Zeroskilz
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I've been back from vacation for almost two weeks. There was a lot of madness before I left, and it meant I didn't get to contact the people I wanted before heading out. Hopefully, I get a chance next time to get ahold of some of you Londoners ahead of time and we can all meet for drinks again.
First up was Portishead at the Apollo theatre in Hammersmith. My friend, Jen, and I made sure to get there early to get a good spot. At about 10 foot from front and center, I think we did really well. The opening act was Hawk and a Hacksaw. They played well, but it's just not really music I get into. If I was in a Hungarian bar, I'm sure that their flavor of Hungarian folk music would have sounded much better. We struggled through their set and then chatted about our excitement of actually seeing Portishead play next. After what seemed like forever, the all-black clad band slowly sulked onto stage and started their set. I'm not sure what to say about the experience of seeing them live. I loved their trip hop sound from the '90s, and I was scared when I heard they were putting out a new album. It only took one song from the new album to tell me they'd left behind the trip hop sound of an earlier decade. "What the hell happened?" I asked myself at first. Well, something beautiful happened. The band has only gotten better during their prolonged absence. The old songs sound as solid as if they'd never stopped playing them, and the new material might even be better. Adrian and Geoff both played great. As for Beth.... Beth's voice is still as powerful and beautiful as ever. When Beth leaned into the microphone and let loose with one of her mournful cries, it sent a chill up my spine that rose to my head and exploded; leaving me tingling from head-to-toe. I've never had anything like that happen from music before, and I'd sit through a hundred Hawk and a Hacksaws to make it happen again.
The next stop on the musical tour was the Shout Out Louds at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. Jen was supposed to have started working again by the time I made my trip; so, I planned a side-trip to Amsterdam during the weekdays. It took a while to find the venue, and I was already running late. Luckily, I still managed to find a beer and get a spot very close to the front. A New Zealand band called The Brunettes opened for them and put on a really entertaining show. I'm not sure how well their music would translate to album, but they were great fun to see play live. The SOL took the stage next. It wasn't nearly the performance that Portishead was, but it was great. They put out one of my favorite albums last year, and it was great to see them play the songs I've been enjoying for so long. For the last song before encore, they invited The Brunettes onstage. There must have been a dozen people on stage singing and playing instruments. They were recording the show that night to broadcast back in Sweden. It'd be great to get a copy of the show.
My final musical stop was back in London. The Breeders were playing at Koko in Camden. I'd mentioned the show to Jen at some point, and her and Simon (her husband) already had tickets. It seemed like a no-brainer to pick up a ticket of my own. To be honest, I didn't expect much from the show. I wouldn't say that I'm a big Breeders fan; sure, I owned a copy of Last Splash in the '90s. Not sure where it is now. I'd heard the new album too, and I wasn't overly impressed. I don't remember who opened for them, but the music was a forgettable as the band. Eventually, Kim and Kelley took the stage and started playing. I was worried about how they would sound after so much time away. In a word, they sounded great. The songs sound tighter and more focused. Even the new material didn't sound too bad live. Maybe it was just the infectious amount of fun they were having on stage, but I thought it was an outstanding show. Even up in the second balcony, I could see Kim smiling from ear-to-ear. The banter between the twins was hilarious too; especially since Kim had lost her passport earlier in the day at the Tower of London. Most people were there to hear Canonball, and a loud cheer and singalong heppened when it was finally played... mid-set. It was at this point that Simon leaned over to me and said, "It's a sign of a great band that you don't save your most popular songs for last." And he's right. My fave song is Saints, but it was played mid-set too, and I spent the rest of the show smiling, bobbing and singing along to the music. The last song of the night was the German-lyriced German Studies. It's far from my favorite song, but, by this point, I was so caught up in the experience that I enjoyed it almost as much as my favorite song.
I'm 2-for-2 on great concerts by re-banded '90s bands this year. I'm hoping the new Massive Attack album due this year bodes well for trying to make it 3-for-3. Thanks for reading.
Last night the Raveonettes played a packed house at the Double Door in Chicago. It was my first time in the venue, and I was impressed. The place reminded me a lot of one of my favorite local venues that closed a few years ago; though Double Door is quite a bit larger. The old, black-painted interior with the dimly lit bar, an elevated stage and a great sound system felt exactly like my old bar used to feel though, and I couldn't have been happier about it.
The opening band for the night was Black Acid. Black Acid is a five piece band that sounds like what I would imagine Urge Overkill on shrooms would sound. The psychedilic influenced rock songs featured a repetitive set of lyrics that often ran out two to three minutes before the song did. Finding a good set of chords and playing them for an extended period of time seemed to be the band's only real strong point. Even the mediocre set of songs can be somewhat overlooked if the band had provided a more entertaining stage presence, but even that was absent. While most of the band stood rooted in spot, with the bass player facing away from the crowd, the lead singer would aimlessly wander around stage between stints at the mic; clapping at the end of his own songs and often giving the appearance that he forgot it was his band on stage. All in all, the band delivered a rather mailed-in perfomance, and I was relieved when they finally packed it in.
Up next were the Raveonettes. Four years have passed since I last saw this band. Their new album released here in the US a few weeks ago, and I was really looking forward to hearing the new songs live. I wasn't really sure what to expect for a touring setup. Last I saw them, they were touring with an extra guitar player and a drummer. After a small wait, Sharin and Sune took the stage accompanied by another woman who ended up running the laptronica and accentuating the recorded beats and noise with her own organic beats on a standing drum kit, consisting of a tom, a snare and a cymbal. As expected, the band were dressed in all black and white. Sune opted for the standard striped shirt with black pants, and Sharin was dressed in a stunning sequined long-sleeved blouse and skirt. The drummer was even decked out in black and wore a loose tee over a halter top and black, leather pants.
I'd positioned myself in the crowd so I could easily see both the mic stands at each side of the stage, but I was unable to see the middle part where the drum kit was stationed. This nearly proved to be a big mistake. The band started off with a song from the new album, and it wasn't long before I found myself bobbing and jumping in place. It took me a minute to realize that something was different. I've listened to the new album quite a bit since I got it, and I didn't remember it sounding like this. It was the drums! In the new album, the drums are mixed low behind the noise of the guitars and harmony of the vocals; not so for this show. As I peaked around the tall guy blotting out the center of the stage, I could see the drummer pounding out the bass line and rocking with the rythm of it, and I was hooked. Sharin may be the full moon that shines and awes me in the swirling noise of her and Sune's darkscapes, but it was the drummer's beat that entranced me last night. As the band played on through the night, I found myself watching the drummer as much as I was watching either Sune or Sharin. They played most of the new album and a good mix from their previous three albums. Several times throughout the night, the music hit that moment of perfection that forces my eyes closed, brings a smile to my face and fills me with pure, warm and fuzzy joy. The end came all too quickly, and the encore consisted of a single song. Even with a three hour drive ahead of me, I still found myself hoping for a second encore. I had to settle for a quick stop at the merch table and a walk across Wicker Park.
On the way home I put the new album on repeat and kept replaying the images from the night in my head. The way the stage was lit at times in blue and red lights, bathing the band in alternating hightlights reminiscent of the anachromed images from the new album. Sune's lanky form bent nearly in half as he plucked the perfect note from his guitar. Sharin sharing a smile with her bandmates or focusing her attention on her guitar as she holds her palm against the strings and conjures up her own batch of swirling noise. Mostly though, I thought of the drummer and her swaying and dancing to her own beat; occaisionally shutting her own eyes and soaking in the beauty of the noise they were creating. As I listened to the new album, I already missed those drums. I've never wished harder for a live album in my life. I think the show from the Double Door would have been perfect.
Thanks for reading.
Comments
I haven't seen them since spring 2003, when I happened to be in Portland the same time as they were, also then in a full band lineup. They were good but not great then, but frankly I lost interest in the interim because of weak records. The new one isn't all that bad though. The last time I had that "pure, warm and fuzzy joy" was with APTBS when I saw them the first time, and for a few moments with The Gutter Twins. If the show made you wish for a live record ... well, that's something special. Glad to hear your trip was worth it!
Thanks Dale. I think you definitely need to catch them on this tour. I don't think you will be disappointed.
Pekka, I agree about the weak records comment. The second album was still good, but I struggle to find anything that totally pleases me on Pretty in Black. I really like the latest album though. I think it's a lot closer in style to the first one. There are few bands that bring me this kind of joy when I see them, but this show definitely took me there several times. I may just be being greedy, but I hope to see them again sometime this year.
Stayed in tonight instead of braving the ice and cold. I made a run to the music store at lunch; so, I'm set with new music for the evening. Was listening to some of it and thought I'd share a bit. I tried to find vids for the bands/songs I wanted to share, but I struck out on one. Mog was gracious enough to let me upload it though. Hope you enjoy.
My Trusted MOGs (10 of 105)
My Trusted MOGs' Top Songs This Week
MOGs That Trust Me (8 of 90)
MOG Meter
Comments
Portishead was my highlight of Coachella, for sure. I didn't know what to expect, but they were brilliant live. I posted about it, if you're interested.
That sounds like a great trip! I would love to see Portishead. I really like the new album. I'm glad to hear they were good.
I was wondering when we were going to hear from you. I had high hopes for that Breeders new album but I ended up rather nonplussed over it, I kinda like it/ I kinda don't so I kinda stopped listening to it.
Would love to hear more about Amsterdam. Glad you had a good time. What's the next show on your agenda?