I probably first heard this during to the Quentin Tarantino blaxploitation homage, 'Jackie Brown', which as well as having a kickass soundtrack, has a rather great scene where the characters talk about not wanting to give up listening to vinyl. (Sadly, only available on Youtube in Spanish).
I found this week from Greg Wilson's consistently great blog that 'Strawberry Letter' is actually a much slicker cover of an original by Shuggie Otis.
This joins a couple of Brothers Johnson LP's and 7"s in my collection. They're a great act and one that I've only really discovered in the last twelve months.
The 12" is in great condition, though doesn't contain the 'free colour poster' mentioned on the cover. (I have a sinking feeling that I will now go out and find it though).
Words and pictures about a man and his records. (And gigs, and sometimes T-Shirts or books. But mostly records)
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Hashim 'Al Naayfish' Streetwave 12" Single
It's in absolutely mint condition as well, which is always nice.
Danny Krivit 'Introduces P&P' P&P Records/'d 12" Sampler
I picked this up at Evil Genius in Berhampore, a shop that's more orientated to garage rock and psychedelia than it is disco.
That said, it's compiled by Danny Krivit, who's effectively a deity in my eyes.
Unsurprisingly for a release by someone of his pedigree, the tracks (which were all unfamiliar to me) are all strong, pumping muscular disco tracks but of particular note is the final track, a reissue of the original 12" mix of 'Ain't It Fun' by Queen Yahna, (originally 1976 P&P release), a which has an almost over the top, blaxsploitation wailing gospel diva.
I'm not that familiar with P&P releases but, based on the strength of what's here, think it might become one of my must-buy disco labels, along with Salsoul, Casablanca, West End and Prelude.
Average White Band 'Pick Up The Pieces' Atlantic Records 7" Single
A slice of classic 70's dancefloor funk with a surprisingly Caledonian accent.
Upon original release in the UK, it didn't chart. Later, it became a hit in the US, selling over a million copies and is the bands signature song.
I actually picked up AWB's 'Benny & Me' collaborative LP in a job lot of records about a year ago and was amazed how listenable it is.
Just before Christmas, it again popped up on a 'Holiday Boogie' playlist, curated by none other than Ashley Beedle, that popped up on the Strut Website. (Just proving that it's actually impossible to be original).
Mantronix 'King Of The Beats' Warlock Records 2 x LP
This was a birthday gift from my girlfriend (the copy of 'Exit Planet Dust' was a birthday present from myself) and was apparently a bit of a punt as to whether I'd like it.
I did actually see that this had been released and quite wanted it then, so was very glad to receive it.
I've been working on a post-disco/electro mix for a little while (hence, and, and) so can imagine that I'll be working some of these in here, particularly 'Bassline'.
Mantronix is interesting as hip-hop pioneers go, having absolutely no sampling whatsoever - completely working the electro-funk angle. It's interesting that rather than continuing down the hip-hop route, Kurtis el Khaleel (later known as Kurtis Mantronik) followed the sound to Europe and now makes House & Techno from his base in the UK.
Slightly more enigmatic is what happened to the other half of Mantronix, MC Tee quit at the height of their success to join the US Air Force. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Carol King 'It's Too Late' A&M 7" Single
Two classic tracks from Kings legendary 'Tapestry' set. (Which for many years was the UK's biggest ever selling LP by a female solo artist, before being eclipsed by Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black').
King was originally a Brill Building writer, (along with her then-husband, lyricist Gerry Goffin), King wrote for many of the leading pop/soul performers (not least Aretha Franklin, who released her, 'You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)') before re-inventing herself as a singer-songwriter in the early seventies after divorcing Goffin. (Despite, the dissolution of their personal relationship, they continued to work together).
On 'Tapestry' (which I believe to be one of the 'Ten LP's That Women Should Own'), King revisits many of her classic songs, which had been hits for other performers. (Including her very first hit, 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow', originally a number one for The Shirelles when King was just 18).
Here, 'It's Too Late' is backed with her 'I Feel The Earth Move'.
The US version was released as a double A-Side, but this NZ version appears to have the conventional A/B format.
Sinthetix 'Gateway/Anomaly' & Rukkus 'Big Fly/Aria' No U-Turn 12" Singles
No U-Turn was an absolutely legendary darkside drum & bass label that was pretty much a spent concern by the time I started collecting drum & bass right at the start of the 2000's.
That said, these two releases are right from the end of the labels tenure, being released in 2001 and 2002 respectively. (Indeed, the latter's catalogue number is NUT031, the last ever No U-Turn being released NUT035).
Both are exactly what you would expect (acidic, jittery neurofunk) and join just one other No U-Turn release (in fact, even darker sublabel Nu-Black), 'Mad Different Methods' by Ed Rush, Trace & Nico, which is quite possibly the most horrible drum & bass release that I own (and that's saying something).
I will doubtless pick up further releases on No U-Turn as time goes on, even though it's not really my thing. No U-Turn is really so important for giving drum & bass giant Ed Rush his legendary early releases. (Particularly 'Bludclot Artattack').
I do also rather hanker after a copy of their 'Torque' 3 x LP set, after several years being jealous of my mate Steve's copy. This consistently strong set really cemented the status of the label.
The seller also offered me another few releases and I took a couple off his hands:
Genotype 'Extra-Terrestrial/Angry Business' Renegade Hardware Promo 12"
I was first made familiar with this track from the DJ Fresh mix from Trouble On Vinyl's 'Here Comes Trouble' CD set, released to coincide with their tenth anniversary. I was slightly horrified a while later when I was (against my will) watching the kids movie, 'Spacecamp' and realised where the sample comes from.
Breakage 'Plum Fairy'/Alias 'Admit To Love' Critical Music 12"
I was a big fan of third Critical release, so was rather glad after a prolonged gap not buying records (emigrating and changing careers will do that to you) when I realised that Critical had become one of the eminent drum & bass labels. This is still fairly early but is more of the same, deep, proggy, rolling drum & bass.
That said, these two releases are right from the end of the labels tenure, being released in 2001 and 2002 respectively. (Indeed, the latter's catalogue number is NUT031, the last ever No U-Turn being released NUT035).
Both are exactly what you would expect (acidic, jittery neurofunk) and join just one other No U-Turn release (in fact, even darker sublabel Nu-Black), 'Mad Different Methods' by Ed Rush, Trace & Nico, which is quite possibly the most horrible drum & bass release that I own (and that's saying something).
I will doubtless pick up further releases on No U-Turn as time goes on, even though it's not really my thing. No U-Turn is really so important for giving drum & bass giant Ed Rush his legendary early releases. (Particularly 'Bludclot Artattack').
I do also rather hanker after a copy of their 'Torque' 3 x LP set, after several years being jealous of my mate Steve's copy. This consistently strong set really cemented the status of the label.
The seller also offered me another few releases and I took a couple off his hands:
Genotype 'Extra-Terrestrial/Angry Business' Renegade Hardware Promo 12"
I was first made familiar with this track from the DJ Fresh mix from Trouble On Vinyl's 'Here Comes Trouble' CD set, released to coincide with their tenth anniversary. I was slightly horrified a while later when I was (against my will) watching the kids movie, 'Spacecamp' and realised where the sample comes from.
Breakage 'Plum Fairy'/Alias 'Admit To Love' Critical Music 12"
I was a big fan of third Critical release, so was rather glad after a prolonged gap not buying records (emigrating and changing careers will do that to you) when I realised that Critical had become one of the eminent drum & bass labels. This is still fairly early but is more of the same, deep, proggy, rolling drum & bass.
The Beach Boys 'Good Vibrations' Parlophone 7" Single
Originally considered for 'Pet Sounds', then later recorded and intended to be on the criminally unreleased 'Smile', 'Good Vibrations' is one of two singles (the other being 'Let's Get It On'), which could arguably be considered the greatest pop single of all time.
I have nothing else to say on the matter.
I have nothing else to say on the matter.
Vanishing Point 12" Scores
Vanishing Point, 251 Cuba St, Wellington.
I went in Vanishing Point just after it had opened as a pop up shop and bought a couple of Stray Cats records. That day, I assumed that the lack of EFTPOS machine or proper till were due to either the shop not intending to remain open or the fact that they'd just opened the doors.
Round the time that I picked up a World Party LP there a few months later, I realised that it actually might be part of a longer time business strategy.
That said, there's not a certain informal charm to the store, which sells records, collectable screen print posters and a cornucopia of kitsch/retro home wares.
The records that I found, whilst both being rather exciting, are wildly unrepresentative of the wider nature of their stock. (Which encompasses lots of punk, rockabilly and '60s material).
Fifth Chapter DJ Sampler 'The Heavyweight Selection' XL Recordings 12" Sampler/Single
Side A is The Prodigy's 'Speedway (Theme From Fastlane)', which is worth $10 of anyone's money. (Which reminds me: 'The Prodigy Experience' and 'Music For The Jilted Generation' need to go on my aforementioned 'Must-Have 90's Dance LPs' collection. On the flip is Head-On 'I Want Your Love' (JX Mix), which I've never heard of and I'm accepting to myself will likely never get listened to. Ho hum.
Ten City 'Right Back To You' Atlantic 12" Single
I'm a bit in two minds about this one. I've watched a few videos as part of the even-to-me geeky YouTube "Vinyl Community" where people go on about the "still-sealed" records in their collection. I'm a player of records that collects, rather than a collector of records and as such, if I buy a record that's sealed, I open it and play it. I bought this still sealed for just $6.00. Both tracks ('Right Back To You' in Extended Mix and NY Mix formats and 'One Kiss Will Make It Better') were produced by house pioneer Marshall Jefferson so a bit of a must have. I'm now in two minds as to whether I open it..
Ten City are a fairly new discovery for me, having come across a copy of their debut LP during a charity shop hunt a few months back. The hit off that LP ('That's The Way Love Is') is now one of those tunes that you never noticed before but now find follows you about everywhere.
I went in Vanishing Point just after it had opened as a pop up shop and bought a couple of Stray Cats records. That day, I assumed that the lack of EFTPOS machine or proper till were due to either the shop not intending to remain open or the fact that they'd just opened the doors.
Round the time that I picked up a World Party LP there a few months later, I realised that it actually might be part of a longer time business strategy.
That said, there's not a certain informal charm to the store, which sells records, collectable screen print posters and a cornucopia of kitsch/retro home wares.
The records that I found, whilst both being rather exciting, are wildly unrepresentative of the wider nature of their stock. (Which encompasses lots of punk, rockabilly and '60s material).
Fifth Chapter DJ Sampler 'The Heavyweight Selection' XL Recordings 12" Sampler/Single
Side A is The Prodigy's 'Speedway (Theme From Fastlane)', which is worth $10 of anyone's money. (Which reminds me: 'The Prodigy Experience' and 'Music For The Jilted Generation' need to go on my aforementioned 'Must-Have 90's Dance LPs' collection. On the flip is Head-On 'I Want Your Love' (JX Mix), which I've never heard of and I'm accepting to myself will likely never get listened to. Ho hum.
Ten City 'Right Back To You' Atlantic 12" Single
I'm a bit in two minds about this one. I've watched a few videos as part of the even-to-me geeky YouTube "Vinyl Community" where people go on about the "still-sealed" records in their collection. I'm a player of records that collects, rather than a collector of records and as such, if I buy a record that's sealed, I open it and play it. I bought this still sealed for just $6.00. Both tracks ('Right Back To You' in Extended Mix and NY Mix formats and 'One Kiss Will Make It Better') were produced by house pioneer Marshall Jefferson so a bit of a must have. I'm now in two minds as to whether I open it..
Ten City are a fairly new discovery for me, having come across a copy of their debut LP during a charity shop hunt a few months back. The hit off that LP ('That's The Way Love Is') is now one of those tunes that you never noticed before but now find follows you about everywhere.
Chemical Brothers 'Exit Planet Dust' Junior Boys Own LP
I actually went into Slowboat Records looking for a different LP, but was flicking through the new LP's section and came across this rather emotive LP's cover.
Emotive, jointly because this was such a huge, zeitgeist defining LP when it came out and jointly because I had a poster of the cover on the back of the door of my bedroom for much of my teens.
I was a somewhat morose and serious teenager. A tad obsessive about 'proper' music (this was the nineties, so as a small country town boy, I was somewhat taken with the grainy lo-fi, analogue recordings of many US indie/grunge bands), thinking for the most part that dance music (and the brightly coloured 'raver' types that went with it) was totally fake. (There would be large sea-change a couple of years down the line).
As such, few dance LP's made it into the self-imposed indie ghetto of my record collection, this LP by the men formally known as The Dust Brothers (until they were sued by the Beastie Boys 'Pauls Boutique' producing duo of the same name) was a notable exception.
'Song To The Siren', 'Life Is Sweet' and the chill-out classic, 'One Too Many Mornings' are notable favourites from here, though 'Chemical Beat's is a stomper as well.
It's a good pressing too, only 2 x LP's so good and loud and a decent addition to a section of my record collection that I shall title, 'Must-Have 90's Dance LPs ('New Forms' and 'Modus Operandi' are already in the collection, as is Leftfield's 'Rhythm & Stealth' (a rather dishy 5 x 10" boxset), though I've not got 'Leftism' (though I did once buy my sister a 180g repress version). 'Endtroducing' would be on the wantslist, as would be 'How To Operate With A Blown Mind' and most crucially, 'Timeless'. Watch this space.
Sally Army Dig - 19th January 2013
Salvation Army Family Store, 31 Onepu Road, Kilbirnie.
Usually there's nothing of note in New Zealand op-shops, so I was fairly surprised to find a few LP's worth buying when I dropped into the Sally Army in Kilbirnie on Saturday.
Joan Baez 'In Concert' HMV
$3.00 for a Joan Baez live LP, which kicks off proceedings with 'Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You', which I know Baez did first but I'm more familiar with Led Zeppelins version. I'm actually not that familiar with the rest of what's here, so possibly should hurry up and listen to the other Joan Baez LP which I bought recently.
Judy Collins 'Wildflowers' Elektra LP
As mentioned on my previous Buffalo Springfield/Crosby, Stills & Nash post, I've got lots of songs about Judy Collins, albeit not much material actually by her. Although I'm not familiar, it's got to be worth $1.00, right?
Neil Diamond 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull OST' CBS LP
There was two of these, both gatefold versions, both for a $1.00. That was enough to make it worth a go.
Klaus Wonderlich 'Hammond Pops 5' Carina/Telefunken Records LP
It's weird record corner! Whilst my sampler unexpectedly didn't arrive with my records from the UK, I'm clearly holding some sort of subliminal desire to find produce. It's more than likely to turn out to be terrible, but again $1.00. Kerching!
Usually there's nothing of note in New Zealand op-shops, so I was fairly surprised to find a few LP's worth buying when I dropped into the Sally Army in Kilbirnie on Saturday.
Joan Baez 'In Concert' HMV
$3.00 for a Joan Baez live LP, which kicks off proceedings with 'Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You', which I know Baez did first but I'm more familiar with Led Zeppelins version. I'm actually not that familiar with the rest of what's here, so possibly should hurry up and listen to the other Joan Baez LP which I bought recently.
Judy Collins 'Wildflowers' Elektra LP
As mentioned on my previous Buffalo Springfield/Crosby, Stills & Nash post, I've got lots of songs about Judy Collins, albeit not much material actually by her. Although I'm not familiar, it's got to be worth $1.00, right?
Neil Diamond 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull OST' CBS LP
There was two of these, both gatefold versions, both for a $1.00. That was enough to make it worth a go.
Klaus Wonderlich 'Hammond Pops 5' Carina/Telefunken Records LP
It's weird record corner! Whilst my sampler unexpectedly didn't arrive with my records from the UK, I'm clearly holding some sort of subliminal desire to find produce. It's more than likely to turn out to be terrible, but again $1.00. Kerching!
Buffalo Springfield 'For What It's Worth' Atco 7" Single
I saw this come up on TradeMe but actually forgot to bid on it. A week or so later it popped back up, clearly unsold. It's clearly a case of a) limited appeal, b) it was overpriced or c) the serendipitous nature of record collecting meant that the cosmos knew that this should be in my collection.
Yes, 'For What It's Worth' (which is handily sub-titled on this release as, 'Stop, Hey What's That Sound') is arguably twee in the extreme (as are most '60's protest songs) but it represents the only popular single released by (The) Buffalo Springfield, whom have been tremendously influential on many bands that I've been into since.
In addition, the song marks the first major hit for Stephen Stills, whom was a major influence on me learning to play guitar.
My parents had many Crosby/Stills/Nash (aka CSN) (or iterations therein) LP's but didn't possess (and to my knowledge weren't familiar) with Buffalo Springfield until I advised my Father to buy a copy of the eponymous 1973 Atlantic compilation LP, (I sold it to him on the basis of the inclusion of 'For What It's Worth', which featured on a CSN live video which he had), which I then became fairly obsessive about.
We bought the LP in a rather fantastic record shop in Copenhagen, of which the name escapes me.
In particular, tracks that I repeatedly played were the 9 minute version of 'Bluebird' (about Judy Collins, as is 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' on CSN's first LP) and the Neil Young song, 'Out Of My Mind' which as maudlin as virtually any other song I own.
'Bluebird' was a major influence on me starting to experiment with alternate tunings, which led to a leap forward in my playing.
I also took probably more influence from CSN's first (eponymous LP) and the follow-up, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 'Deja Vu' LP.
My favourite tracks from the first LP, include 'Helplessly Hoping', which I also bought as a 7" single.
For many years, I laboured under the misapprehension that the reverse of the LP features a picture of Neil Young, whom joined the band and played on the follow-up, 'Deja Vu'. I've subsequently learned that it's the drummer Dallas Taylor, whom aside from the three namesakes (Crosby, Stills & Nash) is the only other musician that plays on the record. (Indeed, Crosby & Nash's instrumental, rather than vocal, performances being minimal).
The follow up, 'Deja Vu' is (by my estimation) a bit more patchy but contains Neil Young's 'Helpless', which is an amazing piece of work. ('Deja Vu' is more of a band effort, with Nash's more populist offerings coming to the fore. I'm effectively a Stills fan more than a Crosby, Stills & Nash fan).
Yes, 'For What It's Worth' (which is handily sub-titled on this release as, 'Stop, Hey What's That Sound') is arguably twee in the extreme (as are most '60's protest songs) but it represents the only popular single released by (The) Buffalo Springfield, whom have been tremendously influential on many bands that I've been into since.
In addition, the song marks the first major hit for Stephen Stills, whom was a major influence on me learning to play guitar.
My parents had many Crosby/Stills/Nash (aka CSN) (or iterations therein) LP's but didn't possess (and to my knowledge weren't familiar) with Buffalo Springfield until I advised my Father to buy a copy of the eponymous 1973 Atlantic compilation LP, (I sold it to him on the basis of the inclusion of 'For What It's Worth', which featured on a CSN live video which he had), which I then became fairly obsessive about.
We bought the LP in a rather fantastic record shop in Copenhagen, of which the name escapes me.
In particular, tracks that I repeatedly played were the 9 minute version of 'Bluebird' (about Judy Collins, as is 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' on CSN's first LP) and the Neil Young song, 'Out Of My Mind' which as maudlin as virtually any other song I own.
'Bluebird' was a major influence on me starting to experiment with alternate tunings, which led to a leap forward in my playing.
I also took probably more influence from CSN's first (eponymous LP) and the follow-up, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 'Deja Vu' LP.
My favourite tracks from the first LP, include 'Helplessly Hoping', which I also bought as a 7" single.
For many years, I laboured under the misapprehension that the reverse of the LP features a picture of Neil Young, whom joined the band and played on the follow-up, 'Deja Vu'. I've subsequently learned that it's the drummer Dallas Taylor, whom aside from the three namesakes (Crosby, Stills & Nash) is the only other musician that plays on the record. (Indeed, Crosby & Nash's instrumental, rather than vocal, performances being minimal).
The follow up, 'Deja Vu' is (by my estimation) a bit more patchy but contains Neil Young's 'Helpless', which is an amazing piece of work. ('Deja Vu' is more of a band effort, with Nash's more populist offerings coming to the fore. I'm effectively a Stills fan more than a Crosby, Stills & Nash fan).
The most seventies photograph, ever? |
Band Of Horses Live
Band of Horses, Mike Noga (Support)
'Mirage Rock' LP Tour
Opera House, Wellington (rescheduled from Town Hall, Wellington)
Tuesday 14th January 2013
Band of Horses have played in Auckland twice before, in consecutively larger venues (The Kings Arms in 2007 and The Powerstation in 2010, which I attended), though this show was their first scheduled date in Wellington. Sadly, it appears that they've reached the scale of their appeal, because a larger venue (Auckland Town Hall) was booked for the subsequent Auckland date and then pared back to The Powerstation. Similarly, the original scheduled Wellington date (at Wellington Town hall, a mixed stalls/seated venue with a great balcony view) was rescheduled with a couple of weeks notice to The Opera House.
Put simply, The Opera House is not an equivalent venue. On the day that Ticketek (the Australasian ticket agency) emailed me to announce the change of venues, I went into one of their branches to organise replacement tickets. Band of Horses are my favourite contemporary act and I booked tickets immediately that pre-release tickets were available to Ticketek mailing list subscribers and chose tickets in the reserve seating area. As such, I secured tickets, just off-centre in row AA at the back of the hall right in front of the band. (Band of Horses are an Americana/Alt-Country act, albeit with an indie outlook and a history on the pre-eminent grunge label Sub Pop. As such, a lot of their material isn't exactly the thing that I'd jump about to, even if I wasn't to old and decrepit to do so).
Despite them emailing ticket holders, on going into the Ticketek office, the person behind the counter knew nothing of the gig being rescheduled and advised that I call their call centre to discuss further. I did this and was told, categorically, that my tickets would be replaced with of similarly un-obscured view of the band. I also emailed Ticketek to again reiterate that I expected decent tickets at the rescheduled gig.
Two weeks passed, and the week before the gig my tickets arrived by post.
I'd been allocated row C seats to the far right of the dress circle. I've been to that venue before and knew that was round about where a pillar is situated. I called Ticketek to find out why I'd been allocated such terrible tickets but was told that was all that the tickets were equivalent and that there is no obstruction in that area. (On attending the gig, I realised that I wasn't far out - the pillar, luckily, was immediately behind my left shoulder). After, the call centre operative told me that nothing could be done unless I put my grievance in writing. As such I emailed Ticketek and explained that I'd previously been in the centre block and was subsequently told that the only seats that they had left in the centre block were in row H and were right to one side of that block. Based on their advice that the side area has no obstruction to the view, we, grudgingly, stayed where we were.
Onto the gig: I've been reading about Band of Horses US dates and was happy to learn that their lead guitarist, Tyler Ramsey, whom is a fine singer/songwriter in his own right, had been opening US shows. I sought out Ramsey's second solo album, 'Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea' a couple of years ago and am every bit as bigger fan of his solo material as the band. This makes it doubly frustrating that I missed him opening for the band when I first saw them in Bristol, UK, in 2007. I was as thus slightly disappointed to find that someone called Mike Noga was opening for the Wellington show.
That aside, Noga is apparently a friend of the band through his day-job as drummer in previous Band Of Horses tourmates, Melbourne band, The Drones. He performed introspective folky material (though it's hard to do anything else with an acoustic guitar and harmonica) with a particular style of over-enunciyayshon that was just this side of irritating. His set largely consisted of songs from his recently released 'The Baladeer Hunter' and that albums 'Eileen' (referred to by Noga as "an irish murder ballad, written by someone born in Canberra, raised in Hobart, who lives in Melbourne") was a set highlight.
Noga's third career as a stand-up comic stands him in good stead and he built rapport with his still-arriving audience (though was understandably thrown by someone shouting, "haere mai", when he announced that he's never been to Wellington before). Another high-point was his, 'All My Friends Are Alcoholics' which has the rare privelege of being a song title that I really wish I'd thought of first. Sadly, it's not on 'The Baladeer Hunter', its simply named predecessor, 'Folk Songs', or on his Soundcloud. It's a great song (and sentiment) nonetheless.
Band of Horses are currently touring their Glen John's produced fourth LP, 'Mirage Rock', which continues the trend of each successive LP being more pastoral, more classic country-rock-esque, so you'd expect that their set reflected this trend. You'd be wrong, however.
The five piece band took to the stage at 09.30. Or at least I think they did. From where I was sitting, it looked to all intents and purposes that four of the band was playing with one of the obelisks from '2001: A Space Odyssey' playing lead guitar.
Despite their being four empty theatre boxes on either side of the stage and ample space at the front of the auditorium, the venue positioned the PA system at the sides of the stage itself. As such, those sitting on the right of the hall couldn't see Tyler Ramsey and (according to the review on the (Wellington newspaper) Dominion Post website, the right side couldn't see multi-instrumentalist Ryan Murphy either). In addition, the Opera House is an all seated venue and as such wasn't even suitable for a rock show anyway.
Thanks of course also goes to the utterly incompetent Ticketek, whom assured me that my seats would not have an incumbered view. Pearl Jam (whom Band Of Horses opened for on a major US tour) took on the hegemony of Ticketmaster over rock shows in the US and I dearly wish that someone would do the same with Ticketek here. Shihad are probably the biggest NZ rock band, so I'm suggesting they do it. Shihad: grow a pair and stop us getting messed about.
It smacks of total incompetence on the part of promoters of gigs in Wellington that shows here are regularly rescheduled to different venues. Promoters consistently under or over-estimate the relative appeal of touring acts. I've seen Fleet Foxes at The Town Hall (rescheduled from The Hunter Lounge, which is less than half the size) and had tickets for De La Soul at The San Francisco Bath House (a club), which was later rescheduled for the Opera House. One questions what kind money grabbing promoter would reschedule a hip-hop show in an all seater venue? I didn't even bother to attend.
Band of Horses obviously attract a level of devotion that it appears from my friends reports that De La Soul didn't (their audience at The Opera House remaining sedentary) and the band had a standing audience of a good 200 by the end of the first song. Despite their obvious discomfort with it, Opera House security left the audience standing. (Though set two security members on the balcony to glower over the audience and shine torches on anyone filming - evidently one of the venues concerns for the theatre/comedy shows that they're better suited to hosting).
The band rattled through the first six or seven songs, leaving minimal breaks between songs - a trick which I wonder was copied off of Foo Fighters (another former touring partner).
Sadly, the poor view of the band was matched with extremely poor sound. Their debut LP opener, the steel guitar led, 'The First Song' was a particular nadir, with Ben Bridwell's vocals being completely lost in the mix.
My favourite Band Of Horses LP is the first that I got to know, their sophomore effort 'Cease To Begin' and this formed the backbone of the set, with a shorter list of tracks being excluded ('Detlef Schrempf', 'Lamb on the Lam (in the City)' and 'Window Blues') than the ones they played.
The remainder of the set mixed the familiar; their debut's 'Great Salt Lake' and 'Funeral' (which Bridwell called their "fake last song" and was played immediately before they left stage - returning later for an encore) and the less so, the latest LP's 'Fued' providing a similar highpoint to the last third of the set as it does to the LP.
Sadly, the last period of the set was further beset by poor sound and Bridwell's frustration was clear during a stop start 'No One's Gonna Love You', during which his usually pitch-perfect vocal delivery went awry.
Band of Horses usually play with a pretty substantial stage set and Bridwell's trademark Marshall Bluesbreaker amp was visibly placed off stage left, facing outward, presumably due to the limited space or feedback issues on the wooden theatre stage. Sadly, he clearly had issues monitoring his guitar signal, so the sound was perhaps as unsatisfactory on-stage as it was off.
All in all, a great band, playing great material in a poor venue, with poor sound and poor organisation. A sadly squandered opportunity for the bands first Wellington show, albeit totally out of their control.
Oh - and don't get me started on the idiotic girl who got on stage four (repeat: four) times.
'Mirage Rock' LP Tour
Opera House, Wellington (rescheduled from Town Hall, Wellington)
Tuesday 14th January 2013
Band of Horses have played in Auckland twice before, in consecutively larger venues (The Kings Arms in 2007 and The Powerstation in 2010, which I attended), though this show was their first scheduled date in Wellington. Sadly, it appears that they've reached the scale of their appeal, because a larger venue (Auckland Town Hall) was booked for the subsequent Auckland date and then pared back to The Powerstation. Similarly, the original scheduled Wellington date (at Wellington Town hall, a mixed stalls/seated venue with a great balcony view) was rescheduled with a couple of weeks notice to The Opera House.
Put simply, The Opera House is not an equivalent venue. On the day that Ticketek (the Australasian ticket agency) emailed me to announce the change of venues, I went into one of their branches to organise replacement tickets. Band of Horses are my favourite contemporary act and I booked tickets immediately that pre-release tickets were available to Ticketek mailing list subscribers and chose tickets in the reserve seating area. As such, I secured tickets, just off-centre in row AA at the back of the hall right in front of the band. (Band of Horses are an Americana/Alt-Country act, albeit with an indie outlook and a history on the pre-eminent grunge label Sub Pop. As such, a lot of their material isn't exactly the thing that I'd jump about to, even if I wasn't to old and decrepit to do so).
Despite them emailing ticket holders, on going into the Ticketek office, the person behind the counter knew nothing of the gig being rescheduled and advised that I call their call centre to discuss further. I did this and was told, categorically, that my tickets would be replaced with of similarly un-obscured view of the band. I also emailed Ticketek to again reiterate that I expected decent tickets at the rescheduled gig.
Two weeks passed, and the week before the gig my tickets arrived by post.
I'd been allocated row C seats to the far right of the dress circle. I've been to that venue before and knew that was round about where a pillar is situated. I called Ticketek to find out why I'd been allocated such terrible tickets but was told that was all that the tickets were equivalent and that there is no obstruction in that area. (On attending the gig, I realised that I wasn't far out - the pillar, luckily, was immediately behind my left shoulder). After, the call centre operative told me that nothing could be done unless I put my grievance in writing. As such I emailed Ticketek and explained that I'd previously been in the centre block and was subsequently told that the only seats that they had left in the centre block were in row H and were right to one side of that block. Based on their advice that the side area has no obstruction to the view, we, grudgingly, stayed where we were.
Onto the gig: I've been reading about Band of Horses US dates and was happy to learn that their lead guitarist, Tyler Ramsey, whom is a fine singer/songwriter in his own right, had been opening US shows. I sought out Ramsey's second solo album, 'Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea' a couple of years ago and am every bit as bigger fan of his solo material as the band. This makes it doubly frustrating that I missed him opening for the band when I first saw them in Bristol, UK, in 2007. I was as thus slightly disappointed to find that someone called Mike Noga was opening for the Wellington show.
That aside, Noga is apparently a friend of the band through his day-job as drummer in previous Band Of Horses tourmates, Melbourne band, The Drones. He performed introspective folky material (though it's hard to do anything else with an acoustic guitar and harmonica) with a particular style of over-enunciyayshon that was just this side of irritating. His set largely consisted of songs from his recently released 'The Baladeer Hunter' and that albums 'Eileen' (referred to by Noga as "an irish murder ballad, written by someone born in Canberra, raised in Hobart, who lives in Melbourne") was a set highlight.
Noga's third career as a stand-up comic stands him in good stead and he built rapport with his still-arriving audience (though was understandably thrown by someone shouting, "haere mai", when he announced that he's never been to Wellington before). Another high-point was his, 'All My Friends Are Alcoholics' which has the rare privelege of being a song title that I really wish I'd thought of first. Sadly, it's not on 'The Baladeer Hunter', its simply named predecessor, 'Folk Songs', or on his Soundcloud. It's a great song (and sentiment) nonetheless.
Band of Horses are currently touring their Glen John's produced fourth LP, 'Mirage Rock', which continues the trend of each successive LP being more pastoral, more classic country-rock-esque, so you'd expect that their set reflected this trend. You'd be wrong, however.
The five piece band took to the stage at 09.30. Or at least I think they did. From where I was sitting, it looked to all intents and purposes that four of the band was playing with one of the obelisks from '2001: A Space Odyssey' playing lead guitar.
Despite their being four empty theatre boxes on either side of the stage and ample space at the front of the auditorium, the venue positioned the PA system at the sides of the stage itself. As such, those sitting on the right of the hall couldn't see Tyler Ramsey and (according to the review on the (Wellington newspaper) Dominion Post website, the right side couldn't see multi-instrumentalist Ryan Murphy either). In addition, the Opera House is an all seated venue and as such wasn't even suitable for a rock show anyway.
Thanks of course also goes to the utterly incompetent Ticketek, whom assured me that my seats would not have an incumbered view. Pearl Jam (whom Band Of Horses opened for on a major US tour) took on the hegemony of Ticketmaster over rock shows in the US and I dearly wish that someone would do the same with Ticketek here. Shihad are probably the biggest NZ rock band, so I'm suggesting they do it. Shihad: grow a pair and stop us getting messed about.
It smacks of total incompetence on the part of promoters of gigs in Wellington that shows here are regularly rescheduled to different venues. Promoters consistently under or over-estimate the relative appeal of touring acts. I've seen Fleet Foxes at The Town Hall (rescheduled from The Hunter Lounge, which is less than half the size) and had tickets for De La Soul at The San Francisco Bath House (a club), which was later rescheduled for the Opera House. One questions what kind money grabbing promoter would reschedule a hip-hop show in an all seater venue? I didn't even bother to attend.
Band of Horses obviously attract a level of devotion that it appears from my friends reports that De La Soul didn't (their audience at The Opera House remaining sedentary) and the band had a standing audience of a good 200 by the end of the first song. Despite their obvious discomfort with it, Opera House security left the audience standing. (Though set two security members on the balcony to glower over the audience and shine torches on anyone filming - evidently one of the venues concerns for the theatre/comedy shows that they're better suited to hosting).
The band rattled through the first six or seven songs, leaving minimal breaks between songs - a trick which I wonder was copied off of Foo Fighters (another former touring partner).
Sadly, the poor view of the band was matched with extremely poor sound. Their debut LP opener, the steel guitar led, 'The First Song' was a particular nadir, with Ben Bridwell's vocals being completely lost in the mix.
My favourite Band Of Horses LP is the first that I got to know, their sophomore effort 'Cease To Begin' and this formed the backbone of the set, with a shorter list of tracks being excluded ('Detlef Schrempf', 'Lamb on the Lam (in the City)' and 'Window Blues') than the ones they played.
The remainder of the set mixed the familiar; their debut's 'Great Salt Lake' and 'Funeral' (which Bridwell called their "fake last song" and was played immediately before they left stage - returning later for an encore) and the less so, the latest LP's 'Fued' providing a similar highpoint to the last third of the set as it does to the LP.
Sadly, the last period of the set was further beset by poor sound and Bridwell's frustration was clear during a stop start 'No One's Gonna Love You', during which his usually pitch-perfect vocal delivery went awry.
Band of Horses usually play with a pretty substantial stage set and Bridwell's trademark Marshall Bluesbreaker amp was visibly placed off stage left, facing outward, presumably due to the limited space or feedback issues on the wooden theatre stage. Sadly, he clearly had issues monitoring his guitar signal, so the sound was perhaps as unsatisfactory on-stage as it was off.
All in all, a great band, playing great material in a poor venue, with poor sound and poor organisation. A sadly squandered opportunity for the bands first Wellington show, albeit totally out of their control.
Oh - and don't get me started on the idiotic girl who got on stage four (repeat: four) times.
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