 but *no way* now) and various other local bands. My impression at the time was that from a hi-fi point of view it was all loud and sounded pretty ordinary. I can't think of any I have been to after that. Besides, they are waaaaaay to expensive. I'd rather stay home and play computers or hi-fi's or read a good book or something. Maybe even complain about the fact that the younger generation doesn't know what real music is.
In >1976< I went and saw Deep Purple, Chuck Berry, Leo Sayer (got dragged along with others), Wings (Friday Feb 27th), ACDC (had been listening to them as early as 1974 but *no way* now) and various other local bands. My impression at the time was that from a hi-fi point of view it was all loud and sounded pretty ordinary. I can't think of any I have been to after that. Besides, they are waaaaaay to expensive. I'd rather stay home and play computers or hi-fi's or read a good book or something. Maybe even complain about the fact that the younger generation doesn't know what real music is.
Pink Floyd project
This is where i went to last night
The third concert of 'Pink Floyd Project', a group of Dutch (mostly Frisian) musicians who play over two hours of PF songs,
Including the entire album 'Dark side of the moon'.
Of course they started with 'Shine on you crazy diamond' as a tribute to Syd Barrett.
All in all a great performance, especially the guitar-player played almost like David Gilmour
Klaas
This is where i went to last night
The third concert of 'Pink Floyd Project', a group of Dutch (mostly Frisian) musicians who play over two hours of PF songs,
Including the entire album 'Dark side of the moon'.
Of course they started with 'Shine on you crazy diamond' as a tribute to Syd Barrett.
All in all a great performance, especially the guitar-player played almost like David Gilmour
Klaas
Most recent concert
I've seen a lot of concerts over the last 37 years, but the most recent one I've been to was the ante-penultimate concert of Sleater-Kinney in Portland Oregon (my home town...or at least my home town until I was 18) on 8/11. Very loud, very good, and very sad (they are going on 'indefinite hiatus'). Once again (I've seen them 5 or 6 times) they proved why they are the best rock band in America (per Time Magazine and Rolling Stone).
The opening band, The Thermals was quite good as well. All songs under 4 minutes, with a straight-ahead punk sound (albeit with some Hendrix-inspired feedback 'playing' by the guitarist).
Quite a 180-degree turn from the other concert I've seen this summer: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band.
-Derek
I've seen a lot of concerts over the last 37 years, but the most recent one I've been to was the ante-penultimate concert of Sleater-Kinney in Portland Oregon (my home town...or at least my home town until I was 18) on 8/11. Very loud, very good, and very sad (they are going on 'indefinite hiatus'). Once again (I've seen them 5 or 6 times) they proved why they are the best rock band in America (per Time Magazine and Rolling Stone).
The opening band, The Thermals was quite good as well. All songs under 4 minutes, with a straight-ahead punk sound (albeit with some Hendrix-inspired feedback 'playing' by the guitarist).
Quite a 180-degree turn from the other concert I've seen this summer: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band.
-Derek
Went to hear the Tallis Scholars perform the Hassler "Missa VIII for Double Choir", Allegri "Miserere" at Rose Hall in NYC this past week -- it was incredible, even for me, a Tallis Scholar Groupie.
The Miserere was the opening piece after the intermission. Patrick Craig (tenor) was stationed in the second tier boxes on stage right and, a second choir in the boxes stage left. The effect was incredible.
I think that I was the only one to notice that the contra-tenor struck his bald scalp with a tuning fork before intonation. I was amused.
The acoustics in Rose Hall aren't right for this kind of music, however -- there is no reverberation time at all unlike Riverside Church, Allice Tully Hall, St. Paul's or even the Medieval Sculpture Gallery at the Metropolitan Museum.
The Miserere was the opening piece after the intermission. Patrick Craig (tenor) was stationed in the second tier boxes on stage right and, a second choir in the boxes stage left. The effect was incredible.
I think that I was the only one to notice that the contra-tenor struck his bald scalp with a tuning fork before intonation. I was amused.
The acoustics in Rose Hall aren't right for this kind of music, however -- there is no reverberation time at all unlike Riverside Church, Allice Tully Hall, St. Paul's or even the Medieval Sculpture Gallery at the Metropolitan Museum.
I don't know if this is the right audience, but the Unholy Alliance Tour with Slayer, Mastodon, Lamb of God. is a seriously good metal tour. Slayer has Dave Lombardo back on drums and he's, ....well he's just the man. The PA is a Line array. I don't know if it's EAW or what, but very loud AND very clean. Every sound is clearly kicking your *** with Authouritaaaay.
Rick Wakeman back in 2002. Best concert I've ever seen. The energy and quality of the performances were staggering.
Closely following: Patti Smith at the London Forum, same year. As close to a voodoo rite as a rock-concert can get.
And Polly Harvey, 2001, London Hammersmith Apollo. She had most of us on our knees at the end -bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride, her shows, even if she's a bit too shy to connect with the audience well, except in the songs. The picture was taken at that concert (about 5 feet away from where I was)
Closely following: Patti Smith at the London Forum, same year. As close to a voodoo rite as a rock-concert can get.
And Polly Harvey, 2001, London Hammersmith Apollo. She had most of us on our knees at the end -bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride, her shows, even if she's a bit too shy to connect with the audience well, except in the songs. The picture was taken at that concert (about 5 feet away from where I was)
Attachments
I believe that Webster defines sphygmomanometer as a "Telecaster transmitter for slender young ladies with no belt".
As to concerts:
Tied for best concert experience: The Grateful Dead, circa 1974 or 1975 at the Indy Coliseum. The band was in peak form playing through their giant "Wall of Sound". Enough blue-glowing McIntosh amplifiers to have given Mac a sizeable boost in annual sales.
Other best concert experience: Frank Zappa with a great Mothers band, mid-seventies again. FZ managed to gather some great musicians around him.
Loudest concert: Weather Report around that same time frame. Excruciatingly loud. All the more irritating after a two-hour delayed start. Rumor was that Miroslav stayed back stage demanding more chemical sustenance.
Spine tingling: Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing Rite of Spring at Concert Hall, late seventies.
Another memorable one: Jeff Beck (no relation) at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, mid-nineties. Dazzling.
Worst concert: I hate to admit this, but my wife forced me to sit through Wayne Newton in Las Vegas on the same trip. Even she admitted it sucked.
As to concerts:
Tied for best concert experience: The Grateful Dead, circa 1974 or 1975 at the Indy Coliseum. The band was in peak form playing through their giant "Wall of Sound". Enough blue-glowing McIntosh amplifiers to have given Mac a sizeable boost in annual sales.
Other best concert experience: Frank Zappa with a great Mothers band, mid-seventies again. FZ managed to gather some great musicians around him.
Loudest concert: Weather Report around that same time frame. Excruciatingly loud. All the more irritating after a two-hour delayed start. Rumor was that Miroslav stayed back stage demanding more chemical sustenance.
Spine tingling: Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing Rite of Spring at Concert Hall, late seventies.
Another memorable one: Jeff Beck (no relation) at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, mid-nineties. Dazzling.
Worst concert: I hate to admit this, but my wife forced me to sit through Wayne Newton in Las Vegas on the same trip. Even she admitted it sucked.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.