Hand picked for your pleasure

[robinbloke]

I'm Dr.Penguin, I'm a Goth and I've seen Robbie Williams in concert.
Feel free to lynch me by hurling kohl-scribed poems on tear smudged tissue paper at me.

So, how was it all, the Robbie experience?

Well getting in/out of the venue was actually a lot more painless than I expected, a fairly easygoing traffic jam, a 30 minute walk to the car park - a lot less painful than I expected.

There were two warm-up acts, although I read through the first one¹ Orson as they were, frankly, somewhat mediocre. kinda rocky, kinda vanilla. None of their tunes really caught my ear. Never mind eh lads?

The second act however Basement Jaxx had me wondering how I'd ever missed them. They got the whole crowd bouncing within minutes. A fantastic lineup of trumpets, sax, drums, guitar and other pieces that I missed; kind of funk dance with carefully tempered rap undertones. At least five different people singing at various stages. Plus an excellent stage show to boot including monkey costumes, dancing acts and an ostrich. All in all I was happy to have turned up for the gig just for them, CD purchase imminent!

The man himself did a good job for the fans and they lapped it up; a bit too much talking and flirting with his best mate, but good crowd participation - he's a bit worn around the edges now but was obviously pleased to be back and kept checking the crowd were having a good time almost as if he couldn't believe it himself.
The best part of his show were the trance-tastic light and vid shows running behind him, they begged more for someone like the Ozric Tentacles playing rather than Mr.Williams, very good. And a few fireworks and flamey death columns as well. All in all a good show, but not my thing.


1 Come back alive, Robert Young Pelton recommended - although you may not want to travel after reading it ever again.

Comments

[emperor]

Your goth cred is gone!

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

I cry tears of mascara over my torn-up band posters.

[wyrdness.livejournal.com]

Basement Jaxx have been in the charts on occassion. I was amused by their video to "You don't know me" as it has someone pretending to be the queen "escaping" buckingham palace and going for a night on the town :D

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

Quite a few of their songs had me thinking that there would be a great video opportunity, may have to hunt these down!

[duranorak.livejournal.com]

WTF. ROBIN. I AM SHOCKED.
Not by your visit to see Mr of Williams, that's fine - he's a showman - but how could you possibly not have come across Basement Jaxx?! They're amazing and right up your street. Get on it right now, you're going to love almost everything they've ever done. *flail*

Orson suck. I am glad you read during them, that amuses me. :)

E.
x

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

I think I was busy trying to grow a indy bob at the time and sinking myself deep into the realms of RAWK™ at the time, oh, and discovering The Army of Lovers Ah, happy days.

My credit card is already screaming from a CD order for some Basement Jaxx media-ness :)

Horah for upbeat funkydanceyrandomness!

[duranorak.livejournal.com]

They're still going you know, got a single out right now. :)

E.
x

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

They were plugging it quite a bit! But I forgave them that as they had my funky bone bouncing like a hamster in a tumble drier :)

[sarah-mum.livejournal.com]

Quite.
The Jaxx are marvellous (although new single is a bit meh) How can you not even of heard of them?
Red Alert is da bomb, or summat.

[crocodilewings.livejournal.com]

I tend to think of Robbie Williams as the king of all holiday reps.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

I can see him now in a yellow coat from Hi-De-Hi singing to the campers... my mind needs a airbrake.

[gerald_duck]

Robbie Williams and Basement Jaxx were performing on the same evening, and it was Basement Jaxx supporting Robbie Williams?

There's no justice in the world.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

It's a twisty turny world full of passages and dwarves that throw axes at you.

I felt the same ...

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

... when I went to see Gary Moore, Mama's Boys, Magnum and Jethro Tull supporting Marillion at Milton Keynes (centuries ago of course!)

Re: I felt the same ...

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

Was this in the Fish years?

Oh yes ...

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

... in fact I saw Marillion at least three times during the Fish years and haven't seen them since (nothing personal, just my gig going changed)

I saw the Script tour at the Hammersmith Odeon, the Fugazi tour (and perhaps the Misplaced Childhood tour) at the same place, and the Garden Party at Milton Keynes Bowl.

Re: Oh yes ...

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

I've seen them post-fish, but that's when I got into them anyway :)

[raggedyman.livejournal.com]

definetly go with the kidney option next time ;-)

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

It was worth it to see Basement Jaxx actually :)

[raggedyman.livejournal.com]

impressive, or possibly just the after effects of the Robbie Williams mind-crack

[angusabranson.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised you've never come across Basement Jaxx before now as they are pretty huge. They even headlined Glastonbury Festival last year!!!

You'll certainly recognise a few of their songs I reckon as they've had a string of hits but more importantly (for those of us who don't really listen to the charts) their music has also been used on adverts.

I saw Robbie Williams once (back in '98 I think) when he played Glastonbury. I'm not a fan of his music but as an entertainer and showman he is absolutely amazing.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

He seemed a little tired to me, but then it was day five of five days playing at the Milton Keynes bowl, enough to drive anyone mad.

Then again he arrived in a helicopter, posey sod.

Basement Jaxx somehow totally passed me by, but now I shall possess their music - oh yes.

[sarah-mum.livejournal.com]

Glastonbury '99 I think, but he was rather stunning.
"Last time I came here I got sacked" :0)


On a technicality, didn't the BJs only headline due to lack of Kylie? Or has my brian gone fuzzy?

[angusabranson.livejournal.com]

Yeah, BJ got promoted because Kylie couldn't make it. Still, they headlined Glastonbury! :p

Robbie was very amusing at the Glastonbury he played. Especially doing that thrashy cover of a Take That song :p

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised you've never heard of Basement Jaxx. Their recorded stuff is a bit too chart-oriented for me but live they rock because they have real instruments, a horn section and whatnot. Haven't actually seen them myself, only on telly (I think it was the Glastonbury gig last year) but that was good enough.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

They were really really good :)

[madwitch.livejournal.com]

I saw Orson supporting Duran last year. Have to agree with you on them...