Even if things have still been severely limited by world events in 2021 I hope those of us who like nothing more than live entertainment have managed to attend at least a few events. Checking my calendar I’ve got a heady 13 under my belt this year, which break down into 6 gigs, 2 one-day music festivals, 1 opera, 2 musicals, and 2 comedy shows.
I can’t think of any real disappointments, though I can’t remember much about La Boheme at the ROH (possibly because we had seen the same production a couple of years earlier), and some of the festival acts were pretty much going through the motions, which is standard.
This is comparing apples and oranges, but top pick of the year would either be Richard Thompson at the Palladium, or Frankie Boyle at the Leicester Square Theatre. Let’s give the top mark to Richard, as Frankie’s was a short work-in-progress show and in the afternoon to boot, even if the 30 or 40 minutes he performed left my ribs aching.
As I posted on here at the time, I saw Beethoven’s Pastoral symphony in Glasgow last month. It’s one of my favourite pieces of music at the best of times, but being the first classical concert I had been at since Covid hit, it was elevated to a sublime and life-affirming experience.
I went to see The London Symphony Orchestra last night at the Barbican. Simon Ratte(conductor) was at home with covid. There was an announcement after we took to our seats(rather later than usual) to say that the company who conduct(!) the covid tests had mucked up and the orchestra had not been given the go-ahead until about twenty mins before the concert was due to start. They were all at home waiting for their results. After a ten piece brass section had performed an impromptu performance and another trio did the same the orchestra had arrived and we had an hour of the LSO in fine form. It was a great performance and I think it may have been all the better due to the unforseen circumstances.
I haven’t seen many live shows this year. Van & The Waterboys at Saffron Walden,Audley House, and The Boomtown Rats at The London Paladium. The LSO was my favourite.
The Rats headlines a free festival in Dagenham that I went to, and very good they were too. It surprised me to realise I had never seen them before, until I found out that Geldof took several years out from the band.
About 30 years out of the band
Zero shows this year, almost exactly 2 years since my last gig 🙁
Only managed one; The Wildhearts in South Shields. Very good, and may turn out to be their penultimate gig. I saw The Fall’s penultimate gig too so I may be bad luck.
have they all fallen out again? Shame if so, especially as I missed the Bristol show
Yes. It sounds like Ginger has been estranged from the group for some time. Effectively only joining them for live shows as a hired hand, which is bizarre.
Managed: Black Country New Road, Squarepusher, Calan, Camilla George, Julien Siegal, Alan Barnes, Mark Thomas, Tom Aspaul, Henning Wehn, Bicep. Gig of the year: Bicep (see review).
@Gatz I am probably around the same number as you and have a further 2 gigs this week and 4 gigs and 2 festivals already booked for r next year
I aaw the Richard Thompson tour too and although very good I am going to opt for Frazey Ford who was excellent. Also a mention for What’s new pussycat ? which played at Birmingham Rep and was fabulous
Best check your inbox – my last gig of the year, this Thursday, has just been postponed till June due to uncertainty over omicron Covid. When Frazey’s show, the first of her two Union Chapel nights, was good it was mesmerising, but I’m afraid I found it quite samey when she deviated from the Indian Ocean songs. I was more glad to have seen her after buying the ticket almost two years previously than I was thrilled by the gig. She’s a wonderful talent, but not best of the year for me.
@Gatz as of this am both gigs still on although have to show covid pass and wear a bloody mask
Needs must, but i’m glad you still have them to look forward to.
Off the cuff, since lockdown in NI eased, I’ve seen classic rockers the Pat McManus Band twice (once in a pub car park in Ahoghill, c. August, and once last week indoors in Belfast), Celtic soul sensation Brian Houston & Band a couple of weeks back (in a shopping mall concert), my pal Anna Grindle’s album launch at a bowling club, another pal, Anthony Toner, playing an Arts Centre in Armagh, and three or four jazz gigs at a club I’m loosely involved with in East Belfast. Earlier in the year, in a semi-covered hotel car park in Monaghan, probably in between lockdowns but certainly socially distanced etc., I saw the Rob Strong Band – a power trio led by an Irish showband legend (gigging since 1961). It’s all been good. 🙂
Here’s Rob Strong with a fourth player (keys) a couple of weeks back, at a show in Omagh that I wasn’t at, with Delbert McClinton’s ‘Shaky Ground’.
Saw Anthony Toner as well this year but as a lot of the arts centres are still to open – still no sign of Downpatrick opening yet – it was with the Ronnie Greer band in Antrim during a weekend in the park. And Northern Ireland Opera also had a performance during the same afternoon. Opera, blues and a picnic in the sun. Marvellous.
Otherwise, only Ballet Ireland in Newtownabbey doing a version of the Nutcracker.
You’re right, though. Not much happening in Ireland north or south just yet.
I’ve managed 2 this year. March 2020 to September 2021 – probably the longest gap between gigs since I went to my first in 1987.
1) John Lydon Q&A
2) Stiff Little Fingers – first show back on stage since lockdown (and a warmup for the Butlins thingy they headlined)
Had a 3rd planned for Wednesday (John Otway) but with 6000 cases today, a bit of a cold (a flipping big cold actually), and the fact it’s in a tiny sweaty venue, the risk aversion has kicked in and I’m giving it a miss.
A pitiful 2 gigs: Woomble/Drever/McCusker and Heaven 17, plus 2 festivals, Wickham and Maverick. Best performance? A toss up between the Crushed By the Wheels of Industry hitmakers and Peat & Disel at Wickham.
I can imagine Peat and Diesel being an absolute riot.
Absolute hoot.
@retropath2 I think you are forgetting Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Is it your age? I would go and see the doc if I was you
That’s three then, indeed! Thanks, Dave, um, Stan, um, fella…….
A zero for me this year, although my PA system has been to one.
I didn’t even stay for the soundcheck as the headline act’s TM was also their soundman.
I took the view of too many people in an enclosed space for an unboostered person with a suppressed immune system.
only two gigs this year – Justin Sullivan and Cassandra Jenkins. Justin was very good, but Ms Jenkins was astonishing
Three in October.
The Tiger Lilies
Birds and Beasts
Richard Thompson.
Any would be a show of this year just by being out and seeing live music. However the Tiger Lilies version of Miss Otis Regrets nudges it.
Seeing Mark Gatiss’ version of Christmas Carol on Sunday so it may be that.
Sort of a gig, but the important think was that it was a dance. Shrewsbury Folk Festival, in the open air. The first dance in 18 months. Grinning ear to ear ( I know, I know, that’s what I’m meant to do, but I’m not about to disappear.)
Five for me (so far): Caribou at that permanent fairground venue (Pleasureland?) in Margate back in August. The Manics in Brighton, then three in a week: London Grammar, The Darkness (not quite firing on all six, as Justin admitted) and the Westbrook Blake at the Cadogan Hall.
The latter was the most outstanding. Westbrook has been performing Blake’s poems with various jazz backings for over 40 years. Indeed I saw the 1980 iteration of the production in either 1981. What stood out was the power of Phil Minton’s voice and the emotions he conveyed. He’s now over 80 and his voice seemed undimmed in comparison with the 1980 album or how I remember the 1981 show.
I forgot Villagers at the Roundhouse. So that makes six gigs since August, which may be more than I averaged in the Old Normal.
The Gigspanner Big Band at the As You Like It Festival in the grounds of Walton Hall, Warwick in July. High quality playing and a whole load of improvisation. My virtual show of the year would be the YouTube show that Edgelarks broadcast live in February. They were terrific
Hoping that Edgelarks will be with us for real at the Saltworks in Northwich in March. Always a good show.
My missus had deferred Gary Barlow tickets for the NEC last Friday. It was meant to be a Girls Night Out with her mates but they couldn’t make it. So we went as a family with the kids (Girl 12, Boy 11).
It was a great show with a bit of piss take on the 1990s boyband dance moves, a nice Christmas section and an unending stream of Take That/Solo hits that I knew all the words too. He is a truly great songwriter.
Going to see the Chameleons in Manchester on Friday. First and last gig of the year. Not looking forward to wearing a mask but looking forward to seeing Reg.
Was a bit subdued.
I saw Paul Simmonds, Bobby Valentino and Phil Odgers in July, a wonderful show at The Water Rats in Kings Cross. Since then, I’ve seen The Men They Couldn’t Hang at Derby, Brighton and Camden. We also saw Madness, supported by Squeeze last week. As you’d expect, Madness put on a great show, visually as well as musically, but the best of the lot was TMTCH in Brighton, just a great show and tribute to the late Stefan Cush.
That must have been my first gig of the year.
Hip Harp Collective at the Jazz Café in Camden on June 15th. Socially-distanced seating and table service for drinks. Music of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby from a quartet of Harp, alto sax, bass and drums. Both the musicians and the audience were glad to be there and it showed.
A fairly close second would be Noel McCalla and Derek Nash’s soul-jazz night at the Chandos Arms in Colindale, November 21st. A selection of Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, George Benson etc. songs by a great 5-piece band plus singer, enjoying playing for us and getting a great response back.
Like Dai, not seen a show for a kick-in-the-pants-away from two years (a distinctly underwhelming Sturgill Simpson at Dublin’s Vicar St) Got TX to see Sparks, Nick Mason and the Fannies in April, but somehow doubt they’ll take place
The last of those can be seen in any town centre on a Saturday night after 12am…. I’m told.
I’ve been to one gig this year: the Espen Eriksen Trio with Andy Sheppard at Fasching, Stockholm. They were really good.
On Blu-ray I finally got to see David Byrne’s “American Utopia”. Brilliant.
Man, I wish I’d been able to see that show live. I know that a few Afterworders were lucky enough to catch it in the flesh. It must’ve been amazing.
Errr, one. Excellent gig at my local jazz club. Everything else was either cancelled or I didn’t fancy mixing with a lot of people. Still don’t, as it goes. I’m not bothering to look at the moment.
I’ve seen two in the last month or so – OMD (really good) and The Human League ( not great but decent enough, marred somewhat by the cackling neo-hen party going on behind us) who were supported by Altered Images (the lovely Clare winning the day with her megawatt adorability).
Now, I can’t wait to see what 1982 will bring …looks like ABBA might be splitting up. 🤔
I had hoped to see OMD at an 80s revival festival within walking distance in the summer of 2020. Obviously that didn’t happen, then the reorganised 2021 version was cancelled too. It has been rearranged yet again for 2022 but 50 miles away, which is further than I’m willing to walk so a swift refund was obtained.
Managed 3 all within a few weeks of each other in Oct/Nov:
Matthew Halsall at the Barbican – sublime
China Crisis at The Horn in St Albans – tiny little non ventilated room that was crammed. I did think what the fuck am I doing here! Great gig though
Stone Foundation in my home town of Harpenden at the brand new Eric Morcambe centre and yes they played all of the right notes in the right order
Got out to a few:
Moseley Folk (Waterboys and Richard Hawley both very good indeed.)
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis – fine show
Saving Grace (Robert Plant) – good
Stray and the Groundhogs – dated
Van Morrison – poor setlist, accomplished performance
But by far the best was Sam Lee at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge. This man is on fire. Probably the best concert I’ve attended in many years. Don’t miss him.
I find your review of Stray and Groundhogs interesting. Were you expecting more grime content?
@Moose The Mooche It was a free ticket. I saw both bands in their heyday and enjoyed them a lot back then. This time they were both quite enjoyable and everything but it struck me quite forcibly that they never got out of Division Two and the reason was that they never had any really memorable songs. Good bands need strong material.
Crowded House in Auckland. Loved it and did a review of it here …but I think they’re going to be a live band for me rather than listening to LPs and deep cuts and all that.
Actually I am changing my earlier post. Last night I had the great fortune to see Robert Plant with Saving Grace and the gig was absolutely magical What a great band he has put together (again) . Will review it later.
Please do! I don’t always keep up with what he’s doing, but always enjoy it when I do.
I wrote my previous post after returning from the same show. I found it too precise and polished for my taste though the Plant Talk was as good as ever. I guess I expected it to be more folkie if you like. I Bid You Goodnight was the highlight for me.