Ke$ha: The Videos @ Centro 27th October 2009

Ke$ha @ Centro 27th October 2009

I was lucky enough to win tickets for Ke$ha’s first UK appearance in London. Having already played as the support for Calvin Harris in Manchester this was a short but sweet showcase. Doors didn’t open till 5.30pm but I arrived at 3pm and there were only two people waiting. They were Ivana and Rachel whom I both know. Well we just sat and just waited out the two and a bit hours. Barriers went up nearer to the time the doors opened and the queue had grown. There were two separate queues one for guest list and the other for competition winners. Much to our annoyance the people on the guest list went in first and we had been queuing in the cold. When the people on the guest list were going in a very kind security guard let Rachel, Ivana and I in as we were the first three there. So we went inside and got the spot right at the front. It was pretty nice because front row could just fit three people. Well I then went up to the bar got two cokes which were complimentary then just sat till it started. Music was being played to get the crowd warmed up then it stopped and someone from Columbia Records came onstage. He then said a few words how Ke$ha has already made a name for herself in the states then he introduced her to the stage. So when Ke$ha made her entrance she was wearing a glove which had lasers coming out of the fingertips. The energy in the room was rising when the first song start. The song being Backstabber and everyone was singing along to it. During the song Ke$ha was being pushed from side to side by the guitarists. It was a nice song to open on the whole of the audience loved it. I really like the lyrics it is a upbeat song. Next was Party At A Rich Kids House. Now this was a really energetic song. The crowd screamed. This song went down well with the crowd. It has to be one of my favourite songs as I like the energy that was in the performance. A little part of the song is gentle. Next up it was Dinosaur. No it is nothing about dinosaurs but it is about old people. I like this song some of the lyrics are extremely catchy especially the bit “D I N O S A U R a Dinosaur”. During the song Ke$ha plays the cowbell before finishing the rest of the song. I really liked the whistling part. After it was over there were cheers from the audience. Blah Blah Blah was next up on the night. The song starts off as a capella then the guitars kick in. It is another nice energetic song which the audience loved. It is also a strong song as well. The final song on the night was Tik Tok the song that is released on 30th November. What a closer it was. Ke$ha asks the crowd to sing along. The chorus is simply amazing. You can feel the energy that this song gives off. When the song is ending Ke$ha introduces the band then goes and gets a gun which glitters the whole audience. Towards the end gold ticker tape comes down from the ceiling.

SET LIST

Backstabber
Party At A Rich Kids House
Dinosaur
Blah Blah Blah
Tik Tok

OVERALL: This was a brilliant showcase. What made it even better was we were right in front of Ke$ha. If I wanted to I could touch the microphone. When I was taking pictures during Backstabber Ke$ha accidently hit my hand and that was how close I was. Well this showcase was sensational and I can say I was there. Well I hope it is not the last time I see Ke$ha.

Green Day: The Videos @ o2 Arena 24th October 2009

Greenday @ o2 Arena 24th October 2009

I arrived at the o2 Arena around 3.45pm and my sister joined me around 4pm. Having the Jubilee line still functioning did make getting there easier to get there and to get back. Well my sister had travelled all the way down from Coventry because she was going to stop over for the weekend. At 4.30pm we then went to Nandos to have something to eat. A hour later we left Nandos had a look round then went to Entrance H and queued for the time doors opened. The doors opened and we made our way to our seats which were in block 111. Even though we were in row Z the view was pretty decent. The first act Prima Donna came on at 7.15pm. It was hard to get into the heavy music they played because I was eagerly anticipating Green Day. That is always the problem when someone is supporting a big act and you have not heard the music by them before.

Green Day were simply amazing. It was the first time I had seen them live and the gig blew all the big events I have been to out of the water. What a show it was it was production on the huge scale. It had everything pyrotechnics, flames the lot. The set was a mammoth 30 songs which included tracks of the new album 21st Century Breakdown and some of the old classics. Before the set started a person dressed up as a bunny came out and just walked around the stage. One song that played was The Village People YMCA and the bunny did the YMCA hand movements.  When the bunny had excited the stage a song played then the music stopped then Song Of The Century played.

After this short introduction it was onto 21st Century Breakdown. The crowd erupted with cheers and the energy was tense. Every one stood up for the whole gig. Billie Joe psyched up crowd by telling everyone to stand up. He also said this was the second night at the o2 Arena and said “And remember the second night is always better the first”. And Billie Joe didn’t lie the audience lapped up the 2 hour 50 minute set. Know Your Enemy which was the first single from the album 21st Century Breakdown was next. During this song Billie Joe went into the section of seats which were the other side of us. When back Billie Joe went back to the stage and then used the catwalk. The crowd that were standing looked like a sea of people. Well someone then got onto the catwalk and sang the chant bits of the song which everyone else joined in with. Later on in the song the girl ran and stage dived into the crowd.  Next up was East Jesus Nowhere which is the next single from the new album. After hearing songs from 21st Century Breakdown live it has grown on me. Towards the end of the song Billie Joe says they want a couple of kids “something sacrificial” to come up on stage. Well the kids come up on stage Billie Joe asks for their name then the kids fall back on the floor then he finishes the song. There is some pyrotechnics as they shoot out. Holiday is next and the people standing were jumping about. Billie Joe then says turn out the lights and there is one spotlight shining. There was 20,000 people at the o2 Arena. On the original version of this song when it says the representative of California well the lines are changed. Billie Joe says “Mr Brown the representative of London”. After more pyrotechnics it was into The Static Age which is taken off the new album. It is a brilliant song and just seeing it live was amazing. Following on was 4 songs from American Idiot one after another. Give Me Novacaine everyone was waving there hands from side to side. I really like this song and there was a little bit of audience participation where the whole crowd sang the line Give Me Novacaine. After Billie Joe goes off stage to switch guitars. The next song being Are We The Waiting. Now this is a catchy song. Before the song starts there is some interaction by Billie Joe he says “Joey (his son) where are you?”. The crowd loved this song and Saint Jimmy gels at the end of Are We The Waiting. Well Saint Jimmy is a nice fast short song. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams follows on. The whole of the crowd sing along to this song. Billie Joe calls the crowd insane after pausing the song after two minutes. Well the song resumes straight after. The backdrop was a skyline at night time. Next it was Hitchin A Ride taken from the album Nimrod. The backdrop was a video of this road. Well Billie Joe says “turn on the lights I want to see everybody”. He does know how to psyche up the audience. Before going into the next song Billie Joe asks the crowd is there any old school fans. They launch into Welcome To Paradise. The next two songs were a real treat. It was a mash up of Burnout and Armatage Shanks. It sounded really good and Burnout is a song I know love. Well this song was only 58 seconds long. That is how short the snippet of the song was.

They then launched into When I Come Around that received screams from the audience. After it was another treat from the first LP this being Going To Pasalacqua. It is always nice hearing album songs that didn’t get released as a single. Insomniac tracks Brain Stew and Jaded were up next. For the Operation Ivy cover Knowledge (which was taken from the Slappy EP) Billie Joe assembles a three pies band to take the places of Tre on Drums, Mike on Bass then Billie Joe on guitar. Well when the kids came up they sounded pretty decent. Well there weren’t that many notes to remember. Basket Case followed on and it was a real crowd pleaser. Hearing a 20,000 audience sing along to the song is really something. She was next up and this was the last song taken from the Dookie era. King For A Day is a jolly song which saw Jason Freese do a sax solo and a bit of the Benny Hill music. Shout which is a cover of the Isley Brothers track followed. This was special because during the song Billie Joe laid on the floor and sang a medley of covers. They were short clips. The first was I Fought The Law followed by I’ll Be There then Teenage Kicks then (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction. Well the crowd love these covers and they join in and after (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction the ending of Shout just blends in. The final two songs on the night were taken from the new album 21st Century Breakdown. The first being 21 Guns. This is a steady paced song which melody wise is beautiful as the lyrics fit perfectly. Well I really liked the video footage displayed behind Tre. The last song was American Eulogy. When they had finished singing this song there was a few lines of Letterbomb “Nobody likes you, Everyone left you, They’re all out without you, Having fun”. The band then went off stage people started exciting the arena. A encore was imminent and the first encore consisted of three songs. The first being American Idiot and there were cheers. This is probably their best known song. The whole crowd sung the first verse. During the song Billie Joe says “London lets go crazy”. Well after this crowd pleasing song it was onto my favourite song. This being the epic Jesus Of Surburbia. Rounding off the first encore was Minority. I really liked the footage that they were showing on the screen behind Tre. Also this song saw some harmonica skills by Billie Joe. When the song finishes Billie Joe thanks the crowd then introduces Mike then Tre. The band then exit again and more people leave their seats. Only for Billie Joe to return later for the second encore of just him. This was special because this was completely acoustic. Ticker tape was still coming down from the ceiling after the finale of the first encore. Billie Joe was on the catwalk playing Last Night On Earth. This is another beautiful song. Wake Me Up When September Ends which is from the American Idiot era follows. The whole of the crowd was singing along. I like this song it has grown on me a lot and hearing it live acoustic was a experience. There was only one Green Day song that could round off a perfect night the song being Good Riddance (Time If Your Life). The song is true to its word because I had witnessed something amazing and I definitely had the time of my life.

SET LIST

Song Of The Century
21st Century Breakdown
Know Your Enemy
East Jesus Nowhere
Holiday
The Static Age
Give Me Novacaine
Are We The Waiting
St. Jimmy
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
Hitchin’ A Ride
Welcome To Paradise
Burnout/Armatage Shanks (acoustic)
When I Come Around
Going To Pasalacqua
Brain Stew
Jaded
Knowledge (Operation Ivy cover)
Basket Case
She
King For A Day
Shout / I Fought The Law/ I’ll Be There/ Teenage Kicks/ (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
21 Guns
American Eulogy

Encore:

American Idiot
Jesus Of Suburbia
Minority

Encore 2:

Last Night On Earth
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

OVERALL: This show was probably the best gig I have been too. Green Day definitely put a show on the grand scale. You had pyrotechnics too and I could feel the heat of the flames. I can only think of how hot Tre must have been. Well this was a amazing she the set list was brilliant it focused on material spanning over each album. 21st Century Breakdown has grown on me a lot since hearing the tracks live. Also two encores, 30 songs, what more can you ask for??.

Gwenno + Theoretical Girl: The Videos @ 100 Club 22nd October 2009

Nerina Pallot: The Videos @ ICA 21st October 2009

Theoretical Girl @ 100 Club 22nd October 2009

I arrived around 6pm to find out that Amy had not sound checked. So after checking twitter to see if she pulled out I found out that Amy was just held up at work. Well this was a really good evening featuring two artists that I love. These artists being Gwenno from the Pipettes and Amy who is Theoretical Girl. Now I have seen Amy live many times and every one of her songs are brilliant. You do not tire of them I would like to hear a different song though. A Future Apart is one of those songs that I would like to hear and I mentioned it to Amy once. Well this was Theoretical Girl’s last performance before the trip to Hong Kong. This was also the last performance for a while. Amy who was originally going to be the opening act turned out to be the headline act. The first two acts on the night were The Understudies and then The Duke Of Dark. The Understudies are indie influenced the vocals are brilliant. They are a four piece band which includes 3 guys and 1 girl.. Well I will most definitely be checking them out further as they suited my musical taste. Second on was The Duke Of Dark another four piece band. The music was heavy and I am going to have a listen again till it grows on me. Raven who is the lead singer of the band is such a nice guy. After it is onto Gwenno an artist that I looked forward to hearing. Gwenno is 1/3 of the Pipettes and the only original member from the bands first album We Are The Pipettes. When I first heard the solo material I instantly liked. There are similarities between both The Pipettes and Gwenno’s material as they both fall into the pop genre. But as a solo artist the music is more dancy think Cascada. The set featured 8 songs 3 from the album U & I, 4 that I have heard previously and 1 that I heard only for the first time. I Have A Feeling Something Is Missing is a short song and is then followed by U & I. It is a nice song which has a nice gentle melody. The song has a steady tempo and lyrics that I like. She’s Got Me On Her Mind is a up tempo song which has brilliant catchy lyrics that you can dance along to. I’ve Been Searching is another dancy song. I do really like this song the lyrics and melody infuse together perfectly. Some of the lyrics are catchy especially the chorus. Lime Chordial is next Gwenno mentions its about meeting up with friends (she used to study in Brighton). The song itself is a beautiful, lovely and slow song. The lyrics are brilliant and Gwenno delivers this perfectly. Dance Alone was another excellent song. As soon as Gwenno delivers the first line I can tell it is going to be a good song and I am not wrong. There is a fast pace to this song and the lyrics are spot on and catchy as well. Saint Petersburg was about Saint Peter and it was the first time I had heard this song live. This again was a short song played at a steady pace. This is a nice beautiful song, the lyrics and melody gel together. The set was rounded off by the delightful Now I Know. There is a beat to this song and it is one that you can dance along to. The lyrics are brilliant and it infuses well with the melody.

Amy who headlined the night took to the stage at 10.20pm. This was a relatively short set. She went onto say that she had missed the sound check. Well the first song on the night was Rivals. The song is a nice pop song which tells the story about two rivals. The song sounds quite electro and Amy had her Ipod plugged for the other instruments (drums, guitars) that were used on the song. After Amy went onto say how she got a cab and the driver was a stand up comic who described himself as a comic genius. The story built up throughout the set. Well the next song being the beautiful I Should Of Loved You More. The song itself is about unrequited love and as you can picture the story it has a slight tinge of sadness. It is a nice, gentle, mellow, steady paced song. After more of the story was told. The cab driver told Amy that he was going to go to reclaim the New York comedy scene. The next song was going to be The Hypocrite as Amy had moved over to her guitar but a new pedal which gave really loud feedback made her go back to the keyboard. Amy then apologizes that she wont be playing the guitar for the rest of the night. Back on the keyboard Amy then played The Boy I Left Behind. This song is very up tempo and it tackles the same subject of unrequited love. The lyrics are both catchy and brilliant. Next up is Dancehall Deceit. The last couple of times I have seen Amy the melodica has been missing and it was missing today. The first verse was changed to fit with Amy’s mini cab experience. Well the song is one of the darker songs on the album. It is about people that lie and you cant trust. I enjoyed the song because the first verse which Amy changed made me smile and other people laugh. The night was then rounded off by The Biggest Mistake. Before starting the song Amy told the joke that the cab driver told her. The joke was What’s the difference between a Orange and a Banana? The answer being They are both fruit. Well it was then onto the song which a up tempo and has some brilliant lyrics. The song is amazing and it is one I really adore.

Nerina Pallot @ ICA 21st October 2009

Arriving at the ICA at 5.15pm there were only just two people there. It wasn’t long till the 3rd person arrived. The good thing was I knew these people because they were among the first people at Nerina’s gigs at Scala and the Roundhouse Studios. So we all sat at a table talked and the time doors opened came sooner than later. Well I ordered some chips at 6.30pm as it was going to be about 5 hours when I next ate. So doors opened at 7.30pm I went in got the spot I wanted and I then went over to the merchandise then I purchased a 5 track cd. I went back to my spot and waited for the first artist to start his slot. The first support act was Todd Kuffner. He won a competition where he covered Real Late Starter. Nerina then chose him to support and I actually quite enjoyed his set. The set included all original songs. At first it was hard to get into his set because I knew just the one song. His music is a mixture of acoustic with a added bit of folk. The set went by quickly and some of the songs that were sung on the night included Cinderella, Like A Sword, Silence Betrays. I will definitely check out Todd’s music and I would like to hear him again. Jonathan Jeremiah was next and his music was folk music. I quite liked the songs on the night. I would like to hear more from him.

At 9.30pm it was Nerina’s time to come onto the stage and the song that opened the set was The Right Side. Nerina was wearing a dress and some red heels which was a change from the Doctor Martins she wears. When she got onto the stage there were cheers from the audience and then moved over to the keyboard. Now I like this song and it is a nice catchy song. I like the line “Watch out hear we go”.  The song is also played at a fast pace and the lyrics are perfect. Learning To Breathe is next and it is taken off of Fires. This song has to be one of my favourites from Fires. It again is a catchy song it has beautiful lyrics too. The lyrics are brilliant and catchy. When Did I Become Such A Bitch is next and it is another song played on the piano. This is a nice strong song which has a really good chorus. Following on is Everything’s Illuminated which appears on the new album despite it being performed in 2007. This is a song that is played on the guitar. The lyrics are really good which are delivered perfectly. The chorus is brilliant and so to are the verses. After applause it is onto the next song Geek Love. Nerina asks the crowd is any one out on a date and one girl puts her hand up. She then asks have you gone to fourth base. Then she says the song is about shagging. It is nice hearing songs that I have not heard before. This song was taken from Fires, I like how the melody and lyrics gel together. There is a steady pace to this song and it is strong as well. Coming Home is a beautiful song and I love it. Nerina’s parents were actually in the audience. There is a beat to this song and the lyrics are catchy. The first line is “My dads not famous, but he is to me”. This song is so lovely and the lyrics are perfect. If there was a contender for the second single from The Graduate this should be it. Next it is another song from The Graduate and this being It Starts. This song originally featured on the Buckminster Fuller EP. Nerina is on the keyboard and this song has grown on me. It is a beautiful song which is delivered strongly. Well the next song was the first time I had heard it. English features on the Itunes version of The Graduate. Well this song is growing on me and it delivers a message. Before the song Nerina mentioned that her mother was born in India and her father is half French. One line from the song is “I will always be English”. It is then back to another track from Fires this being Mr King. For this song Nerina is on the acoustic guitar with no band. This is a nice song which starts off slow and then gathers pace. She has such a amazing voice when delivering perfect performances. Human follows on and it is played on her acoustic guitar solo. Some of the lyrics are really strong and it is beautiful at the same time. Everybody’s Gone To War saw Nerina switch to electric guitar. Well it is a fast paced song with some stunning lyrics. This is a song which has infectious lyrics the chorus is brilliant. It is also a song that can get the crowd going. Following on is another song from Fires this being Idaho. This is a song which is played on the keyboard.  I really like this song it is played at a steady pace and the lyrics are strong. It is also a beautiful song at the same time. Following on saw Nerina get side tracked after she was going to link to the next song. How she was side tracked was that someone in the audience said come to Portsmouth. Nerina promised that she will visit there and she said she had been to the Wedgewood Rooms before. This song being I Don’t Want To Go Out. This is a fast paced song, it has a beat and catchy lyrics. People clap along with this song. I especially like the use of the Saxophone. The next song is the current single. This being Real Late Starter. When I first heard it in February I said the song was my favourite on the night. Well this song has everything it is up tempo, has brilliant lyrics and is catchy at the same time. The song has a beat to it and just hearing it I had the hilarious video playing in my head.  The final three songs were unexpected as they were all covers. Nerina mentions that she was on her wikipedia page and edited as it sounded boring. So she edited to say that she the secret love child of Kiki Dee and Elton John. This then removed 24 hours later. So the covers were all Elton John songs. The first being the beautiful song Your Song. After it was Bennie and the Jets which has been covered before. The final song was Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting. Now these three covers were amazing. It made the night extra special. Nerina has a phenomenal voice and the songs were delivered perfectly in her own way. Your Song is a nice steady paced song it is a beautiful song with brilliant lyrics. Bennie and the Jets had been covered before and it follows on straight away when Your Song is finished. Well Bennie and the Jets is a strong song. It is a good take on the song and Nerina has made it her own. The final song Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting is a up tempo song and it was a good song to end on. It is a song that got the crowd going and it rounded off a perfect night. They then left the stage only for Nerina to return a couple of minutes later for the encore. This was the only song of the encore as it was coming up to the curfew. Well the song being the beautiful song Sophia. It is a nice gentle song which does sound lovely when played on the keyboard. I am guessing this is Nerina’s favourite encore song as it has been in the encore the previous two times I had seen her live. So after plenty of cheers and applause she leaves the stage, the lights go on and everyone then starts making there way out of the ICA.

SET LIST

The Right Side
Learning To Breathe
When Did I Become Such A Bitch
Everything’s Illuminated!
Geek Love
Coming Home
It Starts
English
Mr King
Human
Everybody’s Gone To War
Idaho
I Don’t Want To Go Out
Real Late Starter
Your Song
Bennie And The Jets
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting

ENCORE

Sophia

OVERALL: After a brilliant set by Nerina I made my way outside. I then left and made my way to the side door because I wanted to get my CD signed. Well eventually Nerina came out and I just had a quick few words with her got my CD’s signed and then left. Well like I said it was a brilliant set a mixture of new and old tracks. Current album The Graduate is a cracker and all the tracks are brilliant. The only disappointment was that no tracks from the first album were featured. But still it was a good night and the covers were excellent. Nerina still finds it overwhelming that people spend their evening coming to see her which I find sweet. She is one amazing artist and I for one am glad she is back with new material. I will most definitely be seeing her when she is next in London.

The first and second photos are taken by Justin Ng

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