The yearly Black Easter event, The Inferno Metal Festival, is on in Oslo. It started yesterday, with the first of four full concert nights at the Rockefeller Music Hall with bands playing on two stages for almost two thousand fans … Continue reading
Tag: 2019
Saucerful of Secrets: Live in New York City, Thursday, April 18th, 2019
As the Saucerful of Secrets approach the end of their North American tour, the band plays a more relaxed yet tighter sounding set… and host a special guest. Saucerful of Secrets has finally arrived in New York City and, as guitarist Lee Harris reminds us, it has been 13 years since Nicholas Berkeley Mason has pounded the skins in Gotham. As far as when he played here with Pink Floyd the first time, even Harris and Mason debate this on stage. All that matters to the crowd though, is that an actual member of Pink Floyd is here to play classic Pink Floyd, digging deep into the Syd Barrett era, and with a cast of musicians supporting Mason that even a former member of Pink Floyd swears sounds better than the original – but more on that later. As Mason says: this is not a tribute band but the real thing: Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets. Although the set list for the Saucerful of Secrets shows hasn’t really changed much since the first handful of pub shows in London last May, each venue and each audience impart a unique vibe. The band feeds off of that. This evening, the set kicks off as usual: with Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine. The two songs drench the audience in a sonic atmosphere The Beacon Theatre has served well over many years. The audience responds in kind: clapping, singing, and swaying to every note blissfully. But by the time the band starts playing Lucifer Sam, something takes over (considering the title, that might spook you out… but it’s a totally benign possession): they sound simultaneously relaxed and tight, their performance flowing through an undercurrent of muscle memory and collegial comfort while the smallest ad libs and accents on specific parts of the song begin to shape the performance into its uniqueness. Venues serve as different vessels for sound in such diverse ways too… during Lucifer Sam it’s hard to ignore Dom Bekem’s keyboards: they really fill this theatre and weave the rest of the show together in a magical way that only the Beacon can afford to.
Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets: Beacon Theatre, New York City, April 18th, 2019
As the Saucerful of Secrets approach the end of their North American tour, the band plays a more relaxed yet tighter sounding set… and host a special guest. Saucerful of Secrets has finally arrived in New York City and, as guitarist Lee Harris reminds us, it has been 13 years since Nicholas Berkeley Mason has pounded the skins in Gotham. As far as when he played here with Pink Floyd the first time, even Harris and Mason debate this on stage. All that matters to the crowd though, is that an actual member of Pink Floyd is here to play classic Pink Floyd, digging deep into the Syd Barrett era, and with a cast of musicians supporting Mason that even a former member of Pink Floyd swears sounds better than the original – but more on that later. As Mason says: this is not a tribute band but the real thing: Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets. Although the set list for the Saucerful of Secrets shows hasn’t really changed much since the first handful of pub shows in London last May, each venue and each audience impart a unique vibe. The band feeds off of that. This evening, the set kicks off as usual: with Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine. The two songs drench the audience in a sonic atmosphere The Beacon Theatre has served well over many years. The audience responds in kind: clapping, singing, and swaying to every note blissfully. But by the time the band starts playing Lucifer Sam, something takes over (considering the title, that might spook you out… but it’s a totally benign possession): they sound simultaneously relaxed and tight, their performance flowing through an undercurrent of muscle memory and collegial comfort while the smallest ad libs and accents on specific parts of the song begin to shape the performance into its uniqueness. Venues serve as different vessels for sound in such diverse ways too… during Lucifer Sam it’s hard to ignore Dom Beken’s keyboards: they really fill this theatre and weave the rest of the show together in a magical way that only the Beacon can afford to.
Roger Waters joins Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets in NYC last night
As the North American leg of the 2019 Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets tour (http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/nick-mason-s-sos-2019/index.php%22) heads towards it’s conclusion, prior to the string of UK dates at the end of April/start of May (with a number of European dates in July), last night saw the band at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Much to the surprise of the audience, as the band readied themselves to start Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, a familiar face appeared on stage, as BD contributor, Ken Langford explains: Roger delayed the start of the song by making maybe a minute’s worth of comments. He then proceeded to sing the lyrics for Set The Controls, to bang the gong, to almost leave before the song was over, and then to finish out the song. The mallet for the gong broke at one point, and I said to my companion Break The Hammer Again. Listen to the recording of 11th March 1973 for the reference. He hugged every member of the band, and appeared again on stage for the final bow after Point Me At The Sky. A fantastic treat for all in attendance! Nick and his band are back at the Beacon tonight, but we suspect lightning won’t strike twice – guest appearances like this are normally very much one-off events. Videos and pictures are starting to appear of the appearance, and this article at the Brooklyn Vegan is a great place to start (http://www.brooklynvegan.com/roger-water-joined-nick-mason-to-play-pink-floyd-at-beacon-theatre-watch/). The following picture is from their Instagram page: Roger Waters joining his Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason at Beacon Theatre #rogerwaters #nickmason #nickmasonssaucerfulofsecrets #pinkfloyd (https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwa1ZdTlbJh/?utm_source=ig_embed utm_medium=loading) A post shared by Brooklyn Vegan (https://www.instagram.com/brooklynvegan/?utm_source=ig_embed utm_medium=loading) (@brooklynvegan) on Apr 18, 2019 at 6:50pm PDT
Saucerful of Secrets: Live in Wallingford, Connecticut, Friday, April 12th, 2019
For Nick Mason, Friday night’s stop in Wallingford was only his third ever in the Nutmeg state as Saucerful of Secrets performed its first of two New England shows on their current tour. New England, known for its overcast skies and foggy autumns, probably has much more in common with Nick Mason’s Birmingham and Hampstead, and Pink Floyd’s Cambridge and London, than any other parts of North America the Saucers have visited on this tour, which begged the question of how the surrounding environment and culture would play into this evening’s vibe. Time and modern amenities betray these cultural elements though, and so the band played in a venue that is a far better fit for a modern country concert in Alabama than a classic rock show in historic New England. In many ways, this was a gig better destined for Hartford’s Bushnell Performing Arts Center – but that didn’t stop the band from putting on a great show. As the lights dimmed you could sense the crowd’s anticipation on this rainy New England night – but the band’s Interstellar Overdrive was a slow burn of an opener, a reminder that Saucerful of Secrets was not intended to stir up the populist Pink Floyd fandom but to transport you to something deeper. It was during the band’s second track, Astronomy Domine, that the full audience stood up, soaking in the echoes of Pink Floyd’s last tour in the United States, The Division Bell tour – the last time (and the first time) many in the audience had seen Mason play Astronomy Domine live.
Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets: Wallingford, CT, April 12th, 2019
For Nick Mason, Friday night’s stop in Wallingford was only his third ever in the Nutmeg state as Saucerful of Secrets performed its first of two New England shows on their current tour. New England, known for its overcast skies and foggy autumns, probably has much more in common with Nick Mason’s Birmingham and Hampstead, and Pink Floyd’s Cambridge and London, than any other parts of North America the Saucers have visited on this tour, which begged the question of how the surrounding environment and culture would play into this evening’s vibe. Time and modern amenities betray these cultural elements though, and so the band played in a venue that is a far better fit for a modern country concert in Alabama than a classic rock show in historic New England. In many ways, this was a gig better destined for Hartford’s Bushnell Performing Arts Center – but that didn’t stop the band from putting on a great show. As the lights dimmed you could sense the crowd’s anticipation on this rainy New England night – but the band’s Interstellar Overdrive was a slow burn of an opener, a reminder that Saucerful of Secrets was not intended to stir up the populist Pink Floyd fandom but to transport you to something deeper. It was during the band’s second track, Astronomy Domine, that the full audience stood up, soaking in the echoes of Pink Floyd’s last tour in the United States, The Division Bell tour – the last time (and the first time) many in the audience had seen Mason play Astronomy Domine live.
Limited blue vinyl 2LP of Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell for 25th anniversary
Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell, a limited release of the album in translucent blue, heavyweight vinyl as a 2LP set, is coming on June 7th, 2019 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07QJ5WRF1/braindamage-21). It echoes the original limited blue vinyl release by Columbia Records in 1994. It will be joining the other albums released by the band’s new label – Pink Floyd Records – and will bear catalogue number PFRLP 31. Featuring the 2014 master by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and the late Doug Sax of the Mastering Lab, California, it comes as a double LP (as did the 2014 black vinyl release) to ensure all the songs are presented in full. The original 1994 single vinyl release required the songs to be edited to fit. As expected, the packaging is of high quality again; the records are housed in a gatefold sleeve with four different images of specially-created heads, and two full-colour lyric/image inner bags. On its original release, the album debuted at number 1 in the UK, US, Australian and New Zealand album charts, reaching the top spot in six other countries, and to date has sold over 12 million copies. At the time, David Gilmour said: The three of us went into Britannia Row Studios, and improvised for two weeks. Playing together and starting from scratch was interesting and exciting, it kick-started the album and the process was very good, it was collaborative and felt more cohesive. Ordering links: We’re sure it’s going to be one that many of you won’t want to miss out on. If you do want to add this to your collection, please use these direct links to help support the running of Brain Damage: Amazon UK (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07QJ5WRF1/braindamage-21), Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07QCQPW6Z/braindamage-20), Amazon Canada (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07QCQPW6Z/braindamageon-20), Amazon France (http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07QJ5WRF1/braindamageon-21), Amazon Germany (http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07QJ5WRF1/braindamage0f-21), Amazon Spain (http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B07QJ5WRF1/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8 tag=braidama01-21 linkCode=as2 camp=3626 creative=24822 creativeASIN=B07QJ5WRF1) and Amazon Italy (http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B07QJ5WRF1/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8 camp=3370 creative=24114 creativeASIN=B07QJ5WRF1 linkCode=as2 tag=bradamonl-21). Not all the ordering pages are live, but should be very shortly.
REMINDER: Saturday’s Record Store Day: Pink Floyd’s A Saucerful Of Secrets Mono 180g vinyl
Record Store Day 2019 (http://www.recordstoreday.com) Pink Floyd are re-releasing their second album, A Saucerful Of Secrets on vinyl. Remastered by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman from the original 1968 analogue mono mix, the release is the latest from Pink Floyd Records, which has supported Record Store Day (RSD) since the label’s launch in June 2016. The limited-edition Record Store Day release is on premium 12 180 gram black vinyl, with a black poly-lined inner sleeve, and a faithful reproduction of the original sleeve, including the Columbia logo, under which imprint (via EMI) the early Pink Floyd released in the UK. The Columbia logo has been used by kind permission of owners Sony Music Entertainment. Originally released in June 1968, A Saucerful Of Secrets represents a change in line-up and direction. Co-founder and original songwriter Syd Barrett contributed only one song to the album and his live appearances became more erratic. So unreliable were Syd’s live appearances that fellow founder members, Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick Mason decided to draft in David Gilmour, a friend of Syd’s, also from Cambridge. The album reflects this transition, containing a mixture of material, from the almost music hall Corporal Clegg through Rick’s dreamlike and melodic See Saw and Remember A Day to the title track – an 11-minute, four part instrumental excursion that both harked back to their UFO freakouts and looked forward to the longer, more anthemic instrumental sequences that were to become one of their signature elements. This mono edition of A Saucerful Of Secrets follows the popular RSD release of The Piper At The Gates of Dawn in mono in 2018, and is released via RSD participating stores (http://www.recordstoreday.com) on Saturday (13th April). A reminder that it will ONLY be these stores participating; the stores themselves can’t sell it online – the record will become available for customers coming through the door of the store from the morning of the 13th (and not before), in limited quantities – first come, first served, and only one copy per customer. After RSD, if copies remain, they may then put them for sale online (and of course, there’ll also be copies on eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk) inevitably…) The full list of RSD releases for 2019 is available at www.recordstoreday.com (http://www.recordstoreday.com).
Roger Waters Us + Them tour film to get cinema screening this year
It has just been announced that Trafalgar Releasing have acquired the new Roger Waters film based on his 2017/2018 Us + Them World Tour, for a global event cinema release. Trafalgar were the company behind the similar events for Roger’s film of The Wall, and David Gilmour’s Live At Pompeii, the screenings of which were very successful, and well received by fans. Roger and his band performed a total of 156 shows to 2.3 million people throughout North America, Australia New Zealand, Europe, Russia, Latin America and Mexico, opening in May 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri, and ending in December 2018 in Monterrey, Mexico. The shows in Amsterdam were specifically filmed for release, but we wonder if shots have been included from other concerts on the tour. The image that Trafalgar have released with the news, and kindly supplied to us, shows Roger at London’s Hyde Park [click thumbnail to see it in greater detail]. A great image, but suspect that this particular performance, on a very hot day last summer, won’t be included in the footage. Roger’s manager, Mark Fenwick said: Roger has been the innovator of theatre in arena and stadium rock and roll since the early 70’s. He is legendary for pushing the boundaries of surround sound and visual entertainment with his message of love and humanity through Us + Them . Those who saw Roger’s most recent tour will know what a visual tour de force it was, and we’ve got very high hopes that the film of the tour will represent the striking event well. More news will be released in due course, with the global event cinema release scheduled for Autumn/Fall 2019. We then suspect the DVD/Blu-ray release will follow, either for the end of the year, or for early 2020.
Photos| Review: Catfish and the Bottlemen in Portland, Oregon
Catfish and the Bottlemen bring their high energy tour to an enthusiastic Portland.
The post Photos| Review: Catfish and the Bottlemen in Portland, Oregon appeared first on Concert Crap.