On Stage: Ty Segall & Freedom Band @ Patronaat

I understand it's been five years since Ty Segall played club shows in The Netherlands. In Ty years that is about a lifetime, considering he keeps releasing several albums every year. He's returning with a two night residency at Patronaat Haarlem with his current tour where he will play his new record First Taste and one of his previous records in their entirety. At Patronaat those are Melted and Manipulator, so I simply have to be there both nights.

Ty Segall & Freedom Band at Patronaat Haarlem, October 17 + 18 2019

I'm off to a rough start the first night and end up late at the venue. I got stuck on the highway for almost four hours because of a horrible accident closing down the road. Ty Segall and his band have already played more than half of First Taste when I walk in. Segall is behind a drum kit and they are playing the groovy and rocking songs with a lot of fire. This new album is a bit different from his other ones, but aren't they all? Fortunately the second night I get to see the whole set and the whole album.

His music is so diverse and he keeps finding new roads and tracks, that he can wander on, something that is very clear during these two nights. It is a journey through the whole rock spectrum and beyond. Even on the same record or in the same song, he will show many different faces. Segall is a musical chameleon, that can change into whatever shape he fancies.

But all his songs have his unmistakable signature, that will tell you it is a Segall production. All of his songs also have golden melodies, that will make them irresistible. He has an incredible and unique musical talent, where besides being an amazing musician, he also is an amazing song writer. And yes, this guy can also shred a guitar like one of the best. He proves that so many times, where he will throw his head backwards and squeezes out another incredible riff or solo.

Segall doesn't waste time talking in between songs, but instead keeps the engine running at all times. The lights change colour halfway the show when the band finishes First Taste and move onto the album of the day effortlessly. Segall always brings a great band and this tour is no difference. Partner in crime Mikal Cronin turns out to be playing with him as an attentive reader pointed out (thanks!), although I wasn't able to recognize him from my position where he's mostly in the shades. I do recognize Shannon Lay on guitar, who I also saw play with Feels a while ago. Together with Segall they make the songs sound so good, with a lot of groove and beautiful harmonies.

After finishing the album of the day, the band leaves the stage but return for an encore both nights. This is almost two hours of rock heaven with one of the best around. Ty Segall is an absolute giant, a one of a kind artist that has been on top of his game for quite a while. I feel very lucky to have been at his show two nights in a row.



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Setlist October 17:
First Taste:
01. Taste
02. Whatever
03. Ice Plant
04. The Fall
05. I Worship the Dog
06. The Arms
07. When I Met My Parents Pt. 1
08. I Sing Them
09. When I Met My Parents Pt. 3
10. Radio
11. Self Esteem
12. Lone Cowboys
Melted:
13. Finger
14. Caesar
15. Girlfriend
16. Sad Fuzz
17. Melted
18. Mike D's Coke
19. Imaginary Person
20. My Sunshine
21. Bees
22. Mrs.
23. Alone
Encore:
24. Cherry Red (The Groundhogs cover)
25. You're the Doctor


Setlist October 18:
First Taste:
01. Taste
02. Whatever
03. Ice Plant
04. The Fall
05. I Worship the Dog
06. The Arms
07. I Sing Them
08. When I Met My Parents Pt. 1
09. Radio
10. When I Met My Parents Pt. 3
11. Self Esteem
12. Lone Cowboys
Manipulator:
13. Manipulator
14. Tall Man Skinny Lady
15. The Singer
16. It's Over
17. Feel
18. The Faker
19. The Clock
20. Green Belly
21. The Connection Man
22. Mister Main
23. The Hand
24. Susie Thumb
25. Don't You Want to Know?
26. The Crawler
27. Who's Producing You?
28. The Feels
29. Stick Around
Encore:
30. Fanny Dog


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Best Kept Secret 2018 Day 3

The Casbah got the best of me last night so I'm a little slow this morning. But a few litres (yes, we have the metric system over here) of coffee gets me going. So after a while we are heading to the festival site for another glorious day in sunny paradise.

Best Kept Secret 2018 Day 3, June 10 2018

Moaning

Yesterday we spent a lot of time at stage five and we find ourselves back there for the first show of the day with Moaning. Singer and guitarist Sean Solomon looks tiny but packs an amazing baritone. The band have a relaxed and loose way of playing their powerful songs, still the show is very tight. The post-punk songs with fuzzed guitars sound dark and heavy. Once and a while the band goes wild on stage, swinging their guitars around. At the end of the set Solomon balances his guitar on top of his head for the last trick of a very enjoyable show.

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Khruangbin

Since I saw the trio from Houston play the Into The Great Wide Open festival last year the band has created a lot of buzz around them. Their album Con Todo El Mundo is well received and people seem to love the mellow disco and rock n roll sound. I am not that impressed and find it a bit too cheesy and boring. But it has brought them to the second biggest stage of the festival where it has filled up completely, so I'm going to give them another try. Every song is greeted with loud cheers and people are really digging the easy listening tunes. Mark Speer is a skilled guitar player showcasing many styles. I still think it isn't all that special and probably don't really get it.



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Gang Of Youths

I like the Australian band Gang Of Youths a lot better later on at the main stage. It's halfway the afternoon and it's hot in front of the stage at the lake. The band needs to work very hard to keep people going. The band has studied their rock poses well, especially singer David Le’aupepe. In the end it pays off though and people actually start responding to the band's positive energy. Not all songs are great though, especially the mid tempo pop tunes aren't really memorable. But when the band starts rocking heavily, steering close to Bruce Springsteen and The Gaslight Anthem, they actually have something good going on. In the end the band deserves a big hand for energizing the somewhat apathetic crowd.

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Rodriguez

The incredible story about Sixto Rodriguez is the subject of the by now well-known documentary Searching For Sugarman. Although it isn't clear to me if the story was made bigger than it truly is, you really wish the old bluesman the best. But the singer looks lost on stage and isn't really capable of playing a truly good show. The eager crowd really wants to give him everything but the show never really takes off. In the end it is the legend that remains but with a bit of a bitter taste.



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Ty Segall & The Freedom Band

Fortunately Ty Segall lives up to his reputation. The productive rocker even shines in his best matter with an inspired and lively show. With his The Freedom Band he's standing in half a circle so we can only see him from the back from our bad spot all the way to the right of the stage. Segall seems to be going through all his faces today, moving between garage punk, rock, glamrock and some more of his pop tunes. The pit in front of the stage gets bigger and bigger, while crowd surfers keep popping up. His cover of Hot Chocolate's 'Everyone's A Winner' fires them up even more. Segall definitely is a big winner today.

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Spoon

Spoon is one of those bands that simply is made for festivals like this. Their song writing skills are amazing and live those songs sound better than ever. Britt Daniel is a charismatic singer that knows how to play a crowd. Today he has no trouble getting people into their groovy songs. The wonderful 'I Ain't The One' makes everyone hold their breath and this show only has highlights.



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Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Back at stage Two Ruban Nielson and co have started their set. The band has grown bigger and bigger over the years, but they are known for their capricious performances. I've seen great shows by this band, but today they sound a bit messy. Jumping between songs from their entire catalog, the many styles lack coherence and the band seems less focused. Nielson can still rely on his amazing guitar playing though and a string of very good songs. In the end it leaves mixed feelings about this show.



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Father John Misty

Another good album God's Favorite Customer makes me eager to see Father John Misty. He plays a very smooth running set with a tight band, with a lovely brass section. His rich compositions sound lush today with a well balanced set that never goes weary. He is not in a chatty mood but when you have so many great songs, you can let the music do the talking. That's exactly what he does while the sun is slowly setting.

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LCD Soundsystem

After two days of headliners that lived up to their huge reputation, expectations are high for James Murphy and co who are closing the main stage. They played an incredible set of shows at Paradiso last September so I kind of thought what to expect. The band has an out of this world set for us tonight though, one that is aimed at a festival crowd that wants to go all the way one last time at the main stage. All hits are lined up in a smooth running show that never seems to have breaks, except for that short toilet break Murphy announces a few songs too early. The huge disco ball was never more at its place than tonight, which turns into a lovely dancing party filled with good vibes. Murphy is clearly having a lot of fun himself, smiling a lot and cracking a few jokes. This is one of those nights where a band and a crowd totally connect for a wonderful unforgettable party. Last year we saw two dream headliners Arcade Fire and Radiohead on this festival, but LCD Soundsystem was probably the perfect headliner for a close to perfect festival.

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We head to The Casbah one last time that is exploding with energy. This year's edition was one of the best festival experiences I have ever had and one that climaxed with utter joy and positive vibes. The weather turned out to be perfect, the bands were incredible and the crowd was really into it as well. I think I saw a glimpse of paradise this weekend.

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Best Kept Secret Festival 2018 Day 1
Best Kept Secret Festival 2018 Day 2

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New Sounds: Ty Segall - Live In San Francisco

It's no secret Ty Segall likes to keep himself busy. After his wonderful album Manipulator last year, he's already come up with Mr. Face and now his live album is about to drop. Listening to him play live is not a bad thing at all either. No doubt a few more of Segall's incarnations will release new music this year. Until then listen to Live In San Francisco:





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Top 10 Albums 2014

To be fair, I don't really care too much about year lists. They don't mean a lot, even though many music magazines aggregate them from many personal lists of people in the industry. But they aren't saying that much, especially when it comes to albums that are not in the top 3. At most the top 3 are albums that are generally considered favourable this year. But people tend to like those lists and ask about them. Since I'm a writer for FestivalInfo and ROAR E-Zine I also have to send in my top ten for their list. So without too many more words, here's mine. Have a great 2015! See you on the other side.

1. The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream
Play in Spotify

2. Shaking Godspeed - Welcome Back Wolf
Play in Spotify

3. Temples - Sun Structures
Play in Spotify

4. Spoon - They Want My Soul
Play in Spotify

5. Future Islands - Singles
Play in Spotify

6. Ty Segall - Manipulator

7. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
Play in Spotify

8. Beck - Morning Phase
Play in Spotify

9. Fratsen - Caspar

10. TV On The Radio - Seeds
Play in Spotify


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Crowd Surfing With Rocking Ty Segall

With the amount of music Ty Segall is recording, it is a surprise he's able to play live at all. Fortunately he is doing a tour, to promote his new album Manipulator, which is one of his best. Time to go check out this busy bee.

Ty Segall at Paradiso Amsterdam, November 3 2014



After being pummeled by support act J.C.Satàn, a cowboy who calls himself Jimmy, takes the stage to tell us a little tale. Most of the cowboy's little jokes are ignored by everyone and he decides to bring the band to the stage. Jimmy joins the others on keyboard for the first song, but fortunately doesn't take part in the rest of the set. Instead Mikal Cronin is playing the keyboard parts for the rest of the night that takes off kind of slow. The first half of his set tonight consists solely of songs off his new album, which is great. He plays a few of the psychedelic songs that are on Manipulator, that somehow don't really work well. Most of the subtleties are lost in the heavy sound of tonight and this doesn't do them good.



But by the time the band has warmed up, it's clear they aren't here to play subtleties at all. Segall is here to rock us off our socks with wild garage rock songs, which is exactly what happens. He's knocking them out effortlessly and it doesn't take long for the first couple of youngsters to climb the stage for some good old fashioned stage diving and crowd surfing. Seagull is clearly enjoying this and is even encouraging to take a crowd surfing young girl all the way to the back and return her safely, which is exactly what happens.



He can't hold it himself any more and goes a little crowd surfing himself, which he tries for a second time somewhat later. This time he loses his guitar which is grabbed by some people in the crowd. After he gets it back he climbs back on stage and is clearly annoyed by the fact this kind of messed up his guitar since it refuses to stay in tune. Fortunately Segall looks like a cheerful guy and nothing can seem to break his good mood tonight. After a few more killer songs in the encore it's over, leaving nothing but good vibes and spirits.



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Setlist:
01. Manipulator
02. It's Over
03. The Connection Man
04. Tall Man Skinny Lady
05. Feel
06. The Faker
07. The Singer
08. The Clock
09. Green Belly
10. Don't You Want to Know? (Sue)
11. Susie Thumb
12. The Crawler
13. The Feels
14. I Bought My Eyes
15. You're the Doctor
16. Imaginary Person
17. Finger
18. Caesar
19. Thank God for Sinners
20. Wave Goodbye
Encore:
21. Goodbye Bread
22. Slaughterhouse
23. Tell Me What's Inside Your Heart


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Ty Segall Close To A Masterpiece

Not many artists are as active and productive as Ty Segall. The number of records, singles and music the man is releasing as himself, one of his alter egos or his many collaborations, makes you wonder about his night's rest. You would think he may be choosing quantity over quality, but the constant flow of music never disappoints. Manipulator is his seventh solo album and is definitely not his least.

Ty Segall - Manipulator

On this record Segall doesn't hold back in any way. He's going from garage rock, to glam rock, from britpop to hardrock. And with seventeen songs, just short of an hour of music, length wise he's not pacing himself either. It results in a sum up of everything he stands for, every piece of music he ever recorded and includes all the music that inspired him. The production is prolific with strings scattered around like in 'The Clock'.

And so we can hear plenty of Bowie on 'The Faker' that even echoes a bit of 'The Jean Genie'. 'Feel' has a big hardrock riff that keeps growing throughout the song, packing plenty of Zeppelin. T-Rex is never far away in a glam rock piece like 'Who's Producing You?' and there are Beatles references all over. Fans of his garage sound, don't need to worry, since most songs also have a garage rock edge to it, like 'Tall Man Skinny Lady'.

You do wonder if he shouldn't have left some songs out, cut it back to ten, maybe twelve songs, which could have made it more compact, more coherent and could have turned the album into an instant classic. On the other hand it does show all Segall's pretty colours, without holding back. He's dusting off classic rock in his own way and on his own terms, letting it shine more than ever. Maybe because of all the variation and lack of focus it doesn't turn Manipulator into an absolute masterpiece, but it's a damn fine album nevertheless.



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