It's become quite the tradition for me to go to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, since I moved here, and within that, to go to the Cirque Berserk. I booked it weeks ago, and then nearly forgot about it, of course! I've now taken to recording things in an online calendar. Much safer.
I went straight from work, on a packed Tube, and blithely ignored all the warnings about overcrowding at Hyde Park Corner, disembarking there and exiting without incident. I do like the big, pink sign they have, pointing the way to Winter Wonderland. They are rather good at managing crowds. When you have to cross the road to the park, there are crossing guards at the zebra crossing, coordinating with each other, alternating allowing passage of vehicles and of pedestrians. I arrived alive. As they say.
I had a little time before the circus started, so had a stroll around. Pictures here. I thought this was huge last year - if anything, it's bigger this year! Market stalls, food stalls, bars, ice rink, fairground - I wandered around, did a bit of shopping, and eventually wound my way around to the circus tent, which promised it was "warm inside".
Well, it was. I see there are three shows a night - I booked for the early one. No-one told me where to sit; I had a choice of tiered, hard seating, or chairs nearer the ring with a kind of velvety covering. I took one of those. I was quite early, but by showtime the seats were nearly fully occupied.
Now, I saw this last year, but heard they had a new show. I even heard some of what was different about it. I can safely say that it didn't dent my enjoyment to know that they have a jeep drive over a guy's chest, for example. Now, there's something you don't see every day! And I knew that the star attraction from last year was back - the "Globe of Terror", with the motorcyclists buzzing around inside. Fair play to them - they recognised their biggest draw, and capitalised on it - and it is worth the price of admission all on its own. Like last year. I won't tell you what's different about that act, though. ;-) Jaw-dropping, is all I'll say. Kudos also to the motorcycling juggler and the contortionist. Good idea to put her on a revolving turntable, so you can see her from all angles.
With a Mad Max-esque theme and a blaring rock soundtrack, it's a full-on performance, and although it's only 45 minutes long, I thought I had my money's worth. Highly recommended. Imagine though, doing all that three times a night! As we filed out, an enormous queue was waiting to get in - evidently, there are people who agree with me on this. Runs until the 4th, except Christmas Day.
When I got outside, the temperature seemed to have dropped about 10 degrees, and I was freezing. A piping hot waffle with maple syrup, a punnet of chips in gravy, and a hot chocolate with mint syrup (topped with cream, of course) did something to alleviate that - but I had my glove off to eat the waffle, and by the time I'd finished, my hand had gone numb. Seriously cold out there. I was so glad to get back underground, and even gladder to get home. I completely forgot to go on my bear hunt, but frankly, it was too cold anyway - and I'd never have been able to find him in the dark.
And I'm already overdue to get to bed - not only is it too chilly to be up, but I have to be up early in the morning (again) to get U2 tickets. Mostly got what I wanted today, solely by being up in time. The early bird, as they say.. Tomorrow evening, I could go to A Christmas Tail - Weirdos Alternative Comedy. We'll see. On Wednesday, I'm off to another carol service - this time in Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair. The ticket finally arrived today - I'd forgotten I needed one. On Thursday, there's a drinks reception for someone who's leaving - might pop along. And on Friday, Helen and I are off to the Chocolate Festival! O dear, my waistline..
Monday, 8 December 2014
Sunday, 7 December 2014
Concert: James Kilbane
James Kilbane is a country singer, and it's not a genre I'm that interested in. But as I was in Ireland this weekend, and frankly, you jump at the chance to go to anything that's on.. we bought a couple of tickets from the friendly organiser of the fundraiser in Oatfield Church.
Now, I'd never been there before, and would have had to look up driving directions - but my mother had found out, during the week, that there was a bus from Kilkishen. Lovely stuff - so we made our way over there nice and early. So early, in fact, that we were the very first there, with her wondering where everyone was. She tends to overreact when she has to be somewhere, you see. "It's not due for 40 minutes, mother.."
When we saw something like a bus, all of us who had arrived by car got out of our cars and hurried over. We were greeted by the friendly driver, who promised, "I'll be back in ONE minute," as he sped off in the direction of the shop. "One minute" is never really one minute, of course, we mused as we huddled in the cold. We finally had the idea of joining the other group we could see huddled outside the buildings further down. This was much better than huddling in front of the low wall that surrounds the church, over which a chill breeze was blowing.
Some minutes later, he did return. I hadn't heard of the company - Brigdale. Mind you, he was now parked against traffic, which was a bit awkward for getting what turned out to be 14 passengers, generally elderly and most with limited mobility, onto a minibus with what they considered a high step. What the hey, there were no accidents, and we were loaded in due course. Handily, the capacity of the bus was exactly 14.
I must pay tribute to the company - the minibus was very comfortable indeed. My mother remarked that she can't have been on a bus since I was based in Dublin and she was visiting me there.. that was 18 years ago! We were to be glad, both of the comfort of the bus, and that we had taken a bus at all; this was the bumpiest, windiest, narrowest, most deserted road I've been on in a long while. I wonder how long his bus will remain in good condition, though, if he always takes bumpy roads at that speed..
We'd never have found it on our own. The person who arranged the bus had to give the driver directions - indeed, she wasn't too sure either! Easy when you know how, of course. My mother was curious to see the route afterwards - when I looked it up on Google Maps though, she was disappointed that it didn't name anywhere we'd passed through. Well, obviously - you could count the houses on that road on the fingers of one hand. She speculated that we passed through a spot colloquially known as "The Windy Gap". Certainly, it was a terrible night for driving, and it was a relief to reach something that looked like a church, down in a hollow off the main road.
The driver reversed as far as he could down the laneway to the church - very considerate of him. We struggled our way through the blustery, wet conditions, through the church gate (decorated very fetchingly with storm lanterns). They had promised free tea, mulled wine, mince pies - and these were laid out in a marquee that had been erected beside the church door. The poor marquee had a task to stay upright, in the squalls of wind that threatened to rip it from its moorings and send it careering down the hill. My mother decided she'd rather head inside, and I was left to fetch goodies.
The mulled wine was, as its server remarked, going faster than expected. Huh! No kidding, on a night like that. I don't think they had enough though, and latecomers probably didn't get any. I picked up two of those, a queen cake for my mother, and a couple of (as it turned out, v tasty) chocolate squares for myself - and headed in. Well, they could hardly expect us to stay outside in this!
Seating was on pews, of course. The concert was supposed to be candlelit, and it kind of was - except the overhead lights were on when we came in, and the stage remained lit throughout by spots. And fairy lights. I'd completely forgotten it was supposed to be candlelit until someone turned off the overhead lamp.. the event started at 8, with the Meelick choir leading us in Christmas carols. And what a lovely choir! I've rarely heard a nicer non-professional choir. Well done, the folks in red! As we waited for the main attraction, I read the historical poster conveniently located on the wall next to us, which explains the origins of the church - how two priests fled the persecution of Cromwell in the Penal Times, and happened upon this place, where there was a barn they could turn into a church. It's one of only two "barn churches" remaining in Ireland.
I had been worried by the sound amps turned in our direction - I though they might be too much in such a small space. But someone had the sense not to have too much volume, and they were fine. And in due course, Mr. Kilbane and his small group took the stage. And off we went. Now, I've mentioned that I'm not into country - but I do have to give him credit for a terrific, very powerful singing voice. It's just.. o my Lord, he's missed his vocation, this guy. Every single song he performed was prefaced by a small sermon, based on the song to follow. I heard so much about Our Lord, and Our Lady, and The Lamb, I was fit to be tied. He must've spent half the night preaching to us. And us sitting on hard wooden pews. Hmm.
Of course, most of his material was religious anyway. Except for the one secular song he said he'd do - "White Christmas". The fly in his ointment was a girl in our section, who stood for the entire duration of "Silent Night", holding up a tablet on which she was obviously filming him. Honestly, where do they get the cheek? She sat when he was finished, and he did ask that she not film any more - pictures were ok, he said. Imagine, there are still people who don't know that's not acceptable.
When he finally ran out of things to sing, they had the raffles - one that we'd bought tickets for at the interval, and one that we had got free tickets for as we came in. I'm rather glad we didn't win - the top two prizes were trailer-loads of timber. Although, of course, we could have attached one to the back of the bus..! There were packs of Christmas cards to buy, with hand-drawn pictures of the church, and of course, copies of his cd. We passed. Our bus driver was ready for us, and we gratefully clambered on board, assisted by the guys who were directing parking - they'd arranged parking in the adjacent field, which has been graciously donated to the church for use as a car park, but is still a field at this point. Another reason to be glad we hadn't driven - it had been raining for all the hours we'd been in there, and the place was quite muddy.
Our entire road back to Kilkishen was downhill. You think you're remote, then you come somewhere like this..! Well, we were so late back, and I still had my mother's online shopping order to put in.. and today was a rush, with things to do before making my flight back. Hence the delay in the blog. Today, we did grab lunch in the Abbey Tavern again, which was lovely - apart from the bread and butter pudding that my mother had, which was, apparently, tasteless. She liked her salmon though, I liked my turkey, and we both liked our garlic bread. I do have to give them credit - no notice at all was paid to the woman breastfeeding at the next table, which is lovely to see - after, for example, all the hoo-ha in Claridge's during the week, where a breastfeeding woman was asked to cover up, and it all turned into a political mess. Chill, people.. babies gotta eat too!
Well, I'm off to the Cirque Berserk in Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland tomorrow. And it's suitably freezing outside.. might go in search of another bear there, I see there's one not far away!
Now, I'd never been there before, and would have had to look up driving directions - but my mother had found out, during the week, that there was a bus from Kilkishen. Lovely stuff - so we made our way over there nice and early. So early, in fact, that we were the very first there, with her wondering where everyone was. She tends to overreact when she has to be somewhere, you see. "It's not due for 40 minutes, mother.."
When we saw something like a bus, all of us who had arrived by car got out of our cars and hurried over. We were greeted by the friendly driver, who promised, "I'll be back in ONE minute," as he sped off in the direction of the shop. "One minute" is never really one minute, of course, we mused as we huddled in the cold. We finally had the idea of joining the other group we could see huddled outside the buildings further down. This was much better than huddling in front of the low wall that surrounds the church, over which a chill breeze was blowing.
Some minutes later, he did return. I hadn't heard of the company - Brigdale. Mind you, he was now parked against traffic, which was a bit awkward for getting what turned out to be 14 passengers, generally elderly and most with limited mobility, onto a minibus with what they considered a high step. What the hey, there were no accidents, and we were loaded in due course. Handily, the capacity of the bus was exactly 14.
I must pay tribute to the company - the minibus was very comfortable indeed. My mother remarked that she can't have been on a bus since I was based in Dublin and she was visiting me there.. that was 18 years ago! We were to be glad, both of the comfort of the bus, and that we had taken a bus at all; this was the bumpiest, windiest, narrowest, most deserted road I've been on in a long while. I wonder how long his bus will remain in good condition, though, if he always takes bumpy roads at that speed..
We'd never have found it on our own. The person who arranged the bus had to give the driver directions - indeed, she wasn't too sure either! Easy when you know how, of course. My mother was curious to see the route afterwards - when I looked it up on Google Maps though, she was disappointed that it didn't name anywhere we'd passed through. Well, obviously - you could count the houses on that road on the fingers of one hand. She speculated that we passed through a spot colloquially known as "The Windy Gap". Certainly, it was a terrible night for driving, and it was a relief to reach something that looked like a church, down in a hollow off the main road.
The driver reversed as far as he could down the laneway to the church - very considerate of him. We struggled our way through the blustery, wet conditions, through the church gate (decorated very fetchingly with storm lanterns). They had promised free tea, mulled wine, mince pies - and these were laid out in a marquee that had been erected beside the church door. The poor marquee had a task to stay upright, in the squalls of wind that threatened to rip it from its moorings and send it careering down the hill. My mother decided she'd rather head inside, and I was left to fetch goodies.
The mulled wine was, as its server remarked, going faster than expected. Huh! No kidding, on a night like that. I don't think they had enough though, and latecomers probably didn't get any. I picked up two of those, a queen cake for my mother, and a couple of (as it turned out, v tasty) chocolate squares for myself - and headed in. Well, they could hardly expect us to stay outside in this!
Seating was on pews, of course. The concert was supposed to be candlelit, and it kind of was - except the overhead lights were on when we came in, and the stage remained lit throughout by spots. And fairy lights. I'd completely forgotten it was supposed to be candlelit until someone turned off the overhead lamp.. the event started at 8, with the Meelick choir leading us in Christmas carols. And what a lovely choir! I've rarely heard a nicer non-professional choir. Well done, the folks in red! As we waited for the main attraction, I read the historical poster conveniently located on the wall next to us, which explains the origins of the church - how two priests fled the persecution of Cromwell in the Penal Times, and happened upon this place, where there was a barn they could turn into a church. It's one of only two "barn churches" remaining in Ireland.
I had been worried by the sound amps turned in our direction - I though they might be too much in such a small space. But someone had the sense not to have too much volume, and they were fine. And in due course, Mr. Kilbane and his small group took the stage. And off we went. Now, I've mentioned that I'm not into country - but I do have to give him credit for a terrific, very powerful singing voice. It's just.. o my Lord, he's missed his vocation, this guy. Every single song he performed was prefaced by a small sermon, based on the song to follow. I heard so much about Our Lord, and Our Lady, and The Lamb, I was fit to be tied. He must've spent half the night preaching to us. And us sitting on hard wooden pews. Hmm.
Of course, most of his material was religious anyway. Except for the one secular song he said he'd do - "White Christmas". The fly in his ointment was a girl in our section, who stood for the entire duration of "Silent Night", holding up a tablet on which she was obviously filming him. Honestly, where do they get the cheek? She sat when he was finished, and he did ask that she not film any more - pictures were ok, he said. Imagine, there are still people who don't know that's not acceptable.
When he finally ran out of things to sing, they had the raffles - one that we'd bought tickets for at the interval, and one that we had got free tickets for as we came in. I'm rather glad we didn't win - the top two prizes were trailer-loads of timber. Although, of course, we could have attached one to the back of the bus..! There were packs of Christmas cards to buy, with hand-drawn pictures of the church, and of course, copies of his cd. We passed. Our bus driver was ready for us, and we gratefully clambered on board, assisted by the guys who were directing parking - they'd arranged parking in the adjacent field, which has been graciously donated to the church for use as a car park, but is still a field at this point. Another reason to be glad we hadn't driven - it had been raining for all the hours we'd been in there, and the place was quite muddy.
Our entire road back to Kilkishen was downhill. You think you're remote, then you come somewhere like this..! Well, we were so late back, and I still had my mother's online shopping order to put in.. and today was a rush, with things to do before making my flight back. Hence the delay in the blog. Today, we did grab lunch in the Abbey Tavern again, which was lovely - apart from the bread and butter pudding that my mother had, which was, apparently, tasteless. She liked her salmon though, I liked my turkey, and we both liked our garlic bread. I do have to give them credit - no notice at all was paid to the woman breastfeeding at the next table, which is lovely to see - after, for example, all the hoo-ha in Claridge's during the week, where a breastfeeding woman was asked to cover up, and it all turned into a political mess. Chill, people.. babies gotta eat too!
Well, I'm off to the Cirque Berserk in Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland tomorrow. And it's suitably freezing outside.. might go in search of another bear there, I see there's one not far away!
Thursday, 4 December 2014
Opera: L' Elisir d' Amore
After a week of unfamiliar venues, back to the old reliable Opera House! And to an opera I'd seen before, and liked enough to try again - l' Elisir d' Amore. And in the opera house, back to my accustomed level, up in the rafters.
I've had a very busy week, and was rushing out this evening. But the Tube ran to schedule, the only minor inconvenience being crowds at Covent Garden Station: and I was soon in Covent Garden - which is beautiful at Christmas. Some photos here. Of my Paddington Bear trail, I knew one was at the piazza entrance to the opera house, so managed to snap him on the way in. Not having a lot of time before the show, I decided to leave the other for when I was on the way out again.
As I collected my things after picking up my ticket at the box office, the girl behind me had one of those slightly unusual requests; apparently, her dad had bought the tickets and was now stuck in traffic - and you're supposed to produce the credit card used in the purchase. Could they give her the tickets anyway? Yes, if they could get him on the phone.. which they were organising as I left the desk. So now you know.
As I made my way in, the 10-minute warning was given. As I finally reached my level, music started to play and I got a bit worried - but no, it was only the prelude to the 5-minute warning. Very tuneful! Anyway, they were fibbing - the performance was at least 5 minutes late in starting, as they waited for people to get to their seats. Even at that, the people on the very inside of our row were so late that they had to wait for the first scene change before they were allowed to take their seats.
The seats are a teeny bit snug, with not quite enough legroom (I'm 5' 6''), and no armrests, so it can be cosy if you're sat beside someone large. Or just someone with aggressive elbows, as I had tonight. Actually, she seemed quite dour in general, resolutely not clapping for the whole of the first part, up to the interval. Mind you, she seemed to relax after the interval. Maybe she had a wee drinkie?
As someone remarked on the way out, this is a perfect show to have on just before Christmas. It's a comic opera, y'see, and it's such fun! As I mentioned before, the last time I saw this was in the back room of a pub, which was great fun. Tonight's production was on a much larger stage, with a much larger cast.. and was even more fun! Mind you, the people behind me were remarking that it wasn't exactly in period setting. No indeed, it was written in the 19th century, and this was performed with 50s style décor and costumes. I guess they would've liked some flouncier costumes. Actually, I can imagine how, if you don't come to the opera a lot, and you find yourself at the Royal Opera House, you would expect something rather grand..
Whereas in this production, you get something deliciously silly! Vespas, bicycles, a lorry and an ill-fated tractor criss-cross the stage at various points. A small dog runs across the stage at one point, for no better reason than because it's cute. And the physical gags are hilarious! The company take it on in good humour, and at the end, when they're taking their bows, the singer portraying the lead role of Nemorino does a little dance. Indeed, it must be catching, because when the orchestra conductor comes on to take his bow, he does a little dance as well! Don't be mistaken though - this is a proper opera, and the aforementioned Nemorino brought tears to the eyes and cries of "Bravo!" for his rendition of Una Furtiva Lagrima.
Terrific fun. There are two remaining performances, with very limited availability: next Tuesday, and the following Saturday.. very glad I decided to come! The house was so packed, it must have taken me 20 minutes to get out. And I found my second bear without much trouble, just by following the sign for the "South Hall" in Covent Garden Market. There's a kind of magic in Covent Garden at Christmas, and as I made my way back to the station, I passed a busking tuba player, whose instrument spurted a large flame every time he blew into it! Took me four goes to capture it on camera. The tune he was playing was a catchy one, and a small crowd had gathered, with a couple of girls dancing to the music.
Back to Ireland tomorrow - it'll be good to have a change in schedule. Saturday sees a candlelit fundraising concert in Oatfield Church. Back in London, on Monday I'll be at Cirque Berserk in Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland. After desperately trying to get U2 tickets that morning..
I've had a very busy week, and was rushing out this evening. But the Tube ran to schedule, the only minor inconvenience being crowds at Covent Garden Station: and I was soon in Covent Garden - which is beautiful at Christmas. Some photos here. Of my Paddington Bear trail, I knew one was at the piazza entrance to the opera house, so managed to snap him on the way in. Not having a lot of time before the show, I decided to leave the other for when I was on the way out again.
As I collected my things after picking up my ticket at the box office, the girl behind me had one of those slightly unusual requests; apparently, her dad had bought the tickets and was now stuck in traffic - and you're supposed to produce the credit card used in the purchase. Could they give her the tickets anyway? Yes, if they could get him on the phone.. which they were organising as I left the desk. So now you know.
As I made my way in, the 10-minute warning was given. As I finally reached my level, music started to play and I got a bit worried - but no, it was only the prelude to the 5-minute warning. Very tuneful! Anyway, they were fibbing - the performance was at least 5 minutes late in starting, as they waited for people to get to their seats. Even at that, the people on the very inside of our row were so late that they had to wait for the first scene change before they were allowed to take their seats.
The seats are a teeny bit snug, with not quite enough legroom (I'm 5' 6''), and no armrests, so it can be cosy if you're sat beside someone large. Or just someone with aggressive elbows, as I had tonight. Actually, she seemed quite dour in general, resolutely not clapping for the whole of the first part, up to the interval. Mind you, she seemed to relax after the interval. Maybe she had a wee drinkie?
As someone remarked on the way out, this is a perfect show to have on just before Christmas. It's a comic opera, y'see, and it's such fun! As I mentioned before, the last time I saw this was in the back room of a pub, which was great fun. Tonight's production was on a much larger stage, with a much larger cast.. and was even more fun! Mind you, the people behind me were remarking that it wasn't exactly in period setting. No indeed, it was written in the 19th century, and this was performed with 50s style décor and costumes. I guess they would've liked some flouncier costumes. Actually, I can imagine how, if you don't come to the opera a lot, and you find yourself at the Royal Opera House, you would expect something rather grand..
Whereas in this production, you get something deliciously silly! Vespas, bicycles, a lorry and an ill-fated tractor criss-cross the stage at various points. A small dog runs across the stage at one point, for no better reason than because it's cute. And the physical gags are hilarious! The company take it on in good humour, and at the end, when they're taking their bows, the singer portraying the lead role of Nemorino does a little dance. Indeed, it must be catching, because when the orchestra conductor comes on to take his bow, he does a little dance as well! Don't be mistaken though - this is a proper opera, and the aforementioned Nemorino brought tears to the eyes and cries of "Bravo!" for his rendition of Una Furtiva Lagrima.
Terrific fun. There are two remaining performances, with very limited availability: next Tuesday, and the following Saturday.. very glad I decided to come! The house was so packed, it must have taken me 20 minutes to get out. And I found my second bear without much trouble, just by following the sign for the "South Hall" in Covent Garden Market. There's a kind of magic in Covent Garden at Christmas, and as I made my way back to the station, I passed a busking tuba player, whose instrument spurted a large flame every time he blew into it! Took me four goes to capture it on camera. The tune he was playing was a catchy one, and a small crowd had gathered, with a couple of girls dancing to the music.
Back to Ireland tomorrow - it'll be good to have a change in schedule. Saturday sees a candlelit fundraising concert in Oatfield Church. Back in London, on Monday I'll be at Cirque Berserk in Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland. After desperately trying to get U2 tickets that morning..
Carol Concert (Hope & Homes for Children)
In London for 2.5 years, and I finally get to a Christmas carol concert! In aid of Hope & Homes for Children, this was in St Mary Abbot's Church, walking distance from both home and office. So I walked from the office, and was early enough to pop into Nando's for a bite. (It was bound to happen eventually!)
Funny how I always think I've passed it, just before I come across it. The scaffolding in front of the building before you get to it doesn't help. Anyhoo, I went in (no queue here) and was shortly seated, nice and far from the door and the cold outside. Service was flawless, food was good - even if the garlic bread was a little bit burnt. I was so early that I was virtually obliged to have their delectable choc-a-lot cake. A must for chocaholics!
Afterwards, I strolled past the shops on my way to the church. Most were still open, and I wandered into Waterstones, where I saw a couple of things suitable for Christmas presents. Promptly looked them both up online, of course - one could be got cheaper online, and I ordered it then and there on my phone. The other couldn't be got cheaper online, and I bought it in the shop, praying that it'd fit into my carry-on..
Then I figured it was time to mosey along for the concert. I whipped out my camera at that point - photos here. The church was pretty packed - I got a fairly decent seat though. They gave us a programme on the way in. The event began with a prayer, which would be the first time I've been at a Protestant prayer service. (There are still people who'd think I'll go to Hell for that!) And then the music began.
Over the course of the 90-minute event, there were some opportunities for us to join in the singing (and for me to make my throat sore trying to hit the high notes). I'd never realised there were two more verses to O Come All Ye Faithful! We only ever did the first and last. And I wasn't so familiar with O Little Town of Bethlehem - I've hardly heard it, and never sung it before. While we rested our voices, we were entertained by a soloist (who performed a beautiful rendition of O Holy Night, among others), a senior girls' school choir, and a group from the Suzuki violin school. As the organiser explained, they'd built a stage for them this year, as some of them were so TINY! There were also some inspirational readings of letters by children the charity has helped, and a list of funny letters to Santa.
Well, the soloist was lovely. The girls' school choir performed a Les Misérables medley, which I would describe as - unique. The Suzuki school was very impressive. Star of the evening was one of the Suzuki pupils, a very small boy who'd been tasked with singing Away in a Manger. Obviously, his instructions had included going to the centre of the stage and opening his mouth really wide. And that is what he did. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have put as much emphasis on starting to sing, after that.. because he just stood there, with his mouth in a big O. Cue some headshaking over the side, and a restart. He got it the second time. :-)
It wasn't a professional evening, but it was quite lovely, and the church is beautiful - I haven't been there before. The performers spent much time competing with horns blowing in the traffic just outside, and there was some creaking as the great door kept being opened to let people in and out - but it was most enjoyable. And over good and early, of course, to get the kids to bed!
Well, I got caught up in other things last night, and today discovered that U2 has announced next year's tour - so all my free time today has been taken up with reading the fan forums and planning my next move - what shows to go to, when I need to book them.. but hey, I got to the blog eventually, eh?
Tonight - if I can drag myself away from the forums - is opera. L' Elisir d' Amore, in the Opera House. And I must try and remember to bring a camera.. oh, and look up where those statues are in the Paddington Trail! Back to Ireland tomorrow. Candlelit fundraising concert in Oatfield Church on Saturday. And Cirque Berserk in Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland on Monday! And more Christmas shopping, I guess..
Funny how I always think I've passed it, just before I come across it. The scaffolding in front of the building before you get to it doesn't help. Anyhoo, I went in (no queue here) and was shortly seated, nice and far from the door and the cold outside. Service was flawless, food was good - even if the garlic bread was a little bit burnt. I was so early that I was virtually obliged to have their delectable choc-a-lot cake. A must for chocaholics!
Afterwards, I strolled past the shops on my way to the church. Most were still open, and I wandered into Waterstones, where I saw a couple of things suitable for Christmas presents. Promptly looked them both up online, of course - one could be got cheaper online, and I ordered it then and there on my phone. The other couldn't be got cheaper online, and I bought it in the shop, praying that it'd fit into my carry-on..
Then I figured it was time to mosey along for the concert. I whipped out my camera at that point - photos here. The church was pretty packed - I got a fairly decent seat though. They gave us a programme on the way in. The event began with a prayer, which would be the first time I've been at a Protestant prayer service. (There are still people who'd think I'll go to Hell for that!) And then the music began.
Over the course of the 90-minute event, there were some opportunities for us to join in the singing (and for me to make my throat sore trying to hit the high notes). I'd never realised there were two more verses to O Come All Ye Faithful! We only ever did the first and last. And I wasn't so familiar with O Little Town of Bethlehem - I've hardly heard it, and never sung it before. While we rested our voices, we were entertained by a soloist (who performed a beautiful rendition of O Holy Night, among others), a senior girls' school choir, and a group from the Suzuki violin school. As the organiser explained, they'd built a stage for them this year, as some of them were so TINY! There were also some inspirational readings of letters by children the charity has helped, and a list of funny letters to Santa.
Well, the soloist was lovely. The girls' school choir performed a Les Misérables medley, which I would describe as - unique. The Suzuki school was very impressive. Star of the evening was one of the Suzuki pupils, a very small boy who'd been tasked with singing Away in a Manger. Obviously, his instructions had included going to the centre of the stage and opening his mouth really wide. And that is what he did. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have put as much emphasis on starting to sing, after that.. because he just stood there, with his mouth in a big O. Cue some headshaking over the side, and a restart. He got it the second time. :-)
It wasn't a professional evening, but it was quite lovely, and the church is beautiful - I haven't been there before. The performers spent much time competing with horns blowing in the traffic just outside, and there was some creaking as the great door kept being opened to let people in and out - but it was most enjoyable. And over good and early, of course, to get the kids to bed!
Well, I got caught up in other things last night, and today discovered that U2 has announced next year's tour - so all my free time today has been taken up with reading the fan forums and planning my next move - what shows to go to, when I need to book them.. but hey, I got to the blog eventually, eh?
Tonight - if I can drag myself away from the forums - is opera. L' Elisir d' Amore, in the Opera House. And I must try and remember to bring a camera.. oh, and look up where those statues are in the Paddington Trail! Back to Ireland tomorrow. Candlelit fundraising concert in Oatfield Church on Saturday. And Cirque Berserk in Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland on Monday! And more Christmas shopping, I guess..
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
Concert: Nina Nesbitt
Like last night with Kasabian, Nina Nesbitt was an artist I hadn't come across. Well, not quite like - I'd at least heard of Kasabian. Again, a listen on YouTube convinced me that she was worth a punt, and yesterday, with tickets apparently selling out, I booked. They only deal with third-party sellers, so I picked SeeTickets from the top of the list.
So, Union Chapel at last, eh? I've seen the name many's the time, and hovered around the edge of going there, but never yet managed it. Looking it up on Google Maps, it was an easy walk from Highbury & Islington station - turn right, and you can see it round the corner. Mind you, their walking directions - as it turned out - were crazy, sending you round the back. But anyhoo. They suggested Tube, whereas I usually take the Overground to Highbury & Islington. Overground is slower, less frequent, and more crowded - but cheaper.
Well, I knew I didn't have to be there the minute the doors opened at 7; they didn't say when the show would start, but even at that, there were all of three support acts! So I relaxed. And when I did finally set off, I decided to treat myself to the Tube, as any Overground going at a reasonable time would be crammed with rush hour passengers. It's the same station (at both ends) for Overground and Underground. When I exited the station at the other end, I got a pleasant surprise - they'd only charged me the Overground fare! Gee, I'd forgotten they do that. I think it's when the same journey could have been completed by a cheaper route, they charge the cheaper price; and all those times I suffered on the Overground, when I could just have got the Tube for the same fare. I resolved to take the Tube back as well, tonight.
The lady who exited in front of me stopped by a beggar at the corner, and asked him whether he came there every day. When he said he did, she promised to bring him clothes and blankets the next day. Which is nice.
I had déja-vu on leaving the station - and then it hit me; of course! This is the route I take to the Almeida. It's just so long since I've had to look up directions there, that I didn't make the connection when I was looking up directions to Union Chapel. In fact, the road to the Almeida takes me right past Union Chapel - I must have passed it several times. So, the spire is indeed visible from the corner, and I made my way there.
Arriving at about 7.10, I found myself at the end of a Very Long Queue. Fast-moving though - we weren't outside for more than about five minutes. During which time we were assailed by not one, not two, but three people handing out fliers. I managed to avoid all of them, and made my way to the collection desk, where the poor chap was sitting with a pile of lists for the different ticket providers, and wanted to know which I'd bought with. He crossed out my name and stamped my hand. I do wonder how it was supposed to work, given that there were two people there, each apparently with identical lists..
Confused as to where to go next, I was waylaid by yet another flier-distributor, and ended up taking one this time. The ground level was already blocked off, and we were directed to the balcony. Which was fine - I got to the side of the stage, quite close. The flier I'd got turned out to be a little booklet with details of how to access the free download of one of the songs of one of the support acts. I left it there. Seating is on pews, decently comfy - and the setting, in quite a large chapel, is as spectacular as you'd expect. I always think they make a great setting for music of any kind. They add a lovely touch of lining the balcony with tealights. Some photos here.
I chose a seat far enough back that the railing wasn't an obstacle, and on the aisle, on the side where I was looking across the aisle to the stage. Therefore, no heads in my way! (Seating is unassigned.) I was still settling myself when the first support came on. Each of the three support acts only performed a few songs - each, like Nina, was a solo singer-songwriter. What a change from last night! Frankly - and no reflection on them - I nearly nodded off a couple of times. They were just so soothing!
Had I fallen asleep, the audience reaction to Nina would have woken me up. I suspected I was above her target demographic age, but honestly! The front rows, right near the stage, were completely full of tweens, adorned with tinsel halos, some of which had flashing lights, some carrying bits of cardboard with tinsel around them. Shriek, shriek. There was a constant barrage of "We love you, Nina!" to which she graciously responded, "I love you too!" to which they responded, "Yay!" She kept having to get off her stool to run to the edge of the stage to receive gifts - a cushion, a child's drawing of her as an angel, it looked like. There was a constant running commentary of "Aww!" It was like watching a childminder in action.
She nearly caused a riot when she announced that she was giving away handmade Advent calendars with "sayings" in them, but she only had three.. half the stalls rushed the stage. She nearly caused another riot when she asked for volunteers to do backing vocals for one song. When she had them onstage, she confessed that the concert was being recorded by Abbey Road - cd available shortly; cds for all artists performing tonight were available at the door afterwards. I suspect they had to do some editing of tonight's recording, considering the comments of a couple of fans in the balcony, who thought it HILARIOUS to keep yelling they were s***ting themselves.
Problem with this kind of music is that it really depends on the lyrics, and if you don't know them, you could feel very left out. They weren't always very audible. Towards the end, I thought her talent really began to shine out, and I can see why she's so popular - she is actually extremely talented. However, I didn't get enough of a sense of that tonight. Still, if it were possible to see her somewhere where under 18s weren't allowed..
She played for just about an hour. On the way home, I took the Tube again. Was one stop from home when the train changed destination. We were all distracted, not expecting a last-minute change, but suddenly realised that the destination the driver had just given wasn't where we had been headed, and a trainload of confused people disembarked at Earl's Court. And stood around, as no other trains were even scheduled to run on our line, according to the noticeboard! I was close enough to walk home, and that's what I did. The barriers at Earl's Court don't give your Oyster card total as you touch out, so I don't know what I was charged - but I bet, disembarking at an Underground station, that I was charged more. Ironic, given that I had a shorter journey. Ah well, I was home sooner! And my, it was bitterly cold on that walk home..
So, tomorrow I continue the Christmassy theme, the church theme, the musical theme. I'm headed to a Christmas carol concert in aid of Hope & Homes for Children, in St. Mary Abbot's Church, which is close enough that I can walk from the office. On Thursday, I'm off to the opera - L' Elisir d' Amore, in the Opera House. I must remember to take my camera - a couple of the statues on the Paddington trail are supposed to be around there. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - on Saturday, there's a fundraising concert - candlelit, mulled wine, mince pies - in Oatfield Church. And on Monday, I'm off to this year's Cirque Berserk in Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland.
So, Union Chapel at last, eh? I've seen the name many's the time, and hovered around the edge of going there, but never yet managed it. Looking it up on Google Maps, it was an easy walk from Highbury & Islington station - turn right, and you can see it round the corner. Mind you, their walking directions - as it turned out - were crazy, sending you round the back. But anyhoo. They suggested Tube, whereas I usually take the Overground to Highbury & Islington. Overground is slower, less frequent, and more crowded - but cheaper.
Well, I knew I didn't have to be there the minute the doors opened at 7; they didn't say when the show would start, but even at that, there were all of three support acts! So I relaxed. And when I did finally set off, I decided to treat myself to the Tube, as any Overground going at a reasonable time would be crammed with rush hour passengers. It's the same station (at both ends) for Overground and Underground. When I exited the station at the other end, I got a pleasant surprise - they'd only charged me the Overground fare! Gee, I'd forgotten they do that. I think it's when the same journey could have been completed by a cheaper route, they charge the cheaper price; and all those times I suffered on the Overground, when I could just have got the Tube for the same fare. I resolved to take the Tube back as well, tonight.
The lady who exited in front of me stopped by a beggar at the corner, and asked him whether he came there every day. When he said he did, she promised to bring him clothes and blankets the next day. Which is nice.
I had déja-vu on leaving the station - and then it hit me; of course! This is the route I take to the Almeida. It's just so long since I've had to look up directions there, that I didn't make the connection when I was looking up directions to Union Chapel. In fact, the road to the Almeida takes me right past Union Chapel - I must have passed it several times. So, the spire is indeed visible from the corner, and I made my way there.
Arriving at about 7.10, I found myself at the end of a Very Long Queue. Fast-moving though - we weren't outside for more than about five minutes. During which time we were assailed by not one, not two, but three people handing out fliers. I managed to avoid all of them, and made my way to the collection desk, where the poor chap was sitting with a pile of lists for the different ticket providers, and wanted to know which I'd bought with. He crossed out my name and stamped my hand. I do wonder how it was supposed to work, given that there were two people there, each apparently with identical lists..
Confused as to where to go next, I was waylaid by yet another flier-distributor, and ended up taking one this time. The ground level was already blocked off, and we were directed to the balcony. Which was fine - I got to the side of the stage, quite close. The flier I'd got turned out to be a little booklet with details of how to access the free download of one of the songs of one of the support acts. I left it there. Seating is on pews, decently comfy - and the setting, in quite a large chapel, is as spectacular as you'd expect. I always think they make a great setting for music of any kind. They add a lovely touch of lining the balcony with tealights. Some photos here.
I chose a seat far enough back that the railing wasn't an obstacle, and on the aisle, on the side where I was looking across the aisle to the stage. Therefore, no heads in my way! (Seating is unassigned.) I was still settling myself when the first support came on. Each of the three support acts only performed a few songs - each, like Nina, was a solo singer-songwriter. What a change from last night! Frankly - and no reflection on them - I nearly nodded off a couple of times. They were just so soothing!
Had I fallen asleep, the audience reaction to Nina would have woken me up. I suspected I was above her target demographic age, but honestly! The front rows, right near the stage, were completely full of tweens, adorned with tinsel halos, some of which had flashing lights, some carrying bits of cardboard with tinsel around them. Shriek, shriek. There was a constant barrage of "We love you, Nina!" to which she graciously responded, "I love you too!" to which they responded, "Yay!" She kept having to get off her stool to run to the edge of the stage to receive gifts - a cushion, a child's drawing of her as an angel, it looked like. There was a constant running commentary of "Aww!" It was like watching a childminder in action.
She nearly caused a riot when she announced that she was giving away handmade Advent calendars with "sayings" in them, but she only had three.. half the stalls rushed the stage. She nearly caused another riot when she asked for volunteers to do backing vocals for one song. When she had them onstage, she confessed that the concert was being recorded by Abbey Road - cd available shortly; cds for all artists performing tonight were available at the door afterwards. I suspect they had to do some editing of tonight's recording, considering the comments of a couple of fans in the balcony, who thought it HILARIOUS to keep yelling they were s***ting themselves.
Problem with this kind of music is that it really depends on the lyrics, and if you don't know them, you could feel very left out. They weren't always very audible. Towards the end, I thought her talent really began to shine out, and I can see why she's so popular - she is actually extremely talented. However, I didn't get enough of a sense of that tonight. Still, if it were possible to see her somewhere where under 18s weren't allowed..
She played for just about an hour. On the way home, I took the Tube again. Was one stop from home when the train changed destination. We were all distracted, not expecting a last-minute change, but suddenly realised that the destination the driver had just given wasn't where we had been headed, and a trainload of confused people disembarked at Earl's Court. And stood around, as no other trains were even scheduled to run on our line, according to the noticeboard! I was close enough to walk home, and that's what I did. The barriers at Earl's Court don't give your Oyster card total as you touch out, so I don't know what I was charged - but I bet, disembarking at an Underground station, that I was charged more. Ironic, given that I had a shorter journey. Ah well, I was home sooner! And my, it was bitterly cold on that walk home..
So, tomorrow I continue the Christmassy theme, the church theme, the musical theme. I'm headed to a Christmas carol concert in aid of Hope & Homes for Children, in St. Mary Abbot's Church, which is close enough that I can walk from the office. On Thursday, I'm off to the opera - L' Elisir d' Amore, in the Opera House. I must remember to take my camera - a couple of the statues on the Paddington trail are supposed to be around there. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - on Saturday, there's a fundraising concert - candlelit, mulled wine, mince pies - in Oatfield Church. And on Monday, I'm off to this year's Cirque Berserk in Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland.
Concert: Kasabian
Indeed - the eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that Kasabian is not what I had predicted going to, last night. Well, y'know, that's what happens when I haven't booked! So there I was, literally on Sunday night, looking at what was on yesterday. And Kasabian kept coming up. Honestly, I've never paid them any mind, so I had a look on YouTube to see what sort of stuff they do. And I really liked it.. thought to myself, "I can get into this!"
Well, they're playing the O2 Academy in Brixton till Friday. Completely sold out. Mind you, that rarely means you can't get a ticket. Still, it wasn't easy - Viagogo had tickets, standing only, and SeatWave was the only outlet for seated tickets. And I'm decrepit, so SeatWave it was. Now, they had two types of delivery options - collection, or download. The collection tickets were 10p cheaper. However, the service fee for those was about £5 more, plus you have the added inconvenience and expense of heading to their office in Moorgate. So, download it was. Not cheap, with a non-negotiable £10.99 booking fee on top of a £4.95 service fee, plus the markup the original purchaser requests. Hey-ho. It's ages since I've been to a big, rock gig, and I was dying to go. So I did.
The link to the downloadable ticket was emailed to me yesterday morning, and I was set. Helen assured me - and Google Maps agreed - that the venue was a short and easy walk from Brixton Tube Station. I could also see, from Google Maps Streetview, that there was a Nando's across the road, so that was my plan for eating.
The hard sell started before I'd left the Tube station - "Anyone buying or selling a ticket?" and similar. Touts all over the place. It's only a short walk - turn right from the station, pass under two bridges, and it's the third left, visible from the main road, just down Stockwell Road. Crowds everywhere. The doors weren't open yet, and the queue stretched down the lane beside the theatre. So I went in search of food, knowing I was in the less popular, seated, circle, and shouldn't need to queue. Nando's was, indeed, just across the road, and I crossed - only to find another massive queue, just inside the door. I joined it, and was duly ignored by the guy with the clipboard, who went straight to the group who'd come in behind me, and asked them whether their name was on the list. "No? It'll be a 15-20 minute wait." I left, figuring there must be other options.
I returned to the main road, and saw a fast-food chicken place - Roosters Spot - just to my left. So I went there instead, and had a 1/2 grilled chicken meal, which was served to me, and I had taken my seat and started eating, in the time I'd have been waiting for a table in Nando's. And it was very tasty - pretty close to what I'd have had in Nando's, and at a fraction of the price. Frankly, I'd choose that in future..
Fed, I headed for the theatre, which was open by now. I didn't have to queue by this stage. Ladies were directed to the left for a bag search, gents to the right for a body search. Inside, I glanced at the merchandise, but I'm not a Kasabian fan, and didn't fancy paying for a t-shirt. And indeed paying extra, because I hadn't enough cash and would have had to use a card, which incurs a fee. Knowing I was seated in the circle, I headed up the sweeping stairs that skirt the lobby. I checked out the bars, but they only seemed to have beer, which I don't drink - so I passed. My ticket was checked, and I was in. At least nobody checked the name on it - I doubt I'd pass for a "Karl"!
It was open seating, so I just picked a free seat that looked in an ok position - about central, not too far up so not many steps to navigate. Very comfy seats, I might add. I had a look around - very curious decor, although it was tricky to see the details in the dim lighting. Seems that the decor along the walls is modelled to represent clustered buildings, with trees reaching to the ceiling! It'd be great to see it in proper lighting, but I guess I never shall. Still, it presented an eerily curious backdrop to the show.
Ah yes, the show. What can I say? It's literally years since I've been at a gig like this - does the soul good. Feels weird to go to one in winter though - I generally associate them with summer music festivals, and it's hard to know what to wear in winter, not to be too hot. Support was ably provided by The Maccabees, whom I'm not familiar with either (mea culpa!). Then we were presented with a countdown clock, displayed on the screen at the back of the stage. I love this device, think it really adds to the tension. Mind you, numbers seemed to be a feature of Kasabian's performance - the main drum bears the legend "48:13", which is apparently the name of their new album. (Again, what can I say - I'm just not familiar with them!) And one song had a series of countdowns, displayed on that screen again.
From the moment that Kasabian came onstage, sitting was not an option. They blasted their way through a blistering set, filling the space with thundering sound and the most spectacular light show I've seen (some pictures here, although my phone camera mostly couldn't cope with the lights on stage). Sadly, of course, I mainly wasn't familiar with the material, although I did recognise some. But I couldn't name any of them, apart from those whose names were displayed on the screen behind. Fuller, more informed, review here. My, there are a lot of them on stage though - although for much of the show, the four lasses in skeleton outfits that comprised the string section were somewhat redundant, as you couldn't hear them over the cacophony around them. But it was a cool show. Not on a par with U2, of course, but good training for their upcoming tour!
What was also extremely cool was the way the crowd started singing the chorus of the last song as we wound our way out. I really miss that from U2 shows - they ended it years ago, by blasting recorded music at the crowd on their way out, so they wouldn't be tempted to have a sing-song and the neighbours wouldn't get annoyed. It lends a real air of cameraderie. And when we were crushed at the entrance barriers to the station, they started up again. The jolly crowd packed its way onto a train, but so many were keen to cram on that the doors wouldn't close. After several attempts, an exasperated driver appealed to passengers, saying, "You all want to go somewhere, right? So PLEASE let go of the doors so the train can leave!" (Or something like that - my hearing wasn't the best at that point. The middle-aged couple beside me, whom I'd also seen at the concert, had sensibly brought earplugs.)
The train I later changed onto was much more sedate. Ah yes, a great night - and as the lead singer remarked at the end, "Same time tomorrow night, eh?" Imagine, they're there till Friday! Highly recommended. And then I was too late to go online, and only got round to finishing this now.
Music is definitely the theme of this week. Tonight, I'm off to another concert. Thankfully for my still-buzzing ears, this one's acoustic - Nina Nesbitt, at Union Chapel. It was selling out, so I booked. I haven't been before, but I hear good things. An easy walk from Highbury & Islington station, it looks like - seems you can see the chapel spire once you round the corner to the right. They only sell through agencies - I got my ticket through SeeTickets. At least the fees are much less than with SeatWave!
Tomorrow, I've booked for a Christmas carol concert in aid of Hope & Homes for Children - my ticket arrived by post while I was in Ireland last weekend. It's in St Mary Abbot's Church, and I can walk from work - get something to eat locally beforehand. On Thursday, I'm off to the opera again - L' Elisir d' Amore, in the Royal Opera House. Last time I saw this was in the back room of a pub, but I'm sure this performance will be as much fun! Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend - and on Saturday, there's yet another concert, candlelit, in a local church: a fundraiser. Oh, and on Monday, I'm off to the Cirque Berserk at Winter Wonderland again.. also a chance to do some Christmas shopping. Phew!
Well, they're playing the O2 Academy in Brixton till Friday. Completely sold out. Mind you, that rarely means you can't get a ticket. Still, it wasn't easy - Viagogo had tickets, standing only, and SeatWave was the only outlet for seated tickets. And I'm decrepit, so SeatWave it was. Now, they had two types of delivery options - collection, or download. The collection tickets were 10p cheaper. However, the service fee for those was about £5 more, plus you have the added inconvenience and expense of heading to their office in Moorgate. So, download it was. Not cheap, with a non-negotiable £10.99 booking fee on top of a £4.95 service fee, plus the markup the original purchaser requests. Hey-ho. It's ages since I've been to a big, rock gig, and I was dying to go. So I did.
The link to the downloadable ticket was emailed to me yesterday morning, and I was set. Helen assured me - and Google Maps agreed - that the venue was a short and easy walk from Brixton Tube Station. I could also see, from Google Maps Streetview, that there was a Nando's across the road, so that was my plan for eating.
The hard sell started before I'd left the Tube station - "Anyone buying or selling a ticket?" and similar. Touts all over the place. It's only a short walk - turn right from the station, pass under two bridges, and it's the third left, visible from the main road, just down Stockwell Road. Crowds everywhere. The doors weren't open yet, and the queue stretched down the lane beside the theatre. So I went in search of food, knowing I was in the less popular, seated, circle, and shouldn't need to queue. Nando's was, indeed, just across the road, and I crossed - only to find another massive queue, just inside the door. I joined it, and was duly ignored by the guy with the clipboard, who went straight to the group who'd come in behind me, and asked them whether their name was on the list. "No? It'll be a 15-20 minute wait." I left, figuring there must be other options.
I returned to the main road, and saw a fast-food chicken place - Roosters Spot - just to my left. So I went there instead, and had a 1/2 grilled chicken meal, which was served to me, and I had taken my seat and started eating, in the time I'd have been waiting for a table in Nando's. And it was very tasty - pretty close to what I'd have had in Nando's, and at a fraction of the price. Frankly, I'd choose that in future..
Fed, I headed for the theatre, which was open by now. I didn't have to queue by this stage. Ladies were directed to the left for a bag search, gents to the right for a body search. Inside, I glanced at the merchandise, but I'm not a Kasabian fan, and didn't fancy paying for a t-shirt. And indeed paying extra, because I hadn't enough cash and would have had to use a card, which incurs a fee. Knowing I was seated in the circle, I headed up the sweeping stairs that skirt the lobby. I checked out the bars, but they only seemed to have beer, which I don't drink - so I passed. My ticket was checked, and I was in. At least nobody checked the name on it - I doubt I'd pass for a "Karl"!
It was open seating, so I just picked a free seat that looked in an ok position - about central, not too far up so not many steps to navigate. Very comfy seats, I might add. I had a look around - very curious decor, although it was tricky to see the details in the dim lighting. Seems that the decor along the walls is modelled to represent clustered buildings, with trees reaching to the ceiling! It'd be great to see it in proper lighting, but I guess I never shall. Still, it presented an eerily curious backdrop to the show.
Ah yes, the show. What can I say? It's literally years since I've been at a gig like this - does the soul good. Feels weird to go to one in winter though - I generally associate them with summer music festivals, and it's hard to know what to wear in winter, not to be too hot. Support was ably provided by The Maccabees, whom I'm not familiar with either (mea culpa!). Then we were presented with a countdown clock, displayed on the screen at the back of the stage. I love this device, think it really adds to the tension. Mind you, numbers seemed to be a feature of Kasabian's performance - the main drum bears the legend "48:13", which is apparently the name of their new album. (Again, what can I say - I'm just not familiar with them!) And one song had a series of countdowns, displayed on that screen again.
From the moment that Kasabian came onstage, sitting was not an option. They blasted their way through a blistering set, filling the space with thundering sound and the most spectacular light show I've seen (some pictures here, although my phone camera mostly couldn't cope with the lights on stage). Sadly, of course, I mainly wasn't familiar with the material, although I did recognise some. But I couldn't name any of them, apart from those whose names were displayed on the screen behind. Fuller, more informed, review here. My, there are a lot of them on stage though - although for much of the show, the four lasses in skeleton outfits that comprised the string section were somewhat redundant, as you couldn't hear them over the cacophony around them. But it was a cool show. Not on a par with U2, of course, but good training for their upcoming tour!
What was also extremely cool was the way the crowd started singing the chorus of the last song as we wound our way out. I really miss that from U2 shows - they ended it years ago, by blasting recorded music at the crowd on their way out, so they wouldn't be tempted to have a sing-song and the neighbours wouldn't get annoyed. It lends a real air of cameraderie. And when we were crushed at the entrance barriers to the station, they started up again. The jolly crowd packed its way onto a train, but so many were keen to cram on that the doors wouldn't close. After several attempts, an exasperated driver appealed to passengers, saying, "You all want to go somewhere, right? So PLEASE let go of the doors so the train can leave!" (Or something like that - my hearing wasn't the best at that point. The middle-aged couple beside me, whom I'd also seen at the concert, had sensibly brought earplugs.)
The train I later changed onto was much more sedate. Ah yes, a great night - and as the lead singer remarked at the end, "Same time tomorrow night, eh?" Imagine, they're there till Friday! Highly recommended. And then I was too late to go online, and only got round to finishing this now.
Music is definitely the theme of this week. Tonight, I'm off to another concert. Thankfully for my still-buzzing ears, this one's acoustic - Nina Nesbitt, at Union Chapel. It was selling out, so I booked. I haven't been before, but I hear good things. An easy walk from Highbury & Islington station, it looks like - seems you can see the chapel spire once you round the corner to the right. They only sell through agencies - I got my ticket through SeeTickets. At least the fees are much less than with SeatWave!
Tomorrow, I've booked for a Christmas carol concert in aid of Hope & Homes for Children - my ticket arrived by post while I was in Ireland last weekend. It's in St Mary Abbot's Church, and I can walk from work - get something to eat locally beforehand. On Thursday, I'm off to the opera again - L' Elisir d' Amore, in the Royal Opera House. Last time I saw this was in the back room of a pub, but I'm sure this performance will be as much fun! Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend - and on Saturday, there's yet another concert, candlelit, in a local church: a fundraiser. Oh, and on Monday, I'm off to the Cirque Berserk at Winter Wonderland again.. also a chance to do some Christmas shopping. Phew!
Friday, 28 November 2014
Concert: Dvorak Explored
There I was, planning to have a quiet night in last night; and what happens? I get a ShowFilmFirst email, with offers of free tickets to all of three concerts! Well, two were on last night, and one next Wednesday, when I've already booked to go to the Hope and Homes for Children's carol concert in St Mary Abbot's Church (assuming they get around to sending the ticket). So it was going to be one of last night's ones, and I chose Dvorak Explored, in King's Place. It was actually the first in a three-day festival.
The only time I've been here before was also with a ShowFilmFirst ticket. Not hard to get to, but one of these places that takes a little time: Tube to King's Cross, then first left onto York Way and it's on your right - the office building (they do have offices upstairs). I did better than the last time - this time, I noticed the exit for York Way and took that (this being one of those stations with multiple exits). And I was soon there - very early for the concert, but ShowFilmFirst do like you to get there half an hour early to pick up your ticket.
The two people ahead of me were also ShowFilmFirst customers. We made our way downstairs - the hall wasn't open yet, so I sat nearby and waited. Shortly, there was in unintelligible announcement. Nobody moved. The usher came over to me a few minutes later and explained that the hall was now open, if I wanted to go in.. figuring I'd have a more comfortable seat inside, I did.
Good seat, eh? I was first in. Seats are comfy, but - as I found out during the concert - creak loudly if you move, having wooden frames. The lady who'd been ahead of me in the queue turned out to have the seat beside me. There were two free seats on my other side, and when the concert started I moved over one, so she'd have room for her things on what had been my seat. She moved to the row behind after the interval, where she'd have room on both sides. Was very polite about it, apologising so I didn't think it was my fault.
The hall was about two-thirds full, but I have to wonder how many of us came on a free ticket. The concert was broadly divisible into three sections. Common to all three was the chap who seems to be in charge of this Dvorak festival, and whose picture is displayed on its web page - who played the piano throughout. He was accompanied thoughout by a rather fed-up-looking page-turner, who sat at his side and looked glum, mostly. And yawned a couple of times. It occurred to me to wonder why they haven't just inevnted an app for that. Page-turning, not yawning. It should be straightforward enough - a large enough screen-reader, propped on the piano (or integrated with it), that scrolls the music across the screen at an adjustable speed.
Come to that, how come only pianists have page-turners? Tradition, I'll bet. Anyhoo, for the first section, this pair were joined by a duo of ladies, one on the violin, one on the cello. The music, having gypsy origins, was as vigorous as you might expect, and I fully expected the violinist's hairslide to fly off as she bounced up and down on her seat. But I guess she's used to wearing one in this situation, and it didn't. Every now and again, the pianist leaned forward to smile encouragingly at the ladies. There was a brief pause between movements to let some latecomers take their seats. And there's another thing - there were several different pieces in this first part, but I guess they were all part of a larger opus (as usual, I didn't bother with a programme), because there was no applause right until the end. Sometimes I can understand this, but here, the pieces were quite distinct; I didn't feel a flow between them, and I don't see why we were obliged not to clap. Ah well.
The second section saw the string section leave, and be replaced by a very tall gentleman, who sang us some gypsy songs. Dunno, I never care for these myself in a classical context. Anyway, when he was done, the third section saw the string section return, now with a third member. The music throughout was lovely, and I enjoyed it. The singer didn't return to take his bow at the end, which I thought curious..
Right then, it's off to Ireland with me for the weekend. For Monday, as I studiously avoid dreary plays about misery, I'd like to go to the City Christmas Fair, but for some reason the website isn't working. So the current front-runner is a play called Her Naked Skin, about suffragism, running in the Guildhall School beside the Barbican..
The only time I've been here before was also with a ShowFilmFirst ticket. Not hard to get to, but one of these places that takes a little time: Tube to King's Cross, then first left onto York Way and it's on your right - the office building (they do have offices upstairs). I did better than the last time - this time, I noticed the exit for York Way and took that (this being one of those stations with multiple exits). And I was soon there - very early for the concert, but ShowFilmFirst do like you to get there half an hour early to pick up your ticket.
The two people ahead of me were also ShowFilmFirst customers. We made our way downstairs - the hall wasn't open yet, so I sat nearby and waited. Shortly, there was in unintelligible announcement. Nobody moved. The usher came over to me a few minutes later and explained that the hall was now open, if I wanted to go in.. figuring I'd have a more comfortable seat inside, I did.
Good seat, eh? I was first in. Seats are comfy, but - as I found out during the concert - creak loudly if you move, having wooden frames. The lady who'd been ahead of me in the queue turned out to have the seat beside me. There were two free seats on my other side, and when the concert started I moved over one, so she'd have room for her things on what had been my seat. She moved to the row behind after the interval, where she'd have room on both sides. Was very polite about it, apologising so I didn't think it was my fault.
The hall was about two-thirds full, but I have to wonder how many of us came on a free ticket. The concert was broadly divisible into three sections. Common to all three was the chap who seems to be in charge of this Dvorak festival, and whose picture is displayed on its web page - who played the piano throughout. He was accompanied thoughout by a rather fed-up-looking page-turner, who sat at his side and looked glum, mostly. And yawned a couple of times. It occurred to me to wonder why they haven't just inevnted an app for that. Page-turning, not yawning. It should be straightforward enough - a large enough screen-reader, propped on the piano (or integrated with it), that scrolls the music across the screen at an adjustable speed.
Come to that, how come only pianists have page-turners? Tradition, I'll bet. Anyhoo, for the first section, this pair were joined by a duo of ladies, one on the violin, one on the cello. The music, having gypsy origins, was as vigorous as you might expect, and I fully expected the violinist's hairslide to fly off as she bounced up and down on her seat. But I guess she's used to wearing one in this situation, and it didn't. Every now and again, the pianist leaned forward to smile encouragingly at the ladies. There was a brief pause between movements to let some latecomers take their seats. And there's another thing - there were several different pieces in this first part, but I guess they were all part of a larger opus (as usual, I didn't bother with a programme), because there was no applause right until the end. Sometimes I can understand this, but here, the pieces were quite distinct; I didn't feel a flow between them, and I don't see why we were obliged not to clap. Ah well.
The second section saw the string section leave, and be replaced by a very tall gentleman, who sang us some gypsy songs. Dunno, I never care for these myself in a classical context. Anyway, when he was done, the third section saw the string section return, now with a third member. The music throughout was lovely, and I enjoyed it. The singer didn't return to take his bow at the end, which I thought curious..
Right then, it's off to Ireland with me for the weekend. For Monday, as I studiously avoid dreary plays about misery, I'd like to go to the City Christmas Fair, but for some reason the website isn't working. So the current front-runner is a play called Her Naked Skin, about suffragism, running in the Guildhall School beside the Barbican..
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