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Live Gigs; How was it for you?
Topic Started: Mar 1 2012, 11:27 PM (2,955 Views)
rumbaba
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I just got back from seeing Nick Lowe. His keyboard player, the great Geraint Watkins, played a support set on his own. I saw Nick on the southbank at the Meltdown festival last year but this set was better, the choice of songs was better and it was more intimate. Nick used to live in Tunbridge Wells back in the 60s and shared some memories.

Here's the set list, I asked the guy on the mixer if I could have it. Nick asked the audience what we wanted for the last encore, hence the last minute change.

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Edited by rumbaba, Mar 2 2012, 09:34 AM.
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rumbaba
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Does anybody go to live gigs?

I've got 'The Barber of Seville' in the open air at Tonbridge Castle in June. Hopefully some other stuff in between. For the first time in ages, my BiL didn't invite us to Cheltenham for the jazz festival this year- a bit of a sore point cos Paloma was playing with the Guy Barker orchestra and doing material from her second album. There were some decent jazz acts too but there you go :(
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becky sharp
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A friend of mine saw him recently and sent me his latest album,The Old Magic,which he thought I would like...it's a lovely collection of songs which I would probably have missed out on if he hadn't <ok>
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rumbaba
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You'll see from the set list that Nick did a few songs from the new album. They stand up well against the older stuff. I like 'House for sale' and 'Stoplight Roses'. The band keyboard player, Geraint Watkins, did a support slot on his own. If you get the chance to see him, he is great value: very entertaining. His albums; 'In a bad mood' and 'Dial W for Watkins' are worth a listen. He does a wide range of stuff including 'chanson' (French sounding stuff like 'Chagrin'). If you ever see his first solo album 'Watkins bold as love' let me know (currently £125 on Amazon marketplace) :(
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becky sharp
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£125 <yikes>

Restless Feeling,Shame On The Rain,House for Sale,Stoplight Roses,and I Read a Lot are my initial favourites from Nick's latest album.....
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rumbaba
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http://www.myspace.com/geraintwatkins

I can't check this at work, I hope it's ok. There is quite a lot of live stuff on youtube too.
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May-Cee

I still enjoy popping in to some of the Dublin jazz-joints; where it's either a decent, honest "house band" doing the bebop classics, or a young outfit finding their feet.

Otherwise, I mostly go to classical concerts these days.
And (when I can afford it!) the Opera.

If Tom Waits or Patti Smith were ever to swing by this city, I'd happily exchange Euros for the experience; but otherwise, alas, I fear my "gigging" days are behind me.
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becky sharp
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rumbaba
Mar 15 2012, 03:49 PM
http://www.myspace.com/geraintwatkins

I can't check this at work, I hope it's ok. There is quite a lot of live stuff on youtube too.
I like that.Rum ....nice sound, not unlike Fats Domino (the second one) with a little Georgie Fame thrown in.
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chris crossing
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Just back from Kasai Masai gig at a small venue in Brighton - they were excellent, just like a traditional village 'animation', raw yet gentle, rhythmic but not brash, playing well within themselves until the last few numbers. The following clip gives you an idea, but they were far more sophisticated than this - and wearing matching shirts! <erm>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lSu85hUCFw

Edited by chris crossing, Mar 16 2012, 11:53 PM.
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rumbaba
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I haven't seen them Chris, looks like good fun. <ok>
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waiting4atickle
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The only 'gigs' I ever go to are choral ones, as two of my Graces are choir members. So tonight I went to see the Reading Male Voice choir and their guests, Charvil Voices, which includes Grace 1. Have seen RMVC three or four times now, and they're very good. I happen to know one of their singers, who is always trying to persuade me to join - but I feel I'm too young. Their average age must be higher than that of the board members here, which adds to the excitement: you never know if one of them's going to drop dead on stage.

Tonight's venue was a modern RC church and I must say the interval wine, included in the ticket price, was very good. The priest, who had quite a thick brogue, made one or two announcements, including the winning raffle ticket numbers: Grace 3 expressed disappointment that 33 didn't come up. <laugh>

Grace 2 is supposed to be doing a gig tomorrow night at a bar in Lausanne, performing some of her own compositions. I'd like to see that, but it's a long way to go.
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becky sharp
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Went to see Joe Brown <star> the other night ...a good night was had by all ..I would have paid the ticket money alone just to hear him sing this song that he sang at the Concert for George.

http://www.mojvideo.com/video-joe-brown-i-ll-see-you-in-my-dreams-2002/61396c3aacf97a4bf32a

Reduced me to tears ....
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rumbaba
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I saw he was coming to Tunbridge Wells. Not really sure what he is about these days. He plays a variety of stringed instruments including the Greek bouzouki, I believe. It's hard for him to shake off the 'cheeky chappie' image he started with. I imagine it's a fun night, I like the clip <ok>
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waiting4atickle
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I've never really been sure what Joe Brown was about, although I do vaguely remember "That's What Love Will Do" (I've tried in vain to wash away that rhubarb stain... as we used to sing).

Went to another choral concert tonight, my third of the month. Grace 3's school choir is off on tour on Thursday (Vienna & Prague) and this was a pre-tour fund-raiser/final rehearsal. Very good it was, too.

I gather Grace 2's Lausanne gig went okay. She did four songs, apparently, and unbeknownst to her, my brother was in the audience. Must ask him for a review.
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rumbaba
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<ok> Tick
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becky sharp
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rumbaba
Mar 27 2012, 12:01 PM
He plays a variety of stringed instruments including the Greek bouzouki
A violin as well....he had an array of guitars on stage and I think he played them all during the night....some of his guitar playing was just fantastic ...the banter between him and the audience was a lovely part of the night
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rumbaba
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Free gig tonight in Guildhall Yard as part of the City of London Festival - Golden Jubilee. The Ku Da Mix Orchestra. It was drizzling, so I gave it half an hour before retiring to The Old Doctor butler's Head. There are loads of things on all over The City 24ty june - 27th July

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rumbaba
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Popped down to catch Digby Fairweather (it wasn't it was drizzling) at The Guildhall Yard at lunch time. A decent little combo doing jazz standards. A shame about the weather. I listened to a few numbers and then retreated to the Old Doctor Butler's Head. I took some photos on my phone, I'll post them tonight, when I get home.
Edited by rumbaba, Jul 3 2012, 02:40 PM.
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rumbaba
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A great gig on the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells last night. Part of the 'Jazz on the Pantiles' season of free concerts on a Thursday in July and August. Due to the good weather and the fact that the brilliant 'Hard Lines' were playing, the place was absolutely heaving.

The local restaurants and pubs take the piss a bit by covering as much of it as possible with tables, so it's tough to find a space if you don't want to eat. They say they are paying for most of it but it's all becoming a bit like the Olympic games and there was a piece in the local paper last week about people who bring their own food and drink 'killing the event'. It's a five minute walk for me but we don't bring anything, we buy a drink from the drinks tent at the side of the stage (set up by Pantiles bar 'The Ragged Trousers'). you do get groups of people with those fold up canvas/metal chairs that you can buy in National Trust places, with cool boxes and so on. They stick the chairs into any available space (the council do have some rows of seats in front of the stage) and block all access, so it was a bit of a nightmare to get in and out. I was lucky, I was standing at the back and someone left, so I got one of the free chairs (which became Mrs R's when she came up later). A bit later on, a couple in front of us left, so we were able to nab those.

I 've seen these guys play, off and on, for 20 years and the standard of musicianship is just so high. They are local, well Iain Rae, the bandleader and keyboard player is, and really enjoy what they do. Guitarist Tim Canfield is a session player who has played with everybody, Gary Plumley on sax gigs with lots of people and the rhythm section were no slouches either. Iain is a terrific piano player, I've seen him solo, in duos, trios, quartets, doing jazz standards, funk, blues, whatever: I saw hin in a local restaurant once, wearing a suit and playing a white baby grand. I got him to play some Monk and a bit of Dr John. To be honest, nobody but me was actually listening to what he was playing. He's a really nice guy, Scottish and used to be saddled with the tag 'of Gallagher and Lyle fame'. I saw a clip once on TOTP2 of G&L doing 'Heart on my sleeve' and, sure enough, a very young Iain was playing the keyboards.

I'll post up the photo I took on my phone later and see if I can find any stuff on Youtube.
Edited by rumbaba, Jul 27 2012, 03:27 PM.
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rumbaba
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Hard Lines
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rumbaba
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Another great free gig today in T. Wells at Dunloran Park, a freebie ahead of tonight's 'Proms in The Park' . A taster for the Local & Live Festival. It's a bit of a walk for me but the weather was great and it is a really good venue. I caught local bands; The Breretons, The Standard Lamps and Intraverse. All good and all free.

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The Olympic archery was on the screen next to the stage - bullseye!

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This is Intraverse
Edited by rumbaba, Jul 28 2012, 05:17 PM.
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rumbaba
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I went to the Village Vanguard in New York last night. It was house ofchestra night - 16 piece. Excellent stuff, a few really old guys and some really good younger players. Mostly Thad Jones stuff, he wrote a lot of stuff for the VV Orchestra over the years.
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rumbaba
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I went to the Village Vanguard in New York last night. It was house ofchestra night - 16 piece. Excellent stuff, a few really old guys and some really good younger players. Mostly Thad Jones stuff, he wrote a lot of stuff for the VV Orchestra over the years.
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waiting4atickle
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New York, New York, so good they named it twice.

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May-Cee

"Sunday Night At The Village Vanguard" - the Bill Evans Trio...
Bliss!

I wanted to go to Birdland; but the modern day version hadn't yet opened the last time I was in New York (way back in the 80s).
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caissier
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Posts from America <ok>

Watch that WEATHER, rum!
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rumbaba
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Saw Roberta Flack with the NSO inWashington, Kennedy Centre and a storming gig last night from the Charmaine Neville band st Snug Harbour club in New Orleans
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dai Cottomy
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May-Cee
Oct 30 2012, 01:24 PM
"Sunday Night At The Village Vanguard" - the Bill Evans Trio...
Bliss!

I wanted to go to Birdland; but the modern day version hadn't yet opened the last time I was in New York (way back in the 80s).
I have a taped recording of an interview with Bill Evans in which he described his early experience of playing at the Village Vanguard. Being practically unknown at this time, he was introduced to the audience by Milt Jackson. who was playing there at that time with the M.J.Q. The audience greeted the introduction with five seconds of silence, then resumed their noisy conversation and laughter. Bill played through the din gallantly, hunched over the piano, eyes closed.
The Village Vanguard was triangular in shape, the band being on a small stage at the apex. There were table and chairs behind the band, and Bill, opening his eyes, was surprised when the Maitre d' said "excuse me," and escorted four diners between Bill and the keyboard while he was playing.
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rumbaba
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The piano player (name escapes me) had to ask a couple of people to move so he could get to his stool.

Michael Weiss, just checked - he was good
Edited by rumbaba, Nov 7 2012, 05:18 PM.
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May-Cee

Interesting info, dai.
Of course, by the time of his great Trio, things would have been very different; his having just done a stint with Miles and played on "Kind Of Blue".

Incidentally, despite looking like a straitlaced, specky nerd (I'm convinced John Shuttleworth is modelled on the middle-aged Evans) Bill was, alas, one of the biggest junkies in jazz (and that's saying something!)
Orrin Keepnews (great name; co-founder of the Riverside label) tells many a tale of getting Evans out of junkie scrapes.
(And, in a way, INTO them; since every record advance was converted into smack within the hour.)

Which might partly explain one of the (many) blunders that beset the original release of "Kind Of Blue".
It was Evans's sleevenotes that lead to the last two tracks being listed the wrong way round on the sleeve.

(Though we can't blame Bill for the whole first side being recorded at the wrong speed on a faulty machine; a mistake not rectified until the first CD reissue in the 80s.)
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rumbaba
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You weren't supposed to take pictures, so I took this before they started to play. It's a bit of a squeeze 16 guys onstage at the VV and it's not Gary Smulyan on baritone: the geeky guy in the tie and glasses is Frank Basile ( that 's for May Cee and Norm's benefit :) )

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Edited by rumbaba, Nov 7 2012, 01:50 PM.
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rumbaba
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Charmaine cancelled this Monday due to illness. She did a great show the week before but she didn't seem her normal, confident self when I chatted to her after the show. A waiter in Mr B's Bistro said she had been very ill and New Orleans had been praying for her but I had no idea what the problem was. http://www.wwltv.com/news/Charmaine-Neville-shows-amazing-recovery-from-illness-165373126.html

Here's Charmaine trying to teach a biggish girl to dance onstage at Snug Harbour 29th Oct. There's a photo of me and Charmaine onstage but I'm not sure it's appropriate to post it here :)

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Edited by rumbaba, Nov 7 2012, 01:52 PM.
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rumbaba
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I'm off to the Southbank to see Esperanza Spalding at the London Jazz Festival tomorrow. She played (proper stand up) bass in Joe Lovano's band, so top class musician. She also has a great voice and the stuff she did with her 'chamber' ensemble was rather beautiful. She is touring with her 'funk' band but, from what I've heard, this ain't gonna be like Aretha, it'll be a lot smoother and more sophisticated: it might not work (you can't fake the funk) but it will be interesting. Hopefullly it will tick Mrs R's boxes regarding jazz:

1. It has to have a 'tune' <erm>
2. No drum solos
3. No bass solos (this band is being led by a highly regarded bassist, bass guitar with this band, so I am not sure we will completely avoid that)

Esperanza is hated by Justin Beiber fans because she pipped him to the 'best new artist' award at last years Grammys <ok>

http://www.esperanzaspalding.com/
Edited by rumbaba, Nov 14 2012, 03:56 PM.
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rumbaba
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The ES gig was disappointing. The Royal Festival Hall has no atmosphere, this needed something more intimate but the show was an unstructured mess anyway. The material isn't strong enough and it wasn't always clear when something started or finished: all a bit samey and like The Bonzos' ' intro and the outro' - numbers went on for ages but didn't really go anywhere. Add some cheesy Vegas spoken, rehearsed intros (also introducing an 11 piece band every so often) and it all got very tedious: sorry, not for me :(

Mrs R wasn't impressed by any of it. Esperanza played stand up bass and bass guitar and kept flitting between, them - the show was very 'bitty', she never really found any kind of groove. It was like watching a rehearsal, rather than a proper show. The place was full of people whooping and applauding almost randomly, as far as I could discern - dunno what theywere on but we could have done with some of it.
Edited by rumbaba, Nov 16 2012, 03:33 PM.
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rumbaba
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I've got the Geraint Watkins 'secret gig' tomorrow at the Underbelly Hoxton Square. Geraint is launching a new EP and there should be a lot music business people there, maybe Nick Lowe if he is in town, maybe some more famous people. It only holds 200 and is more of a launch party than anything else. Thanks to Funky Frank, who is on Nick Lowe's mailing list and grabbed a couple of tickets for me and Steve to go (I hope he get's back from Chicago in time). Frank, unfortunately, is working in Abu Dhabi at the moment, so it is very kind of him to buy the tickets for us. I'll report back on the gig :)
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rumbaba
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Storming gig last night from Geraint Watkins at The Underbelly in Hoxton - photos later!

Nick Lowe was there, i was chatting to him. It's a tiny place but there was no reserved area for VIPs. I was there when it opened and got a table, which was nice (there aren't many). Mostly people standing but very relaxed, great atmosphere. RUMBABA
Edited by rumbaba, Nov 30 2012, 09:43 AM.
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rumbaba
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g6OZKeDEyI

Here's a wee track from the vinyl EP
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May-Cee

You're right, Rum, the nerdy guy IS a dead ringer for Bill Evans.
I also enjoyed reading the club's Playbill; though I'm familiar with only a handful of names.

I went AWOL while you were away; but, now that I've caught up, I enjoyed your Letters From America.
(And your Notes From Jazzland.)
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rumbaba
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Good to see you back, May-Cee <bubbly>

VV shut for a bit after the hurricane but was up and running a couple of weeks later - I get emails from all these places I bought tickets from in The States, telling me what's shakin'.

No more gigs this year except the Peter Pan thing at the Trinity Theatre in T.Wells. They never do a traditional panto but usually do a nice musical, which is good for kids and adults.

I must post the Geraint pics (what a gig that was, brilliant venue)
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Mobson
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Well I went to a live gig last night - held at St Paul's cathedral, a magical performance of George Frederic Handel's Messiah...it was quite beautiful set in those incredible surroundings and to hear the 'grand organ', played by Mr Timothy Wakerell, combine with the orchestra, the voices of the choir and the individual soloists, young and old, was very special.... <magic>

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Even in this religious place there was no getting away from these days of austerity; in a very short introduction, one of the St Paul's clergy told us that we should cast off all things material, and then went on to tell us that the evening was possible because of sponsorship by Fidelity - worldwide investment! I knew this because I had been to a drinks reception held in the crypt before the performance as a guest of Fidelity. During the performance a collection was taken "to support the tradition which is maintained here at St Paul's." A minimum donation of £10 was suggested.

Attached to this post:
Attachments: 12104_10151368468118619_686448517_n.jpg (150.6 KB)
Edited by Mobson, Dec 7 2012, 06:05 PM.
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rumbaba
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I worked in Gresham Street for years, never actually been in St Paul's in my life. Many years ago, my boss at the time left to become finance director at Fidelity - dunno if he's still there.
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waiting4atickle
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Just got back from collecting the Graces 1 and 3, who went to see Mumford & Sons at the O2 tonight. Apparently they were awesome.

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rumbaba
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Glad they enjoyed it, Tick. I'm not a fan but what do I know? :(
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waiting4atickle
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I quite like M&S myself. Obviously they are not everyone's cup of tea, but they do seem to appeal to quite a broad cross-section of the population: the Graces commented on the diverse nature of the audience.

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rumbaba
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I buy quite a lot from M&S, Tick :)
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Big Arthur
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I didn't think Rigoletto was very good on the wireless last night. :-/
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rumbaba
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I think Waitrose's rigoletto was found to contain horse meat
Edited by rumbaba, Feb 17 2013, 11:16 AM.
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Mobson
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rumbaba
Feb 17 2013, 11:16 AM
I think Waitrose's rigoletto was found to contain horse meat
No Rum!... think that was RigaTony! <cool>
Edited by Mobson, Feb 18 2013, 10:51 AM.
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rumbaba
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http://www.scala-london.co.uk/scala/event.php?id=2113

http://underthebridge.co.uk/events/taj-mahal-28/

I want to go to both of these but dunno if I'll manage. Inconvenient parts of London for me :(
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rumbaba
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Went to see The Violet Jive at 'Jazz on The Pantiles' last night. I paid a fiver each for me and Mrs R to sit in the 'priority seating' at the side of the stage. Most people opted for the voluntary minimum £2 quid donation and sported their orange wristbands - we were pretty much on our tod in the VIP area. It's gone all H&S mad though, with barriers, paramedics and other nonsense. I get irritated when something, that has worked perfectly fine for years, gets the corporate treatment - it sucks the soul out of local events. I've seen the band lots of times as a trio but they were augment by tenor sax and a 'percussionist', so very latin groove to it. They have a sort of jazz/swing/rock n roll/surf vibe. It was pretty cold though. Mrs R made some special hot chocolate when we got home (from some magazine article, first time), that involved grating lots of Green and Black dark chocolate, mixing some milk with cornflour, heating the rest and then whisking everything together. It was nice but it needed a little bit of added sugar.

Photos of the gig later
Edited by rumbaba, Jun 14 2013, 11:15 AM.
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becky sharp
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Bob Dylan <worthy> is coming down our way in November, it was announced today, and as soon as I heard I tried to get tickets only to be told all three dates were sold out.
<erm>
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rumbaba
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The Violet Jive on The Pantiles 13 June


.Posted Image
Edited by rumbaba, Jun 15 2013, 10:10 AM.
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rumbaba
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.
Edited by rumbaba, Jun 15 2013, 10:03 AM.
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rumbaba
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VIP wrist bands :)

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rumbaba
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Good gig on The Pantiles last night, brilliant jazz funk band 'Hard Lines' lead by Scotsman Iain Rae with tenor sax man Gary Plumley in great form and Ian Morrison no slouch on guitar. The 'Jazz on The Pantiles' season has been spoiled for me though by the greed of the local hotel and restaurants. Tables are rammed right up to the stage and, apart from a few token rows of seats on the left of the bandstand, where the sound isn't great, you have to shell out for a meal and overpriced drinks if you want a decent position. We ended up standing in one of the very few places you could (technically in a walkway, so could have been asked to move on but weren't). It wasn't bad but standing for two and half hours isn't great at my age.

The Local & Live festival was cancelled this weekend because the local traders withdrew funding, presumably because Paul Dunton wanted some space round the stage for music fans. Then they put up £20k to fund thieir own festival of 'lounge jazz' <doh> . I know it is a terrible thing to say but part of me hopes it pours down all weekend and the pubs, hotel and restaurants on The Pantiles who wouldn't support L & L (which they have benfited from in the past 8 years) are punished by God for their greed, ingrratitude and stupidiity. Of course, another part of me wants to have a nice weekend - maybe a wee rain cloud just over The Pantiles? :)

Me and Mrs R are off to a fundraiser tonight for next year's L&L Festival at The Forum.
Edited by rumbaba, Aug 23 2013, 08:19 AM.
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Mobson
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rumbaba
Aug 23 2013, 08:17 AM
The Local & Live festival was cancelled this weekend because the local traders withdrew funding, presumably because Paul Dunton wanted some space round the stage for music fans. Then they put up £20k to fund thieir own festival of 'lounge jazz' <doh> . I know it is a terrible thing to say but part of me hopes it pours down all weekend and the pubs, hotel and restaurants on The Pantiles who wouldn't support L & L (which they have benfited from in the past 8 years) are punished by God for their greed, ingrratitude and stupidiity. Of course, another part of me wants to have a nice weekend - maybe a wee rain cloud just over The Pantiles? :)

Me and Mrs R are off to a fundraiser tonight for next year's L&L Festival at The Forum.
Well rain is forecast for Saturday in SE so you may get your wish; Sunday looks good though, and I hope it is, for it's Kids Day at the Notting Hill Carnival....

I'm off to the Ashes today, which is a live gig! <cool> but tonight will be a quiet one as was out until 3am this morning; I hope you both have a profitable fundraising evening so that next year's festival can definitely go ahead <happy>
Edited by Mobson, Aug 23 2013, 08:45 AM.
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rumbaba
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Enjoy Mobs, but it looks like England are not doing so well in this one :(
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rumbaba
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http://www.intylerwetrust.co.uk/intylerwetrust/IN_TYLER_WE_TRUST_-_SICK_2.html


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNtT5NmagBU

This was one of the bands we saw on Friday night at the Forum. A bit of a challenge for Mrs R in particular but 4 out of the 6 bands were good. Strangely, the front man/bass player with this lot was the bass player with Intraverse, who were excellent.
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rumbaba
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I'm off to see Wilko Johnson tomorrow at The Forum in T Wells. Two extra gigs added because the Friday sold out. It holds 250, no seats. Wish me luck!
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Norm Deplume
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I've got tickets for the Syd Lawrence Big Band at the Stables in Wavendon next Thursday.
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rumbaba
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Jings, is Syd still going? I thought he died years ago. you'll enjoy that Norm, you are a big band fan. I am not especially but I enjoyed the Attica Blues Orchestra with Archie Shepp at The Barbican at the end of last year and Billy Jenkins with the BBC Big Band at the London Jazz Festival a couple of years ago. It's an impressive thing live, a decent big band <ok>

I saw Chris Barber a couple of years ago, playing with Dr John in Tunbridge Wells. He's still going I think.

What is The Stables like as a venue, Norm? Is it tables or rows of seats, like a theatre?
Edited by rumbaba, Jan 22 2014, 08:19 PM.
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rumbaba
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http://www.stables.org/Information/Photo_Gallery/Jim_Marshall_Auditorium

Is this named after Jim Marshall of Marshall amplifiers?
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Norm Deplume
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The answer to your question above is Yes, it is named after the old reprobate ...Bless him! What a character he was, he married his son's ex wife when he was in his 70s. he was a great benefactor in the Milton Keynes area giving a fortune to local charities.
The Stables nowadays is a 400seat theatre but the original Stables was just that... the actual stables of a large country house that John and Cleo converted into a Jazz venue. It used to be very cosy and intimate and many regular punters were sad to see the loss of it.
Dear old Syd died several years ago and his lead trombonist, Chris Dean, got the band going again under his directorship. The band's leader, alto sax player Colin Skinner, is the President of our Big Band Society
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rumbaba
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Probably not of interest to you Norm but Loose Tubes are reforming for some gigs. I saw them back when they started (at the Barbican). They produced a lot of really good players: Django Bates, Mark Lockhart, Iain Ballamy, Steve Berry, to name only a very few.

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Norm Deplume
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Thanks Rum, I'll keep that in mind
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rumbaba
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Gig was great, Wilko supported by local band The Standard Lamps
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rumbaba
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We're off to see Gregory Porter in T Wells tonight

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NS6JV-veVAE







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rumbaba
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A great band, serious jazz musicians and Gregory is about as good as it gets vocally. Mrs R enjoyed it but gets annoyed by encores. She finds the whole 'going off and coming back' thing a bit fake and 'showbiz' but I'm sure more people would be annoyed if they didn't do an encore. He was around after, signing stuff but there was an army of fans and we just went home. A Grammy award-winning US act in T Wells on a Sunday evening, 20 mins walk from my house, £25 a head, what's not to like? <ok>
Edited by rumbaba, Mar 24 2014, 01:14 PM.
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Mobson
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<cool> ... JAZZ! ... <laugh>
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rumbaba
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I only mentioned the fact that the the band were serious jazz musicians because, from a quality point of view, it puts them streets ahead of most pop/rock musicians. That said, Greg ain't really a 'jazz act' per se, from purist's point of view :)
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rumbaba
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Kate Bush should be a great gig - I'm not even going to try to get tickets now. I had a quick look this morning, every date I picked, even selecting 'any ticket' , 'any price', same result - 'no availability' .

Never mind, Mrs R got tickets for Loose Tubes on 6th May at Ronnie's as a birthday present <ok>
Edited by rumbaba, Mar 28 2014, 02:07 PM.
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rumbaba
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Great gig from Loose Tubes at Ronnie's last night <ok>
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Mobson
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Glasgow 2014 BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend highlights; 34 acts are available for the next 4 weeks...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01zcbqc/episodes/player

Really enjoyed Coldplay headlining on Saturday night - good to see them back at no 1 in the record charts with their new album Ghost Stories, Clean Bandits who I'm going to see live at their sold out concert at Somerset House in July, and Katie Perry, a beautiful bundle of energy, was her usual entertaining self on Sunday ...my friend Sophie drove up to see her gig in Manchester on Saturday evening with my 10 year old god-daughter...who stood on her chair and exhausted herself cheering and singing along with Katie, unlike that dour misery Michael Vaughan who was also there & negatively commented on TMS that she was nothing special unlike Geoffrey Boycott who seems to have spent fun time with her after he went backstage to see her after the show as this link shows...

Sir Geoff's enthusiastic rave about Katie ... ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01zknc6

p.s. Michael Vaughan, Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"I went to see Katy Perry last night. She comes out on a horse for one of the tracks. You can only just see the legs underneath from the people who are running it, and a few strings as well. She got someone in the crowd to down a beer as well. I'm a music fan but Katy Perry is not top of my list. She puts on a show though." ...then why go see her Michael you tosser????
Edited by Mobson, May 29 2014, 09:09 PM.
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rumbaba
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Indeed. Katy Perry, not for me I'm afraid.

Dr John is doing a Louis Armstrong tribute at The Barbican in November, should be good. He is touring Europe at the moment, Paris last night, and is going down a storm. The LA thing at The Barbican seems to be a one-off for the London Jazz Festival
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Mobson
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Katy Perry: I agree with Sir Geoff!
Edited by Mobson, May 29 2014, 09:22 PM.
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dai Cottomy
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Visited the Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells on Bank Holiday Monday. Saw a good young group called Out of the Loop. They played a mixture of jazz, funk, blues, latin and imaginative original material.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9sLIlS1bgw
Edited by dai Cottomy, Sep 2 2014, 12:47 PM.
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Mobson
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Didn't you bump into Rum and Mrs R....?
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dai Cottomy
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Mobson
Sep 2 2014, 02:53 PM
Didn't you bump into Rum and Mrs R....?
He was probably preoccupied with the curtain problem.
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rumbaba
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It was pissing all day Monday, as I recall.I was at Local and Live, up the road a wee bit, most of Sat and Sun but stayed in Monday
Edited by rumbaba, Sep 2 2014, 07:53 PM.
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dai Cottomy
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The gig was held in the Tunbridge Wells Hotel, not outside as intended.
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rumbaba
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Glad you enjoyed it Dai, sorry the weather wasn't better for you.
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rumbaba
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My mate Steve and his wife went to see Paisley's finest, Paolo Nutini, at the O2 last night. It had been postponed due to PN being ill before. He said it was really good, songs from all the albums, almost no chat, two hours of music. However, they were in the gods and could have done with opera glasses.
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waiting4atickle
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Some flash mob! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj6r3-sQr58

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rumbaba
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http://www.twforum.co.uk/listings/events/2-may-15-the-doors-alive-the-forum/

Going to see a Doors tribute band next week.

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rumbaba
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Just back from The Doors, good gig
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waiting4atickle
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Don't often go to live gigs, although we did see Kate Rusby at Cecil Sharp House a couple of weeks or so ago, and went to see a local student folk band, Warden Squires, do a pub gig over the Easter weekend. However, over the past 5 months we have been a number of times to a little back street pub in Reading (actually it's on the Kennet towpath) where they have a weekly open mic night. Apart from our first visit to check the place out, this has been because one or more of our Graces has been performing. The quality and variety of the music has been asounding - there's some really talented people out there. That's where we first encountered Warden Squires, whom we rather like. We'll be there again on June 22nd, as Grace-2 will be over from Switzerland then and she's not one to miss out on a chance to perform, but I'm hoping that we might persuade Grace-3 to perform before then. We would go anyway if it weren't so tricky to get to - or, more importantly, to get back from at a reasonable hour: Mrs Tickle starts work at 7am, so late nights aren't really a good idea.

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rumbaba
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Saw 'Zappa plays Zappa' last night at the Royal Festival Hall, 40th anniversary of 'One size fits all'. Dweezil is a decent guitar player, more of a rock guitarist than the late Frank but has none of his dad's charisma or stage presence. Apart from the brilliantly talented Sheila Gonzalez, who does just about everything (flute, keyboards, vocals, tambourine, sax) and who did a storming tenor sax solo on 'Grand Wazoo' and was exuberantly dancing around on the right hand side of the stage behind her keyboard rack, the band exuded dull competence: they were very proficient but there wasn't much excitement, like a rehearsal. There were a couple of embarrassing attempts at audience participation, which I loathe anyway but these were really toe-curling and without any context, just randomly thrown in. The mix was a little muddy for me but that might just be my ears, the vocals were lost in the mix but Zappa isn't really about lyrics.
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waiting4atickle
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Went to the Oxjam Reading Takeover on Saturday. Struck me as being a rather crazy idea to have 9 different venues, especially as 2 of them were some distance from the others, and from my experience it was a shambolic farce.

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