Goa (day 2 cont)

More rain but by mid afternoon a clearance had started ending in a reasonable sunset promising more for day three. Short lived as it rained yet again during the night but this morning its hot, steamy and blue skies.

Goa (day 2)

Monsoon still around here so its heavy showers and occasional sunshine. Even the locals say it is the latest they have know it to disappear.

The cows here like the beach life however!

Show of Hands

 

I had heard some good things about Show of Hands but it took an interview and a couple of numbers on Radcliffe and Marconi's Jurassic Walk a couple of weeks ago which made me sit up and notice.  With Empty Rooms promoting them in Buckingham' St Peter and St Paul's parish church as part of SOH Cathedrals and Churches tour a last minute appearance by me on the door would not prove a problem. And so it proved, Feeling fit enough after arriving back in Oxford at 7.30 from London, which was followed by a forty minute drive, I managed to park up close by and walk up to the church through the old centre of the town. I had driven past the church many a time, but had never stopped to look.

As I walked through the west  door, the group emerged onto a wide raised stage located in front of the rood screen with the choir behind. I took a spare seat upstairs as this was indeed a sell out of some 300+. 

There then followed three numbers by Steve Knightley and Phil Beer accompanied by Miranda Sykes on double bass and what a superb sound they made fully utilising the acoustics of the church. Vocally it was the best sound I have ever heard at a gig and in Steve Knightley, the best male singer I have witnessed.

They took a break after the opening numbers, introducing their support singer Jackie Oakes, another Devonian. More in the folk tradition, she was totally unaccompanied, the opening number in which she sat down sang whilst playing two fiddles laid on her lap, one hand picking the bass line on one fiddle whilst the other picked out the lead line on the other, quite extraordinary. What X Factor and the like are doing I have simply no idea, and it is in fact contemptible, for her was real talent on show. She did three songs, and SOH came back on for a further three before breaking for 20 minutes. 

I moved down from the balcony, grabbing a glass of wine (all for church funds of course) and explored the church looking for other vantage points to take photos, and to stand as sitting down is most stultifying.

Second half started with Steve Knightley singing away from the mike and stage in the centre aisle, two verses went by when the third verse, and totally unnoticed by me as I was practically standing next to her at the rear, Jackie Sykes, playing violin as she sang, started to walk down the aisle. They swooped verses, Steve standing still and Jackie preceding down the aisle. It was a song about marriage, and a excellent way of staging it. Jackie eventually reaching Steve by the altar.

Sykes then did a further three songs,followed by SOH winding up proceeding with two of the songs I had heard on the R&M show, AIG (Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed), Boys of Summer and a song co written back in 1992 with three exiled Chilean musicians, the leader a mining engineer, called Santiago. This of all nights when the miners were being bought to the surface over in Chile.

Not a foot tapper of a gig, as they had modified their set to use the churches acoustic qualities, but nonetheless, xxxxxxx excellent!

Eilen Jewell Band

For the third year running, a late summer early autumn Eilen Jewell Band gig and she never fails to give a great performance. Back again at Tingewick we came along in a party of 14, missing the opening number due to being in the pub opposite with its slow serving. We were greeted by rows of seats taking up the body of the hall which was a great disappointment, but I quickly headed for the front side and stood. The serried ranks of seated cut the atmosphere somewhat and if it was not for some heckling from the side (me) and a number of those standing at the back, Eilen would have had a problem of whipping the audience up, although must say the seated ones were certainly enjoying it.
So what must have been a 100 minute set, she covered songs from all four of the studio albums plus one of the Sacred Shakers side project. A mixture of mainly her own penned songs, and a couple of covers the heckling started when introducing one of her songs, the audience decided it was time for requests. Although known for playing numbers suggested by the audience, she appeared initially taken aback, but soon went for it and for the last third of the set played the requests. In doing so she then entered a dialogue with the audience and reduced the dulling effect of the seated ones immediately in front of her.
Before the two number encore the band did the ever expected Shakin All Over, which of course featured a tour de force of Gretsch guitar playing from Jerry Miller.
And so everybody then went home happy except for the few that made it back over to the pub for a further drink, to be joined by the band again, it had been suggested. I stood the band a drink which was reciprocated by Eilen back to me. Our party had been debating before the band came in how they make a living out of touring so I asked Johnny Sciascia to explain it to the gathered throng. He took my place at the table, and i think the much appreciated discussion went on for another twenty minutes.
Thank you Johnny for being such a good egg, and thank you Eilen for the drink. Next tour it has to be Oxford.
 The only downside arrived next day when I realised that I had left the smeary UV filter on my camera which notched the aperture down by one stop and with the minimal lighting in the venue, rendered the images rather unexposed. I have tried my best to enhance them but they have become rather grainy. I need a much faster lens if I am going to carry on doing this.

Avatar

Take Roger Dean's art work from the 70s', add a bang bang, shoot them up, good v evil, 'man with no name' storyline and you have Avatar.
After half way I was rather bored with it as it descended into a stereo-typical Hollywood movie.
For the half a billion dollars it cost, a complete waste of money.
Very disappointed, expected something much better.

As a film, 5/10
As a visual experience, 9.75/10