Review: HERE
(Photo: Siamak Amini)
Monday, May 13, 2013
PARENTHETICAL GIRLS (London Lexington, 06/05/13)
From their albums, one might be forgiven for thinking Parenthetical Girls would be prissy, reserved live performers. In reality, they're the complete opposite. Zac Pennington struts around the stage, off the stage, on the sound deck and the bar like a camp American Jarvis Cocker. Old songs are given livelier, more muscular arrangements without compromising their beauty. People actually dance a little rather than sagely stroking their beards or crossing their arms in an “I'm too cool to be impressed” manner. It's all really rather excellent.
From their albums, one might be forgiven for thinking Parenthetical Girls would be prissy, reserved live performers. In reality, they're the complete opposite. Zac Pennington struts around the stage, off the stage, on the sound deck and the bar like a camp American Jarvis Cocker. Old songs are given livelier, more muscular arrangements without compromising their beauty. People actually dance a little rather than sagely stroking their beards or crossing their arms in an “I'm too cool to be impressed” manner. It's all really rather excellent.
CHILLY GONZALES (London Cadogan Hall, 30/04/13)
Part recital, part lecture on musical theory, all masterclass of showmanship, Chilly Gonzales proved that solo piano performances can be technically dazzling, innovative, educational and a hell of a lot of fun all at the same time. It's hard to sum up all the genius moments of this show – the understated but clever visuals, the well-judged and hilarious moments of audience participation, his fascinating and deeply-informed talks on subjects like the emotional appeal of arpeggios (referencing Frere Jacques, Glenn Miller and Daft Punk)- but the greatest thing about it is that it all served to augment, rather than distract from, the quality of his own musical talents. A evening of genuine brilliance.
(Photo: Jason Williamson (The Line Of Best Fit))
Part recital, part lecture on musical theory, all masterclass of showmanship, Chilly Gonzales proved that solo piano performances can be technically dazzling, innovative, educational and a hell of a lot of fun all at the same time. It's hard to sum up all the genius moments of this show – the understated but clever visuals, the well-judged and hilarious moments of audience participation, his fascinating and deeply-informed talks on subjects like the emotional appeal of arpeggios (referencing Frere Jacques, Glenn Miller and Daft Punk)- but the greatest thing about it is that it all served to augment, rather than distract from, the quality of his own musical talents. A evening of genuine brilliance.
(Photo: Jason Williamson (The Line Of Best Fit))
Monday, April 29, 2013
MELT
YOURSELF DOWN (London Corsica Studios, 24/04/13)
Look, it's Zun Zun Egui with a bunch of the country's leading modern jazz musicians. It was always going to be great. True, their material lacks variety, deviating from high-octane jazz-funk only to delve in latter-day-Sam-Beam world music territory, but my God, it's a hell of a lot of fun.
Friday, April 19, 2013
BRASS BAND BATTLE- BALKANS VS MEXICO (London Barbican, 14/04/13)
All that really needs to be said about this phenomenal brass-off between the Serbian Boban I Marko Marko Markovic Orkestra and the Mexican Banda Estrellas de Sinaloa de Gérman Lizarraga is that it inspired a typically staid and highbrow Barbican audience not only to initiate a conga line around the venue, but also to undertake two full-on stage invasions. For my money, the Balkans easily won it, with a far more varied and technically brilliant set, but the Mexican's played their hearts out too, with “Tequila Mambo” an obvious highlight. Without a doubt the most fun I've had this year outside of a Dan Deacon gig.
All that really needs to be said about this phenomenal brass-off between the Serbian Boban I Marko Marko Markovic Orkestra and the Mexican Banda Estrellas de Sinaloa de Gérman Lizarraga is that it inspired a typically staid and highbrow Barbican audience not only to initiate a conga line around the venue, but also to undertake two full-on stage invasions. For my money, the Balkans easily won it, with a far more varied and technically brilliant set, but the Mexican's played their hearts out too, with “Tequila Mambo” an obvious highlight. Without a doubt the most fun I've had this year outside of a Dan Deacon gig.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
EFTERKLANG (London Lexington, 29/03/13)
Efterklang's orchestral shows have been great an' all, but it's such a pleasure to see them once again as a proper band, playing their little Danish hearts out in a venue ten times smaller than what they're accustomed to these days. There's not a single duff moment during their 90-minute set, with their new female member's angelic harmonies elevating the arrangements to even more astounding levels of joyousness. An absolute stunner of a performance, and perhaps the best I've seen so far this year.
Efterklang's orchestral shows have been great an' all, but it's such a pleasure to see them once again as a proper band, playing their little Danish hearts out in a venue ten times smaller than what they're accustomed to these days. There's not a single duff moment during their 90-minute set, with their new female member's angelic harmonies elevating the arrangements to even more astounding levels of joyousness. An absolute stunner of a performance, and perhaps the best I've seen so far this year.
Friday, March 15, 2013
SIGUR ROS (London Brixton Academy, 09/03/13)
Kjartan may have departed to focus on his young family, but Sigur Ros' peerless Icelandic majesty thankfully remains undiminished. “Vaka” is as beautiful as it's ever been, “Olsen Olsen” and it's luscious, swing-swept coda continues to stir the ol' heartstrings , “Hoppipolla” is still a marvel despite being overplayed to death by BBC documentary makers, and “Untitled 8” will forever be the greatest live song on Earth. What a perfect way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my first ever gig.
Kjartan may have departed to focus on his young family, but Sigur Ros' peerless Icelandic majesty thankfully remains undiminished. “Vaka” is as beautiful as it's ever been, “Olsen Olsen” and it's luscious, swing-swept coda continues to stir the ol' heartstrings , “Hoppipolla” is still a marvel despite being overplayed to death by BBC documentary makers, and “Untitled 8” will forever be the greatest live song on Earth. What a perfect way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my first ever gig.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD (London Shepherd's Bush Empire, 22/02/13)
You'll certainly know them by the trail of busted eardrums. I always admire a band that puts the effort in, even to a largely disinterested audience of Cribs fans, and Trail of Dead's intensity, energy, and general disregard for volume limits would have impressed me even if their musical chops weren't up to scratch (which, happily, they are). Definitely an act to check out again in the future.
You'll certainly know them by the trail of busted eardrums. I always admire a band that puts the effort in, even to a largely disinterested audience of Cribs fans, and Trail of Dead's intensity, energy, and general disregard for volume limits would have impressed me even if their musical chops weren't up to scratch (which, happily, they are). Definitely an act to check out again in the future.
TAKEN BY TREES (London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen 18/02/13)
Pleasant Swedish dream-pop that unfortunately falls flat in the dark and soulless environs of Hoxton Bar and Kitchen. Bush Hall or St Giles would have suited much better. (Photo: Simon Beckerman)
Pleasant Swedish dream-pop that unfortunately falls flat in the dark and soulless environs of Hoxton Bar and Kitchen. Bush Hall or St Giles would have suited much better. (Photo: Simon Beckerman)
DAN DEACON (London Village Underground, 14/02/13)
The "human tunnel" stretched halfway around Shoreditch, the Village Underground was illuminated by the light of several hundred smartphone apps, the new keyboardist and two drummers absolutely aced "Snookered" -> "USA: Parts I-IV", and happy couples and the recently heartbroken were pitted against each other in the arena of dance. Good work, Dan Deacon. Good work.
The "human tunnel" stretched halfway around Shoreditch, the Village Underground was illuminated by the light of several hundred smartphone apps, the new keyboardist and two drummers absolutely aced "Snookered" -> "USA: Parts I-IV", and happy couples and the recently heartbroken were pitted against each other in the arena of dance. Good work, Dan Deacon. Good work.
TRUST (Brussels Ancienne Belgique, 04/02/13)
Bleepy-bloopy dance music from the Austra side-project. Enjoyable, if nothing life-changing.
(Photo: Trust)
(Photo: Trust)
MY BLOODY VALENTINE (London Electric Brixton, 27/01/13)
A lot of people complained how terrible the mix at this gig was, and rightly so - even Kevin Shields was visibly frustrated that everything sounded like it was being played down “a three-mile tunnel.” That said, acoustic fidelity has never been the primary draw of an MBV gig, and although the vocals were even harder to discern than usual, they still whipped up the squalls of ear-splitting noise I'd hoped for, not least during a brief, but ferociously intense “You Made Me Realise”.
A lot of people complained how terrible the mix at this gig was, and rightly so - even Kevin Shields was visibly frustrated that everything sounded like it was being played down “a three-mile tunnel.” That said, acoustic fidelity has never been the primary draw of an MBV gig, and although the vocals were even harder to discern than usual, they still whipped up the squalls of ear-splitting noise I'd hoped for, not least during a brief, but ferociously intense “You Made Me Realise”.
SOLANGE (London XOYO, 17/01/13)
Beyonce's hipster little sister may not have the same profile as the Queen B, but with tunes as funky and sultry as these, this may be only a temporary state of affairs. Shame, though, about the Hoxtonites who clearly cared more about “being seen” and their own vapid conversations than showing any sort of respect to the performer.
(Photo: The 405)
Beyonce's hipster little sister may not have the same profile as the Queen B, but with tunes as funky and sultry as these, this may be only a temporary state of affairs. Shame, though, about the Hoxtonites who clearly cared more about “being seen” and their own vapid conversations than showing any sort of respect to the performer.
(Photo: The 405)
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
THE BEST LIVE ACTS OF TWO THOUSAND AND TWELVE
Only 65 shows this year. I blame the Tories.
30. PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING- London Tooting Tram and Social
My friend John has been banging on about Public Service Broadcasting
for a year and a day, but it took me until Christmas to check them out. More fool me, for Mr J. Wilgoose, Esq's eccentric mix of Ratatat/HolyFuck-esque electronica and audio-visual samples derived from the BBC's wartime archives does Her Britannic Majesty very proud.
29. STARS OF THE LID- London St Johns-at-Hackney Church
There's always something special about a winter gig in a church - Amiina at St. Leonards remains one of the most magical moments of my gigging career- and this was no different. Despite the pneumonia-inducing temperature, SOTL’s beautiful classical ambience and psychedelic light projections spirited me to a more serene plane where mundane concerns as frostbite seemed irrelevant.
28. COCOROSIE- London Royal Festival Hall
26. CALEXICO- London HMV Forum
An old favourite who I've not seen for years, Calexico's Tex-Mex mix of alt-country and mariachi never fails to impress.
25. MOONFACE- London Cargo
The demise of Sunset Rubdown may still weigh heavily on my heart, but Spencer Krug's collaboration with former tour-mates Sinaii goes someway to allievating the pain. It's all a bit ponderous, and you can't sing along to it the way one regularly caterwauls to "Random Spirit Lover", but the likes of "Lay Your Head On Down" have a stately brilliance worthy of his previous work.
24. ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE- London Cafe Oto
23. THE APPLES IN STEREO- ATP: Curated By Jeff Mangum Festival, Minehead
Of the many Elephant Six acts brought over for the Jeff Mangum-curated ATP, Apples In Stereo were the most all-out fun. The perfect joy-pop salve for the remains of my post-Boredoms eardrums.
22. THE SUN-RA ARKESTRA- London Barbican
Until this year, I hadn't appreciated how much I needed jazz-playing space wizards in my life. Although Sun-Ra himself has long departed to Saturn, the avant-garde musical collective still preach the message of cosmic goodwill (whilst unleashing killer squalls of saxophone) under
21. KISHI BASHI- London Waiting Room
As attested by the number of times I've seen Owen Pallett and Andrew Bird, I'm a sucker for the ol' violin/loop pedal combo, and Mr K. Ishibashi is a more than worthy new practitioner of the art. The luscious "Manchester" is undoubtely the highlight of his set, but it's moments like the utterly filthy "Just The Tip" that separate him from his more straight-laced peers.
20. THE POLYPHONIC SPREE- London HMV Forum
"Rocky Horror" tribute be damned, it was the second half of this show, showcasing the Spree at their gloriously extravagant best that reinvigorated my love of everyone's favourite musical cult. Shame it took place at the Forum, Destroyer of Gigs, but not even a soundsystem to shame a Nokia 3310 could spoil the joyousness of this greatest-hits set.
19. THE MAGNETIC FIELDS- London Royal Festival Hall
Stephen Merritt remains the grumpiest man in music, The Magnetic Fields remain one of the most dependably excellent band of our times.
18. JOANNA NEWSOM- ATP: Curated By Jeff Mangum Festival, Minehead
Nothing will ever top the Queen of Harps’ Royal Albert Hall show, but nonetheless I can’t deny I had to surreptitiously remove dust from my eyes several times throughout “Sawdust and Diamonds”.
16. DESTROYER- London Village Underground
A friend once described Destroyer's live show as "Bob Dylan covering 'Baker Street' with Simply Red". There's no denying Bejar's music is a bit saxophone-heavy these days, but damn, if Hucknall ever wrote a song as stellar as “Rubies”, I wouldn’t consider him such an atrocity against nature.
15. M83- London Somerset House
If one were being uncharitable, one could accuse M83's live show of being, for the most part, glorified karaoke. However, I'd be too busy raving the fuck out to "Couleurs" to care.
14. SIGUR ROS- Amsterdam Paradiso
A stripped-down set for sure (no Amiina, no marching bands, no confetti), but Sigur Ros could play in a sewer with only the chattering of rabid mice as accompaniment and "Untitled 8" would still be the most epic musical experience known to man.
10. ELBOW- Latitude Festival, Suffolk
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Elbow are middle-of-the-road indie for closet Coldplay fans, but on a weekend where Bon Iver strikingly failed to connect with the audience, Guy Garvey and co epitomised what a good festival headliner should be - engaging, crowd-pleasing and featuring a fuckton of fireworks.
9. OF MONTREAL- Brighton Concorde 2
7. BOREDOMS- ATP: Curated By Jeff Mangum Festival, Minehead
Many bands like to think themselves as "unique", even as they're peddling the umpteenth hundred riff stolen from the Stooges, but Boredoms are truly one of a kind. Although not quite as life-affirming as their ATP: Matt Groening performance (mostly due to a ten-minute section incorporating the most shrill whistle known to man), the experience of five drummers and FIFTEEN guitarists relentlessly and mercilessly pulverising my eardrums during “Acid Police” will forever remain one of the most breathtaking musical moments ever.
6. LEONARD COHEN- London Wembley Arena
For a man openly touring purely for monetary reasons (his housekeeper scammed him out his life savings), Leonard Cohen sure puts on a bloody fantastic show. Unlike his contemporary Dylan, who is now above such things as "speaking to the audience", "stage presence" or "not viciously pissing on your legacy", the 77-year old is an entertainer of the old school, lending his wit, charm and glorious baritone to a flawless three hour performance - which, due to an balls-up by the promoters, I got to see for free. Hurrah!
5. EFTERKLANG- London Barbican
An intricate, ethereal mass of wonderfulness from start to finish, it’s rather heartwarming that even though Efterklang have gone from 200-capacity venues to selling out the Barbican, they still retain their lovable goofiness. If you watch the above video, I’m actually a few seats down from Casper when he clambers in the audience (although I’m just out of shot).
4. DAN DEACON- London Scala
A Dan Deacon gig in my Top Gigs of the Year list?! Sacre bleu! This was pretty much the same show he’s been peddling for the last five years (except now with the addition of a funky new smartphone app that changes colour in time with the music), but who cares- as long as I live and breathe, I’ll never tire of heading to the mountain of snow, upon the big glen…
3. SOAP & SKIN- London Royal Festival Hall
Anja Plaschg’s brutal, beautiful music is not for everyone, and on the whole this wasn’t her greatest performance (that honour goes to her Union Chapel show in 2010), but for reasons I can’t quite place into words, “Cynthia” hit me harder emotionally than any other song this year.
2. PULP- Sheffield Motorpoint Arena
1. JEFF MANGUM- London Union Chapel
Only 65 shows this year. I blame the Tories.
30. PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING- London Tooting Tram and Social
My friend John has been banging on about Public Service Broadcasting
for a year and a day, but it took me until Christmas to check them out. More fool me, for Mr J. Wilgoose, Esq's eccentric mix of Ratatat/HolyFuck-esque electronica and audio-visual samples derived from the BBC's wartime archives does Her Britannic Majesty very proud.
29. STARS OF THE LID- London St Johns-at-Hackney Church
There's always something special about a winter gig in a church - Amiina at St. Leonards remains one of the most magical moments of my gigging career- and this was no different. Despite the pneumonia-inducing temperature, SOTL’s beautiful classical ambience and psychedelic light projections spirited me to a more serene plane where mundane concerns as frostbite seemed irrelevant.
28. COCOROSIE- London Royal Festival Hall
The sisters Casady may have ditched their trademark
moustaches, but
CocoRosie remain one of the most eccentric presences in the hipstersphere. There's no denying they're a bit pretentious, but the contrast between Sierra's angelic soprano and Bianca's soulful rasp sure makes for some magical music.
27. RADICAL FACE- London Lexington
Bon Iver with a sense of humour. Their first UK gig may have been a bit rough around the edges, but it's always nice to see a band so obviously happy to be performing here. Also, their drummer has some mad yo-yo skills.
CocoRosie remain one of the most eccentric presences in the hipstersphere. There's no denying they're a bit pretentious, but the contrast between Sierra's angelic soprano and Bianca's soulful rasp sure makes for some magical music.
27. RADICAL FACE- London Lexington
Bon Iver with a sense of humour. Their first UK gig may have been a bit rough around the edges, but it's always nice to see a band so obviously happy to be performing here. Also, their drummer has some mad yo-yo skills.
26. CALEXICO- London HMV Forum
An old favourite who I've not seen for years, Calexico's Tex-Mex mix of alt-country and mariachi never fails to impress.
25. MOONFACE- London Cargo
The demise of Sunset Rubdown may still weigh heavily on my heart, but Spencer Krug's collaboration with former tour-mates Sinaii goes someway to allievating the pain. It's all a bit ponderous, and you can't sing along to it the way one regularly caterwauls to "Random Spirit Lover", but the likes of "Lay Your Head On Down" have a stately brilliance worthy of his previous work.
24. ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE- London Cafe Oto
The (in)famous Japanese psychedelic rockers advertised this
as one-off “electric jazz" set, but things very swiftly descended into madness. A tribute to Jethro Tull with
prancing and recorders, gravelly Delta Blues pastiches, an avant-garde
rerendering of Tubular Bells, plus a thirty minute rendition of their
spaced-out classic “Pink Lemonade”…utterly bonkers, but genuinely, hilariously
enjoyable.
23. THE APPLES IN STEREO- ATP: Curated By Jeff Mangum Festival, Minehead
Of the many Elephant Six acts brought over for the Jeff Mangum-curated ATP, Apples In Stereo were the most all-out fun. The perfect joy-pop salve for the remains of my post-Boredoms eardrums.
22. THE SUN-RA ARKESTRA- London Barbican
Until this year, I hadn't appreciated how much I needed jazz-playing space wizards in my life. Although Sun-Ra himself has long departed to Saturn, the avant-garde musical collective still preach the message of cosmic goodwill (whilst unleashing killer squalls of saxophone) under
the stewardship of Marshall Allen - still sprightly at the
age of 89.
21. KISHI BASHI- London Waiting Room
As attested by the number of times I've seen Owen Pallett and Andrew Bird, I'm a sucker for the ol' violin/loop pedal combo, and Mr K. Ishibashi is a more than worthy new practitioner of the art. The luscious "Manchester" is undoubtely the highlight of his set, but it's moments like the utterly filthy "Just The Tip" that separate him from his more straight-laced peers.
20. THE POLYPHONIC SPREE- London HMV Forum
"Rocky Horror" tribute be damned, it was the second half of this show, showcasing the Spree at their gloriously extravagant best that reinvigorated my love of everyone's favourite musical cult. Shame it took place at the Forum, Destroyer of Gigs, but not even a soundsystem to shame a Nokia 3310 could spoil the joyousness of this greatest-hits set.
19. THE MAGNETIC FIELDS- London Royal Festival Hall
Stephen Merritt remains the grumpiest man in music, The Magnetic Fields remain one of the most dependably excellent band of our times.
18. JOANNA NEWSOM- ATP: Curated By Jeff Mangum Festival, Minehead
Nothing will ever top the Queen of Harps’ Royal Albert Hall show, but nonetheless I can’t deny I had to surreptitiously remove dust from my eyes several times throughout “Sawdust and Diamonds”.
17. ZUN ZUN EGUI- Latitude Festival, Suffolk
One of the few good things to ever come out of Bristol, Zun Zun Egui are pretty much the perfect festival band. Vibrant polyrhythms, killer guitar, gigawatts of energy – they’re basically a more disciplined version of Ponytail, and that’s more than alright by me.
One of the few good things to ever come out of Bristol, Zun Zun Egui are pretty much the perfect festival band. Vibrant polyrhythms, killer guitar, gigawatts of energy – they’re basically a more disciplined version of Ponytail, and that’s more than alright by me.
16. DESTROYER- London Village Underground
A friend once described Destroyer's live show as "Bob Dylan covering 'Baker Street' with Simply Red". There's no denying Bejar's music is a bit saxophone-heavy these days, but damn, if Hucknall ever wrote a song as stellar as “Rubies”, I wouldn’t consider him such an atrocity against nature.
15. M83- London Somerset House
If one were being uncharitable, one could accuse M83's live show of being, for the most part, glorified karaoke. However, I'd be too busy raving the fuck out to "Couleurs" to care.
14. SIGUR ROS- Amsterdam Paradiso
A stripped-down set for sure (no Amiina, no marching bands, no confetti), but Sigur Ros could play in a sewer with only the chattering of rabid mice as accompaniment and "Untitled 8" would still be the most epic musical experience known to man.
13. ST VINCENT- Latitude Festival, Suffolk
When did Annie Clark become such a rock goddess?! And when did her shows stop being frustratingly hit-and-miss and actually reflect what an incredible musician she is?!
When did Annie Clark become such a rock goddess?! And when did her shows stop being frustratingly hit-and-miss and actually reflect what an incredible musician she is?!
12. 65DAYSOFSTATIC- London Garage
"We will not retreat, this band is UNSTOPPABLE!"*commence moshpit*
"We will not retreat, this band is UNSTOPPABLE!"
11. YNDI HALDA- London Hoxton Hall
Innovation is always nice, but it’s certainly not essential. I mean, Yndi Halda are strict adherents to the Gospel of Post-Rock, rarely veering from its immutable tenets of "quiet, then loud, then quiet again, probably with a bit of snare, then REALLY LOUD" but my God, they do it so well.
Innovation is always nice, but it’s certainly not essential. I mean, Yndi Halda are strict adherents to the Gospel of Post-Rock, rarely veering from its immutable tenets of "quiet, then loud, then quiet again, probably with a bit of snare, then REALLY LOUD" but my God, they do it so well.
10. ELBOW- Latitude Festival, Suffolk
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Elbow are middle-of-the-road indie for closet Coldplay fans, but on a weekend where Bon Iver strikingly failed to connect with the audience, Guy Garvey and co epitomised what a good festival headliner should be - engaging, crowd-pleasing and featuring a fuckton of fireworks.
9. OF MONTREAL- Brighton Concorde 2
Of Montreal often have a tendency to let their ever-OTT
theatrics overwhelm the rest of their performance, but tonight they got the
balance just right. That's not to say they didn't have weird lycra-clad gimps
swinging from the ceiling or Kevin Barnes flouncing about with confetti (they
did) but they also nailed the musical side of things, with a wonderfully Hissing
Fauna-centric setlist and only a limited number of aimless self-indulgent jams.
8. LOS CAMPESINOS!- Latitude Festival, Suffolk
After a brief infatuation with Los Camp in early 2007, I pretty much ignored them for half a decade due to a disappointing debut, a deeply mediocre Scala gig and Gareth David's grating 6th-form obnoxiousness. This proved to be a mistake - although their lyrics are still a bit Adrian Mole, they truly are masters of the catchy synth-pop anthem, and man, I do love me some catchy synth-pop anthems.
After a brief infatuation with Los Camp in early 2007, I pretty much ignored them for half a decade due to a disappointing debut, a deeply mediocre Scala gig and Gareth David's grating 6th-form obnoxiousness. This proved to be a mistake - although their lyrics are still a bit Adrian Mole, they truly are masters of the catchy synth-pop anthem, and man, I do love me some catchy synth-pop anthems.
7. BOREDOMS- ATP: Curated By Jeff Mangum Festival, Minehead
Many bands like to think themselves as "unique", even as they're peddling the umpteenth hundred riff stolen from the Stooges, but Boredoms are truly one of a kind. Although not quite as life-affirming as their ATP: Matt Groening performance (mostly due to a ten-minute section incorporating the most shrill whistle known to man), the experience of five drummers and FIFTEEN guitarists relentlessly and mercilessly pulverising my eardrums during “Acid Police” will forever remain one of the most breathtaking musical moments ever.
6. LEONARD COHEN- London Wembley Arena
For a man openly touring purely for monetary reasons (his housekeeper scammed him out his life savings), Leonard Cohen sure puts on a bloody fantastic show. Unlike his contemporary Dylan, who is now above such things as "speaking to the audience", "stage presence" or "not viciously pissing on your legacy", the 77-year old is an entertainer of the old school, lending his wit, charm and glorious baritone to a flawless three hour performance - which, due to an balls-up by the promoters, I got to see for free. Hurrah!
5. EFTERKLANG- London Barbican
An intricate, ethereal mass of wonderfulness from start to finish, it’s rather heartwarming that even though Efterklang have gone from 200-capacity venues to selling out the Barbican, they still retain their lovable goofiness. If you watch the above video, I’m actually a few seats down from Casper when he clambers in the audience (although I’m just out of shot).
4. DAN DEACON- London Scala
A Dan Deacon gig in my Top Gigs of the Year list?! Sacre bleu! This was pretty much the same show he’s been peddling for the last five years (except now with the addition of a funky new smartphone app that changes colour in time with the music), but who cares- as long as I live and breathe, I’ll never tire of heading to the mountain of snow, upon the big glen…
3. SOAP & SKIN- London Royal Festival Hall
Anja Plaschg’s brutal, beautiful music is not for everyone, and on the whole this wasn’t her greatest performance (that honour goes to her Union Chapel show in 2010), but for reasons I can’t quite place into words, “Cynthia” hit me harder emotionally than any other song this year.
2. PULP- Sheffield Motorpoint Arena
24 songs. Saskia Cocker guesting on “My Lighthouse”, whilst
Jarvis threw rolls of toilet paper into the crowd. “Born To Cry” with Richard Hawley.
Airings of Help The Aged, Sheffield Sex City, Little Girl With Blue Eyes, and
F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. A run of This is Hardcore->Sunrise->Bar
Italia-> Common People. “Something’s Changed” with a torrent of white
confetti, leading to an impromptu singalong of “White Christmas.” Well, what
else could I do, but place this at Number Two (of my Top Live Acts of 2012
list)?
1. JEFF MANGUM- London Union Chapel
Yes, there could have been a bit more brass, yes, the
sing-alongs were more muted than I would have liked, but goddamn, I saw Jeff
Mangum sing pretty much the entirety of “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” in
London’s most beautiful gig venue. I could go on about the rawness and power of
his voice, or the shivers “Oh Comely” sent down my spine, or even the amusing
sight of a thousand Guardian-reading halloumi-munchers singing “I LOVE YOU
JESUS CH-R-I-IST,” but what really sums it all up was that the standing ovation
he received on the second night was perhaps the loudest and most passionate of
all the (800+) gigs I’ve been to. Simply incredible.
Photo Credits:
John Gleeson (Moonface; Leonard Cohen; Soap & Skin)
Sebastien Dehesdin/The Line of Best Fit (Elbow)
Mark Thomsett (Boredoms)
Intrepid2012 (Los Campesinos!)
Eleonora Collini/The 405 (Dan Deacon)
Photo Credits:
John Gleeson (Moonface; Leonard Cohen; Soap & Skin)
Sebastien Dehesdin/The Line of Best Fit (Elbow)
Mark Thomsett (Boredoms)
Intrepid2012 (Los Campesinos!)
Eleonora Collini/The 405 (Dan Deacon)
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
LOS CAMPESINOS (London Islington Assembly Hall, 15/12/12)
Los Campesinos have a lot of really hardcore fans. I should have been one of them,
but after a mediocre 2007 show, a far-too-polished debut album and some dreadfully
pretentious interviews from Gareth, I simply didn’t listen to them for half a
decade. It was only after encountering them at Latitude this year that I
realised the error of my ways – over the years, they’ve become an impressively
accomplished musical outfit, with a shedload of excellent sing-alongs and a
live vitality up there with the best. Tonight’s show made it even clearer that they
deserve a second chance- even though I didn’t know most of the tunes, I loved
almost every moment. That said, the inevitable highlights were old favourites “You!
Me! Dancing!” and “Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks” - and the resulting moshpit which
I may or may not have ventured into. Great fun.
(Photo: Steve Parkinson)
Los Campesinos have a lot of really hardcore fans. I should have been one of them,
but after a mediocre 2007 show, a far-too-polished debut album and some dreadfully
pretentious interviews from Gareth, I simply didn’t listen to them for half a
decade. It was only after encountering them at Latitude this year that I
realised the error of my ways – over the years, they’ve become an impressively
accomplished musical outfit, with a shedload of excellent sing-alongs and a
live vitality up there with the best. Tonight’s show made it even clearer that they
deserve a second chance- even though I didn’t know most of the tunes, I loved
almost every moment. That said, the inevitable highlights were old favourites “You!
Me! Dancing!” and “Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks” - and the resulting moshpit which
I may or may not have ventured into. Great fun.(Photo: Steve Parkinson)
STARS OF THE LID (London St. John-at-Hackney Church, 10/12/12)
There’s nowt as wonderful as a winter gig in a church, and Stars of the Lid’s ambient orchestral loveliness and breathtaking projections were the perfect match for the grand, if pneumonia-inducingly cold environs of St Johns-at-Hackney. Basically imagine the last 20 minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but with a greater danger of frostbite.
(Photo: OutsideContext)
There’s nowt as wonderful as a winter gig in a church, and Stars of the Lid’s ambient orchestral loveliness and breathtaking projections were the perfect match for the grand, if pneumonia-inducingly cold environs of St Johns-at-Hackney. Basically imagine the last 20 minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but with a greater danger of frostbite.(Photo: OutsideContext)
PULP (Sheffield Arena, 08/12/12)
This was Pulp’s first hometown show in over a decade, and goddamn, was it a corker. I mean, a twenty four song, two and a half hour set including Help The Aged (the only favourite of mine I hadn't heard them play before) and quadruple-whammies of Disco 2000->Sorted For E's and Wizz->FEELINGCALLEDLOVE->I Spy AND This Is Hardcore->Sunrise->Bar Italia->Common People – I couldn’t have asked for more, really. Plus, we were also treated to their very first single from 1983, My Lighthouse, with Jarvis' sister Saskia on backing vocals and a fuckload of toilet roll chucked into the crowd (recreating their pre-fame stage antics), and a finale of Something's Changed segueing into White Christmas complete with a proper Flaming Lips-style cascade of white confetti. There’s rumours that after the Coachella cruise they're calling it a day again - that'd be an incredible shame, but at least I've had the opportunity to see them at the top of their game.
This was Pulp’s first hometown show in over a decade, and goddamn, was it a corker. I mean, a twenty four song, two and a half hour set including Help The Aged (the only favourite of mine I hadn't heard them play before) and quadruple-whammies of Disco 2000->Sorted For E's and Wizz->FEELINGCALLEDLOVE->I Spy AND This Is Hardcore->Sunrise->Bar Italia->Common People – I couldn’t have asked for more, really. Plus, we were also treated to their very first single from 1983, My Lighthouse, with Jarvis' sister Saskia on backing vocals and a fuckload of toilet roll chucked into the crowd (recreating their pre-fame stage antics), and a finale of Something's Changed segueing into White Christmas complete with a proper Flaming Lips-style cascade of white confetti. There’s rumours that after the Coachella cruise they're calling it a day again - that'd be an incredible shame, but at least I've had the opportunity to see them at the top of their game.
BORIS (London Scala, 06/12/12)
Whilst I admire the Japanese heavy rockers eclecticism, flitting between shoegaze, power-pop and straight-out doom with skill and panache, there just weren’t enough riffs for me tonight. Also a serious contender for the Biggest Sausage Fest of 2012 award, given I've not seen Mogwai this year.
Whilst I admire the Japanese heavy rockers eclecticism, flitting between shoegaze, power-pop and straight-out doom with skill and panache, there just weren’t enough riffs for me tonight. Also a serious contender for the Biggest Sausage Fest of 2012 award, given I've not seen Mogwai this year.
THE REVIVAL HOUR (London Village Underground, 29/11/12)
DM Stith + one of the guys from The Earlies = a band that kinda sounds like DM Stith fronting the Earlies. This is certainly not a bad thing.
(Photo: Kitty Fisher)
DM Stith + one of the guys from The Earlies = a band that kinda sounds like DM Stith fronting the Earlies. This is certainly not a bad thing.
(Photo: Kitty Fisher)
Sunday, November 25, 2012
SHEARWATER (London Garage, 24/11/12)
Not seen Shearwater live for almost four years, so it was good to see them again – even if they’re not quite the band they used to be. The soaring richness of Jonathan Meiburg’s voice and the power of their songs remain undiminished, but they’ve sacrificed some of their nuance for volume and although the new drummer is fine, well, he’s just not Thor. That said, if you’ve got a thing for topless ornithologists, tonight would have pressed all the appropriate buttons.
Not seen Shearwater live for almost four years, so it was good to see them again – even if they’re not quite the band they used to be. The soaring richness of Jonathan Meiburg’s voice and the power of their songs remain undiminished, but they’ve sacrificed some of their nuance for volume and although the new drummer is fine, well, he’s just not Thor. That said, if you’ve got a thing for topless ornithologists, tonight would have pressed all the appropriate buttons.
FANFARLO (London Union Chapel, 22/11/12)
Can’t go wrong with a show at the majestic Union Chapel, and Fanfarlo’s pleasant indie-folk stylings was the perfect fit for its candlelit beauty. New material sounded promising, and although I’m not nearly as much as a mega-fan as the *really* enthusiastic guy sitting on the front pew, can’t deny they’re a talented bunch.
Can’t go wrong with a show at the majestic Union Chapel, and Fanfarlo’s pleasant indie-folk stylings was the perfect fit for its candlelit beauty. New material sounded promising, and although I’m not nearly as much as a mega-fan as the *really* enthusiastic guy sitting on the front pew, can’t deny they’re a talented bunch.
DESTROYER (London Village Underground, 13/11/12)
A certain friend may have derisively described them as “Bob Dylan fronting Simply Red,”, but man, I love Destroyer. Dan Bejar is an atypical frontman, not providing much in the way of banter or dynamicism, but his intensity and stream-of-consciousness delivery makes him a curiously hypnotic presence; and his band, although perhaps a tad overreliant on the saxophone, really know how to produce a glorious barrage of sound. Plus, they performed “Rubies” which is objectively one of the best songs of the last ten years. Still, no denying he does sound a bit like Dylan…
A certain friend may have derisively described them as “Bob Dylan fronting Simply Red,”, but man, I love Destroyer. Dan Bejar is an atypical frontman, not providing much in the way of banter or dynamicism, but his intensity and stream-of-consciousness delivery makes him a curiously hypnotic presence; and his band, although perhaps a tad overreliant on the saxophone, really know how to produce a glorious barrage of sound. Plus, they performed “Rubies” which is objectively one of the best songs of the last ten years. Still, no denying he does sound a bit like Dylan…
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE (London HMV Forum, 31/10/12)
If this had taken place at any venue but the Destroyer of Gigs, this would have been a show-of-the-year contender. Alas, due to the Forum’s soundsystem magical ability to make even the most powerful music sound like it’s emitting from the speaker of a Nokia 3310, this was merely really bloody good. True, the Rocky Horror Picture Show half fell a bit flat, Time Warp excepted, but the traditional Spree extravaganza was an absolutely joyous, all-killer no-filler hour of big old choruses, orchestral flourishes and of course, an fuckload of confetti. Hope to see them back in the UK soon- albeit at a less shit venue.
If this had taken place at any venue but the Destroyer of Gigs, this would have been a show-of-the-year contender. Alas, due to the Forum’s soundsystem magical ability to make even the most powerful music sound like it’s emitting from the speaker of a Nokia 3310, this was merely really bloody good. True, the Rocky Horror Picture Show half fell a bit flat, Time Warp excepted, but the traditional Spree extravaganza was an absolutely joyous, all-killer no-filler hour of big old choruses, orchestral flourishes and of course, an fuckload of confetti. Hope to see them back in the UK soon- albeit at a less shit venue.
EFTERKLANG (London Barbican, 30/10/12)
I can’t deny missing the Efterklang shows of old, before orchestral formality superseded lo-fi, ramshackle charm, but damn, this was a beautiful musical experience. What I love about Efterklang is that despite exponentially growing in popularity between the first time I saw them at Bush Hall and now, they still retain that earnest goofiness and genuine pleasure at performing that would make them easy to love, even if their music wasn’t an intricate, ethereal mass of wonderfulness.
(Photo: Kafka Joubert)
I can’t deny missing the Efterklang shows of old, before orchestral formality superseded lo-fi, ramshackle charm, but damn, this was a beautiful musical experience. What I love about Efterklang is that despite exponentially growing in popularity between the first time I saw them at Bush Hall and now, they still retain that earnest goofiness and genuine pleasure at performing that would make them easy to love, even if their music wasn’t an intricate, ethereal mass of wonderfulness.
(Photo: Kafka Joubert)
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Sunday, October 28, 2012
RICHARD CHEESE (London Cadogan Hall, 27/10/12)
Novelty acts aren’t generally my thing, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to see the legendary Monsieur Cheese and his swinging covers of entirely inappropriate songs. And although the occasional number fell flat, for the most part it was a hilariously lewd, crude and smooth experience for all concerned – loads of crowd participation, some inspired takes on popular tunes (a Mexican-tinged “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was pretty special) and naval officers dancing down the aisles to the sultry sounds of…Radiohead. Not sure the posh old dears stewarding the event really appreciated his take on “Show Me Your Pussy” though…
Novelty acts aren’t generally my thing, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to see the legendary Monsieur Cheese and his swinging covers of entirely inappropriate songs. And although the occasional number fell flat, for the most part it was a hilariously lewd, crude and smooth experience for all concerned – loads of crowd participation, some inspired takes on popular tunes (a Mexican-tinged “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was pretty special) and naval officers dancing down the aisles to the sultry sounds of…Radiohead. Not sure the posh old dears stewarding the event really appreciated his take on “Show Me Your Pussy” though…
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE (London Café Oto, 23/10/12)
The (in)famous Japanese psychedelic rock band advertised their second London show in two days as a one-off “electric jazz" set. What actually happened was they got bored of jazzin' within 20 minutes and ended up going off on the most brilliantly bizarre musical tangents I’ve ever experienced, encompassing a Jethro Tull tribute where the band pranced about with recorders, a cover of Tubular Bells with percussion courtesy of their guitarist (who doesn’t know how to play drums), a gravelly Delta Blues pastiche and finally, an incredible half-hour version of their spaced-out epic “Pink Lady Lemonade”. Not the kind of thing I’d ask for every day, but as a one-off it was a left-field, thoroughly enjoyable triumph.
(Photo: Mike Winship)
The (in)famous Japanese psychedelic rock band advertised their second London show in two days as a one-off “electric jazz" set. What actually happened was they got bored of jazzin' within 20 minutes and ended up going off on the most brilliantly bizarre musical tangents I’ve ever experienced, encompassing a Jethro Tull tribute where the band pranced about with recorders, a cover of Tubular Bells with percussion courtesy of their guitarist (who doesn’t know how to play drums), a gravelly Delta Blues pastiche and finally, an incredible half-hour version of their spaced-out epic “Pink Lady Lemonade”. Not the kind of thing I’d ask for every day, but as a one-off it was a left-field, thoroughly enjoyable triumph.
(Photo: Mike Winship)
SOAP & SKIN (London Royal Festival Hall, 06/10/12)
Another terrifyingly, beautifully intense show from Anja Plaschg in a venue much more attuned to her gothic majesty than her Scala. The addition of female harmonies (most notably on “Cynthia”) almost reduced me to unmanly tears on more than one occasion, and although it wasn’t her most “full-on” performance (that honour goes to her 2010 Union Chapel show), there was still more brutal emotion in one of her songs than the combined oeuvre of 90% of bands out there.
Another terrifyingly, beautifully intense show from Anja Plaschg in a venue much more attuned to her gothic majesty than her Scala. The addition of female harmonies (most notably on “Cynthia”) almost reduced me to unmanly tears on more than one occasion, and although it wasn’t her most “full-on” performance (that honour goes to her 2010 Union Chapel show), there was still more brutal emotion in one of her songs than the combined oeuvre of 90% of bands out there.
BLACK DICE (London Birthdays, 04/10/12)
Under normal circumstances I would have enjoyed the abrasive earth-sundering synths of this Brooklyn trio, but due to the exceptionally low stage of the venue and the exceptionally high twattiness of the crowd I soon realised I wasn't having fun and left. So it goes.
Under normal circumstances I would have enjoyed the abrasive earth-sundering synths of this Brooklyn trio, but due to the exceptionally low stage of the venue and the exceptionally high twattiness of the crowd I soon realised I wasn't having fun and left. So it goes.
THE SUN-RA ARKESTRA (London Barbican, 29/09/12)
These jazz-playing space wizards blew my mind at ATP this March, so I thought I’d rejoin the Arkestra for another session of toe-tapping bebop, mad squalls of avant garde noise and everything in between. And bloody good it was too. Marshall Allen is still a force to be reckoned with as he approaches his 89th birthday, and although some of their oeuvre could be considered…”challenging,” one never gets the impression, as with some of their contemporaries, that they take themselves too seriously (to be fair, the sparkly robes and cartwheels are kind of a giveaway...)
These jazz-playing space wizards blew my mind at ATP this March, so I thought I’d rejoin the Arkestra for another session of toe-tapping bebop, mad squalls of avant garde noise and everything in between. And bloody good it was too. Marshall Allen is still a force to be reckoned with as he approaches his 89th birthday, and although some of their oeuvre could be considered…”challenging,” one never gets the impression, as with some of their contemporaries, that they take themselves too seriously (to be fair, the sparkly robes and cartwheels are kind of a giveaway...)
DAN DEACON (London Scala, 26/09/12)
Even though I’ve seen Dan Deacon do pretty much this exact same show seven times by now, it still engenders a level of glee unmatched by anything else under the sun. The new iPhone/Android app that pulses coloured lights in time with the music adds a fancy new form of interactivity to proceedings, but as always, it’s the core triumvirate of brilliantly trippy songs, hilarious banter and a shedload of audience participation that made this an absolute joy to be part of. True, one day it’d be nice to see a DD performance that reflects the increasing maturity and majesty of his music, but for now, let’s all head to the mountain of snow, upon the big glen…
(Photo: Eleonora Collini (The 405))
Even though I’ve seen Dan Deacon do pretty much this exact same show seven times by now, it still engenders a level of glee unmatched by anything else under the sun. The new iPhone/Android app that pulses coloured lights in time with the music adds a fancy new form of interactivity to proceedings, but as always, it’s the core triumvirate of brilliantly trippy songs, hilarious banter and a shedload of audience participation that made this an absolute joy to be part of. True, one day it’d be nice to see a DD performance that reflects the increasing maturity and majesty of his music, but for now, let’s all head to the mountain of snow, upon the big glen…
(Photo: Eleonora Collini (The 405))
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