Robert Plant 27/10/10

This was Robert Plant's reincarnation of the Band of Joy which was originally a phenomenon in the West Midlands in the sixties although he of course is the only original member of that line-up. I had not checked on who the support act was so it was a delight to see Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara came out on stage to start the gig.

We had seen these two once before as support for Tinariwen and loved every minute. Juldeh is an astonishing exponent of a single-stringed instrument called a riti and Justin plays a bluesy, african-influenced guitar which is part Beale Street and part desert groove and the combination just works a treat. Juldeh's vocals are also an important element and there was one great track which I think may be called "Sahara" but I am not sure. The groove is brilliant and I would have gone to the gig just to see them. I went to buy their new album during the break but I am pleased to say that they had sold out so they must have gone down well.

Robert Plant came on with a band featuring Buddy Miller on guitar which is a big plus for any band and also Darrell Scott (various stringed instruments), Patty Griffin (vocal and some guitar), Marco Giovani (drums) and Byron House (bass).

The set was a mixture of tracks from the band's album and stuff from the 70s and also songs for the three featured musicians (Miller, Scott and Griffin). Despite the inclusion of older songs there was no focus on nostalgia and all the tracks were delivered in the band's style with Buddy Miller's guitar prominent and superb backing vocals , not just from Patty Griffin but also from Buddy and Darrell.

Throughout Plant's voice was exemplary - he has somehow managed an early career involving a lot of high volume singing without damaging his voice. Buddy Miller played fuzzy when appropriate and he picked fast and precisely as well - a tour de force. Patty Griffin had a beautiful backing vocal style - never dominant but always important. She also danced better than they do in 'Strictly' (in my view anyway).

Highlights for me included 'Monkey' a Low song off the new album, 'House of Cards' - also on the album and 'Please Read the Letter' but there wasn't a dud track in the show. Also superbly delivered were 'Twelve Gates to the City' and 'I Bid you Goodnight'a couple of old spirituals. The latter completed a brilliant three track encore consisting also of the Townes Van Zandt track 'Harm's Swift Way' and an old Led Zep track 'Rock and Roll'.

An excellent gig from the first track of the support to the Band of Joy encore. Faultless.

Manic Street Preachers 30/1/92

I was dragged to this gig by my niece who needed a responsible adult in order to get permission to go. I knew nothing of the music and I hadn't even heard of the support act who were "That Petrol Emotion" - great band name. I liked them a lot; there was a lot of energy and attitude but some good guitar playing as well.

The Manics continued with that same theme really, guitar, attitude, energy and also with a real anthemic (but in a good way) feel to a lot of their tunes. I see from a set list that they played loads of stuff from "Generation Terrorists" which is not surprising given it was their only album. I felt at home listening to some quality angry indie guitar playing even though the audience was a lot younger. And I still like listening to the Manics today. They may have mellowed - I'll find out tomorrow when I catch them in Birmingham.

Peter Tosh 30/6/81

Ever since "Catch a Fire" and the superb guitar on "Stir it Up" I had been a big fan of Peter Tosh and having caught Marley's stupendous last ever gig in the UK the previous year, I wanted to see what a Peter Tosh gig would be like.

In a Rainbow theatre dense with smoke, which Tosh contributed to throughout the gig, Tosh cut a talismanic figure strutting around the stage as he played. The single thing that surprised me was how much of a rock'n'roller he was. The man played reggae but he did so with a real rock'n'roll edge. He also surprised me with his athleticism. As the gig went on and he was getting more and more stoned he strode repeatedly towards the edge of the orchestra pit, to the extent that I could see an accident happening. Then in one heart-stopping moment he strode towards the pit and then took a leap across it that didn't seem possible.

The music was storming. "Get up stand up" and "Steppin' Razor" stick in my memory but otherwise the memory of specific tracks has faded. The memory of him and a fired up gig with serious attitude remains. I'm glad I was there.

Jeff Beck - 17/10/10

I saw Jeff Beck last year after a long long gap and was impressed enought to want to take in his current tour. I was more familiar with his current output this time having bought his latest album.

The support was "Trombone Shorty" a funky jazz quintet from New Orleans who stomped around a lot and had a good time whilst blowing some nice brass with "Shorty" on trombone and cornet/trumpet and a good tenor sax player.

Beck's band was different this time round but still a four-piece and they were all excellent musicians. There was a similar feel to the gig in that it was pretty much all instrumental with Jeff's guitar centre stage.

He did some tracks from the album, some covers including a lively version of " I want to take you higher" from Sly and the Family Stone, "Rollin' and Tumblin", "People Get Ready" (Curtis Mayfield)and "A Day in the Life" which he also did last time. For the encore he even did "Nessun Dorma" which was no big surprise as it is on the latest album. I wouldn't have expected to enjoy that so much as it seems to stray into James Last territory to cover such a well known anthem but it works brilliantly with Beck's ethereal guitar sounds fitting nicely with the soaring melody of the song.

There were a couple of stand out tracks for me where the guitar and the melody seemed to gel and with the band on board as well. One was an Irish song that I think is "Mna na Eirean"and the other I don't know the name of. That is Beck at his best, his mastery of the guitar chanelled to deliver some real emotion. At other times I felt my connection to the music was not always deeply felt. I would like sometime to hear him deliver some straight R&B again. It's a shame I was not able to go to Clapton and Beck when they played together earlier this year.

Elvis Costello 4/3/80

Yesterday's destruction of Hastings Pier reminded me that we saw Elvis Costello in the pavilion at the end of Hastings Pier in 1980. It was an atmospheric place to see a band I didn't know very well and the sheer musicality of the band together with Elvis' quirky songwriting and his brilliant singing made it a great gig. I have seen Elvis several time since and every time he has delivered. This was Elvis and the Attractions (Bruce Thomas on bass, Pete Thomas on drums and Steve Naive on keyboards). The band was tight and the guitar, vocal, keyboards interplay was brilliant. The only specific tracks I recollect were the popular 'Oliver's Army' and 'Watching the Detectives' but these were probably the only ones I knew going into the gig so that is not surprising. Hastings Pier was pretty tumbledown even then but that just added to the atmosphere of the gig.
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johnfoyle was kind enough to comment and point me to an article where Elvis recalls being drunk and forgetting words at this particular gig. Amazingly this stirred a deep memory and I subsequently remembered discussing with my wife on the way home this incident during 'Alison' and possibly one other track as well. Thanks for the reference.

Edwina Hayes 3/10/10

I had seen Edwina a couple of times supporting Nanci Griffith and enjoyed her performances so her appearance at the Musician pub in Leicester got me out on a wet Sunday. The support act was a duo called Troubadours who played an interesting set which I struggle to pigeonhole as folk although it was definitely folky. One of the guys played banjo and guitar quite passably and although he did very little of the singing also had a bluesy voice.

Edwina came on with no palaver but just got up on stage with her guitar and started. She sang a number of her own songs featuring tracks mostly from her second album 'Pour Me a Drink' and I was particularly taken with the title track and 'Leave a Light On for You' which were both sung with feeling. She also did a number of covers of some great songs - 'Famous Blue Raincoat' by Leonard Cohen, 'Waltzing's for Dreamers' by Richard Thompson, 'I Shall be Released' by Dylan, 'It's a Hard life wherever you go' by Nanci Griffith and 'Feels Like Home' by Randy Newman. That's a classic set of covers.

She has a beautiful voice that is of the pure English folky variety and she writes good depressive songs about lost and unrequited love and it is surprising to me that so few people have come out to see her. If I was to quibble I could say that the set would be better balanced with one or two more upbeat numbers and I would also love to hear her really let rip with her powerful voice. 'Feels Like Home' may have been even better with some full-on vocals though I am nit-picking really and I will go again when she is in the area.