With Tommy by Diamond Geyser (Shepherd's Bush Empire, London)
This was a mini-tour but reports are that Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins were in fine form!
"In Che Mondo Viviamo, Cell Phone Song, Egyptian Reggae" video from baldo (Nouveau Casino- Paris)
Patrick wrote a lovely review of the 7 May 2008 show (au Nouveau Casino) in Paris. If you haven't read it yet, look here.
Jonathan Richman au Nouveau Casino by baldo
More videos from Italy and France:
My Baby Love Love Loves Me- Poste à Galène (Marseille)
Ice Cream Man- Casa 139 (Milan)
Cosi Veloce- Casa 139 (Milan)
il cellulare- Casa 139 (Milan)
Dancing in the Lesbian Bar- Le Nouveau Casino (Paris)
Jonathan Richman at the Shepherd's Bush Empire by Henry Bloomfield
Babararacucudada at Serendipity on seeing Jonathan Richman in London (Shepherd's Bush Empire): "What can I say about the evening? Wonderful. Just wonderful. I left the gig with a huge smile on my face, swathed in good vibes and wanting to just give the whole world a cuddle despite a rather uncompromising conclusion to the show."
photo: Mick West
The show has Babararacucudada reminiscing about seeing Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers in 1984 at Elephant Fayre: "I remember the gig quite well. I was sharing a flat with a mate called Meaks at the time. He was with me and his girlfriend, Mary, was there too. Jonathan was on the afternoon. He turned up with a couple of backing musicians: there was a stand up bass player and a lady backing singer. That was it. No drums or other backing. If any percussion was needed then he either stamped on the stage or tapped the body of his guitar to provide it. What followed was unknown, to me ~ then, songs all delivered in the simplest Rock n Roll style that you could imagine. Wonderful. If ever a time or a venue was right for his song That Summer Feeling then that was it. I was utterly transformed and carried away to a better place. Meaks hated it. Mary, who had never heard of him before that day, became an instant fan. There in a nutshell you have him and the effect that he has on people." [read more]
Breaking Down the Barrier by Diamond Geyser
Jamie Janakov of Playlouder was at Shepherd's Bush Empire too and was similarly moved to Proustian reverie: "I have vague memories of throwing my rattle out the pram repeatedly when being played a live tape of his performances when I was younger. What is this inane shite? I thought, as I vomited Rusks onto my Care Bears bib. I hope I never descend into such a fragile state of mind that I enjoy this comedic garbage, I mused, glaring at my father doing the ironing while I tried in vain to suck my feet."
"Not So Much to Be Loved, As to Love" video from diamondgeyser (Shepherd's Bush Empire)
Jamie concedes that now is better than before: "But it’s funny how things change. What I hadn’t expected from this larger-than-life Massachusettsian mariachi and his no-doubt long-suffering percussionist was a show I wanted to go on, and on, and on. "(read more)
Dancing in a Lesbian Bar by Diamond Geyser
David Sinclair from Times Online was there as well: "Now he has become a technological refusenik, rejecting all contact with the internet. The unreleased Cell Phone Song, which he performed (twice) at the Empire, made his antipathy to this ubiquitous gadget equally clear."
Cell Phone Outrage by Diamond Geyser
David continues: "Other new songs, such as The Lovers are Here and They're Full of Sweat, took a wry look at the pain and passions of the younger generation. Sometimes you want someone to play the part of the old codger,' Richman explained. 'I can do that.' In fact he looked remarkably sprightly and sang his songs - some of them in French and Italian - with a purity of expression and lightness of touch that belied the passing years." (read more)
Jonathan Richman at the Shepherd's Bush Empire by Henry Bloomfield
louche at Basil Exposition saw Jonathan and Tommy in Dublin (Whelan's) the next night, 10 May: "Very unusually for me, I had absolutely no experience of his music or act before stepping into the venue: I was there at the command of a friend in London who’d seen him the night before and said I had to 'beg, borrow or steal a ticket' (direct quote). I am now a fan." (read more)
"Egyptian Reggae" video from vintage1965 (Whelans)
Ian at Thrill Pier was at Whelan's too: "With just a classical guitar in hand and a shit hot drummer backing him he had me, and most of the rest of the crowd in the palm of his hand from the off. Playing material mostly drawn from his latest album I couldn't give a damn that the only song I knew the whole night was "Pablo Picasso". He's just so incredibly charming and unendlessly charismatic, and there's a constant twinkle in his eye. People were giggling like kids in the back of a classroom at seemingly random points throughout the set and it was only midway through it did I realise that it was because he'd caught their eye and was giving them a funny look. And boy can he dance." (read more)
Jonathan, What's Happening? by Diamond Geyser
Below is a picture from Belfast- Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (11 May)
Jonathan Richman by Gareth Mooney
Back at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London with The Word Magazine, Mark Ellen calls David Hepworth to tell him about his and Robyn Hitchcock's backstage encounter with Jonathan Richman (about 20 minutes into podcast)
New Great Outdoors Podcast
Relevant bit of Word Magazine podcast (temporarily peeled):
More videos from Shepherd's Bush Empire (London):
Shepherd's Bush Empire by Babararacucudada
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Spring 2008 schedule reposted for archives:
FRANCE & ITALY
Fri 02 May Toulouse (Theatre Garonne) with Suzanne Piesker
Sat 03 May Marseille (Le Poste à Galène) with Suzanne Piesker
Mon 5 May Rome (Stazione Birra) with Suzanne Piesker
Tue 6 May Milan (La Casa 139) with Suzanne Piesker
Wed 07 May PARIS (Le Nouveau Casino) with Suzanne Piesker
ENGLAND
Fri 09 May London England (Shepherd's Bush Empire
IRELAND
Sat 10 May Dublin (Whelans)
Sun 11 May Belfast (Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival)
Mon 12 May Galway (Roisin Dubh)
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