Yet another FaceBook enabled, carpe diem, musical bucket list concert.
Ian, a friend of a friend on FB, had a spare ticket as his partner was unwell. I was able to snap up the ticket at short notice because I was home alone; Mary was visiting her Mum in Scotland.
Ian and I exchanged contact details and met for the first time in real life at Shepherd's Bush Market tube.
It was a special gig to celebrate 30 years since Howard's debut single "New Song". Ian had a VIP ticket to spare which included a pre-concert 'private' gig at 6pm and entrance to an after-show party.
The front row of the mosh pit was taken up by a row of 6ft 6in gorillas - I was starting to feel like some kind of midget. Fortunately there was enough room to be able move about and pick a better sightline.
It was a great show of three halves: acoustic, electronic, greatest hits. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The middle section was a specially composed piece called "Engage" complete with visuals projected onto a gauze screen and was an unexpected treat.
Before the main concert everyone in the audience was invited to grab a free pair of colourful gloves from a table at the back of the auditorium. Then we could wave our hands in the air and join in with similarly coloured hands playing piano on the big screen.
Howard came across as a really nice bloke with a genuine desire to connect with his fans. The stuff on his FB feed since reinforces that impression. And the music was excellent.
The Upcoming review said, "The calibre of the performance and the tracks themselves bear witness to his great talent as a performer and songwriter, one who has forever left his mark on the British New Wave music scene." I'll second that. Full review: http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2013/12/01/howard-jones-at-shepherds-bush-empire-live-review/
We popped into the after-show party for one small glass of sparkling then called it a night.
Howard will be publishing a DVD of the concert - that is going on my wish list for sure.
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