Last week I went to see Liza Minnelli perform at Heywood House on Hampstead Heath. Despite my reservations, I must say that she was excellent. In fact, the whole evening was excellent although some of this can be attributed to the fact that the sun decided to stay out and we could enjoy the concert and our picnic in peace. Liza is a seasoned performer with well documented issues and even if she isn’t what she was, she certainly knows how to put on a show and give value for money.
She interspersed her songs with anecdotes from her career and even though they have all been told a thousand times, they sounded fresh. She was so very gracious to the audience and it was with what I feel was a very genuine shyness, she thanked us all for our attendance. She received two standing ovations and it was nothing less than she deserved.
On the Sunday I went to the Wireless festival in Hyde Park and saw, The Hives, Metronomy, TV on the radio, Grace Jones and Pulp!
A brief run down:
Metronomy – Incredible as they were at Glastonbury. Very intense and beautiful music to kick off a great day
The Hives – More powerful than I remember them being. Despite their ability to make most songs sound the same, their front man put in a performance that Mick Jagger would watch for inspiration.
TV on the radio – Quality and original music but just not quite my cup of tea, although very much worth a listen if you’re in the mood for trying something new.
Grace Jones – If only all 63 year old woman had an ass like hers. The leotard, hats and hula hoop were nothing compared to the voice of this powerful and evocative performer. I didn’t quite eat my words, “She’s a fucking weirdo”, although I do have a new found respect for her and her music.
Pulp – A seemingly perfect performance. I could have watched them forever. This was live music at its very best. This was hardcore.
Live music is just absolutely brilliant.
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