David Byrne is one cool mo’ fo. Clad head to toe in white, our witty host immediately sets the light-hearted tone for the evening by gently making fun of the hordes of press photographers blocking the view of the front couple of rows. Showcasing his 2008 collaboration with Roxy Music’s Brian Eno, proceedings start of well, with some pacey and lively tracks underpinned by the funky basslines and innovative percussion that’s always been Byrne’s trademark. True, a few tiresome ballads slipped through the net but they were quickly forgotten in the midst of the toe-tapping tuneage and some kick-ass choreography. It’s not often you get dancers at an indie gig, but they were an inspired addition to an otherwise pretty minimalist set-up- it was particularly fun to see Byrne getting fully involved in the routines. But things only truly hit their stride when they unleashed the immense “Crosseyed and Painless”- before this point, a few brave souls/weirdos had jettisoned their seats to throw some crazy shapes in the aisles, but by the end of the song the whole venue was on their feet, movin’ and groovin’ in a very un-London manner. As the set came towards its close, we were treated to a salvo of Talking Heads classics and after four encores (including Burning Down The House, with Byrne prancing about into a rather fetching tutu) one almost felt honoured in having paid only £40 for such an all-round brilliant performance. Definitely a contender for best show of 2009.
(Photo: John Gleeson)
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