Transatlantic Sessions - London 6 Feb 2017

Subject: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6/2/17
From: melodeonboy
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 07:19 AM

Any thoughts from those who went to the Transatlantic Sessions at RFH on Monday?

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6/2/17
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 10:23 AM

I'll have to wait until somebody uploads it.

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6/2/17
From: GUEST,S Byers
Date: 12 Feb 17 - 05:21 AM

I did attended a TA show at the RFH a few years ago and the sound quality in the RFH was so appalling I made a formal complaint. This has always been an issue with concerts at RFH, but that evening the sound engineers did not seem to have the skills and understanding of the needs of acoustic instruments. The sound was muffled, and the artistes' intro's and singing garbled.

So whilst I was at the RFH on Monday I was not there for the concert. I don't think the event was that well attended - and there was no pre-show busking. The only good thing was that I noticed that Foyles were selling the FIRST Sessions on DVD - which for many years has not been available.

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6/2/17
From: melodeonboy
Date: 12 Feb 17 - 06:56 AM

The sound quality this year could have been better!

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6/2/17
From: GUEST,Breedlove Boy
Date: 12 Feb 17 - 07:07 AM

Symphony Hall Birmingham on Thursday was superb. Sound spot on all tickets sold couldn't fault it.

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6/2/17
From: michaelr
Date: 12 Feb 17 - 02:32 PM

Who is on the bill?

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6/2/17
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Feb 17 - 03:15 PM

The sound was bad for the first 10-15 mins, after that it was fantastic, the sound man worked hard to get it right.

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6/2/17
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Feb 17 - 04:08 AM

What's RFH, and what are the Transatlantic Sessions? I've heard Transatlantic Sessions recordings, but don't know what the sessions are. I've always meant to ask.

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6 Feb 2017
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 13 Feb 17 - 04:50 AM

Joe, RFH is the Royal Festival Hall in London....a fairly large concert venue.

The Transatlantic Sessions are basically an annual get-together at a "retreat" somewhere in Scotland (location varies), orchestrated by Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas, where a whole bunch of (mainly) Scottish, Irish and American musicians spend time there making music, the sessions (and additional background) being filmed and used to produce a series of TV programmes (which unfortunately are only broadcast in Scotland, so the rest of us have to wait for the DVDs to come out).

There's a "House Band" (Aly Bain, Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg, Donal Lunny and Michael McGoldrick being the main cadre). Other invited artistes contribute their own songs and the house band sits in with them and provides additional accompaniment where appropriate.

The whole shebang usually then does a few live tour dates....I think Glasgow, Birmingham and London, where at times you have 16-17 musicians on stage. I remember a few years ago seeing them at RFH one night and then driving 200 miles from home the next night to see Russ Barenberg do a solo gig in the back of a pub, seating about 60. The contrast was wonderful!

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6 Feb 2017
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 13 Feb 17 - 04:52 AM

Could have saved typing most of that by pointing you at this link:

Transatlantic Sessions Wikipedia

:-)

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6 Feb 2017
From: Will Fly
Date: 13 Feb 17 - 07:23 AM

The sessions have often surfaced on English TV some weeks or months after the Scottish broadcasts. I have DVDs for Sessions 1 and 3 and, after that, I got tired of the forumula - everyone backing everyone.

I also attended the 2015 live performance at the Festival Hall. It was - for me - tiresome in parts, the best bits being the playing of Mike McGoldrick on pipes and whistles.

I saw Mike with John McCusker and John Doyle at the Ropetackle in Shoreham-by-Sea later in 2015 - and that was a magic night!

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6 Feb 2017
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 13 Feb 17 - 10:00 AM

Will, I agree that the formula's got a bit stale.

The performance I went to at RFH was in 2011, and that one for me was really good...Mike McGoldrick was great then, the choice of music was excellent and the sound was good. Russ Barenberg didn't get enough time as lead player, but that was rectified in the pub in Derbyshire the next night, where I had a good chat with him before his gig, and found him to be a really nice bloke as well as a superb guitarist!

I've got TS 1-3 on both DVD and CD but found 4 a bit disappointing and haven't bothered to buy any of them since then.

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - London 6 Feb 2017
From: GUEST,Stephen
Date: 21 Feb 17 - 09:55 AM

Last year's was utterly brilliant - with Rhiannon Giddens mesmerising. Trust me on that! This year's, certainly in Glasgow, had very poor acoustics clarity. 2015 was excollect too with some charismatic performances. Phil Cunningham and John Mccusker deserve a mention as regular house band members. Both geniuses.