Deciding To See Roger Waters Do 'The Wall' in Warsaw

After thinking about it for a couple of months or so, I eventually decided to get a ticket to see Roger Waters do 'The Wall' at the National Football Stadium in Warsaw:

Never was big on Pink Floyd, and, to be honest, the only Floyd album that I ever played to death was 'The Final Cut' (some people would view this as more of a Waters solo album).  However, slowly but surely, even though I didn't appreciate it at the time as a 12 or 13-year-old, 'The Wall' has come to mean something, and feel that I must see it done live while there's still the chance to do so.

What does 'The Wall' mean for me?  Well, without having analysed the deeper meaning of the work, the whole atmosphere of the piece just reminds me of draconian times at secondary school in late 1970s/early 1980s Britain:  the violence; the swishing of the cane; the general psychological intimidation etc.  This has just stayed or grown in my subconscious for years, and whenever I hear anything from 'The Wall', I'm just taken back to those years with both pain and some kind of sublime nostalgia.

Currently have 'Goodbye Blue Sky' dominating my mental jukebox:

And, of course, 'Comfortably Numb' has never been far from the forefront of my mental jukebox:

Yeah, didn't really appreciate 'The Wall' all those years ago, but, for me, this work has become canonised with time, and, better late than never, I now more fully appreciate what I think it is:  a great British institution.  Yes, it's pure Britishness is endearing.

Rochdale Town Hall Wouldn't Be Out of Place in Vienna

While many people (probably quite rightly) view Rochdale town centre as 'a bit of a toilet', I've often heard it said that Rochdale Town Hall 'wouldn't be out of place in Vienna', and to be honest, I'd go along with this. 

Absolutely love Rochdale Town Hall, and when it's dark Gothic-type magnificence meets the brooding Lancashire rainclouds, it somehow reminds me a bit of the incredible City Hall in Vienna:

Well, there is some kind of resemblance, I think.

Warsaw Lazienki Park on a Beautiful Spring Sunday

Really enjoyed getting round Lazienki Park on a beautiful springtime early afternoon today, as, for almost six months of snowbound winter, I was only able to dream of doing this.

First, it was nice to see the Palace on the Lake bathed in sunshine again:

The last time I was down here in December, the whole place had been covered in ice and show, showing off a very different kind of beauty back then.

Today, it was nice to go looking for my old friends, the brown/red squirrels, who were less tame than usual, as they're probably just getting used to human contact again:

You can probably just make out the reddy brown outline of the squirrel on the nearest tree in the picture above.  In contrast, the picture below is a rather bizarre shot of a squirrel running away from the shadow of my wife, Agnieszka, who was also getting a shot of this loveable creature:

Yeah, really enjoyed the springtime stroll round Lazienki, as it was neither too warm nor too cold, in other words, the weather was just perfect.

Finally, before leaving Lazienki, I had to get a shot of this incredible multi-coloured duck that was trying to get a bit of sleep on the grass:

Again, what a wonderful little creature. 

Finally, just outside Lazienki, near the Piłsudski statue, I caught the Warsaw Marathon passing by:

Must get out more often for a stroll on a Sunday afternoon, I think, as it certainly beats staying on the computer for most of the day.

Molly Hatchet at Warsaw Klub Progresja 6th December 2010

A few days before this gig, I literally didn't have a clue that I would be going to it, and had never even imagined that I'd be able to see classic Southern Boogie band, Molly Hatchet, in Warsaw, Poland, of all places.  Thus, how did I get to see Molly Hatchet at the Warsaw Klub Progresja then?

Well, first of all, I'd liked Molly Hatchet with Danny Joe Brown on vocals in the late 1970s and with Jimmy Farrar doing the vocals in the early 1980s.  After this, Danny Joe Brown returned as vocalst till the mid-90s, but I just kind of lost touch with the band somewhere along the way quite early on.

However, one evening, I was just surfing the net, and decided to have a look at what Molly Hatchet were up to, and to my amazement, I found out that the band were playing Warsaw Klub Progresja in a couple of days time.  I still guess that this must've been some kind of late announced warm-up gig before the band headed to Germany for bigger shows, but who cares, fortune was shining on me, and I got to see Molly Hatchet (with guitarist Dave Hlubek recently back in the fold).

The gig itself was a bit bizarre played in front of about 200 people at the most (I guess it would've been much fuller if it'd been advertised more rigorously), but the band did a good set with 'Flirtin with Disaster'; 'Beatin The Odds'; 'Fall of The Peacemakers' etc., and the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic 'Freebird' predictably being the audience's favourite tune of the night.

During the show, current (since the 1990s) Molly Hatchet frontman, Phil McCormack gave a big thanks to someone called Christian for getting the band over to Poland, so I guess it's the latter guy that I have to thank for getting to see Molly Hatchet.

On Youtube, some people claim that the current Molly Hatchet are more of a Bobby Ingram MH tribute band, but for me, this was the real Molly Hatchet: it's just great that such a great band continue in some shape or form, especially thanks to the efforts of Bobby Ingram.

Underrated Bands: Gov't Mule

Every now and again, a golden moment occurs, for example, an epiphany-type discovery in music, and, for me, this happened recently with Gov't Mule.  A few weeks ago, I saw that Gov't Mule were playing Warsaw Klub Progresja on July 1st, and through vaguely knowing them as a Warren Haynes spin-off project from the Allman Brothers, I (very wisely) started giving them a good listen and immediately loved what I heard.

First of all, I listened to tracks like 'Banks of the Deep End' and 'Beautifully Broken' and from this moment onwards, I've been hooked, can't get enough of listening to Gov't Mule every day:

For me, this music is a kind of throwback to the great Rock music of yesteryear:  it's melodic and deeply moving, not just some kind of noise. 

It's also quite rare that I like listening to bands doing cover versions, but with Gov't Mule it's different, their cover versions just sound really fresh and upbeat, such as their version of Fleetwood Mac's 'Gold Dust Woman' below:

Yeah, for me, this is a cover well worthy of the sublime original.  Also looks like Grace Potter and The Nocturnals will be well worth checking out.  Love the way that I can continually discover great music through Youtube surfing.

Also, through discovering Gov't Mule, I've started giving the Allman Brothers a proper listen, the latter being another great band that I've only known in passing over the years.  Being British, I was never really fully exposed to the full range of Classic Rock music from over the Atlantic.  Of course, with the Allman Brothers, I've always been aware of a few signature tunes such as 'Whipping Post':

What an incredible guitarist Duane Allman was.  Also love the kind of general Psychedelic feel to 'Whipping Post'.

Also really like 'End Of The Line' especially the standout Dickey Betts guitar parts (Warren Haynes in the picture below):

Yeah, the Allman Brothers have always been blessed with great guitarists.

Seem to remember that I had the opportunity to see the Allman Brothers at Manchester Apollo in the early 1980s, but like a fool never seized the chance, as the band were well outside my radar at that time.  Still, as I'm going to see Gov't Mule at Warsaw Klub Progresja, maybe I'll get the chance to see them do the Allman Brothers' 'Soulshine':

Thank God this kind of music still exists, as it's real food for the soul.

Spring Shining on a Warsaw Church of Polish Saints

Came across this incredible church a few days ago while strolling from a visit to the dentist up towards Aleje Jana Pawła II (John Paul II Road) in Warsaw on a beautiful spring day.  In fact, I hadn't seen such a fine blue sky for about six months, so it was as precious as gold.

But this was no ordinary church.  First, I loved the statues at the front of the church:

Good to see that such statues stand the test of time without being vandalised.  Moreover, round the side of the church, there was something even more interesting:  statues of what seemed to be Polish saints:

Only had my mobile phone on me, and these statues deserve better, so I must get back round to this church again with a decent camera:

Yeah, this church has got to be caught in proper detail some time, and it must have some kind of story to tell that I need to find out.  But a few days ago, I was just happy to stumble across it, as it was bathing in beautiful spring sunshine, and I was feeling the happy closure of a long, sun deficient winter.

Riverside at Warsaw Klub Progresja, 14th April 2013

First came across the Polish band Riverside 7-8 years ago while surfing the Internet for Progressive Rock bands that I'd never heard of.  However, despite immediately liking Riverside, I only first got round to seeing them on their 10th Anniversary tour at Warsaw Stodoła 2-3 years ago (this was absolutely fantastic with the British band The Pineapple Thief being on before them).

Sunday night was extra special as the band were mainly showcasing the material from their recently released 'Shrine of the New Generation Slaves' album which is one of the best albums I've heard in a long, long time.  For me, Riverside just seem to be getting better and better with each album they release, 'Shrine of the New Generation Slaves' being their fifth album in all.  Sunday night's show was a good balance of tracks from the latter album such as 'Escalator Slave' and 'The Depth of Self-Delusion' and older tracks like 'Living in the Past'; 'Panic Room'; and 'Conceiving You'.
 

Warsaw: Spring 2013 Is Finally Here!

Yes, as hard as it is believe, Spring 2013 is finally here.  Last week, the temperature started to rise, and, thankfully, the snow started to disappear:

Today, I was up in the Wolska area of Warsaw taking a few pictures of the beautiful grey Catholic church up there (just after the Eastern Orthodox church cemetery and just before the Mormon church):

Only had my little mobile on me, but think that it did me quite proud here.  Love the stout rectangular shape of this church, and was determined to get some semi-decent shots of it in long-awaited Spring.

Yesterday, I saw this wonderful picture advertising the upcoming Residents concert at Warsaw Basen (this will be my first time here) on May 10th:

Remember The Residents from my schooldays, and finally got to see them for the first time at Warsaw Stodoła, a few years ago.  Like The Residents as they're a 'bit different' from a lot of the things I listen to.

However, tomorrow night, it's Riverside at the Klub Progresja (great video work from somebody below on Youtube): 

Really looking forward to this as I love going to the Progresja for the Prog gigs (Iron Butterfly; The Flower Kings; Threshold plus Enochian Theory; Pain Of Salvation etc.), although tomorrow night, I guess the place will be packed to the rafters (deservedly so for my favourite Polish band).

Vienna: Some Parting Shots and Thoughts

Here are some more shots from my Easter visit to Vienna, of course, there'll be some pictures of churches amongst them.

First off, here's a shot of a famous Viennese horse and cart passing the Austrian Parliament building:

Quite clearly the passengers were enjoying themselves even though it was a touch cold.

Next up, here is the Opera House, was really pleased I had my reasonable camera with me so I could get a decent shot of it:

Also got a shot of a big Uniat (Eastern Rite Catholic) church:

Got to a much smaller Uniat church near the hotel where I was staying on Holy Saturday.

Also came across the 'Minaret' church, and inside here (or the Votive church, I can't remember exactly which one), I got a true taste of Easter:

Yes, my Catholicity still doesn't leave me, and deep down, I'm grateful for that. 

Near the small hotel where I was staying, I also came across a couple of gems:  an idyllic little Austrian bar in front of an amazing Baroque church:

About the cafe bar, as soon as I saw it, my mind harped back to 1973 when I'd last been in Vienna as a 7-year-old child, and I'm not totally convinced that this is just the imagination playing tricks.  About the beautiful Baroque church, it looked as if it might be permanently locked up which, if the case, would be tragic.

However, all in all, I think I got something that I needed from my Easter trip to Vienna:  possibly a sense of a religious self still surviving in the rotten, disenchanted, politically-'correct' world that we must all now sadly stomach.

Steve Lukather at Warsaw Klub Progresja 9-04-13

From many moons ago (1978 to be precise) when I was a 12-year-old schoolboy at St. Gabriel's in Paper Town (Bury), I can remember Toto releasing their debut album, and the single 'Hold The Line':

Besides this, I remember 'Hold The Line always being played at the UMIST and Jillys Rock discos in Manchester in the early 1980s.  Also remember 'Hold The Line' being followed as a single by the Jazz-type 'Georgy Porgy' with lead guitarist Steve Lukather handling the vocals:

At the time, me and my schoolmates slated and derided 'Georgy Porgy', but listening to it now, it really does pass the test of time really well.  However, other than the 1980s hit singles such as 'Africa' and 'Rosanna', I kind of lost touch with Toto early on.

Despite the above, quite recently, I got to listen to the last three Steve Lukather solo albums including the recently released 'Transaction', and like all three of them.  Thus, I was happy to go and see Lukather at Warsaw Klub Progresja last night.  Dead on (or just past) eight, the man himself and his band came on stage with 'Judgement Day', my favourite track from the 'Transaction' album:

Of course, well done to the kind soul who has put this on Youtube. 

Last night, the Klub Progresja was cram packed, and I made the big mistake of moving from a position not far from where the above video was filmed to the hallway at the back to put my coat in the cloakroom.  Thus, not feeling like pushing, fighting or squirming my way back into the overpacked small concert hall, I ended up watching the rest of the gig in the hallway around a crowded doorway, which was far from ideal.

Despite the above, I did come away with a couple of my favourite Lukather tunes: 'Darkness In My World' and first encore 'Flash In The Pan' (not sure if he did any other encores after as I left after this) playing in my mind, so I'd thankfully managed to connect with some of the music despite being stuck in the hallway. 

However, what really 'pissed me off' was that this gig was moved from the much bigger Stodoła to the overpacked Progresja when I think the Stodoła would've been about a third to half full, possibly enough to justify it taking place there, where people would've been in considerably more comfort, having the freedom to move around.  In Warsaw, you have to continually keep track of concerts before they take place, as they can be 'downgraded' to a smaller place at any time if the ticket sales are not as hot as expected.  On one hand, this is a good thing, as people still get to see the band in Warsaw, but on the other hand, like last night, it can make a concert a dreadfully claustrophobic experience, or maybe this is just my 'British-ness'.

Vienna Votive Church on Holy Saturday 2013

Was walking near Vienna City Hall on Easter Saturday: 

Gosh, some of the buildings in Vienna are really incredible.  From here, I decided to carry on walking directly to the right of it, and came across the most wonderful Gothic-type church, first viewing its majesty from a distance:

Moreover, this church was majestic from every viewpoint:

The church was also incredibly beautiful and still inside:

Yes, the church both inside, in its stillness and mystical sobriety, and outside with its majestic Gothic-type stance, reduced me to goosebumps, but why?  Well, any beautiful church can do this:  I guess it's something to do with the tension between my (Christian) belief and unbelief, as I just cautiously edge towards the more positive outlook of Pascal's Wager, but also painfully recognise that all this sublime beauty might just be a glorious illusion, but what a glorious illusion if so?

Back home in Warsaw, I had to read about this wonderful Gothic-type church, and found out that the church had been built as recently as the late 19th century to celebrate Emperor Franz Joseph's survival of an assassination attempt from a Hungarian nationalist.  Also discovered that it had originally been planned to build a much bigger church, but the funds from the Austro-Hungarian Empire dried up, leaving us with the smaller than intended gem that we can see here today.

Arstidir at Warsaw Klub Progresja, 4th April 2013: Encountering The Sublime

I go to quite a lot of concerts, and every so often I'm fortunate enough to encounter the sublime, when the music is that good and moving that I feel myself being fully immersed in a much better time and place.  Such was the case watching the Icelandic band Arstidir support Pain Of Salvation at Warsaw Klub Progresja on Thursday evening:

From the moment Arstidir stepped on stage doing the Anathema/Anneke van Giersenberg song 'Everawake' with Anneke herself, who was on stage before them, I just felt captivated and spellbound, being subtly taken to a much better place:

A massive well done to the person who filmed the above from Wednesday, of course.

For me, the two highlights of the Arstidir set were 'Lost In You' and the a capella song they did (I'm no expert on Arstidir, as I only discovered them properly a couple of months ago, but what a discovery!).  After the band played 'Lost In You' on Thursday, a female voice quite rightly shouted out 'Beautiful!', and I'd go a bit further:  'Sublime!'. 

'Lost in You' below is taken from an Arstidir concert from Reykjavik in 2012, but it obviously conveys just how poignant and uplifting this song is:

Love the part when the violins and cello/double bass build up the momentum in the song, when I can sense the catharsis and transcendence of being taken to a much better place.

Of course, I also really enjoyed Anneke van Giersbergen and Pain Of Salvation on Thursday night:

Full credit to Pain Of Salvation frontman Daniel Gildenlów for having the vision to organise such a great event.

Vienna City Centre Lit-Up

Last (Good) Friday, when I set off on a Warsaw night train for an Easter weekend trip to Vienna, now seems light years away, almost like a dream. 

On Easter Sunday evening, before I travelled back to Warsaw the next morning, I took a stroll round Vienna city centre to sample the atmosphere round there:

Above, there was a kind of faint sleet around the Hofburg Theatre and City Hall area. 

Moreover, I finally got round to seeing St. Peter's and St. Michael's churches (both just round the corner from St. Stephen's Cathedral), probably the two oldest churches in Vienna:

There was a pleasant surprise in St. Michael's, the Romanesque church immediately above, which was very dark and had Gregorian Chant playing almost inaudibly inside it:

Yeah, in our moronic and spooky politically 'correct' world, Christendom may be a sadly fading entity, but the light hasn't fully gone out yet.