Another Op'ning... Another Show....

I have been covering for my ex-boss in the depths of Borehamwood for the past week & a bit so have been a bit lax with blogging due to being knackered.

But to keep you up to speed...

I went with Owen to see one of his favourite bands Maximo Park at Brixton Academy.
They were supported by The Noisettes who certainly made an interesting noise - definite rockabilly echoes - but I enjoyed their set and in particular the charismatic frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa.

Maximo were promoting their new album "Quicken The Heart" and it seemed to go down well with the fanbase. But sadly their music just doesn't connect with me, to me it sounds like they have written one song and just changed the title. Indeed when front man Paul said for the nth time that the next song was about "getting away" I had to smile. There was a change of pace for the first song of the encore.. an actual ballad. Afterwards Paul Maximo said he wrote it in a Berlin club... which he then acknowledged were also the opening lines of the song. Which kind of sums up how I feel about the songs - too literal, too earthbound, too insular. They do however have good lights for the show so that's a plus.

On Saturday it was time to Bounce!!
Along with Motown, another iconic record label Island is 50 this year and all last week there were gigs at Shepherds Bush celebrating the label and the eclectic artists it has signed. Some people were under the impression that Keane were the headliner... but any fule no that the mighty grintastic Tom Tom Club were the real deal!

Most of the audience seemed to be hand-holding, dullish, couples in their mid-thirties who I presume are the Keane demographic but at least it made for a nice happy vibe - and we got a nice free booklet on Island's history.

First up was Ladyhawke who I had just lumped together with Lady Gaga, Little Boots and all the other electro poptarts. However the day before I had played her eponymous album on Napster and liked it a lot. Her set featured the best of the album and it was only marred by the band overpowering her vocals. There was also the slight problem that from where I was sitting she kept reminding me of Judy Tzuke! But apart from that I enjoyed her 80s-flavoured set.
Then it was time to take off to Planet Joy with the musical genius of Tom Tom Club. It was great to see them again in London so soon after their last visit around this time last year but this time they were sadly without their guest vocalist Mystic Bowie who gives their songs some extra top-spin. Otherwise Chris (who survived a sprawling stumble up onto his drumkit riser) and Tina (resplendent in bunches, silver high heels and a glittering black cocktail dress) were joined by old friends Victoria Clamp on guest vocals, the human whirlwind Bruce Martin on keyboards & percussion and Robby Aceto on guitar. Oh and Kid Ginseng on the decks!
They bubbled, bounced and shimmied their way through their standard support of "Suboceana", "Punk Lolita", "Who Feelin' It", "L'Elephant", "The Man With The Four-Way Hips" and "Happiness Can't Buy Money". Despite the musical alchemy created on stage, most of the Keaneits around me simply clapped politely then sat on their hands again. They finally started to give it up with the last three songs - "Genius of Love", "You Sexy Thing" and a titanic "Wordy Rappinghood". It was fantastic to see them again and hopefully next time Mystic will be with them again and they will play to an audience a little more engagé.Having cheered them off the stage there was really no point to stay to watch Keane... you don't need to see another supporting act after the stars have gone eh? I must thank Nick Hider for his concert photos by the way.

Which brings me to Tuesday and the one and only Sandra Bernhard.
Sandra was appearing at the Leicester Square Theatre - one-time home to Boy George's musical TABOO - with a 20th anniversary celebration of her ground-breaking one-woman show WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING.We saw her last year at the Shaw Theatre and - although it's always great to experience her - I felt the show was a bit too random, a bit lacking a core. No such problems tonight. Interspersed between some of her classic WITHOUT YOU... monologues were her barbed, insightful, hilarious observations of high life and low culture.

As usual Madonna came in for a bit of a skewering but how fantastic was it when Sandra let rip at BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT! Not as you might suspect at the omnipresent Susan Boyle but at the British Baby June... Holly Steele. That frightening child got the reading she deserved... and her pushy stage mother too.

It was great to see her perform the WITHOUT YOU... monologues. I was quietly hoping we might get the straight man in 1970s San Francisco gay disco - and she did it! To watch her assume her uber-rock chick diva persona at the end was all the more fun knowing Chrissie Hynde was in the audience!

Watching her on stage interweaving the old and new material made me realise just how influential a performer she has been so it was fantastic to see her at the top of her game.

And always remember Constant Reader, without m... without you I'm nothing.