Random Music Talk CXXXI: Interference Finally Gets Its Revenge on Cobbler

[cobl04]

Absolutely adore this 'cover' of Snoop Dogg, Pharrell and Charlie Wilson's incredible 2002 hit Beautiful on the (very good) new James Blake record.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Visiting a friend in Boston this weekend and we're going to the Arctic Monkeys show at TD Garden on Sunday. Very excited, will be my 5th time seeing Arctic Monkeys but first time since the Suck it and See era. Didn't catch them on either the AM or Tranquility Base tours. My first two times seeing them were in smaller theaters in Chicago on their first two times visiting the states. Feel pretty lucky to have seen them way back then.

And doubly excited because I've never been to Boston before. Will be nice to cross it off the list. Gonna probably try to do some sightseeing/touristy stuff the day after the concert. Anybody got any recommendations? I know a few of our regular posters here are familiar with the area.

I hope you got to tour Fenway. I've done it twice, and going into/behind the Green Monster was a cool moment for me.

 

[iron yuppie]

New Mitski record out today. She's been in contention for queen of disaffected middle schoolers for a while now, so I was curious whether she would lean into that or not. I think she's gone the opposite route - the album is abstract and challenging in some really interesting ways.

 

[cobl04]

I’ve never been a big Fleet Foxes person but god Shore is gorgeous.

 

[cobl04]

So last night I witnessed a pretty special gig. Nick Mason is in town, he has a band called Saucerful of Secrets, and they only play pre-TDSOTM Floyd tracks. I’d known about the gig for a while but tickets were initially $170 which I was never going to pay. It seems many people also didn’t, they’d dropped to $99 by the time I got mine on a whim last night. They played at the Forum, which is comfortably Melbourne’s best small music venue (2,000 capacity), and it was pretty awesome to see an OG Pink Floyd member in such an intimate venue. I was mildly skeptical before the show, as I knew Nick wouldn’t be singing and was concerned it’d just be an expensive tribute show with some ordinary other musicians, but the band is actually pretty cool… Guy Pratt plays bass and sings, and he’s played on Pink Floyd tracks and done live shows with the band for decades, and the other ‘frontman’ is Gary Kemp, from Spandau Ballet. Kemp effectively takes Gilmour’s place, and Pratt Waters’ (though it’s kind of a disservice to say that for Pratt, who is so warm and likeable, the complete opposite of Waters). So yes, it is a tribute show, but you’ve got an original member and two frontmen who know the material inside and out and are incredibly huge fans of Floyd. Their interplay and stage presence is a delight. Pratt shares that Remember a Day is played for Rick Wright, who was the grandfather of his child. He also gets really pumped up seeing a bunch of fans in the front rock out to Atom Heart Mother. He also tells the story of loving The Nile Song, and how he proposed it to Gilmour for his last tour. “I suggested we play The Nile Song and he suggested I join another band.” Kemp excitedly tells the crowd, “we grew up thinking these were the best albums ever made. Now we KNOW these were the best albums ever made!” (I know nothing about Spandau Ballet but he is a fantastic performer, good-looking rooster, I imagine he was a bit of an icon back in the day. He jokingly bemoans the lack of Spandau Ballet t-shirts in the crowd until he spots a woman wearing one.) They open with One of These Days, just so good. It’s really cool to see Mason up so close, and hitting those iconic beats in songs like that and Echoes, which I know so well, behind a huge drum kit and in front of a gong. I don’t actually know early Floyd that well apart from Meddle, but it’s a brilliant show from start to finish. (Lee Harris (from a band called Blockheads, who also came up with the idea for the band) on co-lead guitar and synths/keyboardist Dom Beken, from The Orb, round out the band.) At a few points throughout the show Mason stands up and offers some insights into some of the songs they’re playing, like half-finished Syd Barrett-led offcuts like Vegetable Man, and stories behind tracks like Candy and a Currant Bun. He’s a bit wobbly, clearly very old now, but also really humble and very funny. In one of his story sections before Set the Controls, he’s talking about he’s excited to play the gong, because it was always Roger’s thing and he wasn’t allowed to, and then his phone rings, and he answers it and goes “oh, Roger, hello! No I haven’t seen your gong mate… no idea where it could be… what am I up to? Oh nothing much… actually, I think I saw David take you gong. Maybe give him a call. Ok, bye…” It was so fucking great, and it was stuff like that that made the pretty exorbitant price tag totally worth it. Set the Controls is absolutely majestic, the If-Atom Heart Mother-If reprise section of the show is utterly outstanding. The close out the main set with Echoes, which was just phenomenal. I’m so glad that I can now say that I’ve lived and seen that live in person, played by a fantastic band featuring a member of Pink Floyd. The way Lee Harris recreates the high-pitched squeals with his guitar is magic, I had no idea that was a guitar. The build-up to the solo (played by Kemp) was transcendent. The pings by Beken were magic. What a fucking incredible song, one of the best ever made. The encore of See Emily Play and Saucerful of Secrets is brilliant. I’d have loved to also hear Cymbaline, Interstellar Overdrive and Careful with that Axe, but it was a stellar show, and you can see it really means a lot to Nick, he spends a lot of the show beaming with pride. Really glad I went.
One of These Days
Arnold Layne
Fearless
Obscured By Clouds / When You’re In
Candy and a Currant Bun
Vegetable Man
If / Atom Heart Mother / If
Remember a Day
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

Astronomy Domine
The Nile Song
Burning Bridges
Childhood’s End
Lucifer Sam
Echoes

See Emily Play
A Saucerful of Secrets
Bike

Relics/The Early Years 4
Obscured By Clouds 4
Meddle 3
Atom Heart Mother 2
Saucerful of Secrets 2
Piper at the Gates of Dawn 2
More 1

 

[cobl04]

This is a great interview with the band about it, and includes a clip of Waters coming out to sing on Set the Controls! https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...n-interview-saucerful-of-secrets-tour-846765/

 

[DaveC]

that sounds like an amazing show. they were scheduled to play here in january 2021 and i was considering going, but sort of talked myself out of it as there weren't many reviews then, tickets weren't cheap, and i was skeptical that it'd be a glorified tribute band too. ultimately the show was cancelled for covid reasons. but after reading that writeup i will absolutely go if/when they come back to toronto.

PS: paragraphs are everyone's friend

 

[cobl04]

Yeah my bad haha, I wrote it in my notes at work, usually I do paragraphs. Definitely recommend going along if you can get a reasonably-priced ticket. No way I'd have paid the initial asking price.

 

[gump]

Posting this here for no particular reason than the fact that I've just learned about its existence:

 

[iron yuppie]

Instagram post from Sufjan revealed he nearly died last month from an autoimmune disease. He's out of the woods now but will need upwards of a year to learn to walk again.

 

[djerdap]

Nick Mason's show was probably my favourite show by a Pink Floyd member I have attended. The setlist had many of my favorites, and it was simply a lot of loose, unpretentious fun. It was at least on par with Gilmour's gig. Waters would rank third.

 

[gump]

Instagram post from Sufjan revealed he nearly died last month from an autoimmune disease. He's out of the woods now but will need upwards of a year to learn to walk again.

Jesus, I had no idea. Hope he is ok and recovers quickly. That also explain that he won’t tour in support of the new record.

 

[cobl04]

Devastating and scary to hear about. Of course, selfishly, I'm partly devastated because it's been nine years since I've seen him live and I would love to, but obviously the priority is his health and I hope he comes through it okay. Sounds like it came after the recording of the album? Also, the cover and packaging looks epic. I couldn't afford to fork out for the seafoam vinyl on their website but local shops here did a yellow vinyl, got it for $62.

 

[cobl04]

Paging U2inUtah and U2PopMofo.
I am pretty keen for the Kings vs Jazz on the 25th October. I'm meant to be flying to Seattle that day but I just looked at my flights and as long as I cancel more than a fortnight out I get US$50 in credit and there's pretty cheap flights on the 26th. Are either of you keen?

 

[cobl04]

Ok I am avoiding the threads now, want to know as little as possible about everything, but I have to celebrate, I just got one of the tickets I did really want - to a second show, on the 18th, right up the back, on SeatGeek. I paid US$208 which is pretty expensive but not too bad I think? I think those tickets were US$140 (not sure if that was including fees or not?) and I thought fuck it, that's the cheapest I've seen them, if there's any time to splurge it's now. And I suppose I could always keep an eye out and if something pops up cheaper I could resell. Fucked if I can get a Nick Cave ticket at anything close to their original price though.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

For anyone still listening to trance...

Armin Van Buuren's A State of Trance 2023 is getting me through grading some quizzes. "Forever Young" by LÜRUM is an early favorite.

 

[u2popmofo]

Paging U2inUtah and U2PopMofo.
I am pretty keen for the Kings vs Jazz on the 25th October. I'm meant to be flying to Seattle that day but I just looked at my flights and as long as I cancel more than a fortnight out I get US$50 in credit and there's pretty cheap flights on the 26th. Are either of you keen?

I'm interested, but can't 100% be sure I'll be in town due to some present work craziness. Spent all morning booking some unexpected trips, unsure if it will all be resolved by the 25th.

I saw Röyksopp live last night, it was awesome.

 

[lazarus]

Anyone check out the new mix of The Replacements' Let It Be?

Now that is one hell of an improvement. And this one notoriously sounded like shit to everyone.

The mix doesn't turn Lay It Down Clown into a good song, but some of them, like Here Comes A Regular, Swinging Party, Little Mascara just sound so much more alive and layered.

Haven't got to the outtakes yet but there's a lot, plus a couple live shows.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

I saw Röyksopp live last night, it was awesome.

That is rad. I hope you had an amazing time!

Looks like they released an album I haven't listened to. I'll get on that.

 

[u2popmofo]

That is rad. I hope you had an amazing time!

Looks like they released an album I haven't listened to. I'll get on that.

They unfortunately didn't play any Melody A.M. tracks (or they were so overhauled & remixed that I didn't recognize them), but I did flip out and scream myself horse to What Else Is There.

 

[lazarus]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but the Rolling Stones just dropped their best song in...30 years? 40? With Lady Gaga on backing vocals (and not buried in the mix like U2 idiotically did on Summer of Love), and Stevie Wonder on various key instruments.

Jagger sounds so good it's ridiculous. And not "good for an 80 year-old man" but like, it sounds like he could sing anything from his long repertoire, easily.

Has kind of a Love Rescue Me downbeat final section after a big buildup but that's where Stevie really goes to town.


Just, wow.

 

[cobl04]

Yeah, wow.

 

[Hewson]

Mick really sounds great on that track.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

They unfortunately didn't play any Melody A.M. tracks (or they were so overhauled & remixed that I didn't recognize them), but I did flip out and scream myself horse to What Else Is There.

I started listening to Profound Mysteries this morning. I was wondering what kind of setlist they put together. What Else Is There is a must-play, but I would think Eple or Poor Leno would be too. But...that album is almost 20 years old? Just glad they're still making music.

 

[phanan]

That Stones song is crazy good, especially the full version.

 

[djerdap]

Agreed on the Stones track.

 

[U2inUtah]

Paging U2inUtah and U2PopMofo.
I am pretty keen for the Kings vs Jazz on the 25th October. I'm meant to be flying to Seattle that day but I just looked at my flights and as long as I cancel more than a fortnight out I get US$50 in credit and there's pretty cheap flights on the 26th. Are either of you keen?

I'm interested, but can't 100% be sure I'll be in town due to some present work craziness. Spent all morning booking some unexpected trips, unsure if it will all be resolved by the 25th.

I saw Röyksopp live last night, it was awesome.

I'm in. I was thinking you weren't going to be here on the 25th cobz. I can work on getting tickets if you will be here. I lol'd when I saw they were playing the Kings.

 

[cobl04]

Awesome man I will change my flight to Seattle to the next day!! I am definitely in.

 

[cobl04]

It now means I've got three nights in Seattle/Portland. I'll definitely catch up with Cori on one of those. But should I spend two nights in Seattle or two nights in Portland?

 

[U2inUtah]

If it were me I’d spend longer in Seattle than Portland, although I’ve only been to Portland once for work, so I’m not sure what the city has to offer other than the Blazers. The forested hills near downtown are really beautiful.

Seattle is definitely the larger more cosmopolitan city. I had a lot of fun exploring downtown and the waterfront when I was there. We took a ferry out onto the Sound which gave great views of the city. There’s the Museum of Pop Culture (Jimi Hendrix museum). I’m sure Cori can give you great recommendations.