Albert Tatlock

Yes lovely man. I once had a short email exchange with him regarding a song (bit of an obscure b side that they used to do live a few years back) that I wrongly thought might have been inspired by the name of the American manager Thatcher brought in to try and finish off the miners during the strike of 84-85. Difficult times for Guy's family as they had family members in the striking miners and in the police force (there were some nasty confrontations at the time). In the email he said that our conversation reminded him of the case against the man who knocked the head off a recently unveiled statue of Thatcher (that was some years ago) in a gallery. This man's defence was simply "Well, someone had to do it". Let's just say there'll be a few parties in South Wales where I come from when she pegs it.

Was closer to the front tonight. About 6 or 7 standing rows back. Not sure if my experience of a better sound was a result of a change of location or they made some adjustments. Actually prefer this to being right on the barrier. In with the 'action', though as I say, never expected a Wilco show to get quite that uninhibited. Took me back a few years :-)

This meant I was also under the brim as far as the hat 'issue' was concerned. JT did remove it a couple of times for some acknowledgement to the crowd.

Banter Corner

Again sparse and covered by previous correspondent. The crutches moment was funny. "You know it's a good show when someone raises their crutches in the air". Also made a comment about it showing how long he'd been in the band as if they were playing to OAPs now. Whoever it was should have had some sort of "i'm healed" comeback.

Sorry, given my avatar, can't resist imagining that JT followed that comeback with :-

Just great to see all of them beaming and exchanging smiling glances. They seem to like the venue in particular. Same again next time then please as GA is always preferable.

Box full of letters was a new Wilco notch on my bedpost I think.

Others not mentioned: Hummingbird, ummm I'll get back to you. Still no Being There.

I thought they might fill the encore with Monday etc. But they had other ideas :-)

How about this sort of thing for a win-win on the hat?

Glad you felt the same as me!

This was absolutely joyous. I never thought I'd see a Wilco concert like it. You almost always come away thinking you've witnessed something special in terms of musicianship, some emotional moments, songcraft - all the cerebral stuff that is the compensation for Wilco not quite having the spirit of '77 about them etc. But this was just a total fun sweaty night of jumping around and the crowd being much more than mere spectators. Not a good one for a taping I would have thought - just too much singing, clapping, whooping. You had to be there.

The sound was just right - loud was loud, but you could still make out different things happening within any cacophony instead of a wall of mush. I even got to like about 80% of BBN tonight :-) Re: 'f...ing with the formula': Not even a IATTBYH either tonight - though I never never tire of that song.

I've never thought a Brit crowd were too indie snobby to not go for a pop meets art rock half way type night out. With the extra 4 or 5 up tempo numbers from the new album they can now fill an entire set list with stuff that keeps the pot bubbling.

The start as OSM, then Poor Places, then AoA was a can go home now and have had value for money 1,2,3. The crowd was on side, and from then on it was just one of those wonderful virtuous feedback loops between audience and performers.

ALTWSS was a bit slower at the start of course, but I think Open Mind was only included in order to give Nels a chance to sit down after nearly blowing a gasket during Impossible Germany. I don't often go for the big guitar segment stuff, but he knocked me out then and more than usual with the same song. Terrific. Apart from Open Mind the crowd were bouncing, clapping and fist punching all night. Wow. I like the song itself alot, and it was a bit less twee here than on the album. Really want to hear it next time JT is over here solo.

I think it's obvious how pleased Wilco are with the reception the new stuff is getting - cheers on the first few notes of songs let alone at the end. Many immediate setlist standards and might have been the catalyst for the remarkable new style of almost entirely upbeat set list tonight.

I'll Fight seemed to have had a slightly faster poppier re-tread which I really liked - iincluding the tone of Nels guitar during it.

The main set ended with Shot in the Arm and I was thinking : well, they've rolled out all the big guns, what next to top that?

They only went and iced the f...king cake!

Nick Lowe came out to do Cruel To Be Kind. Nick f...king Lowe! Cruel to be f...king Kind! I found a level of heaven beyond level seven.

You know that video of Wilco backing Roger McGuinn doing "So you want to be a rock'n'roll star"? As much fun as that and then some more for good measure. Love watching JT beaming doing backing vocals.

Intimate London venue.

http://www.clashmusic.com/live-review/ryan-adams-live-at-union-chapel-london

Would have liked to be there but it sold out wat too fast. He was on a Songwriters Circle session the other night on BBC with Neil Finn and Janis Ian

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/crowded-stage-neil-finn-ryan-adams-in-foulmouthed-tv-bustup-20111027-1ml3j.html

Just had a curry to load up with carbs for tonight. Leaving in an hour. Meanwhile ...

http://www.clashmusic.com/live-review/wilco-live-at-the-roundhouse-london

Clashmusic Reviews 2011-10-29 19:23

Wilco - Live at The Roundhouse, London

 

Moonlighting in the support act before taking centre stage in the headlining band may be viewed as spreading oneself too thin; however, hard work is clearly not something that multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone is averse to. After strumming the six-string for Jonathon Wilson in a set that was full of nods to various 70’s stoner rock influences and CSNY-esque song structures, Sansone nipped off for a quick break before joining his ‘day job’ outfit to fill The Roundhouse’s expansive space with a melodious sonic assault on the audience’s senses.

 

Opening with the first track from new album ‘The Whole Love’ Wilco sets the bar incredibly high with ‘Art Of Almost’, an anthemic slow burner that builds to a climactic psych-jam. With anguish laden lyrics crooned over a digital wall of sound interspersed by screeching guitar licks, this inaugural number posits the band to be somewhere between The Jayhawks and Radiohead.

 

Another new track follows, with the whole band giving ‘I Might’ everything that they have in terms of vigour and passion, with the virtuoso lead guitarist Nels Cline infusing each hook with innovative squeals and feedback courtesy of his on-stage mixing board and dozen or so FX pedals. The technical proficiency of Cline is one of the key elements that raise Wilco well above the standard alt. country indie fare; with his bold improvisational skills combined with a seemingly unending knowledge of musical styles, production technique and guitar tones, his performance is tantamount to sheer wizardry.

 

Although the full band are always involved in each of the songs in some facet, the rest of the group hold back on slower songs like the heartbreakingly melancholic ‘Ashes Of American Flags’ and the 12-minute opus of ‘One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)’, where Jeff Tweedy’s warm, beautifully flawed voice is allowed to shine out over the instrumentation, capturing the ears and hearts of all present. Tweedy has not always been such an affable performer; he actually took a break in the show to apologize for his behaviour at a now infamous Shepherds Bush gig over ten years ago, where he become enraged with the somewhat placid crowd and actually launched himself into them with the spirit of an overzealous rock and roll preacher, literally shaking his crowd into action.

 

There was no need for any stage diving to engage tonight’s audience, however, with the crowd chanting back every word to the bigger hits such as ‘I Am Trying To Break Your Heart’ and ‘Jesus, Etc.’ With the venue consisting of approximately 80% males, this is surely one of the only gigs where the queue for the Men’s toilets is notably longer than the one for the Ladies’, (overheard in the Men’s queue, “It’s all right for the girls, they can just nip into ours if they’re desperate; if we do it, we get three years!” Clash sincerely hopes that this punter was not speaking from experience).

 

With almost 20 years in the game, Wilco have the art of nailing down a tight set mastered and a relatively brief but welcome encore that ends in a joyfully sanguine version of ‘A Shot In The Arm’, with the entire audience tunefully begging for dose after dose, “Baby all I need is a shot in the arm…”

 

One gets the impression that no matter what medicine it is that Wilco decide to deliver, they’ll always have a veritable army of fans who are willing to roll up their sleeves, no matter how sharp the needle is.

 

Words by David Harfield

What was really funny was that at the end, and probably speaking live on hearing the interview back and realising it was a bit ropey, he tried to explain it as feeling giddy and light headed on meeting the great Jeff Tweedy. The reality was he only had the vaguest idea of anything Wilco related.

Yeah. Guy Garvey next time Jeff. Deffo. The songs are nice though. As someone else said, last night would be a shock to anyone going on the basis of those though.

Boy the questions are painful. Just some researcher handed O'Leary a crib sheet a few minutes ago sounds like.

Seems recorded in the real day off during the week to me. JT only going to play a song solo after a little interview (nothing special). Dawn On Me now. Born Alone to follow they say.

At least we don't have to sit through much of the show before this started, and I won't be hanging around afterwards.

So "in session" apparently. Ditto Arctic Monkeys.

Did I hear him say Wilco's from North Carolina?

Jonathan Wilson I think.

ps... wasn't Shot In The Arm the last song??...

shortest encore ever from them

You're spot on. Nabbed this from elsewhere and looks more accurate than mine. In the words of Eric Morecambe, all the right notes, but not necessarily in the correct order ...

1. Art Of Almost

2. I Might

3. Ashes Of American Flags

4. Bull Black Nova

5. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

6. One Wing

7. Some Side With The Seeds

8. One Sunday Morning

9. Shouldn't Be Ashamed

10. Born Alone

11. Jesus, Etc

12. Capitol City

13. Handshake Drugs

14. I'm The Man Who Loves You

15. Standing O

16. Impossible Germany

17. Dawned On Me

ENCORE

1. Whole Love

2. Shot In The Arm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015yc05

Maybe some songs in the studio? No idea if R2 have been playing them much lately. JT on Guy Garvey's show on R6 would be something I'd like to hear.

The benefit of a day with nothing else to do in London I guess. Lads, what about all the museums? And its a lovely sunny autumn day. Bit of footie in Hyde Park?

Think I've got all the songs except perhaps one in the encore, but definitely a sketchy order other than they started with AoA ... Head still buzzing, so can spend a few minutes more before coming down and being able to get some kip.

Art Of Almost

I Might

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

One Wing

Bull Black Nova

Ashes of American Flags

Side with the Seeds

One Sunday Morning

Dawned On Me

Jesus, Etc.

Capitol City

Handshake Drugs

Standing O

Shouldn't be Ashamed

Born Alone

Impossible Germany

I'm The Man Who Loves You

Encore:

Whole Love

Shot in the Arm

A.N.Other

So, definitely light on Being There, Summerteeth, and even AGIB, not to mention MA (would love an At My Window Sad And Lonely one day). Maybe more tomorrow. However, very pleased to see a set choc full of the new stuff as it's so good & fresh live.

Jonathan Wilson - after the briefest of Myspace listens I was actually dreading this, especially as I was going to have to see it twice, but it turned out rather good in a AD sort of way - though dare I say with stronger melodies (though I'd be hard pressed to distinguish or remember them now as a bit samey). Also Pat came out to play acoustic with them for the first half dozen songs. They went electric near the end and a good proportion of the crowd broke out into mild bopping. All in all they were pretty well received. Apart from being able to study Mr S in some detail, they also got bonus points due to the bass player sporting a hat in perfect Mike Nesmith Monkee styl-ee. A personal role model of mine.

Banter Corner

All quiet for some time. An uninspiring 'hello London' type exchange, though seemed in good spirits and just concentrating on the music rather than the stand-up. Bit later (another) apology for Shepherds Bush '97 - really Jeff, we don't care any more (even though I myself recently posted some old reports on that show I hadn't seen before just out of historical curiosity).

"Do you know what a rammy is? In Glasgow they say all our songs end in a rammy, a wig-out. Well not all of them do ..."

Well Jeff, a rammy is actually slang for a fight :-). I think you had just the one there...

The Roundhouse was "awesome". They probably appreciated the history of the place with Hendrix And the early Floyd 'happenings'.

Some see you tomorrow type stuff.

Also JT, I think you pull off the hat well, but my big gripe is that with the majority of the lighting coming from above, you might as well have been a Mexican wrestler for all the emotion you could put across and the connection you could make with the audience, albeit a rather hairy one with a mid-western accent and an ability to write rather good songs as well as execute a mean half-Nelson. Towards the end and during the encore most of the lighting was from below and we could see your face. Made a difference to me and did you think the crowd was more animated then or was it just me? Anyhow ...

Now a few random personal comments per song.

Art Of Almost - definitely the most visceral Wilco show I can remember. Maybe the Floyd thing or the retro industrial sci-fi atmosphere of the venue made them start full on and continue largely in that vein. At times the volume certainly detracted from the clarity (I was dead centre in front of the sound desk so this must have been intentional?), and that is a bit of a hobby-horse of mine generally at gigs, but the bass and drums thumping in my diaphragm was a good feeling - Wilco have their Mojo back as far as I'm concerned. I passed on the last couple of WTA-heavy visits to London after catching an early show of that tour period in Spain. That felt like a run of the mill 'rock show' to me, when I had been accustomed to Wilco shows being 'events'. This was a 'rock show' in the most positive energised sense.

I Might - enjoyed Pat in his command bunker using one drumstick periodically on a tambourine. Love his little flourishes here and there.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - as mentioned, a louder/more forceful arrangement than I can remember

One Wing - my second favourite WTA song. Bring back Wilco the Song! I only have 2 favourites from that album ...

Bull Black Nova - I have never liked this song. Was actually getting into it for the first time because of the continued power of the Wilco performance, but the second half turned into a loud unstructured mush, as I always remember it ...

Ashes of American Flags - here I spit in the face of perceived wisdom by stating that I have always found this boring, despite the great lyrics of the second half and Nels' often sublime solos. But that's just me and I'm weird - bring back Wilco the Song! :-)

Side with the Seeds - a SBS track that I think always works well live.

One Sunday Morning - what was totally unexpected here was the amount of soft shuffle grooving this triggered. I found this quite funny given the gravitas of the song, but I would not have wanted it any other way. A man (or woman)'s gotta jig when a man (or woman)'s gotta jig. Secondly, the return of the song after the first controlled fade generated cheers, almost rhythmic clapping, and a wave of appreciation that you normally feel after a guitar solo. Again a little odd reaction that I was not expecting but nice all the same.

Dawned On Me - another of the new tracks that is a winner with me and comes across really well live.

Jesus, Etc. Again I sound like a strange sort of supposed fan by declaring this very very low on my list of faves, but at least it was the proper version not the sing along. I don't know the words.

Capitol City - quite often skip it on record, but BRILLIANT live and seemed like they were having a lot of fun playing it's jaunty tune - plus Mike was in control of the sound effects. Are the bells off a standard sound effects record? Always reminds me of the bells on a Style Council record but I have not heard it in years to compare ..

Handshake Drugs - John brings the bougie as usual and Pat does the knee-bends.

Standing O - Mike has legs? Who knew? Much better live than on album. Glenn = caveman. Really he was on monster form tonight.

Shouldn't be Ashamed - first time for me. Interested to see how much energy and life Glenn gave to replace the rather plodding album rhythm track, and Nels gave us a nice solo. Gaiters and World War One. As a history buff this is right up my street. Got anything on the go based on the Russo-Japanese conflict of 1905 Jeff. Surely there's a song in that north sea fishermen's incident?

Born Alone - was it here that Nels had his Parkinson's attack or on another song. My Alzheimer's means I don't remember.

Impossible Germany - not the usual emphasis on the triple whammy.

I'm The Man Who Loves You - I appreciate it's Sue's song but I have heard this every single time I've seen Wilco (though if it keeps the God awful Walken out of the setlist then I don't mind.)

Whole Love - With the last couple of the main set and during the encore the crowd were really rippling and JT was smiling a lot - probably appreciating the response.

Shot in the Arm - epic fist punching stuff. Being the tidy straight cut kind of guy he is, Mike decides that by this late on in the evening his corner is looking a bit dusty, so sets about polishing his keyboard vigorously with a pillow.

OK, now feeling tired enough to go to sleep. May add more tomorrow in the day but I think I'm spent - though will probably have to deal with the haters. Really Jeff, I do like an awful lot of your songs more than you can imagine, I'm just very picky. Don't you find sycophants boring? :-)

See you tomorrow Wilco.

Goodnight everybody, everywhere ...

Ta very much. Will attend to this on the morrow! Meanwhile I have a show review to write ...

The comments on the fight are at the start of this

There's a One Sunday Morning video loaded by the same person there too.

http://mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/review-wilco-manchester-academy-–-25102011

Review: Wilco @ Manchester Academy – 25/10/2011

 

BANTER: Wilco's Jeff Tweedy

Posted Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - 16:42

By Mary Maguire

 

Wilco’s UK tour might have started off in Glasgow but it only came to life in Manchester as front man Jeff Tweedy sent fans wild at the Academy last night.

 

Tweedy proclaimed: “You are a whole lot better than last night’s audience,” referring to the fight which had broken out during what he bemusedly described as one of the band’s gentler songs. 

 

He said of the punter whose nose was allegedly broken: “The sound was gross, but it was the liveliest thing about the whole night!”

 

Wilco’s set did not disappoint their Mancunian fans, as they opened with extended rock introduction Art of Almost from their Whole Love album released in September.

 

The incongruity of the stage design which featured home-store lampshades alongside standard spot and strobe lighting befitting of rock bands added a fluency to a set which ranged from extended ear-splitting guitar solos to familiar sounding country songs. 

 

Diehard fans were not disappointed as the set moved seamlessly from newer work to old favourites, such as A Shot in the Arm from their 1999 album Summerteeth and I am Trying to Break Your Heart from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

 

Fans were rewarded and probably conceived at last night’s gig where good humoured banter was interspersed with classic guitar duets between Tweedy and the multi-talented instrumentalist and producer Pat Sansone. 

 

The banter was good-natured throughout.  Even when one audience member complained about the high pitched whine of the smoke machine, describing it as ‘analogue’ Tweedy replied: “Of course it’s analogue motherf***er. This is the real world! It’s not perfect!

 

But for Wilco fans, it wasn’t far off.

One good ...

http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/arts/gig_review_wilco_glasgow_royal_concert_hall_1_1928745

The Scotsman

 

Gig review: Wilco - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

 

 

By Malcolm Jack

Published on Wednesday 26 October 2011 00:00 formatPubDate("Wed Oct 26 00:00:00 BST 2011");

“I CAN’T do this, you knuckleheads need to go,” protested Jeff Tweedy, to a hearty cheer from the crowd, as two blokes having a noisy fist fight on the balcony forced the Wilco frontman to pause during what he called “the most tender ballad of the night”.

 

It was an incident weirdly at odds with an otherwise civilised evening in the company of a six-piece who are nearly elder statesmen of American alt-rock.

Fans who have themselves grown older with Wilco will probably have approved of their decision to play an all-seated venue; indeed, it felt perfect for this two-hour range through the dense back catalogue of a band whose music is always involved, rarely predictable and never comes in small doses. “You get Wilco in bulk,” joked Tweedy.

Twelve-minute folky ramble One Sunday Morning – a standout from their new album The Whole Love – was a beautifully judged start to a set that covered all the bases, from the left-field stuff that’s seen Wilco characterised as the American Radiohead (I Am Trying to Break Your Heart), to their forays into plaintive Americana (California Stars).

Nels Cline’s hurricane soloing underscored his reputation as the alternative guitar hero of choice, while Tweedy – whose battles with depression and painkiller addiction are well documented – is tapping a rich vein of personal and professional good form.

“You’re looking great Jeff,” proclaimed a fan during one quiet moment, and the singer seemed genuinely flattered by the compliment. The standing ovation that followed the juddering climax of closer Misunderstood was entirely deserved.

 

Rating: ****

One misguided ...

http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/arts-ents/music-reviews/wilco-glasgow-royal-concert-hall-1.1131173

Wilco, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

 

Published on 26 Oct 2011

Stuart Morrison

 

It is, as the poet Keats had it, the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.

Jonathan Wilson, opening for Wilco on the UK tour, was so mellow as to be almost horizontal. But he and his excellent band won over the crowd with some truly gorgeous songs, with the title track of his second album, Gentle Spirit, quite outstanding.

Wilco, in my opinion, were awful. I know that reviewers aren’t really meant to speak plainly, far less give the game away at an early stage of the proceedings, but there really is no other way for me to put it.

Don’t get me wrong, Jeff Tweedy and his pals are excellent musicians, they have good songs tucked away in the repertoire, but almost from the start, every one of them descended into what can only be described, in Glaswegian terms, as a rammy.

Ironically, of course, their first proper ballad was interrupted by a fight in the circle, with security having to remove the miscreants.

Tweedy handled the situation brilliantly, and started the song again. The interruption prompted his first interaction the audience and he proved himself a charming and engaging front man, promising less talk and more songs.

Wilco’s fans rejoiced, needless to say, giving them a standing ovation as soon as the final aural assault had subsided.

There is no doubt whatsoever that if prolonged bursts of white noise or atonal twiddlings are your thing, then you would have loved this lot. For the rest of us, I suspect that young Wilson was closer to the mark.

HH

I see. Thanks for the setlist anyway.

Nothing about the rumoured Glasgow kiss in the balcony?

Maybe JT didn't make himself clear enough in the sitting versus standing debate.

Wonder if someone will live tweet/post the set list tonight.

This might come in useful:-

Scottie Translator

What time do Wilco come on? ---> Whit time dae wilco 'main 'en?

Remember the Mountain Bed ---> Min' th' ben scratcher. ????

Have fun at the Glasgow show, which by my calculations should be getting going in just a little while now!

I wish. My new(ish) employer has offices there that I have visited once. I was angling for a trip now, but it was not to be - but only have to wait until the end of the week. Huzzah!

I was wondering how you were getting on with the guitar-based song predictions. Seems like I will have to wait until next time to find out ...

Welcome to Wilco Electrical and Lighting

"Our aim is to make the world a little brighter try wilco for lighting with a difference"

http://wilcoelectrical.co.uk/

The shop pictures's great but too big to fit here (though it's small on their website)

Noticed that on your LinkedIn update. Impressed, though probably a bit too obscure for me :-)

Got any charity work lined up?

I must admist I did start to root for the French seeing as they made most of the running, and Parra was taken out twice - one black eye each time - though Trinh-Duc caused more problems. But it was the right result, and I really, really enjoyed watching 'Fatty' Donald's gut bulging out from his jersey - you could tell he hadn't had the weeks of conditioning - but what a great story!

How we missed Priestland - for the kicks and running the back line - Hook was crabbing across way too much.

Like the Beltman reviews - please continue.

Meanwhile, spent the last couple of hours watching Holy Flying Circus -a 'fantastical reimagining' of the controversy surrounding the 1979 release of Life of Brian. Very good indeed. Gilliam-esque surreal in parts and Often very funny. Enjoyed the fact that Palin's wife and mum were played by men in true Python style.