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Richard Harwood, Finghin Collins, Elizabeth Cooney, Carol McGonnell, Ian Wilson and Gavin Friday during rehearsals.

One more time before the new year I followed the music abroad, bringing me to a bitter cold Paris for a third time this year.

Though I found the second part of the concert, Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, a little hard going, I did enjoy Gavin Friday’s narration of Marquez’s ‘The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World’ as set to music by composer Ian Wilson better than I did the first time I saw it, in Brighton. It was the venue’s ‘recital’ setting, placing the musicians amidst the audience, that much improved the sound and intimacy. Gavin, hindered by the low lights and the yellow marker ‘popping’ on his print out, fluffed up a few times, but he also hit some sweet marks. Particularly the part of the text that goes ‘and the hidden strength of his heart popped the buttons on his shirt’.

Afterwards musicians, crew, friends – among which the lovely Fiachna O Braonain – and yours truly retired to a restaurant cellar where rustic food, sangria, wine, calvados and hearty laughter kept us warm, happy, handsome and quite, quite drowned.

Surrounded by Irishmen and women, I sometimes got a little lost – this Dutch fallen Prod doesn’t really ‘get’ the holy Host or Mise Éire, but it’s endlessly fascinating nonetheless and somehow I always feel more at home than I do amongst my own.

“While they fought for the privilege of carrying him on their shoulders along the steep escarpment by the cliffs, men and women became aware for the first time of the desolation of their streets, the dryness of their courtyards, the narrowness of their dreams as they faced the splendor and beauty of their drowned man.” Gabriel Garcia Marquez – The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, set to music by composer Ian Wilson. Performed at the at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris on October 9, 2008.

More pictures of The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World

dEUS’ frontman Tom Barman ignoring the smoking ban at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. Seen on December 4, 2008.

View more of my dEUS photo’s on Flickr.

View a playlist with more video clips from the interview on Zie.nl

Cast – Drifting and Tilting – The Songs of Scott Walker

Drifting and Tilting – The Songs of Scott Walker
Barbican Theatre, November 13, 14, 15

review to follow

Guy Garvey’s a perfectionist. One of those type of singers whose entire experience of a show can be ruined by missing one single note. When he does that at the end of a particularly taxing and otherwise perfectly angelic song, the disappointment is clear on his face. ‘No worries, mate,’ someone shouts.

There’s bands that make you want to dance, and bands that make you want to shoe gaze, bands that make you angry and bands that make you want to take to the barricades. Elbow’s a band that makes me think of everybody and everything I’ve ever loved in my entire life, family, friends, lovers, entire cities, and make me love them even more.

Throw those curtains wide!

Martha Wainwright @ Rogue’s Gallery, originally uploaded by Caroline.

One of the highlights of the 4-hour journey that was Rogue’s Gallery London. Martha Wainwright, a striking blonde with killer pipes belting out Lowlands Away, which her brother Rufus and mother Kate McGarrigle had sung on the Rogue’s Gallery album.

By the way, this was the night’s set list:

1) CAPE COD GIRLS / CROSSBONE SCULLEY – Baby Gramps + Chorus

2) HOG EYE MAN – Martin Carthy + Chorus

3) MY SON JOHN – Tim Robbins + Chorus

4) HAUL AWAY JOE – Teddy Thompson + Chorus

5) BALTIMORE WHORES – Gavin Friday + Eliza Carthy

6) FAREWELL NANCY – Langley Sisters/Ed Harcourt
7) OLE OG – Langley Sisters/Ed Harcourt

8) SAM’S GONE AWAY – Robyn Hitchcock + Chorus

9) LEAVE HER JOHNNY – Sandy Dillon

10) BONNIE PORTMORE – Kami Thompson + violins

11) ROLLING SEA – Eliza Carthy

12) DAN DAN + OBOE DUEL – David Thomas
13) FIRE DOWN BELOW – David Thomas

14) GED A SHEOL MI AIR – Julie Fowlis

15) MINGULAY BOAT SONG – Chris Difford + Kami

16) GOOD SHIP VENUS – Richard Strange

17) LONG TIME AGO – White Magic
18) BLOOD RED ROSES – White Magic + Chorus

19) COAST OF HIGH BARBARY – Neil Hannon
20) TURKISH REVELRY – Neil Hannon + Gita

21) BAY OF BISCAY – Norma + Martin, Eliza

22) SALLY BROWN – Teddy Thompson

23) BULLY IN THE ALLEY – Gavin/Sandy/ Pete?
24) BONEY WAS A WARRIOR – Gavin w/ Shane/Pete?

25) SOUTH AUSTRALIA – Shane McGowan w/Tim/Pete + Chorus

26) HAUL ON THE BOWLINE – Tim Robbins + Chorus
27) THE CRUEL SHIP’S CAPTAIN – Tim Robbins + violins

28) CAROLINE AND HER YOUNG SAILOR – Suzanne Vega + violins

29) LITTLE BOY BILLIE – Ralph Steadman + Chorus

30) ONE SPRING MORNING – Teddy + Kath Williams + violins/BVs

31) ROW THE BOAT CHILD – Jenni Muldaur + Chorus + violins

32) DRUNKEN SAILOR – David Thomas + Shane + Tymon

33) LOWLANDS LOW – Chris Difford + Gita

34) LOWLANDS AWAY – Martha + violins

35) GREY FUNNEL LINE – Martha

36) NEW YORK GALS / WILD GOOSE – Robyn Hitchcock + Chorus

37) PINERY BOY – Gavin Friday + violins

38) TURAS – Julie Fowlis

39) LIVERPOOL CHANTEY – Shane + Pete Doherty & Tim + Chorus

40) THE MERMAID – Martin
41) THE NIGHTINGALE – Eliza
42) SHALLOW BROWN – Norma + Chorus

43) OLD MAN OF THE SEA – Baby Gramps

Rum, sodomy and the lash, originally uploaded by Caroline.

Pictures of the Rogue’s Gallery show at the Barbican in London last Monday. Not as good as the Dublin ones, circumstances were a little more difficult and restricted.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Efterklang , originally uploaded by Caroline.

My guest pass for the Rogue’s Gallery festival also gave me access to the second day of the Analog Festival.

Three bands I’d never heard of before were on the bill. The concert started with Liars, an American band with an Australian singer. I’ve filed them under Z for Zappa with their experimental rock sound. Not my kind of thing, but frontman Angus was theatrical enough to please the photographer in me.

Efterklang made me want to hear more. Dressed in folk garb the Danes came across as a happier version of Arcade Fire – with just a tiny hint of Up With People.

The somewhat older band Tortoise followed. Instrumental rock with two drum kits in the foreground. They were a little too jazzy for me at the start, so I wandered around taking pictures of the beautiful setting of the festival, but their rhythms became a little tighter as their set progressed which drew me back in.

View my Efterklang, Liars en Tortoise photos on Flickr.

Lou Reed and Shane McGowan, originally uploaded by Caroline.

My first time competing for shots in the photo pit. All the other photographers were male, tall, big and Irish.

I’ve have tons to edit when I get back home. Rogue’s Gallery was quite the event. Shane McGowan riling up the crowd with Dave-id, Guggi and Gavin Friday. Actor Tim Robbins (who is recording an album?) jamming with Lou Reed. David Thomas (Pere Ubu) in a class of his own. Folk, pop, rock an avant-garde sharing the same stage, stuck together with Hal Willner’s glue.

Doing it all over again next week in London.

Leonard Cohen, Amsterdam Westerpark, July 12, 2008 More Leonard Cohen photos by cvodb

Setlist (unverified)
Dance Me To The End OF Love
The Future
Ain’t No Cure For Love
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire?
Hey That’s No Way To Say Goodbye
Anthem

Tower Of Song
Suzanne
Gypsy Wife
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
Democracy
I’m Your Man
Take This Waltz

So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan
Sisters Of Mercy
If It Be Your Will
Closing Time
I Tried To Leave You
Whither Thou Goest