i got front row!,

I'm going to see her in London on the 15th - really looking forward to it. Have only heard one song from the new album, but love 'Down in Mississpi'

funkyhead said:

i will see her in amsterdam...got a spare ticket for you my friend....

Great to see you again mate. Keep in touch.

I'll go to see her next wednesday. She'll be in Amsterdam.

Savage said:

like wise, she was a star, hope her voice gets better.

to anyone else whose going, watch out for the lead guitarist, he is incredible. + if you are lucky enough to see Jhelisa as support her voice and super tight band will blow you away too. The show was very different to the one i saw years ago in Camden [[actually was at Baguley's ledgendary aftershow and she was increible] also saw her at the jazz cafe in Camden as well. Have to thoroughly recommend the new CD too.

rafael said:

cool, can you pay for my palne ticket as well!.

funkyhead said:

sure, charmer.

darlingfloor said:

eireboy34 said:

again, I invited you for a night in, watching UTCM, servind your beloved G andT. And what was your reaction? ..nada

darlingfloor said:

eireboy34 said:

ogosh! our first fight.
baby i didn't mean it that bad!

darlingfloor said:

eireboy34 said:

a need a man, not a little eireboy haha sorry baby
you know i love u, just see through how much trouble i go to find out about ur age/shoes/flat/class/gender

Last night was amazing! Mavis had a throat infection, but said that she never cancels a show and came on anyway. It was a great night and I cannot believe the amazing Chavonne Morris. My mouth literally hit the floor when she starting singing in the last 90 seconds of the show. Fab night - 'goldfingers' the guitarist was fantastic.

Jhelisa's pianist was phenomenal also, all in all a great night, don't miss this!

darlingfloor said:

get a room!

funkyhead said:

hahaha you are right.
Back on topic. Mavis deserves that

darlingfloor said:

Daaahling I sense our relationship has reached the point of no return....I'm going to open another bottle of gin and listen to lots of songs about relationship breakups.

I have to go now, I don't know when I'll return....goodbye

This is the review. Amazing night!

http://www.manchestereven...water_hall

Mavis Staples @ Bridgewater Hall
Kevin Bourke
15/ 4/2008


14/04/08

SHE may be 69-years-old this year but Mavis Staples, a survivor of “America’s First Family Of Soul” The Staple Singers, is still proudly singing her way down that Freedom Highway.

She promised to bring “joy, hope and a message of inspiration” to the Bridgewater Hall and not many concert-goers could say she failed to honour that pledge, despite some signs of the illness that compelled her to drop out of an earlier gig on this tour.

The woman Prince called just “The Voice” was backed by three other vocalists, including her sister Yvonne Staples as well as Chavonne Morris and Donny Gerard, and a tight three-piece band comprising guitarist Rick Holstrom, bassist Jeff Turnes and drummer Stephen Hodges – the latter two veterans of working with Tom Waits.

She powered her way through a set that ranged all the way from the Staples’ earliest pop hit, a version of the Buffalo Springfield tune For What It’s Worth, up to her most recent album, the Ry Cooder-produced We’ll Never Turn Back (although not, sadly, including my personal favourite, the intensely moving My Own Eyes) on which she reflects on her family’s days marching for freedom in the Sixties.

Inevitably

They often appeared alongside Doctor Martin Luther King and, inevitably, his favourite song of theirs Why? (Am I Treated So Bad) took pride of place in the set, albeit rather unnecessarily (for the audience at least) garnished with a lengthy guitar workout.

The Staples’ huge hits Respect Yourself and I’ll Take You There transported the enthusiastic crowd Heavenwards before Mavis returned for an encore double-whammy of We Shall Not Be Moved and Turn Me Around.

It all served as a timely reminder that hers is a voice that has been vital to most of the major American music strands – gospel, folk, soul and blues – for decades and that her powerful, passionate and political music is as relevant today as it has ever been.

“Everything I do is Gospel,” she told me before the show and it would have been a hard-hearted soul who wasn’t at least momentarily transported to a better place by this divine experience.

Did you go to the show? Why not tell us what you thought by entering our Reviewer of the Month competition.

Savage said:

sounds great, i'm looking foreward to next week

See this link for our special Thank you

http://prince.org/msg/8/267959

Hope everyone else enjoyed Mavis
[Edited 4/24/08 14:45pm]

I went to see Mavis in Paradiso(Amsterdam) yesterday.
Last week, still a week to go to THE concert, I drove my friends and family crazy obsessing about this incredible woman. Strange enough, almost nobody heard of her before. Is that even possible? Apparently... Even 'I'll take you there' didn't always ring their bells.

Mark DuFresne and the Maurizio Pugno Band were in great shape. Good bluesband. The singer had a higher voice than the main Lady. Mavis Staples; gospel, soul and freedomsongs, what a pleasure. She got a little emotional when she heard us all sing 'I'll take you there'. But most of the time she was full of smiles and man she has a delicious laugh. She told this story about "back in the days of dr. Martin Luther King" when a couple of black kids wanted to go to school but were rejected."They were teenagers like me". Everbody laughed."No, no, no back in the sixties, back in the sixties I was a teenager, once I was, you know".
The woman's got a comical talent. "We've got a black man and a woman running for president, I never thought I'd see the day". Someone from the audience then gave her an Obama button. Which she wore proudly throughout the concert.

The band was sharp. Just the right sound. While they were jamming away, Mavis took a little break. But she couldn't help applauding and boo-whopping in the back. The backingvocals were impressive. Mavis' sister, a man with a "silky-smooth" voice and a young woman, whose cd I'd buy without thinking. What they sang? Down in Missisipi, Respect yourself (and a tin bit of R.E.S.P.E.C.T), Why am I treated so bad, Eyes on the prize, We shall not be moved, On my way. Amongst others.
[Edited 4/24/08 13:49pm]