Wednesday 19 August 2009

A Live Review Of Sorts.




I don't do concert reviews as I tend to spend my time just enjoying gigs as opposed to getting the set order correct and being in review mode, however Tart has asked me to report back on her 2 favorite bands, so I will. If you wish to find out details of running order etc you should have no trouble as there were at least 4 people, who to me looked like weans sitting on the pews of Queen's Hall furtively making notes in little pads all the way through

I made Edinburgh from the other side of Manchester in just over 3 hrs, not bad going. There I found that the doors did not open at 7 as on the tickets and found myself queuing to get into a gig for the first time in many a year.

The first band who's name I cannot remember did absolutely nothing for me, they weren't bad or anything just not my kind of thing. So sorry, I'm sure they're all great people but just not for me so I didn't pay very much attention to them but still kept quiet.

Meursault, on the other hand were guaranteed my undivided attention and for the rather short 25 minute set they did, they did not disappoint, they exceeded my expectations, especially A Small Stretch Of Land which was quite beautiful. I will need to investigate further because this short set has just whetted my appetite and will need to see them do a full set.

One thing though, why the fuck do people persist in talking all the way through the support act at gigs? I have come to hear the bands, all of them even the ones I don't particularly like and couldn't give a flying fuck how drunk you were last night or who you got off with. If you have no interest in the band stay in the fucking bar. It is the height of ignorance to stand/sit and talk all the way through.

The feirt bunnies were given a rapturous welcome and indeed the crowd sang along and clapped out of time with the music so much so that at one point L thought that she was at a Runrig concert, having never frequented one I don't know what she was on about. The band were excellent and the 3 new tunes for the album which according to Scott is completed albeit with at least one song still untitled were very promising and I look forward to hearing in full as soon as possible. One grumble though, I did not like the version of Backwards Walk, always one my favorites, it lost all of the melancholy. Apart from that and the arseholes talking all the way through Meursault a wonderful night was had by all.

Frightened Rabbit - My Backwards Walk (Daytrotter session)

3 comments:

Simon said...

I'm in two minds about people talking in gigs. On the one hand, it's an annoying fact of gigs that is irritating in the extreme. I'm normally quite vocal about it, although that has gotten me into trouble before now....

But on the other hand, and this is probably my main view, a live performance is perfectly capable of shutting the twats up, and making them listen. I think if a band isn't aiming for that, either by performing their hearts out or radiating such an air of "fuck you we don't need you to listen to us" then that band is probably not best suited for playing live.

The bands who fail when it comes to such a circumstance for me are the ones who get stroppy about it. I've seen some serious sulks thrown by artists because they have a talker or two in the audience. In some situations it's put me off the artist.

I dunno, I guess having a dad who performs live (not music) and can handle a heckler or a talker with such ease that nobody dares chat afterwards makes me not so sympathetic to bands.

I used to stop the band and just shout nonsense into the microphone when I had a talker at gigs. Or get off the stage and go and sing to them. That used to work....

Unknown said...

You know my take on the talking at gigs.....throw the fuckers out.

Your words on Frightened Rabbit worry me. While I'm chuffed to bits that they can sell out venues like the Queens Hall in a matter of nano-seconds, for they deserve to be hugely succesful, I'm concerned that OTT audience participation will be the ruination of the live experience....

The next tour is likely to have too many pissed folk turn up and sing along to the stuff they know and then hold loud conversations with their mates during the new stuff. We've all seen it happen with loads of bands in the past.

Still, the memories of the tiny venues and the days of rapt audiences will always be with me...

drew said...

This is also my concern JC, that was the problem when Meursault were playing, folk only interested in FR and not giving the support a chance. I too will remember the gigs like the Captain's Rest. I really don't like all this hand clap stuff ruins the songs in this old duffer's opinion.