I have not made the effort ot keep this personal blog updated so I am shifting some of the stories to Facebook (notes) instead, and deleting a few too.
I will be using this blog for another purpose, more on that later.
Last week I went (with my wife) to the Solaris centre, a new retail and entertainment (cinema, theatre, exhibitions etc.) complex in Tallinn to see The Gotan Project who were on their Tango 3.0 tour.
I confess I knew nothing about them except that they play some sort of lounge music. I had never heard a single track or seen a photo.
The show was scheduled to start at 7pm which it more or less did.
When the band came I was a bit surprised to say the least.
Here we were sitting in the front row, centre, confronted by post punk hippy-ish folk band who seem to have an extraordinary command of Estonian and Russian language.
Impressive language skills I thought, for a French band.
The crowd was very receptive and clapping along but privately I could not understand. This was c list folk festival music, nothing better than you would find in British pub.
They weren’t terrible but certainly not “international quality” if you know what I mean.
After a few tracks I commented to my wife something who said, “oh no, that’s not The Gotan Project”.
A mixture of relief and annoyance hit me.
Relief that surely better was to come and annoyance that no support band had been announced and I would have time to eat properly beforehand instead of grabbing an overpriced cake and coffee in a Solaris Coffee Shop.
As their set continued I got more and more bored and was genuinely confused as to what the crowd were clapping about.
Anyway -each to their own- I guess its fair enough, someone must have liked them.
What “got me” was the over-emphasis on accordion – it’s never been my favourite instrument.
Then the break. Long queues to get a pint L so I did without.
However I did bump into a “leading Estonian media mogul” who said “how could they do that to us? I came here for a bit of Gotan and they gave us that! At least they did not disturb my sleep!”
Unfortunately they did disturb mine and also so did the photographers who were present the whole set right in front of us, rolling around the floor (presumably trying not to annoy the audience but doing exactly that to the people in the front row like us – very unprofessional.).
So eventually the main event began and although their music is not my preferred genre they were pretty damned professional.
But sadly half way through I was suffering from accordion overdose – even though the accordion player in TGP was undoubtedly gifted I had already had enough from the first band (whose name I never got btw).
Luckily a mixture of rockiness, weird sampling and a bit of hip hop brightened up the beginning of the second half of their set and I found myself tapping my feet etc.
So overall TGP I give you an 8 but the night gets a 6.
My advice to Solaris: don’t let photographers stay more than a couple of songs to get their shots and PLEASE announce on the ticket if there is a support band and when the main act goes on stage and;
My advice to The Gotan Project: do some due diligence on your support act – the band you chose just did not fit – different style, lower quality – not good.
My advice to the Ukranian-Estonian?? support band – it was a great opportunity for you and plenty of the people in the audience liked your stuff but did anyone catch your name? Perhaps next time clearly announce yourself at the beginning and end of your set of put your name on a sign on stage.
I can only assume some one in TGP must have a friend in the first band’s line up and letting them support was a personal favour: Very generous but not what I expected, wanted or needed and many people I am sure felt the same.
I have reviewed other gigs in Estonia which I posted on my company blog before I started this one. Here they are:
Robert Fripp (read the two comments)
Rabarock (Festival that included Gary Numan amongst others)
For what its worth, imho the two best gigs I have seen here in Tallinn are The White Stripes and Morrissey. Both were pure class.
Lou Reed’s Berlin was egoistic and disappointing but how could I miss it.