(TV) Television in Dublin 15 June 2002

[Keith Allison <keith@marquee.demon.co.uk>]

-----Original message-----
Subject:    Television in Dublin 15 June 2002
To:         keith@marquee.demon.co.uk
From:       Joseph Thornton <joet61@hotmail.com>
Date:       Mon, 17 Jun 2002 20:51:23 +0200
Message-ID: <F56OISo1WYi3NndsDO700020c1f@hotmail.com>

Keith,

Saw Television in Dublin on Saturday. Excellent show, but somehow not as 
wonderful or exciting as last year in the same venue (their Irish debut!).

Maybe it was because this time Vicar Street decided to put tables in front 
of the stage, so that everyone was seated. Maybe it sells more booze, and 
that is where the money is made. A few people got to their feet as the 
concert went on but it was relatively sedate. Really, too many people seemed 
to want to continue chatting as the greatest guitar band in the world were 
doing their stuff. Even if they were talking about the amazing things 
Richard and Tom were doing with their guitars.

Mind you, the place could have been fuller. There were a good few empty 
seats. The show hadn't been advertised, apart from a few posters around the 
city and a few previews in the press.

Of course, you don't really expect a bunch of 50-year-olds to keep all of us 
on our feet for 100 minutes or so, but... I was sort of hoping.

The band was technically tight. Maybe tighter than last year. They spent 
less time adjusting the equipment between songs. We were a little 
disappointed that the vocals were nearly inaudible at times.

They played the following songs (maybe not exactly in this order):
Fire Engine
Venus
Little Johnny Jewel
Call Mr Lee (my memory's hazy but I think they did it)
I Could Sleep All Day (my first time hearing it, sounded really good)
Prove It
(Another song I didn't know, was it "O Mi Amore", or a new one?)
Beauty Trip (I think)
Rocket
Rhyme
See No Evil
Marquee Moon (ending in a series of climaxes)
ENCORES:
Wild Thing (Tom on lead vocals)
Glory

It all seemed too short, though when you look at the song list you realize 
they played a reasonably long set.

I enjoyed the music very much, but I have to admit I was disappointed with 
Rhyme, one of my favourite Television songs. They did a strange version of 
it which missed out on some of the delights of the original. I'm all for 
experimentation and going out on a limb -- the sense of risk. In last year's 
show, I enjoyed the song much more, and that was also quite different from 
the original. Similarly, last year they ventured to do "No Glamour for 
Willi", and pulled it off brilliantly, I thought. (When you listen to the 
recorded version you don't expect to hear anyone try it live...) But no 
"Willi" this time.

In the same way, you don't expect them to ever try "The Dream's Dream" live. 
But I always hope to hear them do "Elevation", "Days", "Foxhole", "This 
Tune", "In World", etc. And new songs by Television/Tom Verlaine would be my 
biggest motivation for going to any concert.



-------------
Keith Allison
-----------------------------------------------
http://www.marquee.demon.co.uk
"The Wonder - Tom Verlaine, Television & Stuff"
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