| Author | Message | ||
| white_cloud
Senior Member Username: white_cloud Post Number: 498 Registered: 11-2007 |
Well last night Allan Holdsworth came to town with the superlative Ernest Tibbs on bass and Chad wackerman on drums! Quite simply the gig of the year for me! The band were incredible - both Ernest and Chad taking several solos each! Best of all though was Allan himself - beyond incredible! I stood next to him throughout (tiny venue folks - just the way I like it) and was astounded at his total virtuosity. He was definitely in another zone whilst playing. Best of all though for me (as a confirmed Holdsworth fanatic) was when he took a bottle of beer from me between songs and quaffed it with relish! Superb (sorry Graeme but I just had to mention it - as you knew I would  ) But man, at the start of the show Allan was shaking like a leaf with nerves - it just goes to show that these guys are human after all! John. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 7084 Registered: 5-2002 |
Nice review; thanks! | ||
| glocke
Senior Member Username: glocke Post Number: 462 Registered: 9-2002 |
cool..saw chad wackerman ages ago playing with zappa..great drummer | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 3284 Registered: 7-2004 |
My wife and I attended the 30th SEVA anniversary celebration concert last night at the Paramount Theater in Oakland. David Crosby & Graham Nash (their harmonies on "Guinnevere" were the best I heard them do in many years), Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos, and surprise guest Elvis Costello. Best show I've seen in a while. Bill, tgo | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 7086 Registered: 5-2002 |
SEVA Foundation! Cool! | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1928 Registered: 10-2002 |
Have to agree with John. it was indeed a superb gig. We were standing at the other side of the stage so go to see and hear much more of what Ernest and Chad were doing. I was very impressed. Sunday coming is Level 42 - that should be fun as should Oct 24th ewhen I see my favourite canadian guitarist - Pat Travers. Graeme | ||
| bigbadbill
Senior Member Username: bigbadbill Post Number: 465 Registered: 10-2003 |
I thought about going to see Allan this year but decided against it. I only really went last year to see Jimmy J, and despite his presence (and great playing) I didn't really enjoy it. Unfortunately Allan's music leaves me cold, and I'm not a fan of Chad after seeing him; I was hopeful for the gig, but actually enjoyed it less than I expected, which was very disappointing. I'm pleased to hear you guys enjoyed the gig though; it's always nice seeing someone you're a big fan of at close quarters. Pat Travers eh Graeme? A blast from the past.... | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1929 Registered: 10-2002 |
Always been a fan shaun. In my first band as a teenager we used to play several of his songs - Snortin Whiskey, Life in London, rock'n'roll suzie and Boom Boom out go the lights. I'm hoping he'll be playing a greatest hits gig. Graeme | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1932 Registered: 10-2002 |
A couple of pics I took on my mobile.. They call him Mr Tibbs.  Just showing how small the venue is..  Graeme | ||
| jet_powers
Advanced Member Username: jet_powers Post Number: 381 Registered: 2-2003 |
Cool pics... Pat Travers, eh? That makes me deeply envious. He's one of my favorites too. It seems he never comes to the New England area. If he does I never hear about it until it's too late. I wish I could attend with you. I'll be looking forward to your review! -JP | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1940 Registered: 10-2002 |
Well, Level 42 came and went. I'm in two minds about last night's concert. The energy and playing were superb as you'd expect and the set list was one hit after another. My only gripe with the evening is that Mark's bass was too loud, drowning out the guitar totally and almost rendering Mike Lindup's keyboards redundant. I don't know if this was because I was only a few yards from the front so would in all probability be getting most of the bass from Mark's amp. I do know that 2 years ago I was further back (in a different venue) and the sound levels were perfect. It was only the second night of the tour so I guess the sound guys will still be trying to iron out level problems and it has to be said, at the end of the gig, Mark was asking the audiences opinion on the set. I only took a couple of photo's with my phone (and the close ups have come out really small) so here's the only one I feel worth posting.  If you look very closely and use your imagination, there are two Alembic players in frnt of me. John 'White Cloud' is directly below Marks' amps and ian Petch (from Edinburgh) is roughly below the guitarist's mic stand. Lucky to get pics of them as the audience was on it's feet for most of the gig. I saw John taking photos so hopefully he will be able to post some better ones. During the night, Mark played 2 custom Status King basses - one walnut topped with Blue LEDs and the other a quilt maple one with Green Leds. On a more positive note, the support band were superb - The Mercury Men; three guys with acoustic guitars an perfect harmonies - maybe the next crosby stills and nash. Graeme | ||
| georgie_boy
Senior Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 545 Registered: 8-2005 |
Were the Status basses any good Graeme?? | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1941 Registered: 10-2002 |
Looked very nice. I couldn't really tell what they sounded like as they were booming / muffled in equal quantity. Interestingly, the only time I felt the Bass had real definition (my opinion mind you) was during Marks plucked playing rather than the slapping he's better known for. Graeme | ||
| white_cloud
Senior Member Username: white_cloud Post Number: 505 Registered: 11-2007 |
I must be totally honest guys - the sound was awful and the set-list left me extremely disapointed  The Sax and guitar may as well have been left unplugged from where I was sitting - both being completely unheard for the duration. I was also relly looking forward to seeing/hearing Gary Husband on the drums...another disapointment. The drum sound was flat! Mark King was about as un-flamboyant as I have seen him on bass - he kept it simple and didnt show-boat at all. Its odd that you didnt hear the keyboards Graeme - at times I thought they totally dominated the sound! Weird for the Concert hall - it has a wonderful reputation for superb acoustics! It was all a little underwhelming for me but Im sure the L42 diehards loved it anyway! John. | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1967 Registered: 10-2002 |
Well, I'm sorry John, but the gig of the year for me was friday last, back at the Ferry with the excellent Pat Travers band. A night of all out hard rockin' with hit after hit. One song - Ask me Baby - from a soon to be released album then more hits. The only well known song they didn't play was rock'n'roll suzie but he managed to fit everything else in from Stop and Smile to Boom Boom. Pat also showcased his mastery of the Blues with superb covers of Red House and an old robert Johnson song - If I had Possesion over judgement day. Fantastic sound in a cosy venue. The rest of the band were Rodney O'Quinn on bass, Kirk McKim on guitar and Sean Shannon on drums. Rodney used a white precision through an SVT/4x10 rig while Pat and Kirk both played PRS guitars (Pat used a Vigier for a couple of 'slide' numbers). I only managed a couple of half decent pics on my phone...   I have to say, they were the tightest sounding band I've seen in a while - we had a thoroughly great night out (although, the less said about the rory gallagher tribute warm up band the better). This tour is primarily promoting Pat's latest live album . "Stick With What You Know. Live In Europe". I'll certainly be buying it! Graeme | ||
| bassman68
Member Username: bassman68 Post Number: 60 Registered: 10-2007 |
Well chaps, i'm off to see Level 42 tomorrow night (tues) in sunny southend! I will keep you posted if the sound has improved. BTW & FYI I used to work for Status in the late 80s/early 90s & worked on Marks matrix (the black ones) & his empathy headed 4 & 5 strings :-) (i have photos somewhere!) Steve (Message edited by Bassman68 on October 27, 2008) (Message edited by Bassman68 on October 27, 2008) | ||
| bassman68
Member Username: bassman68 Post Number: 61 Registered: 10-2007 |
Well,the Level 42 gig came & went..After fighting through traffic & snow flurries, we arrived too late to catch anything of the support band. Had balcony seats, slap bang in the middle, so a good view of stage & the sound had time to develope. I had some reservations about the p.a in general but i think the soundguys have obviously worked on the sound since Jacko & Whitecloud saw them, the only bad mix was the guitar to begin with, which was too quiet. The keyboards sound came & went occasionally but was more due to the actual patch sounds if anything. It made such a change to hear Mike Lindups vocals on all the classics. Gary Husband's drumming was top-notch as always (one of my favourite drummers). My only critiscism was the sound of Mark King's new Status king basses, I don't know whether it's the 32'' scale but the bottom 'E' string lacked punch & clarity ( not something that would have mattered in his old Alembic era). Overall a good gig which must have had input from the fanclub as the set featured some great early tracks & of the 6 times i've seen the band, the 1st time i've heard Mark actually play 'dunetune'. Steve | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1969 Registered: 10-2002 |
Sounds like you caught a good one. Lucky Guy! Dune tune is one of my favourites - makes a nice workout on fretless. Graeme | ||
| goop
New Username: goop Post Number: 8 Registered: 7-2008 |
I am so envious. Level 42 has been a favourite band since first hearing them on cfny in toronto in 1982. I saw them one time in 1986. The show was awesome. I would love to take my son to a show, but its not likely we'll go abroad to do so. I can't understand why they were/are not more popular. Same goes for Jamiroquai, another favourite. Great songs, outstanding musicianship...I have always loved Rush too, for the same reasons, but they seem to be quite popular globally these days. I find it disappointing when Katrina and the Waves receive more notoriety than some of these outstanding British bands. Colin |
