Soirée hommage à Fela Kuti

[Nico]

TONY ALLEN GIG REPORT
Just a quick report on the Tony Allen gig at the Barbican on Saturday night, as part of the week long Fela Kuti celebration.
Damon made a guest appearance for the last three numbers. The show started with a 30 minute set from Tony, then Ty came on to join him and do 2 tracks including 'Home Cooking' from Tony's album of the same name. Keziah Jones then guested on two tracks including the Fela song 'Colomentality'. Damon followed with 'Trials & Tribulations' and 'Five Star' both of which he recorded in Lagos in the summer with Tony Allen. 'Five Star' (a new version of the Democrazy track) was sung by Baba-Anis who played in Fela Kuti's band with Tony Allen for 25 years and was Fela's Musical Director. This was followed by an improvised encore where all the musicians of the evening returned to the stage.
Many thanks to Hannah for the info.

[Nico]

From: huaro@t...
Date: Mon Oct 11, 2004 12:09 am
Subject: Re: [bfcnewsdiscussion] Re: Damon DJ-ing

Yeah, I was there and so were another six Italian Blur diehards !
I'm sure that other people from the BFC were there, although there wasn't
really talking of meetings and get-togethers.
It was a seated gig and I was right in front of the stage, a bit on the
left. Invited by Ty, some of the crowd in the stalls and most of the people
in the upper floor started dancing (me included, and a certain Mr. Albarn
as well during Ty's gig), and the atmosphere was really good.
Have to admit I didn't know anything about Afrobeat before, but remembered
Ty from Blur's gigs at the Astoria, the ones with Tony Allen, big thumbs
up to the backing singers as they had truly amazing voices.
Keziaz Jones I enjoyed a a bit less, but man I understood what Damon meant
when he sang that Tony Allen made him dance !
Ok, now to Damon's part of the show : he was greeted by a half-joking
"Britpopper
! " from someone in the crowd, to which he replied smiling oh, c'mon fuck
off, and basically played two numbers and a very long final jam as encore.
Ah, old Blur live mated were also there: Simon Tong, Mike Smith on the Saxophone
(very, very, good), Carl on the percussions.
One of those song was in the "soul" vein , just to give a rough idea, say
on the Tender/Black book/ Out of Time side, simply beautiful. A few words
I remember said more or less that after the tribulations in his life he
"still can't find a reason to make it through the night". Whatever can he
mean ?
Anyways, the second number more upbeat but equally wonderful was sung by
an old and seemingly frail black man, introduced by Damon with much affection,
saying he really turned the song that Tony and he were working on into something
magic. The song this man sang was actually very intense and I liked it,
just don't ask me who he is, 'cause I don't know.
Things went pretty well, and Damon enjoyed himself, kept on dancing and
going from one corner to the other to make people clap hands in time, but
also let the spotlight to the others musically speaking, if not for the
one song he sang, going behing the drums or sitting near Tony Allen, just
playing the melodica.
One thing I didn't understand : when Damon sat close to Tony Allen he started
gesticulating, indicating the crowd to Tony and I just don't understand
what he might be on about, suggestions ?
The long jam was charmingly introduced by Damon saying that jams can go
two ways, one pretty bad when they just don't know where they are going,
the other that actually gets to the point, fortunately for all of us their
jam took the second way ...
OK, that was pretty much all, I might add some details tomorrow if I remember
other stuff.

Night ya all.

Francesca