Mrs Blabber has been a big CSNY fan for years (It would be impolite to reveal how many).
So there I was reading my Mojo on the bog last week when I spot this add for CSN at the Hammersmith Apollo last Tuesday/Wednesday.
I couldn’t believe my luck in being able to buy two seats in good positions in the stalls using the efestivals link to Ticketmaster.
We arrived an hour late due to my misreading the advert and I was glad that I had brought along my ticket confirmation slip as the box office didn’t have my tix for collection and we had a 10 minute “issue” before they ran some fresh ones off.
Then the stupid usherette directed us to the wrong seats bumping out two people who WERE in their right seats. We found our proper ones in the interval.
I wasn’t expecting much from the gig. I CSN were not in my top ten from my days as a freak. However they did do a couple of pretty tunes.
It took me some 30 years for me to appreciate just how pretty their melodies and harmonies were. I also never realise how much they could ROCK. In fact the whole evening was a real treat which passed by all too quickly.
In terms of anthemic tunes which appear to be all the rage these days, CSN had loads up their sleeves. They also had tunes which built in intensity and power. They also had plenty of musicianship AND Stephen Stills on guitar.
They mixed up old and new to good effect. The only point at which my attention started to waver was when they all did solos and I’m afraid bass solos, no matter how inspired, imaginative and technically competent, are always boring.
We all loved the old stuff. “Here’s one we think you know”. Ha Ha.
“Love the One You’re With” turned out to be a rocker. “Treat Your Children” a country romp (and it was a nice touch of Crosby to bring his little kids on stage).
But the song I was dreading hearing turned out to be the best for me. I hate “Woodstock” with a passion since “Matthew’s Southern Comfort” turned it to treacle years ago. (I even saw them do it live – more by accident than design.)
CSN gave it an almost heavy metal treatment, which saw a return of the “idiot” dancers of the 60s, and this is more a reference to the audience age than the era. I’ve never seen so much grey hair nod in unison since a Tory party conference agreeing with a speaker advocating hanging.
All in all a highly enjoyable evening.
I really mist get out to gigs more.
Must rush, I need to click in the efest CDWOW link to buy a CSN CD as an Anniversary pressie for Mrs B.