Having previously seen her at a tiny venue and loved her, I thought she and he got a bit lost in the big Armadillo hall. They played as good as always but it was a bit sterile for me. Glad your show went well but I'm dropping her off my gig list.

forgot to add, many thanks to Jolean for the ticket - without whom I would have spent the evening watching the History Channel and eating chocolate digestives

I understand what Jorrox says about being a bit lost on the big stage, but I thought the music overcame that (I've not seen her & David before so I have nothing with which to compare).

I genuinely loved it, and to watch two people make music that "big" stunned me.

We got a genuine mix of old and new, with songs from, I think, every LP, and an O, Brother Where Art Thou song too.

I absolutely loved it, as did the vast majority of those in the Hammy O.

DFB was, as ever, an excellent gig companion.

They did look a little ill-at-ease op there,seemingly made worse by the audience's silent anticipation between songs.The music made up for it though.I thought they were fantastic and wouldn't hesitate to see them again. Incidentally,that was the first time I'd been to the Armadillo and isn't the interior a massive let down?

I posted on the Oysterband & June Tabor thread that my Gill & Dave experience in Belfast last Friday was marred by poor sound in the first half

Whereas the sound for the Oysterband and June Tabor was superb. Interestingly they encored with White Rabbit! Gill & Dave didn't play it in Belfast but they did play, by request, My Morphine which is indescribably gorgeous

I was offered tickets for last night's gig (at face value) about three hours after I was offered a freebie for Wild Beasts at Shepherds Bush. Now, Christmas is coming, money needs a-spending and I lost out on a potentially lucrative 5 month contract on Tuesday so, on balance I thought the free option to be the wiser and certainly with less chance of regret come Thursday morning.

I was very wrong.

I have always enjoyed Wild Beasts at a distance; on the radio or when I hear them in the pub etc, but never found sitting and listening to them to be a very rewarding experience. But live is where they really work, I was told, and so I went along really hoping to be converted.

It was the probably most plodding, lumpen, tedious gig I have ever been to. It stank of a band who have either run dry creatively or were saving themselves for their second night of a two night run and didn't feel willing to concern themselves with being animated or actually slipping the shackles of their recorded sound and aiming for that magical moment at a gig where the crowd surges in union and feels part of something. Their tunes consistently hint at that moment but it never came and I spent the night spotting the influences (Talk Talk, Jeff Buckley, Cold War Kids)and wishing I was watching them instead. Judging by the lack of animation or excitement even the hardcore agreed; I can't imagine all their gigs are like that.

£30 down the road would have been well worth it, I expect. Still, I had a few beers and the company was good. I must say I did think the Apollo would be a bit big for Gillian; she would have had the Empire in the palm of her hand though.

was apparently in the audience.

Stick up a picture of Ms W over on that other pervy thread? I don't know how...

Not where we were sitting, with dickheads whooping and whistling during songs. Every now and then they'd try and clap along, badly out of time.

5that I couldn't hear any of that from the front of the balcony, was dead quite apart from cheering the guitar solos etc

Saw them at Manchester Apollo and thought it was utterly brilliant - great playing and singing, and how good to see that the setlist varied from night to night according to what they felt like doing on the night rather than being fixed in aspic. Will certainly go again when they come back (whenever that is. As Dogfaced Boy says, audience was deeply attentive during the songs and warm and appreciative after them - almost like a classical audience. Varied ages too - many 40 year old couples and older, but a good smattering of kids as well