The International Jetsetters - Live in New York, May 15-19, 2008

So *The International Jetsetters* were coming to New York and I couldn't be any more excited. Set to arrive on nearly the exact anniversary that *The Jesus & Mary Chain* came to New York last year (see this feature for that story, http://mog.com/DaveCromwell/blog_post/164291 ) it would be a reunion of sorts.Mark Crozer, who along with his band (the aforementioned International Jetsetters) had decided a mini, "semi-acoustic" tour of the NY area (combined with a bit of Vacation/Holiday time) would suit them well. Mark also plays in the current version of The Jesus & Mary Chain, and it was through a series of interconnected events that at this time last year that I had gotten to know him. This time round, a bit more planning, set the wheels of this gathering in motion. Since last year, steady contact with *Planting Seeds Records* label boss Neil DiParto helped keep everyone in the loop. Planting Seeds was instrumental in bringing Jim Reid's band Freeheat to everyone's attention, by putting out an album by them in 2006. Long before any JAMC reunion plans were hatched. It's a great label and well worth checking out:http://www.myspace.com/plantingseedsmusic Having helped to coordinate the arrivals of various friends (Rob Dobbs) and band members (Mark's writing partner and bassist Bert Audubert and band lead vocalist Fi McFall) it was on Thursday the 15th of May that I would pick these eager travelers up at Kennedy Airport in Brooklyn, and wisk them over to my place for some chill out time. You see, they had a show that very night, at The Sidewalk Café on the lower eastside of Manhattan. In fact, it was something of a Planting Seeds Records showcase, as two other performers on that label - the vocal group The Voyces and folkie singer-songwriter Linda Draper were also to perform.Since my place resides in the suburbs of NYC, there was not a whole lot of "chill out" time before we had to head back into the jungle that is city traffic. Adding additional challenges to the whole proceedings was the fact that Neil was staying in the Borough of Queens and had to be picked up as well. Though Rob certainly was no stranger to traffic jams and the style of driving needed to conquer them (being an LA boy himself), Bert and Fi may have been slightly horrified at some of the quick, split-second moves I had to make, in order for us to arrive on time.However, we did, in fact make it to the first show all in one piece, and despite the bands jet-lag and loose approach to their set, it was the consensus of opinion from everyone there that they played wonderfully.Equally appealing were the sets perfomed by Linda Draper and fellow label mates The Voyces.You can find more about them and the music they make at their MySpace pages:http://www.myspace.com/lindadraperhttp://www.myspace.com/thevoycesmusicThe following Friday and Saturday, Neil Rob and I hit the town and attended various shows, while Mark, Bert & Fi hit the town in a variety of ways and locations. One show we checked out was this:http://davecromwellwrites.blogspot.com/2008/05/secret-history-at-mondo-friday-16th-of.htmlNew York can be a wonderful playground when you are showing people around (especially those for the first time) though even those returning after being away for a year have a certainly wonderment about it all that creates a positive energy. We had a lot of laughs, checked out some sweet musical instruments (at Manny's Music) and ate some great meals. Again, a lot of pictures of this can be found here:http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=6755069&albumId=1900564Rob Dobbs and I even got in our now legendary "jam session" and the questionable results of these sessions can be found here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cem5_WPEuuEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkMQfNpSDs8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpvb4nn50-4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW3ahjV11V0All totaled, The International Jetsetters (the three-fifth's, semi-acoustic version) played three distinct shows in the NYC area. Though I could write detailed descriptions of all the shows, that might be even a bit to wordy for even my tastes. Rather than do that, I present to you a song-by-song breakdown of the middle show - that occurred at Brooklyn's The Trash Bar.Before the show, though, there was some fun to be had. As this venue is world-renowned for its "free Tater Tots", Mark was urged to partake of this local delicacy.Rob holds the "tots" while Mark enjoys Bert, Fi, Jodi, Mark, Rob & Neil enjoy themselves, pre-show.Additionally, while the band waited to go on, Bert and Fi engaged in a spirited game of billiardsAs Mark stated in his own blog, it was a cold and windy Sunday night in Brooklyn. In the truly "it's a small world category," it was discovered that the sound engineer there is a great guy named Nick who happens to be a friend of Phil King (Mark's Mary Chain bass playing compadre). One great advantage of this venue is you can purchase a complete from-the-soundboard recording of the night's performance. Credit to Neil from Planing Seeds who had the wherewithal to do so. Nick did an amazing job recording the show. With a quiet "lets start," and a single strum of his acoustic guiar, Mark lead the band into the gorgeous "My Redemption". Having heard this song many times now, and in more than a few different demo recordings on the various MySpace pages that make up The International Jetsetters world, I'm always impressed at how great the chord progression is. How it its melancholy, and at the same time, somehow uplifting. Fi starts the delicate and beautiful lyrics; "This island - used to be a dark and lonely place; but you kissed me, and the sun came out, and shed its light, across my face. You're my redemption"Like so many great songs - its brilliant in its simplicity. A universal theme that so many can relate to, yet at the same time so intimately personal to the writer. With Mark chugging away on the acoustic guitar, driving the dominant rhythm, Bert is free to explore other textures and enhancements on the ever-so-slightly amplified electric guitar. Even though there are only two guitars, at times it sounded like so much more. As Mark and Bert have been playing together for many years, you can instantly see (and hear) the comfort level they have with each other. Combine that with the often pleasing sonic "overtones" that occur during live shows and you get that much fuller sound, than seemingly two basic instruments should provide.Fi's voice on top of it all is pure bliss. Frequently she reminds me (in tone and texture) of Liz Frazer of The Cocteau Twins - one of my all time fave vocalists in one of the truly great bands. However, her phrasing and delivery of lyrics is (expectedly) far more clear and coherent.As is frequently the case, what the audience can hear, and what the performers hear themselves on stage are often two very different things. At the end of this opening song you could clearly hear Fi say "I can't hear Bert at all". Such is the perils of doing shows "on-the fly" with only the minimal amount of pre-show preparation and sound checking. Still, Nick the soundman had done a masterful job of getting all the levels right - at least as far as the audience was concerned.Next up was another familiar (to me) International Jetsetters song - "Inside Out". Here the combined voices of Mark and Fi are put on display at their greatest strength - together. Mark's lower register and Fi's high harmonies blend perfectly on this one. Especially on the "change" where they harmonize the lyrics "will you meet me in the morning; will you cast me to the side; tearing out my heart for you honey - so don't throw it back at me".To my ears it sounded great. However, once the song ended, Mark joked to the audience that "that was really . . . I think we must be stoned or something. That's supposed to be about 4 times faster". Which made us all chuckle, and underscored the easy manner Mark and the band has with their audiences.Following that was a new song that I was not familiar with. One that I think is titled "Its Not About You" a chugging, uptempo ditty in the "You're so Vain" spirit.Next played was the very familiar (to me) and absolutely breathtaking "California". It is my feeling that this song truly represents what The International Jetsetters are all about, and showcases the talent and songwriting ability of Mark Crozer. Again, much like "My Redemption" played at the beginning of the set (which I understand that Bert was very instrumental in writing a lot of) the chord progression here is both melancholy and yet hopeful. At least that's how it sounds to me. It also brings to me the same good vibes that the very best Jesus & Mary Chain songs do. I'm speaking of their mellower, more romantic songs. Perhaps Mark's dual duty in that band is having its influence on him. Well, when you think about it, how could it not?"Its another English summer, and here I am indoor," Mark begins. "Staring out at the rain soaked streets, dreaming about some far off shores. I miss the heat, I miss the light, I miss the sun up in the sky - I miss you. I miss you. Palm Springs and Indio, Sacramento, baby here I come," he continues. The with Fi in perfect harmony - "California here I come."There's a wonderful break in this song where Fi sings this "ba da, ba dah, ba da, ba dah" part.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVF2pGSAs14Interestingly (and again, something of a "happy accident" as Brian Eno would term it), Bert's electric guitar playing delivered overtones that ucannily sounded like piano notes. I kid you not. As the song was playing I was staring at the stage, looking desperately for who was playing the piano. It was an eerie and wonderful sonic experience.The song ends-out with the ba, da, ba dah vocals as the band plays stronger and more intensely on their guitars. Powerful, chill enducing stuff. At the end of this one Mark asks "could I have a glass of water please", which brought a chuckle from the listeners.The band then moved on to another new song, this one predominantly featuring (and presumably written for the most part by) Fi called "I Will Not".What followed that was another song I had become quite familiar with - the powerfully introspective Crozer composition "Inside Yourself". Mark and Fi sing this in tandem and together bring it an even deeper power and passion. Lyrcially it brings to mind the best of Bob Dylan's caustic, self-analytical work. "You never search the darkness of your heart," they sing. "You always point the finger at, the people in your life, but you never see the darkness that's inside." There's real tension in the chord progression throughout the verses here. On this occasion Mark's powerfully strummed acoustic rhythm allows Bert to add depth and textures over top with is clean, undistorted (yet amplified) electric guitar."You never speak the truth when you can lie," they continue. "Well I hope you can change, - cause I think you need to change" is the hooky tag line that brings the song full circle. What's interesting is the descending chord progression at the end of the song.With two songs left in the set the band now moved on to the elegant "Never Slows Down." Starting off with a gentle chugging rhythm from Mark's acoustic guitar, Fi's delicate vocals begin "as the seasons change, some dreams linger while others fade." Its brilliantly delivered and again, I'm reminded of the cathedral-like atmosphere that Liz Frazer of The Cocteau Twins evokes. "The days just slip away," she continues, "time waits for no one - it never slows down." Here Bert masterfully provides resonating single-strummed electric guitar chords. The overall chord progression is just magnificent, perfectly matching the equally emotionally charged lyrics. On the second pass through the "never slows down" hookline, Mark adds his voice to a wonderful effect. Then the two guitarists play more forcefully through an instrumental break that builds the emotion. Fi comes back to sing "beneath the stars I pray, sometimes - even God can say, hearts that time has stolen - it never slows down." The end out is just as gorgeous, with both Mark and Fi blending their voices in a passionate chorus. The final song of the set is stunningly beautiful "Out Of My Depth." On hearing this song for the first time ever 3 nights earlier at Sidewalk Café, everyone was blown away by its emotional power. Its was no less impressive this time round. Beginning with Bert playing a gentle descending chord progression on the electric, Mark adds a twangy punctuation line on the lower register strings of his acoustic guitar that defines the groove. Fi takes center stage with her vocals, which are blissfully delicate. "When I'm on my own," she sings, "and out of control. When my thoughts aren't my own - and my mind starts to fold. You won't leave me alone - and I want you to go. I'm out of my depth"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tFM4vaDY5ULike the best songs written, there is slow build here. Each pass through another verse adds subtle texture and enlightened introspection. All leading up to the grand finish, where the playing becomes more passionate and the vocals rise like angels above. It is a truly wonderful song, and I look very much forward to hearing it played by the full band at some future point.Heading round the corner for a post-show bevy and chat, those of us that could popped into a nearby pub for some good time chatter and a bit of poster signing.On the following day, the band played a The Irene Trudel Radio show. You can hear that show in its entirety right here:http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/27300Back home in Merry Ol' England, The International Jetsetters now set about to continue their conquest of the world, one show at a time. I can only count the days until the full 5 piece electric band brings their dynamic sound back this way. It can't happen soon enough.Have a listen to this band (and their various side projects) at these links:http://www.myspace.com/internationaljetsettershttp://www.myspace.com/ukelectrolyteshttp://www.myspace.com/theidlinghour