Review: HERE
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
WHO IS WILLIAM ONYEABOR (London Barbican, 01/04/14)
Who, indeed, is William Onyeabor? A fundamentalist Christian pastor, devoted entirely to the word of the Lord? A Soviet-trained cinematographer with long-standing links to Moscow? A shadowy businessman with whispered links to unsavoury underground elements? A mega-elaborate hoax devised by Damon Albarn? This show didn't answer any of these questions, but it did confirm the 70's Nigerian funk pioneer produced some seriously great tunes. The first half of a show was at times underwhelming, lacking the requisite groove to get things kicked off, but by the end the whole Barbican was on their feet, singing and dancing and ignoring the fact that Albarn fluffed his one and only moment in the spotlight. A solid tribute to a hitherto undiscovered genius, albeit one that was very rough round the edges.
Who, indeed, is William Onyeabor? A fundamentalist Christian pastor, devoted entirely to the word of the Lord? A Soviet-trained cinematographer with long-standing links to Moscow? A shadowy businessman with whispered links to unsavoury underground elements? A mega-elaborate hoax devised by Damon Albarn? This show didn't answer any of these questions, but it did confirm the 70's Nigerian funk pioneer produced some seriously great tunes. The first half of a show was at times underwhelming, lacking the requisite groove to get things kicked off, but by the end the whole Barbican was on their feet, singing and dancing and ignoring the fact that Albarn fluffed his one and only moment in the spotlight. A solid tribute to a hitherto undiscovered genius, albeit one that was very rough round the edges.
65DAYSOFSTATIC (London Koko, 27/03/14)
Sheffield-based math-rockers 65daysofstatic have always been admirably cynical about rose-tinted nostalgia, but the 10 year anniversary of "The Fall of Math" reluctantly persuaded them to finally play their brilliant debut in full. And what a show it was. Not only did they perform every song from that album, including a couple that had never been aired live before, but they added a second set consisting of almost all the new album, plus fan-favourite "Radio Protector." Ferociously loud, brutally energetic, absolutely superb.
Sheffield-based math-rockers 65daysofstatic have always been admirably cynical about rose-tinted nostalgia, but the 10 year anniversary of "The Fall of Math" reluctantly persuaded them to finally play their brilliant debut in full. And what a show it was. Not only did they perform every song from that album, including a couple that had never been aired live before, but they added a second set consisting of almost all the new album, plus fan-favourite "Radio Protector." Ferociously loud, brutally energetic, absolutely superb.
Monday, March 24, 2014
HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT (London Shepherd's Bush Empire, 21/03/14)
The last time I saw Half Man Half Biscuit was at a Christmas show in 2006, where they pointedly didn't play "All I Want For Xmas Is a Dukla Prague Away Kit". This, of course, was profoundly upsetting and led to a life long phobia of defunct Central European football teams. Tonight, however, finally rectified that. Not only did they perform the world's best paean to Subbueto, but they immediately preceded it with "Vatican Broadside" (the best sub-30 second song by anyone ever) and "Joy Division Oven Gloves" ("DANCE! DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!"). Add in a bit of "Fuckin' Hell, It's Fred Titmus", "National Shite Day" "A Country Practice", "Bob Wilson, Anchorman", "Running Order Squabble Fest" and a myriad other shining examples of Nigel Blackwell's peerless wit, and you've got a gig that somehow transcended the Empire's frankly shoddy sound.
The last time I saw Half Man Half Biscuit was at a Christmas show in 2006, where they pointedly didn't play "All I Want For Xmas Is a Dukla Prague Away Kit". This, of course, was profoundly upsetting and led to a life long phobia of defunct Central European football teams. Tonight, however, finally rectified that. Not only did they perform the world's best paean to Subbueto, but they immediately preceded it with "Vatican Broadside" (the best sub-30 second song by anyone ever) and "Joy Division Oven Gloves" ("DANCE! DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!"). Add in a bit of "Fuckin' Hell, It's Fred Titmus", "National Shite Day" "A Country Practice", "Bob Wilson, Anchorman", "Running Order Squabble Fest" and a myriad other shining examples of Nigel Blackwell's peerless wit, and you've got a gig that somehow transcended the Empire's frankly shoddy sound.
Sunday, March 02, 2014
ST VINCENT (London Shepherd's Bush Empire, 20/02/14)
Annie Clark certainly picked up a few tips from David Byrne during the "Love This Giant" tour. She still has a "less is more" mentality as to the musical aspect of her shows, eschewing big ensembles for two synth-players and a drummer, but this performance was a hell of a lot more theatrical than anything she's done before. Most of it works excellently- the dual shimmying, the guitar shredding atop a ziggurat- but there are moments the artifice wears a bit thin, not least the stilted, scripted, faux-insightful "banter". But she played "Krokodil". And "Cruel". And "Marrow". And "Surgeon" (god, I love that guitar tone). And "Cheerleader." And "Prince Johnny." And a gloriously apocalyptic "Your Lips Are Red" to round things off. So that's all OK then.
(Photo: John Gleeson)
Annie Clark certainly picked up a few tips from David Byrne during the "Love This Giant" tour. She still has a "less is more" mentality as to the musical aspect of her shows, eschewing big ensembles for two synth-players and a drummer, but this performance was a hell of a lot more theatrical than anything she's done before. Most of it works excellently- the dual shimmying, the guitar shredding atop a ziggurat- but there are moments the artifice wears a bit thin, not least the stilted, scripted, faux-insightful "banter". But she played "Krokodil". And "Cruel". And "Marrow". And "Surgeon" (god, I love that guitar tone). And "Cheerleader." And "Prince Johnny." And a gloriously apocalyptic "Your Lips Are Red" to round things off. So that's all OK then.
(Photo: John Gleeson)
EZRA FURMAN (London Sebright Arms, 19/02/14)
Ezra Furman is Bruce Springsteen reincarnated into the body of a nebbish, shrill-voiced youth. Ezra Furman is a guy who produces quality, old-school rock 'n roll singalongs with unseemly ease. Ezra Furman is the kind of performer who can get away with three covers in a set ("Please Mr Postman", "Train In Vain" and "Hungry Heart") without making the punters feel like we're getting ripped off. Ezra Furman is bloody awesome.
Ezra Furman is Bruce Springsteen reincarnated into the body of a nebbish, shrill-voiced youth. Ezra Furman is a guy who produces quality, old-school rock 'n roll singalongs with unseemly ease. Ezra Furman is the kind of performer who can get away with three covers in a set ("Please Mr Postman", "Train In Vain" and "Hungry Heart") without making the punters feel like we're getting ripped off. Ezra Furman is bloody awesome.
JENNY WILSON (London Lexington, 17/02/14)
It's pretty easy to tell Jenny Wilson once collaborated with The Knife. Her glacial, industrial Swedish pop bears a lot of similarity with that of the siblings Dreijer, and although she doesn't have anything in her catalogue to match "Heartbearts" or "We Share Our Mother's Health" she's also, thankfully, a lot less pretentious. Very enjoyable.
It's pretty easy to tell Jenny Wilson once collaborated with The Knife. Her glacial, industrial Swedish pop bears a lot of similarity with that of the siblings Dreijer, and although she doesn't have anything in her catalogue to match "Heartbearts" or "We Share Our Mother's Health" she's also, thankfully, a lot less pretentious. Very enjoyable.
Friday, February 07, 2014
PRINCE (London Electric Ballroom,
05/02/14)
Yeah, I saw The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Prince in an 800 capacity
venue. It was pretty sweet. Perhaps a bit too geared towards the
newer classic rock stuff rather than his trademark funk for my liking, but goddamn,
that man sure can play a guitar. And all for £10 too!
(Photo: Associated Press/3RDEYEGIRL NPG Records)
(Photo: Associated Press/3RDEYEGIRL NPG Records)
Thursday, January 30, 2014
THE HIDDEN CAMERAS (London Bush Hall,
29/01/14)
The Hidden Cameras are a lot tamer than
they used to be (no men clad in lycra bodysuits gyrating around a
crucifix atop a church altar this time), but Canada's premier "gay
church folksters" still know how to put on a bloody enjoyable
show. It's nice to have them back.
MOONFACE (London Elgar Room, 27/01/14)
No, it's not Sunset Rubdown, but Spencer Krug's beautiful, elegiac solo piano performance was yet another triumph from one of the greatest musicians in the world today. He's ditched the virgin ghost snakes of old to sing about love and stuff, but he's still got an ear for an expressive, eccentric turn of phrase, and there's still hints of the piano-crashing mania of old. Not sure if it's better than the work he did with Siinai, but one can't fault the guy for refusing to remain tied to the past.
No, it's not Sunset Rubdown, but Spencer Krug's beautiful, elegiac solo piano performance was yet another triumph from one of the greatest musicians in the world today. He's ditched the virgin ghost snakes of old to sing about love and stuff, but he's still got an ear for an expressive, eccentric turn of phrase, and there's still hints of the piano-crashing mania of old. Not sure if it's better than the work he did with Siinai, but one can't fault the guy for refusing to remain tied to the past.
MOGWAI (London Royal Festival Hall, 25/01/14)
Mogwai have always been a band I've always felt I should like more than I actually do, but tonight went some way to rectifying that. I still think they're a bit too post-rock by numbers for my tastes (especially as I tend to be more attracted to the orchestral end of the genre), but "Mogwai Fear Satan", with that mid-song eruption of eardrum-shredding guitar noise definitely stands alongside "Acid Police" and "Untitled 8" as songs that would justify the tinnitus I'm almost guaranteed to get in later life.
Mogwai have always been a band I've always felt I should like more than I actually do, but tonight went some way to rectifying that. I still think they're a bit too post-rock by numbers for my tastes (especially as I tend to be more attracted to the orchestral end of the genre), but "Mogwai Fear Satan", with that mid-song eruption of eardrum-shredding guitar noise definitely stands alongside "Acid Police" and "Untitled 8" as songs that would justify the tinnitus I'm almost guaranteed to get in later life.
SON LUX (London Lexington, 23/01/14)
Wow. How to describe this gig and do it justice? Son Lux's "Lanterns" is a good album and all, but the live performance cranked things up five-hundred-fold, adding so many elements and twists and eccentricities that weren't there before. It's a show that flitted between haunting, echoey balladry and full on barrages of Boredoms-esque noise rock, a show that was cerebral yet also dancey, a show that on paper was the epitome of Pitchfork hipsterism, yet also delivered substance to back up the style. Given I was expecting a guy droning over pre-recorded backing tracks, the fact I witnessed one of the greatest live introductions to a band since perhaps Battles or Wildbirds and Peacedrums was a truly thrilling experience, and one that I would recommend to anyone who likes having their minds blown.
Wow. How to describe this gig and do it justice? Son Lux's "Lanterns" is a good album and all, but the live performance cranked things up five-hundred-fold, adding so many elements and twists and eccentricities that weren't there before. It's a show that flitted between haunting, echoey balladry and full on barrages of Boredoms-esque noise rock, a show that was cerebral yet also dancey, a show that on paper was the epitome of Pitchfork hipsterism, yet also delivered substance to back up the style. Given I was expecting a guy droning over pre-recorded backing tracks, the fact I witnessed one of the greatest live introductions to a band since perhaps Battles or Wildbirds and Peacedrums was a truly thrilling experience, and one that I would recommend to anyone who likes having their minds blown.
BOBAN I MARKO MARKOVIC ORKESTRA (London Scala, 19/01/14)
As much as I love Boban and Marko Markovic, I think a full set of their Balkan brass brilliance is too much for me. Their festival and brass battle sets in past years were incredibly focused, getting the mix of traditional Eastern European dance tunes and more modern, technically challenging pieces absolutely spot-on, but there were long stretches tonight that were just a bit self-indulgent. Fantastic at times, but it wasn't a patch on the Barbican performance last year.
As much as I love Boban and Marko Markovic, I think a full set of their Balkan brass brilliance is too much for me. Their festival and brass battle sets in past years were incredibly focused, getting the mix of traditional Eastern European dance tunes and more modern, technically challenging pieces absolutely spot-on, but there were long stretches tonight that were just a bit self-indulgent. Fantastic at times, but it wasn't a patch on the Barbican performance last year.
STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS (London Kentish Town Forum, 16/01/14)
Review: HERE
(Photo: Wumni Onibudo/The Line Of Best Fit)
Review: HERE
(Photo: Wumni Onibudo/The Line Of Best Fit)
TEETH OF THE SEA (London Electrowerkz, 11/01/14)
Imagine every film set in a 80's style sci-fi dystopia, distil them into musical form, and you've basically got Teeth of the Sea. Not as sonically brutal as their Electric Ballroom show (the small room muffled some of the subtleties of their sound), but not too shabby a start to the 2014 gig calendar, especially with a setlist bookended by the mighty electro/instrumental/post-rock assaults of "Reaper" and "Responder". Support band Evil Blizzard also truly lived up their name; no wonder Mark E Smith loves them, they're what the inside of his head would look like during a particularly bad trip.
Imagine every film set in a 80's style sci-fi dystopia, distil them into musical form, and you've basically got Teeth of the Sea. Not as sonically brutal as their Electric Ballroom show (the small room muffled some of the subtleties of their sound), but not too shabby a start to the 2014 gig calendar, especially with a setlist bookended by the mighty electro/instrumental/post-rock assaults of "Reaper" and "Responder". Support band Evil Blizzard also truly lived up their name; no wonder Mark E Smith loves them, they're what the inside of his head would look like during a particularly bad trip.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)