ESG and Tangerine Dream

The New York funk veterans ESG have been stunning audiences for over thirty years with their endlessly grooving music. Interestingly the four sisters originally started playing instruments together after their mother believed this to be a way of ensuring her children kept out of trouble on the mean streets of the Bronx. And thank goodness she did as ESG became one of the most important funk bands to arise in the eighties. They may be a lot older now, but ESG still offer an incredible, energetic live performance, performing their hits with great aplomb as if they have only just started. At KOKO in London in January this year, they proved just this, with a set that incited huge swathes of the audience to boogie their buttocks off, attracting an audience of al ages, proving their music to be still influential to this day. They played their classic tunes like "UFO," "Dance" and "My Love For You" pushing the funk levels to a riotously danceable level. Highlight was perhaps the encore "Erase You" which just perfectly summed up the night, laying down some serious groove which made it difficult for the audience to accept that the night had come to an end. It is great to see artists like ESG still going strong and the world of live music is all the better for it.

I heard about Tangerine Dream from a friend and began listening to their music everyday after that. The music is so soothing and invigorating. The concert itself was absolutely amazing. The style is exactly how it's always been, and it felt like I was in a rocketship.

I saw them at Club Nokia in Los Angeles in 2012 and the experience was everything I ever dreamed it would be. The violin solos from Hoshiko Yamane were to die for, and it's something that I could not ever truly appreciate until I saw with my own eyes.

The light show fit the ambiance of the show perfectly, with everyone diligently working their instruments. The mood was so relaxed and the venue was so comfortable. I really wish they would come back very soon, it's my dream to see them live again. The venue was delightful, very small and intimate venue.

My seats were on the balcony, which unfortunately for me wearing heels was a bit of a climb and had a somewhat underwhelming view. The drinks were reasonably priced, but they seemed to be under mixed. I may also over mix my drink so I'm not sure. Parking was decent, paid what I expected to near the staple center in LA. Overall it was a good experience.