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Contributor
Reviews 62
Soundoffs 137
Album Ratings 2548
Objectivity 87%
Last Active 01-10-23 9:12 am
Joined 12-29-11
Review Comments 9,759
| Gig impressions
I now have access to many bands I want to see. How do I feel about that? I dunno, let's see how the next 12 months pan out. | | 1 |  | The Black Crowes
Shake Your Money Maker
Black Crowes
O2 Academy Brixton, London
Date: Tue 27 Sep 2022
When I heard that the Crowes were celebrating the anniversary of their debut, I almost sprayed the coffee I was drinking out my nose. I had written off the Robinsons as victims of Gallagher's disease, saying farewell to touring because they couldn't get along. But here they were, doing a full album of heavy hitters (I mean you can't go wrong with the lineup on SYMM).
It was a dream come true. The Crowes splurged on some set design; a fake honky tonk bar, a velvet suit, an umbrella, a hat with a feather. Sure, they weren't the sharpest they've probably been, I heard a few flubbed solos and mistimed moments. But they are one of the greatest rock bands ever, and Chris is still one of the greatest singers and frontmen going. Strutting out with a jaunt, moving like a man half his age, riding that brilliant backing vocal on 'My Morning Song' in the encore (spare a thought for the background singers, my oh my). Brilliant songs, brilliant sound, just beyond me that I got to see it.
If they tour Southern Harmony or Amorica I'm gonna be there. If they tour at all again I'd be there (ok if I have any money). Only negative was my brother wasn't there, isn't seeing the Crowes about brothers? Yes it is. | | 2 |  | Sigur Ros
Von
Sigur Ros
O2 Academy Brixton, London
Date: Thu 10 Nov 2022
They opened with Vaka, and it was blissful. About 20 minutes in I moved to the back to get some air and the spell was broken, I couldn't really get into them after that. They were flawless, the visuals were great, they did what they do, but I left before the end of the show. I was oddly disappointed - I had not been moved. A records band for me going forward. | | 3 |  | Fontaines D.C.
Skinty Fia
Fontaines D.C.
Eventim Apollo
Date: Sat 26 Nov 2022
Best gig out of them all. The audience was made up of 50% diehard Irish fans; the girls next to us were screaming "FUCKING JACKIE DOWN THE LINE". When they played it the crowd went apoplectic; they banged the lip of the balcony wall, fainted, cried (ok they probably didn't faint). The visuals of a ghostly EKG line behind the band matched the breathless performance, lightning turned on its side. Carlos O'Connell slouched around the stage until his guitar died, and he was relegated to plinking on a keyboard. It didn't matter. The band didn't look like they cared, while also looking like they would die to be on stage. Fontaines are an it band in their prime, see 'em. | | 4 |  | Alex G
God Save The Animals
Alex G
Roundhouse, London
Date: 23 Mar 2023
Cool venue, felt like I was in that weird AC/DC video with that round, almost reversed steel cage coliseum thing going on. Except this was Alex G, which is quite different to AC/DC. Maybe it was the side on view we had but Alex didn't really face the crowd as much as I expected. He seemed to be happy to have things whispered into his ear by his guitarist between songs, chuckling like beavers contemplating some delightful mystery. Solid, worklike performance, nothing I can fault but also not incredible. Good setlist. I have never felt so old as I did being at that gig. | | 5 |  | Lapsley
Cautionary Tales of Youth
Lapsley
EartH, London
Date 24 Mar 2023
A very different experience. Great venue, only issue is the reassuring terrace step hug formation lends itself to rapt watching and not dancing. I walked in a minute late, so I was relegated to the back, but it was almost like having a private bartender as the top line had bars tucked into each corner. I sipped whisky and soda, and Lapsley told stories between the songs. It was intimate, and it felt like she belonged to this crowd. I got the impression they love her, that she was back, that they were glad for her success. I had a little smile the whole time, almost privileged to be let into this reunion. How did she sound? Superb, and the stripped down accompaniment was magical. Beautiful, I would see her again. | | 6 |  | Pile
All Fiction
Pile
Studio 9294
Date: Fri 31 Mar 2023
Probably the bleakest venue, reminded me of pictures of the Factory if it wasn't brightly lit. The area was depressing, kind of reminded me of those warehouse parks that house lots of yellow brick storage lockers. The smoking area of the venue was a little more cheerful, with lights strung up and a view of some canal or river.
The gig itself? Intense, claustrophobic, unrelenting. Pile are touring a record with a bigger synth presence and in between songs they leave some repeating audio patterns running while they prep or change instruments, and this gives the show a locked in feel, like there's no release or escape. Their multi instrumentalist looks like science guy who chases tornados on the weekend, and he oscillates in a hypnotic way to the groove. It was a really good show but I felt uncomfortable halfway through, nothing to do with anybody else, just a feeling of anxious dread. I left before the encore. They're excellent, see them. | | 7 |  | Big Thief
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
Big Thief
Eventim Apollo
Date: Wed 12 Apr 2023
What struck me about Big Thief? They are very good players, their drummer understands when the band wants him to fall apart and come back together. Lenker is a great guitarist, with a voice every bit as expressive live - how are there so many corners to a word or a line? How do you find them? Buck is fascinating to watch. They all play for each other. I would have preferred a different setlist but it's understandable that they're touring Dragon, so we weren't going to get 'From' or 'U.F.O.F' or whatever else I was hoping for. Maybe one or two throwaway tracks though that left me scratching my head. Also, the audience holds them in such reverence there was very little crowd dancing or movement that I could see, like they don't acknowledge this is a loud, racous, searing band. However, you have to admire the respect - not many such acts get to stop and do delicate songs and you can hear a sunflower seed drop. Well worth your time. | | 8 |  | JFDR
Museum
JFDR
St Matthias Church, Hackney
Date: Wed 10 May 2023
What a delightfully ramshackle affair. Clearly this tiny gig was about shaking off the rust and working through some of the new material in a live setting. And what a setting - a grand but just grand enough church. Let's get this out of the way - church pews are awful. That being said, JFDR's contemporary atmospherics work beautifully in the location. I found the crowd chatting like a congregation to be quite heartwarming - I half expected warm beverages to be served in those basic white hexagonal cups that churches always produce between services.
JFDR herself was the modest bon vivant, hosting the show with a disarming charm. Her song explanations guided you through the tour of her songwriting process, and it's a good way to get invested in the performance. The setup was spare, two guitars and JFDR's partner Josh on electronics. One or two timing issues or flubbed starts, but it didn't matter - this was a show between friends. They played an equal distribution of tracks from 'New Dreams' and 'Museum', with one cut from 'Brazil' and a collab track in early stages. I particularly enjoyed the songs with strong electronic elements. JFDR's music has a very circular hypnotic pattern and when she started singing rounds with herself I almost felt the spirit this place is meant to signify. The set closer was 'the Orchid', and at some point it felt as if the song had conjured a wind, and the band moved like bamboo disrupted into natural rotation on its axis. These aforementioned patterns, created by the mixture of digital and the traditional, sound fresh and ancient at the same time, an expression of yearning and seasonal observation. When you close and open your eyes, Winter has turned to Spring, and the imprint of the hard times has created a small, rough hewn groove in the walls of our interior life. This is the music of finding those grooves, widening them, softening them. To listen to it in an intimate live setting is an uplifting gift, and one that I cherished. | | 9 |  | Alvvays
Blue Rev
Alvvays
O2 Forum Kentish Town
Date: Wed 24 May 2023
The opening track of the set was a little disconcerting - it sounded all a bit shrill and off. I was not sure if it was my ear adjusting or a quick sharpen up by the crew, but it all sounded very professional from the second song on. Alvvays are friendly-level noisy, but not overpowering. They're contained, content to let Molly Rankin run the show with delicate movement and the kind of unassuming confidence I assume of a 30 year career fisherperson removing a hook from a catch.
Rankin's perfect voice evokes a photo of a meticulously constructed beehive hairdo from behind. It's big, and blue, and round. It's the balloon left on the gym floor after a school dance. It is longing, and the 50's, and the 80's, and your friend making fun of herself and you. Rankin would have been a star 70 years ago.
Alvvays don't waste time - Rankin comments on how easy it is to get peonies in London, and that's about how far the banter goes. Then the band is tearing into the next cut from 'Blue Rev', their definitive levelling up record. Despite being fuzzy and live, they preserve all the little curls and flares, like a balustrade maker who is not obliged to bend the ironwork into rounds, but does so tastefully anwyay, because it's in their blood. When they dip into their older catalogue, the crowd participates, as if the greatest track in history just came up on a roadtrip shuffle. It's a good show - they'd break your heart if they didn't keep pulling you out the door, onto the train, into the light graffiti. | | 10 |  | Baaba Maal
Being
Baaba Maal
The Barbican
Date: Tuesday 30 May 2023
I am not a jam band type of guy, I like people to stick to the script but maybe paint a little outside the lines live. However, if I was going to watch some call and response, feel-based performance, then this would probably be it.
The show started with Mansour Seck, Maal's blind lifelong friend. A member of the band walked him to his seat and gave him his guitar, and Seck began playing a simple pattern, his voice tremulous at times, then unbelievably loud and sharp, filling the Barbican. A lone percussionist joined the stage and began sounding a call on the djembe, and responses rang out from each corner of the room. Eventually the drummers joined the stage, one at a time, and Maal began singing before joining his band. It was joyful tension, and I felt a part of my spirit that I was unaware existed.
When they finished the opening, four or five protesters stood up and began shouting while Maal addressed the crowd, trying to drown him out. I could not make out what they were saying but the gist was that the president of Senegal was corrupt, and he was killing people. I felt some dread that perhaps Maal was politically tainted, despite never having read any negative accounts. It's difficult to know what is happening in Africa without local knowledge, so after they were escorted out, I decided to just focus on the performance for this one night.
What followed was a masterclass in percussion. Maal's drummer played straight while the three percussionists worked together to provide a lithe shifting base for the powerful vocals. Parts of the show were shambolic - their guitarist switching to a stringed traditional instrument, tripping over the cables and figuring out the sound on the fly. Maal also brought a boy on stage who played him in the video for 'Yerimayo Celebration', and the poor kid looked completely overwhelmed by the mighty rhythm section (coupled with a horn retinue!) - Maal tried to coax him to sing but it wasn't happening. The crowd applauded him anyway, and it was a sweet moment.
My personal favourite part of the set was Maal and Seck playing together alone, seated, just guitar and two voices in clarion, decay, falling away, rebuilding like longboats appearing and dissipating in morning river mist. They performed 'Diahowo' in this style, without the percussive ending as on the record, but with more vocal interplay. A second track did bleed into a full band performance, as if a mirage of an oasis had become real.
The end of the show drifted into a more latin crossover flavour, and the tama player who doubled as a hypeman, dancer, just about everything, signalled for everyone to get to their feet. We danced in the lush aisles of the brutal Barbican; soft parquet and sumptious seating forgotten as we looked out over the crowd lighted in pink and yellow spots - it could have been a wedding, a street festival, a show in Podor, a moment in any of the three hundred places Maal has played in West Africa. | | 11 |  | The Veils
Nux Vomica
The Veils
Lafayette
Date: Friday 9 June 2023
Full disclosure, I'm not really a Veils fan (or hardcore detractor for that matter), so it's pointless me really rating the concert, I mainly went for the experience of meeting some sputfolk.
I'm not going to go into detail as I do not want to dispel their beautiful online air of mystery, but suffice to say everyone was very cool despite my awkwardness and my absolute fear of being a drag to hang out with. All players were funny, welcoming and crazy knowledgeable, and I felt very privileged to be allowed into their worlds.
The show itself? There's something very clean about the Veils that jars with their crazy preacher rant side. I did not always connect with the theatrics, but kudos to Finn for putting on a show. Band was tight and very competent, some really interesting leads and I enjoyed the sound of them. Their set closer was great, I don't even know the track name but it was the best of their more aggressive apocalyptic songs. I got very hot, Lafayette is a classy joint but it's small and warm. Eventually I stayed near the bar, quaffing soda water and ice. For a band I don't know well or seek to follow, I must admit I was never bored and I think anyone who likes a bit of rock and roll would get something from their show. I was aware of how grateful they were to be there - I found that side of them very endearing; Finn was clearly communicating his love for touring and communion that had been on hold for years.
Great night, and I'm happy I overcame my social anxiety and went. This community continues to surprise me with its generosity and depth of spirit. | | 12 |  | The War On Drugs
I Don't Live Here Anymore
The War On Drugs
Brighton Centre
Date: Saturday 17 June 2023
What a bizarre venue. It looks a bit more like the place you'd apply for a street vendor license or submit forms for planning permission. The staging area looks like a giant school hall. Nevertheless, when the War on Drugs start, they hide the location in a frame of darkness and utilise pinpoint, curated lighting to draw you into their world. As my wife pointed out, they are the French Brigade of bands; each member inhabiting a station and concentrating on their part of the whole. Granduciel moves between each of these little zones, inhabiting their space with his congenial solo playing.
They were superb. A valid criticism might be the similarity of the songs, but honestly once the show was done I could have happily watched them play for two more hours. Seeing 'Red eyes' live proves to me it's one of the best rocks songs of the 2010's - perhaps the best. And then they bust out 'Under the pressure'. The lead, the stabs of acoustic, the metronomic drums, the valleys of keyboard, it all paints a link between the crowd and the band, like there's an invisible delayed shutter line arcing from person to person. Granduciel does not get enough credit as a vocalist, but it's all achingly real - five albums and they're consistently bringing the humanity, detail and heart. I wouldn't often go to see a band twice, but honestly, if they were playing in London tonight and I could get a ticket, I'd be there. | | 13 |  | Peter Gabriel
Melt
Peter Gabriel
The O2 Arena
Date: Monday 19 June 2023
The O2 arena is overwhelming on entry; it's strangely smaller than I expected inside. There's branding everywhere, and while I know Peter Gabriel is by now fully a stadium artist, it's a bit sad to see him playing a place like this, with corporate boxes for people to consume buffet options while not watching the show.
Gabriel opens with a humble little speech, wandering onto stage like your lost uncle. The band perches around a synthetic fire, and do 'Washing of the Water' in a campfire style. It's a sweet idea and they sound beautiful, but it doesn't translate in a 20,000 capacity arena. I appreciate they didn't want to do closeup screens for this, but frankly, I wanted to see the band, I wanted to see where the sound was coming from. It works better when everyone assumes their places and we get our first taste of the show proper. 'Panopticon' features an angry red vortex which turns into a blueburn eye on the chorus, following Gabriel around the stage. On the closeups projected on the side screen, we see the player faces in grainy black and white, surrounded by a targeting block as if they're being profiled by social scoring software.
It looks like Gabriel believes in his new material and he's excited by the concept, but to be honest, most of it is a bit weaker than his classic work. It's great that he feels strongly enough about these songs to go back on tour, but when they perform 'Digging in the Dirt', it's clear that nothing aside from maybe 'The Court' is on the same level. Gabriel's voice is still strong, with most of the variety and expressiveness intact. He announces each visual artist who contributed to the staging, and highlights his musicians frequently - Gabriel is driven by collaboration.
After an interval, the show grows far stronger. Most of the newer material is better than in the first half, and he kicks into the classics near the end - 'Big Time', 'Don't give up', 'In your eyes' and, of course, 'Biko'. I'll never forget seeing it - being transported back in time to get a glimpse what was happening up north when I was growing up in the 80's. I almost wept, for all the inhumanity of the government I grew up under, and all the inhumanity that followed its downfall, squandering that sacrifice, betraying all the heroism. Instead, though, I sang along blindly, until it was just Manu Katche and the crowd, and the image of Biko in a ring of gilt fire. Then the lights came up and we were reminded to grab a Pepsi on the way out. | | 14 |  | Ben Howard
Is It?
Ben Howard
Alexandra Palace
Date: Saturday 22 July 2023
I was hoping my first outdoor show would be a little slice of summer; picture fogza on the picnic blanket, reading a novel with a crisp cider while waiting for the show.
Instead, it was a miserable slog up an interminable hill. The rainy weather did not let up at all - after the first 30 minutes my feet were sodden. I'll be honest, as romantic as the idea of watching music in precipitation is, I was not enjoying myself.
Alexandra Palace itself is a right palacial treat for the eyes, and there's plenty of green embankment to view from. Easy to move around (I had totally the wrong footwear for the rain and did slip a few times) with tons of food options and reasonably fast moving bars (no whisky wtf). The toilets were a bit weird, some of them had no visible flushing mechanism.
It's not really fair to talk about the openers as I didn't specifically pay to see them, but I really just wanted them to be over. Ben kicked off about at about 8:30pm, and he sounded great, although it almost seemed to me that the volume and sound position would fluctuate - not sure if the weather had something to do with it. Ben doesn't really say much but he did have a wry grin at all the bedraggled fans. He promised a bit of sun, then laughed and took it back.
The new material works well in a stage setting but the show came alive when he drifted into cuts off the Burgh EP and I Forget Where We Were - especially the latter's title track. It sounded particularly thorny and brooding with sheets of white lit rain passing across the crowd's field of vision. It was ultimately worth the wait, but damn, about 15 minutes before the end of the show, I legged it to catch the tube before it got crowded (Alexandra Palace station closed for the industrial action). As I was descending the hill he went into Every Kingdom material and one concert leaver let out a frustrated moan; "Why does he play his best songs at the end!". I was struck how Howard seems bring a very mixed crowd - and I was glad he opened in the order he did. One person's loss is another's gain. | | 15 |  | Mabe Fratti
Se ve desde aquí
Mabe Fratti
Cafe OTO
Date: Wednesday 23 August 2023
There's a scene in the 2001 classic 'A Knight's Tale' in which Prince Edward tells Heath Ledger's William Thatcher that if he knew nothing else about him, he would know his worth based on how his followers love him. Scoff if you want at this reference, but it holds true; watching Mabe Fratti, you get the sense that her fellow musicians love her, and that makes you enamoured with the whole night.
It was a basic setup, just Fratti on cello and vocals with a drummer and guitarist. Fratti is generous to a fault - her fellow players often got to steal the show while she provided the stable base. Also, Cafe Oto is a great place to see music - I was literally about a metre from Fratti's elbow.
Fratti's vocals blossom in a live setting, she sounds better than on record. Dextrous, lots of varied inflection and passion but still precise. Honestly, Fratti's last album was exceptional but it's a revelation live. One of the instrumental pieces crossed over where avant garde and jigs meet, and at this juncture, you can be forgiven for giggling, whooping, or clapping spontaneously. Special gig, and worth hauling myself out to London on a school night. Could have watched them for hours. | | 16 |  | Feist
Multitudes
Feist
The Roundhouse
Date: Saturday 9 September 2023
Don't get me wrong after reading this; I still love Feist's music. She sounds great live, every bit the vocalist she is on record, and actually a strong guitarist in her own right. But this show didn't work for me - she opened with an stripped down set (just Feist on acoustic guitar), and the gimmick was lots of POV footage from her mic mounted camera (she also handed the camera to a crowd member and told him to go forth and film). Feist talks ALOT between songs, and effectively breaks up any flow with her slightly rehearsed patter which seems charming for the first 2 or 3 songs, but quickly becomes tiresome.
When the gear change came and she revealed her live band setup (about an hour in) things improved, but by then I was a bit listless and not in the mood. While the slower tracks on her latest album are good, it's really her more arranged full band songs which interested me, so having to wait to see them didn't put me in the best mood. I think this was a show which tested my patience with the pacing, and once I was bored and looking at the time, thinking about the trip home and my tired feet, I found it hard to get back into the swing of things. The camera thing was trivial at worst, distracting at best, and the concept was not fleshed out - I'm thinking you have a great band and great songs, let's not resort to influencer level ideas in place of that. We left early and didn't regret it. | | 17 |  | The National
Laugh Track
The National
Alexandra Palace
Date: Tuesday 26 September 2023
Confession: I have been dreading this show. When I first heard the National (and this was via hearing Boxer) I became obsessed. Boxer seemed to exist in that space where you are driving from place to place in the early hours of the morning or the backend of the night, and you're considering what happened in the interactions at those left destinations. These are often some of my favourite moments in life, and Boxer caught that feeling. Over the years, the National has morphed into something else, the lyric notebooks have run dry and they lost the power and mystery they used to wield on their finest run from Alligator to High Violet. There's something insipid and slick about 2023 the National - they're dismantling atomic bombs where there is no line on the horizon.
Alexandra Palace is massive and is one of the most impressive venues I've been to. It has been designed to sell you food and booze, and I suppose that's fair enough. The main arena is huge, and I crept to the front side with very little blockage.
How do I feel about the National live? I've heard accounts of them being transformative, like it's a religous experience. Matt is definitely a seasoned, impressive frontman - does it feel a little like schtick now? Yeah, I'd say so. The best thing about them now is Bryan Devendorf. The National also suffer from the narrowness of their sound. When they deviate from what they do well, it doesn't really give what you want from them, but when they stick to the formula it's all copies of copies getting weaker and more indistinct with each inscription.
Negativity aside, all the Boxer material sang, but 'Fake Empire' was magnificient. Some suprising standouts were 'I'll still destroy you' and 'Dreaming', both cuts I found underwhelming on record, but impressive live. And 'England' was immense. What filled the cracks in between was exactly that - viscous white paste smeared and sanded to fool you that the hollowness does not exist. I would not go see the National again, and I will probably not listen to any of their new material, if it comes. They haven't really been 'that' band for me for over 10 years, but what they are now, well the point is hard to find. | | 18 |  | Young Fathers
Heavy Heavy
Young Fathers
Eventim Apollo
Date: Saturday 21 October 2023
Usually I don't comment on the opening acts as it's not fair - I've not paid to see them and they're acts I'm not invested in, which puts them at a distinct disadvantage. However, I was keen to see Nadine Shah (who I actually like more than Young Fathers) so that made the tickets even more attractive. Sadly, I think her vocals got a little mangled in the sound setup. Nadine was all wiry hunger on stage, and set closer 'Out the way' still worked - the song has a sonic hollowness which gave her more space to express herself. There's much to admire about the performance - the band found a way to communicate the richness of the 'Kitchen Sink' songs in a different, more aggressive way, but I wanted to really sink my teeth into the lyrics and the bite of her vocal. The distortion and lack of clarity just didn't allow that.
Young Fathers, on the other hand, don't really need all that much in the way of subtle inflection (although the sound was better). Bankole is the hype man - he moves brilliantly, and often lives in the centre of the stage. Massaquoi spent much of the time using the single drum setup in the corner, but when the time came to deliver a blistering verse, he became as much part of the central performance as anyone, moving from the introvert to the outward energy with ease. Hastings deploys a more suave cockiness in his performance, leaning into the mic stand like a soul singer hopped up on politics.
The touring support vocalists, drummer and their multi-instrumentalist get as involved - it's great to see so much passion, interplay and power from "hired guns". I'm still amazed they're not full members, this show was delivered with absolute commitment. I think seeing them live made me really feel the connection to their most obvious influence (TV on the radio when they were still good) - the synth gospel of the opening track felt biblical meets mournful, like washing baptism cloth by river and stone. The band explodes that sound almost immediately. I was sick, and tired, and lazy when I got there, but at the end, surrounded by the love of the crowd for the people (and there was real love here) on stage, I followed the instruction to "Get on up". There's lightning in their veins, see them before it turns to accomplishment. | | 19 |  | Art School Girlfriend
Soft Landing
Art School Girlfriend
Institute Of Contemporary Arts
Date: Thursday 2 November
The ICA is definitely one of the 'coolest' venues I've been to - people look edgy, young, but also expensive. It has that serious art gallery vibe though - cement floors, high ceilings, diamond white walls, books with great sans serif font choices for the covers. The space itself is a nice little cube, supporting about a 350 strong standing audience. It's actually perfect for Polly Mackey AKA Art School Girlfriend, who exudes a sense of complex chic on stage. Mackey had stated that her new album would be more live focused than the bedroom aesthetic of her debut, and she brings a tight group of musicians to the proceedings. Her guitarist ignites a slowburn cover of Prince's "I would die for you" with a searing EBow solo, and the bassist and keyboard player harmonize impeccably on all the tracks, often providing the higher counterpoint to Mackey. The drummer is also immaculate, allowing the programmed beats space, but imposing when required. There is a sound, a strange fog of heavy bass dread that accompanies the players, like a storm approaching landfall, and when they employ it, it can be a little distracting - at times it felt like it was reverberating through my body like the onset of angina.
Mackey has a polished grace, every sweep of the hair and careful movement a natural nuance of performance. She brings Tony Njoku on stage, a collaborator on album track 'Blue Sky' and she spans in the backing vocals to be a unified force in support of his parts. Her own vocal is measured, husky and unique, reminiscient of Tracey Thorn as reference point, but also more rock and roll without being loud or forceful. The material here has an inherent sensuality and this gig had the feeling of a complex, melancholic rendering of basic impulse. Mackey flexes that one of her older tracks made the 'Emily in Paris' soundtrack, then wryly skewers that by saying it was used exclusively for sex scenes. Near the end, she states it's the last track, and she wants to be clear about it because she hates encores. She also thanks her band and lets everyone know the closer allows them to "show their chops". The dense layered sound is very singular but with many fluctuations, like a humid night with currents of air flowing amidst the oppression. The release at the end is like a feathery summer shower. | | 20 |  | Tusks
Change
Tusks
The Waiting Room
Date: Tuesday 7 November
Even now, I'm encountering artists who are easing back into the live scene after the pandemic. Emily Underhill, operating under the moniker Tusks, is one of them.
The Waiting Room is one of those blink-and-you'll-miss-it venues, literally a staircase to a basement off the left of a pub entrance. After descending, you'll be greeted with two strips of banquette seating on the flanks of the room, and standing space for roughly 100 people. Intimate!
Underhill is road testing new material and getting back into the rhythm of touring with this show - clearly there were lots of friends in the crowd, so there was a convivial air of support, which is always a pleasant vibe. Underhill was also battling a cold, and during the set there were occasional moments when her voice simply caught or faded out. Despite this, she was able to execute some impressive vocal runs, and it didn't really detract from the gig. She was joined by her collaborator Tom Andrews, who helped shape the upcoming 'body of work' (as she put it). They faced off in a stack of duelling synths, and the interplay and respect between the two was simply lovely to watch. Underhill brought a real sense of joy to the show - everytime they finished a song, her expression seemed to be a mix of we-pulled-it-off combined with a victorious fist pump. At times she stated (with a grin) that she always aspires to write something simple to tour, and then always complicates it. Her heartwarming banter between songs was just enough, and I was firmly backing her even when a synth failed on the last song and Andrews had to configure the remaining one on the fly. Underhill even found a way to accommodate the vocal blips into the performance, so much so they almost felt intentional, which is a testament to her interpretation and robust songwriting.
The new material sounds great, and I'm excited for more music from Tusks - and if you like a bit of moody midnight pop laced with guitar and synth, check out her show. I love seeing an artist enjoy what they're doing, and the embrace between the two musicians at the end celebrating a chance to show something they're proud of was beautiful. At times Underhill seemed to glow, not just from the stage lights, but from letting the songs out into a space filled with community and love. Not bad for a Tuesday night. | |
fogza
04.21.23 | I will update this whether anyone reads it or not, and sadly bump my own thread for the rest of my time on sputnik | unclereich
04.21.23 | Meant to drop a comment on this earlier. Great writeups here. 2 is indeed otherworldly live. | fogza
04.21.23 | Thanks uncle now I don't feel so alone. | unclereich
04.21.23 | 😭 i hate to see lists with no comments especially well written ones like this | Dewinged
04.21.23 | I saw Sigur Ros some years ago and it was incredible. Had the chance to see both Big Thief and Fountaines DC but the prices for tickets in Japan are insane. Had to give up on seeing Bjork a couple of months ago and it haunts my dreams. | fogza
04.21.23 | Yeah I feel very strange about the Sigur Ros gig, like I don't know why I couldn't connect. Maybe it would have been better if I was seated, standing at the back people were chatting and socializing more and maybe the music doesn't work in that context | Dewinged
04.21.23 | I totally get. I was right in the middle. I usually try to get as close as to the mixtable as possible cause I'm a nerd. Audience in Japan is usually dead silent, so the setting was perfect. The show was magical, visuals we and stage props were amazing too and I'll never forget they ending with the closer of (). I thought the whole place was gonna fall apart. | fogza
04.21.23 | "Audience in Japan is usually dead silent"
I never really considered that, it must really work for some stuff and then maybe not for other things | fogza
05.31.23 | Updated for May. The War on Drugs and Peter Gabriel in June | fogza
06.21.23 | Updated | SomeCallMeTim
06.21.23 | "Then the lights came up and we were reminded to grab a Pepsi on the way out."
LOL, great PG write-up. Some of the points you wrote are a big reason I didn't get tickets to his show even though it could well be the last time he performs in the area. His new stuff isn't bad but its not the direction one would expect or hope him to take | mryrtmrnfoxxxy
06.21.23 | reading these was cool. im glad to hear Peter Gabriel believes in his new material. it's rad that he gives credit to the visual artists and musicians throughout the show | SomeCallMeTim
06.21.23 | what do you mean you now have access to gigs? did you move closer to an area with more live events? | fogza
06.22.23 | I moved to the UK from South Africa, obs there are shows in SA but there's not many acts touring there that I want to see. The options here are crazy good, I have to control myself from a spending point of view. | Sinternet
06.22.23 | god the brighton centre might be the shitest venue ever in history which sucks because it's the only halfway big venue we have, next biggest are concorde 2 or the dome. but we do get a ton of good bands come through! | fogza
06.22.23 | what's the dome like, we walked past it in the gardens by the palace and it caught my imagination. we thought the centre was hilarious, there was this sad little A4 notice on the glass doors to say the band was playing. | Pheromone
07.05.23 | was so lovely meeting u fogzy u rule u rule the veils ruled n u rule | fogza
07.05.23 | awwww it was an honour to meet you all 😀 | fogza
07.25.23 | updated | zakalwe
07.25.23 | This is great! | fogza
07.25.23 | thanks zak, you were right, the hill was a drag! | fogza
08.29.23 | Updated | fogza
09.12.23 | Updated | fogza
10.24.23 | Updated | Purpl3Spartan
10.24.23 | This is a cool list fogz | fogza
10.24.23 | thanks spartan! i quite like keeping this one updated. | fogza
11.04.23 | Updated | DoofDoof
11.04.23 | I miss gigs...hopefully next year | zakalwe
11.05.23 | Institute of Contemporary Arts.
Heckle City | fogza
11.05.23 | Zak you would love the ica | fogza
11.08.23 | Updated |
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