Tonight I am off to another ROCK show with my progeny & their buddies.
I discovered BLOC PARTY a few years ago and my 18 yr-old Son got totally hooked..he was hoping to catch them in London last Spring but ended up having to travel to Chicago last Summer to hear them play at lollapalooza .
We all went to see the Foo Fighters (awesome) a while ago and it's really fun to be able to share the experience with my gene-crew.
Afterall, I made a concerted effort to make them listen to all types of Rock music as they were growing up.
These poor kids came of age in the 90s when it was all Boybands, 80s Re-makes, and all those Rappy-Dance tunes. So I made them listen to 60s/70s/80s..usually when they were trapped in the car as I was chaffeuring them to and from Dance, Soccer, Baseball, Gymnastics, Kick-Boxing, and Karate. Now we all share our ipod library and we each take turns searching for new bands & music to add..it's really cool.
For whatever reason, the UK is still (and prolly always will be) ground zero for incubating or launching most of the best ROCK music on the planet..IMHO of course.
Perhaps it's because musical influences from foreign cultures are allowed a little more elbow room. In the USA the Northern, blanched, suburban, kids seem to overly embrace the ghetto rapsta-gangsta jiggy (WTH?) and the Southern kids still adhere to that awful twangy country-fried stuff. The American music scene has been anemic for decades...it totally deserves to be on life support.
Which is ironic because ROCK morphed out of the Southern-Black American community's rhythm & blues family...then Elvis snuck traces of it onto white radio...then it went back across the Pond and the Beatles & Stones and others did something wonderful to it.
Led Zep, The Who, and Clapton (and others don't get all weird on me) added some voltage..until my own personal musical magi Mr. Bowie added some artful creativity which opened up all sorts of avenues. It's an ongoing process..I don't know how far it can go but Eastern influences are sure to start sneaking in.
Perhaps it's because musical influences from foreign cultures are allowed a little more elbow room. In the USA the Northern, blanched, suburban, kids seem to overly embrace the ghetto rapsta-gangsta jiggy (WTH?) and the Southern kids still adhere to that awful twangy country-fried stuff. The American music scene has been anemic for decades...it totally deserves to be on life support.
Which is ironic because ROCK morphed out of the Southern-Black American community's rhythm & blues family...then Elvis snuck traces of it onto white radio...then it went back across the Pond and the Beatles & Stones and others did something wonderful to it.
Led Zep, The Who, and Clapton (and others don't get all weird on me) added some voltage..until my own personal musical magi Mr. Bowie added some artful creativity which opened up all sorts of avenues. It's an ongoing process..I don't know how far it can go but Eastern influences are sure to start sneaking in.
Anyhoo, I found Bloc Party..and I can't tell you how many times I've listened to Like Eating Glass and She's Hearing Voices cranked at "11".
Bloc Party has a lot of frenetic edgy guitar based songs which are usually layered over a great bit of drumming, but they are also creating accessible radio friendly tunes like So Here We Are and especially this song..
(and you can thank Google Chrome for not allowing me to add the video)
It's going to be fun but it's sort of weird looking over and seeing glimpses of myself from a quarter of a Century ago. Mind you they are all much better behaved and self actualised than I was when I was their age...waaaay better.
I sort-of remember hanging on to reality by the tips of my fingernails when I struggled to watch KISS or ZZ TOP rock-out through the "concert weed fog"
...but Hey-Hey..My-My, it was the 70s.
I sort-of remember hanging on to reality by the tips of my fingernails when I struggled to watch KISS or ZZ TOP rock-out through the "concert weed fog"
...but Hey-Hey..My-My, it was the 70s.
Who knows maybe a half-decent contact high is in the cards?
Have You been to any concerts lately or found a new best band E-VER!?
first! **sigh**
ReplyDeletefirst first first!!!
hmmm so overwhelmed I now can't remember what the post was about!
Hi Donn! I've just seen Bloc Party's vid (I must confess i had never heard of them), and they're cool -must youtube them more-.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the concert. Congrats for deleting the generation gap with your kids concerning music!
I haven't found the best band ever, but the last concert I've been to was Lenny Kravitz (Madrid, July 2008). It was absof*cking great.
And you know what? Next Friday I'll see him again in concert in Madrid!!!
((Guess why they call me Miss Kravitz, lol))
Empire Of The Sun new best band this year.
ReplyDeleteBut we'll never go to a live gig again. Too many people chatting.
We are blessed in the UK!
ReplyDeleteEven the live music at the local pub is pretty good.
Sx
Shit no, had no concert in years. Have no idea about new bands, stopped sometimes in stoneage ... discovered Bach and Purcell. While you mentioned "the East", have a look on ragas and other traditional Indian music, can be very satisfying. Actually I prefer Northern African music, and other mixtures from the Mediterranian like Istanbul Oriental and such. While driving I prefer Motörhead and an old self-compiled ACDC-cassette (yes, sad isn't it?), but that's just me.
ReplyDeleteThe Who several years ago, I have to say it was beyond thrilling, they made Madison Square Garden seem like a performance in a smallish bar...and The Pogues. Shane MacGowan seemed sober. Oh, and Scissor Sisters. That was the best show I've ever been to, hands down.
ReplyDeleteI have only a new to me best band: Cornershop.
The last concert I saw was Johnny Ripper and the 3 bananas during the Blitz, you speak a strange language I do not understand.
ReplyDeleteI make a CONCERTed effort not to attend concerts.
ReplyDeleteIs Eric Clapton still God?
Can't remember the last concert I went to...but for newest artist, I'm enjoying Lady Gaga!
ReplyDeleteDeep Purple, Whitesnake good ole UK classic rock bands.....
ReplyDeleteBeen ta a concert???? isnt that where opera is hanging out?
Bin ta a gig bro.....
Geeez and you wanna rule the world......neds more training me thinks!
I went to see Arthur Lee and Love some years ago in London and I bumped into Robert Plant at the bar. He's bloody massive. 'Up the Wolves,' I said, because he follows Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he smirked and nodded at me. Honestly, his head must weight the equivilant of 4 bowling balls.
ReplyDeleteWhoop whoop whoop for Brit music
ReplyDelete(and quirky fashion too).
I too share itunes libarary with my kids too (15 & 19) and we all influence each other....have been taking them to festivals for years, where they have been exposed to an eclectic mix of music.
Bat for lashes are 'up there' for me at the moment along with Trance! too old? probably
Going to see ACDC in june.
ReplyDeleteMy friend got me into Taj Mahal,it's quite cool.
A concert? A rock concert? Are you kidding?
ReplyDeleteI just got an ipod (purple!!) in February. Care to guess what I downloaded?
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Broadway show tunes.
Liszt.
Verdi.
Gershwin.
Mozart.
Bruce Springsteen.
I like rock, but not love. I love music, but not country (ew). I am one of those people who love a bass line, and German inspired industrial techno. =P
ReplyDeleteAll time favorite for me though is Tori Amos, and was finally able to see her live in Vancouver two dec's ago. Worst snow storm in the rocky's that winter, braved the trip from the boarder city all the way to v-town in a chrysler 300. totally worth it.
I am loving the Veronica's untouched (dislike the other songs i've heard so far though) and theory of a dead man's I hate my life (really funny).
ZIGSuch exuberance should be bottled and sold at Harrods. It was about going to a concert.
ReplyDeleteLENII like the other Lenny too!
DUH NUNNA NUNNA NUNNA
NUNNA NUNNA NUNNA
If I could change..
Music is THE best connector and I fully intend to rock-out until I die!
GEOFFNobody could chat last night because the tunes were blasting @ 100 dbs!! It was hilarious because the kids still text each other even though they are 3 seats apart? At one point the bass player said OK Kids time to stop taking pictures and start dancing!
SCARLSNo kidding..the bar is set pretty high over there. I would have loved to have been clubbing in the early 70s..imagine all the future superstars you could have seen thrashing away in some little bar?
MAGOI still listen to Mott the Hoople, Supertramp, Roxy, Slade.etc..now that I have them all digitized I can make CDs but I still have boxes of cassettes.
LEAHWas Ringo's son drumming for the WHO? I like the Scissor Sisters too..they put on a good show do they? Shane MacGowan seemed sober? Really?
Old KnudyHey? Didn't they sing "Yes We Have NO Bananas?"
MJI don't like the unpredictability of crowds..never underestimate the stupidity of people in large numbers..BUT..on the other hand people watching is always fascinating...
and my Taser was fully charged.
MR SWINGSI think that Lady Gaga should give half of her income to Gwen Stefani because HEL-LO!
I like her vibe though and she snuck in the scene whilke Britney was still recuperating, Lohan quit, Duff is somewhere else and Hannah is still too young and sweet so the business needed fresh horses...we'll see how she does..I heard that Gaga was neckin' with Lady Sovereign in a club..kewl.
SNAKEYLucky for you most of the DinoRockers are still touring! Now that nobody collects royalties they have to! ACDC is comin here in July. HA!
EMERSONThis sort of juicy info is exactly why I started blogging. So Plant has a Heeyuge Heed does he? Seriously, it's not just all that hair? Wow maybe he has a 4 lb. brain like Cromwell?
SARAHFestivalling eh? That is way cool. I've heard a few Bat4Lashes..What's a girl to do? Nice and quirky. My fave female vocalist of all time is Kate Bush..her last album 08? was just beautiful.
CANDIEAC DC!! For those about to rock! I SALUUUTE YOU! How can you shred your vocal chords like that and still sing the next day never mind years later?
She Shook Me All Night Long is still the best song played with the volume turned to "11".
LAURA EGood for you...I'll have you know that I have a few show tunes myself..like Springtime For Hitler and Schadenfreude...I even have some old Springsteen..like 10th Avenue Freeze Out and Jungleland old.
X MICHRAI love the Veronica's Live Forever..got my girls hooked on it..best chik-rock song.
So you like to get down into the german techno bass groove eh? Like dis; BAUMBAUMBAUMBAUM DER-BAUMBAUMBAUMBAUMBAUMBAUMBAUMBAUM DER-BAUMBAUMBAUMBAUM DER-BAUMBAUMBAUMBAUMBAUMBAUMBAUMBAUM DER-BAUMBAUMBAUMBAUM
Donn, Zak Starkey drummed his ass off at that show. Very poignant, really.
ReplyDeleteScissor Sisters shows are always at very small venues and you can get right up close and personal to their glitter and glam. Exhilarating.
I can say from persoanl first hand experience that Robert Plant is an absolute bear of a man.
ReplyDeleteThe last band I saw was the Who,
ReplyDeletein 1971. Unless you count the London Philharmonic, or the Dutch Swing College Band.
In mitigation, I was at Bickershaw, and saw the Dead and ISB on the same bill.
Is Janis Joplin still touring?
LEAHIf Liam Gallagher says that Zak, who is also their tour drummer, is the BEST f*cking drummer in the world, who am I to argue?
ReplyDeleteI like smaller venues..I went to see a jazz band at our little local theatre a week ago and it was so great..intimacy trumps technology anyday.
EMERSONBut Rock n Rollers are supposed to be waifer thin scrawny dudes with the look of heroin chic about them? That is really weird?
VICUSGeeze everybody has seen the Who but me!
Yes Janis is still touring with Hendrix and Morrison..I think that Sid Vicious is on bass and Keith Moon is on drums.
If there's a Rock N Roll Heaven well you know they have a helluva band...
except we know that there isn't a Rock N Roll Heaven because they all led sinful ungodly lives and died unrepentent sinners..except for maybe Buddy Holly and Elvis.
LMAO @pic #2!
ReplyDeleteDoing NOTHING is sometimes good too Donno lol!
Keshi.
DER-BAUMBAUMBAUMBAUM.... lol.. you SLAY me!!! hehehe... I will of course be mumbling this now..lol..
ReplyDelete