As promised I have more photos of Pet Shop Boys and the link to a fuller gallery. What a cool show this was – complete with dancers dressed as buildings. As extraordinary as the entire production was, the most important parts to me though were, naturally, the Pet Shop Boys themselves. Favorite songs of the set? Pandemonium/Can You Forgive Her?, New York City Boy, Why Don’t We Live Together? and Left to My Own Devices.
all photos by Dagmar
Manic Street Preachers is one of the best bands ever to exist or ever will exist and I finally got to see them perform live on Monday. All their albums have been brilliant and I am constantly in awe of this band’s prowess. They fulfilled every massively high expectation I had them for their live performance and then some. I took photos of their set and never ever thought I would be so near these Welsh icons:
all photos by Dagmar
I’ve now gathered my photos and made a photo gallery of some of my shots from Keane‘s glorious show last week! I’ve seen this band in so many different venues and they always reach out to everyone. They’re moving and sensational.
photos by Dagmar
Keane is one of my favorite groups ever. I place their songs right up there with a few of my other all-time favorites, the Beatles, a-ha and early Bee Gees. This is high praise from me as the music from these artists, and Keane, is just holy in its very existence and melody. I took some photos tonight at Keane’s show – as always more photos on their way with a full gallery but I wanted to get some out as fast as I could!
all photos by Dagmar
Bat for Lashes played an ethereal concert at Neumos, Wednesday 26 August, supported by Oklahoma band Other Lives.
Neumos was the perfect intimate venue for such a lineup, and Other Lives’ frontman Jesse Tabish used it to his advantage. The band featured a prominent string section with both a violin and a cello, and complimented with an organ, piano and intricate guitar melodies.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this wasn’t a one-trick twee ensemble, no matter how much plaid was on display. To the contrary, the band produced an immense wall of sound that I found both engaging and experimental. I will definitely be keeping an eye on this band – their self-title debut album is available now.
Having warmed up the crowd, Natasha Khan took to the stage as one truly comfortable and in their element. Touring band members were Sarah Jones on drums, Ben Christophers on organ/autoharp, and Charlotte Hatherley on bass/guitar – if her name rings a bell, note that she is a former member if Irish rockers Ash, as well as a solo artist in her own right.
The stage was decked out to create the kind of haunting wonderland in which so many of Bat for Lashes’ songs are set – lit tealight candles were placed around the stage, as well as three Virgin Marys, a solitary Jesus Christ figurine, and this charming raven. Fairy lights crept their way up amplifiers, and lengths of tinsel coiled around mic stands. The kitchy kooky decor was completed with a huge backdrop depicting – what else? – a howling wolf emblazoned in velvet.
The crowd was captivated as Khan presented offerings from both albums, in a fairly short set. Quickly kicking off her shoes, Khan proved to have a confident stage presence as she fluidly twirled and writhed around the small stage; caught up in her own uninhibited wavelength.
If Bat for Lashes is another of Khan’s alter-egos, then it should be noted that she is unwavering when staying in character.
Highlights included ‘Sarah’, ‘The Wizard’, and ‘What’s a Girl To Do?’. Sultry, bass-heavy percussion complemented Khan’s voice perfectly, and the live backing band added an extra dimension that rounds out Bat for Lashes a little more than her recorded offerings. Hatherley provided backing vocals, as well as accompanying Khan while they shared a piano earlier in the set.
Setlist:
Encore:
You can view more photos from this concert here.
By Nicky Andrews
