Last live event (concerts, plays, etc.) you saw.

edited March 2019 in General Discussion Posts: 5,772
I have tried to find a similar thread, but couldn't (maybe it exists, but the search engine let me down). So, I figured that somebody should create it, and it might as well be me. So here goes :

At the end of october, I went to London and Cardiff. At first, I wanted to go to Cardiff to attend a concert by one of my idols since the 70' (yes, I'm showing my age here), the great Judy Collins. But I kept adding a few things, and it became a Whovian week-end in more ways that I thought it would be.

For starters, I spent the saturday night in London to see the musical "Gypsy", featuring Imelda Staunton and Peter Davison, at the Savoy Theater. Imelda Staunton was of course fantastic as Mama Rose. But the rest of the cast was great as well, and a great evening was had by everyone. If you want to have an idea of how good it was, tune in to BBC 4, sunday december 27th, at 9pm, they're airing it.



Yes, it's Lara Pulver in the trailer. But the night I saw it, Louise was played by Gemma Sutton, who did a great job (she had played June before Pulver left).

And on monday october 26th, I was able to, at last, see the incomparable Judy Collins, although the vening started with a little scare. You see, the concert was supposed to happen at the Tramshed, and that's where I went to. But, as I was at the venue, I learned that it had been relocated to the Globe, on the other side of Cardiff. Tankfully, the organizers of the event has rented a small bus to drive the concertgoers there, so we arrived on time. The opening act was Rachael Sage (rachaelsage.com, and she did a very good job of warming the stage, before Judy (and pianist Russell Walden) went on stage. In the course of the evening, after starting with the appropriate "Bells of Rhymney", Ms. Collins taught us a bit about her life story, and sang many of her greatest hits, including two songs I studied in English class in high school (Someday Soon and Farewell to Tarwathie), and a few new songs, including one rom her latest album "Strangers Again" (When I go). A little disappointment though : she didn't sing Amazing Grace. Too bad, she certainly would have had a great choir to back her up ;) . But in spite of that, and the occasional glitch in her voice (she's not getting younger, but then, neither am I, right ?), I had a good time listening, and singing along, to all those classics of folk (and other genres of) music.

One little thing about Cardiff : you can't really escpe Doctor Who there. Wherever you go, you find reminders of the series, including in places you wouldn't imagine. For example, I visited the Pierhead, and saw the Tardis (complete with VWORP sound effect) in the intoductory movie they showed us in the great hall. And Rachael Sage told us that the last time she had been in Cardiff, she was the opening act for John Barrowman.

During my trip, I also visited the Bond In Motion exhibit (yes, I found the time) : Great all around, even if I had seen a bigger exhibit some 20 years ago (at the Salon de l'Auto in Paris). A bit disappointed that it started only with GF, but just to be near those iconic cars was a treat for this Bond fan. And of course, the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff, a must for every Whovian. All in all, a great trip. But after spending without counting (some family members will receive Welsh gifts), I must now count without spending.

Your turn now.
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Comments

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    THE SISTERS OF MERCY in Oslo 2009.

    Had to wait forever as one of the band members was sick. Finally he freshened up and they arrived on stage. Not a bad show, but it was nothing like the original line-up in the 80s.

    I went to all sorts of concerts in the old days, but now it just never happens anymore. Shame, really.
  • TokolosheTokoloshe Under your bed
    Posts: 2,667
    Jack and the Beanstalk with my 5 and 3yr old children.

    Well you did ask...
  • Posts: 5,772
    Well, it's panto time, so I won't blame you. Anyone famous in the play ? I know that quite a lot of celebrities do panto from time to time (John Barrowman, for example).
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited November 2017 Posts: 17,727
    The Secret Sisters in Belfast in June 2011.
  • TokolosheTokoloshe Under your bed
    Posts: 2,667
    Gerard wrote: »
    Well, it's panto time, so I won't blame you. Anyone famous in the play ? I know that quite a lot of celebrities do panto from time to time (John Barrowman, for example).


    No it was just a local performance. Extremely funny though.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Paul McCartney on August 2nd, 2014.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,727
    Paul McCartney on August 2nd, 2014.

    That must have been great!
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Yes, it was pretty awesome! That's the only true concert I've been to if you don't count the Beatles tribute bands.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited December 2015 Posts: 23,883
    I shall be seeing Stephen King's Misery with Bruce Willis & Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge with Mark Strong in early January on Broadway. Shall report back after.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,380
    Can we count live professional sporting events?
  • Posts: 5,772
    Yes we can.
  • quantumofsolacequantumofsolace England
    Posts: 279
    I've been to 18 concerts in 2015: From The Jam (featuring former Jam bass player Bruce Foxton - a great hero of mine), Ennio Morricone, David Arnold, Burt Bacharach, Roisin Murphy (5 times) and The Primitives (9 times). So far I've got tickets booked to see Ennio Morricone, Toyah and The Primitives (twice) in 2016. Going to gigs is the best thing in the world as far as I'm concerned - has been ever since I saw Adam And The Ants at the Birmingham Odeon way back in 1981. (Showing my age there!)
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Did you know that Daniel Kleinman used to be a member of Adam and the Ants?
  • quantumofsolacequantumofsolace England
    Posts: 279
    I certainly didn't. Looks like he was with them fleetingly in their pre-megastardom days.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Yes, that is correct.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited January 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I'm just back from a 3 night trip in NYC.

    I caught the following (all excellent and highly recommended) on Broadway:

    1. A View From the Bridge (Arthur Miller) starring Mark Strong - magnificent performances by all. It's a very inventive stage setting with 'on stage' seating which is right by the actors and looks down on the stage as well as traditional theatre seating.

    2. Misery (Stephen King) starring Bruce Willis - true to the film including the infamous smashing of the ankles scene. Great thriller and Bruce did a fantastic job in his Broadway debut, but Laurie Metcalf as the crazy loon Annie Wilkes steals the show. Fantastic stage set and I liked the short 1.5 hr run time.

    3. King Charles III (Mike Bartlett) - starring QoS alumni Tim Piggott-Smith, who does an excellent job as the titular character in this 'future history' play done in Shakespearean style. It was highly acclaimed and rated, the performances were excellent, but it ran for 2.5 hrs which was a little long, even with intermission. I still recommend it though. I bought 'rush' tickets for this one which means basically lining up on the day of the show. I got them for $37 which was a steal and I was 3 rows back on a side seat. I could see everything on stage and thought it was a great deal.

    All in all, it was a super trip and I'm glad I had a chance to see these shows.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,380
    Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers on Saturday 1/2/16 from South Florida.
  • edited August 2016 Posts: 5,772
    I just come back from Paris, where I saw the play "Les Faux British", the french adaptation of "The Play That Goes Wrong". And boy, did it go wrong ! Murphy's law in action ! I laughed so much I cried.

    For those who haven't seen the original play, or one of the adaptation, here's a selection, performed at the Royal Variety Performance in 2015 :

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Last for me was a kid show with my niece and my son. Great stuff, we all had a laugh.
  • Posts: 5,772
    42nd Street at the Théâtre du Châtelet this afternoon. Well worth the 119 € I paid my ticket. Plus the joy of seeing Dan Burton again (I had seen him in Gipsy last year in London). Trailer here :



  • Posts: 5,772
    Tap Factory : a tap, dance, percussions and acrobatics show in the same vein as Tap Dogs. Spectacular, inventive and funny. Alas, no merchandising available.

  • Posts: 406
    AC/DC in dublin a few years ago. Next concert is Iron Maiden in May in Dublin. Cant wait
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    edited March 2017 Posts: 2,721
    Last month I saw Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, P.J Harvey and Guns and Roses all in the space of a week. Just bought tickets to see All Blacks vs British and Irish Lions first Rugby test in June and going to see a theatre night of horror. Also in April planning on seeing Armando Iannucci at a Writer's festival. Should be entertaining - the man is a comedy giant in my books.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    edited March 2017 Posts: 4,548
    Stevie Nicks and The Pretenders
    Can we count live professional sporting events?

    If so, then A's-Indians spring training game.
  • edited July 2017 Posts: 5,772
    Two events in one week for me. First, on wednesday, a concert with Lisa Lambe and two musicians from the group Hothouse Flowers, Fiachna O Braonáin and Martin Brunsden, who came here to preview Lisa's newest album (not out yet, unfortunately). Loved it. Lisa is gorgeous, and I loved the Jazz folk feel of the concert. That was not everyone's opinion, though, as one guy complained rather loudly after the concert that there was nothing traditional in it. Well, can't please everyone, right ?

    LisaLambe_2017_620_385_c1.jpg

    centreculturelirlandais.com/agenda/lisa-lambe-fiachna-o-braonain-martin-brunsden

    And then, on saturday, I went to see Le Gros Diamant du Prince Ludwig, the french adaptation of The Comedy about a Bank Robbery. Really, but really funny, with really great scenes, for example the discussion about the respective merits of the cane, the folder and the desk, or the air vent scene. Highly recommanded.

    min.spectacle-1591.jpg
  • Posts: 5,772
    The sunday after coming home from my mother's funerals, my sister (who lives with me for the time being, until she moves to her own appartment) went to see Les Faux British, the french version of The Play that Goes Wrong (tickets had been bought before we had learned the bad news, and it would have been a shame to waste them). And it was exactly what we needed to clear our heads after the week we had. No, really, if you're depressed, it's the right cure.
  • Posts: 5,772
    Yesterday, I went to see a french amateur production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. I enjoyed it very much.

    1394814_le-mikado-operette-de-gilbert-sullivan-version-francaise-integrale_120357.jpg
  • edited February 2018 Posts: 684
    @Gerard I saw a production of The Mikado about five years back. One of my favorite performances I've seen live. I thought it was hilarious.
  • JohnHammond73JohnHammond73 Lancashire, UK
    Posts: 4,151
    Asking Alexandria / Black Veil Brides at Manchester Academy last month. AA put on a decent set but too scream-y for me. Black Veil Brides, however, were excellent. Really good show from them. I’d attended this with my 17 year old son who’d asked me to go.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,099
    I went to a BBC TV recording of Upstart Crow (sitcom about Shakespeare written by Ben Elton) last night, and it was brilliant. Well worth queuing, twice, in the rain, for - and free!
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