Jethro Tull - Thursday, 28th April 2011 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Note from 2012: Well, I wanted to study up on Jethro Tull albums before the concert, but didn't actually do it... Since then, I amusingly/depressingly still haven't listened to any Jethro Tull. Oh well.
Plus, despite what this nearly year old review suggests, I'm currently not listening to any Neil Diamond albums... instead, I'm getting good mileage out of a small group of albums which includes Fairground Attraction's The First of a Million Kisses. For those unaware, Fairground Attraction had a hit with the song Perfect (a great song!) and was the band Eddi Reader was the frontwoman of back in the late Eighties. Like Eddi herself, the album is lovely... and I adore the album closer, Allelujah.
I've been listening to the album as I very recently saw Eddi perform at St. Mary's Bascilica. I absolutely loved the show, and you should expect a gig review sometime in 2016.
Anyway, here's the ramblings on the Jethro Tull concert:
I only knew two songs by Jethro Tull, and yet I still went and saw them. I paid good money to sit up the back, in the rafters of the Palais Theatre. Row Z, to be exact... which isn't actually the last row, but it is close. I was totally going to bone up beforehand, since I do have a pile of Jethro Tull albums that I've yet to listen to, but I never got around to giving them a spin before the concert. (Of course). For those unaware (and I suspect that will be most people who aren't massive music nerds), Jethro Tull are a band from the late sixties who play prog-rock, with lots of jazzy flute, which is played by frontman Ian Anderson. They're generally well respected by the music reviewers that I read, and despite knowing almost none of their music, I decided to go, since based on my tastes, I figured I'd enjoy them... and so I could also say that I'd seen them. (I'm such an idiot hipster).
Anyway, enough rambling. How was the show? Pretty damn good. Bizarrely, the show had sold out: I didn't think that they'd draw such a crowd, but obviously there's a lot of music nerds who think highly of the band. A pleasant surprise was the sound: considering how boomy it was up in the rafters was during Blondie, this show had excellent sound where I was sitting.
There were no support acts on the night, and Jethro Tull's show was split over two sets. Although I didn't know much of the music, Ian introduced (or back-announced) almost all of the songs, so I managed to construct most of the setlist.
Set 1:
This incarnation of Jethro Tull includes Ian, guitarist Martin Barre (who has been with the band from almost the beginning), plus a drummer (Doane Perry), bassist (David Goodier) and keyboardist (John O'Hara). The band were pretty damn good, and there was plenty of guitar solos from Martin Barre and the fellow on keys had a few solos as well. Ian would switch onto a acoustic guitar from time to time, but played a lot of flute throughout the show and soloed an awful lot, which began to get a bit tiresome. Still, his acoustic playing was quite nice. He chatted to the audience frequently, and came across as charming and witty, and made fun of himself and the band throughout the show. Though, he was also a bit of a tool and maybe a bit up himself, mocking other prog-rock bands, despite spending a good deal of his career playing that style of music himself.
As for individual songs, some of the songs that stood out were the pretty Life is a Long Song, the bluesy and dark Farm on the Freeway, a jazz-rock interpretation of Bach's Bouree (which ruled), an excellent new song called A Change of Horses, which had an Indian vibe and some fiery soloing from Martin Barre. Another highlight was the band playing an excerpt of the album-long (and very proggy) Thick as a Brick, which was a pretty cool song. I've got a copy of the album on vinyl (newspaper and all, suck on that Radiohead!), and I should really dig it up and give it a good listen! Of course, being a prog-rock band from the Seventies meant that there would be at least one drum solo (the song Dharma for One), despite Ian's amusing protestations otherwise.
However, I will amusedly admit that I actually dozed off during a song! It wasn't actually the drum solo (which was actually pretty brief and non-boring!), rather the lengthy Budapest! I was struggling to stay awake during the second set, and finally konked out during the song, only to wake up at the song's big finale. Shame, since I enjoyed what I heard of the song (it didn't seem as bad as what some reviewers have made it out to be), and when I nodded off there was some flute and guitar solos happening! It's not the first time I've fallen asleep during a gig: I was dozing on and off, and struggling to stay awake during the Pretenders at the same venue, late last year. Oh well, if you're very tired and don't know the songs, it can be hard to stay focussed and awake.
The show finished with the two songs that I did know: the second set closed with Aqualung (complete with synchronized jumping from the band at the song's conclusion!), and then a one song encore of Locomotive Breath, with an extended jazzy piano / bluesy guitar intro that got considerably more worked up than the album version. The song was probably the highlight of the night for me, with some pretty neat extended jamming. It really has a stupendous guitar riff that sounds very... locomotive! *groans*
Well, I didn't exactly have my mind blown, but I still enjoyed the show, despite falling asleep. I'm pretty sure the band will be one that I'll enjoy, and I'm glad to have gone, if only to say that I've seen them! (Idiot hipster!). Once again, I probably would have enjoyed the show more, had I known the band's music better... Hopefully next time they tour (if they do!), I'll be much better versed in their material. But probably not, knowing me... I'm busy listening to Neil Diamond right now!
Plus, despite what this nearly year old review suggests, I'm currently not listening to any Neil Diamond albums... instead, I'm getting good mileage out of a small group of albums which includes Fairground Attraction's The First of a Million Kisses. For those unaware, Fairground Attraction had a hit with the song Perfect (a great song!) and was the band Eddi Reader was the frontwoman of back in the late Eighties. Like Eddi herself, the album is lovely... and I adore the album closer, Allelujah.
I've been listening to the album as I very recently saw Eddi perform at St. Mary's Bascilica. I absolutely loved the show, and you should expect a gig review sometime in 2016.
Anyway, here's the ramblings on the Jethro Tull concert:
I only knew two songs by Jethro Tull, and yet I still went and saw them. I paid good money to sit up the back, in the rafters of the Palais Theatre. Row Z, to be exact... which isn't actually the last row, but it is close. I was totally going to bone up beforehand, since I do have a pile of Jethro Tull albums that I've yet to listen to, but I never got around to giving them a spin before the concert. (Of course). For those unaware (and I suspect that will be most people who aren't massive music nerds), Jethro Tull are a band from the late sixties who play prog-rock, with lots of jazzy flute, which is played by frontman Ian Anderson. They're generally well respected by the music reviewers that I read, and despite knowing almost none of their music, I decided to go, since based on my tastes, I figured I'd enjoy them... and so I could also say that I'd seen them. (I'm such an idiot hipster).
Anyway, enough rambling. How was the show? Pretty damn good. Bizarrely, the show had sold out: I didn't think that they'd draw such a crowd, but obviously there's a lot of music nerds who think highly of the band. A pleasant surprise was the sound: considering how boomy it was up in the rafters was during Blondie, this show had excellent sound where I was sitting.
There were no support acts on the night, and Jethro Tull's show was split over two sets. Although I didn't know much of the music, Ian introduced (or back-announced) almost all of the songs, so I managed to construct most of the setlist.
Set 1:
- Living in the Past
- Nothing is Easy
- Life is a Long Song
- Up to Me
- Nursie
- Beggar's Farm
- A New Day Yesterday
- Thick as a Brick (Abbreviated)
- Farm on the Freeway
- Bourée
- A Change of Horses
- Dharma for One
- My God
- Budapest
- Aqualung
- Locomotive Breath
This incarnation of Jethro Tull includes Ian, guitarist Martin Barre (who has been with the band from almost the beginning), plus a drummer (Doane Perry), bassist (David Goodier) and keyboardist (John O'Hara). The band were pretty damn good, and there was plenty of guitar solos from Martin Barre and the fellow on keys had a few solos as well. Ian would switch onto a acoustic guitar from time to time, but played a lot of flute throughout the show and soloed an awful lot, which began to get a bit tiresome. Still, his acoustic playing was quite nice. He chatted to the audience frequently, and came across as charming and witty, and made fun of himself and the band throughout the show. Though, he was also a bit of a tool and maybe a bit up himself, mocking other prog-rock bands, despite spending a good deal of his career playing that style of music himself.
As for individual songs, some of the songs that stood out were the pretty Life is a Long Song, the bluesy and dark Farm on the Freeway, a jazz-rock interpretation of Bach's Bouree (which ruled), an excellent new song called A Change of Horses, which had an Indian vibe and some fiery soloing from Martin Barre. Another highlight was the band playing an excerpt of the album-long (and very proggy) Thick as a Brick, which was a pretty cool song. I've got a copy of the album on vinyl (newspaper and all, suck on that Radiohead!), and I should really dig it up and give it a good listen! Of course, being a prog-rock band from the Seventies meant that there would be at least one drum solo (the song Dharma for One), despite Ian's amusing protestations otherwise.
However, I will amusedly admit that I actually dozed off during a song! It wasn't actually the drum solo (which was actually pretty brief and non-boring!), rather the lengthy Budapest! I was struggling to stay awake during the second set, and finally konked out during the song, only to wake up at the song's big finale. Shame, since I enjoyed what I heard of the song (it didn't seem as bad as what some reviewers have made it out to be), and when I nodded off there was some flute and guitar solos happening! It's not the first time I've fallen asleep during a gig: I was dozing on and off, and struggling to stay awake during the Pretenders at the same venue, late last year. Oh well, if you're very tired and don't know the songs, it can be hard to stay focussed and awake.
The show finished with the two songs that I did know: the second set closed with Aqualung (complete with synchronized jumping from the band at the song's conclusion!), and then a one song encore of Locomotive Breath, with an extended jazzy piano / bluesy guitar intro that got considerably more worked up than the album version. The song was probably the highlight of the night for me, with some pretty neat extended jamming. It really has a stupendous guitar riff that sounds very... locomotive! *groans*
Well, I didn't exactly have my mind blown, but I still enjoyed the show, despite falling asleep. I'm pretty sure the band will be one that I'll enjoy, and I'm glad to have gone, if only to say that I've seen them! (Idiot hipster!). Once again, I probably would have enjoyed the show more, had I known the band's music better... Hopefully next time they tour (if they do!), I'll be much better versed in their material. But probably not, knowing me... I'm busy listening to Neil Diamond right now!