01/12/2007:
WOVEN HAND – Live in Amiens (Maison De La Culture D’Amiens – Petit Theatre)
The audience in Sotteville-lès-Rouen was very different: There were young teenagers, some typically Theatre visitors and I saw one woman before the show as she was knitting a pullover! Anyway – the location was really very beautiful: A modern theatre with seats. So it was my very first seated Woven Hand experience. We find our stools in the seventh row in the middle. A perfect place, because so we had a wonderful overview of the stage. When the lights went out, Woven Hand entered the stage. David said “Hello” with a small gesture and then they started to play. After the tape intro of “Snake Bite” the show started with ”My Russia”. After some improvisations (“Down in yon Forest”) a powerful “Tin Finger” filled the theatre. David stood up again for a few seconds at the end of the song and after the last note was played, the teenagers shouted out and cheered very loudly! For a few moments I thought that they were at the wrong show, because Woven Hand is definitely NOT a boygroup 😉
Anyway – it was really great fun to see and hear these girls crying. “Harm’s Way” was perfect as at the last two shows and then “Wooden Brother” was played instead of “Aeolian Harp (Under the World)”. What a big and beautiful surprise! Then Ordy worked on his drums for “The Speaking Hands” as always – powerful and very impressive! When David fetched the Banjola for “Whistling Girl” some people cheered loudly. More vocal improvisations before the magical “White Bird” were to come. After that, “Slota Prow” with some lines of “Horse Head Fiddle” followed. And the fantastic “Your Russia” with some more improvisations in the middle finished the first part. Needless to say that the teenagers cried and cheered again with full force during the encore break. David returned alone to play the beautiful “Swedish Purse/Phyllis Ann” – and the people began to clap rhythmically. Then Ordy, Peter and Pascal also returned and “Winter Shaker” shaked the theatre. By starting “American Wheeze” people went crazy and cheered again. “Deerskin Doll” and the amazing “Dirty Blue” were the last songs of the night.
The Setlist:
Snake Bite
My Russia
Improvisations (Down in yon Forest)
Tin Finger
Harm’s Way
Wooden Brother
The Speaking Hands
Whistling Girl
Improvisations
White Bird
Slota Prow/Horse Head Fiddle
Your Russia
Swedish Purse/Phyllis Ann
Winter Shaker
American Wheeze
Deerskin Doll
Dirty Blue
I have to say that the sound at the Maison De La Culture D’Amiens was AMAZING! I wish that Woven Hand would play more locations like this.
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01/12/2006:
SANDY DILLON – Ebensee (Kino)
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02/12/2004:
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS – Vienna (Gasometer)
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05/12/1996:
K’S CHOICE – Munich (Backstage)
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06/12/2009:
SOAP & SKIN (with Ensemble) – Salzburg (ARGE)
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07/12/2008:
WOVEN HAND – Bern (ISC)
After the Vienna show, which was – apart form the “audience” – really an excellent one, I headed to my final “Ten Stones” live experience to Bern in Switzerland. I arrived the day before the show so I had enough time for some sightseeing. Bern is a beautiful city – especially the older part of the town is amazing.
Before I started my sightseeing tour I looked for the location “ISC Club” which was not really easy to find. It’s hidden behind an autonomous area which is called “Reitschule”, the club itself is located in an university building. I saw only one Woven Hand poster by going through the city for some hours, so I was curious how many people will find their way to the show. As David played here for many times (with 16 Horsepower and Woven Hand) I was sure, that the concert will be well attended.
As the doors were opened at 8 o’clock I was waiting 15 minutes before outside of the venue with some other fans. When I entered the location I headed the stairs above to the so called concert room. But this was really very small but at the right hand there was a curtain and so I thought to myself “behind this, there will be the hall”. So I lifted the curtain a little bit and saw directly behind it the “stage”. A very tiny one which was only knee-high! So I fetched myself a beer and waited for the support act Birch Book again. As I heard about the last concerts, B’ee aka B’eirth played the last shows (Utrecht and Leuven) with Ordy on the drums! So I was very looking forward to see this and as the curtain was opened he was sitting behind the drums, gave me a little wave and then Birch Book (with one guitar player) started his wonderful set. It was magic again and luckily the audience was very quiet during the show so this was really an amazing performance. Especially the final song (“The Trip goes on”), in which Ordy played a little bit louder, was simply unbelievable! Then the curtain was closed again and the club get more and more crowded. I had my place in front of Pascal this time and so me and a lot of fans were waiting for Woven Hand approximately 15 minutes. During this time a girl asked me if I have seen Woven Hand live before. So I have to laugh a little bit and so I told her my live experiences. She was very curious and nervous, because it was her first Woven Hand show. I said: “Just wait and see – you won’t trust your eyes and ears, bu you can trust me.” Then a drowning filled the room and the curtains fell for Woven Hand – the band was already on stage and so they started directly with “Kicking Bird”. As the last note was played, the people cheered and applauded very loudly – so they loved the hard and heavy performance like me. “The Beautiful Axe” was next, followed by “The Speaking Hands”, which was a personal highlight again. This one caught everybody and after the song the people went really nuts. Then the first riffs of “Splinters” gave me the creeps again. After that David had some technical problems with his amplifier. So it was the first time for me hearing him saying the F-Word. After two or three minutes he handled the problem and it seemed that he worked off some anger in an unbelievable hard and heavy version of “Tin Finger”. Some vocal improvisations on “Into the Piano” followed before the big surprise came next: “Poormouth”! I really didn’t trust my ears – one of my personal 16 Horsepower favorite was played live! With wet eyes I enjoyed this wonderful song. So it was no surprise that the audience went crazy again after the song was finished. While the people cheered loudly, Ordy, Pascal and Peter left the stage and David gave an amazing solo performance of “Whistling Girl”. After that the boys returned to their instruments for “Cohawkin Road” and “Horsetail”. Again David made a lot of gestures during the songs and after that he fetched his banjola again. While tuning it, somebody shouted “Sinnerman”. David’s answer: “I don’t know this song.” Nearly everybody laughed and then “Kingdom of Ice” hit the audience with full force. Another heavy version of “Not one Stone” followed and it was such an enjoyment to see the band playing this gorgeous song live again. “Horse Head Fiddle” with a lot of improvisations took us the breath away – it’s simply unbelievable which sounds they created again. And with a rocking “Winter Shaker” the regular set was closed. Some Indian chants supplied the encore break before Ordy and David played the Bob Dylan Cover “As I went out one Morning”. After this beauty David fetched the bandoneon and you can imagine what happened next: The people went nuts again and a lot of them sang some lines to the unbelievable “American Wheeze”. And with “Deerskin Doll” a heavy final chord was set. Unfortunately they didn’t play “Dirty Blue” and “Your Russia” but therefore “Poormouth” was much more than a consolation.
After the show I asked the girl next to me, who has her first Woven Hand live experience, what she was thinking now. She shaked her head and answered luckily and with a big smile. “Unbelievable”! Then I met Hanspeter from Bern and Millie from France. It was quite fun again to meet people in real life, who I only knew from the internet. I was standing on the stairs watching the scenery, as the guitar player from Birch Book asked: “And did you enjoy the show?” As I had my Birch Book shirt on I do bet he was curious about my opinion. So we talked for approximately 15 minutes about Birch Book, his musical background and the touring so far. Finally Dean (he is from Manchester) signed some Birch Book covers for me and before he had to leave Hanspeter was so nice and shot a picture of me and Dean – many thanks again!
Then I met Ordy and Peter for a short “Hello” and after that I left the club. As I headed to the hotel I passed the tour bus where some people loaded all the instruments and gear. As Dean told me they left tonight and drive through the night to Lausanne, where the next stop was scheduled. But no more shows for me – five times is enough! And I’ve also to spare some money for the next tour in 2009 – see you there again!”
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09/12/2013:
REVEREND RUSTY & THE CASE – Salzburg (Rockhouse – Bar)
Reverend Rusty & The Case – Salzburg (Rockhouse Bar)(09.12.2013) Ticket © Alex Melomane
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12/12/2013:
THE TIGER LILLIES – Salzburg (Rockhouse)
The Tiger Lillies – Salzburg (Rockhouse)(12.12.2013) Ticket © Alex Melomane
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12/12/2007:
ENNIO MORRICONE – Vienna (Stadthalle)
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12/12/2008:
MURDER BY DEATH – Vienna (B72)
My first Murder By Death live experience was on the 21st April 2007 in Munich (Atomic Café) and this show was simply awesome. Due to the wedding of my best friend in France (I was one of the witnesses of the marriage) I couldn’t make it to the first Murder By Death concert in Austria, which was scheduled for the 2nd July 2008 in Vienna. So I have to wait until the 12th December 2008 when Adam Turla (Guitar and Vocals), Sarah Balliet (Cello and Keyboards), Matt Armstrong (Bass) and Dagan Thogerson (Drums) were playing in Vienna again – this time at the wonderful small location named B72. There I attended one of my best live shows ever – Woven Hand back in 2005 played an outstanding set and so I was really very looking forward to see a concert of one of my all time favorite bands in this wonderful place again. This time Murder By Death toured to promote their latest and fantastic release “Red Of Tooth And Claw”, which has blown me straight away when I first listened to it – a real masterpiece!
Before the show I met Dagan at the merchandising stand. We talked a little bit and then I bought two new shirts and a badge. Also I asked him for signing some covers after the concert. “Yes, of course”, he answered. As the doors opened we headed to the balcony. When you’re sitting in the first row you have a perfect overview and an excellent sound. The supporting band was also from the USA – Unwed Sailor, a three piece (Bass, Guitar and Drums) which only plays instrumental. Very interesting performance, but in my opinion some vocals would be fit perfectly into this special sound. Nevertheless we (and Adam Turla with Matt Armstrong from Murder By Death, who were standing on the left to us) enjoyed their performance, which endured approximately 40 minutes. Then, after they grabbed their instruments, Murder By Death entered the stage. “Thanks for coming out, we’re Murder By Death”, Adam welcomed the audience and they began their show with a straight “Sometimes the Line walks you” from the album “In Bocca Al Lupo”. After that, Sarah fetched her cello and the wonderful “’52 Ford” followed. This one is one of my favorite tracks on the recent album “Red Of Tooth And Claw” so it was no surprise that this one gave me the creeps. The new song “Ball and Chain” was next on the setlist, in which Sarah showed us her unique cello skills. After Adam said “Thank you very much”, the powerful “Rum Brave” filled the B72. The amazing “A Masters in Reverse Psychology” from their second LP “Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left Of Them” hit me with full force. “We are all waiting for the end, what kind of finish will he send” were the last words. Then I have to shout “Amazing” and Adam answered “Amazing finish, I hope” with a smile. “It’s nice to be back here in Vienna, thank you for having us! We were here in July, I guess. It was the 2nd of July, the day before my birthday. Which was a good one. I had Schnitzel on my birthday so everything was okay. This song is about escaping a rough town”, Adam introduced “Steal away”, which you can find also on their last album. “Fuego”, the first song which I heard before the official release of “Red Of Tooth And Claw”, was next, in which Sarah played cello and keyboard alternately. “Thanks a lot! We are doing a series where we put out our own records and we are doing covers of our favorite bands and our friends and they’re covering our songs – so we are trading. And this is a song by a guy named William Elliott Whitmore who’s amazing”, Adam told us before they began “One Man’s Shame” which is released as a limited edition (1.000 copies) on a special vinyl single series. If you want to save your personal copy then go to their official website (www.murderbydeath.com) and place your order before it’s too late! Well, back to the Vienna show: “Ash” gave me another reason for headbanging and shaking. With “One more Notch”, “The Organ Grinder” and “Steam Rising” three more beautiful tracks from “In Bocca Al Lupo” followed. “Thank you very much! It’s good to back in Austria. You’re very kind, come to see us and make us feel good. This song is about having a good time by doing all the wrong shit, I guess”, Adam told us before “Brother” hit everybody at the B72 and so it was no surprise that the people went completely nuts during this song. And I was so happy to hear the full version, because of the last time in Munich a crazy guy interrupted Adam’s singing by entering the stage for some stagediving. “Until Morale improves, the Beatings will continue” from their second album gave us the creeps again. When I first heard the line “Buckshot is my Bread and I’ll drink Whiskey instead of Water, ‘cause I can’t stand to be sober in this place”, I was caught immediately. “Thank you very much, you’re very awesome. I hope you were here early enough to see Unwed Sailor. Those guys are fucking awesome. They’re friends of ours from the states. And it just happened that we were meeting here in Europe. And this one goes out to them”, Adam told us before he started an unbelievable version of “The Big Sleep”. After that, the crowd went nuts again and applauded loudly. “Tomorrow is our last night of the tour. It’s always nice to go home, but we will be sad for leaving Europe. Thanks for taking good care of us”, Adam introduced the last song of the regular set: “Comin’ Home”, in which nearly everybody was singing the beginning with Adam. Then a short encore break followed. “Usually we go somewhere and have a few drinks. And if you wanna hear more, we will play more songs. But there is no place for us to go”, Adam explained about the small stage at the B72. So they had to stay on the stage, because there is no place for an usual backstage area. So the crowd cheered, shouted and applauded loudly for more songs. “I like your style, I like you guys. I don’t know what songs we are gonna play”, Adam told us and so some people shouted some titles. “Okay, here are a couple of ones we haven’t played on this tour yet”, Adam introduced us the following songs. Before they started to play again, Adam asked about this special thing, which was outside the bar hanging above the barkeepers. It holds all types of liquor bottles upside down and so the bartenders can easily fetch some Whiskey, Vodka etc. for mixing some drinks. “By the way, has anybody else noticed that there is a revolving thing of liquor? I wanna lay down underneath it. The thing is beautiful. I gotta get rich and get one of those for my house above my bed. And I will never have to leave”, Adam was joking. Then a wonderful “Three Men Hanging” opened the encore set. “I heard someone asked for this song, so we will play it”, introduced “The Desert is on Fire”, which finished with a big surprise: Adam played the classic guitar riff of the Jethro Tull song “Aqualung” just before the end. “Okay, let’s do one more. This song is about pirates and getting drunk. You’re awesome. You know, this song is about Viennese pirates” Adam joked again and then a heavy and powerful “Dead Men and Sinners” closed the wonderful set. “Thank you very much, thanks for coming”, said Adam as a good bye before leaving the stage finally.
The Setlist:
Sometimes the Line walks you
’52 Ford
Ball and Chain
Rum Brave
A Masters in Reverse Psychology
Steal away
Fuego
One Man’s Shame (William Elliott Whitmore Cover)
Ash
One more Notch
The Organ Grinder
Steam Rising
Brother
Until Morale improves, the Beatings will continue
The Big Sleep
Comin’ Home
Three Men Hanging
The Desert is on Fire
Dead Men and Sinners
After the concert I firstly met Matt and asked him for signing some covers. “Of course”, he said. As I was wearing the official shirt of “Red Of Tooth And Claw”, which was available by pre-ordering the album, he knew that I’m a big fan, I guess. And so he gave me his plectrum as a gift – many thanks again! Then I met Sarah and she also signed all my vinyl covers which I brought along. Then I waited until Adam has some time for me and so I walked to the merchandising stand again and asked him for some signatures. So he signed everything and after that I thanked him for playing some notes of “Aqualung”. “Oh, you recognised it”, he answered. “Oh yeah, of course”, and then I lifted my Murder By Death shirt to show him not my belly, but my Jethro Tull Baseball shirt, which I wore beneath it. He looked with bright eyes, smiled and shook his head astonished. Finally I bought some pins and the official and limited tour poster and wished him and the band a save trip back to the USA. Before we were leaving we had the chance to take a picture with Sarah and Dagan. So many thanks to my friend Kurt who took one featuring Sarah Balliet, Dagan Thogerson and me.
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15/12/2014:
THE HAMBURG BLUES BAND feat. Maggie Bell & Miller Anderson
Salzburg (Rockhouse – Bar)
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29/12/2009 – Fort Collins (Aggie Theater):
MUNLY & THE LUPERCALIANS
The Setlist:
Scarewolf
Petr
Grandfater
Ahmen
Mattie
Three Wise Hunters
Polpot
Jehu
Wulf
SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB
The Setlist:
Cranston
Red Pirate of the Prairie
Children of the Lord
This is how we do Things in the Country
No Doubt about it
Americadio
Magalina Hagalina Boom Boom
Pine Box
Hold my Head
Jesus is in my Body: My Body has let me down
32 Mouths gone dry
This Land is our Land Redux
All about the Bullfrog in three Verses
Last Song about Satan
Mark of Vaccination
He, Roger Williams
The unballed Ballad of the new Folksinger
That fierce Cow is common sense in a Country Dress
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30/12/2009:
DEVOTCHKA – Denver (Mercury Cafe) – Afternoon Show
The Setlist:
The Enemy Guns
Queen of the Surface Streets
Basso Profundo
The Clockwise Witness
We’re leaving
Head Honcho
C’est ce la (Part I & II)
I cried like a silly Boy (Ted Thacker Cover)
Happy Birthday
La Llorrona
Undone
Transliterator
Death by Blonde
How it ends
Such a lovely Thing
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30/12/2009 – Denver (Bluebird Theater):
PAPERBIRD
SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB
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31/12/2009 – Denver (Bluebird Theater):
MUNLY & THE LUPERCALIANS
The Setlist:
Scarewolf
Petr
Grandfater
Ahmen
Mattie
Three Wise Hunters
Polpot
Jehu
Wulf
MUNLY & THE LUPERCALIANS: Ahmen
SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB
The Setlist:
Cranston
Red Pirate of the Prairie
Children of the Lord (feat. Erica Brown)
This is how we do Things in the Country
No Doubt about it
Americadio
Magalina Hagalina Boom Boom
Pine Box
Hold my Head
Jesus is in my Body: My Body has let me down
New Year Counting with Erica Brown/Auld Lang Syne
32 Mouths gone dry
This Land is our Land Redux
All about the Bullfrog in three Verses
Last Song about Satan
Mark of Vaccination
He, Roger Williams
Providence, New Jerusalem
Do you know thee Enemy
The unballed Ballad of the new Folksinger
That fierce Cow is common sense in a Country Dress
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