LIVE ROCK CRITIC FIVE A-BOMB: GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals gets the A-Bomb. When Rolling Stone says "Best New Band of 2010", I have to take a look. I had already seen a performance by the Nocturnals on Conan O'Brian, with Grace flaunting the Gibson V guitar, or was it an Epiphone. Grace's whole thing is epiphony, weak. In any case thats what I thought after I saw the band on Conan. Then I saw the Rolling Stone hype. Hi Ho Hype.It is time for the A-Bomb.

The Noctuarnals started up before Grace emerged onto the "ARTISTS DEN" stage outdoors in New York. Grace waddled out with her thighs flabbing exposed by a tunic or toga, white against her white pale skin, attempting to conjure up Caligula, or what. Her fragile cracking voice hyped into huge fake enthusiasm.Best new band Grace even talks off key, laying around on a divan, once again not erotic.

                                                                              
There are all of the Nocturnals emitting a taking it easy suddenly change and they all burst into a discordinant harmony while portraying transported with bliss from time to time. Matthew B.the drummer, laid back scrabbled at his drums like a small dog trying to get out.

                                                                            
I looked back up from my writing to find the Nocturnals were suddenly in full blown  irrelevant Rockabilly extravagance. There was a horrible ending but live crowds like this sort of stuff. Ugh! I thought this was a rock band I am being Country and Westerned. God do I hate that crap.

Horrible, horrible harmonica. All off key. This is a bomb, which would signify a poor performance. Now we have church music oh my God! again. Grace, if you are going to ooo  ooo be on key. I have to remind the reader or listener that Rolling Stone said "Best". That is the reason for this review.

Grace does the "chunky white chick dance". I generally recall James Brown and his acrobatics at a moment like this and I particularly recall his really tasteful black chick dancer. Check out  a James Brown site. Grace thigh flaps and short tunic flying over to the organ again for the fifty repetitions I have always abhored.

For those of you who are sensitive perhaps this has been enough. I shall continue: Now they are going psychedellic. Oh oh! More off key ooo ooo  ooo  ooo. I hope that I don't sound like this to other musicians. I am having contact shame. You never know you may not be as good as you think you are including you and me. Sometimes I doubt this whole music performance thing. My faith is shaken.

I first noticed this band on Conan O'Brian. The V guitar and the unfulfilled expectation. The Nocturnals think that they are "wild" but they are slightly off and they Ashley McIssac.

I can see that Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are having a Doors moment. It is hard to keep up, and the Doors moment is over in a moment except for Grace and the Nocturnals. I ask myself what the funk is this?No funk, no punk, no chunk. Nice floating guitar lead by Scott Turner on the gold Telecaster. It is a white lead. I am white, white crossed with white but this band is to white for me. The drummer grimly pouts to another slightly off key country tune, is that jazzy?

I just noticed Benjamin Yerker the second guitar. The first guitar Scott Turner now drums as well and Grace flaps over to the organ again. Pan to audience: old white guy knows the words. Wow. Bass player Katherine Popper plays a white bass. White. Don't dance to this bass line.

                                                                             
Here is the V guitar, Grace actually daringly inserts the guitar between her exposed thighs. Do you strum a V guitar? This band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals pose for photo ops. Posing as a rock band, they imitate the facial expressions, postures and enthusiasm which is possessed by a rock band, but the sound.

I have got to get to work on my latest Stephen Harper satire. Steven is Canada's singing Prime Minister. Ta!                                                       

LIVE ROCK CRITIC: LIVE ROCK CRITIC FOUR "FOO FIGHTERS" Hosted...

LIVE ROCK CRITIC: LIVE ROCK CRITIC FOUR "FOO FIGHTERS" Hosted...: "LIVE ROCK CRITIC FOUR 'FOO FIGHTERS' &n..."

LIVE ROCK CRITIC FOUR "FOO FIGHTERS" Hosted by Helen Mirren

LIVE ROCK CRITIC FOUR        "FOO   FIGHTERS"            

Foo Fighters is a band created by Dave Grohl. Grohl writes the songs, sings the lead vocal and plays the lead guitar. The Peavey hollow body guitar has a  unique sound which is similar to the Gibson hollow body guitars that the Peavey is patterned after. His guitar sound was very tasteful in the first number "Rope". Foo Fighters features a precision guitar lineup. Nate Mendal on bass Pat Smear and William Goldsmith on guitars and of course Dave Grohl leading the band of guitar players. My typist just commented that she thought Dave was really cute. Drummer Taylor Hawkins backs the Dave Grohl vocal, harmonising perfectly and adding power and range without really being visible, he's actually behind Grohl and not in sight.

                                                                               
The first number was interesting. I could hear the influence of the grunge bands like Nirvana who Grohl was a member of, and there were very pleasant warm jazz progressions and a large component of the Seattle soul sound which I have always admired. The first song was really good.

                                                                              

The authenticity of Foo Fighters is undeniable. Five guys with small amps stand on stage and blast out rock and roll. Very authentic. For their second number Foo Fighters are joined by a keyboard player and when I listened very carefully I can hear him. The second number "Walk" was to fast I think, perhaps to fast for this band and their style of playing. I found it to thrashy. It is also possible that some malfunction in the digital reconstitution occurs with a fast percussive number like "Walk". I would say to someone who was enjoying their DVR of Saturday Night Live to listen to the first number by the Foo Fighters. I think the band is better served in some manner by "Rope".

LIVE ROCK CRITIC THREE

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE            April 2nd 2011

Elton John and Leon Russell brought their latest rock ensemble to Saturday Night Live.The two grand pianos start right in on the first number keeping a steady driving beat.  Everybody is watching lead guitarist and musical director Davey Johnstone who leads off the melody with his Les Paul with fantastic written on it. His guitar has a great sound and without it I don't think Elton John's Band would be what it is. Johnstone is always right in tune right on key and right on time.

                                                                          
The timing is kept incredibly accurately and steadily by Ray Cooper and the other members who assist to create a constantly changing and returning percussion. Despite all of this and Elton John and Leon Russell on two grand pianos keyboardist Kim Bullard sets the comping scene with his classic organ riffs.

There is a little tension in the chorus line, a few hard faces as the prima dona of the chorus line does the fancy vocal work in the background. Leon Russell's reedy rock tenor leads from time to time but he works as a backup  vocalist constantly. Elton John delivers the expected Elton John style vocal which I am sure his many fans appreciate and expect.

                                                                                 
 I didn't really catch the name of the first song I think its "The Bitch is Back" was a type of gospel derived rock and roll that I don't really like that much, I never enjoyed playing songs like this but Elton John's band appear to be having a whale of a time performing. Elton John's audience probably really enjoy this type of music but I think it is dated and the genre has been used so much that I keep thinking of "After Midnight".

The second number "Monkey Suit" was the same type of song,  only played slower. Once again the band performed flawlessly the complex rhythms and harmonies wove in and out just like they were supposed to but after the fiftyth "monkey suit" I began to get irritated, testy even. Is so much repetition really necessary, did Bernie Taupin write this or is this simply some old drinking song?

                                                                              
This Elton John Band with Leon Russell features two of the world's great piano players. The percussive riffs and the tinkilling are great. The bass player Bob Birch is steady and doesn't make any mistakes but he doesn't exactly do the Bootsy Collins. I could be missing the fact that Johnstone's Les Paul, a second one which he played in the second number had such great tone, I could be missing the fact that Johnstone's great guitar depends upon the solid underpinnings and unobtrusive support of Bob Birch's bass.

                                                                             

Recently Elton John sold out twice in the near by city of Victoria, a city of retirees and drunks mostly. For them  this was probably the greatest show on earth. To be fair, the band has just begun to tour and it is possible they were playing it safe and playing to the audience of Saturday Night Live.