Elvis solo, Swansea (Wales), July 11, 2014

[bronxapostle]

agreed VG! 2nd time LUCKY. what's this "YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME"...a new EC song? ANY info sulky?

[FAVEHOUR]

agreed VG! 2nd time LUCKY. what's this "YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME"...a new EC song? ANY info sulky?

Surely the old standard, especially if he played it during the sit-down portion of the show...


dave

[sweetest punch]

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk ... story.html

Review: Elvis Costello summons up drama at the Brangwyn Hall

It was no surprise that Elvis Costello's visit to Swansea's Brangwyn Hall last night showed us a performer whose mastery of light and shade, of the art of surprise, and of the vast palette of musical delights available to one so gifted, was second to none.

Costello has been at the top of his game for decades, and whether you are a devotee of the comforting, complex charms of The Great American Songbook, or whether you favour angular, adrenaline pumping rock n roll, or heart-tugging classic country, Elvis is your man.

He rose above some sound issues at the hall to create a dynamic, gripping set, using all of the musical colours at his disposal.

This being a solo tour, I was half expecting Costello to lean on his gentler bluegrass numbers, but he has so many inbuilt effects and settings on his voice, let alone in the small armoury of pedals at his feet, he had no problem summoning up the drama and the dynamics needed for his all-angles-and-edges rock, even without a band. So we got it all.

An immense version of Watching The Detectives, was the theatrical centre-piece of the night.

Using guitar chord loops, and fuzz and tremolo effects to underline the song’s dramatic lines and to crank up the tension, he led up to a controlled-madness, Marc Ribot-style solo, which summoned up every 60s cop show you have ever loved.

We got Costello in the guise of the faded Vaudevillian too, with a clutch of gently strummed and whistled, mournful character studies, including his lovely Jimmy Standing In The Rain, which was prefaced by the tale of his own grandfather, whose career as a musician on the White Star Line and then for silent movies was scuppered by both the depression and by the talkies. "My grandmother hated Al Jolson until the day she died," he said.

Several encores gifted us a foray into jaunty and lovely 1930s classics like Walking My Baby Back Home, which he handles so deftly, and the night came to a close with rocked up numbers from his vast back catalogue, like Oliver's Army and My Blue Chair. It all made for affecting stuff and it was a reminder, if you needed one, that Costello has written some of the finest songs in the canon of popular music. And he can sing and play them like a demon. We are lucky to have him.



Slide show: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk ... res.html#1

[bronxapostle]

agreed VG! 2nd time LUCKY. what's this "YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME"...a new EC song? ANY info sulky?

Surely the old standard, especially if he played it during the sit-down portion of the show...


dave

good logic Dave. amazing how quick a "google" search makes an unknown title, suddenly a CLASSIC (that not many here have ever heard of until today!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Took_Advantage_of_Me

[The Gentleman]

agreed VG! 2nd time LUCKY. what's this "YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME"...a new EC song? ANY info sulky?

Surely the old standard, especially if he played it during the sit-down portion of the show...


dave

good logic Dave. amazing how quick a "google" search makes an unknown title, suddenly a CLASSIC (that not many here have ever heard of until today!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Took_Advantage_of_Me

Wow! Even without hearing a recording from last night, seems like that has to be it. I didn't know the song before now, but a YouTube search revealed an Ella Fitzgerald rendition that would slot seamlessly into the sit-down segment.

This isn't the first time Dave has clued me onto something I didn't know, and I strongly doubt it'll be the last.

[FAVEHOUR]

Yeah, I have that song on Ella's Rodgers and Hart Songbook album. All of her Songbook collections are really good.


dave

[sweetest punch]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/m ... ll-7416092

Review: Elvis Costello, Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

Tony Woolway waited three decades to see Elvis Costello in Swansea and here's why it was definitely worth it

A wait of 34 years is a very long time, especially for an artist like Elvis Costello who seems to be constantly touring the globe in various guises and with different band mates.

So it was no surprise that the Swansea faithful packed the newly refurbished Brangwyn Hall for the eagerly awaited return of one of rock's most highly regarded and influential performers, who, despite an inauspicious start with some nasty sounding electrical problems, bounced back swiftly to produce a two-hour solo set that enthralled and entertained, earning countless standing ovations from a very knowing and appreciative audience.

Commenting on the rather more salubrious surroundings than his last visit, he cheekily compared the hall's dramatic murals to those drawn on the toilet wall of the old Top Rank venue where he played all those years ago, it was very much an evening of tall tales as well as breath-taking music.

For Elvis entertains on many levels being a skillful and very funny raconteur he regaled the audience with stories about his songs and experiences that complemented sweetly the great song choices that had something for everyone, from those who mainly knew the hits to the more discerning Elvis disciple armed with a knowledge of the his incredibly extensive back catalogue.

Opening with Jack Of All Parades from his acclaimed King Of America album it was the start of an interesting and varied set, virtually all played on acoustic guitar in Elvis' inimitable and aggressive style, the only deviation being a keyboard accompanied Shipbuilding.

Picking highlights from such an impressive set is virtually impossible, yet to my ears, New Amsterdam, that drifted effortlessly into The Beatles You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, and back again took some beating, as did renditions of Alison, a wonderfully noisy version of Watching The Detectives full of guitar loops and feedback, even incorporating a police siren, which contrasted perfectly with a gentle version of Nat King Cole's Walking My Baby Back Home.

Whether it be Carnegie Hall, where he recently played or Brangwyn Hall, one thing's for certain, Elvis never fails to deliver.

Yes, 34 years is a long long time, but it was well worth the wait.

[JONPD]

Setlist : - on English paper and NHS Sharpie !!

It felt very strange when he first left the stage to see everyone get ready to leave and a real lack of cheering and calling for encores so when he came back it seemed to surprise so many people ! It felt like a crowd who weren't used to seeing "rock" concerts !!

Not sure if they get that many big rock concerts west of Cardiff. It seemed to me a lot of people thought it was an interval, most quickly returned when they realised it was not.

Have some photos but can't work up how to submit them.

[bronxapostle]

Come on BA, you should trust your Sulky !

i knew that!!!

[sulky lad]

My recording of this is at the usual place !

[charliestumpy]

Thanks very much for sharing e.g. 'You took advantage of me'.

[johnfoyle]

Seems Elvis was performing in a very grand setting.


http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south- ... s-28410582