After I posted yesterday, I went to meet up with Bella in London. We wandered around for a few hours, then made our way to The Troubadour, in Earl's Court, for dinner and a gig that started at 8 downstairs. The Troubadour is a very yummy, but very expensive, place, but that's really not what I'm here to talk about.
Background: In sophomore year of high school, I first heard a song (Back Again) by this English band called Boy Kill Boy and I fell in love. I bought their first album and preordered their second so that it was delivered to me on the day of release and I listened to them on repeat (like I do) all the time. About six months after their second album was released, they broke up. I was completely gutted. Especially because, at the time I was just formulating plans to study abroad in England (even in junior year of high school, I knew it would happen) and I'd really, really hoped I could possibly, someday, maybe see them live. That is a dream that will never come true.
Since 2008, I've been searching on and off for what the members have been doing since. The lead singer, Chris Peck, has an absolutely fantastic voice and guitar style and I was particularly keen to see what he was up to. Around December, I found out he's in a new band. I friended them on Facebook and have kept up with their news and gigs and songs. And then, a couple months ago, they announced they'd be playing last night at The Troubadour. I asked Bella if she wanted to come with me and that was that. So last night, at The Troubadour, I got to see one-fourth of BKB live. Actually, that's a little unfair, to just call him one-fourth of BKB. I'm actually really, really fond of Mr. Peck and his musical abilities. Well, a lot fond. He was always my favorite.
So last night, I got to see three and a half bands (we left before Tinlin, the last band's, set ended--they were kind of boring), including Chris Peck & The Family Tree. BKB was a sort of electro-pop-rock-indie band that owed a lot to the 80s. This is a folk-rock band with an accordion and a violin and dark lyrics. I love them both equally, (though I'm more familiar with BKB). Really, I'm just incredibly jazzed to have seen Mr. Peck live. He's even more intense in person, especially his eyes (I'm fairly certain we made eye contact for half a second, maybe even 45 milliseconds, earlier in the evening, but I was too jittery and shy to smile or say hi or anything) and his voice gives me chills. It's not a particularly beautiful voice; it's not trained, it's not classical or smooth, like Michael Buble's, or wild, like Lindsey Buckingham's, but I really, really like it.
Speaking of Lindsey Buckingham, the second act, Marc O'Reilly, reminded me of an Irish Lindsey. He was completely incredible on the guitar and had a look of transcendental bliss during a couple solos. I really liked him. For everyone, but for dad especially, here is Tell Old Joe, a sort of Irish-Western thing about an outlaw.
Before I talk about today, I just want to link you to a couple CP&TFT songs, because I'm really very much in love with them. First is Riversong, the first of theirs I heard, and it's utterly gorgeous.
Then I Walk Alone, which CP described as a love-murder story. It's a classic tale, very Greek, but the music makes uniquely chilling.
Now that I'm done fangirling random English bands, onto today.
Today, I went to The Globe Theatre to see my favorite Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, in French. The past month or so has been Globe-to-Globe, a celebration of Shakespeare and multiculturalism; 33 plays in 33 different languages. How cool is that?
I'm very glad I'm so familiar with MAAN, that it's my favorite and I've memorized bits of it, because my French really is very rusty and was very much not up to that task. However, the Beatrice and Benedick were amazing (easily my favorite Shakespearean characters...) and the actors all made it fairly easy to understand their meanings and motivations, even if you couldn't understand their language.
A very good use of 5 pounds and an afternoon.
This weekend is the jubilee, so I'm not sure quite what I'll be doing, but I'll make sure to keep you informed. Seven days from now, however, will be my last night in London...
* I Walk Alone, Chris Peck & the Family Tree
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