Monday, December 7, 2009
Since we now spend most of our time in LA we've been looking for a reason to go to the Geary-designed Disney Hall. Finally found one. Brian Wilson, Dave Alvin, The Living Sisters and Harper Simon celebrating California. Typically it was a very cold night for LA and not the summer night this really called for - but a nice time was had by all. The hall is spectacular and the sound pristine and clear - if not a little sterile for rock and roll. Mr Simon started up. He's a more than competent guitar player - with his fathers skills in that area - but he's not a compelling performer or songwriter unfortunately. I was kind of glad he only did 4 songs (sorry). Dave Alvin was up next and I will say he seemed to miss the band (I last saw him with the Guilty Women and that seems to be a more natural element for him - also the venue was as far from a bar that you could get). Nice version of Border Radio and a little bit of Surfer Girl - let's just say he wouldn't have pass the audition for Brian's replacement - he's no Glen Campbell. It was a nice 8 song set - mix of blues-y and country-ish stuff - but I'd prefer to have a drink in my hand.
Then we had the break - just like a civilized concert (although you wouldn't have known that from the couple in front of us who made out the whole time - please get a room next time). The Living Sisters we up next and they were sort of fun. Very Silverlake and Dan Hicks-y I thought. Sequined dresses and high heels. They were obviously super excited to be there and I wished they'd done a few more songs.
Then came Brian. Seven piece acoustic. California Girls, Help Me Rhonda. Heroes and Villains. Good Vibrations. Their hearts were full of spring. And Merry Xmas Baby too. Then everyone came onstage - including some guy we hadn't seem before all night (and who had way too much fun) for Surfing USA and Love and Mercy and they were gone. I have to say their vocals are spectacular - especially given that Brian's really aren't. I tend to think they probably are the best band playing live at the moment. Just so musical.
As much as I always enjoy seeing Brian it always feels like a lost opportunity. I was hoping that he may come out and use the huge organ at Disney and do Until I Die off Surf's up. Or he would look back into his catalog and pick out some more interesting things - something off Holland or This Old World or Add Some Music To Your Day or whatever. He's got hundreds of songs. The audience loves him. He could get away with being more adventurous. Anyway a nice warm time in a beautiful space. Hopefully Brian will premier his Gershwin stuff here.
I was just looking through a bunch of blogs and Claire Hamill's name appeared. I loved her first record (One house left standing) and lost touch with her - I saw that she'd gone all new age-y but I must admit that I never followed up to find out what she was really doing. Anyway. I looked her up on myspace and she reminded me of all the times we had in a folk club in sunny Leicester (it was the upstairs of a bakers I think). Anyway small room, lots of smoke, and mainly three acts I remember - my partner in The Time Between (Gwyn), a guy named Geoff Overcoat (can't have been his real name) and The Ric Grech/Claire Hamill thing. Geoff was best known for a song called Marlon Brando and James Dean (must have been decent as I still remember the title) and alot of blues covers. Gywn did his versions of country and folk standards (totally brilliantly if I remember rightly - what else can I say), and Ric and Claire (who were usually totally out of it) did a bunch of country stuff with much Gram Parsons thrown in - not surprising since Ric co-write Ooh Las Vegas and produced the album. Then they all came together at the end for some chaotic rock and roll. I can't remember what they played - just remember it was totally chaotic. I saw that Ric had come back to Leicester to get out of the music business and sell carpets (?). Obviously it was a terrible idea as gettin out of the business did nothing for his health and he succumbed at the wickedly young age of 43. What a shame. What we have left is some terrific music (he was in some great bands - Family, Blind Faith, Traffic) and some sad memories and the thoughts of what might have been. Nice to see Claire is still going strong. I need to check out her newer stuff.
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