Roger Daltrey & Friends - Teenage Cancer Trust @ Royal Albert Hall - 28 March 2012

This is my third trip to a Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) gig in as many years. I think it's a great cause and every year there seems to be at least one performer that I want to see. One of THE greatest gigs I have ever been to was a TCT gig - that was in 2009 when I went to see The Who perform Quadrophenia and my boy Eddie Vedder surprised us all by turning up to play The Godfather - best surprise EVER!


This year the choice was between Roger 'the Dodger' Daltrey (without Pete Townsend) or Sir Paul McCartney. I went with Roger mainly because my gig buddy Tracey is a huge Who fan (along with myself) and she was happier handing over the hefty ticket fee for a chance to hear some Who songs.


The night begins with Kelly Jones (from Stereophonics). He never disappoints vocally and I know at least 10,000 rock bands worldwide who would kill to have Kelly Jones as their vocalist. His voice is deep and soulful and we are treated to Maybe Tomorrow, You're My Star, Dakota (You Make Me Feel Like the One), I Put A Spell On You (with string quartet), Don't Let Me Down (with Ronnie Wood and Paul Weller) and The Faces cover Oh La La.

We then have Paul Weller move in to the number one support slot. He's got a few backers with him. To be perfectly honest Paul Weller has never been my favourite - he doesn't set my world alight. I respect him and his work but it doesn't really move me. My favourite Paul Weller song is Shout To The Top from his Style Council days which is not really representative of his solo work at all!


Two songs into his set and we have a plethora of guitars on stage - I've counted 5. It doesn't really add to the tunes and the addition of the string quartet for a few songs makes things a little messy. To add to that Paul seems to be constantly fidgeting in his seat which is making me more uncomfortable than the orchestra of guitars. We hear English Rose (The Jam), Aim High, No Tears To Cry, All I Wanna Do is Be With You and Devotion (which is dedicated to Roger Daltrey).

His set is well received by punters and a lone guy in particular on the floor provides me with much entertainment by air-guitaring to himself for a number of tracks.


We are then on to the main event and Roger comes out firing with Who Are You, The Kids Are Alright and Behind Blue Eyes. Roger confesses to the crowd that he couldn't find anyone else to fill this slot at the last minute so he thought he'd do it and has asked a number of friends to come out and assist him. He then introduces the first in the form of Scottish songstress Amy MacDonald. I know of her work vaguely and don't actually twig that she is the writer and performer of the jangly and upbeat Fiat ad tune (This Is The Life) until she starts.

She uses Roger's backing band to give a rousing version of Mr Rock'N'Roll, followed by This is the Life and a cover of Bruce's Born to Run. She sounds good and I enjoy it more than Paul Weller's set - oh and I allowed to say that?


Roger comes out and introduces the next surprise guest - Steve Winwood. He launches straight in to Higher Love and I am taken right back to the 80s in an instant. Steve's next (and final) tune gets everyone in the RAH up out of their seats - the classic Blues Brothers track Gimme Some Lovin. Even the complete square bear next to me is up trying his best at the school-boy shuffle.


I have to say this is not the musical experience I was expecting tonight,but I am happy to be surprised as long as the music is good.

Roger then returns with a further slew of Who songs including Pinball Wizard, I Can See for Miles, Won't Get Fooled Again and Young Man Blues. I then get my favourite Who song - Baba O'Riley. It is an all in fest with everyone on the stage although I am very disconcerted to see Kelly Jones singing the lyric "Don't cry, don't brace your eyes, it's only teenage wasteland" from a sheet of paper - WTF - are you for real? Does he seriously not know the words?

This would be an appropriate moment to end the night but Roger let's everyone off stage and then rolls into his solo song Without Your Love which pretty much sucks the life out of everything - it is slow and completely misplaced in the set list. This is somewhat made up for by the final song of the night - an acoustic uke version of Black, Red & Gray (which I have never heard live because apparently because Pete hates it!) - it's cool to get that one in there and I am happy to have been surprised again at a TCT gig. I wonder what Roger is going to pull out next year!


More photos here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/59794835@N00/sets/72157629817367313/

Sting - Hammersmith Apollo - 21 March 2012

So I've managed another unplanned gig within the space of a few weeks. I have 'come to the rescue' of my mate Rachel who has found herself without a gig buddy when her husband-to-be was unable to extract himself from work to get to the Hammersmith Apollo to catch singer/songwriter/forest saver - Sting.

I had the opportunity to go and see the reformed Police a few years ago at Twickenham but I frankly could not stomach the price tag and took a pass. I've never seen either The Police or Sting so was more than happy to tag along and get an opportunity to see whether this infamous 60 year-old still had something to give live.

Looking around the Apollo, Rachel and myself were pleased to be amongst the youngest in the crowd as it's normally the opposite for me! The tour is called Back to Bass and I wondered whether this entailed acoustic interpretations of his songs - it didn't! His show started at 8pm (there was no support) and was accompanied by a full band - two guitars, drums, female backing vocalist, violin player and of course Sting on bass.

Two classics open proceedings - All the Time and Police tune Every Little Thing She Does is Magic - sounds pretty good to me so far. There has always been a persistent allegation that Sting is, well, boring. I've never been subjected to this personally, but to be fair I haven't taken a huge interest in his solo career since The Dream of the Blue Turtles (which was his first solo album from 1985).

A few further songs in we get two tunes of Sting's which he says have been covered by none other than Johnny Cash (I Hung My Head) and Toby Keith (I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying) - neither song really does it for me but the band sound good and I'm not bored so we push on.

Next is one of my Police favourites - Driven To Tears - I actually think the song is underrated by many and it is good to hear the original writer and singer perform it - there is also a mad fiddle solo tacked on which I love.

It occurs to me that Sting's extra-curricular activities outside music have somewhat overshadowed his rather significant song contributions. The fact is the man is responsible for a decent amount of very good songs - I just hope that I'm going to get to hear them tonight.

I am almost instantly rewarded following this thought with my favourite Sting solo song - Fortress Around Your Heart. Given that I know sweet fuck all about writing songs I always give bonus points to songwriters who can entwine unusual words within their songs. For this song, the bonus scrabble word is 'chasm':

"And if I built this fortress around your heart,
Encircled you with trenches and barbed wire,
Then let me build a bridge,
For I cannot fill the chasm,
And let me set the battlements on fire"

'Chasm' - tidy work Sting - although certainly not as good as Neil Finn's unbeatable triple word score use of 'cumulonimbus' (from When You Come).

Another big Sting track in the form of Fields of Gold then follows. It is introduced as a track written whilst walking through the fields surrounding his "fucking big castle" - well at least he's not going to lie to us!

This honesty continues further on when discussing the ability of his wife (the lovely Trudi Styler) to completely destroy him whilst simultaneously save him at the same - apparently this aptly describes the balance of their marriage - mmm ok did I really need to know that?

This is where the evening starts to slip somewhat away from me. We are subject to a run of tracks which delve into subject matter which can only be described as bizarre - one is written from the point of view of a petty thief stealing the car of a wealthy businessman and the another is written from the point of view of a fox whose mate is killed by hunters - ok now I'm bored. This is indulgent even by my standards and the songs are nothing to write home about - so not even the music can save them!

The last song of the main set is subject to some mixing problems - he's really gonna have to pull it out to get this show back on track. This silent challenge from me is apparently accepted and the first song of the first encore is crowd-pleaser Desert Rose which is a lot more robust live and really sounds great. This is followed up with probably Sting's most well known song - Every Breath You Take - it remains a lesson in songwriting for anyone.

This very decent double shot is only surpassed by the last song of the night which forms the third encore - a completely acoustic (Sting & guitar only) version of Message in a Bottle - it is magnificent and makes me wonder why the whole show hasn't been similarly presented.

Overall the 'Sting experience' is ok - the great songs have made up for the over-indulgence and I'm glad to have seen the original in the flesh. I can't say I would be forking out £75 myself to see him again - he has enough castles in my view!

Setlist
All this time
Every Little Thing
Seven Days
Demolition Man
I Hung my Head
I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying
Driven to Tears
Stolen Car
Fortress Around Your heart
Fields of Gold
Sacred Love
Ghost Story
Heavy Cloud, No Rain
Inside
Love is Stronger than Justice
Hounds of Winter
The End of the Game
She Was Never Coming Home

Encore
Desert Rose
Every Breath You Take

Second Encore
Next to You

Third Encore
Message in a Bottle (acoustic)

Mark Lanegan Band @ Shepherd's Bush Empire - 13 March 2012

After giving Blues Funeral some serious listening time, I am very excited to be heading to this gig. This latest album from the Mark Lanegan Band is easily one of my albums of the year and it's only March!


I have tracked Mark Lanegan for many years in his various different guises - the Mark Lanegan Band, Screaming Trees, The Gutter Twins, Soulsavers, Queens of the Stone Age and even as a duet partner with Isobel Campbell. The man certainly doesn't accumulate any moss and is well known for being a musical workaholic which works really well for those of us who love to hear Mark sing.


The only downer to this gig is that we have to stand and listen to Duke Garwood (again!). Duke has a long association with Mark Lanegan - they have collaborated on various things and must be good mates because I have seen him open for Mark on at least five occasions, maybe more. Unfortunately for Duke, these numerous appearances have done little to make me revert from my initial reaction to him - being that he is not very talented either as musician or a songwriter. He is, in my humble opinion, the complete antithesis of Mark Lanegan and the only benefit to being subjected to him again is that it makes Mark look even better.


Mercifully, Duke's set is not very long and we are then on to the next openers - Creature with the Atom Brain. As I understand it these guys are from Belgium and actually form part of Mark's normal touring band (Mark has also guested on one of their records). They are pretty damn good and have a kinda 'bizarro rock'n'roll thing going - it's cool and a welcome relief.


Inbetween Atom and Mark at least eight photographers push into the small area in front of the stage to 'take their positions' - I have never seen this many photographers at SheBu and wonder whether there is some kind of competition in play to see who can take a decent picture of Mark - who is well known for performing in almost complete darkness. When Mark comes on just before 9pm I delight in the pained expressions on the many faces of the photographers as they try and find some kind of lighting to assist them - not gonna happen people!

I have been wondering how the very full sound from the album is going to be reproduced live. About two minutes in I know Mark and the band are going to nail it. They sound amazing and they blast through opening track The Gravediggers Song with a deftness which bodes well.


The new album is both an extension of and a departure from Mark's previous work. Some of the tracks are completely surprising and others feel like they are old friends.


The band are really tight and Mark is rock solid vocally - I just love to listen to those gravel-lined pipes.


We are treated to a Bubblegum double-shot of Hit The City and Wedding Dress and then Mark delves into his back catalog with Resurrection Song and (a few songs later) Screaming Trees tune Crawlspace.


My two highlights of the night are One Hundred Days - which really is a pretty hopeful song (well as hopeful as you are going to get from Mark!):


"One day a ship comes in, one day a ship comes in
But I can't say how or when
But I know somewhere, a ship comes in every day"


and Ode to Sad Disco - this is insanely good and something I never, ever thought I would hear from Mark Lanegan. I am seriously in disco rock heaven and am wondering why every dance tune cannot have Mark Lanegan vocals!


The very high standard of performance is maintained throughout the night and as expected there is very little stage banter from Mark - I do believe that a smirk permeates Mark's cool demeanour at a couple of points though.


The main set ends with two further tracks from Blues Funeral - St Louis Elegy and Tiny Grain of Truth. This album sounds as good live as it has pulsing through earphones, but live it has even further depth and power.

The encore is straightforward and to the point - which is how Mark likes to perform. It consists of Blues Funeral track Harbourview Hospital, the somewhat ancient Pendulum and trusty old Bubblegum favourites When Your Number Isn't Up and Methamphetamine Blues. Mark promptly strolls offstage without comment or ceremony when it is over and we are left to ponder just how much our worlds have been rocked tonight. It is easily one of the best live performances I have seen from Mark and I am now eagerly awaiting the next opportunity (which I later find out is likely to be in August). For those lucky enough to have alternative transport home (ie other than the tube), they are treated to an aftershow signing by Mark - oh we'll next time!

Set list:


The Gravedigger's Song
Sleep With Me
Hit the City
Wedding Dress
One Way Street
Resurrection Song
Wish You Well
Gray Goes Black
Crawlspace
(Screaming Trees song)
Quiver Syndrome
One Hundred Days
Creeping Coastline of Lights
(Leaving Trains cover)
Riot in My House
Ode to Sad Disco
St. Louis Elegy
Tiny Grain of Truth


Encore:
When Your Number Isn't Up
Pendulum
Harborview Hospital
 Methamphetamine Blues


More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/59794835@N00/sets/72157629585637431/

Florence + The Machine @ Alexandra Palace - 9 March 2012

As I trek out to Wood Green I try to recall that last time I was at Alexandra Palace (affectionately known as Ally Pally) for a gig - it was almost 5 years ago when I went to see Arcade Fire touring their second album (Neon Bible). The venue is not bad at all - the walk up the hill is, however, a pain in the ass.


I arrive with my gig buddy at the start of the set by second opening band The Horrors. I know little about them other than they are from Southend-On-Sea - as far as I am concerned they get points just for that fact because I have been to Southend-On-Sea and there is nuthin there!


They are what I would describe as an up-to-date 80s techno band trying to pull off a 'Joy Division' type attitude. The lead singer is certainly doing his best Ian Curtis impression. It's a fairly upbeat set until the last song which is a real downer - so much for warming up the crowd!


Florence comes on stage around 9.15pm. The stage is impressively 'art-deco-ed' out with the set itself doubling as a screen. It looks good and fits right in with the Ceremonials aesthetics.

Our flame-haired songstress is also suitably decked out in an all black, guided body suit with a huge black and white zebra striped cape - it's quite an entrance. Add to that the huge amount of people on the stage - band, choir and orchestra - and you've got yourself a very expensive little touring group.

The night begins with Ceremonials track Only for a Night. The majority of the crowd is young and receptive and they seem to get going with the next track - What the Water Gave Me - which has an exceptional live sound. There is no doubt that Florence Welch has decent set of lungs on her - her voice is very strong and the music matches it. The only thing which she seems to lack is the matching stage persona. When she first speaks to the crowd her voice is tentative and nervous and she admits that she is suffering from the jitters and is somewhat lost for words. This is a little surprising given that she has sold out three nights at Ally Pally and has shifted a decent number of units of her album - she clearly has the support of her fans and cannot be nervous about that. This coquettish banter is endearing to begin with but several giddy laughs and nonsensical comments later and it is starting to detract from the very strong stage presence that her voice and her music originally set up. Perhaps she needs to take a leaf out of PJ Harvey's book and ditch the stage banter entirely and let the music do the talking.

The highlights of the set are the songs that soar - Shake It Out, Dog Days Are Over and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) (where Florence invites all the ladies in the audience to jump up on the shoulders of their men or mates). There's obviously not a lot of material for Florence to work with so the gig runs just over 90 minutes.

The punters are happy and its a good performance but not a great one. I am hopeful that Florence's onstage confidence with improve to the level of her voice and music - I suppose that we'll find out the next time.


We then start the long trek down the hill to the tube station - my biggest tip: skip the buses and walk.


More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/59794835@N00/sets/72157629562884925/


Set list:

1. Only If For A Night 
2. What the Water Gave Me 
3. Cosmic Love 
4. Between Two Lungs 
5. Shake It Out 
6. Dog Days Are Over 
7. Breaking Down 
8. Lover To Lover 
9. Heartlines 
10. Leave My Body 
11. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) 
12. All This and Heaven Too 
13. Spectrum 
14. No Light, No Light 
15. Encore:
15. You've Got the Love 
    (The Source cover)
16. Never Let Me Go