Our favourite gigs of 2009… so far
Of Montreal
2009′s been a corker, and we’ve only just entered its second half. And what better way to mark its passing than by a quick, chronological rundown of the best live moments thus far…
Of Montreal at Manchester University Students Union – January 29
Men dressed as pigs sprayed the crowd with pink feathers during the final, euphoric chorus of ‘A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger’. A man dressed as a tiger held another man upside down whilst he bit his crotch (meanwhile, ninjas infiltrated the dance floor). Barnes underwent three costume changes; one of which left him naked except for shaving foam. These, and countless other relentlessly mental antics, felt like the perfect visual manifestation of the smile-inducing schizophrenia of last year’s Skeletal Lamping. And, luckily, the musicianship suffered nothing for the band’s visual ambitions. From the opener ‘She’s A Rejector’, the crowd were instantly energised and dancing right up until Barnes and company closed their encore with a fun and well-earned cover of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ (punctuated by Barnes launching himself into the crowd and trashing gear with his guitar). I left the gig smeared with shaving foam and pink feathers. Surely you must agree that any gig which allows me to use the sentence “I left the gig smeared with shaving foam and pink feathers” deserves an honourable mention as one of the best of the year?
Marmaduke Duke
Marmaduke Duke at Birmingham Rainbow – March 2
Full time band members Simon Neil and JP Reid (from fellow Scot rockers Sucioperro) werejoined on stage by the other two members of Biffy Clyro, Ben and James Johnstone, a second drummer in Fergus Munro and the Duke himself, a Bez-a-like ‘played’ by Sucioperro ex-bass player, Michael Logg.
As the first note crashed out, a masked Neil dived into the crowd and every single face in the packed room was grinning, welcoming back the ‘mad’ Neil of old who we all feared may have passed with his recent dabblings with radio-friendliness. The Duke paced the edge of the stage and with his Michael Myers-style mask and odd and slight robo dancing, managed to convey a creepy sense of menace. The music backed this vibe up, always sounding dangerously dark even when the hooks were undoubtedly disco-based. This was no Bee Gee’s disco, it was the summer ball disco at the local loony bin.
Patrick Wolf
Patrick Wolf at London Heaven – March 12
So this was when the latest incarnation of Patrick Wolf burst out of hiding onto an unsuspecting capital – decked out in a cape, blonde hair extensions and a pair of theatrical eyebrows, which were all quickly thrown aside (or into the audience) for a pair of leather trousers and, err, not much else, Patrick debuted tracks from The Bachelor to a partisan crowd. Having been acrimoniously dropped by his major label after The Magic Position, you could hear the determination to prove his critics wrong in his voice and see it in his stage presence. The long, narrow-tunnelled venue meant Patrick was, quite rightly, the focal point and the revelatory opening quickly gave way to a mass singalong. ‘Tristan’ rubbed shoulders with ‘Hard Times’(even ‘Battle’ sounded great) and Patrick Wolf had well and truly returned.
The Fall
The Fall, London Koko – April 1
Not many frontmen can provide a similar level of entertainment when confined to a wheelchair. But then the inimitable Mark E Smith and his loose band of musicians have never done things like a normal band. The man himself was in a surprisingly ebullient mood, and even his recently broken hip didn’t stop him from wheeling about the stage and interfering with the amps, in his usual fashion. Thankfully, though, the sound was about as good as one could expect from a Fall gig, and especially one at Koko. It was difficult to find fault with the excellent set, comprising as it did the best cuts from the last three albums, a couple of decent older tracks and some promising new material. The new band felt confident and tighter, and MES even sang the whole set (although the last three songs were sung backstage). Over thirty years into their career this band, fortunately, still show no signs of slowing down.
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth at London Scala – April 27
Sonic Youth’s fleeting return to the UK sparked a flurry of excitement in London with the announcement of a sole show at The Scala in King’s Cross in April. A whole raft of Muso’s writers grabbed tickets by hook or by crook and we were in good company as members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Klaxons looked on from the balcony. An intoxicating noise-fest ensued, with new tracks from 2009’s The Eternal kicking heels with Yoof classics like ‘No Way’, ‘The Sprawl’ and ‘Hey Joni’. Thurston Moore’s youthful energy and Kim Gordon’s ice-cool aloofness almost transported the audience back to the fuzzy post-punk noise of the ‘80s. Then we realised that, although The Eternal is really Sonic Youth on cruise control, seeing Thurston attack one of his many guitars with a drumstick reminds us that Sonic Youth are still a very important band.
Johnny Foreigner
Johnny Foreigner at Southampton Joiners Arms – May 12
The Joiners Arms is arguably the finest live venue in the South of England as it’s ideal for everybody – from those who desire the swell of the front, to others who show appreciation from the safety net of a wall to lean on. It’s also one of the best places to catch a band on an upward ascent in popularity.
So a band with the stature of Jo Fo playing was quite a coup, especially with their having one of the most critically acclaimed albums of recent (last year’s Waited Up ’til It Was Light) under their proverbial belts, with their second – Grace And The Bigger Picture – set for release later this year.
Johnny Foreigner’s set was an ideal mixture of new and old – enough of the songs that everyone knew – such as ‘Salt Peppa And Spinderella’, and ‘Suicide Pact, Yeh?’ carefully balanced with songs from the new record. After the show the band wandered around the venue, chatting to fans that hadn’t made their way into the night.
This is how all gigs should be – a contrast from the norm where the bands scurry backstage after the show to a bus waiting to drive to the next huge, faceless arena.
Scott Hutchison
Dave McBurnie
Scott Hutchinson at Aberdeen Snafu – May 15
The Scottish music scene is in the midst of a musical renaissance. With bands such as The Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks, the North is finally making music of a quality that has for so long been the sole responsibility of Belle and Sebastian. Frightened Rabbit are one of these bands, and it was quite the shock when lead singer Scott Hutchinson announced a secret gig via the bands MySpace. The 300-capacity venue was queued out, even in the grim northern weather which caused a slight delay in the program. As a result, Hutchinson appeared visibly inebriated when he took to the stage; this didn’t hinder him from having a hilarious repartee with the crowd. Stripped back versions of the band’s repertoire were mingled with tales of Lancashire Hotpots and Ikea draught excluders, and the audience ate it up. Hutchinson played the majority of The Midnight Organ Fight, along with several tracks from Sing the Greys – most notably the crowd favourite ‘Snake!’. The highlight of the evening however, was Scott walking into the middle of the floor and playing an unplugged version of ‘Poke’. The general silence of the room, broken only by Hutchinson’s acoustic picking and Scottish burr, was incredible, and really highlighted the strengths of Scott’s lyrics. Without a doubt one of the finest gigs I have had the pleasure of attending.
Metronomy
Metronomy at Manchester Club Academy – May 31
Bolstered by the addition of drummer Anna Prior and bassist Gbenga Adelekan, Metronomy’s sensual Hot Chip template once again became something celebratory in the live setting. Drawing heavily from on Nights Out LP, the crisp warmth of their recorded output translated gratifyingly well, as ever. ‘My Heart Rate Rapid’ is still as bittersweetly euphoric as ever but with added bite, while ‘Radio Ladio’ manages to aurally resemble a 1982 computer game soundtrack, yet remains incerdibly contemporary. While the mass majority of indie-fied electro-pop bands can tend to sound formulaic, it’s the skills of Joseph Mount (in high demand as a producer/remixer) that make Metronomy such a unique proposition. As comforting as they are danceable, not even the presence of countless Nathan Barleys in the audience can spoil the current of elation running through the venue. Armed with a string of deliciously wonky, innovative yet accessible minor hits, commercial success should be a given.
Jarvis
Jarvis Cocker at Amsterdam Paradise – June 13
He walks on and starts handing out grapes, for Pete’s sake! And beer! And this while the band is playing new instrumental ‘Pilchard’. He is approaching fifty, but the only thing that gives that away is the beard, and the slightly overlong hair covering his eyes. I guess it’s all right, he’s at the end of the tour. He plays what looks like a plastic flute, he smiles, but above all he runs, sings, dances, yelps off-mic: in other words, the man gives it his all. Two encores later everyone is satisfied and has seen perhaps the best entertainer currently working, especially for under twenty quid. The songs are still as good as ever, and he proves he can do about anything from ballads to rockers with the same zeal. Another quick quip, another anecdote, another song. He gives quality, heart and entertainment, and effortlessly at that.
Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit at Glasgow Goat – June 21
The West End festival in Glasgow is possibly the best time of year; exams are finished and the whole West End – usually smothered by pretence – teems with life. Glasgow’s 15-minute summer makes an appearance.
Ashton Lane, the cobbled Victorian street, straddled with bars, sings with all the musicians of the minute and the beer gardens overflow. Having enjoyed all the usual Ashton Lane adventures, a rumour circulates that Frightened Rabbit are playing a last minute show at The Goat.
For non-natives two facts are important here: firstly, The Goat is a small gastro-pub, not a music venue, secondly, that generally all Frightened Rabbit rumours turn out to be true – and the worst kept secrets.
As I arrived it was already beyond cramped, and punters were spilling out onto the patio. Good fortune, however, presented me with a prime spot on the balcony and an unbelievable view. The set was typical of the Rabbit, largely comprising of anthems from The Midnight Organ Fight. The real trump card however came during the encore as Scott grabbed his guitar, legged it up the stairs to stand inches from me, and delivered an unplugged version of ‘Poke’ to the, now silent, rabble below. Timeless and perfect do not do it justice.
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