Oysterband
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Review from Forum in london 12. Dec. 08
The last review of 2008 before Oysterband takes some time off after touring around the world the last years, and certainly deserve some vacation, allthough it's gonna be hard for us Oysterfans with no gig before june 2009 at the Big Session festival.
The final anniversary gig was set at the venue Forum in Londom, where they also had the 25. years anniversary and i think Forum is a great venue with room downstairs for the moshers and on the balcony for those who want to sit down. ( like me because of my bad knee).
There was 2 bands on for warm up before Oysterband, Speirs and Boden, a duo who plays a blend of traditional English folk song with a contemporary twist and hi-octane dance tunes which get everyone dancing. To learnd more about Speirs and Boden vist their website. www.spiersandboden.com
The music was what i would descriebe as ok, but the sound was a killer, waye to much bass and you had a hard time to hear the singing because of the bass.
After Speirs and Boden, Edward II was on and the presenter told that this band actually had played before Oysterband at the Forum way back in 1986 when Oysterband had the long version of their name The Oyster Band. Edward II plays playes a fusion of reggae and English folk music and they split up in 1999, but are now back again and delivered an good and powerfull warm up for the Oysterband. It was annonced that they will be on a lot of the upcoming summerfestivals, i can recommend to see them and you can hear some of their music on www.myspace.com/edwardiiofficial. They also had a bit trouble with bass, but not as bad as on the previous band and reggae do have an tendensy to a louder bass.
I have to say that i during the first bands was wondering about the number of audiens, because when i looked down at the floor and around on the balcony, there was plenty of room for more people...was'nt there gonna be more people in for the 30. anniversary show...but during Edward II the floor and the balcony was being filled up with people and before Oysterband came on.
Then it was time for the 30. anniversary gig, which by the way is my gig number 85 with Oysterband since 1996, but also a gig that meant a farewell to Lee Partis, who has been with the Oysterband since 1992 and hello to the drummer Dil. Also an old member of Oysterband was joining the band this evening, Ian Kearey who played bass from 1982 to 1989, where Chopper replaced Ian Kearey on bass.
The Oysterband opend with Another quit night in England and ended the gig with the aucoustic version of Put out the lights in London city, an impressing ending with a song without microphone on the powerfull voice of John Jones in the Forum and even on the balcony we could hear him load and clearly.
( See the video here)
The setlist will be at the end of this review, but a few notes before that.
If you watched the Oysterband at youtube, you have proberly seen the video of the song Early days of better nation(if noy you can find it on my site, look in the gallery), and i have never heard that one live, so i was hoping for it making its way to the setlist in Forum
An great song from an earlier album (wide Blue Wonder 1987). Everybody who has been in for the band for a while, knows that Oysterband has a stand on what going on in the world, and the write songs about, as they say why not tell it with some jolly good music.
So John Jones introduced the song with an greetings to the newly election of Barack Obama as president of the United States, which shows that even old songs af Oysterband is still doing it today.
The finacial criesis also could match a song for the setlist, Here comes the flood, a song from their latest album with all new tracks "Meet you there" from 2007.
Like the last gig in Flensburg, it seems that the band is in a good shape even after being on the road for so long time, they wre delivering an powerfull performance and you really sensed their joy for playing and interact with the audience.
Oysterband did rock at the Forum, on the floor the audiens was dancing and jumping, on the balcony where we was'nt allow to stand up by the security(proberly and understanding because of the low edge), we were stamping with ourt feets so hard on the floor, that the you could feel the vibration on the balcony, awsom feeling.
To Mike the soundman, thanx for doing a good job with the sound for the Oysterband part, unlike the 2 first bands you showed how to get a good sound out to the audience at the Forum.
Last but not least the setlist of the 30. years anniversay gig:
Another Quiet Night in England
Be Good, Be Lucky
Walking Down the Road
Meet You There
Here Comes the Flood
On the Edge
Salmon Tails Down the Water
Bury Me Standing
Native Son
By Northern Light
Uncommercial Song
Oxford Girl (new aucoustic version)
Bells Of Rhymney
Early days of a better nation
Our lady of the bottle
Dancing As Fast As I Can
20th of April
Blood Wedding
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1. encore
The World Turned Upside Down
Shouting end of life
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2. encore
Put out the Lights