Todd Rundgren AWATS "International feel" HAMMERSMITH 6th Feb 2010

Todd "International Feel" at the start of the AWATS show Hammersmith Apollo London 2010

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Todd Rundgren
• Utopia
• Kasim Sultan
• AWATS.

[2foxmore]

Thank you Nick for kindly replying. Last time I saw Todd was at The Venue in 78 which was great almost sureal gig!! My son Ben (24) is a big fan of Todds!! The quality of your footage is great so thank you again...

[nickdeaves]

The Venue 78 yes I went to one of those, a Sunday afternoon I think at the tender age of 16..how time flys!!!

[liborsionko]

Am I alone in thinking the 'show' was a visually flat? kind of low budget and the elements (Todd, Band, set) did'nt link nor enhance the faithfully rendered music. Why no video /graphic stuff. I'd have thought Todd would be up for that - allowing a complimentary, new creative process. Most of the audience grew up with this record, less haste between numbers filled with some rapport would have been nice, as would the ommision of the unremarkable (save for length!) blues work-out at the start.

[nickdeaves]

I think you have a point to be fair....but I am I not sure it was meant to be like that in may ways, I dont know I really enjoyed it and seeing Todd since the Venue in 78 he never delivers really what is expected..part of his charm I think..respect your views.

[skidbytreaclemine]

thanks for posting, I was there too, a wonderful night marred only by assholes who either turned up late, couldnt stay put for more than 5 minutes or had serious bladder control issues....oh and the dildo who sat in front of me yelling out saying 'give us some proper Todd'!!

Brilliant Todd it was worth the wait!!

[nickdeaves]

sounds like the person in front of you was NOT a"cool jerk"

[theBadloves]

Given that the European tour was 2 shows in venues that hold around 2000 people, how much money did you expect Todd to spend on production?

I agree the band were under-rehearsed, but the staging was fine. I could have done without any of the costumes just to see Todd put of this show, so anything else was a bonus to me. I'd be surprised if TR made a cent from the London/Amsterdam venture, it seemed to be more or less something he did for the fans. I loved every second of the show (Amsterdam).

[candelise]

Yes, "artists with importance circulate interest", blah, blah. Why do people still go to classical concerts? Is Richard Thompson a musican-artist or an artisan? John Cale too? Art can stir the soul and dazzle the mind. Some people excel in both, some only enjoy one or the other and it sounds like you hold out in one camp only. Also, many 'artists' or 'musicans' who no longer come on like they are 'reiventing the art of recorded sound' can still command a large audience, a fact also.

[liborsionko]

@candelise

You attribute too much importance to 'the musician', Musicians are artisans not artists.The cliches only exist because they truly reflect the many ongoing cliches in the music world.

You were bemused as to why certiain artists were not 'rising' above cult status - I tried to answer it - It's a fact that artists with something new, that has to be 'said,' will escalate interest, that's where greatness comes from! Conversely 'same old' won't...however enjoyable

[candelise]

@liborsionko You sound like a typical non-musician who writes critical cliches for the music press. About as boring as the music you slated. You forgot the word ENJOYABLE which ultimately rises above 'edgy', newness or any of your other bits of well-trodden 'critic -spiel'. You can be nearly all those things you mention and still make sounds people don't like.

[liborsionko]

@candelise probably more tonedeaf, or blinded by your adoration.

[liborsionko]

@candelise ..and how high would you expect them to rise? are they doing anything new? is their material remarkable in any way? are they edgy? do they excite??

Or are they studious, well organised, mineral water drinking, disciplined 'professional musician' journeymen who have found their niche?

[candelise]

@liborsionko By the way, I mention the blues because artists like Susan Tedeschi, Dani Wilde or Joanne Shaw Taylor do not seem to be rising any higher than cult status here.

[candelise]

@liborsionko Yeah,right!! The rest of us were deaf and blind, thanks.

[liborsionko]

Not sure why I 'should know' about a forthcoming blues album? & why assume that because a TR blues set was not well recieved, blues is unappreciated!.

My imagination was excited by the prospect of AWATS on stage and all the inherent creative colour and diversity only to be numbed by a souless, visually flat and undynamic - there was no sharing with the band (who had to go through the motions as fatally happens in the worst of American WhiteBoy blues) just a vehicle for TRs fretboard noodling.

[candelise]

Surely the 'haste' between songs represents the haste in sound and style of the album. As for the blues section, Todd, as you should know, is under contract to release a blues album of Robert Johnson covers, to be released this year and this was simply a preview of it. Personally, I loved it, like the rest of the show. What happened to Blues appreciation in this country anyway, as you, according to some I heard at he show, were not alone in this opinion?