Fantasy concerts

[Jürgen]

Hello Sara,

if only I could finally find my time machine again, which I have stored somewhere in the basement, I would like to go back to Hamburg in 1962 and see the still young Beatles live at the Star-Club (and invite them to a beer…). And I would also like to see Mona and Lisa there as the opening act. Ringo can stay seated at the drums.😀

https://youtu.be/4dy-qfbGgZQ

[Sara Pattern]

I’ve been listening to the anthology cd and I think that was around that time period and to me they had a very raw sound then but you can hear the way they played that their sound was developing even then

[Jürgen]

Yes the early Beatles sounded like unpolished diamonds, but definitely like diamonds.

[David Herrick]

Anyone and anywhere? That’s easy: the Beatles in my living room!

[Jürgen]

How are the acoustics in your living room David? Better than the Cavern and Star Club? Then I’ll come over…

[David Herrick]

You’re right, Juergen; I should probably move it out to my back yard. I just hope the weather’s nice. Come on by; I’ll make sandwiches for everyone.

[Jacki Hopper]

I recall a similar topic on here or maybe it was on a previous MLT website version where this topic was posted … I can’t recall exactly where I’d seen it , but I’ll reply here to Sara’s version …. MLT is a Given, lol….

MAMAS & PAPAS & Cass and Denny on doing their own stuff

Dusty Springfield

Amy Winehouse

Patsy Cline

Glass Tiger

BEATLES

And I could go on and on but I’ll leave it at what I chose here to list …

[Sara Pattern]

Amy Winehouse was amazing and was a tragic loss for dying so young. Dusty Springfield had an beautiful voice but I must admit to not realising it for a long while till I spoke to a major fan of hers and I realised what I had missed when I listened to her

[Michael Rife]

In a way we might be able to ‘see’ past acts on stage again. They have done hologram concerts of Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, and ABBA so far. And, the ‘performances’ are spooky to me. There is some talk of a hologram show of the Beatles. I’m not sure this is a good thing. Mike.

[Sara Pattern]

It’s a bit like Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher being in Star Wars movies . It’s a troubling thought that anyone can be brought back for what is a filtered performance. At least ABBA are still alive to give permission and do sing the songs but I agree that a hologram live show is hardly live

[Jung Roe]

Hi Sara

I would have loved to have been at Woodstock and Monterrey, as well as the Beatles first USA performance at the Ed Sullivan show. I would have also loved to have been down in Washington DC 4th at the 4th of July 1980 Beach Boys concert with half a million fans. I watched it on TV live, but being there in person would have been the best.

I would have also loved to have been here in 1964. I was only 1 then, but I might have still enjoyed it. HAHAHA.

https://youtu.be/5a4YupnT1sM

[Len Upton]

Hi Sara, and thanks for the topic.

I expect most of us know what we’ve missed in real life , because we’ve seen it on film, or YouTube, or DVD. For example, I’ve never seen Paul McCartney, but there is a marvelous example of Paul in concert on YouTube, several, actually. The one that is most awesome however, is Tokyo around 2012/2013. He makes show for about 2 1/2 hours, which gives you an idea of what he was/is capable of. Back in Beatles days, Paul was always the one who wanted to go back out on the road. The others, not so much. His bandmates, who hardly anybody remembers by name, have been with him for years, and deserve greater recognition. A consummate musical performer, he knows how to make show, with a repertoire that just keeps on giving.

For me, the other concert to die for is the memorial Concert For George at the Royal Albert Hall, November 29, 2002. (George might enjoy the pun). It’s been twenty years ago, if you can believe it! I have the DVD, which I watch at least a couple of times a year. There is a terrific array of musicians, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney, and a few others who have since died, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, and more recently, Gary Brooker. Ravi’s daughter Anoushka, who was in her early twenties at the time, conducted a 20 piece Indian orchestra. Both a solemn occasion, and a wake, I’m sure that to be in that room on that occasion would have been truly sublime. I’m still impressed watching the DVD.

[Sara Pattern]

Yes that concert for George was a fitting tribute to him and it was interesting to see the musicians that were inspired by him and through them his music lives on

[Thomas Randall]

Oh the Beatles in their early days for sure! Also The Carpenters so I could see Karen singing with that unmatched female voice in person. Man I had such a crush on her growing up as a kid.

[Sara Pattern]

Karen Carpenter was amazing though looking back at the videos now in hindsight you can see how ill she looked at times. Such a shame she like so many others paid a price for their fame

[Daryl Jones]

God, where to even start?

My teen crush was Suzi Quatro, she was just so smokin’ hot in those leathers…but I did see her live so that’s better left to memory. Sure, I could list dozens of groups and performers that are gone into the great gig in the sky, so, with that convenient segue, I would have to go with Pink Floyd. I turned down a chance to see them live at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton when they were still all together (minus Sid of course), and have been berating myself ever since for not going. I have both Pulse and Delicate Sound of Thunder in my PF collection and I would give almost anything to get another shot at seeing them. In spite of their creative differences, Gilmour and Waters were absolute magic. Roger’s genius writing and David’s otherworldly touch on the fretboard (I call him “the king of bends”) is something that will likely never come again. I had a golden opportunity and I blew it big time. Too soon old, way too late smart.

Great topic Sara!

[Sara Pattern]

Pink Floyd I missed too. As you say it’s nice having the shows on DVD or Blu-ray but it’s nothing like the experience of watching it live

[Jürgen]

My idea with the time machine was half fun and half serious. My conscious childhood memories begin sometime in the 70’s. Before that, everything is just gray fog. What would it have been like to stroll along the Reeperbahn in Hamburg in the 1960s and see the people of that time? Their clothes, their way of expressing themselves, their way of life? What would it have been like to sit there in the Star Club and see many bands that were unknown at the time and that you know will one day conquer the world musically?

I had a special kind of time travel experience maybe 20 years ago. Somewhere in a neighboring town there was a Beat Club modeled on the 1960s. A small, low stage surrounded by round, high wooden tables with bar chairs. There was maybe room for 50 people, so a very cozy and intimate atmosphere. The musical hosts: The Beatles. Not one of the well-known revival bands that are more or less good and that I wouldn’t actually watch, but selected members of a kind of musical revue tour that toured Europe for a short time. And they were damn good. Of course, they wore the usual wigs, but in the dim light of the club atmosphere, their outfit looked pretty real. The bassist was left-handed and the resemblance of their voices to the originals was amazing. Of course, everything was rehearsed down to the smallest detail and yet they seemed surprisingly natural and real. And the instruments? It wasn’t a playback, it was real musicians. Every grip was right, every chord fit. And for about 90 minutes I succumbed to the illusion of having traveled 40 years back in time.

Yes, live music is something completely fascinating. But I’m not a fan of the big concerts and I don’t like big crowds. I feel kind of constrained there and so I’m actually a lover of pub music and smaller events. And that’s how I ended up coming to the Star Club, or the Star Club came to me, whatever. The owner of the Hamburg Star Club granted patents for the Star Club name in the 1960s, so that there were also offshoots of the original Star Club in other major German cities. I don’t know how successful they were. In 1988 this idea was revived and another, probably last, Star Club was opened in my hometown. The location was a former cinema hall, like the original in Hamburg. Only with the difference that „Star Wars“ and „Alien“ had been shown there before and no sleazy films like in Hamburg. The cinema was still one of the old kind: with a gallery and an antique charm. Every weekend, unknown artists performed there and had the opportunity to play live music. The quality of the music was mixed: from very good to rather mediocre. I was there often with my friends. None of the bands made it big, but I loved the idea. Later, nationally known artists also performed in this latest version of the Star Club. After 15 years this place was closed as well. Today there is a cafe. No, it certainly wasn’t the great freedom like Hamburg, but seeing the young artists live there was something special.

[Sara Pattern]

Couldn’t agree with you more apart from the spectacle the arena concerts can leave you cold but a small live venue can get you warm in your heart

[Daryl Jones]

Large venues are a mixed bag. Sometimes, they are a blessing when the crowd is into it, or if things go a bit sideways (technical, people issues, whatever) it can put a damper on the whole thing.

We saw Elton John in Cork Ireland in 2011, small venue, I think maybe 5000 people in the Marquis circus(?) tent. It was fantastic… once things actually got rolling. After being used to concerts with 17,000 or more seated in arenas and stadiums it was very intimate. That show was memorable in the fact that Elton’s piano decided it was going to fail to play during the intro of Funeral For A Friend, one of his customary show openers. Not once, but 3 times! You can imagine the intake of 5000 people’s breath hoping and praying that the giant Yamaha electric grand would finally behave itself? It finally did, much to the relief of Elton himself, the band members, the roadies (no pressure on them to fix the thing right?), and all of us in the seats! No words were spoken of the “glitch” for several numbers. Then Elton stood, walked to the edge of the stage and smiled at the audience. “It’s the Ferrari of pianos, and we all know how temperamental Ferraris are!” We all cheered, and the band all laughed.

[Christopher]

Two of my favorite musical artists are Lawrence Gowan and Rush. Have seen them in concert several times. Met Gowan on a couple of occasions and he is a great guy; very modest, yet friendly at the same time. Years ago, one of my Teachers College classmates told me that he a good friend of his. He said that he is a great guy to hang with!

<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”>I also had the </font>privilege<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> of sitting next to Geddy Lee from Rush at a Toronto Blue Jays game. He also had the same qualities. Also, Lee really knows his baseball. He keeps score during the game using his trusty Cooper scorebook. How Canadian is that, as Cooper is a leading brand of Canadian sporting equipment. I could see why he used it, the format of the book is excellent.</font>

But I digress from the question. I have always thought that Canada would be an ideal place for Mona and Lisa to expand their fan base. There are some Indie stations in Toronto and it is the headquarters for the CBC as well. My fantasy concert would be the MonaLisa Twins performing at the Glenn Gould Studio at the CBC building in Toronto. It would be in a Duo Session format, it would be an afternoon performance, and it would be awesome. Afterwards, I would go to a Toronto Blue Jays game that evening (I live in the U.S., about 2 hours from “Tronna”). What a doubleheader would that be!

One can always wish!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by  Christopher Oliver.

[Sara Pattern]

I do like Rush myself so great that you have met Geddy Lee .

[Christopher]

Sorry for all the “font stuff” that came out in my previous reply. When I posted my message, they came up. Even with editing, they will not go away.

[Christopher]

Now how about a playlist? The choices would be theirs, of course, but my fantasy concert would be MLT performing a few of these songs:

1. In It for Love

2. Two of Us (I always consider it their signature song)

3. Sweet Lorraine

4. Here Comes the Sun

5. Vincent (if Mona takes her accordion overseas)

6. She’s Leaving Home

7. Close to You

8. Count on Me

9. June

10. I Don’t Know Birds That Well

11. Won’t You Listen Now

12. Please Please Me

13. I Will

14. I’m Yours

Wow, I was only going to list a half-dozen songs…got carried away.