RZA - House of Blues - 25/10/12

The board outside the House of Blues on Sunset Blvd

Officially my first experience of a live hip-hop show and also my debut at the legendary House of Blues on the Sunset strip. I've not had too much exposure to hip-hop over the years as it's just not been on my radar. People have tried to introduce me to certain acts over time and i've just never really "got it". There have been exceptions. I'm have massive love for Jurassic 5 before they split. So when my good friend Sareth Ney got some free passes for the RZA gig that brought to a close The Iron Fists Tour, I snapped them up and joined him for my first taste of hip-hop. 

As this was a special tour for RZA there was a whole bunch of support acts, all of which had their own styles and they switched out so fast I couldn't catch who they were. I'll talk about the guys who really caught my eye though.

First off, a scruffy looking guy with a huge mop of hair, shorts and socks upto his knees came out with only a DJ as backup. EYENINE blew me away with his speedy rhymes and clever quips. He clearly loves words and the way he can twist them to suit his needs. I specifically remember enjoying his tune called Photoshoplifting. You can check his album The Insomnia Sessions out on Spotify.

Now to the guy who stole the show for me. I've don't think i've ever seen anyone so enthralling on a stage. The man's name...Supernatural. He's a freestyle artist and clearly one of the best around. I was speaking, during the break before he came out, to a local hip-hop fan, who told me that Supernatural is one of the best and consistent guys on the circuit. He certainly didn't disappoint. He was absolutely incredible. He did a section during his set were he asked people in the audience to hold up items and he would rap about them. I don't think my mouth closed for one second after he started. He also did a section were he transformed from himself to various rappers, including Dre, Snoop and Biggie Smalls. Once again he had the audience, and myself in the palm of his hands. The crowd adored him. I'd have happily watched him all night but he had to hand over to the main act, RZA.
RZA introduced some of the cast of the movie before starting his set. It quickly became a party atmosphere in the House of Blues as RZA passed bottles of Hennessy, Grey Goose and Champagne around. He performed songs from the Wu-Tang catalogue as well as his own tunes. I have to admit i'm not the biggest fan of his vocal sound. It's very coarse but that didn't stop me enjoying the show as he whipped the crowd into a frenzy which didn't stop until almost 2am. 

A thoroughly enjoyable first taste of both the venue and hip-hop as an artform. I will be sure to pay more attention to it in future.

RZA on stage at the House of Blues

My goodies from the gig. Special guest wristband, ticket & sampler CD

Volto - The Baked Potato - 20/10/12

Good job they had Sam Adams. I'll take 2 please...

I saw Volto back in 2008 at the Baked Potato. Danny Carey being the draw thanks to my love for his work with TOOL. This time round I was sat slightly further away from a speaker, which is tough seen as the Baked Potato is such a tiny venue. The guys in the band are so friendly. They try and say hi to most in the room, even if its just a nod of the head.
They don't really have a set list. John (Ziegler) tends just to have a little chat between songs and they all come to a decision as to which they should play next, making the whole feel of the gig a lot more relaxed. Its like you're being let into their practice room. They're all just having great fun bouncing ideas around and jamming. Of course it helps that you have one of the best drummers around keeping everything together, but to just focus on Danny would be a massive injustice to the other members in the band. Bassist Lance Morrison has played with Alanis Morissette, Rod Stewart and Don Henley. He's a superb bassist and his solos are excellent. Jeff Babko was excellent on keys. Fresh from fulfiling his duties as keyboardist, composer and arranger on Jimmy Kimmel Live he is one hell of a talented keyboard player. He's also recently been heard playing with the legend that is James Taylor, Alanis Morissette, Frank Ocean and Jason Mraz. Doug Webb also guested on about 5 different saxophones.
My favourite track is probably Grip It which is a terrific blend of rock and jazz. It also has some of the best riffs i've heard throughout especially at the start and end of the track. Danny's drumming is immense and the filthy bass line is a joy. Teamed together with some wailing organ and John's playful guitar it's certainly the standout track for me. That's not to say that their cover of All Along the Watchtower by Hendrix isn't one of the best versions around. It's just not quite as good as Grip It.
I'm very excited about an album, something I told John afterwards. Fingers-crossed it not too much longer until it's available to make my ears happy.
If you're in LA when they're playing I would highly recommend the $25 entrance fee to one of the best venues around. The sound quality for such an intimate space is amongst the best I ever heard. A great night out.

Jesus Christ Superstar - Echo Arena - 16/10/12

Now to say my wife is a fan of musical theatre is an understatement of the most massive proportions, but neither of us had ever seen a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber (ALW) and Tim Rice's rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. So when it was announced as being the subject of yet another TV series in which they would try and find a new "superstar" (works on both levels), I thought it would follow the usual pattern of talentless wannabes fighting it out for a place to be on stage for a UK tour of the musical. How very wrong I was. Very early on in the show it was clear that ALW would stand for none of the usual bollocks that usually accompanies such shows. The talent was great and it showed as the TV show ran its way to a finish. The final week i'd have been happy with watching any of the finalists on a stage.

When it came to the day of the show I think I was more excited to see what Tim Minchin was like, than I was the eventual winner of the show, Ben Forster. Having seen Minchin's own musical, Matilda, in the West End I was already a huge fan of the man. Matilda being possibly the best musical I have ever seen on stage. It's just an incredible work of art. I digress, the show did not disappoint. The three stars of the show, Forster, Minchin and Mel C, were superb. The production was superb throughout. My only gripe was with the giant speaker at the side of the stage obscuring the view of some scenes. Even Chris Moyles couldn't ruin what was a superb night. His comedic X-Facter style section in the show was superbly executed and the audience lapped it up. It made what could've been a tired, old show up to date and relevant to current media. His "singing" voice wasn't bad either.
But for me the star of the show was Minchin. His portrayal of Judas Iscariot was wonderful to behold. His singing performance was stunning. The range of his vocals was breathtaking, and his qualities as an actor were just as good. That's not to say that Forster wasn't worthy of his role, he was. He handled the role superbly well and the final scene of him on the cross was extremely moving and a wonderful piece of theatre.
 I'm very disappointed that there is currently no audio recording of this cast as I personally would have bought it to relive Minchin's role again (I believe there will be a DVD/Blu-ray released before Christmas). I certainly hope this isn't the last time we see him take on a challenging role such as this, and I would love to see him write and produce another show of him own as he's done so well with Matilda.
Well played ALW, you win again.

Rain May Fall - The Lomax - 13/10/12

Now, i'm going to warn you before I set out that I have a family member in this newly formed band from Liverpool, so this may be a little biased.

There were a bunch of bands on for an evening of noise-filled entertainment. The first I saw were the superb Scare Tactics. Full of energy and fantastic musicianship they are one of the best metal bands to come out of Liverpool in a while. I was genuinely surprised by Andy Barker's impressive singing voice. Not what I expected, but a very pleasant surprise all the same. It's a shame bassist Danny is disappearing for 4 months to travel the world fighting dolphins, sharks & other marine critters because this band could go onto bigger things. A very tight unit indeed with Paul Charnock on guitar and support vocals and Stu Barker behind the kit. I'm reliably informed that a third Barker (Alex) will be filling for Danny during his jaunt as required.

Obviously as previously stated, the reason I was at the gig was to support Rain May Fall in their first gig. Comprising of former members of Zuprowski Connection & Under God Fury and stating amongst their influences metal powerhouses such as Alter Bridge, Sevendust and Soundgarden everyone in the building was hoping for an exciting and energetic first performance from the group. They didn't disappoint. From start to finish there was an energy flowing between the lads that was impressive for their first live performance. With Mark Smith offering a powerful vocal line and Tim Cunningham (the brother-in-law) offering some soaring harmonies and lead guitar they were never really going to dissapoint. Add into that mix the talents of John Hodson (guitar), Alex Barker (bass) and Dave Larkin (drums) it's quite the metal fans' wet dream. They will no doubt get tighter as they perform together and the crowds will swell as word gets round that this Liverpool "supergroup" are on the circuit. I look forward to the forthcoming album, of which i've had a sneak peak (thanks Tim), to see what music will be showcased in future. I would highly recommend buying the EP (and maybe a t-shirt or two) and getting down to their next gigs.

Keep an eye on their Facebook page for details... https://www.facebook.com/RainMayFall