It’s been a while I know…
Hello there laydeez and genullmen. I know tens of you have been concerned as to my whereabouts of late. But worry not, I am alive. Just. Slightly dehydrated but alive nonetheless.
I know it may seem like I had disappeared off the face of the earth. But now I’m back. With not quite a bang, not quite a whimper. Something, somewhere in between.
See of late I’ve been working like a bastard. Plus I was laying low after a couple of very bad Arsenal results took the pep from my step. Then I had to pay a visit to a certain Robert Zimmerman who was playing the new corporate beatbox in East Wall. And then came a new low budget movie by Richie from Happy Days which took some hours of my time. All these things combined to my lack of blogtivity.
But more, much than that. There was a quest. A mission. A journey to deepest Denmark. A pilmigrage of Northside gentlemen to sample the local golden nectar. At happy prices too, you crazy Danes. So hence the dehydration and the absence of posting.
How was Copenhagen you ask? Most excellent. The streets are extremely clean. The architecture is very impressive. And the people stroll around without a care. It feels safe and chilled. And the folk are very handsome and stylish but not overly pretentious. Shame it’s so bloody expensive though. And worse still the beer was mediocre at best. Still and all a good time was had and therefore productivity today is at an all time low as a result. Normal service will resume tomorrow we hope.
A room with a view, Copenhagen May 2009
So please do forgive me dear reader. For now I have returned and shall once more be posting like the clappers*.
* not a valid guarantee
You blow out candles, you kindle fires…
Yes you may well blow the answer. And you may very well bring change. But you left me with enough grit in my eyes to fill a pothole. And you damn near flung me off the East Link Bridge.
See today I cycled to work against your wall of wind. A wall of wind I tell you! It made every pedal an epic, blustery struggle. Moreso you made me late and flustered me up.
I love you wind, but damn you can be so stubborn sometimes. And like Charlie with the mega beard, I don’t think I’ll ever know what colour you are.
Live and Dangerous…
In an otherwise excellent post Positive Boredom recently had a rant about certain band’s live reputations. He/She particularly refers to The Killers and the Kings of Leon, and states they don’t cut the mustard live. I beg to differ. I’ve seen both bands on a number of occasions (both at festivals and at smaller venues) and have never been let down. On the other hand I’ve seen Bob Dylan (someone praised for live performance in the post) and been seriously disappointed. Even a band capable of live brilliance are capable of the odd sub-par performance (nb Arcade Fire @ the Phoenix Park last Autumn).
Also mentioned in the rant are the Flaming Lips who, admittedly, put on a unique and brilliant live show. However, I feel, they punch well above their recorded weight. Their albums are sub-par but live they rock. In my own experience, particularly of bands/acts I’ve seen multiple gigs of, only Sigur Ros nailed it every time and raised the bar for themselves only to scale it significantly.
And it must be said that festival sets (particularly main stage ones) are often lower in standard than indoor gigs for a variety of reasons (time constraints and technical issues being the main factors). A band’s own tour is where they should be judged.
I was at The Killers gig on Wednesday night in The Academy. There were only a few hundred tickets and it was a real opportunity to see such a huge band in a small, intimate setting. And I really must say they didn’t disappoint. There wasn’t a dud song in their set-list (although the couple of new ones need repeat listening I’d say) and the energy and enthusiasm of the band (and particularly front man Brandon Flowers) were infectious. Their sound and playing were of an extremely high standard technically and the band really got stuck in to their performance. In fact I would wager that The Killers at times achieve higher standards live than on record. Their anthemic choruses are designed for the live setting with a willing crowd being brought along for the ride. I left the gig with adrenaline rushing and a real sense that I’d been present at something special. Miss Rocks has more on it here.
In relation to The Kings of Leon. I’ve seen them live 4 times and 3 of those 4 gigs were rockin. The RDS one last year wasn’t amazing but not necessarily disappointing. The venue wasn’t (and never is) up to scratch and the sound wasn’t top class. That said they are a great rock band who can play. Maybe not as anthemic as the Killers but they exude coolness and have a great presence. I did however catch their set from the V festival on TV last weekend and their lead singer Caleb Followill’s voice was shot to bits. There were vocal phrases from each verse that he just couldn’t reach. A once off I reckon as I’ve never had reason to doubt his voice when I’ve seen them here. Admittedly KoL don’t say a lot or prance around and there is much posturing and rockstar coolness but the music should speak for itself, and usually does.
Now I’m not suggesting that Positive Boredom should bow at the altar of these bands. I’m just stating that I feel they offer more live than he/she suggests. I also feel, in relation to KoL in particular, that they have a lot more to offer on record than the one song suggested (“On Call”). There really is more to their albums than singles and filler. And so what if they are poster boys signed to major labels? That’s surely not their fault. Music matters more.
And gigs by the likes of My Morning Jacket are better off being a well guarded secret by those in the know. Besides more intimate venues tend to suit that band’s style and sound.
