Norah Jones supported by The Candles

6th July 2017, Somerset House, London, UK

Kicking off the 2017 Summer Series Gigs at Somerset House sponsored by American Express was Norah Jones supported by The Candles. Norah is one of the more established, and familiar names, performing this year during the 11 nights of the series of outdoor music events in the splendour of the open courtyard at Somerset House.

Opening for Norah were The Candles – the band appeared to grow with each of the early songs in their set. First a soloist, then a trio, then they where joined by a drummer and pianist, and finally by a bassist. It became apparent later – that most of the members of The Candles where members of Norah’s band. While I understand that having your backing band open for you, under another name, does keep the costs down and keep things simple while touring – but it really is a shame the opportunity wasn’t take for an up and coming London band to be given the opportunity to win more fans from amongst Norah’s adoring fans.

Beginning her European tour at Somerset House, the set began in a jazz mood, which would have graced Ronnie Scott’s, if you could take the roof off that venue.

A subtle touch on the ivories of the grand piano, which dominated the stage, during instrumental interludes in “I’ve got to see you again” proved Norah is more than just a great vocalist.

As the set progress the jazz mood was replace by a more electric sound – with the pedal steel contributing much to that.

Norah herself commented that she’d not been expecting hot and humid weather, which she likened to that in Texas where she’d grown up. Then she noted that having played at a number of outside venues recently – she always seam time one song on in the set to match the sunset – that being “Sunrise”.

After the gentle breeze, keeping the audience from over heating, caused the smells from the food stands to drift on to the stage Norah was prompted to comment “I smell sausages”, and then realise – “that will be the quote of the night”, the set the took a more melancholy turn with song like “She’s 22”.

“Night and day” moved the set back to a warmer sound and feeling, returning to the grand piano and the jazz vibe returns. The “Peace” brings the set to a crescendo, and then “The Long Day is Over”  was a very appropriate way to approach the pre-encore pause.

The real end of the set was “Come away with me” – she couldn’t have left here fans without that hit.

The whole evening illustrates that a carefully constructed set list or album is why listening to music via a streaming service in a random order which hasn’t been curated in anyway, just isn’t the same as experiencing the music in the order the artist behind it intended . A live performance allows the artist to add careful transitions in mood, taking the listener on a musical journey.  The other artists performing this year have a lot to follow to keep the standard up.

Jill Scott draws the VIPs to Somerset House

9th/10th July – Somerset House Summer Series presented by American Express: Jill Scott supported by Daley

For the first year two acts will play two nights each in the Somerset House Summer Series – Jill Scott’s two gigs where in the original schedule – Paloma Faith’s second gig was added shortly after the first one sold out so quickly. Judging by the fact that more than an hour before both nights of Jill’s shows a large proportion of the audience where queuing outside this was a good decision – those there on Monday night got treated to a prolonged sound check that almost sounded like a full rehearsal, rather than a simple check of the levels…

The first night also attracted the VIPs – with Lewis Hamilton tweeting a picture from the gig and Perez Hilton, Joss Stone and Misha B amongst the music glitterati in attendance

From Jill Scott 2012 (Monday) (Somerset House)

Opening for Jill on both nights was Daley – whom I’d last seen supporting Emeli Sande at the Borderline for HMV Next Big Thing – he certainly gets to precede some special acts on stage. On both night the audience warmed to his sound – his British take on soul was a great warm up for the Philly version that was the main act – he even made a cameo appearance on the second night during the commercial intermission for “Ball Fresh”.

From Jill Scott 2012 (Monday) (Somerset House)

Jill Scott brought on stage with here a very talented 10 piece band including amongst them “the pipes” – between them they gave her incredible voice the backing it deserved, At some points the performance became almost operatic - very appropriate for the surroundings.

As promised on the first night – if you wanted to see a costume change then you needed to come to another Jill Scott gig – not that her look didn’t change – including at times a wig and a variety gazelles (glasses) – one pair refused to play ball – steaming up on both nights in the damp conditions under the heat of the stage lights. The performances on both nights brought the courtyard in Somerset House to life – mixing soul, poetry, and a sexy sense of humour.

Tim Minchin – Comedy night opens Somerset House Summer Series

7th July 2012 – Somerset House Summer Series presented by American Express: Tim Minchin supported by Harry Oakwood Millionaire

This will be the third year when I’ve chosen to try and get tickets to the entire series of summer gigs at Somerset House – even with access to pre-sales Tim' Minchin’s gig was already sold out! Having previously seen Tim at the Apple Cart festival in 2011, I choose to resort to GetMeIN to complete my set of tickets – and by waiting until a week or so before the event I didn’t have to pay a significant premium. It would be nice if Somerset House would consider a “season ticket” to their series of gigs – there won’t be may people that would be looking to attend all of the events given they are drawn from a wide range of musical genres – but there would be some and it might assist in filling the audience for the less main stream acts.

From Tim Minchin 2012 (Somerset House)

Finding a support act to complement Tim Minchin irreverent act was always going to be challenging – Tim selected Harry Oakwood Millionaire to fill the role having heard them himself. They did just justice to his selection – their guitar based sound reminded me of early Beatles.

By the time Tim took to the stage the miserable British summer had started to let the enthusiastic crowd down – causing umbrellas to be produced – there property of being mainly opaque generating an off the cuff line of comedy from Tim – that quickly encouraged their owners to take them down and brave the light rain without their protection. After the distraction of the easy target of the weather Tim was soon back in good form with his comedy based around a series of very clever songs – it quickly became clear Tim may have “calmed down” his set for the “family friendly” Apple Cart festival – it was certainly brave for Jonathan Ross to have invited him on to his show – a pity ITV hadn’t had the courage to go ahead with his inclusion in the show that actually went out – all the targets of Tim’s comedy are valid and his clever use of word play and innuendo highlights many serious issues.

This was a great start to the series of gigs – opening with the “comedy night”, missing from the series last year but represented the previous year by Neil Hannon in his solo performance as Divine Comedy was a brave move – I hope a comedy themed night becomes a regular in the series going forward.

Ellie Goulding - Girl next door, all grown up

From Ellie Goulding 2011

On the first couple of occasions I saw Ellie Goulding live she was very much the girl next door with a great voice, a talent for song writing, and nervous on stage. When I last saw her at the Apollo she’d developed a “style” – but it wasn’t clear where it was going… Returning to London half way through a tour of the US it was clear she had grown up and was now maturing into the role of musical diva by royal appointment – hair by Adam Reed and couture dress by Jonathan Saunders, flowers strewn across the stage…. The great news is that confidence and style hasn’t distracted from the music. Ellie quickly had the audience totally engaged – admittedly it was made up mostly of fans starved of live performances while she breaks America.  Many of whom had been queuing at Somerset House most of the day. With a set that stretched to 17 songs – the audience got good reward for their enthusiasm – nearly every track on her only album and those on her extended version of the album too. Expectation for the 2nd album will be high – shame none of it was ready to tease fans with live…

Suited and booted lads from Manchester

The riot of colour that is Gaggle filled the stage to form the opening support act for Hurts. Once they'd all found the correct microphones, this all female choir tried valiantly to compete with the splendour of the courtyard at Somerset House – but they where fighting a loosing battle. There weren't helped by the fact that, unusually for the series, the audience was very sparse – maybe the very threatening skies had people waiting to see what developed before committing themselves to an evening in the open air.

By contrast Saint Saviour, whom I’d had the pleasure of listening to live before during the HMV Next Big Thing series and as a headliner at XOYO, with only two backing singers, filled the stage with energy and an amazingly expanding dress. With a voice approaching Kate Bush in quality, I’m sure we will be hearing more from her in the future. She is certainly on my list of artist to watch out for…

From Hurts 2011

Then, suited and booted Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson joined their band, an opera soloist, string section and two dancers on stage – almost as many people as Gaggle had brought to the stage. Rather different to the other group from Manchester that has been on the same stage a couple of nights before… With the weather having miraculously not become a night of down pours, the audience had built to capacity; they where enraptured by the opening “Silver Lining” and “Wonderful Life”. My personal highlight was a cover of "Confide In Me" from Kylie Minogue's more electronic period in the mid 90s. Theo’s destruction of a mic stand half way through the set seamed to be without artistic justification – but that was the only blot on a well crafted show – except that it might have been too crafted and styled – without a little spontaneity – maybe that is where the destruction of the mic stand came in.  Closing with vast amounts of red confetti would have left the staff of Somerset House with an enormous cleaning up task – it had got absolutely everywhere within the venue and even beyond the entrance!

Hacking on the mobile phone…

From Blondie 2011

Having previously seen Blondie in 2010 from a far at Kenwood House, where an under powered sound system and an audience as interested in their picnics as the music (possibly because they couldn’t hear it!) failed to inspire, I made my way to Somerset House in the hope that the tighter space would bring the best out of the iconic rock’n’roll gal. The start was a little slow as new tracks from the current Album failed to hit the spot. True fans enjoy new material as well as the old classics – ultimately they mean new albums and more touring to promote sales – but they should be mixed with the classics to get the momentum going. Once the classics started flowing the place started rocking – One Way or Another, Maria, Atomic, Call me and the very timely Hanging/Hacking on the Telephone had the entire audience joining in – most of whom where born long after they where penned. With Beady Eye and Blondie on consecutive nights, the Summer Series at Somerset House is certainly delivering the rock classics, surrounded by the upcoming generation possible future pop icons.

Swagger on stage – will the other brother be there next year?

From Beady Eye 2011

It was with some trepidation I took up a position at the front of the Beady Eye gig - my previous experience of gigs involving one or more Gallaghers had included the throwing of not quite empty plastic pint glasses towards the front – what a waste of expensive beer. I needn’t have worried – in the more refined surroundings of Somerset House there was only one – and that actually made it on to the stage! Security did earn they money on the night – it the first time in 20+ gigs at Somerset House I’ve seen someone pulled from the front of the audience – at other venues for some bands there is an almost constant stream… The event attracted more photographers than any other in the series so far, and also numerous onlookers from the side of the stage, some of whom could easily have graced the stage themselves – although probably not to the same audience. Liam hasn’t lost any of his swagger.  He clearly felt we where privileged to have him perform for us. If the breakup of Oasis broke his heart, he is clearly getting over it. Liam has previously played to much bigger venues, but Somerset House seamed exactly the right size for his half of the outcome of the break up of Oasis – big enough to take the volume – but not so big that those at the back felt disconnected.

Rocking round the courtyard

From Imelda May 2011

Opening for Imelda May at Somerset House was Big Boy Bloater – he and his band brought 50s rock to the venue, and if the Thames had had waves we’d have been surfing them.

Imelda May swung on to stage – looking a little like a bee in her yellow and black dress. A bee hive wig would have completed the look to a tee. She and her swing band proceeded to send out a rousing rockabilly sound into the formality of the Somerset House courtyard. Highlights of the set included Gypsy and Roadrunner…

Evening mini festival at Somerset House

From Aloe Blacc 2011

It was relatively early start at Somerset House as a number of new acts got the chance to experience playing the wonderful venue as part of the What Next programme – if Debbie Aramide, Franklin Secret and Ruby Blue are examples of what London can produce, without a formulaic TV talent show in sight, then the music industry has a great future.

Listed as the first “main” support act Yasmin continued the great live music. Her confident performance of Finish Line was the highlight of the set.

Dionne Bromfield, at 16, could easily have been one of the acts performing as part of What Next – but she easily justified her position as top support act. Filling the venue with a sound that belied her young age – she didn’t need the support of her four dancers to put on a good show – the sound alone did that – but if they helped added to her confidence they didn’t distract from the quality of  the set. She will surely emerge from the shadow of her god mother, Amy Winehouse, and become a star in her own right…

The smooth Aloe Blacc then took to the stage – his polished mix of Soul, Jazz and R&B with a little rap/hip hop mixed in filled the Somerset House court yard on what had become a warm summer evening.

The addition of 3 sets from What Next extended the evening in to almost a mini festival – the wonderful Summers Sunday afternoon weather contributed – would be nice if Somerset House decided to extend this to all their weekend gigs in the Summer Series. 

Outer Hebrides to the centre of London?

The first of my “lucky dips” of the Somerset House Summer series was Stonoway – the audience waiting for them varied from the very young to middle aged, and was a good indicator of the middle of the road performance they would give. The warm summer evening had a mellow expectant audience awaiting the musicians. Starting slowly – apparently a little overwhelmed by the venue it took time for the quartet to engage the audience. Adding the North Sea Radio Orchestra to the sound was an interesting experiment to add texture and breadth to their sound – but the introduction simply disrupted the little momentum the band had managed to build. They did succeed in building to a crescendo with their with Long Distance Lullaby and Zorbing.   I’d suggest that the open air grandeur didn’t do their sound any favours and they’ll restrict themselves to smaller indoor venues like the one in Eastleigh they referred to playing the previous night – a Georgian courtyard being one step towards the big time for the time being… An enjoyable random way to spend a summer evening in the centre of London – but not quite up to the high level previously attained by performers on this stage…

From Stornoway 2011

Green within the Courtyard

From Professor Green 2011

The first Friday of the Summer Series at Somerset House and I made sure I was there as early as I could. I wasn't expecting a N-Dubz style turn out, most of the audience queuing many hours before the doors opened – but even so the queue was substantial, over an hour before the doors where due to open. Ed Drewett warmed up an already packed courtyard, by the time Professor Green’s set began the audience where already energized and ready to dance for the rest of the night. The sound could have done with a little more vocal to be able to hear the clever use of words and rhythm that have brought me round to rap as an art form.   Covers of tracks by artists including Beyonce Kowles and Jay-Z, interleaved between material from his upcoming album and well know hits, where the highlights of evening. Professor Green was clearly enjoying himself as much as the audience and defying the Evening Standards description of him as a “cartoon rapper” or Lily Allen collaborator.

No conga in sight as Summer Series returns

Having enjoyed all but one night of the musical lucky dip that is the Summer Series at Somerset House in 2010, I'd secured tickets for every night in 2011 without having to depend on re-sales sites.

The headline act for the first night was eels - but it was some of the supporting acts that had been equally good discoveries in 2010 and sometimes strange oddities... The first support act feel in to the latter category - hula hop to DJ. Jesca Hoop was a more traditional, if still experimental, jazz/pop set – her song about talking her dying Mormon mother thought smoking a joint stood out!

From eels 2011

It is a shame Somerset House couldn't have opened their series with a British act - I'm sure there are many that would have jumped at the chance of playing such a wonderful venue – having said that eels has certainly attracted a enthusiastic sold out crowd. Beards, preferably full, appeared to be required to be on stage. It took a little while for the audience to warm up – but once we’d got to the very appropriate Hot Fun in the Summertime and then Novocaine for the Soul the gig was in full swing – Mark Everett agreed it was “marvellous”. I don’t think the second encore of the night was planned – and if not it’s refreshing for the band to have been free to respond to the applause from the audience spontaneously. But, it might have just been they needed two breaks to get to the end of their mammoth 26-song set! A good start to the run of live music.

“The Randoms” - Awards for a musical lucky dip at Somerset House

Having been lucky enough get tickets to 10 out of the 11 gigs in that made up the 2010 Sumer Series in Somerset House, I’d like to award a few prizes:

Loudest – Soul II Soul

This one is easy – they had clearly turned the volume all the way up to 11 – not a big surprised for a collective that  had its origins as a sound system. The windows around the court yard where at significant danger at some points – not to mention my ear drums!

Youngest Audience – N-Dubz

Run away winners – and a good thing too as that meant they where also the shortest audience so I could still get a good view despite giving up my place near the front for a call of nature…

Oldest Audience – Gil Scott Heron

It would be Interesting to see if there was a correlation between the average age on and off the stage – Gil’s audience was definitely the most mature – matching those on stage providing the entertainment.

Early Arrivals – N-Dubz’s Audience

I thought I should get there a little early as it was Sunday and a very “current” headline, it was also a very pleasant walk through the city to get there on a warm Sunday evening – but I didn’t expect the entire audience to be there an hour before the doors where due to open!

Late Arrivals – Not Awarded

Possibly because of the very strict 11pm curfew, none of the acts took there time appearing on stage.

Best Opening act – Joint -

Cathy Davey (Divine Comedy) & Mayer Hawthorne (GIl Scott Heron)

Hard to separate these two – both had me buying there albums via iPad live at the event, should either headline an event themselves, I’ll be looking for tickets.

Strangest Opening act – Ólöf Arnalds (AIR)

I’m not sure what the link is between Icelandic folk and synth based electronica – but it didn't work for me or most of the audience

Biggest Surprise – Divine Comedy (Solo)

I’d not had time to do any research on what to expect from this evening – Neil Hannon’s working of and with the audience was superb entertainment.

Best Gig –

Winner – Florence + The Machine – Runner up – Divine Comedy (Solo) 

This is a close run thing – I had high expectations of Florence Welch and her extensive “machine”, which they still managed to exceeded with the most complete performance of the series. I had no expectations of Neil Hannon – but he delivered a solo performance which I defy anyone not to have been entertained by.

Honourable Mention – The weather

I can’t believe I attended 12 outdoor musical events in a few London summer weeks and there where only a few spots of rain for all of them.

If I’m in London when the 2011 series is run – I’ll definitively be trying to get tickets all the of them again – the musical lucky dip was a wonderful way to spend some glorious summer evening escaping the stress of the office… Somerset House – please offer a season ticket to the event for the musically brave so I don’t have to resort to GetMeIn or the many ticket touts that gather outside the events. And please rebook the weather.

Somerset II Soul

From Soul II Soul

Closing the Somerset House series for 2010 where Soul II Soul – and from standing in the queue I knew they where going to push the sound system all the way to 11! My place at the front of the queue would secure me a position right at the front and if the volume of the sound check was anything to go by I might have ended up using my earphones as ear plugs! Jazzie B’s admission that they’d not played live for 4 years showed – it was a shame, individually much of the music was a great reminder of the end of the 80’s and good times at University – but they failed to flow as a group and never managed to get the audience moving as one.

An evening of divine comical musical comments on life

Divine Comedy was one of the evening where I really didn’t know what to expect. Standing in the queue didn’t make it any clearer – a very mixed audience in terms of age and social appearance, large groups of young people, families with young children – one group with a champagne and sushi picnic to eat in the queue! Frantic chaos at work meant I’d not even used the internet to find out what to expect!

From Divine Comedy

The warm up act, Cathy Davey, was so good I bought two albums on my iPad in the break before the main act! The “Solo” added to the main act title on the event promotion, the piano and single guitar on the stage gave some more clues to the nature of the main act. The fact that person placing the artists drinks and props for the evening being “suited and booted” should have been a clue…

Then Neil Hannon made his appearance on stage – suited and booted, completed with a bowler hat and brief case! A Flanders & Swann style commentary on the current financial problems started the evening – and it was that style of clever humorous commentaries on all sort of things that fill the rest of a great evening.

This will revive my childhood listening to Flanners & Swann - “complete collection from iTunes already download” – one of my favourite quotations from them being:

“Raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall to that wall, you'll still only get the stereophonic effect if you sit in the bottom of that cupboard”

Sums up the modern hi-fidelity world…

One event in the Somerset House series to go – Soul II Soul will find it hard to top Cathy Davey and Divine Comedy (Solo) – for me the best so far of a very good series of very varied evenings entertainment.

Contemporary Jazz in historic surroundings

From Corinne Bailey Rae

After the traditional Jazz from Gil Scott-Heron on Wednesday it was the turn of the current generation of musicians to fill the court yard of Somerset House with Jazz. Corinne Bailey Rae filled that role with yet another rain free evening in central London, surrounded by architecture that hide the bustle of the city in an oasis of music. A very pleasant way to start the weekend.

Managed to “get me in” to this sold out event…

The ticket to see Florence + the Machine was the only one I’d had to resort to GetMeIN to get – and it was worth the extra cost. I do wish a method of ensuring tickets get to music lovers rather than the touts could be found – maybe some form of loyalty scheme you can only take advantage of if you actually attend the event! “The XX” hadn’t appealed enough to pay the price premium for their sold out appearance in the series and was the only one I missed.

From Florence and the Machine

The entertainment began with Holly Miranda – who really didn’t seam to be up to playing to an audience awaiting Florence. Of all the support acts so far she was the first not get any rapport from the crowd – even the Icelandic folk music got a better reception! It continued with the stage crew trying to get the curtain installed to ensure a smoky start to Florence’s performance would actually fall down to prevent the breeze from displacing the stage smoke…

Then with the added tension of whether the impromptu smoke retainer would manage to drop to reveal Florence the main show began… Florence represent the current generation of 20 something female British pop/rock vocalists – that include the likes of Lily Allen, Ellie Goulding and Little boots – very capably. She had the largest backing group of any of her piers – but they filled the courtyard of Somerset House with a great modern sound.

From Florence and the Machine

New Orleans comes to Somerset House

From Gil Scott-Heron

Mayer Hawthorne opened with the night with a great set of up beat soul. Tonight’s audience was the most relaxed so far – my place at the front obtained because most people already there where sitting on blankets enjoying yet another evening of wonderful summer weather. After an expectation building pause, Gil Scott Heron made his appearance - Eyjafjallajökull prevented his previous one in London. So begun a evening of traditional Jazz, storey from the beginnings of Jazz and Soul. Somerset resounded to music and wit totally suited to neo classical surroundings. Combined with the weather you could easily imagine you’d been transported to New Orleans.

Australian night at Somerset House

From The Temper Trap

Opening with The Middle East, and headlining with Temper Trap meant it was an all southern hemisphere evening in the former heart of the British empires tax systems… Both bands represented their nation well – the folk style rock opening was followed by guitar base rock with a tweak of punk. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Temper Trap playing bigger events in the future, there sound filled Somerset House with ease.

Early bird gets the good views…

From N-Dubz

I'd expected the audience for this event to show up early - but not that early - by the time I arrived over an hour before the advertised doors open time the queues where already being funnelled in to every space round Somerset House they could find... by the time 7:30 came I think the entire audience was already there! It had to happen eventually – two days in Hyde Park and the first three days of this series and a call of nature forced me to give up my position six or seven from the front – but that wasn’t too bad – the much younger average age of N-Dubz fans meant even from half way back a carefully selected position avoiding taller parents and the gentle slope meant I could still see all of the stage… I can’t say N-Dubz would be my first choice – but they did put on a good show – and it can’t be denied that they have talent. Some of the themes and language in there lyrics seam a little mature for their apparent target audience…