Category: concerts

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concerts

Josh Ritter & Simone Felice, live at The Old Museum in Brisbane, 5 July 2012

Josh Ritter, live at the Old Museum, Brisbane

(side note: I have a few live recordings of the night. They’re not good quality, with a fair bit of snap, crackle and pop hissing included… but I’ll pepper this post with a few of the tracks, for those who were there and would like to relive the night)

There are some gigs that you’ll always remember for being magical. This was one of those.

Last night I headed out to one of my favourite live music venues, the Old Museum in Brisbane, to catch Josh Ritter and Simone Felice performing live. Josh Ritter is, in my opinion, one of the songwriters of our generation, and the lyricist of our times. My admiration of the guy knows no bounds, so I would quite happily have shelled out the money to catch Josh alone… the fact that Simone Felice and band were performing too was just a happy coincidence, really.

Josh Ritter, live at the Old Museum, Brisbane

Josh Ritter is the type of guy that you would love to share a drink with. He’s clearly smarter than you, but has this easygoing smile that puts you at ease. And although he’s a joker between songs, when he’s singing the guy is so sincere it’s heartbreaking.

Listen: Josh Ritter – The Curse (live at the Old Museum, Brisbane)

I’ve long held the belief that Josh Ritter is the best songwriter of our generation. The guy’s interplay with intelligent, wry lyrics and emotion is simply faultless. And one of my “live gig dreams” came true last night, when he played “Monster Ballads”. It was all I could do to keep the lump in my throat down. You could have heard a pin fall amongst the crowd, holding their collective breath lest this feeling was frightened away.

Listen: Josh Ritter – Monster Ballads (live at the Old Museum, Brisbane)
Listen: Josh Ritter – Naked as a Window/Girl in the War (live at the old Museum, Brisbane)

One of the most endearing moments of the night came during one of Josh’s last songs, the ever-amusing “Galahad”. After the crowd laughed at the angel’s question to Galahad of why he wanted to go to heaven, Josh started laughing and struggled to get out the next verse because of the smile on his face. It was this real shared moment between artist and audience, and the sheer joy felt by both was something I’ll remember for quite some time.

Listen: Josh Ritter – Galahad (live at the Old Museum, Brisbane)

Simone Felice & Band 0 The Old Museum, Brisbane

You know, I think – like me – quite a few people last night had come along to hear Josh play, and largely discovered Simone Felice and band last night. And what a revelation it was. Despite being a fan of Felice Brothers, I hadn’t dived too deep into Simone’s self-titled solo album just yet, so wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

And you know, since last night I’ve been thinking of a way to describe what happened, but I can’t quite put words around it without it coming off as… well, a bit mythic. You see, last night Simone Felice and the band somehow managed to call Music down onto that stage. It was like there was this shimmering light, dancing all around them, laughing between the notes and twirling them around with joy.

That’s what happened. They brought Music into the world, and she danced with us all night.

And when they came out for an encore including “Atlantic City”? Hell, Levon himself sat in on that number. Because maybe everything that dies someday comes back.

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concerts

James Vincent McMorrow – Black Bear Lodge, live in Brisbane

James Vincent McMorrow

James Vincent McMorrow

So, I have a dirty little confession to make. As embarrassing as this is to admit as a music blogger, it’s been over a year since I last went to a gig. With organising a wedding, buying a house, and changing jobs all in the space of a year, it’s been a lean time for the ol’ wallet… and unfortunately, gigs were one of the luxuries that had to get cut.

So you know it had to be something special that would make me air the moths out of the wallet, and get back on the gig circuit. And that something special was James Vincent McMorrow, performing live at the Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane.

After a year off, I was not disappointed. In fact, in many ways last night was a renewal.

Y’see, Mr McMorrow came out and made me remember everything that I love about live music. There were no pretensions last night. There were no rock-star airs. If anything, dude came off as the humblest of guys. Someone you would love to share a beer with at the bar, laughing as the night grew older and cold winds blew outside.

So no. Here was this incredibly likeable guy up on stage, inviting you in to share his story. And it was bloody awesome.

James live was a relevation. The guy’s voice, killer. As in, jaw-dropping. He plays the guitar like it’s a part of him. But you know what will stand out for me?

The fact that he made you feel like we were all in this together. And I’ve missed that feeling so damn much.

—

Below are some recordings from the night. They are terrible quality, taken on my phone. But I’m enjoying reliving the night so much, I thought that some others who were there might too.

James Vincent McMorrow – Hear the noise (live at Black Bear Lodge)
James Vincent McMorrow – Higher Love (live at Black Bear Lodge)
James Vincent McMorrow – We Don’t Eat (live at Black Bear Lodge)

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concerts

Joe Pug, live at The Troubadour in Brisbane

Joe Pug, live at the Troubadour in Brisbane
Joe Pug, live at the Troubadour in Brisbane

On Wednesday night I finally managed to catch Joe Pug live, on his first Australian Tour. My love for Joe is no secret… after all, I’ve written about the dude about six times (yes, every one of those words is a link to a different post), the first time being over two years ago. So, suffice to say, I’ve been hanging to see him live for quite a while. So when I heard he was going to be playing the Troubadour in Brisbane, well… there was just no question, really.

Joe is one of the few artists I’ve compared to Dylan on this blog. And I don’t make that comparison lightly. But take a bit of Dylan, add in a dash of Woody Guthrie and Prine, maybe some Josh Ritter, and package it in this kid that just effortlessly exudes cool swagger.. and you have Joe Pug. The guy is everything I ever wanted to be, back when I was playing myself.

So Joe had a lot to live up to. And he didn’t have a whole lot to work with; the numbers in the Troubadour weren’t huge, and the atmosphere was pretty subdued. (On that note, major props need to go to Chris Altmann, who opened for Joe. He pulled off one crazy energetic set, despite playing to about 10 people. At one point, he pulled out a Vandas song, that absolutely killed it. You can watch it on youtube here) So yeah… it was a tough crowd.

But you know, I really shouldn’t have been concerned. Because Joe came out blazing, opening with Nation of Heat. And man, did he turn it on.



Joe Pug, “Nation of Heat”, live at the Troubadour in Brisbane


From that moment, more people started drifting in off the street. And you just knew that Joe was going to turn it on for the – admittedly still smaller than it should have been – crowd.

The beginning of the set was a bit of a whirlwind… Joe just took it right to The Troubadour, that voice of his – you know the one, the one that sounds like it shouldn’t be coming from someone so young… I mean, surely this is the voice of someone coated in warm whiskey and wistful years – just washing over his audience.
I think things really turned in the crowd when Joe performed “I Do My Father’s Drugs”. People who had been talking amongst themselves over a beer put down their drinks and turned towards the stage. You can actually hear the chatter die down in the below clip. And it was just awesome to see.

Joe Pug, “I Do My Father’s Drugs”, live at the Troubadour in Brisbane.

By far though, my highlight of the night was when Joe played “Unsophisticated Heart”. It’s probably my favourite tune of his, and this particular rendition was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard. And really, while Joe was playing this, you could have heard a pin drop.

Now i see things like a soldier
yet i’m jealous of the dark
if my eyes have only gotten older
I still have an unsophisticated heart



Joe Pug, “Unsophisticated Heart”, live at the Troubadour in Brisbane

After a really touching performance of “Disguised as Someone Else”, Joe really settled into it. His interaction with the crowd was really good, and the one thing that you might not pick up from Joe’s tunes is that he is one seriously funny dude. There was a nice little chat leading up to “How Good You Are” that had the crowd cracking up… and then the harp on the tune – as always – just tore me up inside.



Joe Pug, “How Good You Are”, live at the Troubadour in Brisbane

“Speak plainly, Diana”, was another highlight of the night for me. The amount of times I’ve listened to live versions of this tune is ridiculous, and each time I have, I’ve been super, super jealous of the crowd that get to sing along with the lines “I don’t mind riding around…“.
This time, I could add my own voice to the chorus…

Joe Pug, “Speak plainly, Diana”, live at the Troubadour in Brisbane

Of course, what would a Joe Pug set be without “Hymn #101”? When Joe sang the lines, “I’ve come to test the timber of my heart. Oh I’ve come to test the timber of my heart“, I literally could not hide the smile on my face. The lines were some of the first lyrics I heard of his, and a large part of the reason I actively looked for more of his stuff, two years back. It was… well, for lack of a better word… perfect.

Joe Pug, “Hymn #101”, live at the Troubadour in Brisbane

Following the gig, I spent my last $20 on Joe’s “Messenger” release. It didn’t matter that I had the tunes electronically. I wanted to show my appreciation for the show he put on that night. And as Joe shook my hand and said, “Hey, I’m Joe”… I was glad I did.

In all the past times I’ve written about Joe, I’ve had one consistent message: help us spread the word. If there is one artist I’ve wanted to help with this blog, it’s Joe. The guy is everything I feel that music could and should be.

So I’m going to ask again: if you like what you’ve heard, then spread the word about Joe. You can visit his website here, and even ask for free CDs if you like. Joe just wants his music heard. And I really believe it should be.

I’ve embedded both of his releases below. Listen. Love. Support.
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artists concerts music

Rodriguez, live at the Tivoli in Brisbane. March 31, 2010

On Wednesday night, I went to possibly the best gig of my life. And no, I don’t write those words lightly.

But when I managed to see Rodriguez – the legend behind one of my albums of the century (Cold Fact, naturally) – at the Tivoli on Wednesday, it was easily one of the musical highlights of my life.

First off, some background: I don’t think I’ll ever be able to quite articulate the effect that Rodriguez has had on my life. When I first heard “Cold Fact”, I probably would have been all of 5 years old, because both my parents were big fans and actually had the LP. By the time I was… ooh, I’d say 13, I had my own copy of the Cold Fact CD, and I listened to it religiously.

This went on until… well, to be honest, it never stopped.

Cold Fact is, in my opinion, the exemplification of the perfect album. Point blank, perfection. But, thanks largely to Sixto’s slightly quirky nature – like playing at an industry showcase with his back to the audience throughout – and a second album (1971’s “Coming from Reality” which was still a cracker) that sold poorly, Rodriguez dropped out of the music recording scene, and subsequently out of the public eye. It got to the point where rumours spread in South Africa of his death… and quite frankly, most of us believed them.

You see, the thing is, while Rodriguez never really had much success in his native America, over in South Africa, his music was the stuff of legend. For a country struggling against the apartheid establishment, his music was – for us – a music that we needed.

Americans talk about Hendrix. I talk about Sixto.

And now, 40 years after the release of Cold Fact, Rodriguez is touring Australia. There was no way I was ever going to miss the chance to see him live.

Rodriguez and band, performing live at the Tivoli in Brisbane
Rodriguez and band, performing live at the Tivoli in Brisbane

Rodriguez was led out onto the darkened Tivoli stage on the arm of an assistant. It’s clear that the 68-year old is getting on a bit. His eyesight is failing, and his walk is occasionally – but only occasionally – that of an old man. But from the second that he launches into first tune, “I wonder”, it’s clear that the legend still lives.

I wonder how many times you’ve been had
And I wonder how many plans have gone bad
I wonder how many times you had sex
And I wonder do you know who’ll be next
I wonder I wonder wonder I do
– Rodriguez, “I Wonder”

Despite what I expected (almost no one I spoke to in Australia seemed to know who the man was), the Tivoli was packed on the night, and it was clear that Rodriguez meant as much to every person there as he did to me. From the very first line of “I Wonder”, the crowd sang along with each and every word, and carried on in that manner for most of the night.

And I think it blew Rodriguez away.

After every song, with the crowd belting lyrics back at him, Rodriguez had to step back from the microphone, seemingly overcome with childish joy. I can’t tell you the light this guy gave off. Seeing that massive smile, that childish joy on a 68 year old? Man, I hope I never forget how I felt that night.

“Go get your hugs,
Don’t do drugs.
Stay smart,
Don’t start”
Rodriguez, introducing his flagship tune, “Sugar Man”

Of course, it was always going to be Sugar Man that brought out the biggest cheers. When that bass line started, the crowd literally erupted. Times have changed for Sixto… and I think that’s why he introduced “Sugar Man” the way he did.
I wonder what he thought of the pungent smell of marijuana emanating from the crowd, looking back on how his life has changed from those times?

Sugar man, won’t you hurry
‘Cos I’m tired of these scenes
For a blue coin won’t you bring back
All those colors to my dreams
– Rodriguez, “Sugar Man”

I don’t think I’d be able to pull out highlights of the night if you asked me, because the entire night was one long bliss-fest. That said, some of the moments that still stay with me are the renditions of “Sugar Man”, “Only good for Conversation”, “Crucify your Mind” and “Forget It”.

But there was one point in the evening that I hope I never forget. It was a special moment, where everyone in the crowd – whether they were in their 20s (minority) or 40 – 60s (majority) – came together. And it was during the quintessential Rodriguez song, “This is not a song, it’s an outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues“. If you don’t know the song, I’ve included it below… but there was a moment there, where the song ends off with the immortal lines:

“It’s a hassle it’s an educated guess.
Well, frankly I couldn’t care less.”

… and the entire crowd yelled out that ending couplet in perfect unison. It was the most cathartic moment I’ve ever had at a gig. Hell, I think it may have been the most cathartic experience I’ve ever had, point blank. And I never, ever want to let go of that feeling.

Rodriguez is currently touring. I urge you (you hear that? Urge. I almost never urge people) to go and catch one of his shows. Rodriguez is a treasure that I fear may slip away from us, before his message gets out. So do your part, and spread the word.

Below, I’ve included a grooveshark player with some of his tunes that you can cycle through.

Listen. Love. Support.

***Post Updated 5 April***

Updated post thanks to Debo in the comments, with a video of Rodriguez and band performing opening number, “I Wonder”. See video below… killer!

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concerts

Things you missed while I wasn’t blogging #1: Timothy Carroll at the Brisbane Powerhouse

So we all know that I haven’t been blogging for a while. In an attempt to make amends, I’m going to post a series of short “Things you missed while I wasn’t blogging” posts that recaps what I’ve been up to/listening to in the last while. Enjoy this peace offering.

Things you missed while I wasn’t blogging #1: Timothy Carroll at the Brisbane Powerhouse
I managed to catch Timothy Carroll performing a free show at the Brisbane Powerhouse back during his month-long “Friday Residency” at the spot, and the show was freaking amazing.

Seriously, I’m going to call this one of my favourite gigs of the last few years. And, considering it was free and fairly intimate, I don’t think that’s an overstatement.
For those who haven’t seen Timothy Carroll perform live before, get in quick: he mentioned on that night that he’s planning on moving back to Sweden in July of this year, so if you see he’s performing in your area, make sure you grab the chance to see him. A month later, I’m still not quite sure how to describe it… but there’s something special about the guy. When you see him up on stage performing… I don’t want to call it a glow, because that’s just cheesy; but there’s definitely a light there. And you need to see it to believe it.

I managed to get some clips (of questionable quality) of the night. Here’s one of Tim and the band performing on of my favourite tunes of his, “Danshyttan”.


Timothy Carroll and Band, performing Danyshyttan live at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

And, finally, a rendition of “Sad Man” that completely blew me away…


Timothy Carroll and Band, performing “Sad Man” live at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

More videos of the night can be found here, and to stream more of Timothy Carroll’s tunes, head over to his myspace page.

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concerts digital downloads live songs music

Pearl Jam, Ben Harper & The Relentless 7 and Liam Finn at the QSAC Stadium in Brisbane, 25 November 2009

God, I can’t believe how long it’s been since I went to a gig… I think my last one was Ryan Adams at the beginning of the year, and here we are in November already. The good news is, my lapse in attending gigs was broken by an absolute kicker of a night, watching Pearl Jam, Ben Harper & The Relentless 7 and Liam Finn perform at the QSAC Stadium in Brisbane last night.

To be honest though, although I arrived there in plenty of time, by the time we managed to get to our seats Liam Finn‘s set was all but ending, so I can’t really say too much about that. I will say that what heard of his set was… intriguing to say the least. There was a rawness there that I certainly hadn’t heard in his recorded stuff before, so I think catching a live set of his in the future will be on the cards. It was either a beautiful cacophony, or an awful racket… I didn’t hear enough to make up my mind. Whatever it was, however, it’s definitely interested me in catching him live again.

The sun setting over QSAC Stadium as Liam Finn's set finished.
The sun setting over QSAC Stadium as Liam Finn's set finished.


Following Liam’s set, Ben Harper came on with new(ish) band Relentless 7. I’ve seen Ben Harper live a couple of times before, but this was first time with the Relentless 7. Through no fault of their own – well, largely not their own – I have to say: I was disappointed. It wasn’t the quality of their performance whatsoever that brought a downer on their set, but rather that the sound quality for their set was the most substandard sound setup I have ever been witness to. QSAC Stadium itself is an open-air stadium, which is never easy to get the sound levels right for in itself – what with wind to take into account, etc – but regardless of the situation, I was immensely disappointed in the organisers/sound crew for not having a better go at this one. The result was that in between songs, when Ben was talking, he was all but completely inaudible, which completely ruined the flow of the set. I’m sure that those lucky few who managed to get standing room in the floor section were fine, but for those of us on the side stands, the tech crew totally let us down.

All in all, I don’t think it’s fair for me to write up on Ben’s set all that much, because of the sound problems. I will say that the set disappointed me – particularly, “Diamonds on the Inside” seemed lacklustre – but, again, it’s hard to tell how much of that was a lack of groove within the band itself, or the sound issues. The one high point of the set, for me at least, was actually the opening tune, “I Will Not Be Broken”. Now, I stand to be corrected here, but as far as I am aware, this is a new tune from the band, and one I really, really like.
Other standouts were a simply stunning rendition of “Faded”, and a kickass cover of INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart”.

I managed to get a few sound clips on the night, and I’ve embedded two mp3s from Ben’s set below. Please note, however, that the sound quality of my recorder is point blank terrible… there is distortion galore, levels all out of whack etcx; so I don’t include these as mp3s to listen to again and again, simply for those who are diehard fans and who want to get an idea of what the band sounded like.

Listen: Ben Harper & The Relentless 7 – I Will Not Be Broken (live at QSAC Stadium, 25/11/09)
Listen: Ben Harper & The Relentless 7 – Never Tear Us Apart INXS Cover (live at QSAC Stadium, 25/11/09)

Ben Harper & The Relentless 7, opening their set at QSAC Stadium in Brisbane
Ben Harper & The Relentless 7, opening their set at QSAC Stadium in Brisbane


Ben Harper & The Relentless 7, live at QSAC Stadium in Brisbane
Ben Harper & The Relentless 7, live at QSAC Stadium in Brisbane

Following the Relentless 7, it was of course time for the main act, none other than Pearl Jam. Now, I’m about to commit music blogger heresy and openly state that, while I previously liked Pearl Jam, I’d never really seen the attraction as others have. To be honest, the major drawcard to the gig, for me, was Ben Harper. But, after last night, all that changed. Seeing them live, I finally understood the passion that the band instills in its fans. Point blank, Eddie and Co gave one of the most visceral, energetic and above all, honest performances that I’ve ever seen. And damned if I’m not like a little kid who hears his favourite band for the first time.

The band opened with an incendiary “Why Go”, and things only got better from there. Below, I’ve include a setlist for the night. Now, I had to leave during “Encore 2” due to transport times (which meant I missed “Jeremy”… bugger), so what I have in the setlist there is what I gathered from others at the show; but if anything’s incorrect, feel free to leave a note in the comments and I’ll update the post with correct info.

Pearl Jam Set list, live at QSAC Stadium in Brisbane, 25 November 2009

Why Go
Animal
Got Some
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
In Hiding
In My Tree
Save You
Even Flow
Amongst The Waves
Off He Goes
Not For You with Modern Girl snippet
Daughter with Another Brick In the Wall & Schools Out snippets
Rats
Unthought Known
Insignificance
If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) (AC/DC cover)
Blood

Encore:
The End
Just Breathe
Red Mosquito (with Ben Harper)
Indifference (with Ben Harper)
Gonna See My Friend
The Fixer
Rearview Mirror

Encore 2:
Throw Your Arms Around Me (Hunters & Collectors cover) (with Liam Finn)
Jeremy
Alive
Baba O’Riley (The Who cover)
Yellow Ledbetter


Highlights of the set, for me, were a beautiful “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town“, a haunting “Off He Goes“, and particularly the opening of the first encore, where Eddie came out just with an acoustic guitar, and launched into “The End“, and was progressively joined by the band for “Just Breathe“.

Again, I managed to catch a few clips on my recorder, but, again I must point out that these are more for the diehards to listen to, and that the distortion sucks something awful. But, if you’re after a glimpse of last night, here are a few…

Listen: Pearl Jam – Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (live, QSAC Stadium in Brisbane, 25/11/09)
Listen: Pearl Jam – Off He Goes (live, QSAC Stadium in Brisbane, 25/11/09)
Listen: Pearl Jam – Daughter & The Wall (live, QSAC Stadium in Brisbane, 25/11/09)
Listen: Pearl Jam – The End & Just Breathe (live, QSAC Stadium in Brisbane, 25/11/09)

Some pictures (thanks to my always wonderful sister, Cara):

The crowd at Pearl Jam, QSAC Stadium
The crowd at Pearl Jam, QSAC Stadium
Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam
Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam in Brisbane, 2009
Pearl Jam in Brisbane, 2009
Pearl Jam, Brisbane
Pearl Jam, Brisbane
Pearl Jam, Brisbane
Pearl Jam, Brisbane


So, the moral of the story? Pearl Jam have a new found fan in me… here’s to a long love affair.

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2008 releases artists concerts guitar live songs music music videos

Coldplay, live at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre

On Sunday night, I was lucky enough to see “superband”, Coldplay, perform live at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Now, I’m going to throw this right out there. Even when uber-popular music blogs like Stereogum feature bands like Coldplay, there always seems to be a massive backlash from the “Hipster Runoff” type kids. The ones who don’t think it’s cool to like a mainstream band like Coldplay. To any of you reading this who might be feeling the same way…

Wake Up.

Coldplay performing live was one of the most amazing gigs I’ve been to. Sure, it may not have the intimacy factor that a gig with Bon Iver might have, but Coldplay know how to bring the raw entertainment factor like no other band. The sheer spectacle of seeing their stage set up, the stadium fist pumping stage sprinting… man, it’s hard to beat.




Coldplay performing “Yellow” live at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The videos included in this blog entry weren’t taken by yours truly, as he didn’t take a camera with him… so thanks to whoever took the two clips embedded here. Watch out for Chris popping one of the yellow balloons with this guitar.

The band themselves were in fine spirits, and really had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand. Much as I wrote back when featuring their live set from the Brixton Academy, Coldplay instill this sense of playfulness to their live shows that somehow manages to deconstruct that image of them being this untouchable stadium band.

In fact, in one of the (many) highlights of the night, the band marched off stage and climbed high into the audience, to a small rafter set up that barely had space for all four of them to stand comfortably. From here they performed the Will Champion led, “Death Will Never Conquer”, and “I’m A Believer”. As Chris Martin said:

“What we’re doing here is breaking down that… that suspension of disbelief that happens with the band being so far away. We want you to see that we’re here too… spots and wrinkles and all. Deep down, beyond all of this, this is what we are a heart: a pub band”

It was a great statement from a band who obviously realises exactly what they’ve become; a band so huge, so massive that they’ve almost become a myth. While that was always inevitable, they’ve retained their roots in a manner that other bands would be hard pressed to do.




Coldplay performing “Fix It”, live at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Thanks again to the taper. Chris changed up the lyrics to “”When you’re high up above or down below, when you’re sitting miles away from the band at a Coldplay show” as a nod to those of us who had to sit miles from the band. After that, it felt like they were sitting right in front of you.

Unfortunately I didn’t manage to take a camera, so I don’t have any shots of the night, and I didn’t take any notes, so I can’t give a song by song review. It wasn’t that type of gig. It was a gig where you simply had to sit back and marvel at the splendour of the night. That said, here’s a set list of their show, for those who are interested:


Coldplay, live at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 8 March 2009 Setlist

Life In Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Yellow / You’re The Voice (John Farnham cover)
Glass Of Water
Cemeteries Of London
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version)
Talk (techno version)
The Hardest Part (Chris piano, Will)
Postcards From Far Away (piano instrumental)
Viva La Vida
Lost!
Green Eyes (acoustic)
I’m A Believer (acoustic)
Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic – Will vocals)
Viva La Vida (remix interlude)
——
Politik
Lovers In Japan
Death And All His Friends
——-
The Scientist
Life in Technicolor ii
The Escapist (outro)



All I can say, after that night?


Freaking Awesome. Thanks, Coldplay boys, for giving us a night to remember.

Categories
artists concerts guitar live songs music music videos rock gods

Neil Young & My Morning Jacket, live at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre

So, last night, I saw titans perform at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Not only did I see My Morning Jacket perform as the opening act, but then Neil Young came on and absolutely tore the stage apart.

There won’t be a normal review post here today, because, frankly, I decided that I needed to go to a show without the concern of posting about it the next day for a change. Hey, even music bloggers need to sit back, once in a while. I will tell you this, however:

1. My Morning Jacket playing “I’m Amazed”, “Gideon” (and geez, does Jim James have a set of lungs or what?) and “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt II”… simply epic.

2. Seeing Neil Young perform “Hey Hey, My My”, “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”, “Cortez The Killer” (with its trademark killer guitar lines), “Needle and the Damage Done”, and freaking “Old Man”?? Absolutely. Insane. Point blank.
Actually, “Old Man” was touch and go there, for a while. Neil had some static issues with his guitar lead and had to stop the song… and he nearly didn’t come back to it. I would have been heartbroken.

3. Neil coming back for the encore with “A Day In The Life” cover. Absolutely mashing his guitar, he managed to break all his strings, and then literally starting pulling his guitar to pieces. I, and I think the rest of the crowd, felt that he was a heartbeat away from smashing his guitar. He didn’t, in the end, but trust me when I say the fire still burns fiercely in Neil’s belly.

All in all… Neil woke me up again. As he sang last night, “Just singing a song Won’t Change The World”. Maybe. But it sure as hell changed us, last night. And change enough people, and you change the world.

And so, with that short recap, I leave you with this…

Neil Young. A god of rock.