Entertainment For Lively Minds
Mr Kerr's Kirsty revue as requested
Well what a night!
First the down side I couldn't get rid of my spare two tickets so we decided just to give them away at the gig. Mmm, didn't go down well with those fine upstanding businessmen the touts. I was informed by three of them my charitable approach was not welcome so they stayed in my back pocket rather than sell to those leaches at £10 each.
Anyway to business. What a night, you could feel the love for the woman all round the hall.
M.C. Phil Jupitus was in fine form and did a sterling job keeping it flowing. Every guest put there heart and soul into the songs.
Special mention must go the Alison Moyet, she did a heartrending version of Head. Her voice just soared from the stage and kept the audience spellbound. Oh yes, and Alf's never looked foxier!!!
Lord Bragg of Barking ripped the roof off with New England.
It was just a special night, the band were stunning, the Guinness not bad and the chips after finished the night perfectly.
Just one thing. I know it's an age thing but why do people now feel the need to talk all the way through songs? Three women behind us discussed their kids school throughout Days until told to shut up. Also, why go to see a gig and spend the whole of it on Facebook? Kids today!!!!
Other than that, a perfect night and a fitting tribute to her and her songs.
P.S. Shane McGowen was, ahem, unwell and was unable to attend, surprise, surprise.
- More from Gordon Kerr.
- Login or register to post comments
-
Very much a gig of two halves (Brian)
It took a while to get going. First half was a bit patchy until Jackie Clune, someone who previously had only annoyed me on the radio, did a marvellous 'Still Life' andf 'My Affair' after which it was up and away til the break for Lord Bragg belting out 'Free World' and covering his own song in Kirsty's style. He claimed to have a cold but as he said himself "with me you probably won't notice".
Standouts in the 2nd half
- Boo Hewerdine and Eddie Reader with a faultless 'Dear John' that silenced even the most determined talkers at the bar. Luckily where I was up front they didn't annoy.
- Alison Moyet - well blimey, her version of Head was spellbinding, hanging off the mic and crooning to heaven. She revealed that Kirsty offered her 'Walking Down Madison' but she never managed to record it - she sang it superbly..
Andrea Corr (ain't she tiny?!) and Kim Wilde (been on the youth pills) both performed 'They Don't Know' at different points and have to say that Kim edged it with the pure pop of her version. The crowd joined in brilliantly on the 'baby's'
What Catherine Tate lacked in vocal talent she made up with character
and wit for 'In These Shoes'. Ellie Goulding and Amy MacDonanld were impressive too.
I can't recall her name right now but the fine young lady who did backing vocals throughout stepped up front a couple of times to sing lead and she was fucking ace. 'England 2 Columbia O' is a song I never thought I'd hear live and she nailed it and then some.
Shame on Shane MacGowan for not crawling out of a bottle long enough to sing for his old friend but as Jupitus said "its got to the point where if he did actually show up, i'd be dissapointed". Phill linked the evening with great wit and style and bravely stepped into the singing duties.
Oh no David Gray either which was a blessing for me frankly
The night was rounded off my a rollicking 'Guy Works Down The Chip Shop' with Boz showing up to play a rockin rockabilly guitar (where was Johnny Marr? With The Cribs, the tool!) and promises of annual kneesup in the future
Big props should go to Kirsty's band who played a blinder all night, can't have been easy rehearsing up all that material or playing it again without a key factor up front.
A brill night, great friendly crowd and its corny to say but so much love in the room for those songs, that band, these singers, and the lady that, when her picture appeared on the screen at the end, everyone on stage turned round to applaud.
God bless Kirsty Maccoll
Brooke Supple (sp?)
was the singer from the band. Completely unknown to me but had a cracking way with a song, unlike a few of the guests (Helen Boulding, some nerk from Starsailor).
Bang on with your comments above. Alison Moyet's voice just gets better and better, and I'd not heard Ellie Goulding before but she made a decent fist of Soho Square.
And as for Mr Jupitus's *individual* version of Fifteen Minutes...
Apparently
he did the same at the previous tribute gig at the RFH. And his 'Fuck you Simon Cowell, fuck you, sir" echoed the songs sentiment as well as a comment on his own vocal prowess
Lord Bragg
was in Leicester a few hours earlier after the EDL football hooligans kicked off with themselves the day before. You can probably hear me singing along.
Kirsty MacColl
"...she was a fucking Jedi at harmony." (Johnny Marr, talking to Graeme Thomson in the new issue of Word).
Glad you all had a good time. Wish I could have been there.
EDIT: Boo Hewerdine posted a link on Twitter to some pics from the gig: http://www.flickr.com/photos/64124548@N00/sets/72157625018306377/show/
Yep, a great night
Despite having to drive from Glasgow and then right back after the gig.
I agree that the first half took a bit to get going. Eddi Reader was good enough to open it and Brian Kennedy (usually I have no time for him) was good too. But for me, the younger singers were not so good. It's good to see them here rather than up Cowell's colon (name for a new show - Up Cowell's Colon) but none of them did it for me.
Bragg stole the show singing Kirsty's arrangement of New England - that must have been weird for him.
The Corr wasn't so good either (did she come back out for the finale?).
I agree with the comments on Alison Moyet and Kim Wilde. Both sounded and looked great.
Please Misters Glennister and Ruffy, can we do it again???