tblair

13 hours ago, Analogman said:

Are you yobs going to see Oasis this year?

The most overrated, least talented, boring, arrogant twonks to make music?

I saw them at Glastonbury once (I was there, thought I'd see what the fuss was about). They were worse than I expected. They looked and sounded bored. The crowd was bored. I'll never understand their popularity. My daughter went with her then boyfriend to one of the Wembley shows. She said the event, mainly the crowd, was one of the most unpleasant experiences she'd ever had. Noel, the supposed intelligent one, is just a goobby twat.

1 hour ago, Albert Tatlock said:

I wonder if Mikael was itching to have a bash on that organ. 

 

 

 

<Anna Lapwood says: "Over the last 11 months, I’ve been lucky enough to be let into the Royal Albert Hall in the middle of the night for practice sessions on the hall’s magnificent organ. As I’ve explored the strange, beautiful, and wonderful colors that it has to offer, I’ve written a set of new film music transcriptions with that specific instrument in mind, capturing some of the magic that I feel in that iconic building after-hours".>

 

Heard an interview with her on the radio the other day. Also, one of the things that I find is most great about Wilco is the variety of music they encompass, but I have to put on record that I find Bird Without A Tail/Base Of My Skull dreadfully dull. I respect the musicianship, but give me the one note second backing 'balalaika' solo from Back In The USSR anyday. Not wishing to pick a fight with those who love it - the variety of fans of Wilco is also a wonder to behold.

What do you make of Kidsmoke? Or Impossible Germany? 

When I saw The Band there, Garth Hudson played the house organ for Chest Fever 😉

Just to add, Impossible Germany gets the recognition for the guitar playing, but Bird Without A Tail/Base Of My Skull was amazing. The band are shit hot

Here's a bit of it:

Pat is great. What a luxury of musicians Wilco has

I guess the venue attracted an older audience and put off some younger fans. Although I've been enjoying the place since the 70s when I was a teenager, seeing The Band, Johnny Winter and many others, so who knows. 

I get the different atmosphere a stand up gig encourages, but as I've said, I'm old, and standing for 3 hours or so (support band, interval etc) is a struggle. I said before they came on Sunday that seated gigs aren't usually great for Wilco, but the audience was surprisingly (for me) pretty loud and encouraging. I've never seen Jeff look so overwhelmed and happy. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastic the audience was. Considering the overall age, I thought they were not that restrained.

That's just my perception though

Wilco are always great, but last night at the Royal Albert Hall was really special. I was anxious about it being a seated venue, as they don't always bring the best out if Jeff. But the RAH is such a fabulous venue in many ways, it seemed to fo the opposite, and Jeff seemed to really genuinely be loving it. The audience seemed far from "buttoned up" to me. Yes, they stayed seated, but the reception they got from the moment they walked on stage, and after every song was really enthusiastic. I don't know whether their fans are older in the UK than other places, but it was an elderly, but really enthusiastic crowd. I'm 69, my wife 68. I've had a heart attack, she's had double hip replacement and breast cancer... we're grateful for the seats for most of the set , but still enjoyed the standing up part. We were with our daughter who isn't 'that' young, younwe wondered if she was they youngest person there . She'd requested Muzzle of Bees on the website, so we were both thrilled with them playing that. It was a beautiful rendition. 

As impressed as I was with Deep Sea Diver (they were very good), I still would have preferred more 'An Evening With', and more Wilco. Especially at the Albert Hall. It would have been so appropriate. I wonder why we didn't get that?

But a truly fabulous show.

I just received a message from Ticketmaster saying there's a change of concert time, and it's now 8.30. With a support that's late for London. I wonder why?

1 hour ago, bböp said:

Most shows are just one long set. The “Evening With…” shows, of which there were only three scheduled (Fairhope, AL, St. Petersburg and Louisville), are the ones with two sets and a short interval.

Thanks bbop, that's what it looks like.
I'm seeing them in London. Is that 'an evening with...'?

Are they playing one long set, or is it 2 sets with an interval (which is what I thought this tour was going to be)

7 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Yes indeed. I decided I could but did not want to go that high. I don't feel the spark of excitement about the thought of going to see them live that I used to (though still listen a lot etc. and liked Cousin very much) - shows just seem too sedate for me now and if I see someone live I don't just want it to be like listening to the records but standing up the whole time. The only acts off the top of my head that I want to see are CMAT / Yard Act / Mary Wallopers (or Macca in a small venue of course but that's not going to happen and at his age he probably wouldn't match my expectations anyway so I would not want that disappointment to sour my love of him/Beatles). It is nice that they got to the Albert Hall though. I've only been there once - to see Emmylou in the 90's. Suppose I'd always want to see Emmylou live too a few more times to get up to double digits.

it's mostly (if not all) seating at the Albert Hall

got my Royal Albert Hall tickets... yay! Not cheap though. But then, nothing is 

got my Albert Hall tickets. Jeez, it's not cheap, is it?

Seems the only way to get a Wilco crowd standing is to remove the seats.... . Having said that, they're not the 'danciest' of bands. Also, I saw them at the Forum in London last week, and it was a pretty old audience, (no complaints there, I'm definitely in the 'old' category. 67 old?... I think so). We were in the balcony which was seated. I'm not used to being in the balcony as I like to be a part of the fun and not just looking in on it, but we had a great view and the sound was fantastic, so we were quite glad to be able to rest our legs. I guess the downstairs crowd might have been a bit younger...?

There's a great video of the show on Youtube - 

It's a strange selection of songs for a festival crowd..? Weird watching Jeff trying to get what looks like a younger crowd than usual singing along to the opening song of Spiders🤪

Jeff... dear Jeff.... was the baseball cap keeping your face in the dark deliberate? Oh, and Pat, in fact everyone apart from Jeff... cheer up 😉

Fantastic performance though. Love the camera work on Nels for Impossible Germany

Ashamed to say I didn't go last night. Kind of wish I had now, but share your thoughts on recent material. Been to all the other London shows. 'Wilco'd out' maybe. Dunno, the relative lo-fi feel of recent stuff not so suited to Wilco's natural home maybe. Some of the stuff growing on me but it's not Tweedy's strongest material imo.

I enjoyed the Tweedy show at the Palladium more than this. I like his chat.

I'm very glad I went though. An average Wilco show is better than most

oh, and me and my wife both got punched, in the face by a lunatic girlfriend of a guy who was drunk and kept pushing into us. I asked him to stop, and she layed into the both of us. It didn't hurt or anything it was just a random end to the show..!?!?

Loved the show (as usual). Amazing sound. And the new arrangements of some of the songs was great.

But..... the newer songs (from the last 2 or 3 albums) just aren't that good. Too much of the set felt like filler material compared to so many songs they could do. 

And Jesus Etc a mood killer? Far from it, for me.

I'd put either night of Shepherds Bush Empire, and either night from the Roundhouse, and The Roxy, The Forum (maybe my favourite) and ... actually, most other London shows I've enjoyed more.

There's plenty of activity when there is something to discuss. Like a new album, a new tour, Solid Sound, etc. Right now the band is in Europe and most of us aren't.

 

The fact that there's now a Facebook group is probably making an impact on the activity level, however.

the Europeans are in Europe. Usually when they tour here (I'm in Europe) there are people giving set lists and opinions on the shows. There doesn't seem to be anything anymore...

Very underwhelming I'm afraid. Jeff's voice doesn't seem to be up to much any more. That hardly singing/almost talking style doesn't work (for me).
By the way, these forums seems pretty quiet. Is it because the Wilco site doesn't have a link anymore (none that I can see anyway)? 

http://drownedinsound.com/releases/19591/reviews/4150362

 

"Wilco's worst album"

hate to say it, but I agree. Maybe not for the same reasons, but I just got the album, and apart from 2 or 3 tracks, it's pretty devoid of much that I want to hear again. What's with the whispering vocal style? Jeff has a great voice, but not here.

I can't remember the last time I bought a ticket for something more than a year ahead.... 

If sales go well they should tag on a second night in London. Then on the first they can do a run through of Star Wars, and on the second do the same for the new album they would just have brought out by then

whenever I've seen them do 2 shows, it's always been like one long show broken up with a day long interval

I think the 'angst' over the English went years ago

he did mention the Blitz again though

I saw Humble Pie at the London Palladium in the 70's. I also saw Liza Minnelli and Shirley Maclaine there too (took my mum), but they're not exactly rock concerts. 

oh, just remembered, I saw Paul Simon there too on his first solo shows after after the break up of Simon & Garfunkel. I think there have been quite a few 'rock' concerts there in the past

oh, and (my memory..!?!) I saw Marvin Gaye there. How could I forget that!?

That's Stan Doty, the sound man.

does he do Wilco's sound too? if so, he's amazing.

The "5 dudes" comment was after he'd pointed out that there were 5 seats in the front row that had been empty all night. He then asked if anyone was going to sit there, and then when it was 5 guys, he sort of sighed, and said "5 dudes..."

The sound was unbelievable, but then it usually is for Wilco too. I was in the balcony, and there were small speakers hanging from the ceiling that seemed to help make for a fantastically clear vocal sound. A lovely evening

If you walk away from a show like that with anything other than amazement that you've had a chance to experience something that every other Wilco fan would kill to experience, it may be a sign that you need to adjust your expectations--that's all I'm saying. Now I'm done too.

if you only enjoyed because it was something that other people would have liked..?? really? that seems as odd as any reason to me. Kind of "yea, but I was there and you weren't ... nyer nyer"