Public Address | Cafe | Random Play: Following The Songlines https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/ en-us Copyright (c) 2026 Public Address Tony Kennedy https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85707#post85707 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85707#post85707 Funny, every body in the audience at Richard Thompson seemed to know the words

Leonard Cohen’s .....(There’s a show I’d like to see, but cannot afford the whopping ticket price).

I noticed in todays SST that Auckland had not sold out, yet (Welly sold out on the day the tickets…

]]> Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:30:32 +1300 Simon Grigg https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85082#post85082 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85082#post85082 Not at all, Mr. Matthews. Ella Fitzgerald didn't write a note or a single lyric in her utterly sublime series of "Song Book" albums — but the taste shown in the band, production, choice of material and (most of all) performances by one of the mistresses of jazz is impeccable.… ]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:55:23 +1300 Bob Munro https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85050#post85050 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85050#post85050

If I break a leg or get called away somewhere, I am happy to let you have my ticket. To date, however, I have every intention of getting to the Jan 22 concert.

If It comes off as well as Gerry Smith found the London Concert it sounds like…

]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:20:23 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85034#post85034 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85034#post85034

On the sound quality side, I went to Steely Dan last year and the sound was simply awesome.

Then again, Messers Fagan and Becker are somewhat anal about such things... :)

]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:50:17 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85032#post85032 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85032#post85032

It did set me wondering about what kind of music is is okay to judge people on.

Liking Wagner doesn't mark you down as a Nazi in my book, but I really have a problem taking anyone who really likes that turgid, pretentious sludge entirely seriously.

Hope you're not going…

]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:47:56 +1300 Tom Semmens https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85030#post85030 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85030#post85030 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:46:34 +1300 robbery https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85007#post85007 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85007#post85007

I was right at the back, and elevated.

if you're right at the back there is practically no echo which makes it the one good spot to be in. unfortunately you're as far away from the stage as you can get.
right in the middle is the worst for slap…

]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:07:02 +1300 Jennifer B https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85000#post85000 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=85000#post85000 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:40:32 +1300 Jackie Clark https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84997#post84997 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84997#post84997 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:21:31 +1300 Joe Wylie https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84988#post84988 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84988#post84988 http://www.uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rAS4ltt7DzI
Richard Thompson does Britney. There's a scattered giggle when the audience recognises the number, which soon gives way to the realisation that a great pop song is a great song.

]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:27:30 +1300 Sacha https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84985#post84985 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84985#post84985 Ms Dennis's recent gift to humanity, "I kissed a girl". Wise move. ]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:26:13 +1300 Danielle https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84980#post84980 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84980#post84980

Can't Get You Out of My Head ... is credited to Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis, who have also done hits to order for Britney et al.

'Toxic'! Britney's finest hour by a long shot. I see Cathy Dennis, erstwhile pop star (I vaguely remember her two hits in 1990…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:58:29 +1300 Mikaere Curtis https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84979#post84979 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84979#post84979

pretty hard to design a large capcity venue that caters to all event styles, but more likely these venue designers don't appear to even try.

Well, it would certainly be easier to design a music-oriented venue if it didn't have to double as a sometime sports venue.

I've long griped…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:31:47 +1300 philipmatthews https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84977#post84977 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84977#post84977 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:10:45 +1300 robbery https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84966#post84966 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84966#post84966 IMHO venues aren't designed with sound in mind because they believe that the sound engineers for the gigs will be able to paper over the cracks. Most sound engineeers idea of doing this is to turn all of the knobs up to 10 (or 11) and rely on the overwhelming… ]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:09:54 +1300 Stuart Coats https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84953#post84953 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84953#post84953

the Vector Arena – is it engineeered for crap sound or have I just been unlucky the couple of times I've been.

You wanna come down to Wellington and try Queen's Wharf. I haven't been to Vector, but it couldn't be worse.
IMHO venues aren't designed with sound in mind…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:38:12 +1300 Stuart Coats https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84951#post84951 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84951#post84951

if you went out of your way to attend a concert by, say, Nickelback, then maybe I would be having my doubts about you ...

Cheers Russell, I now have How You Bloody Remind Me in my head.

I hope you're happy....

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:30:56 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84947#post84947 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84947#post84947

Then he made some aspersion along the lines of me not ever knowing much about good music and going to Kylie just proved it.

What a dick. (a) how rude, and (b) people who can't love pop music are sad.

It did set me wondering about what kind of music…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:03:39 +1300 Bob Munro https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84941#post84941 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84941#post84941

If that doesn't make you shake something, you're a zombie.

Martha Reeves is still shaking it. She’s 67, a Detroit councilwoman and still performs with a version of the Vandellas. She’s on the 2007 'Get Ready' album by Australian motown covers group Human Nature singing __(Love is Like)…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:48:22 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84923#post84923 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84923#post84923 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:05:27 +1300 Jackie Clark https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84921#post84921 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84921#post84921 I'm not a fan or anything, but I can tell she knows how to put on a good show and if someone had given me tickets, I'd be there. Well exactly. My dear friend wanted us to go to Stevie Wonder (she's paying) and that didn't happen – so Kylie… ]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:03:05 +1300 Danielle https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84912#post84912 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84912#post84912 If I'd had any spare cash I would have gone to Kylie in a heartbeat. Frocks! Costumes! Back-up dancers! 'Love at First Sight' (an underappreciated song of beauty)! Bopping! Spectacle!

I couldn't agree more that snark about fun pop events from Cred-Obsessed Nerd Friends is tiresome. I went to Justin…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:26:24 +1300 Holly Johnson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84909#post84909 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84909#post84909 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:18:15 +1300 Stuart Coats https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84904#post84904 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84904#post84904 I had a mate who used to do follow-spot operation for gigs in Wellington (RIP Tim). He'd done gigs by Metallica, through Pearl Jam and Emmylou Harris. His own personal taste was 80's punk acts like Black Flag and Dead Kennedies.
He told me that the best gig he ever…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:13:13 +1300 Geoff Lealand https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84894#post84894 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84894#post84894 I know what you mean, Graham. I am getting all the usual cliches (ie "music to cut your wrists to"; "music for depressives" etc) when I tell folk I am going to Cohen's Auckland concert. Difficult to get them to open up their minds a little.

If I break a…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:34:51 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84848#post84848 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84848#post84848

Then on Thursday I am on National Radio: Concert’s Upbeat programme talking about Leonard Cohen’s most recent (2004) album because in my experience very few people have any idea what he sounds like these days. (There’s a show I’d like to see, but cannot afford the whopping ticket price).

Quite.…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:13:42 +1300 Bob Munro https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84828#post84828 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84828#post84828 Suzanne Vega looked at the ‘tribal’ nature of music choice in the New York Times last week.

Which Side Are You On?

Songs brand us a part of a tribe. We can pick and choose what tribe we belong to. Goth, emo, hippie, punk, folk, alternative, for example. “Mom!…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:39:47 +1300 Raymond A Francis https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84822#post84822 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84822#post84822 When it comes to taste it was what you like that counts no one elses opinion is worth a tin of fish
I am not a Kylie fan but I do love her rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock" sung double time (well really fast) in East Timor..fantastic

I don't know…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:30:25 +1300 Kim Mckay https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84816#post84816 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84816#post84816 I thought it was absolutely brilliant, haven't enjoyed myself so much at Vector since seeing The Cure there.

The sound was really good where I was on the floor, about in the middle, although I couldn't see very well, but the big screens made up for that.

Didn't enjoy her…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:16:42 +1300 Mikaere Curtis https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84811#post84811 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84811#post84811

But paying $140? That's top money for a concert, and for that I'd want to see something pretty special.

Led Zeppelin or something.

As a steer, I paid $199 for category C for Roger Waters last year. The best seats were $399 (and you got the full quadrophonic experience for…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:59:25 +1300 3410 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84809#post84809 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84809#post84809 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:49:55 +1300 Kyle Matthews https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84805#post84805 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84805#post84805

But what was of as much interest to me in the run-up to this concert was just how many people responded in a negative or dismissive way when I said I was going.

I care not about to what people go to.

But paying $140? That's top money for a…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:37:45 +1300 Stewart https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84800#post84800 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84800#post84800 You sound like a man who might know...

the Vector Arena – is it engineeered for crap sound or have I just been unlucky the couple of times I've been.
Both Kings of Leon and Santana had dodgy sound quality despite me being in different places within the auditorium.

It…

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:31:20 +1300 Public Address https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84799#post84799 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/random-play-following-the-songlines/?p=84799#post84799 Discussion from blog post.

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:31:20 +1300