Tuesday 24 November 2015

Mercury Rev @ Oval Space, Bethnal Green, London.


Back \t the Oval Space for the second time in a month for  this sold out gig. I managed to bring a GoProwith me but the review below I have precised from Tony Hardy review on Live Review and the photos are by Kevin England.

I managed to video the opening buildup followed by Queen of Swans on a GoPro
Another Video shot featuring Grasshopper showing how it should be done.

A couple of single women singers warmed up the crowd, both with interesting voices but in desperate need of a band to enhance their songs. The stage was cleared, and the smoke machine started to pump out mist with voilet lights gleaming through the haze.  By the time Mercury Rev took the stage, it was an old-time London smog. Keyboard swirls and arpeggios played over flickering violet light as frontman Jonathan Donahue raised a bottle in the purple haze. Certainly opener “The Queen Of Swans” fitted comfortably with the band’s naturalistic shtick. The sound was loud and richly filled out, though the song’s innate light and shade gave some relief.
Donahue orchestrated both the crowd and his four band mates with flapping arms and trademark wide-eyed stares, but some subtleties were lost in the wall of sound during the next two songs. “Autumn’s in the Air”, another plucked from the new album, provided a bit more contrast, yet still the keyboard, bass, and guitar ensured a dense backcloth. After the classic “Endlessly” from Deserter’s Songs revealed natural comic timing in relating anecdotes about the band’s original singer, David Baker, including his propensity to break off mid-song to get a beer from the bar amid anxieties about whether he would ever make it back to the stage. The audience loved it and returned its clear affection for the band with copious laughter.
As the set progressed, the band looked like shadow puppets onstage as lights cut through the gloom, and the brick wall backdrop lit up like an old movie set while searchlights played. Donahue picked up on the mood by wielding a lamp aloft to the heavy backbeat of “You’re My Queen”. Once you were accustomed to the volume the set was played at, standouts came thick and fast. The light piano- and heavy bass-driven “Diamonds” and guitarist Grasshopper’s shredding during the epic and glorious “Holes” were two such examples. The use of lighting effects underscored a visually spectacular show almost despite the all-pervading smoke. Bubbles rose against eerie green light while Donahue’s grey whiskery face was caught in half-light like a pantomime villain escaping the scene.
The set reached a crescendo during an outrageous wall of noise in “Tides of the Moon” while Donahue wafted arms bird-like and ended with Bach meeting all the young dudes in “Opus 40”. His warm, high-pitched voice was as strong as it was at the start and the instrumental outro as magnificent as it was indulgent. Two anthemic encores ensured a wholly satisfied crowd left clear in the judgement that we had witnessed something special, dramatic, and at times mesmerising,  a show that harked back to the days of classic rock, as loud as it was proud.

Setlist:
The Queen of Swans
The Funny Bird
Car Wash Hair
Autumn’s in the Air
Endlessly
Frittering
Are You Ready?
You’re My Queen
Diamonds
Central Park East
Holes
Tides of the Moon
Opus 40
Encore:
Goddess on a Hiway
The Dark Is Rising

Friday 20 November 2015

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Alabama Shakes @ Brixton Academy, London.


First ever visit to the Brixton Academy and what a great venue it is. Managed to work our way down to the front, and although sold out, had plenty of space. surprising number of unattached women there. Given the events in Paris only days earlier, security is very tight but well organised.
This  gig was all about Brittany Howard and what a stupendous front woman she was.
Very very impressed with her and with the whole package of Alabama Shakes.
Managed a couple of videos on the GoPro.
Hold On

Tuesday 17 November 2015

Vintage Trouble @ The Forum, Kentish Town, London



Not All Right By Me, shot on a GoPro Hero4

While Vintage Trouble front man Ty Taylor never actually mutters the immortal phrase ‘get on up’ – he frequently uses the line ‘I can’t even hear you’- he shares much in common with late godfather of soul, James Brown.
There’s the same intensity and ebullient showmanship, the unique dance steps, the incredible athleticism and a durable voice that leads the band’s adoring “troublemakers” up, down and sideways on a soulful roller coaster ride that half way through the set might be mistaken for a giant keep fit routine.
Where Brown’s spontaneity often left him lost in the moment, Vintage Trouble never lose their grip on the crowd. This is a genuine kick ass band that needs neither a horn section or any semblance of hype to draw the crowd to contrasting levels of excitement or soulful reflection.
Sure there are several Otis Redding style Memphis soul moments, but Ty doesn’t dwell on emotion for too long, though when he does explore more telling soulful balledic moments he’s closer to D’Angelo than his soul antecedents.
Vintage Trouble is a band that joyously connects with a cross generational and cultural audience via uplifting mid-set messages aimed at breaking down the barriers. Their commitment to their crowd is further exemplified by an unexpected finale which sees band leave the stage to hang out at the merch desk for well over an hour.
Vintage Trouble strike a balance between spectacle, intensity, deep soul, r&b and good old fashioned rock and roll. This after all is a band that has been touring with the likes of The Who, The Stones and AC/DC.
A very retro sounding pre-taped MC sets us up for a big intro, but the band surprisingly opens with the curiously low key, finger clicking ‘Soul Serenity’, before the explosive, tension breaking ‘Blues Hand Me Down’ on which guitarist Nalle Colt rips into the first of several ripping solos, as Ty indulges himself in the first of several elaborate spins.
Ty amplifies the sense of communality by bringing up the house lights up to check out the crowd’s swaying, dancing and grooving, and once satisfied he goes through an incredible dance routine only to find himself perpendicular to the mic stand. He also drops to his knees, races to the back of the drum riser and leaps into the crowd while never missing a note.
And yet while the showmanship will long remain in the memory if only for an on stage proposal which the bride apparently accepts, as well as Ty’s exploration of the mosh pit and dress circle before he dives from a ground floor balustrade into the crowd and body surfs back to the stage, the band never loses sight of the substance of their songs.
This is curiously exemplified by the guest appearance of Paloma Faith with three back up singers on a would be duet of ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’, which ends up with the two vocalists singing at, rather than with each other. It makes for great spectacle but fails to match the bands own musical output.
No matter, it breaks the set up nicely and they rock out on the booming ‘Angel City, California’ which sounds like the ‘Sticky Fingers’ era Rolling Stones and comes with a great chanted hook that the glimmer twins would surely love to have written. The song suddenly drops down, but subsequently rises again as Ty encourages the crowd to carry the chorus.
The ballad ‘Another Man’s Word’ is another highlight and leads to communal singing from a crowd that moment’s ago was leaping about with abandon.
Everything comes together seamlessly on the slide-led ‘Run Like The River’ as the band and crowd combine their energy levels on the song’s titular chorus line to take things up to another level in a demonstration of the power of soul, uptight and outasight!
Earlier on in the night Ty Taylor makes an impromptu entrance to introduce tonight’s guests Slydigs, who evoke everyone from  Steve Marriott, Frankie Miller and The Faces to Oasis on a set full of bristling rock roll played over a wall of sound.
Vocalist Dean Fairhurst cuts a swaggering figure along side guitarist Louis Menguy, and the duo combine to great effect over a punchy rhythm section on the Liam Gallagher vocal styling of ‘Light A Fuse’ and the the stop-time rock & roll of ‘Stiff Upper Lip’, notable for its catchy hook. Their energetic set lights the fuse for a memorable night.
Review by Pete Feenstra
Photos by Mark Hughes at MHP Studios

Sunday 15 November 2015

The Lady in the Van



This is an Alan Bennett story, you either get it or your dont. We got it.
Charming tale told in his inevitable way, with first class performance by Maggie Smith. Will the Americans get it enough to Oscar nominate it? It will pick up the Bafta without a shadow of doubt. Also a very good performance by Alex Jennings playing the two sides of Bennett , a great cinematic effect. Plenty of dry humour and sadness too. And all filmed where it actually took place
A film for the older generation.

8.75/10

Thursday 12 November 2015

The Dreaming Spires @ The Windmill, Brixton, London.


Brixton, a dark mid november evening, and the Spires are playing just over the border from our flat in Clapham. What else do you do?
A 60s single storey estate pub turned into a venue with not a lot of space to contend with. Made it through to the front and stood beside the PA speaker and a column.
Spires on good form and the addition of the keyboard player making all the difference from the last time we had seen them in Oxford. Much more urgent sound much appreciated in this quarter.
Video link to Dusty in Memphis. Or Robin admires his tie.
Video link to Not every sixties song is a classic.

Wednesday 11 November 2015

Suffragette


So the third film in a row with a single word title beginning with S.
Quite a fascinating film which just shows how far we have travelled since those  quite dark days. Poor old Switzerland only giving the votes to women in the early 70s was a show stopper fact right at the end.
Had very much that BBC feel to it, although it was co produced by Film4, with its attention to period detail was exemplorary. Although Meryl Streep appearing as Emmeline Pankhurst was casting I just could not deal with.
I did like the fact that Helena Bonham Carter was the great-granddaughter of H.H. Asquith, who served as the Prime Minister during the height of the suffrage movement. He was a staunch opponent of votes for women. Her role was the complete opposite.
Certainly the film was a talking afterwards.

7.5/10

Sunday 1 November 2015

Spectre


Its a Bond film. Good opening sequence, but not a patch on the opening sequence of Sicario (as you know how it will end...Bond survives...) and the little black lace dress that Lea Seydoux wears. But other than that Iwas totally unmoved throughout the 2 hours 30 minutes of its length.
As a Bond film its good but otherwise....

6/10

Monday 26 October 2015

Bugge Wesseltoft and Friends, Oval Space, London.

 An extraordinary evening of modern forward looking jazz that you could possibly want. Bugge Wesseltoft supported by French trumpeter Erik Truffaz, a mainstay on legendary jazz record label Blue Note, New York’s celebrated Nublu club founder and Turkish saxophonist Ilhan Ersahin, US DJ/producer legend Joaquin ‘Joe’ Claussell on electronic rhythm machines.
The compositions arose out of mele of free form sounds, and melody established, in kicked the electronic rhythms pumping out patterns straight from the dance floor. The 'songs' lasted between 10 and 15 minutes although the YouTube link is to an even longer number.
Bugge would generously applaud his fellow musicians between numbers and then as he led them off stage and past my standing position, I got a high five off him.
Good man.

Sunday 11 October 2015

Sicario


Top quality thriller out of the the top drawer.
From start to finish this made you think, linear in construction, but did you know what would happen next.
As the good Dr K said, the five set pieces are impeccably handled.
Emily Blunt was excellent with an )scar nomination surely on its way to her.
Great support from Benicio El Toro, another possible nomination.
The film encapsulates America's approach to foreign policy.
9/10

Thursday 10 September 2015

End of the Road Festival 2015 @ Larmer Tree Gardens


EOTR for a fifth time in six years, and a first for me, earlybird tickets purchased just after return from last and  already purchased for next year. Sold out already I notice within two hours. Another first for us was that we glamped, and it was an experience that may well be repeated next year. Glamping may be expensive but thoroughly enjoyable. The double matress was comfortable and allowed for just rolling out of bed. Linen and duvet could not be faulted although we did bring along another duvet so we were snug as bugs so to speak.
And then there was the weather, strangely similar to last year, Friday was autumnal but dry, Saturday was cold and the hoped for high pressure only showed late during Future Islands set, but Sunday was wall to wall sunshine, as was the next day.
There is one major problem with EOTR. there is just too many good acts on the line up, but you cant fault excellent curation for that.

So here are my awards....


Best Performance by a Group
The Unthanks
A refined set of pure musicality, And then they started to clog dance, pushing out a percussive rhythm that was second to none.


Second Best Performance by a Group
Future Islands
Much anticipated performance from the boys from Greenville. a large crowd had gathered and the front of stage was packed by photographers, Secured ourselves a good location by the barrier and waited for Samuel Herring to get his dance act going. Within seconds of hitting the first chords he was off. The audience loved it and by the look on his face so did he. By the time they did Seasons late into the set, he looked knackered appearing to hold his right leg's hamstring. Some of the numbers got samely but the standout ones shone through with the audience certainly down the front grooving away.
I managed to shot this of Seasons Play loud. Its a 137meg file reduced from 400meg so not as great as the original...sorry.

Best Singing Performance
Meilyr Jones
Caught him purely by accident as we wandered through the magical secret garden setting up on the small piano stage before launching into four charming songs. Backed by two violinists, rudimentary percussion and a trumpet, his voice rang pure and clear.

Second best Singing Performance
Mac Demarco

Definitely a good voice especially for someone who smoked on stage. Could hold his high notes. Not sure about his crowd surfing antics though, he was out there an impressively long time.
Best Stagecraft

Best Stagecraft
War on Drugs
Just a good light show, nothing to live up to Flaming Lips show last year.

Most Engaging Performance
Diagrams
With the simple use of cheap blowup ballons distributed out to the audience there use culminated in the final number when the Tipi Tent was filled with these balloons bouncing around to then be stamped upon at the end. Everyone left with a big smile on their face.

Second Most Engaging Performance
Saint Etienne
A day later, along came Saint Etienne distributing sweets to one of their numbers and then at the end of the set, the large white globes that were sitting around on the sparse stage were launched into the audience. They were large. Some made it out of the garden stage, and there was still one bouncing around before Future Islands came on next day.
Pete Wiggs and Bob Stanley effortlessly pumped out the electronica dressed in gold lame jackets and elevated at the back with Sarah Cracknell, rather alone by herself at the front of the stage reminding us all of the Second Summer of Love. I must add that indie pop is not my favourite, but when those guys got the beats going I was hooked.

Best Rock Performance
Mark Lanagan Band
Slightly bored with Sufjan Stevens we headed over to the Garden Stage, and as the band played their opening numbers we managed to get down to the front to witness a real rock band. Hands off to the guy, reminded me of Jim Morrison, and this was pure simple rock. Didn't say much to the audience though.

National Treasures
The Unthanks
What can I say, I blubbed during their performance, sunglasses hiding my very wet eyes.

Best Stage
The Garden Stage
Can its setting be bettered?
Down at the front during Giant Sand's performance, a peacock wandered across the front of the stage unperturbed by the sound coming out from speakers only feet away. At one point it looked up quizzically, and squawked at the speaker, them ambled off. Magic.

Biggest Joke
King Khan and the BBQ Show
Why?

Other notables
Giant Sand, 
The Delines
Pond
Stealing Sheep




Saturday 1 August 2015

Amy


Two music based films in the same week!
This documentary was so well put together using gleaned footage to layout the rise and fall of Amy Winehouse.
While some will protest, she was truly fucked over by her boyfriend and father, and whilst other friends were supportive, they could and should have done a lot more.
At 128 mins long, felt that it could have been a good 10 minutes shorter. The penultimate chapter seemingly dragging its feet whilst we waited for the inevitable. other than that it was difficult to fault and rate.
9/10

Saturday 25 July 2015

Whiplash


A simple drama with a superb backdrop of the drumming/jazz ensemble music and a possible insight as to the effort that has to be put into producing a
the finished article.
First rate performances form both Teller and Simmons, felt like it was a stage play.
I will go along with rotten Tomatoes rating of
8.6/10

Friday 26 June 2015

German Benders


A day trip to Zurich and beyond. Left Oxford 4:10am, Heathrow, Flight to Zurich, pick up hire car, drive for another hour east into the Bavarian Alp foothills, find factory, inspect the goods,...aerofoils for the European Space Agency Building we are constructing...light lunch...drive back to Zurich...blag my way onto an earlier BA flight home...8:40pm back in Oxford, somewhat knackered 16.5hrs later.
Good and interesting visit, Swiss roads not only smooth but not a sign of any rubbish strewn by the wayside.

Saturday 20 June 2015

Spies


This is no doubt a funny film but.....
Miranda playing Miranda is not funny anymore.
Statham can only send himself up so much. The joke wears off 3/4 of the way through.
The ending could be seen a mile off.

Did like the Rose Byrne character though.

So as a film 6/10
As entertainment 9/10

Cadgwith and Keynance Coves

A non stop four and a half hour drive down on Thursday afternoon from Oxfordshire, accommodation located and a hour and half rest then down to visit to favourite places last visited some 15 years previous.
Cadgwith unchanged except possibly a little tidier but picturesque in the evening light (what else would it be?). Then over to Keynance. Tide as expected was right in so no chance of getting over to Asparagus Island let alone the beach. Three other young women there who had been swimming (brave) and me. Not as great as it could have been due to the setting sun throwing everything into shadow but peaceful nevertheless.
One hour meeting in Helston Friday morning then a rather gruelling six hour non stop back home.

Purpose of one hour meeting? See below, Half of a continuous self supported spiral staircase. Will Mr Cameron et al be able to walk up it next month though? Rather doubtful.

Wednesday 3 June 2015

Chip Taylor @The Bully, Cowley Road, Oxford


This was close to being 'An evening with Chip Taylor' who through his nigh on two hour set supported by John Platania on lead guitar spoke at length between various songs of his life and upbringing. Nothing wrong with the format, and in some ways I wish their were more. I did manage the only question in the set when he described a trick played on him by his two older brothers, Jon Voight, the actor, and Barry Voight, the renowned vulcanologist....some family... and he wrote a song about them titled (I think) 'Bastard Brothers'.
Part of the song writing factory that included Carol King et al in New York during the 60s and 70s his two best known songs being Wild Thing (written in fifteen minutes...not surprising) and the far better Angel of the Morning. (see Youtube video shot from my lap in the front row, link at the bottom of photos above). But songs also for Johnny Cash which when he then sung a Cash song, sounded exactly like him. (but without the awful dump, dump dump of Cash's bass guitarist in the background).
John Platania backed Taylor on lead guitar in what was an easy workout for him. Some 40 years earlier, and only a mile away in Cotuit Hall one Saturday night, watched the Beeb broadcast of Van Morrison's Too Late To Stop Now show live from the great Rainbow in North London, and as Van says so clearly on probably the greatest live album available, 'and on guitar, John Platania'

A rather enjoyable evening.

Tuesday 19 May 2015

Great Tracks No9. Svo Hljott by Sigur Ros


From its very quiet start, into a plodding almost step like rhythm as Jonsi comes in with his distinctive Icelandic vocalisation this songs builds up reflecting in my view an adventure through Iceland's landscape. Through hearing you can see waterfalls, glaciers, snow falling and finally building to erupting volcanoes as it reaches its crescendo.
Stupendous

Monday 4 May 2015

Nick Cave @Royal Albert Hall, London


So finally we get to see Nick Cave and my continued love hate relationship with the Royal Albert Hall. Spectacular interior, people dancing as if little cameos in their own boxes, people standing up in the gods looking down, the domed ceiling with the acoustic dishes hanging down, set against still por acoustics, the snare drum bouncing off the rear.
Given that the other half was third in the queue at the RAH when they first went on sale the seats secured were not as good as I had hoped for, but at least NC sat at the grand piano facing us, but when he left the piano stool and confronted the audience, the powerful side light beamed straight into our eyes. The RAH has crap lighting.
For the first time ever i had the ability to purchase a recording og the gig directly after, which during a 3 and a half hour trip to London and back a couple of days later proved worthwhile listening.
This was, and rather appropriately, a gig aimed at the location, ballads, laments, love songs with Cave proving to be probably the greatest living post modern crooner in the business. Gone was the violent/disturbing/searing Bad Seed’s approach, a request for Stagger Lee, and I would have liked to hear it too, was rather brutally dismissed by Cave, (‘you might as well fuck off now’), although he did apologise immediately. No it was not going to be one of those gigs, a more suitable location would be required for that side of his and the full Bad Seed’s persona.
Unlike the weak bladdered, in constant need of a drink fellow audience members (another big grip for the RAH) who kept on getting up and down, passing by so we all had to shift (although swivel seats helped) with little regard to all those they were disturbing. And to the two pratts behind us who constantly chatted through numbers until those around started to complain to their faces. The guy next to me got up and started to go over the seat to get at them, thought he was going to deck them, Cave’s relationship with the audience could not have been better (the fuck off now was really a joke). He got down in with them, bought three up on stage for a group hug and even had a basic duet with one big guy who obviously knew every word. Cave was also generous in his thanks to the audience leaving the stage finally on after the second encore with a rendition of Push the Sky Away which was joined in by the audience in hushed tones.

Then there was a 20 minute queue to gather our pre ordered cd, a real production line was noticeable in entrance gate vestibule 9 with what looked like an optical cable running inside to the mixing desk. Even Tamsin Grieg the actress from the memorable Episodes comedy series, who was sitting just along from us had to queue. Once the cds were cut, then the queue moved quickly as they were placed into covers already printed for the tour.
Next Berlin a couple of days later.

9/10 (too many ballads) otherwise 10/10. (and for us, must see him somewhere less formal, Koko again please.

The photos above have a link to a video I shot using a small GoPro video camera. More atmospheric than pure recording of the performance. Did not know what the song would be in advance, just steadied myself and pressed the button.

Set List
Water's Edge
The Weeping Song
Red Right Hand
Brompton Oratory
Higgs Boson Blues
Mermaids
The Ship Song
From Her to Eternity
Love Letter
Into My Arms
West Country Girl
Tupelo
Black Hair
The Mercy Seat
Jubilee Street

Encore:
Avalanche
And No More Shall We Part
Breathless
Jack the Ripper
Stranger Than Kindness
Up Jumped the Devil
The Lyre of Orpheus

Encore 2:
Push the Sky Away

Saturday 11 April 2015

Larkin Poe @ The Bullingdon Oxford


Larkin Poe were a group totally unknown to me, but Mike at Empty Room Promotions was putting them on so must be ok. The Observer's quote about their performance at Glastonbury 2014 and touring with Elvis Costello bode well, so along we went to the revamped (again) Bullingdon on Oxford's Cowley Road.
The tight blackout room was just over half full when we went in and propped the bar up but by the time the sisters came on it was nearly full.
And they were more than OK
I was reminded of The Black Keys with hints of The Drive By Truckers with Rebecca Lovell on guitar, Megan Lovell of lapsteel guitar and a drummer whose name I did not catch but should not be forgotten as he played pedal bass at the same time.
Good vocals, impressive lapsteel guitar playing in the standing position (why dont we see more of this?) and great songs made it an excellent evening. Where have they been hiding?

A video can be seen here 

9/10

Wednesday 8 April 2015

Savage Beauty @ The V & A London


Fashion is not something that concerns me but I was attracted by the odd previewthat surfaced on the media a month ago, so tickets were purchased for an early evening timed entry.
What a stunning spectacle it proved to be. Held in the same location as the 'David Bowie Is' two years earlier, it was a catwalk through his many shows arranged in various 'themed' rooms leading to the large double height room with manakins, shoes, headwear stacked in black boxes to all four sides. Centre piece was my eventual favourite 'No13' which is a dress that was shown at a show where the model wearing a white dress rotated around on a dias being sprayed with dye from two performing robotic arms.

Not to be missed, 9/10


Wednesday 1 April 2015

Vintage Trouble @ KOKO, Mornington Crescent, London




Koko, Mornington Crescent, London. My favourite venue, a tight ex theatre on at least four levels and on  this night, packed to the rafters. Vintage Trouble are in town.
What followed in a lightning 85 minute set was an object lesson on how to entertain your audience. From driving R&B rock from the tight three piece lead, bass and drums (Nalle Colt, Rick Barrio Dill and Richard Danielson) to the charismatic Ty Taylor on vocals this was on hell of a performance. starting off with the band shaking each others hands, to finally leaving the stage and walking through the audience to make their way to the small front foyer to meet and greet all the Troublemakers as they left the auditorium with large smiles on their faces.
The first time I saw them was some three years previous in a 25 minute set in the middle of St Pancras Station and managed to have a little chat with Taylor and Colt they were approachable back then.  Later that year we saw them play a friends club The Plug, in Sheffield. with privileged access managed to sit on the stage right next to Dill and saw at close quarters the effort they put in. And it was there that I became aware of Taylor's penchant of going into the audience and wondered in this packed venue how was he going to repeat it. Should not have worried for about half way through a change to a roving mike signalled something was going to happen. It sure did, surfing the audience, running upstairs to the third level balcony, dancing in with the audience and on he went.
One last thing of note was the audience, an age mix which separated into two distinct zones. The oldies where generally found on the balconies with the youngsters down on the floor.

Brilliant. 9/10

Sunday 15 March 2015

Great Tracks No8, The Jungle Line by Herbie Hancock,vocals by Leonard Cohen


What a great cover version of the Joni Mitchell song from her Hissing of Summer Lawns LP.
Just elevates the song into a different sphere echoing her claim to be a poet first and foremost.
Well done to both Herbie Hancock for his interpretation and Leonard Cohens dead pan delivery.

Friday 20 February 2015

Paloma Faith @ Postbahnhof Berlin







A long weekend in Berlin was planned so quick check on Songkick revealed that The Black Keys were playing. Looked at booking tickets but the German online site did not fill me with confidence and thought therefore I would try to get tickets when in the city. So with a week to go before the holiday had a quick look again at Songkick to find that their tour had been cancelled due to the drummer seriously injuring his shoulder.

A quick trawl then revealed that Palomo was paying in a very promising edgy venue (thank you google earth), so why not? Never heard her music at all, only the odd interview where she came over as rather quirky.

An easy ride on the S-Bahn from our hotel by the Zoo to Ostbahnhof and a simple walk to the converted Postal railway station. Not many people around but people were going inside through an industrial hanging clear pvc strip curtain. But then my heart fell as there were two security guards after the ticket check. Sure enough my partially hidden new Nikon DSLR which was getting its first gig outing had to be removed and would not be let in, return ticket was given and they were polite about. I still had two cameras on my body, a small compact, (which appeared not to function particularity well) and my phone. But even that, given that Paloma came on stage wearing a white outfit, could not handle the contrast. The photographs above were taken by some guy directly in front of us who obviously had permission. So thanks to him.

The venue was small, decent sized stage bar at the back and another in an adjacent room/stage. There was probably about 500 inside, tightly packed especially in front of the stage. Bumped into a couple of Brits who had just driven in from Coventry to see her.

So the actual gig, well I enjoyed it, did get a bit samey but she really is a little darling with a fine voice. It was rocky pop. She was accompanied by drums, bass/double bass/keyboards, backing singer, solo lead, keyboards and another multi instrumentalist who was out of our sight stage left.

Her chats between numbers were funny and also charming in a east London way. Except when she was making a point about the costs of tickets she said to the audience (who she suspected to be all German not knowing there was a good number from the UK) that she would imagine they were all good savers of their money. I just had to shout back 'No they are having to give it all to the Greeks' not understanding it, I had to repeat it. She asked the audience who were having a good laugh about it, 'what was that, geeks'? to receive several replies of 'Greeks' and then it was all forgotten about.

Another nice one was that they were off to Cologne straight after the gig, knowing that it is not said like that in German she asked the audience what is it called to which a number of replies came back as 'Koln', to which she said ' What Colon?' We dissolved in laughter but the non english speakers did not get the joke (Doppelpunkt is colon), Whether it was intentional or not I have no idea.

Anyway a fun evening. (9/10 for entertainment, 6/10 for the music)