View Full Version : Chris thile in manchester
I've just got back from seeing Chris Thile's gig in Manchester. #It was amazing, a small intimate venue, with tha audience really close to the stage, and a fantastic atmosphere, so I wanted to share a photo with you.
He played a mixture of material from the new album, other albums, other artists and a couple of Bach pieces.
He did say this wasn't just his first solo tour in the UK but his first solo tour at all, and this was the first gig on it.
Fliss
Songbird
Nov-05-2006, 8:36pm
Cool photo :-) I was there too. What an amazing night.
Raining At Sunset and Song For A Young Queen...be still, my beating heart.
I like that he alway seems to dress with restraint. Let the music be the flashy part, not the wardrobe.
giverin
Nov-06-2006, 3:19pm
Ohh my gosh, how good was sunday night! And it was nice he came out at the end to sign CD's and stuff. "set me up woth one of your friends" has to have bin the highlight for me.
Songbird
Nov-06-2006, 3:33pm
Ah yes, I'd forgotten about Set Me Up...my minds been totally Guy Fawkes'd since I got back ;-) anyone remember the setlist? Off the top of my head (and not in order)...
Raining At Sunset
Song For A Young Queen
Jessamyn's Reel
Morning Bell (Radiohead cover)
This Is All Real
Heart In A Cage (the crowd were awesome in this one - clapping, waving, singing with full harmonies)
Dead Leaves and Dirty Ground
Bach - Prelude Violin Partita in E Major
Set Me Up
You're An Angel And I'm Gonna Cry
The Eleventh Reel
A Fiona Apples cover
I know there were a fair few more but for the life of me I can't remember what they were. Chris was as always an absolute legend with the fans aferwards. I even bugged him about how to play Song For A Young Queen.
Just back from the London show, fantastic
Uncle Choppy
Nov-06-2006, 4:07pm
I know there were a fair few more but for the life of me I can't remember what they were.
He did a great version of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" (1st one in the encore, I think).
I also seem to recall him messing about with The Streets' "Sharp Darts" at one point.
Anyway - it was a great night and CT came across as a real diamond geezer.
Fliss - I'm sorry I didn't get to say hello. I kept an eye out for two ladies answering your description but didn't have the bottle to keep approaching possible candidates saying "you might know me from the Mandolin Cafe..".
I wanted to ask how you were getting on with the Brook guitar. I've had a Taw for a few years (not that I can actually play it very well ....ditto the Lebeda F5!)
Anyway, it seems that we all enjoyed the gig. There was certainly a very special atmosphere in there. It'll be interesting to hear any reports from the other UK & Ireland dates.
Brendan
I sort of left feeling we should all just mail our instruments to him so they get used properly
dudlebug23
Nov-06-2006, 5:57pm
I sort of left feeling we should all just mail our instruments to him so they get used properly
I think many of us have had the same thought about you, Dan! Would you like to play a few of my mandolins and an octave?
pettyman
Nov-06-2006, 6:10pm
I get to see him in Glasgow on Wed - very excited!
Saw Tom O'Brien on Sunday - pretty awesome stuff, spent more than half the night on the mando - and boy was it impressive!
Songbird, thanks for posting the setlist, that helps sort it out a bit, my mind was rather reeling by the end of the night!
Giverin, I loved "Set me up with one of your friends" too, in fact I really enjoyed the amount of humour there was throughout the evening - a bonus on top of the awe-inspring music!
Brendan, I was looking out for you too but didn't spot you. We were standing at the back on the right. I'll pm you for a discussion about guitars http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Fliss
I sort of left feeling we should all just mail our instruments to him so they get used properly
LOL!!! I told him that I'd probably been playing longer than he'd been alive but that after seeing him I was thinking of laying my mandolin up so that I could focus on the triangle, or perhaps the wood blocks.
He got quite a laugh out of that but i was only half kidding
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
PS ... I've since recovered and decided to put the triangle away. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
adgefan
Nov-11-2006, 3:18am
I saw Chris last night in the last show of the tour. Absolutely awesome, but have to agree with those above who say he is just too good! I can listen to him all day long, but when it comes to inspiration all he achieves is to put me off ever picking up the mandolin again...
Well I have to say I've gotten over the initial slack-jawed de-motivation. I've been looking at videos on the net that show his playing and am now into the phase of "stealing licks" http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
It's an interesting phenomena, sometimes I've been to gigs where I want to get home and play *right away* to try some of what I've heard. Often that's when someone plays with a huge amount of passion things that I know how to play technically.. I'm ready to put that new energy into the playing.
There's a quote from someone I once read that goes "any suffiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic", and it does apply to musical technique. I have to admit that when I first got cracking on Irish mandolin ornaments they seemed impossible, but now 15 years down the line they are like second nature. I have been reminding myself of that and eyeing up the bar at the new height where Chris has raised it!!
mandelect
Nov-11-2006, 7:43am
I can listen to him all day long, but when it comes to inspiration all he achieves is to put me off ever picking up the mandolin again...
Have to agree with adgefan - though it's not the first time i've felt like that. I saw Mike Marshall twice in the early 80's, once in the UK with Grisman, and once in SF with Darol Anger. Came away from both gigs feeling mildly depressed; I've been trying to play like that for 25 years, and I still feel as if i've only just learned how to hold the pick. I've put the work in - long hours of practice but I'm never gonna get close to what these guys can do. I have learned to have fun trying though http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
...and Chris can really sing as well.
The last night gig at the Warwick Arts Centre was phenominal. Loved it all, but thought the first half Bach Partita was a little over theatrical - I prefer Mike Marshall's version on "The Duo" LP from 1983. The Bach Dm Gigue in the second half was stunning. Also loved the humour, especially Chris's version of Randy Newman's "Political Science".
Ah well back to Old Joe Clark for me ....!
adgefan
Nov-11-2006, 8:34am
The thing about Chris is I just don't understand what he's doing most of the time, so I simply can't aspire to play like that. Players like Tim O'Brien or John Reischman play in a way I can decipher and attempt to copy, even if I'll never be that good. With Chris, I wouldn't even know where to start.
Anyway, I'm loving his new aggressive approach to the instrument. Last night the difference between his compositions from NAWWAL and HTGAWFTG were very marked, the earlier being notey, fluid and clean, the later having more double stops, bluesy, loud and almost angry. I'm looking forward to seeing what direction the Tensions Mountain Boys head in.
mandelect
Nov-11-2006, 9:18am
Chris should really consider producing a DVD of the live solo show - it's important to record of that kind of special talent for posterity.
I watch the Thile & Marshall Woodsongs show over & over; I have four of my favourite tracks as movies on my mobile phone. Also the versions of, Raining At Sunset & When Mandolins Dream from his instructional DVD. I'd buy any live Thile DVD in a heartbeat - I'm in awe!
Mike should get some stuff down on DVD too!
ben_wv
Nov-11-2006, 9:21am
There's a replay of Thile "In The Studio" with Kyle Cantrell on XM channel 14 right now.
mandelect
Nov-11-2006, 10:01am
Hi Ben, was that a TV or Radio show?
I'm in the UK so unlikely to get to see or hear it, unless some kind soul posts clips.
Saw Chris in Dublin on Thursday night! What a great player wow!!!! I happened to have mandolin players sitting to my right and my left at the front of the show and it seemed like there was a lot of players in the audience. There was mixture of emotions with the players as some were inspired and others thought they should just give up playing altogether(in jest I'm sure). I was very impressed by the range of material he used, from White stripes to Bach to Gillian welch and at some point he played an angry song and made his mandolin sound like Hendrix playing Machine Gun. He came out afterwards shook my hand and signed a cd. A very decent chap altogether!!
ben_wv
Nov-12-2006, 10:20am
mandelect,
XM is satellite radio. 14 is the 24 hr bluegrass channel. Not sure if the shows can be copied and posted, but I am sure that I'm not compu-li'rate enough to try!
Ivan Kelsall
Nov-13-2006, 9:33am
I knew Chris was over here,but didn't know that he was in Manchester AGAIN !!!!.I missed him with Nickel Creek earlier in the year also.Regarding his playing,it does seem complex,but nevertheless,it inspires the h*ll out of me.I've never been put off playing by any top musician - now when i listen to young
Sierra Hull - that's when i realise i started 50 years too late.
adgefan
Nov-13-2006, 1:32pm
Videos from the Warwick gig are now up here (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1413317311)