The Kooks played a sold out show recently in Seattle and even though they were missing under the weather drummer Paul Garred, they were alarmingly vigorous. This was my first time seeing them live and this band has the charisma to continue on their major way.


Luke Pritchard

Pritchard, with his brown wavy locks and rock star figure, has a voice and talent that set him well apart from his contemporaries. Harris, the red-haired guitarist, is equally a standout. Their new bassist, Denton, joined just this year. And to be fair I never saw former bassist Max Rafferty live, I was quite hypnotized by Denton’s playing. Hypnotized, even though I was dancing to the music.


Hugh Harris

The history of the band starts in 2003. Consider that singer/songwriter Pritchard and drummer Garred are now 23, guitarist Hugh Harris is 21, and I am putting their new bassist Peter Denton near the same age. They’re following a line of classic British rock bands that did get a young start and made it big at young ages – I am thinking of bands like the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and the Kinks. I want to point out You Don’t Love Me and Ooh La in particular. You Don’t Love Me is petulance at its best, with Pritchard screaming if you don't love me you don't care and Ooh La, one of the strongest pop rock songs to come out in ages, melts you with its sweetness and cynicism: And ooh la, she was such a good girl to me/ And ooh la, the world just chewed her up and spat her out. With songs like these, Sofa Song, Mr. Maker, Jackie Big Tits and See the World I am of high hopes the band will continue this line of rock well into the next decade. Beyond? Judging by the audience, who knew the songs and were happily appreciative, the Kooks have a committed fan base.


Luke Pritchard


Peter Denton


Luke Pritchard and Peter Denton

--- For more photos I took at their show click here.

These extremely busy guys next head to the U.K. and Europe for a string of sold out dates. Then they head to Japan, Australia and New Zealand. They are rightly in demand.

Ode to J. Smith, Travis’ sixth album, is totally beautiful. Each track stands out and they’re the kind of band whose members are absolutely integral to their sound. I wouldn’t want to swap out any of these guys from this band.



Get Up bounds along with quite tribal drumming and dare I say it, but without being a cliché it has a Celtic flavor to it. Before You Were Young, with its charming cymbals, intricate guitar work and blessed piano asks: in the days before you were young/ we used to sit in the morning sun we used to turn the radio on/ what happened? Now it could be that you can have too much rhyming – but it works in this song perfectly and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Broken Mirror and Friends groove along at smooth and wonderfully trippy speeds. Travis knows how to set a mood and move you in the process. Last Words is perhaps the most instantly recognizable as Travis (there’s very distinctive guitar playing) and I think Long Way Down is probably my top track on the album: it makes no difference when you live in a puddle/ Now that I see it/ How can I breathe
When my heart’s in my mouth/ And not on my sleeve?/ Better run little rabbit/
Back to your hole in the ground. . . then it ends with the refrain: they’re never taking me alive.

With this cd Travis set up shop on their own label, Red Telephone Box, and they’ve opened up business with a boom.

I am catching up, slowly but surely, on photos & interviews etc. I took some pix of Kings of Leon last week when they played the Paramount. This is a photogenic group if there ever was one. I especially like this photo of drummer Nathan Followill blowing a bubble.


Nathan Followill and Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon's fans are party animals - I was impressed by their enthusiasm and just craziness in general. Here is more photographic evidence of why the girls just go insane for these guys:


Caleb Followill


Nathan Followill


Jared Followill


Matthew Followill

All 150 of the photos can be viewed here.

Enjoy.

We Are Scientists formed in 2000. They’re from Brooklyn and I am pretty sure they’ve been to Seattle several times (at least once or twice). So why did it take me until 2008 to see this band? Okay one reason is I don’t live in Brooklyn and the other reason is . . . I am not sure what my other reason is. Every so often it takes me a while to check a band out. I remedied this terrible accident the other night when the band opened for Kings of Leon at the Paramount and I am very sad I have missed them all this time. On the other hand I finally saw We Are Scientists – a band whose music punches you in the face with its impressive pop sounds.


Keith Murray - photo by Dagmar

During Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt the stage lights were nearly extinguished but for a few dim white lights. So picture a band singing: My body is your body/ I won't tell anybody/ If you wanna use my body/ Go for it, yeah, in basically the dark. It’s striking. On a side note, the girl seated next to me actually was stretching during part of the set. She impressively stretched one of her legs behind her head. I am not making this up and I wondered if the band saw this, and whether they had ever seen this while putting on a show before.

From It’s a Hit and Great Escape from their first album, With Love and Squalor to Chick Lit off their latest, Brain Thrust Mastery they have the most wonderful songs. Keith Murray (guitarist and lead singer) and bassist Chris Cain are like frenzied hurricanes onstage - we should all see much more of this band with such presence. They said they had programs and beer at the merch table - I would hold them to this next time.


Chris Cain - photo by Dagmar

For more photos, click here.
A full set list for the show can be found here.

I took some pix of Angels and Airwaves when they opened for Weezer a couple of weeks ago. I really, really, really like this band. According to a photographer friend of mine who was shooting with me, I was going all giddy. Well, here's why:


Tom DeLonge


David Kennedy


Tom DeLonge

They're just awesome photo subjects, right?

More photos? Yes, more photos:
Angels and Airwaves @ Key Arena

We have a winner! Keep checking and I hope to do this type of thing again!
The correct answer is Victoria.

The Kooks are coming and I have a double pass for the show this Tuesday, October 21st in Seattle. The show is all ages.



The first person who emails me at dagmar@dagmarsieglinde.com with the correct answer to this question wins these tix (note - it's one ticket to the show + 1):

Which song by the Kinks has the band covered for a 2009 charity album?

I’ve mentioned dream triple bills before but this one really took the cake – you’ve got Heartbreak opening, the Presets in between and Cut Copy headlining and you’ve also got a crowd of seriously crazed fans I don’t think I have ever seen matched at the Showbox.

Heartbreak, a British duo made up of Argentinian singer Sebastian Muravchix and Ali Renault, nailed their performance with truly hot synth pop pieces such as Regret and We’re Back. This band should be big – Muravchix’s theatrics and dancing are totally fun to watch. Muravchix’s voice reminds me a bit of Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters – something that endears me to this band more than I can say.


Sebastian Muravchix - photo by Dagmar

The Presets are immaculate. You could say I would think this because I grew up listening to synth music like Depeche Mode, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Visage, New Order. The fact is the Presets capture all that is great with these rhythms and singer Julian Hamilton has a miraculous voice – at times it’s dirty, cruel and then at other times it’s just touching. If you don’t think Are You the One? and This Boy’s in Love are perfect examples of what modern music should be, well, you’re wrong. If you don’t recognize that drummer Kim Moyes is part of the same gene pool that produced Keith Moon, you’re wrong again. They just have too many great songs for their own good.


Julian Hamilton - photo by Dagmar


Kim Moyes - photo by Dagmar

I saw Cut Copy open for Franz Ferdinand three years ago, so they’re not exactly that new an international band but they are now frankly too large a band for this venue. They’ve become so in not a sudden way but rather in an explosive way. There honestly was a near-chaotic frenzy among the audience but the crowd eventually hopped up and down as one. Singer Dan Whitford’s keyboards seemed at one point to come close to falling off stage during all the excitement. I’m still stuck on the song Hearts on Fire – it’s so lovely, and with Whitford’s soothing voice it too is as classic as they come.


Dan Whitford - photo by Dagmar


Cut Copy - photo by Dagmar

Additional Photos:

Heartbreak at the Showbox

the Presets at the Showbox

Cut Copy at the Showbox

How do you get a Seattle crowd to adore you even more than they already do? Point out, as Rivers Cuomo did on Saturday night that, "Without Seattle there would be no Weezer."

Weezer acknowledges this as well in Heart Songs with a reference to Nirvana's Nevermind: Back in 1991/ I wasn't havin' any fun/'Till my roommate said/"Come on and put a brand new record on"/ Had a baby on it/ He was naked on it/ Then I heard the chords that broke the chains and no matter how you feel about Nirvana and whether you'd enjoy Weezer's cover of Sliver as I did - I am guessing you like them if you're reading this - you have to admit that Weezer, beholden or not to those before it, is its own lovely beast and has been for very long time. May they continue so.

I have also never seen a rock band feature a trampoline on stage. This was novel and entertaining.

For a full gallery of my photos click here: Weezer @ Key Arena


Rivers Cuomo


Rivers Cuomo on the trampoline


Rivers Cuomo


Brian Bell


Rivers Cuomo


Weezer


Scott Shriner


Patrick Wilson

I first heard Travis when I came across their song Why Does It Always Rain on Me? – it was in an episode of East Enders and Ian Beale was in a car, processing the discovery of his wife’s affair. It was raining. Perhaps it’s a strange way to discover a band but I have found EastEnders features many bands I have come to love. The Man Who, which came out in 1999 was actually Travis’ second album and it was obviously glorious. As good as Why Does It Always Rain on Me? is the album also featured The Fear and one of the most beautiful songs I suspect I will ever hear, Luv. Travis’ first album, Good Feeling, included All I Want to Do is Rock – still a great anthem – and Tied to the 90s. Tied to the 90s they aren’t, they’re more tied to being Travis and thank the heavens they’ve maintained their strengths through the new millennium. The Invisible Band and 12 Memories are brilliant albums as well – though perhaps 12 Memories had its detractors it’s my favorite Travis album in totality. Peace the Fuck Out indeed. 2007 saw the release of The Boy With No Name, a superbly charming panache with Closer and the stomper Selfish Jean. Now Travis has released Ode to J. Smith and struck out on their own with Red Telephone Box Records. It’s out now in the UK and will be released in the States on November 4th. You can hear several songs off it on their myspace page. They have succeeded again.

I talked with Fran Healy and Dougie Payne before their show at the Moore in 2007. It was before Healy moved to Berlin and Payne and wife, actress Kelly Macdonald became parents to Freddie Peter Payne. I wanted to find out what they thought about their home Glasgow, their new Prime Minister Gordon Brown . . . and how exactly these guys all found each other.

-----
Q: You were a scout when you were a kid?

Dougie Payne: Yes, I was! What on earth brought that up? Have you been looking at Wikipedia?

Q: So you learned how to do all the survival things?

DP: Yes I did. It’s funny, I was talking about this to my nephew the other day – he’s a scout now. I was asking him, what kind of stuff do you do? It seemed like it was hardcore when I was a scout compared to now – now it’s all trips abroad and going to Prague. When I was in it, it was sitting in the wet in the West Coast of Scotland and skinning rabbits. And sticking sticks up their asses to roast them over the fire. It was all pretty hardcore – maybe that was just growing up in the 80s - none of this nanny state that goes on now.

Q: They wanted to toughen you up right away.

DP: Exactly. It didn’t work.

Q: I just thought it was cute, they sent you out there to learn to survive on your own.

DP: As an eleven-year-old. They left us on an island once, a tiny little rock in the middle of the North Sea. They left us for two days to fend for ourselves, just the six of us. I remember that, that was good fun.

Q: That’s scary.

DP: It was good. Perfect training for going on tour.


Dougie Payne - Seattle 2007 - photo by Dagmar

[Fran Healy joins us.]

Q: I was just grilling Dougie on how he used to be a scout.

Fran Healy: He was. People love that - people love the scouts.

DP: Until quite late . . . until I was about 15.

FH: That’s quite impressive.

Q: You two met in school?

DP: Just after school . . . just before art school. So we were 17.

FH: Dougie knew Neil [Primrose], our drummer. He worked with Neil in a shoe shop.

DP: A scout shoe shop.

FH: Neil worked in a bar in Glasgow called the Horseshoe Bar and I used to go in there after school. I knew Dougie independently of Neil and Neil knew Dougie independently of me. Neil didn’t know you knew me and you didn’t know Neil knew me.

DP: Fran and I met just before you went for the audition for Glass Onion [Travis’ former name] –

FH: No, I went for that the day we matriculated in the art school. I met you way before that, like a year before that.

DP: That’s right, because Neil was working in the shoe shop and he said, we’ve got a singer coming in to audition. He was going on about this band, Glass Onion all the time. He was always playing with things that looked like drumsticks in the storeroom. He was always going on about Glass Onion, how we’re going to audition this singer who’s really good. And then I slowly put two and two together – it’s the same guy.

FH: The first week of art school Dougie and Andy got matey.

DP: They were giving away pound a pint Guinness and me and Andy got drunk and talking about the Monkees. We kind of all met each other very independently.

FH: I was in this band [with] Andy, myself and two brothers, eventually – five years later we got rid of the two brothers and Dougie came in. As soon as Dougie came in it became – it wasn’t a band that had advertised for anyone. It was just suddenly four mates. That was the keystone of the band, four friends. The weirder thing is that Dougie and Andy’s fathers go back twenty years – without them realizing.

DP: Me and Andy didn’t notice but they were both bank managers in different banks. Before they were bank managers they were clerks in different banks on the same street. Andy’s dad and my dad used to go for lunch together back in the 60s, when they were about our age when we met.

Q: How tough a city is Glasgow?

FH: Now I don’t think it’s any tougher than any other city. Every city’s got its –

DP: Glasgow is a bit fucking crazy though. Honestly I am not putting any bad adverts out but you and I both know people who have been punched or slashed out on the street. I haven’t heard of that anywhere –

FH: In London.

DP: I don’t know anyone in London that I personally know that’s been – maybe it’s because London is a bigger city.

FH: It’s got a reputation that stems from the 60s. Places like Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Sheffield . . .they’re all places that are traditionally working class and not particularly wealthy. They’re based on heavy industry, like Sheffield and steelworks. When the heavy industry leaves there seems to be a build up of testosterone. Maybe it comes out in ways that it shouldn’t. There are aspects of it [Glasgow] that are tough but it’s a great city.

DP: It’s a brilliant city.

FH: I think it’s definitely becoming more civilized.

Q: I was impressed when you had those terrorists drive into the airport and people started beating them up.

FH: That’s Glasgow. That’s quite Glasgow. There’s a website dedicated to one of those guys called johnsmeaton.com. Only in Glasgow would people actually run towards . . .

DP: Try to get a boot in. You come to Glasgow and you’re not going to get away with that. I like that attitude towards terrorism.


Fran Healy - Seattle 2007 - photo by Dagmar

Q: Fran, I read you’re planning to move to Germany.

FH: Yeah, to Berlin. My wife is German and I want to change the backdrop. We thought Berlin would be a good place. New York was a place we were going to go to but before we go there we’re going to Berlin. It’s closer to our mothers and the boy’s grandmothers. New York’s just too far away.

Q: How’s being a dad changed you?

FH: It makes me want to work harder. I enjoy my job more. I feel more mature – but that might have nothing to do with being a father. It might just be to do with being 34-years-old and having been doing this job for 10 years. All I know that as a father, as a parent, it’s great. It’s a pleasure watching someone grow up and to be there for them and not judge them. Let them become who they’re going to become. Obviously they’re going to pick up traits of you and other people. It’s such a nice thing to see.

Q: Dougie do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?

DP: No, Kel was quite keen to know. She wanted to know if she was having a boy – she said she wanted to know if she’s got wee balls. But then a friend of mine said, don’t find out - it’s the only time in your life that you get to meet somebody with absolutely no preconceptions whatsoever. I told Kel that and she was like, that’s quite good.


Q: I read you like to test music on kids?

FH: I was kind of worried at first because I would play Clay music and he would just sit, motionless. He wouldn’t move a muscle when he listened to music – for a year. For over a year he had no reaction to music. If he had a reaction it was to sit really still – almost in a trance. Now he’s started to dance and I think he’s started to sing. Anything melodic on the radio that comes on he goes, Paba. I’m Paba.

DP: Like Robbie Williams.

FH: Robbie Williams came on the radio and I was like, son – no! I was thinking last night actually about how when I grew up I didn’t have any musical instruments around me and I gravitated towards them. To do music as a career it’s a whole different ball game but just playing an instrument . . . if you’ve always got them around you, you will gravitate towards them. When I was first gravitating towards them it was always this thing you couldn’t get. There was always this guitar and it was always in a window or in a catalog.

Q: How is Gordon Brown doing?

DP: We don’t really know at the moment because we’ve been away for months. In general I think he’s great. I really like him. I met him once at a premiere of one of my wife’s films and I thought he was fantastic. I thought he was the exact opposite of the way he’s portrayed in the British media. He’s portrayed as very dour and very serious and not particularly charming. He is incredibly charismatic, very intelligent, really charming and a really nice guy. He’s got a lovely way about him. During the Blair years – which were full of optimism and playing with the media and all that I feel like there’s a grown up in charge again rather than a celebrity. I don’t want a celebrity running the country, I want a decent politician. He seems like a pretty decent guy.

-----
For more photos of their show at the Moore, click here.

Team Gina's Gina Bling & Gina Genius (with mathematix) perform U.N.I.T Why Not? - singing:

I'm not a bitch
I'm not a ho
I'm not a slut
You didn't know?

These ladies are Seattle's musical sweethearts as far as I am concerned.
From their sassy dance moves to their charming vocals to their coordinated outfits, they move me.

Want to see more pix of Team Gina? Click here:

Team Gina at the Sunset