{"id":4701,"date":"2021-11-18T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T16:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=4701"},"modified":"2022-12-18T12:06:51","modified_gmt":"2022-12-18T12:06:51","slug":"music-louis-cole-earth-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=4701","title":{"rendered":"MUSiC: Louis Cole live, Earth, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wow! A live gig!?!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First off, a big thanks to Guy Snape for coming out to see the gig. I\u2019d have gone on my own (again!). But it\u2019s so much nicer to share an experience like this. We drove down, and parked for free not far from the venue. Poifeck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a bag o\u2019 chips and ages queuing, we checked our coats, I bought an older Louis Cole CD, and we promptly got in another queue, for some beers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With unaccustomed brass neck I jumped the queue when the opportunity presented itself. And then it was just a matter of standing around, right up front, by the stage, awaiting the performers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not great pics from my old iPhone! The empty stage, before either act performed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

First up was Genevieve Artadi. She performed with two other ladies; all three sang, one of the others playing a little keys. The bulk of the music was played off a laptop. GA is a real babe, but her music, especially in this karaoke format, does absolutely nothing for me (I\u2019m not really much of a fan of knower, either, tbh).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel bad even saying that! And I suspect Louis would probably deliver a quick and very hard n\u2019 sharp kick in the jaffas, if he heard me or anyone else say such a thing! But it just didn\u2019t connect with me at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was another long wait \u2013 about 30 minutes or more \u2013 before Cole and co appeared. Billed as a big band, there was a seven-strong horn-section, two female backing vocalists (GA being one of them), keys, bass, and Louis, on vocals, keys and drums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GA\u2019s set was delivered in front of a video screen, the three ladies dressed in skimpy tight spangly gear, bouncing about a lot. Nice! Cole\u2019s set dispensed with the screen, but found the entire group in \u2018skellington\u2019 onesies. So both sets had aspects of stagecraft in addition to the music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another pretty duff phone snap!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a drummer, and lover of live music, I find DJ or karaoke type music culture strangely flat; lacking that spark of energy that comes from the live in the moment interpersonal interactions of real musicians. And usually it also sounds (as well feeling) very different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last time I saw Louis Cole it was a one man show, at Heaven, under Charing Cross. It was excellent (and I bought Time<\/em> whilst there). But I preferred tonight by immeasurable orders of magnetite!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The set was superb, mostly intense and high energy, but with occasional very moody ballad moments. I was particularly overjoyed to hear full on live large band versions of Thinking About You, Things, Drive and When You\u2019re Ugly, etc. His \u2018viral sensation Bank Account was in there, as was a high-energy rabble-rousing F*ck It Up, which was the only tune they did twice, the second time as a show-closing encore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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