... will be on infinite loop in mind for a looooong time. This will be the music-based enduring memory from Coachella 2008, for me at least.
Picture, if you will, burrowing your way to the second row of the main stage at Coachella, and witnessing a fantastic set by Kraftwerk.
Then, then stage is set for Portishead to arrive, which they do clad in black. Black would also well describe the hearts on their sleeves. The anguish in the songs is clear from the pained expression visible on Beth Gibbons' face every time she pulls away from the mic.
I no longer remember every song they played, but there is a good sample from their three albums. I was personally quite surprised that they played "Sour Times", because I had the idea in their head that they didn't want to be defined by it, similar to how Radiohead never plays "Creep". The second album was well-represented by "All Mine" and "Wandering Star", at least.
In the background, the MASSIVE video screen played a collage of up-close shots of Beth singing, Adrian on guitar, and Geoff scratching, playing drums or keys. That is, until the last song, where the big P3 that graces the new album Third came out, and album centerpiece "We Carry On" started.
(Hold on, was listening to Los Campesinos!, and it's messing with the atmosphere. Switching to Third. Much better. OK, we carry on. Geddit? Heh.)
While with a strong enough beat that it could have dancefloor application, the lyrics are too dour, and the keys too tension-inducing to ever be used in a club. Then there's that guitar riff. It's great on record, but live, it's awesome to behold. After Beth finishes her vocals and the band starts tearing into the coda, she whips off her ear monitors. What the heck? Where's she going? She jumps off the stage, hops over the press barrier, and ... OH MY GOSH, SHE'S COMING TO THE AUDIENCE! She starts shaking hands and such to the left of me and moves away, so my attention returns to the stage, where Adrian is playing that massive riff like his life depends on it, and the rest of the band follows suit. Then the screams of the audience alert me that Beth is drawing near to where I stand. She looks radiant, smiling and happy to greet us all. But, both of her hands are occupied, so I do what any non-perverted Portishead fan would do: I pat her waist twice and yell, "LOVE YA, BETH!" And then turn around and high-five anyone standing near. And THEN send out the most fun txt message ever to the MOGachella group: "HOLY COW I JUST TOUCHED BETH GIBBONS' WAIST!!! SQUEE!!!"
As great as Prince was, I had to leave my second-row perch and chill out at the back of the stage for his show. SRSLY, what's going to top that?
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thanks for sharing Dale. Sounds like a blast.
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I was listening to the song, and at the same time Gogol Bordello were playing low on iTunes without me realizing it, so I kept listening to some gypsy punky sounds inside Portishead and saying to myself "WHAT THE HELL DID PORTISHEAD DO? THAT'S JUST NOISE" ahahahhahha they really don't go well together :P
Needless to say, this song is mind-blowing.
Thank you very much for sharing, bro. Beautiful times. And like I said, she text messaged her friends: "HOLY COW DALE JUST TOUCHED MY WAIST!!!
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It sounds like you had a fantastic time, Dale.
Did you make any new discoveries? (It seemed like most of the bands at Coachella were big names that most people would know.)
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Mike: Too much fun was had to fit onto one post. I just had to get this out before someone else beat me to it.
Anna: Yes, beautiful times, not sour at all. Hahahahaha. I doubt she did, especially since I didn't introduce myself. Shamefully rude on my part, really. Next time, I'll shout my name before grabbing a legendary siren by the waist. Heh.
Jenny: I did discover a couple bands, but had even more bands that will now go into higher rotation because their live show was so good. I'll discuss more on another post.
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awww so jealous u got to coachella AND watched portishead live!!
frm their new album...especially lovin hunter, the rip, threads, silence..and we carry on aint bad :P
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Wow, from what I know of Ms. Gibbons, that action seems so extroverted. The time I saw them, they were great, but she is so painfully shy, that I didn't have to be convinced that she believed everything she sang. She could barely look up from the floor. I've read interviews, where she re-asserts this shyness. I wish I had stayed up and watched this streaming on the web. I'm looking forward to this album, love what I hear so far.
Great, experience. Weren't MBV playing too? And did this top that?
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Sue: Yeah, the new album's a killer, they also played "Threads" and "Machine Gun", IIRC. And do see them live if they come anywhere near.
Tyler: Yeah, I was shocked, it seemed completely out of character for Beth. She must have been in great spirits though, she even made a few attempts at stage banter. And no, MBV did not play. :(
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their visual effects look awesome from the Coachella vids i've seen.
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this is highly interesting
it sounds good the way you described it
the problem is
I used to love portishead for one reason and one reason alone: "Nobody loves me... it's true... not like you do." These sort of ominous, vague, beautiful lyrics do me in everytime.
And they're still good, and they're still beautiful unfortunately, their programmer seems to have forgotten how to make good music. That album was painful for me to listen to considering how good Live at NYC was...
Did you feel like it was mediocre, but some songs were decent?
That's how I felt, I'd be interested to know how you felt about the album as a whole.
Great post, great imagery, thank you for it! :D
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S&S, I really like the album as a whole, having listened to it a lot over the past 24 hours, but then again I may well be entering a big Portishead phase, so I may not be the most impartial judge, so take it with a grain of salt. :D
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They are a fantastic live band and I'm really pleased that so many people who loved them for years are now getting the chance to see them live, and boy, do they live up to the hype! I was really lucky to see them in a tiny tent in Glastonbury years ago and it was the highlight of the whole festival for me as well.....
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MBV is playing ATP in NYC with Patti Smith (who doesn't seem to have a catchy three-letter abbreviation, though i suppose we could give her the benefit of PS!)
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Neill: too right, they were fantastic live, even on the big stage.
Jenny: Just read about that, no way I can afford it. Sigh.
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Yeah me neither. I can hardly even afford to stay home anymore.
[Your sigh...doubled.]
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I like your tag of "SQUEEage". They were so phenomenal live. So glad I was able to see them(& the main reason I went to Coachella, other than meeting you & the rest of our mogtiply family there of course). And touching Beth's waist was just major icing on the trip-hop cake, so to speak.
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Though my high fives were all over the place this past weekend... I give you two more virtual air high fives & have that beloved TEXT saved to my phone, locked tight, as I know my bro was beyond all in that SQEEtacular moment... one so richly deserved methinks !!!
Don't ever let me catch you singin "Nobody Loves Me", cuz between your family & your MOGtiply-ily, you are one truly loved man with a heart the size of that floating pig ;)
BIG, though still slightly tired, HUGS bro !!!
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Aww, aren't you the sweetest one Lizzie, and you're back in one piece. I heard from Amber of all the layover issue you had ... major bummer.No, can't really claim "Sour Times" as my song, now can I? Couldn't hardly move without getting hugs a-plenty from my sisters, not that I minded a bit, heh.
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Dale. It wasn't SQEEEE. It was SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
Get it right, won't you? ;-)
I send you the biggest virtual sister hug and kiss right now, until we meet again and I can get it back from you. xoxoxo
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Oh believe you me Amber, in my mind that SQUEEEEE is still adding E's, if you take my meaning. If I hadn't been cooking I never would have washed my hand.
And more hugs? Sweet!
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Tribal, primal even and yet so Portishead. Thank you ever so much for sharing what sounds like an incredible live experience with us. -- Darn, I really wish I could have been there among the palm trees and the incredible sets.
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That's awesome, Dale!
Tim is evil. Do you know why? Because that night I was watching some hockey and knitting on the socks I am making my mom for mother's day. Tim's at his computer watching something online with his headphones on. I'm not paying attention to what it is, or to the time. Eventually I go over to give him a hug, and I see he's watching Portishead's set, which in my hockey and knitting fog I completely forgot about. So I asked why he didn't tell me he was watching it, we could have watched it together, why would he watch any live concert and not tell me of all people? By the time I noticed it was like their last song. Oh well. :)
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That sounded fantastic. But...
You've GOT to tell me how the Swervedriver were!
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Michael: Yes, much more primal than anything they've done before. Totally knocked my socks off.
Andrea: Awww! Maybe not evil, but surely thoughtless. But you got to see the best song IMHO. Did they show Beth leave the stage?
Pekka: Wish I could, but the truly evil Coachella organizers put them on Sunday. :(( I do know that August dragged Kate and Lizzie to see them, so they could give you the first-hand account.
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Oh, the pain...
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Dale - I didn't see it, but I'll ask Tim if he did. I only saw part of the last song. Then I pouted. Me = immature.
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Tell me about it ... so close and yet so far. August did tell me via txt that they were great but loud, which in my mind means GREAT, so that bodes well.
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Andrea: "I only saw part of the last song. Then I pouted." HAHAHAHAHA, too funny. Now aren't you sick that you missed it?
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I just talked to Tim. He said he didn't see her go into the crowd.
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Really? Bummer.
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Man! That's so cool Dale. And I love what you said to her. That's just perfect. She came down off stage in London too. I guess she's going to do it at all the shows? Glad your set was as good as mine in London.
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Really, she did at London too? Huh. Still very cool and TOTALLY worth the powerplay.
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Yeah, it was totally weird (in a good way). Maybe she's confronting her shyness? :) Totally jel that you were close enough to touch her. I'd have froze and not been able to say anything.
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A gleeful read!
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Thanks Amiel!
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Awesome story Dale! You non-perverted waist toucher! : )
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It seemed the thing to do at the time. :P
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Hehe.
A very good quick decision. I can only hope I'd do the same without tripping her or something terrible.
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Yeah, the security guys would have been all over me. They already had their panties in a twist over her coming to the audience, I'm sure.
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Oh yeah, their panties were prob. twisted, haha! Maybe even had a little sand in there too!