Came So Far For Beauty
Was a very long concert – after 4 hours of some beautifully arranged Leonard Cohen songs, I’m fatigued in a happy-tired way. Some were not so good and I wonder if Hal Willner had adhered more tightly to the adage “leave them wanting more” would I think it was a better concert.
Beth Orton was amazing as was Nick Cave, Teddy Thompson, Antony (minus the Johnsons), Perla Batalla, Jarvis Cocker and the Handsome Family – actually, Separate Ways by Teddy Thompson and Through The Trees by the Handsome Family are playing as I type!
The highlight was of course Cohen’s writing – stunningly beautiful as ever, even in the arrangements I didn’t like – Gavin Friday + Mary Margaret O’Hara’s Hallelujah or Robin Holcomb’s Closing Time. Gavin Friday is a person I can barely stand – but slouched with his hands shoved in his pockets, warbling through a surprisingly good version of Everybody Knows, I briefly liked him. He dedicated it to Bertie Ahern – meet Dermot Ahern on the way into the concert – I don’t know if he was still there to hear it.
IF you can get tickets for Thursday night – go along, it’s a great evening.
(And if you can’t, here’s a link to Teddy Thompson’s superb cover of “Tonight Will Be Fine”)
Beth Orton was amazing as was Nick Cave, Teddy Thompson, Antony (minus the Johnsons), Perla Batalla, Jarvis Cocker and the Handsome Family – actually, Separate Ways by Teddy Thompson and Through The Trees by the Handsome Family are playing as I type!
The highlight was of course Cohen’s writing – stunningly beautiful as ever, even in the arrangements I didn’t like – Gavin Friday + Mary Margaret O’Hara’s Hallelujah or Robin Holcomb’s Closing Time. Gavin Friday is a person I can barely stand – but slouched with his hands shoved in his pockets, warbling through a surprisingly good version of Everybody Knows, I briefly liked him. He dedicated it to Bertie Ahern – meet Dermot Ahern on the way into the concert – I don’t know if he was still there to hear it.
IF you can get tickets for Thursday night – go along, it’s a great evening.
(And if you can’t, here’s a link to Teddy Thompson’s superb cover of “Tonight Will Be Fine”)
Labels: Music
posted by Auds | 01:54
5 Comments:
I know there's a guy on boards.ie trying to sell his tickets for 60 euro each, so he can see Tommy Tiernan in The Phil tonight, if that interests anyone. I was not to be lured by Mr. Tiernan, and will sit very happily (in row Z, malheuresement) at the concert tonight. Was Lou Reed there?
I really liked it to, but had to leave before the end to skulk off and talk it about it on de radio. Was raging to miss Nick doing 'Suzanne'.
Felt the same about Hallelujah, but I thought it was very brave and really challenged the idea of covering a song. Good or bad, it was the most reinterpretative piece of the night. MMOH didn't deserve that heckle either - she's a legend.
Although I do like Teddy Thompson, I didn't wander along. Thanks to the link for "Tonight Will be Fine". Really liked it.
Hey Auds, will you do me a favour and remove bitchwhine etc. from your blogroll? Have ceased blogging and want to get rid of links to the dead site so it can disappear and not be an neverending 404! Thanks! NM
I saw Trevor Sergent walking around Trinity for Freshers' Week. Then on the way in to The Point, I saw John Kelly. In front of me sat a taller-than-expected Eamon Delaney. Conclusion: third-level students see more famous people than second-level students.
A decent show, but not fantastic. Anthony from the Johnsons did not impress me. He was hyped to me like some sort of impressive artist; on stage, he looked like he was trying to swim. And failing. He ruined The Guests, but recovered for, ehh, some song I can't remember. Gavin Friday was terrible; he and O'Hara seemed to take the piss out of Hallelujah, and despite the band's best efforts to save it, I was pretty disgusted by that performance.
Similarly, the Bertie Ahern thing offended me slightly. On Thursday, he did no slouching, instead he jumped around the stage making supposedly comical gestures. I'm not sure Friday was aware that the song is about AIDS. Had it been any other song, then maybe it would have worked.
Lou Reed was ... loud. But he did The Stranger quite well.
Nick Cave looked uncomfortable. He didn't appear to bend his back once. He hadn't the stage presence I'm told he is usually capable of attaining. Nevertheless, he was consistent. He take on Avalanche was a rather good opener considering some of that which was to come. At the end, when all were on stage, he looked left out. Plus, the moustache must go.
Jarvis was fantastic. He exudes confidence, and didn't say anything about politics. For someone so politically inept, he is usually all too vocal. Chelsea Hotel was brilliant. I actually predicted that he'd sing it; that and Famous Blue Raincoat really suit him. Raincoat, luckily, was done well anyway.
More later, probably.
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