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Never seen Tweedy so relaxed as he was tonight. Very quiet for first ten songs or so but then never shut up. Amazing end - power failure before they got the chance to play Outtasite and Monday (which were scheduled according to Stan) so we got Someone Else's Song solo acoustic and without power to finish off. Thought it was gonna be Acuff Rose for a moment there but great nonetheless.

 

Setlist in order:

 

Ashes...

BBN

Shot In The Arm

Side With The Seeds

IATTBYH

One Wing

ALTWYS

Impossible Germany

Country Disappeared

Handshake drugs

I'll Fight

PKB

Box Full Of Letters

Sonny Feeling

Jesus Etc (just crowd with Jeff joining in last bit)

Theologians

ITMWLY (big Jeff build up for Glenn who did his best ever showboating on the drum risers)

Hummingbird

-------------

VC

Spiders

-------------

Late Greats

HMD

Walken

Someone Else's Song (solo unplugged)

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keeprighton2 sums up my feelings exactly. That's the 8th time I've seen them and definitely the most relaxed they've been. Felt like they were having a lot of fun, and it transmitted to the crowd.

 

Highlights: Jeff trying to start a rivalry between the London and Leeds crowds to get us to sing louder: "they said you guys wouldn't sing loudly" or something like that (and then admitting that he knew that we knew that he was lying); Jeff explaining that American crowds sang (and then appearing surprised that a large percentage of the crowd were Americans); Opening with Ashes (!); the unamplified SES, with everyone basically silent until we sangalong on the last chorus (helped that I was down the front, don't know how well his voice would have carried to the back rows); Glenn's showboating with the entire crowd chanting for him; Nels and his roadie keeping it together when his guitar kept distorting; crowd participation on Jesus Etc.

 

Only a few lowlights: everyone around me got a setlist and I didn't; and we didn't get Monday or Outtasight (which I'd requested, too).

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Hi there,

 

I am new to this forum, yesterday was the 2nd time seeing this wonderful band, I saw them at Troxy earlier this year, but this show was so much better, Jeff was soooo relaxed and the sound was great, I could hear the solos so clearly, Nels was on fire, for me the highlight would be Ashes, Hummingbird, Jeff having so much fun during this song, I mean I am at loss for words.

 

I have seen so many bands this year, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Neil Young, Fleet Foxes, Dave Matthews Band, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, and I can say, this was my second favourite after Springsteen at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Springsteen is still the best live act, but Wilco is definitely the best band around in terms of talent, musicality and tightness, these guys can really play, there was not one false note coming out of their instruments and Jeff's voice was like WTF. :worship

 

Anyway, really really amazing show yesterday, you Americans are so lucky to be able to see them so often.

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Only a few lowlights: everyone around me got a setlist and I didn't; and we didn't get Monday or Outtasight (which I'd requested, too).

 

On the subject of requests was expecting Say You Miss Me as this won the most votes on the website - shame, would love to have heard that.

 

As you say, lot of Americans there last night, normal though, I guess, as this is London. Amazing too how much Jeff has changed his onstage persona playing here. Used to be very uptight for some reason (possibly because London crowds are hard to please). That said, some people used to like going to Wilco gigs just to wind him up. It made for quite a spectacle when the old Tweedy venom got going and added to the entertainment value. Much happier in his own skin these days though and he seemed very happy last night - though it took him nearly half the show to say anything at all. Thereafter he was babbling away between every song - he ought to do that from the start - he's an engaging and very entertaining front man when he gets the banter going, just seems to take ages to warm up.

 

Enjoy the European mainland shows whoever's going!

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As you say, lot of Americans there last night, normal though, I guess, as this is London. Amazing too how much Jeff has changed his onstage persona playing here. Used to be very uptight for some reason (possibly because London crowds are hard to please).

 

Yes, I wasn't surprised to see them (most Wilco shows I've been to seem to have a large number of Americans, even in Portugal there were some who'd come over specially for the tour). It seemed like Jeff was surprised though.

 

Interesting (and good) to hear about the change in his persona. I'd noticed the same sort of thing in other shows (Australia: lots of banter with the audience, seemed like some were trying to wind him up; New Zealand: didn't speak for 13 songs, then wouldn't stop talking :) ).

 

Oh, the handclapping along while he remonstrated with us for not clapping as loud as we would for Queen...or Queensryche...or (who were the other bands?): "you probably saw those bands...you were probably in those bands".

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It was my first Wilco gig last night and it was amazing! My ears still aren't quite back to normal. Jeff seemed to be really enjoying himself too. I dunno if its just me but he seems to have lost alot of weight since the Ashes DVD was recorded, he looked better. I know thats irrelevant - just an observation.

 

Highlights for me: Ashes, Bull Black Nova, IATTBYH, Walken and Spiders was awesome.

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Great setlist. That's pretty crazy about the power failure, although the conspiracy theorist in me says the venue cut the power to enforce a curfew. :monkey

 

Not sure it was a curfew cut off. The power only seemed to be off on Pat's side of the stage and they tried to fix it for minute or so. Jeff then said something about not being able to finish the set then dashed off into the wings for another minute or so while the crowd booed, only to return with one of his acoustic guitars and lean over the front of the stage to give us his unplugged version of SES (you could hear him fine from in front of the mixing desk where I was but was probably a bit of a strain further back under the balcony)

 

By the way, I reckon over half the set was different from Troxy in August which was great. I noticed he played the songs off The Album which he didn't play in London last time and left off most of the ones he did play at Troxy, even Wilco The Song which surprised me. Variety any day of the week for me. Top night and the singing was top notch on Jesus, as was the 'Glenn, Glenn, Glenn' chant before ITMWLY.

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Fantastic gig last night, fourth time of seeing them and can honestly say that they get better and better, some of Nels Clines guitar work was manic.

Can confirm that those of us up in the balcony could hear Jeff fine at the end, it was probably the only time during the whole gig that the sound was any good.

highlights, well to have my favourite song, altwys, followed by Germany was pretty special, as was spiders during the encores.

why don't they tour here more?!?!

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why don't they tour here more?!?!

 

Well you did also get to see them August 25th at the Troxy, which means that between the Leeds and two London gigs, Wilco has played in England more than they've played in Illinois this year. ;)

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Well you did also get to see them August 25th at the Troxy, which means that between the Leeds and two London gigs, Wilco has played in England more than they've played in Illinois this year. ;)

 

 

Fair point, we've not done bad this year. They're such a great band it's just a bugger that we don't see more of 'em though.

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"Talk amongst the internets the day after this sold-out Wilco show at The Forum was that it was one of their best AND worst performances…"

 

really...? i din't see anything anywhere negative about the show at all... where was this?...

 

and why on earth could it have concievably been described as the the worst??

very nice pics though...

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Just remembered a nice bit of audience/Jeff banter. About eight songs in, after a couple of quieter, newish ones, someone yells out "play the hits!". Jeff replies "Play the hits? Where have you been man? These are the hits!".

 

Dude: they also played the Green Man festival in the UK, just before the Troxy. But of course there are 60 million people in the UK....

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Just remembered a nice bit of audience/Jeff banter. About eight songs in, after a couple of quieter, newish ones, someone yells out "play the hits!". Jeff replies "Play the hits? Where have you been man? These are the hits!".

 

Dude: they also played the Green Man festival in the UK, just before the Troxy. But of course there are 60 million people in the UK....

 

Yep, was at all three gigs in the UK this summer/autumn-winter. Without a doubt Forum was the pick of the three. Great to see Tweedy so 'up for it' again, lost a bit of weight and is on fire at the moment.

 

By the way great review above in The Indy. Always though Andy Gill who wrote it was the Andy Gill from Gang Of Four, but not the case apparently. A different one.

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