From: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org (oppositeview-digest) To: oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Subject: oppositeview-digest V7 #8 Reply-To: oppositeview@smoe.org Sender: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk oppositeview-digest Tuesday, January 25 2005 Volume 07 : Number 008 Today's Subjects: ----------------- OV: Gig review [Helen Pickering ] OV: Gig review from the Herald [Helen Pickering ] Re: OV: Gig review [Lori Royal-Gordon ] OV: OT: new radio station [Kelly Doudna ] Re: OV: Gig review [Alison Bellach ] OV: RE: OT: new radio station ["Leah Schenkenberg" ] Re: OV: Gig review ["Mojo T Monkey" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:22:40 +0000 (GMT) From: Helen Pickering Subject: OV: Gig review > # Justin Currie plays with Eddi Reader, Colin > MacIntyre and Blazin' Fiddles at > the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on January 20 > Ok, quick (hopefully) gig review while pretending to work... The set up (left to right) was Blazing Fiddles (five fiddle players, keyboards and guitarist, fiddles were swapped for a whistle and accordian occasionally - more at http://www.blazin-fiddles.co.uk) plus drums, another guitarist, double bass player, cellist, and horns section (trumpet, trombone, french horn, tuba and sax). The singers had a microphone each on stage. 1st on was Eddi, then Justin, then Colin and they pretty much rotated for the gig doing one or two songs each. Justin's first song was Sleep instead of teardrops, accompanied by a whistle, the double bass and cello, and the horns section. The next song was one I hadn't heard before was 'No, Surrender' (The comma is meant to be there) Which was fairly angry song, similar in tone to 'Food for songs' and was one of those ones where he rattles off millions of lines (similar to the faster part of 'another letter home') It was good, but left me trying to figure out what he was singing about since the gist of the title was 'stop fighting it and let it happen', and yet the song itself seemed to be protesting against stuff. (I think - I was rather bamboozled by that one!) Fortunately for my brain, the next song (after the interval) was back onto familiar ground - 'This side of the morning' with all the musicians playing - strings, horns, accordian - the lot. Next appearance was to do backing vocals for Eddi Reader on 'Footsteps Fall' (a lovely song). Another new song came next - 'What use is love' or 'What is love for' - he didn't introduce it, except to say "lets play something miserable." Which was a standard 'love is cr@p and useless cos it can't mend anything or stop anything happening' sort of song, with the explanation at the end when he asked 'what should I do with this love that I can't give to her any more'. What use is it? (All together now, aaaah!) Then they all traipsed offstage again and come on for the encore - Justin did 'Nothing ever happens' with Eddi Reader doing backing vocals (easier on the eye than Iain, according to my friend, but that's a matter of taste). And then he returned the favour on the last song - 'the Swimming Song' which I think is a Louden Wainwright song. For those who are concerned - he wore a brownish tweedy-looking jacket (as in suit jacket) and jeans. The shirt under jacket may have been black, but he never took the jacket off. I think they're doing a few more dates in Edinburgh and Aberdeen - they're up on the Blazin' fiddles site, but the Glasgow gig was a sell-out, so no idea what the situation will be at athe other venues. If anyone wondered what happened to Colin Macintyre (since I haven't mentioned him) he was there, but took very little part in anyone elses songs - possibly due to a sore throat (there was a throwaway comment at one point about hoping his voice got better), or because he didn't know anyone else's songs. He was sharing a dressing room with Justin, and said that he asked for some advice - Justin being far more experienced in the music business. Guess what the advice was. "Buy organic bananas" (or maybe that was eat them, can't remember) Helpful :-) Apparently sharing a dressing room means sharing a shower, and Eddi said that she and the other girls had been trying to sneak a peek, but got nowhere with that one. Colin said that there was no shower-sharing and it was all very dull and boring in their dressing room. Justin's off-stage retort was that it was Colin's fault it was boring because he had forgotten the drugs. BBC4 were at the whole concert with several cameras, which leads me to suspect that they may be showing more than just the highlights at some point. It's just a case of keeping your eyes open I suppose. So much for the quick review. I could give you the whole travel saga as well, involving cancelled flights, cars not starting, sprints to trains and overbooked flights, but frankly I don't think you'd be that interested and I really am meant to be working (so I won't be checking for typos). In short - it was fabby - get to one of the other gigs! Cheers, Helen ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 15:49:03 +0000 (GMT) From: Helen Pickering Subject: OV: Gig review from the Herald Celtic Connections: With Strings Attached AIDEEN McLAUGHLIN January 24 2005 Featuring Blazin' Fiddles, Colin MacIntyre, Eddi Reader, Justin Currie This is the kind of collaboration you could only hope might happen, impromptu, after hours at the festival club. You certainly wouldn't imagine that anyone would plan it. But that's exactly what Scotland's feistiest fiddlers, Blazin' Fiddles, did. They invited along some of Scotland's best-loved singer-songwriters to join their band for what they described as "like a big ceilidh". Except it wasn't. Although entirely enjoyable, what emerged was rather a series of mini-concerts, utterly entertaining individually, but not really hanging together as a whole. I thought the idea behind Blazin' fiddles was that they showcased Scottish fiddling from different regions of the country, but last night they did swing, big band, New Orleans-jazz and classical almost more than they did traditional. It gave the impression that they were simply the string section of a very fine backing band, accompanying different singers on their own material rather than key players in an on-stage collaboration. It was when Blazin' Fiddles took the platform on their own that they roused the greatest reaction, delivering the 250-year-old song, Drunk at Night, with such gusto that one snapped his bow. Reader's voice was hauntingly beautiful as usual, but MacIntyre's (Mull Historical Society) sounded a bit croaky and, at times, a little flat. Currie impressed, however, and his excellent rendition of the Del Amitri classic, Nothing Ever Happens, with Reader singing backing vocals, was one of the highlights of an otherwise slightly disappointing show. I prefer my Blazin' Fiddles straight up, no strings attached. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 07:55:51 -0800 From: Lori Royal-Gordon Subject: Re: OV: Gig review Thanks so much for sharing, Helen! > In short - it was fabby - get to one of the other gigs! I wish!!! ~Lori, stuck far away in California (well, at least it's sunny today) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fall in love with a historical romance by Lauren Royal LOST IN TEMPTATION ~ July 2005 ~ Signet Eclipse Win a cameo at http://www.LaurenRoyal.com Win autographed books at http://SignetNAL.home.att.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 10:50:25 -0600 From: Kelly Doudna Subject: OV: OT: new radio station Hello all. Thanks to all those who have been posting the various interviews with Justin. It's nice to keep up. Today I would like to make note of a new radio station that's launching here in Minneapolis/St. Paul, called The Current. It's the first stab at truly alternative, out-of-the-way programming that we've had in this market for many years, and they want us to spread the word. They stream online, so everyone on the list can tune in and maybe hear something new and different to tickle your musical fancy. Plus, since it's Public Radio, it's commercial-free. Woo-hoo! http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/thecurrent/ Also, I guess as long as I'm on the subject, I'll plug my friend's stream that he does from home, toastradio, which is also very good. For example, he just played Eddi Reader a few songs ago, and he ran out and bought the Uncle Devil Show album after borrowing my copy. Check it out! http://www.toastradio.com/ Kelly Minneapolis ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 10:54:00 -0600 From: Alison Bellach Subject: Re: OV: Gig review > I wish!!! > > ~Lori, stuck far away in California (well, at least it's sunny today) *I* wish! (About the California/sun bits, even) ~ Alison, stuck even further away in Wisconsin, where's it's single-digits and we're having a snowstorm :P ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 19:04:46 -0600 From: "Leah Schenkenberg" Subject: OV: RE: OT: new radio station It's good stuff...they're boasting 50k albums (vs. 500 songs) for a play list. My friend was so excited to hear Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, and The Pixies within 10 minutes that he emailed me at work to mark the occaision. lds - -----Original Message----- From: owner-oppositeview@smoe.org [mailto:owner-oppositeview@smoe.org]On Behalf Of Kelly Doudna Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 10:50 AM To: Opposite Opposite View Subject: OV: OT: new radio station Hello all. Thanks to all those who have been posting the various interviews with Justin. It's nice to keep up. Today I would like to make note of a new radio station that's launching here in Minneapolis/St. Paul, called The Current. It's the first stab at truly alternative, out-of-the-way programming that we've had in this market for many years, and they want us to spread the word. They stream online, so everyone on the list can tune in and maybe hear something new and different to tickle your musical fancy. Plus, since it's Public Radio, it's commercial-free. Woo-hoo! http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/thecurrent/ Also, I guess as long as I'm on the subject, I'll plug my friend's stream that he does from home, toastradio, which is also very good. For example, he just played Eddi Reader a few songs ago, and he ran out and bought the Uncle Devil Show album after borrowing my copy. Check it out! http://www.toastradio.com/ Kelly Minneapolis ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 08:56:27 -0000 From: "Mojo T Monkey" Subject: Re: OV: Gig review OH NO! NOT SINGLE DIGITS!!! Mildly Sarcastic T, Stuck in Ireland where double digits = summer. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alison Bellach" To: Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 4:54 PM Subject: Re: OV: Gig review > I wish!!! > > ~Lori, stuck far away in California (well, at least it's sunny today) *I* wish! (About the California/sun bits, even) ~ Alison, stuck even further away in Wisconsin, where's it's single-digits and we're having a snowstorm :P ------------------------------ End of oppositeview-digest V7 #8 ********************************