Brian Wilson Galway/Dublin (call it a day Brian)

delbertgrady

My only grievance is that he didn't do his trademark, "Goodnight! Drive safe!"

Stonedpilot

Wooderson wrote: »

Mike Love is a gowl. Bri Wilson a beaut of a fella. No comparison.

Any gig you get to hear "Don't Worry Baby" performed tastefully is a classic in my book.

Ah the old Mike Love hatred, hey he carried on the beach boys when Brian and co were on another planet with drugs. Can't say I dislike the man as I don't know him personally!.

The Nal

Stonedpilot wrote: »

Ah the old Mike Love hatred, hey he carried on the beach boys when Brian and co were on another planet with drugs. Can't say I dislike the man as I don't know him personally!.

Mike Love is a sh1thead.

Rothko

Fantastic gig last night. Sure, Brian seemed to struggle with the vocals at times but the band were perfect. Al's son could easily have fit in with the Beach Boys back in the 60's. Although I thought that Blondie's constant strutting around was a bit much.

Wooderson

This geez Blondie comes across as a complete helm.

dense

Stonedpilot wrote: »

I'm a big Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan and so I was at Brian Wilson at Galway arts festival Sunday and I have to see I was disappointed at it. Brian had to be led out to the piano by the hand slowly looking very frail and once at the piano seemed to look distantly out at the audience with indifference, he seemed forlorn/bored. With a backing band of 10 men Brian was easily carried and he only sang a few words to some songs with someone else abruptly taking over (Matt Jardine usually). The band were competent and the sound good (despite the simpletons beside me incessantly talking throughout).

Most songs sounded good and vibrant however some songs were poor, my favourite song off Pet Sounds it I wasn't made for these times was lethargic and off key and Brian's singing was weak and off key for most of the night (what little singing he did).


Don't get me wrong I wasn't expecting cartwheels and somersaults from the man at 75 but he seemed lost on stage, you could have removed him at any point in the show and the sound change would have been tiny such was the little contribution he had.

I understand this seeing a legend/music icon thing but I really think its silly. I mean when you can't preform/stop preforming.

Muhammad Ali was a legend but who would have wanted to see him fight at 70?.

Why is it different for musicians?. Seems many would pay to see a guy wheeled in on a hospital bed tied up to numerous machines and tubes just to say they seen a musical icon.

Sad to say but Brian should call it a day, his heart and his body is not up to it anymore. This touring Beach Boys tribute band with Brian looking bored behind a grand piano trying to recapture the magic of early Beach Boys is noble but frankly a money grab.

I felt as disappointed as he looked and the vibrance and youth of early Beach Boys wasn't evident in the man as he looked bored/disinterested most of the night.

Thanks for this. I'm fed up listening to silly adverts for washed up stars by gushing DJs who ate unable to give a subsequent honest review of a cråp performance because of vested interests.
I had thought about going but feared that this was going to be the case.

We can't recreate our youthful ways.
Puts CD on. No I don't have vinyl

Rothko

dense wrote: »

Thanks for this. I'm fed up listening to silly adverts for washed up stars by gushing DJs who ate unable to give a subsequent honest review of a cråp performance because of vested interests.
I had thought about going but feared that this was going to be the case.

We can't recreate our youthful ways.
Puts CD on. No I don't have vinyl

I think you missed out. It was a great night.

Daddy_Pig

Not commenting on teh original post, I thought it was a superb gig.
Does anyone know the name of the support, their cover of Come Together was class.

delbertgrady

Beat Root Revival was the opening act.

jimosterberg

Have seen Brian quite a few times over the years but hadn't for 6 years. It was noticeable that he can't sing the songs like he could even six years ago. He was really struggling with the vocals and attempted a lot less than he used to.

I still enjoyed the gig a lot. The band are fantastic and it's always a pleasure to be in a room with Brian. The gig started well and then I thought it went off quite a bit. A lot of this was down to Blondie Chaplin, a fine musician but didn't suit the show at all. He also wanted to turn it into the Blondie show.

Al Jardine was fantastic. His voice is in great nick. I really enjoyed the show after the interval, the band were fantastic for pet sounds and hearing Brian and Al sing the God only knows outro to each other was special.

I hope it's Brian's last show here and he has a wonderful retirement. He left us with a magnificent reminder of his genius with a beautiful version of Love and Mercy, his best performance of the night.

jimosterberg

For the Mike Love fanclub :-&

https://youtu.be/JBfVCMgQOMM

Vunderground

The Nal wrote: »

Are you thinking of the same Brian Wilson? The Beach Boys one? He didn't sing a lot of the songs in the first place so the current band is accurate enough. He probably sings more now than on the albums. Carl sang God Only Knows for example.

Regarding him playing live and people thinking its just for money or that he is being manipulated, he has bipolar schizoaffective disorder and still has auditory hallucinations. Nasty ones, saying hes going to die etc. But "when I get on stage all my troubles go away". He sang as well last night aged 75 as he did in 2002. Better even.

All of this adds to the poignantcy of the music for me. Its bittersweet. Those melodies couldn't have come from a man with a healthy mind. Symphonic insanity at times. Completely unique.

Although he does owe Chuck Berry a nod. But then again who doesn't?

No they didn't come from a man with a healthy mind. I find that the Smile Sessions make me a bit uneasy in places. But it's total genius music

Welsh Megaman

Saw Brian last night in Liverpool.

Granted, the band did 99.99% of the work (hats off to Al Jardine's son for the high vocals).

Not ashamed to admit I became a little emotional when he performed 'God Only Knows'. And the five minute standing ovation when the song had finished said it all.

Thank you, Brian.

Walter E GO

A great special night for me, took my 16 year old son along (his first concert) and had a tear in my eye for God Only Knows, such a special moment for me to see and hear a living musical genius with my boy by my side. Something i'll always treasure.

Only downer for me was this tw*t sitting next to me, she came in with her other half, he was obviously a huge fan, but she came in (late) took a picture for her social media. And proceeded to text people throughout the entire show. When she wasn't texting and looking bored, she was in the ear of her other half and then left when Pet Sounds ended. Seriously why go in the first place. As she left i sarcastically said to my son "Thank Fck, she's gone" to which the people sitting above us laughed. She must've bothered the hell out of them too.

Beechwoodspark

Review of his London show in the guardian today. Reviewer expressed concern for Brian given his age and the condition he was in.

Welsh Megaman

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Review of his London show in the guardian today. Reviewer expressed concern for Brian given his age and the condition he was in.

Spot on.

I would love to ask Brian face-to-face, without any agents/managers/promoters/hangers-on present, if he REALLY wants to continue touring - as amazing as the show was, he simply wasn't there.

No die-hard fan would begrudge him retirement from the road, he owes the world absolutely nothing.

Beechwoodspark

Link to the article https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/02/brian-wilson-review-hammersmith-apollo-london-beach-boys?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Beechwoodspark

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Link to the article https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/02/brian-wilson-review-hammersmith-apollo-london-beach-boys?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

"The band are fantastic, the songs often euphoric – but Brian Wilson is a diminished and troubling presence at the heart of this Beach Boys revue"

Former Former

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Review of his London show in the guardian today. Reviewer expressed concern for Brian given his age and the condition he was in.

I think the review is not that dissimilar from the OP on this thread really. We can all see that's he's frail and we can all hear that his voice is not what it was. After that it becomes a matter of perception. Is he a bewildered old man being ruthlessly exploited? Or is he an old man doing what he loves for as long as he can?

Is Brian Wilson a "troubling presence", or does his aged condition just make the gig more authentic? This is the 50 year anniversary of Pet Sounds after all, and this is what Brian Wilson is like in 2017. It's not a Beach Boys tribute act but I think that's what some people wanted and expected.

Yamanoto

Welsh Megaman wrote: »

I would love to ask Brian face-to-face, without any agents/managers/promoters/hangers-on present, if he REALLY wants to continue touring - as amazing as the show was, he simply wasn't there.

Problem is, you could ask Brian the same question 5 days-in-a-row & you'd probably receive 5 different answers. There was an interesting article from the Guardian last year, where a journo followed him around on the UK leg of the tour & it makes for an uncomfortable read.

The man is an absolute colossus of modern popular music, but if I ever see another tour planned, I'd take that as a sad indication that those supposedly closest to him don't have his best interests at heart.

‘Are we there yet?’: on the road with Beach Boy Brian Wilson

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/08/are-we-there-yet-on-road-beach-boy-brian-wilson

The Nal

Yeah he obviously has good days and bad days. I really don't think hes being manipulated though. Not any more anyway.

Stonedpilot

dense wrote: »

Thanks for this. I'm fed up listening to silly adverts for washed up stars by gushing DJs who ate unable to give a subsequent honest review of a cråp performance because of vested interests.
I had thought about going but feared that this was going to be the case.

We can't recreate our youthful ways.
Puts CD on. No I don't have vinyl

Not knocking Brian but he seemed lost up there. Still liked the music and as someone else pointed out the band did 99% of the work.Sadly

chuckbass

Yamanoto wrote: »

On a tangential note, the new release 'Sunshine Tomorrow / 1967', featuring lots of alternate takes & remasters from Wild Honey & Smiley Smile is astoundingly good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAmOI4GFnQ0

Oh nice, I din't know anything about this, although I probably have heard most of the stuff on bootlegs it will be nice to bear it all cleaned up! Smiley Smile is pure genius, I'll take it over SMiLE any day of the week! And Wild Honey is a joy too

Yamanoto

Yamanoto wrote: »

The man is an absolute colossus of popular music, but if I ever see another tour planned, I'd take that as a sad indication that those supposedly closest to him don't have his best interests at heart.

‘Are we there yet?’: on the road with Beach Boy Brian Wilson

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/08/are-we-there-yet-on-road-beach-boy-brian-wilson

Aw sh1t, Brian's back - including a meet & greet for a few $ more.

https://www.ticketmaster.ie/brian-wilson-vicar-street-dublin/venueartist/198259/736468