LIVE PERFORMANCE / MUSIC REVIEW 2013

MUSIC:

In regards to music (album) releases, I was reviewing these in 2012, when I was first trying out writing reviews. It was the greatest surprise to me, in terms of writing reviews, that I would find this the hardest thing to do, as music is fundamentally more culturally important to me than anything else. As a result I have not reviewed albums in 2013. 

There are two albums above all others that I feel warrant mention as part of this year end review. Iron & Wine's Ghost on Ghost is a beautiful and seductive album, smoother than his previous (Kiss Each Other Clean) though still an album that rewards time and again. Iron & Wine are second on the arbitrary list of best of 2013. 

Though way out by some distance is Once I Was An Eagle by Laura Marling. This is a breath-taking piece showing her artistry to be moving on in leaps and bounds. In my view it is a beguiling listen and I know that upon first listen there were pieces that to me already sounded like classics. I am also aware of thinking upon first listen, that I did not understand how one so young could compose with such depth and maturity. This was her forth album, and in my view this along with her 2nd (I Speak Because I Can) and 3rd (A Creature I Don't Know) albums are all perfect. Though I have stronger personal preference for this and her 2nd album. I see her 2nd album has having a simplistic naive (yet mature) charm, whereas the new album is unmistakably the work of a woman fully blossoming. I am so impressed by this new album that I could not justify to myself not putting it into my 'top 10 albums'. Though I also did not feel okay taking out her 2nd album to accommodate this. As a result Miss Marling is the only artiste to have two alums in my top 10. I would not yet class her as my all-time favorite female artiste, though can quite easily see that if she continues to release work this great, then it is only a matter of time. 

LIVE PERFORMANCE: 

In terms of live performances, this has been the best year yet. I have seen more outstanding performances this year than ever before. Due to this it was too difficult to narrow down to a top 10, so I have gone for a top 20 (the top 3 of which were so good as to be beyond rating) which reads as follows:

1.) Laura Marling (Solo Acoustic), The Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 25.09

2.) Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir,The Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 29.08

3.) Dead Can Dance, Zenith de Paris - Park De La Villette, Paris, 30.06

4.) Iron & Wine, Barbican Hall, Barbican, London, 31.05

5.) Pink Martini feat. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, 
     The Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 07.05

6.) Carlos Acosta: On Before, The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 26.04

7.) Derren Brown: Infamous, The Playhouse, Edinburgh, 06.05.2013

8.) Oper Frankfurt performing Dido and Aeneas & Bluebeard's Castle, 

     The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 24.08

9.) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 01.11

10.) L.A. Dance Project,The Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, 26.08

11.) Pet Shop Boys, Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, 31.12

12.) Death Grips, SWG3, Glasgow, 30.04

13.) Pokey LaFarge, Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 05.11

14.) The Stone Roses, Glasgow Green, Glasgow, 15.06

15.) Suede, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, 27.10

16.) Depeche Mode, The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, 11.11

17.) Warpaint, O2 ABC, Glasgow, 28.10

18.) The Staves, The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 30.10

19.) Eh Joe produced by Gate Theatre Dublin, 
       Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, 27.08

20.) The Poet Speaks: Homage to Allen Ginsberg Performed by 
        Patti Smith & Philip Glass,The Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, 13.08