London Grammar Live

Electro

Well-known member
Mar 30, 2011
192
3
18,545
Visit site
Infiniteloop said:
Saw London Grammar last night at the O2 Apollo in Manchester. They were superb, the SQ was great and Hannah Reid confirmed she has the voice of an Angel.

You lucky so and so , I would have loved to have been there !

You ( and others ) should post their recent gigs here so we can get some idea of what bands we go and see .

The more live music you hear the higher your HiFi street cred. *wink*

https://www.whathifi.com/forum/week-i-have-mostly-been-listening-towatching/your-most-recent-gig
 

Infiniteloop

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2010
51
6
18,545
Visit site
Electro said:
Infiniteloop said:
Saw London Grammar last night at the O2 Apollo in Manchester. They were superb, the SQ was great and Hannah Reid confirmed she has the voice of an Angel.

You lucky so and so , I would have loved to have been there !

You ( and others ) should post their recent gigs here so we can get some idea of what bands we go and see .

The more live music you hear the higher your HiFi street cred. *wink*

https://www.whathifi.com/forum/week-i-have-mostly-been-listening-towatching/your-most-recent-gig

I was also in the Sydney Opera House last Friday. Amadeus live with full Orchestra and Chorus. It too was superb!
 

tonky

New member
Jan 2, 2008
36
0
0
Visit site
Infiniteloop said:
Saw London Grammar last night at the O2 Apollo in Manchester. They were superb, the SQ was great and Hannah Reid confirmed she has the voice of an Angel.

Me too - I'm surprised I didn't see you. - I thought the band Lo Moon were very good too.

London Grammar - and Hanna's voice - just superb - Her acapella opening singing Rooting For You - a hairs on the back of the neck moment.

cheers tonky
 

Infiniteloop

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2010
51
6
18,545
Visit site
tonky said:
Infiniteloop said:
Saw London Grammar last night at the O2 Apollo in Manchester. They were superb, the SQ was great and Hannah Reid confirmed she has the voice of an Angel.

Me too - I'm surprised I didn't see you. - I thought the band Lo Moon were very good too.

London Grammar - and Hanna's voice - just superb - Her acapella opening singing Rooting For You - a hairs on the back of the neck moment.

cheers tonky

Yes, Lo Moon were pretty good. I thought they sounded a little bit like Simple Minds.

I’m seeing Angus and Julia Stone in Manchester next month. Are you going too?
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
I don’t know what the fuss is about. Imho it’s vocal twilling gone mad, aka X factor style, with very limited melody in the music. I don’t know what people see in it. It’s an exercise in how many notes and syllables you can get out of music and the commerciality of it. It’s just a total turn off. Can anyone sing me the song that appeals. I doubt it. Sticking head in the oven time.
 

Infiniteloop

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2010
51
6
18,545
Visit site
QuestForThe13thNote said:
I don’t know what the fuss is about. Imho it’s vocal twilling gone mad, aka X factor style, with very limited melody in the music. I don’t know what people see in it. It’s an exercise in how many notes and syllables you can get out of music and the commerciality of it. It’s just a total turn off. Can anyone sing me the song that appeals. I doubt it. Sticking head in the oven time.

It would be a far less interesting world if we all enjoyed the same things. The audience at the LG concert was interesting. It contained a spectrum of age groups from teens to elderly. There aren’t many events I go to where that happens.
 

DIB

Well-known member
May 21, 2009
166
36
18,620
Visit site
QuestForThe13thNote said:
I don’t know what the fuss is about. Imho it’s vocal twilling gone mad, aka X factor style, with very limited melody in the music. I don’t know what people see in it. It’s an exercise in how many notes and syllables you can get out of music and the commerciality of it. It’s just a total turn off. Can anyone sing me the song that appeals. I doubt it. Sticking head in the oven time.

Miserable so and so.

I would imagine the 2000+ people who were there did enjoy it a great deal. I'm off to see Richard Thompson at the Lowry Theatre tonight along with 1500 others, I would imagine you would hate that too.

.
 

tonky

New member
Jan 2, 2008
36
0
0
Visit site
Quest wrote that he didn't know what the fuss was about re London Grammar.

Earlier this year I felt the same way - I listened to them on Spotify and they didn't grab me - technically v good - but the music - bland - no thanks.

I listened to them a few weeks later on - background Sonos music while gardening. Over a period of time I had to stop the gardening because I just had to concentrate on the now excellent music. Long story short - bought both albums - amazing! - and now amongst my very favourite bands. - The voice - the layers of music - very measured - very expressive - every note counts to the overall experience - ethereal - classical - emotional - and so much more!

It took me a while to get into them - well worth the effort!

Infinite Loop - not planning to go Manchester Apollo for a while - Not heard of Angus and Julia Stone but will certainly hear them on Spotify asap.

I thought the support band, Lo Moon, had a similar sound to Talk Talk

cheers tonky
 

Infiniteloop

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2010
51
6
18,545
Visit site
tonky said:
Quest wrote that he didn't know what the fuss was about re London Grammar.

Earlier this year I felt the same way - I listened to them on Spotify and they didn't grab me - technically v good - but the music - bland - no thanks.

I listened to them a few weeks later on - background Sonos music while gardening. Over a period of time I had to stop the gardening because I just had to concentrate on the now excellent music. Long story short - bought both albums - amazing! - and now amongst my very favourite bands. - The voice - the layers of music - very measured - very expressive - every note counts to the overall experience - ethereal - classical - emotional - and so much more!

It took me a while to get into them - well worth the effort!

Infinite Loop - not planning to go Manchester Apollo for a while - Not heard of Angus and Julia Stone but will certainly hear them on Spotify asap.

I thought the support band, Lo Moon, had a similar sound to Talk Talk

cheers tonky

Angus and Julia Stone’s best album is ‘down the way’. Best songs are ‘Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘Draw your swords’.

Enjoy!
 

Andrewjvt

New member
Jun 18, 2014
99
4
0
Visit site
QuestForThe13thNote said:
tonky said:
Quest wrote that he didn't know what the fuss was about re London Grammar.

Earlier this year I felt the same way - I listened to them on Spotify and they didn't grab me - technically v good - but the music -  bland  - no thanks.

I listened to them a few weeks later on - background Sonos music while gardening. Over a period of time I had to stop the gardening because I just had to concentrate on the now excellent music. Long story short - bought both albums - amazing! - and now amongst my very favourite bands.  - The voice - the layers of music - very measured - very expressive - every note counts to the overall experience - ethereal - classical - emotional - and so much more!

It took me a while to get into them - well worth the effort!

Infinite Loop - not planning to go Manchester Apollo for a while - Not heard of Angus and Julia Stone but will certainly hear them on Spotify asap.

I thought the support band, Lo Moon, had a similar sound to Talk Talk

cheers tonky

 

if you want what you describe and talent, someone like Agnes obel, hugely more talented and a much better song writer. If you keep trying to get loads of notes out of one syllable it’s tiring, and it’s not steered and concentrated on the melody. It’s a commercial style over substance and it’s just not original for me. Boring. 

London grammar are far from commercial xfactor style as you put it. Copying mariah Carey would be more xfactor.
I think your hifi is not revealing enough to enjoy it.
You need to spend another few thousand on better amps and another 4 thousand on speakers then come back to me on that one
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
tonky said:
Quest wrote that he didn't know what the fuss was about re London Grammar.

Earlier this year I felt the same way - I listened to them on Spotify and they didn't grab me - technically v good - but the music - bland - no thanks.

I listened to them a few weeks later on - background Sonos music while gardening. Over a period of time I had to stop the gardening because I just had to concentrate on the now excellent music. Long story short - bought both albums - amazing! - and now amongst my very favourite bands. - The voice - the layers of music - very measured - very expressive - every note counts to the overall experience - ethereal - classical - emotional - and so much more!

It took me a while to get into them - well worth the effort!

Infinite Loop - not planning to go Manchester Apollo for a while - Not heard of Angus and Julia Stone but will certainly hear them on Spotify asap.

I thought the support band, Lo Moon, had a similar sound to Talk Talk

cheers tonky

if you want what you describe and talent, someone like Agnes obel (citizen of glass album), hugely more talented and a much better song writer. If you keep trying to get loads of notes out of one syllable it’s tiring, and it’s not steered and concentrated on the melody. It’s a commercial style over substance and it’s just not original for me. Boring. I just think where the hell is the song, it’s much the same with Angus and Julia Stone.

I want something to stir the soul in a female group or vocal, introspective and heart felt and someone who is into music, rather than some fleeting pleasing commercial number which just doesn’t cut to the core of a pleasing heart invoking song, the number 1 priority of music. Just well written. So like with nick drakes five leaves left, very pleasing. How about big thief’s first album called capacity, came out this year. There is track called Mary. Simple beautiful melody, catchy, well written, lovely stirring accompaniment, and well sung and not over the top. Or the first track pretty things, a moody song with a well constructed melody. Some great tracks on the first Japanese breakfast album too, great female vocal and great tracks. I really liked Juanita steins album called America, the track in paradise I love. A lovely country Americana album. This is commercial stuff but not on the par of London grammar which is designed for young girls to pin up on their walls, with relatively weak songwriting and melody. So if you want a great female vocal check out distant sky on nick caves skeleton tree album. Lovely perfect melody, great song, haunting, well written and takes you to another level, perfect soprano style voice. String instruments. Borders classical. This is songwriting on a totally different level. How about alt j, 3ww. This is contemporary and original.
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
They copy an X factor type style of using lots of notes in a syllable so when you sing ‘beauty’ she might sing ‘beau’, ‘teee’, ‘eearr’, ‘arrr’. It’s going up and down. But sometimes she gets like 4-5 notes out of one syllable. Actually I counted 10 notes out of the word ‘i’ on rooting for you. That’s very commercial indeed. This is what I mean by twilling. If you watch fhe X factor on a Saturday they all do that, Rihanna, Beyoncé, arianna grande, all that ****. The great songwriters don’t do that, they can use one or less notes per sylabble and keep the musical words hitting the music melody. Eg Beatles. In London grammar it’s like the style of the music in this ‘twilling style’ which is commercial is preferential to the music melody which is there, and I don’t think music should sit below the vocalist ever. The melody isn’t that fantastic to say something like familiar by Agnes obel. The music has to please first , so that’s why someone like bob Dylan sounds great as the music and songwriting is to die for but the singing in that context is not necessarily as important. Great music is about the vocalist and the music going together often imho. I like first aid kit for female vocals which gets that balance and the songs are a lot better. I wouldn’t say I love them but they are ok. I love classic stuff like Barbra Streisand and Joan baez as the songs are superb and well sung. Diamonds and rust etc.
 

Andrewjvt

New member
Jun 18, 2014
99
4
0
Visit site
QuestForThe13thNote said:
They copy an X factor type style of using lots of notes in a syllable so when you sing ‘beauty’ she might sing ‘beau’, ‘teee’, ‘eearr’, ‘arrr’. It’s going up and down. But sometimes she gets like 4-5 notes out of one syllable. Actually I counted 10 notes out of the word ‘i’ on rooting for you. That’s very commercial indeed.  This is what I mean by twilling. If you watch fhe X factor on a Saturday they all do that, Rihanna, Beyoncé, arianna grande, all that ****. The great songwriters don’t do that, they can use one or less notes per sylabble and keep the musical words hitting the music melody. Eg Beatles. In London grammar it’s like the style of the music in this ‘twilling style’ which is commercial is preferential to the music melody which is there, and I don’t think music should sit below the vocalist ever. The melody isn’t that fantastic to say something like familiar by Agnes obel. The music has to please first , so that’s why someone like bob Dylan sounds great as the music and songwriting is to die for but the singing in that context is not necessarily as important. Great music is about the vocalist and the music going together often imho. I like first aid kit for female vocals which gets that balance and the songs are a lot better. I wouldn’t say I love them but they are ok. I love classic stuff like Barbra Streisand and Joan baez as the songs are superb and well sung. Diamonds and rust etc. 

I don't own or listen to any mainstream commercial pop music but I have a few female friends that do and hate my normal style music (grunge/new metal/hard rock)

My point is when I play them London grammar they don't like it either and don't get it.
But that's life. Someone's opinion is only fact to ones self.
 

chris_bates1974

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2013
96
37
10,570
Visit site
Multiple notes on one syllable = opera

Multiple noises/sounds on one syllable = X factor

I do very much like London Grammar. The fact that so many have commented on how good her voice is live, means way more to me that whether someone else likes their albums. It's doing it live that counts.
 

Paulq

Well-known member
Dec 2, 2007
333
13
18,895
Visit site
I'm still very much looking forward to seeing LG tonight though. One syllable or not.
tongue_smile.png
 

davedotco

New member
Apr 24, 2013
20
1
0
Visit site
QuestForThe13thNote said:
They copy an X factor type style of using lots of notes in a syllable so when you sing ‘beauty’ she might sing ‘beau’, ‘teee’, ‘eearr’, ‘arrr’. It’s going up and down. But sometimes she gets like 4-5 notes out of one syllable. Actually I counted 10 notes out of the word ‘i’ on rooting for you. That’s very commercial indeed. This is what I mean by twilling. If you watch fhe X factor on a Saturday they all do that, Rihanna, Beyoncé, arianna grande, all that ****. The great songwriters don’t do that, they can use one or less notes per sylabble and keep the musical words hitting the music melody. Eg Beatles. In London grammar it’s like the style of the music in this ‘twilling style’ which is commercial is preferential to the music melody which is there, and I don’t think music should sit below the vocalist ever. The melody isn’t that fantastic to say something like familiar by Agnes obel. The music has to please first , so that’s why someone like bob Dylan sounds great as the music and songwriting is to die for but the singing in that context is not necessarily as important. Great music is about the vocalist and the music going together often imho. I like first aid kit for female vocals which gets that balance and the songs are a lot better. I wouldn’t say I love them but they are ok. I love classic stuff like Barbra Streisand and Joan baez as the songs are superb and well sung. Diamonds and rust etc.

It is generally considered poor form to critisise other peoples musical taste on this forum.

However one thing has to be said, if any of the mentioned artists is 'X Factor', it is the overwrought, overproduced recordings of Agnes Obel.

Not offered 'ex cathedra' but as a simple opinion of someone whose whole working life has been spent around live and recorded music,
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
I’m just giving an opinion on it and am not criticising tastes. I’m not really bothered with the production, the tune is more important. Opera singers don’t very often twill like this commercial stuff, but where it sometimes happens it tends to be the singer is the melody and song and that process is part of it. But in London grammar this twilling isn’t part of the melody.
 

Infiniteloop

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2010
51
6
18,545
Visit site
QuestForThe13thNote said:
I’m just giving an opinion on it and am not criticising tastes. I’m not really bothered with the production, the tune is more important. Opera singers don’t very often twill like this commercial stuff, but where it sometimes happens it tends to be the singer is the melody and song and that process is part of it. But in London grammar this twilling isn’t part of the melody.

Have a listen to the Queen of the night’s aria from Mozart’s Magic Flute. You’ll soon realise how right you are....
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
That’s called vibrato she is singing re that Mozart piece, it’s the same note but her tone is going up and down rather than holding a legato long single note tone. Loads of singers do that who I think are fab eg Amy winehouse Grhs. Lots of traditional female vocalists. Put your fingers up to your voice box and wiggle it and sing, and you get the same vibrato sound.

But when the London grammar lady sings ‘for me’ ‘ee’ ‘ee’ eeeyyaaa’ is many different notes at different pitches or octaves .She isn’t singing vibrato, but legato with the twilling on the lots of the ends of words.
 

davedotco

New member
Apr 24, 2013
20
1
0
Visit site
QuestForThe13thNote said:
That’s called vibrato she is singing re that Mozart piece, it’s the same note but her tone is going up and down rather than holding a legato long single note tone. Loads of singers do that who I think are fab eg Amy winehouse Grhs. Lots of traditional female vocalists. Put your fingers up to your voice box and wiggle it and sing, and you get the same vibrato sound.

But when the London grammar lady sings ‘for me’ ‘ee’ ‘ee’ eeeyyaaa’ is many different notes at different pitches or octaves .She isn’t singing vibrato, but legato with the twilling on the lots of the ends of words.

For someone just expessing 'an opinion', you don't half go on. You don't like the head girl's singing voice, we get that.

It's really not that important, I am a devoted fan of bands that many people would not give the time of day, so what?
 

Paulq

Well-known member
Dec 2, 2007
333
13
18,895
Visit site
QuestForThe13thNote said:
That’s called vibrato she is singing re that Mozart piece, it’s the same note but her tone is going up and down rather than holding a legato long single note tone. Loads of singers do that who I think are fab eg Amy winehouse Grhs. Lots of traditional female vocalists. Put your fingers up to your voice box and wiggle it and sing, and you get the same vibrato sound.

But when the London grammar lady sings ‘for me’ ‘ee’ ‘ee’ eeeyyaaa’ is many different notes at different pitches or octaves .She isn’t singing vibrato, but legato with the twilling on the lots of the ends of words.

On this forum, your argument is the equivalent of arguing about cables. Nobody really cares. Stop concentrating on the technical stuff and just enjoy the music. If it's not technically perfect, so what.

I am literally just back from their gig at a packed Manchester Apollo and there were around 2000 people there who didn't give a monkeys about falsetto, vibrato or whatever - they just had a great night listening to a fabulously talented young lady sing her heart out.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts