Andy Summers, Pizza Express, Soho Feb 2001. In the immediate presence of greatness. Highlights: Last Dance Of Mr X, Peggy's Blue Skylight, Tonight At Noon
Tori Amos, Hammersmith Apollo Dec 2001. Finally I got to see her live. Highlights: Juarez, Leather, Playboy Mommy, I'm On Fire, Landslide. Support act: Ben Christophers. Just about bearable.
Lenny Kravitz, Wembley Arena Jun 2002. Very loud, very good. Highlights: Dig In, Stillness Of Heart, Believe, Again, American Woman, Fly Away. Support act: Cosmic Rough Riders. Unrelentingly bad.
Tori Amos, Hammersmith Apollo 16 Jan 2003. Tori with a great band - makes life worth living. Highlights: Your Cloud, A Sorta Fairytale, Cooling, Jackie's Strength, Carbon, Crucify. Support act: Howie Day. Didn't get in on time to catch this and I doubt I missed much.
Sheryl Crow, Shepherd's Bush Empire Oct 2003. I Shall Believe! Highlights:
Steve McQueen, If It Makes You Happy, My Favourite Mistake, First Cut
Is The Deepest, Strong Enough, Soak Up The Sun, I Shall Believe, Rock
'n' Roll. Support act: Nerina Pallot. A welcome return from her break to attend uni. Previewed songs that would later feature on Fires.
Sting, Royal Albert Hall May 2004. The bass, the voice, the man. Highlights:
Send Your Love, Whenever I Say Your Name, Roxanne, Englishman In New
York, Synchronicity II, Fields Of Gold, Every Breath You Take. Support act: Joss Stone. Around the time Super Duper Love was getting airplay. Good singer, good band.
Sheryl Crow, Wembley Arena June 2004. Rocking again. Highlights: Steve McQueen, Light In Your Eyes, My Favourite Mistake, Soak Up The Sun, I Shall Believe, Safe And Sound. Support act: Natasha Bedingfield. We were late so completely missed this, phew.
Lenny Kravitz, Wembley Arena July 2004. A baptism of rock. Highlights: It Ain't Over 'Til it's Over, California, American Woman, I Belong To You, Let Love Rule. Support act: Boxer Rebellion. Completely missed this so no comment.
Dido, Brixton Academy August 2004. I-ieee-I want to thank you. Complete surprise. Highlights: Life For Rent, White Flag, Don't Leave Home, Thank You, Isobel, Take My Hand. Support act: Aqualung. YAWN.
Tori Amos, Hammersmith Apollo 3 June 2005. Solo splendour with rarities Highlights: Original Sinsuality, Leather, Cloud On My Tongue, The Beekeeper, Cool On Your Island, Sweet The Sting, Amber Waves. Support act: Tom McRae. Did not see this.
Suzanne Vega, The Anvil June 2005. Superb! Highlights: Penitent, (I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May, Solitaire, Caramel, In Liverpool, Luka, Tom's Diner. Support act: Nerina Pallot. Better than last time, and ten months later she'd be back in the charts.
Lenny Kravitz, Hammersmith Apollo July 2005. The Minister.... you know he will be right there. Highlights: Minister Of Rock 'n' Roll, Where Are We Running?, Let Love Rule, American Woman, Fly Away, Again. Support act: Nikka Costa. Totally nuts but funky. When she was really young, she opened for The Police in South America somewhere.
KT Tunstall, Shepherd's Bush Empire October 2005. Suddenly we saw: a mega-talent. Highlights:
Other Side Of The World, Miniature Disasters, Dirty Water, Under The
Weather, Black Horse & The Cherry Tree, Suddenly I See, Through The
Dark. Support act: Ed Harcourt. Not a bad performance with some reasonable, if odd, songs.
Sheryl Crow, Hammersmith Apollo November 2005. With an orchestra = unforgettable. Highlights:
Hard To Make A Stand, Maybe Angels, Good Is Good, Letter To God, My
Favourite Mistake, Mississippi, If It Makes You Happy, Safe and Sound,
Tommorrow Never Dies. Support act: Daniel Powter. He had a bad day, apparently. Not as bad as mine until his set was over.
Robert Plant and The Strange Sensation, Hammersmith Palais December 2005. A true rock legend in every sense. Highlights:
Shine It All Around, The Enchanter, Mighty Rearranger, Black Dog, When
The Levee Breaks, Going To California, Hey Joe, Whole Lotta Love. Support act: I still don't know who they were but some sort of weird hillbilly punk country rock band. Yeah, exactly.
Bic Runga, Bush Hall May 2006. Blinding! Highlights: Birds, When I See You Smile, Something Good, Be All And End All, Say After Me, Get Some Sleep. Support
act: 1) Anika Moa, joined by Anna Coddington. Not bad acoustic stuff.
2) The Devastations. Slightly oddball rock, but good.
Shawn Colvin, Bloomsbury Theatre 18 Sep 2006. So good to see her. Highlights: Trouble, The Bird, A Matter Of Minutes, These Four Walls, Wichita Skyline, Someday, Song About A Man, Sunny Came Home, If These Walls Could Speak. Support act: Sons Of Jim. A bit nervous. Seem like nice guys though.
Bic Runga, Bloomsbury Theatre 19 Sep 2006. I was captured. Highlights: Winning Arrow, Get Some Sleep, Precious Things, Blue Blue Heart, Say After Me, Gravity, Something Good, Sway, Drive. Support act: Chris Tye. Good technique and the songs weren't bad. Could make it big.
Paul Simon, Wembley Arena 10 Nov 2006. Miracle and wonder. Highlights: Boy In The Bubble, Still Crazy After All These Years, Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes, Cecilia, 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, You Can Call Me Al, Graceland, The Boxer, Bridge Over Troubled Water, How Can You Live in The North East?, Wartime Prayers, Homeward Bound.
Shawn Colvin, Union Chapel 28 Nov 2006. Fearless. Highlights: Even Here We Are, These Four Walls, Fill Me Up, That Don't Worry Me Now, Fearless Heart, Sunny Came Home, Matter Of Minutes, Four Seasons In One Day, Crazy. Support act: Jack Savoretti. Only caught a bit of this. Some people seemed to like it, and it sounded inoffensive.
Corinne Bailey Rae, Southampton Guildhall 21 Mar 2007. Like sunshine. Highlights: Trouble Sleeping, I'd Like To, Enchantment, Long Hot Summer, Butterfly, Call Me When You Get This, Since I've Been Loving You, Put Your Records On. Support act: Jack Savoretti. This time I saw his whole set and there were some really good songs in there.
Bob Dylan, Wembley Arena 16th April 2007. Thundered along. Highlights: Don't Think Twice It's Alright, The Levee's Gonna Break, The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, Spirit On The Water, Ain't Talkin', Like A Rolling Stone, Thunder On The Mountain, All Along The Watchtower.
Fountains Of Wayne, The Astoria. (Gallery) 21st May 2007. When it's late, and it's hot... this band rock. Highlights: Strapped For Cash, Yolanda Hayes, Fire In The Canyon, Hackensack, Hey Julie, Someone To Love, Radiation Vibe, Stacy's Mom, Mexican Wine, Sink To The Bottom, Bright Future In Sales. Support act: The Dykeenies I think. Completely missed it.
Manic Street Preachers, Southampton Guildhall 5th Jun 2007. Stronger than Mensa. Highlights: Motorcycle Emptiness, Winter Lovers, Faster, Ocean Spray, Your Love Alone Is Not Enough, If You Tolerate This, You Love Us, Little Baby Nothing, Design For Life. Support act: Kids In Glass Houses. Very loud, not the worst band ever.
Shawn Colvin, Shepherds Bush Empire. 18th Jun 2007. I'd pack in a matter of minutes to see this again. Highlights: Window To The World, Trouble, Summer Dress, Wichita Skyline, These Four Walls, Sunny Came Home, Matter Of Minutes, Crazy. Support act: Jack Savoretti. Not bad again; preferred the set I saw in March.
Suzanne Vega, Brighton Dome. 2nd July 2007. I heart SV. Highlights: Tom's Diner, Ludlow St., New York Is A Woman, Caramel, Angel's Doorway, Frank & Ava, Zephyr & I, Gypsy, In Liverpool, Left Of Centre, Blood Makes Noise, Tom's Diner (alternate). Support act: David Ford. Interesting use of looping, and had a good protest type song at the end.
Tori Amos, Hammersmith Apollo. 3rd July 2007. In her smile, a secret spell. Highlights: Body & Soul, Big Wheel, Secret Spell, Crucify, China, Cool On Your Island, Black Dove, Bliss, Code Red, Bouncing Off Clouds, Tear In Your Hand. Support act: Joshua Radin. Ok, I suppose, sort of folky rock. Nice female vocalist with him.
Tori Amos, Hammersmith Apollo. (Galleries) 4th July 2007. A fairytale of a gig.
Highlights: Yo George, Sweet Dreams, Almost Rosey, Tombigbee, Caught A Lite Sneeze, Liquid Diamonds, Cornflake Girl, Winter, Cooling, God, Waitress. Support act: As above. Saw him in the lobby after his set.
Norah Jones, Hammersmith Apollo. (Gallery) 27th August 2007. I do know why. Highlights: Come Away With Me, The Long Way Home, Thinkng About You, Rosie's Lullaby, My Dear Country, Be My Somebody, Creepin' In, Sunrise, Carnival Town, Don't Know Why. Support act: M. Ward. Not too bad, and having Norah sing with him certainly helped.
The Police, Twickenham Stadium. (Gallery) 8th September 2007. I'll be watching them. Highlights: Message In A Bottle, Walking On The Moon, Don't Stand So Close To Me, Hole In My Life, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Wrapped Around Your Finger, De Do Do Do De Da Da Da, Invisible Sun, Can't Stand Losing You, Roxanne, King Of Pain, So Lonely, Every Breath You Take, Next To You. Support act: Fiction Plane and Maximo Park. Missed the former, caught the latter. They tried I guess, a bit noisy and could do with more tunes.
The Police, Wembley Arena. (Gallery) 20th October 2007. Magic, magic, magic. Highlights: Message In A Bottle, Synchronicity II, Walking On The
Moon, Don't Stand So Close To Me, Hole In My Life, Every Little Thing
She Does Is Magic, Wrapped Around Your Finger, De Do Do Do De Da Da Da,
Invisible Sun, Can't Stand Losing You, Roxanne, King Of Pain, So
Lonely, Every Breath You Take, Next To You. Support act: Fiction Plane. Loud, slightly shouty, rock band fronted by Sting's son Joe, who does a good leap with his bass. Ok, room for improvement.
KT Tunstall, Portsmouth Guildhall. (Gallery) 23rd October 2007. If only I could see her again now. Highlights: Little Favours, Miniature Disasters, Other Side Of The World, Hold On, Funnyman, Under The Weather, Black Horse & The Cherry Tree, Ashes, Hopeless, Someday Soon, If Only, Saving My Face, I Don't Want You Now, Suddenly I See. Support act: King Creosote. Interesting strummy acoustic fronted rock band with some good songs.
Beverley Knight, Southampton Guildhall. 16th November 2007. She's soul gold. Highlights: Ain't That A Lot Of Love, After You, Piece Of My Heart, Greatest Day, Shoulda Woulda Coulda, Gold. Support act: Cherry BlackStone. A mix of soul, r&b and rock. Spoke to them afterwards. I like them, I hope they get somewhere.
Thin Lizzy, Southampton Guildhall. 9th December 2007. The boys were great in town. Highlights: Jailbreak, Southbound, Cowboy Song, The Boys Are Back In Town, Dancing In The Moonlight, Still In Love With You, Don't Believe A Word. Support act: Diamond Head. Quite loud, and more heavy for heavy's sake.
Joan Osborne, La Scala. (Gallery) 6th February 2008. My favouritest singer, today and everyday. Highlights: How Sweet It Is, Baby Is A Butterfly, Breakfast In Bed, Pretty Little Stranger, St Teresa, Cathedrals, Spider Web, Ladder, One Of Us, What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted. Support act: Dawn Kinnard. Unintentionally comedy name aside, we liked her smoky voiced musings.
KT Tunstall, Southampton Guildhall. (Gallery) 7th April 2008. Did us the little favour of being brilliant. Highlights:
Little Favours, Miniature Disasters, Other Side Of The World, Hold On,
Funnyman, Under The Weather, Black Horse & The Cherry Tree, Ashes,
Beauty Of Uncertainty, Hopeless, Someday Soon, If Only, Saving My Face, Suddenly I See, I Don't Want You Now. Support act: Teitur. Faroe Isles troubador with a unique, odd, style
KT Tunstall, Hammersmith Apollo. (Gallery) 11th April 2008.
She fills up every corner like she's born in black and white. Highlights:
Little Favours, Miniature Disasters, Other Side Of The World, Hold On,
Funnyman, Under The Weather, Black Horse & The Cherry Tree, Throw Me A Rope, Everyday Is Like Sunday, Hopeless, Someday Soon, If Only, Saving My Face, Suddenly I See, Universe & U, I Don't Want You Now. Support act: Sam Lewis, KT Tunstall's guitarist did a few strummy acoustic songs. Followed by Teitur.
