String quartet Ethel arrived promptly on stage sporting a zesty array of fashions. They raced through beautiful compositions like ‘Pelimanni’s Revenge’ by JPP & Timo Alikotila, and ‘Memory’ by Marcelo Zarvos, before stopping to chat with the audience. This self-proclaimed group of “classical musicians gone awry” perform as if they were Deep Purple with violins. Collectively, the members of Ethel have a vast performing and recording experience, and it shows. Dorothy Lawson attacks the cello from the first note, always communicating her intentions whilst Todd Reynolds’ violin soars above them, defying gravity with his empathetic lines.
 | | Ethel |
They conclude with ‘Spiritual,’ a foray into Indian music, and ‘Shuffle,’ another John King composition which proves that the authenticity of the Delta blues can be equally as valid on a traditional instrument as it is on slide guitar. Unencumbered by convention, genre or style, these four musicians have a key asset: soul. Long may they explore new possibilities in string quartet performance. Joe Jackson fronted one of the classic bands of the post-punk era. A former classical prodigy, Jackson was already a young musical veteran when ‘Look Sharp’ was released in January 1979. Tonight, Joe is in a relaxed mood and seems honoured to share an intimate songwriting masterclass in the glorious Philharmonic Hall. He bounds over to the piano, like Willy Wonka in his long purple coat; the audience are delighted to see him. He treats us to ‘Hometown,’ the classic hit ‘Steppin’ Out’ and ‘Awkward Age’ early on. Joe’s killer piano technique is in full force tonight, making his performance a real spellbinder. As he hammers out ‘On Your Radio’ and ‘Number One,’ it’s hard not to marvel at his unique way with chords, melody and vocal delivery.
 | | Joe Jackson |
The last quarter of his solo set contains the amusing ‘Who’s Your Lady Friend?’ (an old musical hall-style number from 1913 which Joe performs in a forthcoming film) and a new song, ‘Citizen Sane,’ where Joe examines how it feels to be the only sane person in a world gone mad. He concludes with ‘Is She Really Going Out With Him?’ – another slice of pop confection from his 1979 debut. Joe has worked consistently over the years and his discography is a treasure trove. Seek and ye shall find. Rock n’ roll maverick Todd Rundgren was born and raised in Philadelphia. A prodigious multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, he delivered his debut offering, the legendary Runt in 1970. But it was 1972's seminal ‘Something/Anything?’ on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer, that catapulted him into the limelight as 'rock's new wunderkind'. Walking out onto the Philharmonic stage, he receives the biggest ovation of the night, but simultaneously finds the audience in a restless mood. | "Joe’s killer piano technique is in full force tonight, making his performance a real spellbinder. " | | Simon Barber |
Now, I’m an easy-going guy, but there are a few things in this world that drive me batty. Specifically, people who drive with full-beam headlights on; people who always go for the second bus no matter how empty the first, and people who pay money for concert tickets so they can spend most of the show in the bar. Perhaps it was the recent heatwave that provoked the continuous exodus of people from my row. It would also explain the near incessant delirium of Scouse-proud Beatle fans heckling Rundgren to acknowledge his debt to the Fab Four. So intrusive were the audience, that Todd himself actually had to ask “Is this a press conference?” He opened his set on solo acoustic guitar with ‘Love of the Common Man,’ a couple dancing at his feet for the duration. “I swear I didn’t plan this” he says before ushering the inebriated pair back to their seats. Todd continued with ‘Beloved Infidel’ before retiring to the piano with the classic ‘Hello It’s Me’. Sadly, most of Rundgren’s sparkling wit was lost on the audience. “I thank you for your extensive familiarity with my catalogue” he quipped after one particularly heavy bout of audience requests, “at this point, it exceeds even my own”. Like Elvis in later years, Rundgren’s piano renditions are interesting experiments in meter and rhythm. His gift is unquestionable, and it's not long before he takes to a third instrument: the ukulele. With Hawaiian garlands flung around his neck, he softly strums a comical version of the aggressive tune ‘Bang The Drum.’ Intermittently, he breaks into falsetto with the ‘Wee-Ah-Wimoweh’ melody from ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. Appeasing the audience, Todd says: “I got the cure for what ails ya” before launching into an acoustic performance of The Beatles’ ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.’ Finally, the audience are enraptured. Soon Ethel return to the stage and join Todd for a glorious rendition of ‘Pretending To Care.’ The sound in the Philharmonic is first class and Ralph Farris’ beautiful string arrangement is crystal clear. The show climaxes with another homage to The Beatles. Jackson, Rundgren and Ethel congregate to give us George Harrison’s ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ with Ethel recreating the classic Clapton solos on strings. Moving stuff! Overall, a wonderful night’s music. This was not a greatest hits show in any sense. Given the talents of the parties involved, at times it was a truly progressive experience. Perhaps the Philharmonic could follow an old theatre tradition and enforce a latecomer’s queue, allowing people to enter only at suitable breaks in the set? Or, how about the comedy club rule whereby the bar must close during performances? Perhaps then the true fans could relax and revel in their favourite artist while the tag-along guests could find themselves a pub? Just a thought. This was the last UK date in the tour, and was an exemplary example of two songwriters sharing their unique gifts with the audience. Next time Liverpool, forget your heritage and booze for an evening and realise when an artist is throwing pearls at you! | 
