CityLife

If you have seen Gil Scott Heron live before you will be aware that a 20 minute monologue is not unusual. I would have been disappointed if he'd not launched into one! It was curious that he omitted his new material but I don't think most of the tracks on I'm New Here would really lend themselves that well to a live performance, apart from I'll Take Care of you and perhaps I came from a Broken Home. Maybe his logistical volcano - influenced problems were to blame. Perhaps that's why he has a paired down band with him. In any event I was far from disappointed with his performance or with that of his accompanying musicians. To have Gil performing at all is something of a miracle due to his recent travails. He has some back catalogue and unless he spent alI night on stage he was bound to miss out someone's favourite track. I thought he was on good form and his voice is something very special indeed. I was particularly pleased to hear Pieces of a Man. He's one of life's eccentrics and all the better for that. Superb.<br />

I've been looking forward to this gig for months and was totally disappointed. I know Gil has a fair back catalogue but to completely ignore all the songs on his new album is quite frustrating to thos of us who don't appreciate Jazz. <br /> <br /> The fact his new material is so different meant there was little of interest to someone like myself who had gone along hoping for at the very least a couple of those tunes. <br /> <br /> To not even get treated to "Home is where the Hatred is" or "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is quite insulting. Luckily I saw the Chris Cunningham gig a few days earlier which had his version of "New York is Killing Me". In general a much better gig. <br />