About the Loveliest Monday Night Gig

Neil Halstead; Little Lost David

(Faversham, Leeds, 22 Sept '08)

Perhaps less so on Slowdive records, but certainly on Mojave 3 albums and his two solo records to date, Neil Halstead projects a voice that caresses you like misty summer rain or a cuddly throw blanket on a windy autumn night. The voice doesn't lose its effect in the live setting, which results in about the loveliest Monday night gig I can imagine. Halstead begins solo, on amplified acoustic guitar, and is subsequently accompanied on and off by a bassist plus another guitarist who also flashed some lovely mandolin action (to an especially good effect on "A Gentle Heart"). The venue, cosy with dark gleaming hardwood floors and reddish lighting, is a bit too sparsely attended to my taste, but the only effect this has on the performance is Halstead's quip to something like this effect: "I'm worried that you're so quiet. Last night we played Nottingham and it was markedly different. It was quite noisy, and we got heckled. You're very quiet. Feel free to go ahead and heckle." I'd rather say that the audience was very attentive of the performance and appreciative, as evidenced by vigorous applause after each song. Interspersed by a few Mojave 3 tunes, the set list is focused on most of the best bits of Sleeping On Roads and this past spring's Oh! Mighty Engine(which I only picked up at the show, having only had a chance to stream it from MySpace while living out of suitcase throughout this summer). Almost without exception, the songs become especially alluring live, from the (relatively) up-tempo "Elevenses" to a tender solo version of "Driving With Bert," and the mood is relaxed enough that Halstead can turn the difficulty he has whistling into a smiley joke. Back home in a good jolly mood, I couldn't have asked for a better way to soothe and calm a busy mind tonight. Also worth noting was a nicely rousing opening set by Little Lost David.