Beck...

Last night Mark and I went to see American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Beck perform at the Roundhouse in London's slightly down at heel and anything-but glitzy Chalk Farm.

Performing as part of the iTunes Festival and decked in his trademark hat and jacket Beck treated us to a quite a few sing-a-longs including Loser, Black Tambourine and Devil’s Haircut. It was a great show.

The first half of the set was a high energy performance with Beck throwing himself around the stage like a loon playing many of his hits. The highlight of this section for me though was the triumphant cover of Donna Summer's I Feel Love.

The a second half started off a tad more sedate as the slim one began to promote his recent folk-tinged album Morning Phase. As the finale drew close though the tempo picked up again and we were all dancing around with our arms in the air like we just didn't care to Sexx Laws and Where It's At.

The full set-list was:-
Devil's Haircut
Black Tambourine
Loser
Novacane
One Foot in the Grave
Hell Yes
The New Pollution
Think I'm in Love / I Feel Love (Donna Summer cover)
Blue Moon
Lost Cause
Heart Is a Drum
Wave
Girl
E-Pro
Sexx Laws
Debra
Where It's At (with band introduction and snippets of:- The Beatles - Strawberry Fields, The Rolling Stones - Miss You, Rod Stewart - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? etc.)

As a support act we were also treated to Jenny Lewis, former frontwoman of cult indie-rock band Rilo Kiley. Lewis released her third solo album The Voyager in July this year, although we had a few Rilo Kiley tracks thrown in for good measure. It was typical West Coast rock - everyone wore white and there was more shouting than singing. Meh.

Sunset Boulevard...

Last night we were channeling Donna Summer. This morning it's all gone very Norma Desmond - blackout curtains and dark glasses. Aw, my head.

Definitely NOT ready for my close up.

And no, no pictures today please.

You'll find me face down dead in the swimming pool.

Debbie...

Last Saturday night Darren, Stu and I (and Brucie and Fiona and Andrew) all went to Ryan's Bar in Stoke Newington Church Street to a small underground club called Debbie.

"Debbie is a free All-Girl Pop, Rock and Indie dance party - with music by Rock Chicks and Riot Grrrls, Pop Princesses and Indie Queens, Soul Sisters and Disco Divas - for People of All Genders and Persuasions."

Every other record was a Donna Summer record. We had a great time dancing our socks off.

There was a photographer there who took a lovely picture of Stu and I so many thanks to him for taking it.

Donna Summer: Once Upon A Time...

Last night Donna Summer passed away. It's always sad when a singer passes away - especially when it's not Cliff Richard.

There are too many wonderful Donna records to list here but there is one LP of her's that I would like to mention. It is the double LP concept album telling a modern-day Cinderella rags-to-riches story: Once Upon A Time.

When it was released it just blew me away. Four sides of wonderful.

It had quirky tracks such as If You Got It Flaunt It and Dance Into My Life.

It had crowd pleasing pop songs like I Love You and Rumour Has It.

And it had that wonderous second side featured a solid 17+ minute mix of three tracks that just transported you to another place. Way ahead of it's time were the Now I Need You / Working the Midnight Shift / Queen for a Day suite.

It was 1978 and I was coming OUT!

Donna has dimmed all the lights for the last time.

Mary Wilson at Indigo2...

Last night Stu, Darren and I went to see the wonderful Mary Wilson perform at the Indigo2 supported by The Chi-Lites.

The Chi-Lites were fine - gambling through such hits as Have You Seen Her?, Oh Girl, Give It Away, I Found Sunshine, A Letter To Myself etc.

After a brief interval out came the lady herself. Mary Wilson was one third of the founding centre of The Supremes, and stayed through each (six in total) line-up changes between the late 1950s and 1977. The girl showed staying power then and did so again last night. Mary's solo career then kicked off officially in 1979, and she has continued to release albums and tour globally to rave reviews and sold out crowds since. Working together with her band for 19 years and counting, they did a protean mix of standards in a delicious live instrumental environ.

La Wilson's setlist for the evening criss-crossed and embraced jazz, pop, and soul with uncanny ease, a good portion of them coming from The Great American Songbook and of course her extensive back catalogue. With a moody blue, but affirming hue overall, she glowed with a sincere delivery.

We were treated to such soul classics as:
Where Did Our Love Go?
Baby Love
Come See About Me
Stop! In the Name of Love
Back in My Arms Again
Nothing but Heartaches
I Hear a Symphony
My World Is Empty Without You
Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart
You Can't Hurry Love
You Keep Me Hangin' On
The Happening
Reflections
Love Child
Someday We'll Be Together
Bad Weather
Nathan Jones
Floy Joy
I Am Changing
Walk the Line
amongst many others

Towards the end we were treated to covers of Sting's Fields of Gold, The Rolling Stones' Satisfaction and an encore of Donna Summer's Last Dance.

Sadly nothing from Mary's eponymous 1979 album - despite calls from the floor for Red Hot..

La Wilson was funny, personal, and lively throughout the evening. The night made it crystal clear that Mary Wilson is a truly undervalued commodity amongst her Motown peers. A voice that is finally beginning to get its due, in terms of her massive Supremes contributions, and as an artist in general. Mary Wilson is the glistening example of talent that won't be held back by anyone or thing, I was glad to see it for myself in the flesh once again.