The Chameleons (Vox) Live at Manchester Ritz 21st December 2013

So what was my final gig of 2013?  Well, it was The Chameleons (Vox) at Manchester Ritz on December 21st. 

I was already over to see Black Sabbath at Manchester Arena on 18th December so me and a good friend from my earliest schooldays decided to catch The Chameleons a few days later at the Ritz (thankfully, having an eclectic taste in music allows me to enjoy many different kinds of bands)

Despite having only known The Chameleons in passing (back in the 1980s), I really enjoyed the gig at Manchester Ritz, especially as the band did the electric version of 'Tears' (my favourite Chameleons' track which always makes me feel kind of homesick for my native Lancashire, it just has that kind of effect, it has a canonical quality).  Was also pleased and somewhat surprised to see that I knew most of the tunes (albeit not many of them by name) in the near enough two-hour set, such as 'Paper Tigers' (one of the few Chameleons' tunes I know by name - an inevitable effect of ageing process and liking hundreds of different bands, I'm afraid).

Also great to see people sharing their videos of the Manchester Ritz show on Youtube ('View From a Hill' below), as this helps us all to not only remember but also relive the gig:

Above all else, it was great to see my good mate from my schooldays enjoy his first concert in quite a while (hopefully, on the road to full recovery after a serious health problem).

Black Sabbath Live at Manchester Arena 18th December 2013

Decided to stay in my hometown of Bury, Lancashire from 18th-29th December, flying from Warsaw to Liverpool early in the morning on the 18th so I could catch Black Sabbath at Manchester Arena in the evening.

With my small, limited mobile phone, I tried to capture some of the pure ethnography of the event, starting with the crowd gathered round the merchandise stall above, and ending with a shot of one of the (it must be said) rather expensive bars inside Manchester Arena below:

I just took the shot above randomly, but it was very nice of the couple in the middle, who I didn't know from Adam, to strike such a nice pose for it (a magical piece of ethnography, I think).

About the concert itself:  Sabbath, with three-quarters of the classic line-up (Ozzy; Tony Iommi; and Geezer Butler, of course), were much better than I'd expected (my main reason for going was pure nostalgia).  For me, the two tunes of the night were 'NIB' and rather surprisingly 'Children of the Grave' (far from being my favourite Sabbath song, this was magic on the night so to say):

Of course, well done to the great people who've put the videos of the Manchester Arena gig on Youtube so that we can all relive the great gig.

From the '13' album, the two tracks that stood out for me were 'God Is Dead?' and 'Into the Void':

Yes, the Sabbath show was a nice balance of tracks from the '13' album and older classical stuff. 

Also thought that Ozzy's voice was nicely on form, although it would've been nice to see if he could've pulled off more up-tempo tracks like 'Symptom of the Universe' or 'Never Say Die!'.  Regarding this, I think it may've said something when the band did a few chords of 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and then directly ran into 'Paranoid'.  Still, this is just my own nitpicking, and doesn't in any way detract from a great evening of entertainment.  Seen Sabbath twice before, once with Ronnie James Dio (RIP) on the 'Mob Rules' tour, but never with Ozzy, so it was an honour to finally catch the latter experience.

My nostalgia for Black Sabbath, where does it come from?  Well, as a 12-year-old schoolboy, I remember getting the 'Never Say Die!' album on tape when it came out in 1978 and just thinking 'WOW!!!'.  Still think that 'Never Say Die!' is a great and heavily underrated album that competes with 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and 'Sabotage' for being the best Sabbath album with Ozzy. 

My favourite tune off 'Never Say Die!'?  Well, maybe it's the title track or maybe it's the incredibly melodic and underrated 'Junior's Eyes' below:

Wind Turbines on the Owd Betts

Just back from a  Christmas trip to my hometown of Bury, Lancashire, which took in Black Sabbath at Manchester Arena on December 18th and The Chameleons (Vox) at Manchester Ritz on December 21st in the run-up to Christmas. 

But how did I occupy my time for the rest of the trip?  Well, basically, through doing lots of walking in the countryside around Bury.  Especially enjoyed a walk up to the Owd Betts yesterday, and was honoured to witness the onset of sunset with the wind turbines up there (pictured above and below):

Of course, I took the opportunity to have a nice swift pint of Real Ale in the Owd Betts' pub, where I occasionally used to go drinking while camping in Deeply Vale many moons ago.

In the picture below, I'm looking beyond the top road reservoir towards Peel Tower on Holcombe Hill in the distance:

Also got to see Noah Hill, surrounded by wind turbines, in the distance:

Have fond memories of walking up to Noah Hill with my family as a child.

Warsaw Old Town: Christmas 2013

Still a week or so away from Christmas Day, but I went to immerse myself in the vibrant Christmas atmosphere at the Old Town in Warsaw yesterday.

The place was just full of magical light and good vibes.

The ornate streetlamps were also bathed in light and colourful Christmas bulbs:

Decided to enter into the Old Town proper, crossing the Old Town Main Square (below) and beyond the Barbican, towards the New Town Square.

What a nice surprise there was at the New Town Square, near the Dominican church, as this too was beautifully lit-up:

Yes, the drum and rocking horse above were incredibly beautiful, but everybody seemed to be more intrigued by the lit-up (and speaking) Teddy Bear (below)

Here, there was a wonderful sense of Christmas, as some of the youngest children seemed to think that the 'speaking bear' was real.

Warsaw Zoo: Some More Characters

Here are some more interesting characters from my Saturday trip to Warsaw Zoo, starting off with the incredibly friendly-looking llama below:

Next up, it's the pensive-looking otter below who at one point was eating some kind of small chicken lunch, not fish as I'd expected:

Felt some sympathy for the buffalo/bison below, as such a magnificent creature belongs on the plains somewhere:

However, the two courting polar bears seemed to be having a better time below:

Yes, and finally my patience and stoic discipline were finally rewarded as I managed to get a decent picture of the red panda in a tall tree.  For me, it just looks like some kind of teddy-bear in a tree, I was really lucky to get such a shot:

And there was another nice surprise:  at first, there was neither sight nor sound of the seals, but after a few minutes, they came to the surface of the water, being purely curious about the voices they could hear:

Yes, you'll meet quite a few interesting characters if you take a late morning/early afternoon stroll round Warsaw Zoo.

Two Swans Together at Warsaw Zoo

It's very rare that a picture comes out 'almost perfect', but I was very pleased with this effort taken at Warsaw Zoo on Saturday afternoon.  The two beautiful swans thought it was feeding time so they came close to the fence, and after 5-6 unsuccessful attempts, I finally managed to catch them together.

The Sloth in Athletic Mode at Warsaw Zoo

As you can see in the picture above, one of the sloths was in athletic mode at Warsaw Zoo yesterday (the other one was happily sleeping in one of the top corners of the room).  Yes, for about 20-30 minutes, I enjoyed watching one of the sloths doing a variety of climbing and gymnastic-type moves.  Of course, all of this seemed to be in slow motion, but this didn't make it any less interesting.

Finally, the athletic sloth looks really proud of himself/herself in the picture below, and I felt kind of honoured to have been able to witness his/her gymnastic display:

The Meditative Gorilla at Warsaw Zoo

Last time I visited Warsaw Zoo a few weeks ago, I missed the gorillas, but I managed to put this right this afternoon.  Was absolutely amazed to see how human-like the above gorilla was as it seemed to sit in some kind of deep meditation (or sulk).

Discovering the Music of Agnes Obel

Yesterday, I got a ticket to see Agnes Obel at Warsaw Palladium on 11th January, but how did I discover her music?

Well, some time last year, I was Youtube surfing with my favourite Polish band (and, for me, one of the best Prog bands around anywhere), Riverside, and, by chance, I came across the song 'Riverside' by Agnes Obel (above) and really liked it, but, afterwards, didn't think anything more of it. 

However, a few weeks ago, seeing that Agnes Obel was playing the Palladium in January, I decided to give her music a proper spin, and have found the perfect (interesting but unobtrusive) music to accompany my proofreading work in Warsaw, which can be attritional.  Yes, this is riveting therapeutic music that softens the tedium of being on a computer for hours on end:

Really like 'The Curse' (above).  And about Agnes' piano-playing, well, at times, it just reminds me a bit of the tide slowly rolling in or out at the seaside, as with 'Falling Catching' below::

As for 'Close Watch' below, I was almost certain I'd heard this tune somewhere before, and then discovered it was a John Cale song (saw John Cale about seven years ago in Warsaw):

All in all, I'm really happy that I've started to check out Agnes Obel's music properly.

Teaching CAE Writing the Traditional Way in Warsaw

The drawing above (click on the picture to make it bigger and clearer) shows how I teach CAE writing the tried and trusted traditional way of providing the students with the security of a parallel model to guide them through their own writing.

The CAE writing model above is a CAE review (compare and contrast type) of two British soap operas, 'Eastenders' and 'Coronation Street', with all the linking devices and other good functional language expressions useful for this task being highlighted in red.  Thus, the students task will be to write a review about two Polish soap operas (or other Polish TV programmes)

Love creating CAE writing models spontaneously on the whiteboard in the immediacy of the classroom, as this convinces students that the writing tasks can be done easily within the time allocated.  The pure spontaneity of it also seems to have a much heavier impact than just bringing in a few pre-meditated models drawn up on the computer.

Truth be known, half the time, the students don't bother doing their CAE writing assignments, but my build up of a collection of CAE writing models gives them something concrete to try and memorise during their revision for the CAE writing exam.

Warsaw: The Winter Snow Arrives

The pictures above and below, showing how the snow finally arrived in Warsaw today, are a bit blurred as they were taken on a small mobile during a bit of a blizzard, as it was going dark.  Thus, today, it seems like Poland has been getting some of the storm that has been ravaging northern Europe, including my homeland Britain, over the past few days.

The Big Christmas Tree Being Decorated with Lights in Warsaw Old Town

On Tuesday this week, I was lucky enough to see the big Christmas Tree at Castle Square, next to Warsaw Old Town, being decorated with Christmas lights. 

Also really like the way that the ornate streetlamps, such as those below, are being dressed up for Christmas:

For me, coming from Britain where vile forms of political 'correctness' have contrived to destroy not only the religious but also the basic seasonal enchantment of Christmas, it's just nice to be in a country like Poland where people are still free to celebrate Christmas in a traditional and dignified way (long may this continue!).

Early Winter Frost in Warsaw

Got my first taste of early winter frost last Wednesday while going to work beyond the Młociny distrct in north Warsaw.  The silver birch trees look particulary beautiful covered in the early morning frost:

As can be seen in the picture below, the small pond in front of a small Catholic shrine is lightly frozen over:

These small Catholic shrine buildings are a common thread all over Poland, and, as external symbols, help to give the country some kind of Catholic identity, although the latter will inevitably become weaker with EU secularisation and de-christianisation process:

Thus, long since gone are the yellow flowers of October, for me, the last remnant of summer in a Polish autumn:

Still, at least we haven't had any snow yet, as, last year, the snow came really early in mid-October and didn't go until mid-April.

Tolstoy's Grass Mound Grave at Yasnaya Polyana

The most striking image I've come across during the week has got to be the one above of Tolstoy's grass mound grave at his Yasnaya Polyana estate (about 120 miles from Moscow) which I came across accidentally while just surfing the internet. 

The grave which is set next to an old tree in some woodland ('The Place of the Green Wand') at Yasnaya Polyana seems to have a profound simplicity, and, for me, provides a worthy resting place for one of the greatest writers that has ever lived.  Just read that Tolstoy wanted to be buried here as most of the trees were protected and over 100-years-old.

In my late teens and early 20s, I read 'War and Peace'; 'Anna Karenina'; 'The Cossacks'; and 'Resurrection' by Tolstoy (all translated into English, of course).  Also read about the Christian Pacifistic Anarchy-type ideology that Tolstoy formulated in his later life. 

But all this seems to be a couple of lifetimes away now, as I struggle to remember much of the specific content of each novel I've read, so I guess it may be time to reacquaint myself with the work of this great literary giant (for me, he stands at the very centre of the Western Literary Canon alongside Shakespeare).

Would also love to go to Russia to visit Yasnaya Polyana (as a kind of pilgrimage to Tolstoy) one day.

The Young Gods Live at Warsaw Basen 24th November 2013

Don't know that much about The Young Gods other than a few tunes like 'Skinflowers' (below), and the fact that their work is admired by, amongst others (including David Bowie), Mike Patton of Faith No More above (singing 'Did You Miss Me' with the band).  Thus, having already been to three concerts over the past week, what made me go and see another band, one that I'm not that familiar with?

Well, there's a simple answer to this:  PURE CURIOSITY.  Just wanted to see what The Young Gods were like live, as they have a kind of cult-like status as musical innovators.

So what about the concert itself?  Well, beforehand, I'd heard that the band would be mainly doing their Francophone stuff from the first two albums, and this is what they seemed to do. 

Did I enjoy the gig itself?  Well, I'm not that sure, to be honest, as the (post-) industrial kind of thing isn't really my scene, but, having said this, a few of the tunes did resonate well in my head after the concert (causing me to look them up on Youtube), such as 'Fais la Moulette' and 'L'Amourir' below (live from Geneva in 2012):

Thus, despite not being sure as to what to think about this gig, some positive kind of vibe has grown from Sunday night, prompting me to further explore and become more familiar with The Young Gods' music on Youtube (of course, it may've been a good idea to have done this beforehand, but, on the other hand, this may've made things too predictable).

Sorry Boys Live at Warsaw Basen 22nd November 2013

Went seeing Polish band, Sorry Boys, at Warsaw Basen last night, my third gig in six days.  So, how did I discover Sorry Boys then?  Well, a couple of months ago, I saw that they were playing the Basen, one of my favourite concert places in Warsaw, and decided to give them a spin on Youtube:

Upon doing this, the title track of the 'Hard Working Classes' album reminded me somewhat of Manchester band, Lamb, as I found Izabela Komoszyńska's kind of  gentle 'shrieky' vocal style similar to that of Lou Rhodes of Lamb.  Really like Lamb, so this similarity was fine by me.

Anyway, to the concert itself last night, Sorry Boys did my favourite track by them, 'Salty River', two songs in (the video below is from a Polish TV concert some time ago): 

For me, 'Salty River' is an interesting track, as it shows there is a harder edge to Sorry Boys, and, thus, cannot be just pigeonholed in some kind of 'dream pop' category.  Indeed, at times last night, the band even gave me the impression that they could possibly evolve into some kind of Prog-type format if they wanted to, such was the clear enjoyment they got from the extended instrumental parts of some of their tunes.

Do genuinely like the 'Hard Working Classes' album, but didn't quite know what to make of the band's new material (drawn from their second album, 'Vulcano') last night, such as the very poppy 'Evolution (St. Theresa)':

Yeah, it's good for a band to experiment and avoid being static, but this tune isn't really my cup of tea, to be honest.  After the concert last night, I overheard an Australian guy saying that he was left a bit confused as to what kind of type of music he'd just been listening to, and I kind of think that Sorry Boys are in that common early album stage of not being quite sure what line of music to follow yet (of course, this is not a bad thing).

So, which tune seemed to get the best reception of the night?  Well, that would have to be 'The Sun' from the 'Hard Working Classes' album (below, a good person has put a video on Youtube of the band doing 'The Sun' from a gig in Wrocław earlier this month):

Finally, last night at the Basen, the band did about an 80-minute set including two encores, and had a healthy-sized crowd purring for more, and, for me, they should've seized the moment by coming back on to do another couple of tunes, but they didn't, possibly missing an opportunity to absolutely nail rather than just entertain an audience.

Still, all in all, this was a good concert and it'll be interesting to see in what musical direction Sorry Boys go in the future. 

Tricky Live at Warsaw Basen 18th November 2013

Saw Tricky at Warsaw Basen on Monday night, this being the third time I've seen him over the years.  The first time I saw him was at his legendary early Saturday evening appearance at Reading Festival in 1995, when the whole 'Maxinquaye' thing with Martina Topley-Bird just seemed to perfectly soothe and relax everybody:  it was a really fantastic experience, so I still clearly remember it now. 

So, after a full day of EFL teaching around Warsaw, why did I go to see Tricky on Monday night?  Well, I'd seen him about three years ago at Warsaw Palladium, and hadn't been that into it to be honest, but after repeatedly playing the recent 'False Idols' album, mainly as background music while working on the computer, it just naturally grew on me, and I quite naturally decided that I must go and see Tricky.

About the concert itself Monday night, well, Tricky and his band did a really great 2-hour set, obviously doing the 'False Idols' material, but mixing it in very nicely with older stuff, for me, noticeably tunes like 'Overcome'; 'Black Steel'; and 'Hell Is Round The Corner' from the 'Maxinquaye' album (for me, 'False Idols' is a good album, but still not as good as 'Maxinquaye').  Below, there is a kind of picture of the controlled bedlam when the party-piece version of Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' was being done (still remember seeing Motorhead as a 14-year-old schoolboy on the 'Ace of Spades' tour at Manchester Apollo):

Yes, Tricky and his band, especially the elfine-looking Francesca Belmonte with her impish-like dance moves, were excellent, but the flip side was that the Basen was badly overcrowded with, unfortunately, a few 'knobheads' scattered here and there amongst the majority of normal people (e.g. I saw a couple of 'knobheads' optimally goading a smallish doorman and pushing a much older guy, about 60, to the ground, although the latter was also a 'knobhead').  Also normally don't get (or only get lightly) searched going into the Basen, but, as I'd expected, there was a heavy search for this, and I was even asked to turn my pockets out, although this may've been a wise move given the obvious small number of 'knobheads' amongst the crowd. 

Maybe also the first time I've seen a makeshift metal barrier patrolled by security at the front of the Basen stage.  Really hope that this doesn't become the norm at the Basen, as the usual lack of barrier between band and crowd makes the Basen a pretty special place, as noticed by Icelandic band, Mum, when playing there in early October.

Anyway, despite a few venue discomforts (in fairness, the first time I've experienced them at the Basen), the concert was really good, at times positively hypnotic - the desired concert effect, and I guess that's the main thing. 

My favourite track from 'False Idols'?  Well, that would have to be 'We Don't Die' which is genuinely sublime:

Planet of the Abts Live at Warsaw Klub Progresja 17th November 2013

A couple of weeks ago, I saw that a band called Planet of the Abts were playing the Klub Progresja in Warsaw, checked them out on Youtube; discovered they were the drummer and bassist of Gov't Mule joined together with another guitarist (T-Bone Andersson); liked what I heard on Youtube (especially the Black Sabbath cover 'Who Are You' above); and quite naturally ended up going to see the band on Sunday night.

First up, I arrived halfway through the set of all-female Led Zeppelin tribute group, Lez Zeppelin, who were more than okay:

Found 'Stairway To Heaven' a bit hit and miss, but the band did rousing versions of 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'Heartbreaker', so I was glad that I arrived in time to catch them.

As for Planet of the Abts, well, having seen Gov't Mule at the Klub Progresja earlier this year, I already knew that drummer, Matt Abts (in the picture below), and bassist,  Jorgen Carlsson, are seriously talented musicians, but this was my first look at T-Bone Andersson, and must say that I really liked both his guitar work and slow drawling-type vocal style.

For many in the crowd, the highlight of the set seemed to be when a young Polish lad called Darek got on stage playing his violin alongside the band, especially T-Bone:

What I also like about T-Bone is that he seems to be a throwback in appearance, reminding me a bit of both Rory Gallagher and Fast Eddie Clarke:

Yes, like Gov't Mule, I really like Planet of the Abts as they remind me of Rock music the way it used to be done years ago. 

How would I describe them?  Well, I find them pretty difficult to categorise, but thoughts like 'raw prog with a touch of psychedelia mixed in' spring to mind.  Just one small disappointment, the band didn't seem to have done 'Circus' while I was leaving for my last bus home at 10.50 (of course, they could've done it afterwards).