Faculty X was totally manic though, and it was great to see Peter teasing Stuart once again with his unpredictable tempo changes on piano, and with Stuart (contorting himself to see PH past the piano) getting revenge by inventing new riffs...serious fun!
Traintime started slowly and took a while to build up speed but there were no serious derailments - a bit of a sensitive subject for Brits - and we had a really thundering express by the end. It was at _this_ point that I thought that PH might explode. A bit of a sensitive subject here too seeing as the Real IRA did a BBC performance a few weeks previously.
But then again we didn't have to worry too much...I mean, who would want to blow up a Hammill concert? Well, Charlotte's mother perhaps ("What's _that_ godawful bloody racket??").
Anyway, by the end of the song Stuart looked similarly exhausted. PH was visibly panting and looking in serious danger of falling off that piano stool. But no, we shouldn't get overly concerned! _I'm_ not fit enough to sing something like Traintime, and I'm nearly half his age!
Still Life was the best version we've ever heard, at anywhere, at anytime. Loved the spoken lyrics near the end and the quieter than expected "take away the threat" bit which obviously caught Stuart a bit off-guard at first as he was well away!
Joe: PH did not take a long time to come out for the encore, he usually at least has time for one fag. Relatively speaking they were back on stage very quickly (took us by surprise as we were in the middle of swigging our bottled water). Perhaps they had been warned about the early QEH curfew.
Stranger Still was in fact a rather edited version, but we think that this was to do with the fact that PH forgot an entire chunk of it rather than out of a desire to pander to these rather draconian rules. Anyway, yes: we were disappointed that there was only the one encore, but I guess you can have too much of a good thing (really? But we would have liked Refugees...) and at least we got to see PH transform into a decidedly otherworldly man at the end.
PH did in fact drop a strong hint that there would be another British show to come in the not-too-distant future. But then of course he never had a great sense of time (see Dagmar's book, and Charlotte's story hahaha)
One final observation. We agree: Peter's voice was superb...good to hear that he can sustain a loud note for fifteen seconds or so, as shown at the end of Out of My Book....conducting himself here with one finger in the air, which prompted Marga's surprised comment: "He can still do that!!"
QUITE!
Charlotte and Marga
From JOE:
Oh boy, at long, long last. This first-timers' impressions of a Hammill show follows, so the accuracy of the song order will be in question: I was engrossed in the experience and not thinking about writing a review.
As we - my wife joined me, although she was finding the handcuffs a bit uncomfortable - took our pre-show coffee and wandered into the hall, we were doing a bit of crowd analysis. You could spot those who were there against their will (or "better" judgement): they were the ones taking note of the closest exits and familiarizing themselves with the emergency procedures.
Expecting the worst, you might say. And they most definitely got it, depending on your perspective of course. As for the rest, trenchcoats and fedoras; old rockers and young Europeans; long-haired people who looked as though they had trekked across miles of wasteland for months to get there and had not cut their hair since the start of the journey; big beards; women in their fifties who looked as though they really wanted to be there (and probably did); some teenage girls. And Sean Kelly (thanks for the beer Sean) trying in vain to flog the absent Fred's ticket outside the hall. Oh, and Judge Smith was there, chatting in a group during the interval. But on to the performance.
It was everything I expected and more. Stunning, brilliant, frightening, etc etc. There were 20 songs, as far as I can remember - I know, it seems like too many considering there was just the one encore, making it 3 or 4 songs more than the usual concert. So I have gone through the list I have made, wondering whether I had included some of the tracks as a kind of wishful thinking after the event. But no, I'm pretty sure I haven't.
I must say one thing before going on: there has been some slagging off on this list of Stuart Gordon's playing, especially the live appearances. Now this is the first time that I've experienced a live PH concert, so unless he has drastically improved his playing - and it would have to be by several dozen orders of magnitude - there is no reason for anyone to complain.
The guy is professional; knows his instrument *and* his parts very well indeed; played impeccably; did not get in the way physically or musically; and PH *likes* having him up there. Enough reasons for me. So. A grand piano, a red Ovation guitar, a weathered violin, a Stuart and a Peter - not necessarily in that order. Would hardly sound like the right kind of ingredients to the uninitiated...but what they cooked up was quite extraordinary.
##Unrehearsed - I had no idea that this could be such a good song when played live. It had just the right manic atmosphere and never went ott. This...is...NOT...a rehearsal!!"
##Vision - I was hoping this would be in the set, and it was a real treat. ##Nothing Comes ##Amnesiac ##Shingle ##Patient ##Time for a Change - No version of this song will ever match up to the one on "Typical".
Tonight was no exception. ##Comfortable - I really enjoyed this one for a change. Odd that my least favourite album, should produce 3 tracks for this show. But of the three, Comfortable stood out the most tonight. ##Modern - When this got under way, the penny finally dropped as to just where I was. This was my favourite PH song from my favourite album for a very long time, and it never disappoints.
##Sign - Hardly recognizable at the beginning; a fairly sedate version of this, which is a change from all of the other versions that I've heard. Not a bad thing, since a quiet ending meant that it segued quite nicely into... ##Like Veronica - ...which I've been looking forward to hearing live since the very first time I heard it on NOTA. I expected it to be extremely powerful and I was not disappointed. Some thicko on the other side of the hall from where I was had left their mobile phone on.
The f@$%ing thing began to ring during the opening verse - very softly so that it was barely noticeable except during the quiet parts - and was ringing again (or perhaps still ringing) at the end of the song, which had to have been about 7 minutes later. Do you not know how to switch off your phone or set it to Silent mode? We know who you are. You will be sent for and there will be no mercy.
##Traintime ##Out of my Book ##Tango for One - This is going to be a standard; I got the distinct feeling while watching him play that this is one of his personal favourites. ##Faculty X - Things got a bit dangerously close to the edge of sanity here. ##Bubble ##Still Life The encore, for which he took so long to come out that he seemed unwilling: ##Stranger Still - The last parts sung while swivelling on the seat, standing and then walking over to the front of the stage.
General notes: One of the outstanding impressions was of how you really could hear a pin drop during the quiet passages. With everyone absolutely rooted to the spot, not daring to move or even to breathe either out of respect, fear, tension or expectation.
There was no question of calling for another encore, the lights immediately came up as the two of them disappeared. There were a few bum notes, but less than I would expect from the kind of experimentation that was going on. They did not detract from the occasion. PH got mixed up with his lines once or twice, (Stranger Still and ???), but nowhere that it made a real difference. SG put in some really blistering solos that surely left him (and his violin and bow) in some serious pain.
When's the next show? Count me in, right now.
Joe M
From Tess
QEH: what a great gig!
Like Joe McLean, I like to do the crowd-analysis bit as well, and I would say that any teenagers present looked like "second generation" fans to me, i.e. brought by their parents. Is this depressing or is it a good sign??
Eavesdropping is also fun. Heard someone say fondly to his (presumably first-time-listening) mate, during the interval, "...well, once you're used to the arrhythmia and the disorganisation..." That made me laugh! Whatever anyone thinks privately of Peter's guitar or piano technique, he's a musician all the way, and after a point that matters more than technique.
Live, he could stab out a tune with one finger and still make it exhilarating. Tune? what am I talking about?
I've been one of those guilty of criticising Stuart Gordon in the past. So let me put it on record that I am quite reconciled. He was fantastic last night: the two of them meshed beautifully. It was touching to see Stuart sawing away maniacally behind the waving vegetation of broken bow-strings.
Best moments of the show, for me: Amnesiac, Like Veronica, and Unrehearsed. It was lovely and unexpected to hear In the End [must have meant Easy to Slip Away ..Time For A Change?] and Out of My Book, too. "Nostalgia-fest" as Peter put it, tongue in cheek? No: best of all worlds.
The first time I saw him play live fourteen years ago, I emerged pale, shaking and white knuckled with awe. It's exactly the same today. Just hope he doesn't get any thinner.
Regards
Tess
Stuart E:
Just returned from an enjoyably gig at the QEH. Someone with better memory than me will have to give the full set list, but it began with Easy to Slip Away and Siren Song, and ended with a great Traintime and Still Life.
The encore was Stranger Still (great vocal at the end). Out of My Book was probably the only thing I hadn't heard before. I thought the piano sets were better than the guitar - the latter were rather ham- fisted (or Hammill-fisted as a guitarist friend who came to the gig said).
Time for a Change was particularly ropey. The highlight was the voice - really fantastic at times. All in all, lots of fun.
Follow up--
Yes. I'm not going to get into an argument about his merits as a guitarist. You don't know him, I do.
The point is that it's a shame that Peter writes/performs some fantastic guitar lines which at times he is simply unable to play live. I'm not asking for recreation of the album at all - one of the things i most like about Hammill is the way live performances are unpredictable, challenging, etc. But there is a line somewhere between breaking the songs' structure down, doing different arrangements and simply making mistakes.
As I said in the original mail Time For A Change was particularly ropey. Peter was playing the melody bit at the end of the lines and was simply getting it wrong. I can't see any other way to explain it. My suggestion was that with the piano tracks he was far more consistantly on the side of innovation and risk taking.
You may not like this, but I do think that we should remain able to criticise even as we praise. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, and said so in the previous mail. But I also offered a criticism. Given that Peter has described himself as 'ham-fisted' before, it was hardly a radical comment.
RICHARD R-J
Just got back from the QEH. A marvellous concert, full of drama, tenderness and passion. I didn't write down the set list, I'm always too engrossed in the music to do that, but I'm sure someone else will post it. There were no major surprises in it, though.
I do sometimes wish PH would be a little more adventurous in his choice of songs.
Anyway, the highlights for me were a beautiful Vision, a perfect Still Life and a transcendent Stranger Still, which ended with PH stalking the stage in his white garb, repeating the last line off mike like a man possessed - which, of course, he was.
Of the newer songs, I loved Amnesiac and A Better Time. Bubble was a trifle workmanlike and plodding, I thought, but Veronica Lake was a revelation - effortlessly achieving the sense of menace and threat that is somewhat lacking from the studio version.
And a big thank you to the woman sitting next to me who coughed noisily throughout the entire show.
------------------------------ ADAM K
Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I rate that as not only the best PH gig I've been to, but probably one of the best gigs I've ever been to, full stop.
I brought my partner along, who's not a bona-fide, album-listening fan, but who's been to see him with me the last couple of times he's played London, and she agreed that it was a thoroughly intense, thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Never having been a big Stuart Gordon fan, I've totally revised my opinion based on his contribution last night. The way they played off of each other was beautiful and breathtaking, and his fluid violin lines contrasted perfectly with Hammill's broken, staggering piano playing.
I loved the set list, feeling thrilled to hear him do "Visions", "Stranger Still" and "Still Life" (all personal faves of mine) in one set, and relieved (albeit slightly puzzled) that he only did a couple of songs from the new one --- although, having said that, I thought he improved "Tango for One" vastly.
I was a bit worried about him, however -- I thought he looked much thinner, much frailer and, while still full of the old energy and intensity, and still possessing the greatest voice around, sometimes the songs seemed to drain the energy from him.
Did anyone else feel this, or am I just being overly-concerned? That ending, in particular, was one of the most frightening things I think I've ever seen in a gig --- I thought his head was going to explode.
The evening was completed, even moreso, by the presence of both Jackson and Evans (the latter sitting right next to my partner) and the poster advertising the evening, with the (slight mis)quote from the Rough Guide.
[And the Judge was in attendance as well-thanks KM]
Anyway --- it was a great evening. I felt quite black and blue inside = when it was done. Adam K.
FROM ANDREW
You may not like this, but I do think that we should remain able to criticise even as we praise. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, and said so in the previous mail. But i also offered a criticism.
What irked me was (what I perceived) as the rather niggardly fashion in which the criticism was proffered. I'm not suggesting for 5 seconds people follow a "party" line of some kind, it would be a boring old world if everyone thought the same.
PH may well have described his guitar playing in the past as "ham-fisted" simply because he has to presence of mind to know that he is not Bill Frisell (or indeed Robert Fripp).[AGAIN]
However if he really thought that, would he continue to subject his audience to it at every concert he plays :) I know he has a sentimental attachment to "Time for a Change" (he's played it "live" often enough), but in a two hour plus concert it is the one song he plays that is not self-penned and I actually find it lyrically weak and more that a little cloying. I thank god as well he doesn't try and play guitar "lines" note for note and takes a few risks. Anyway you enjoyed the concert and that's the main thing !
The man is a genius (and I don't use that word lightly), last night he had the same kind of profound effect on my psyche/being as only people of the calibre of Gyorgy Ligeti, Wynton Marsalis & Mikhail Pletnev are capable of and that's as good as it gets in my book.
Andrew
____________________
I'm sorry (not really), I accept that this is your opinion, but to me this is kind of analogous to someone saying "this mate of mine who enjoys a good karaoke session down the pub reckons that Cecilia Bartoli can't sing in tune".
No offence, but has this "musician" friend got through his Bert Weedon "Play in a Day" manual yet :)
I can't be objective about this concert and frankly why should I be. I have long ago lost count of the number of times I have seen PH in concert, but this was a quite exceptional performance.
The interplay between himself and Stuart Gordon was extraordinary and touched levels that few jazz or classical musicians reach - let alone so-called "rock/pop" ones.
PH's ability to sustain the levels of intensity and commitment that he showed to each and every song throughout a 2+hour performance (with one interval), I find quite staggering. His vocal performance frequently left me (quite literally) stunned.
"Comfortable", "Patient", "Shingle Song", "Modern", "Like Veronica", "Sign" (guitar); "Traintime", "Stranger Still", "Still Life" (piano) were just some of what I remember with particular affection. I also found the audience to be on the whole extremely attentive, I had been at a concert at the RFH on Thursday which was marred slighty by the incessant coughing of some audience members - however I can fully appreciate that it's a different kettle of fish, if the person is right next to you. Frankly my only gripe is that at the end more people didn't get up on their feet -
PH is quite unique, yet gets so little recognition, I would have thought he at least deserved a standing ovation, the seats at the QEH are not that comfortable (no pun intended) :)
Andrew
Well it feels like home now, doesn't it? The (initially) comfy seats, the tension of what's to come, the ushers welcoming you politely, expect the unexpected - as they said... Anyway - I've just read the first notes on ph491 of the gig and sometimes wonder if I was at the same place. Hammill loves his reality checks (ie: tuning? his guitar) so allow me mine. It was, as they say, a game of two halves...first disorganised, unbalanced, and chaotic. What was going on , I was worried.
Was I actually about to see a bad PH gig. Moments in Unrehearsed and Patient calmed me but I still felt this wasn't it, quite. Second half after a breath of fresh air in the rain over the Thames I rejoined the throng and found that PH and SG had decided to play. This was more like it. All the way through including the sublime "A Better Time", and "Comfortable", "Traintime", "Still Life", and "Out of my Book" I was entranced. Yes, this was the real PH. Where had he been in the first half?
Could I possibly be alone in thinking that SG was too powerful in the first half and throughought smothered all of PH's subtleties, and in all was less of an effective accompanist than I've ever heard him be - frankly, he disappointed me. Yes, he's great but please accompany, don't dominate, especially if you only do it by being loud. Not a novice - listened to PH since 1974. Live gigs since 1978, the great Edinburgh Odeon broken piano gig.
Left and conquered the snows on the M1 to reach Middlesbrough at 3.20am.
Comments........
1. SingalongaHammill Don't - I've paid good money to come here and want to hear Peter not YOU.
We all know the songs - even Peter realised that... 2. DrumalongaHammill Gonnae no dae that - If you were half as good as Manny you'd be on stage. You know who you are - Row L!!!! Leave your thighs alone!
3. HeadNodding Carry on - opportunities are few are far betweeen.
4. Clapping Leave it to the end
It's only the rarefied atmos. of the QEH that makes you react like this but sometimes it needs saying - Long may he continue. A QEH gig every year (ideally at a weekend) would keep many of us satisfied. Where does that voice come from?
Don't flame me for this!
It came as no surprise that emails singing his praises should have started within a couple of hours of the performance ending but it was depressing that Stuart had to fend off an attack for offering a critical observation - an observation based on reasonably observable fact rather than subjective impression. I thought that this was a space where all those with an interest could exchange news and views not a devotional space for the true believers. In the interests of winding up all those who find contrary views deeply unsettling...
I thought it was a wonderful evening I wouldn't have missed it for the world but it would have been nice if Peter had balanced the 'full on' delivery with some more controlled interpretations. His brutal version of Unrehearsed ( a magnificent song) failed to deliver the mix of passion and tenderness achieve in the recording.
And although Peter and Stuart clearly play together much more sympathetically now than when they first paired up I also though the Violin was allowed to dominate.
And I am the only one who finds the end of Stranger Still unmoving after the shock value has worn off.
I can't wait for the abuse to start!
john r-br>
FROM RENE BOS! [all the way from Netherlands/or Shell Texas]
maybe I *am* easily offended, who knows, but your mail didn't: I fully agree in fact!
but there's one thing that the British amongst us must explain: this was I think my third UK PH gig and always the audience stopped clapping/shouting/whatever after 1 encore...As soon as -after just one encore- the lights turn on, the crowd leaves, whereas in all the Dutch / Belgium / German gigs I've seen the 2 encores are default, often PH is shouted back for 3rd one (lights on or off) and once he even "had" to come back for a fourth time.
Why is it "unbritish" ?
Why don't you want an a-cappela "again" or "chicago" which by now almost
have become the classic 3rd encore?
cheers,
Rene (ps: though not "converted", "she" was happy to hear her favourite
"Vision"... )
South Bank Centre information:
The South Bank Centre is a unique centre, presenting an extremely diverse programme covering the whole range of music and performing arts. There are three auditoria available for hire by UK promoters, presenting the highest quality music, dance and performance.
Royal Festival Hall:
Capacity: 2895. Without choir seats (behind the stage): 2639. If a PA system is used, the capacity will reduce further.
Queen Elizabeth Hall:
Capacity: 898
Purcell Room:
Capacity: 367. Reduced capacity (with extended stage): 295.
Here're 3 or 4 poor translations of the first part[hope at least 50% of the words are right] :
SPANISH
De los primeros 2 email enviados aquí, aparece haber sido absolutamente un concierto excelente en QEH en Sunday.
incluyendo las descripciones tales como ' era un stormer ' de Keith y de una ' anteojera ' del PH del
de Tony [ quién pasó una cierta hora que hablaba con mí en el cuarto de la charla del msn el domingo ] y de SG jugados por más de 2 horas, y el pH se parecía contento con las audiencias [ casi reverential ] [ grandes oír eso! ]
And le dio everything.
ITALIAN
Dai primi 2 email trasmessi qui, sembra essere abbastanza un concerto eccellente a QEH su Sunday.
compreso tali descrizioni come ' era uno stormer ' da Keith e ' dai paraocchi ' dal PCH del
di Tony [ chi hanno passare un certo tempo che comunica con me nella stanza di chiacchierata del msn la domenica ] e da SG giocati per oltre 2 ore ed il pH ha sembrato pleased con i pubblici [ quasi reverential ] [ grandi sentire quello! ]
And gli ha dato everything.
FRENCH
Des 2 premiers email envoyés ici, il semble avoir été tout à fait un excellent concert à QEH sur Sunday.
comprenant des descriptions telles que ' c'était un stormer ' de Keith et d'une ' oeillère ' du PCH de
de Tony [ qui a passé une certaine heure me parlant dans la salle de causerie de msn dimanche ] et du SG joués pendant plus de 2 heures, et le pH a semblé heureux avec les assistances [ presque reverential ] [ grandes pour entendre cela! ]
And lui a donné everything.
PORTUGUESE
Dos primeiros 2 email emitidos sobre aqui, parece ter sido completamente um concert excelente em QEH em Sunday.
Including descrições como ' era um stormer ' de Keith e ' de uns antolhos ' do PH do
de Tony [ quem gastou alguma hora que fala a mim no quarto do bate-papo do msn em domingo ] e do SG jogados por sobre 2 horas, e o pH pareceu pleased com as audiências [ quase reverential ] [ grandes ouvir isso! ]
And deu-lhe everything.
GERMAN
Von den ersten 2 email, die hierhin gesendet werden, scheint es, ein ausgezeichnetes Konzert an QEH auf durchaus gewesen zu sein Sunday.
einschließlich solcher Beschreibungen, wie ' es ein stormer ' von Keith und von einer ' Scheuklappe ' vom
PCH Tony [ verbrachte wer einige Zeit, die mit mir im msnschwätzchenraum am Sonntag spricht ] und von SG war, die rüber 2 Stunden lang gespielt wurden und pH mit den [ fast reverential ] Publikum erfreut schien [ groß, das zu hören! ]
And gab ihm everything.