Belfast Show - March 2020

Last year upcoming audio dealer Kantata Audio had their first foray into delivering a hifi show, a useful addition to the Northern Ireland scene.  Based in the Crowne Plaza in Belfast, it seems to have been well recieved, see the review below:

http://www.adventuresinhifiaudio.com/09/10/2019/kantata-audio-autumn-event-show-report-28th-september-2019/

On March 28th March 2020 Kantata are following up the 2019 successiwth a bigger show and wider range of exhibiting brands. Audioquest, Auralic, Lejonklou, Hegel and Amphion will be represented amongst others.  Perhaps the main draw will be Kudos speakers being driven by an active Exposure set up.

More details here: https://www.kantata-audio.co.uk/events/spring-event-2020

14th March 2019 - Manchester Dealer Launches "My Tunes" Musical Evenings

Manchester dealer brianandtrevors (aka House of Linn) are launching a new series of occasional musical evenings.

The idea is pretty simple - a guest selects a bunch of tunes they enjoy and plays them to other guests / customers.  We get the chance to hear a good system and hopefully some good music with the possibility of being introduced to new material and artists.

'musings has been invited to present the first of these evenings on 14 March 2019.  Should be fun.

You can reserve a seat by calling or emailing brian and trevor.  More details in the latest newsletter:

https://www.brianandtrevors.com/almost-spring-2019-newsletter/

Steven Wilson At The Troxy, London. March 2015

Really enjoyed the gig at the Troxy this week - much more than I thought I would.

The venue is magnificent - I assume previously it was a cinema - its a real art-deco joy (if you like that sort of thing!). Can't really comment on how it behaves from a sound quality point of view as I was near the back underneath the surprisingly low balcony ceiling, where it was OK enough.

PA was good quality, if just a touch too loud for the size of the venue. They were using rear speakers too, which was an interesting touch - they mostly pipe effects such as waves and rain through these, but backing vocals too from time to time. Light show fairly straight forward and one that was to add to the mood of each song rather than a show in itself. About 3/4 of the way through the gig a thin semi-translucent curtain came down in front of the band and that added to the lighting effects, in addition to being used as a screen for various moving images. The rest of the time the large screen behind the band was used either as part of the light show or for moving images of the girl-in-a-field, waves on a beach, grainy photos from childhood variety.

The band were very together (which can't be easy with this kind of music), the wild variety of light and shade, tempo changes, key changes etc., were all on show, very well executed. The way the music changes so much I have found difficult to enjoy in the past, but bringing it to life helped understand it better. Steven's singing was spot on and the whole band was passionate.

Really enjoyed the gig overall, much more than expected. It was also good to feel like a younger member (at 50!) of the 80% male audience.

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