Following the DJ debut of Colin Meloy, front man of the Decemberists on Good Friday, the Easter festivities continue on BBC Radio 6 Music this evening (Easter Monday) with a full program presented by the Unthanks.
Having raided the BBC archives for live sessions and concerts, the band will be presenting music from among others, Antony & The Johnsons, Portishead, Robert Wyatt and the Watersons. They have also delved into their own music collection so we can expect to hear stuff from Louis Armstrong, Eliza Carthy and PJ Harvey. There will also be a re-broadcast of 'Soup Songs' a documentary on the unconventional life and career of Robert Wyatt.
The Program beginning at 7.00 PM (BST) and lasting two hours sounds totally wonderful. The thing is I am abroad at the moment so may not be able to catch it.
Mental note made to self to hear it on catch up once I return to the UK.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/306BFVp9NpyqTJ6cz06mLqv/easter-monday-with-the-unthanks
Oh I should also add that the show will be followed by a repeat broadcast of a live session the Unthanks recorded for the BBC in February this year.
Showing posts with label Decemberists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Decemberists. Show all posts
Monday, 6 April 2015
Monday, 16 February 2015
The Decemberists at Leeds Academy.
Like last Saturday evening, I spent this one at a venue I had never attended previously. The purpose of my visit to the Academy in Leeds was to see the Decemberists perform live, my first experience of such an event.
Whereas at the Independent in Sunderland last week I stood within touching distance of Hiss Golden Messenger among a crowd of about 100, there were a couple of thousand of us packed into the Academy and I soon realised that my height of 5 feet 8 inches is inadequate when stuck towards the back of such a large standing crowd. Consequently these written impressions are based upon the fact that I could only see about 50% of what was going on up on the stage.
Nevertheless the Decemberists cannot be faulted for their performance. Surely Colin Meloy must be one of the finest front men around at this time. From the first seconds as he wandered onto the stage alone and began 'The Singer Addresses His Audience' he held that audience captivated. Gradually the other band members joined him on stage and we were then treated to a selection of material from throughout their career. Highlights for me personally were 'Lake Song', 'Carolina Low' and 'Make You Better' from the most recent album plus 'The Rake's Song' and 'Calamity Song'. Despite it being St. Valentine's night there is little in the catalogue of Decemberists songs that really create a romantic mood. This was a fact that was humorously acknowledged by Meloy.
Nevertheless the audience loved it and after an encore which included 'The Sporting Life' ending with a portion of the Smith's 'This Charming Man', the band returned to the stage for a final time to present a theatrical version of the 'The Mariner's Revenge Song' (from 2005). Cue much opportunity for audience participation.
Clearly Colin Meloy and colleagues had the audience in the palms of their hands right to the very end.
The tour continues so catch them if you can.
The weekend also gave me the opportunity to spend time with my youngest son including a very pleasant Sunday morning stroll and a lunch in the nearby historic town of Beverley. Lovely!
Whereas at the Independent in Sunderland last week I stood within touching distance of Hiss Golden Messenger among a crowd of about 100, there were a couple of thousand of us packed into the Academy and I soon realised that my height of 5 feet 8 inches is inadequate when stuck towards the back of such a large standing crowd. Consequently these written impressions are based upon the fact that I could only see about 50% of what was going on up on the stage.
Nevertheless the audience loved it and after an encore which included 'The Sporting Life' ending with a portion of the Smith's 'This Charming Man', the band returned to the stage for a final time to present a theatrical version of the 'The Mariner's Revenge Song' (from 2005). Cue much opportunity for audience participation.
Clearly Colin Meloy and colleagues had the audience in the palms of their hands right to the very end.
The tour continues so catch them if you can.
The weekend also gave me the opportunity to spend time with my youngest son including a very pleasant Sunday morning stroll and a lunch in the nearby historic town of Beverley. Lovely!
Friday, 23 January 2015
The Decemberists - What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
The Decemberists - We All Raise Our Voices To The Air
I have just been listening to the new live offering from The Decemberists. If you haven't heard anything by them, then I suggest you might like to correct that as soon as possible.
Formed, like one or two of my other favourite bands, in Portland, Oregon (there must be something in the water there), The Decemberists released their first recorded work - an EP - in 2001. Since then they have released six full length studio albums, and now a live double CD or triple vinyl LP if you prefer.
The songs usually written by front man Colin Meloy, who I now believe is a published children's author, are often based upon folk-lore tales or real historical events. Musically they feature a variety of instruments as aside from the usual guitar, bass, drums, the sound is often embellished by accordian, wurlitzer organ and stand up acoustic bass. The closest comparison I can come up with is to another very fine band, The Arcade Fire.
I have not had the pleasure of seeing them play live yet (my son Paul caught them last year in Birmingham) but their live shows are said to be eccentric affairs utilising a good deal of audience participation. Perhaps there were arguments for this release being in DVD format so we could see as well as hear the performance. Anyway, the recordings were made at various US venues during 2011.
There are twenty songs featured on the album representing the whole of the band's career to date. The track 'Oceanside' that kicks off the second CD dates from the aforementioned 2001 EP while the other tracks come from each of the remaining albums. For the record there are two from 'Castaways and Cutouts', three from 'Her Majesty, The Decemberists', four from 'Picaresque', two from 'The Crane Wife', surprisingly only one from 'The Hazards of Love' and more obviously, seven from the album they were promoting, last year's 'The King is Dead'.
Obviously I haven't compared each of the versions to the originals but the performance hangs together nicely and captures much of the atmosphere and interaction with the audience. If you already have the original studio albums you may want to give this a miss unless you want to recapture the spirit of seeing them live, or you simply have to own everything they release. If you are new to the band, then this could serve as a nice sort of 'greatest hits' introduction.
Whatever your choice, I hope you enjoy. As Colin Meloy says during this performance, 'Your money will be well spent.'
Formed, like one or two of my other favourite bands, in Portland, Oregon (there must be something in the water there), The Decemberists released their first recorded work - an EP - in 2001. Since then they have released six full length studio albums, and now a live double CD or triple vinyl LP if you prefer.
The songs usually written by front man Colin Meloy, who I now believe is a published children's author, are often based upon folk-lore tales or real historical events. Musically they feature a variety of instruments as aside from the usual guitar, bass, drums, the sound is often embellished by accordian, wurlitzer organ and stand up acoustic bass. The closest comparison I can come up with is to another very fine band, The Arcade Fire.
I have not had the pleasure of seeing them play live yet (my son Paul caught them last year in Birmingham) but their live shows are said to be eccentric affairs utilising a good deal of audience participation. Perhaps there were arguments for this release being in DVD format so we could see as well as hear the performance. Anyway, the recordings were made at various US venues during 2011.
There are twenty songs featured on the album representing the whole of the band's career to date. The track 'Oceanside' that kicks off the second CD dates from the aforementioned 2001 EP while the other tracks come from each of the remaining albums. For the record there are two from 'Castaways and Cutouts', three from 'Her Majesty, The Decemberists', four from 'Picaresque', two from 'The Crane Wife', surprisingly only one from 'The Hazards of Love' and more obviously, seven from the album they were promoting, last year's 'The King is Dead'.
Obviously I haven't compared each of the versions to the originals but the performance hangs together nicely and captures much of the atmosphere and interaction with the audience. If you already have the original studio albums you may want to give this a miss unless you want to recapture the spirit of seeing them live, or you simply have to own everything they release. If you are new to the band, then this could serve as a nice sort of 'greatest hits' introduction.
Whatever your choice, I hope you enjoy. As Colin Meloy says during this performance, 'Your money will be well spent.'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)