You've heard of the slow food movement. Now let me introduce you to the slow music movement. Its members don't know they're part of it, but they all have one thing in common: exquisitely crafted albums that appear years apart. Kraftwerk are one such band, and the UK's main proponent are the superb The Blue Nile.



They played a rare concert last night, one of a short series that recaps nearly 25 years of craftsmanship. It wasn't a big gig, in fact, compared to our last concert at a festival in Spain it was positively minute. But it was people who loved the band, who loved their music, and who'd managed to fight London's broken public transport infrastructure to reach the courtyard of Somerset House.



The concert ranged widely through the band's four albums, and introduced one new track (as well as a distinctly Blue Nilish take on "Strangers in the Night"). The atmosphere was electric, with an enraptured audience hanging on every perfect note.

( For the completists, the set list )

An excellent gig, and one which bodes well for further concerts (and more albums).

According to his blog, Thomas Dolby will be playing a UK gig that day at the ICA to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Sputnik.

Ticket details will be announced soon, along with other UK dates.

w00t. More Dolby in London, and somewhere less awkward than the Scala too!

It looks like this year is my year for seeing bands I'd always wished I'd seen.

To follow up two doses of Thomas Dolby, I've just booked tickets to go see the prog rock supergroup Asia at the Shepherds Bush Empire - and it's the original line up of John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Steve Howe and Geoff Downes.

w00t and all that.

Their eponymous first album was the first album I ever bought, back in Woolworth's in St Helier...

The Sole Inhabitant will be at the Scala on the 23^rd of June.

Oh yes. Having seen him once this year already at a warm-up gig in San Francisco, I am going back for the full tour experience...

It's cheap - only £12.50. It's also early - doors open at 7.00 and the gig will be over at 9.30

Short but oh so sweet. More details and photos to follow, but suffice it to say: "Europa" and "Flying North".

The man still has it.

I have just discovered that one of my favourite artistes of all time, the one and only Thomas Dolby, will be playing one of his very rare gigs in San Francisco when we are there next month - at Mighty on Thursday the 9th.

W00t! I am so there.

Anyone else likely to be going?

(and yes, this is the closest to a fanboyish "squee" you will ever see from me)

Only $10? I'd have paid a lot more!