The Hold Steady – Melkweg – 21.06.2010
The lovechild of Woody Allen and Jarvis Cocker?
My ears were bleeding by the end of this – a very loud gig in the intimate surroundings of the Oude Zaal at the Melkweg. Given my tendency to be into more folky stuff, perhaps my threshold isn’t very high, but with two lead guitars, Craig Finn on rhythm from time to time, and the drums and bass thumping, there was plenty of sound to fill the room. (Frankly I’m not sure why the guy on keyboards bothered – you really couldn’t hear him 95% of the time – or maybe I’m losing my hearing with age!)
It used to bother me the way Uncut magazine would go on and on about how great The Hold Steady were. I bought Boys and Girls in America and took a long time to get into it. But I do like the story-telling and seeing Craig Finn perform in the flesh adds a whole new dimension. Unfortunately his vocals weren’t very high up in the mix, so I couldn’t really hear most of the stories he so dramatically told, but it was entertaining to watch him in action. If Woody Allen and Jarvis Cocker were somehow to conceive a child together I think Craig Finn is what would result…but he’d be brought up by Bruce Springsteen, who would teach him the value of good stories about the trials and tribulations of the working man. Then he’d go off the rails for a few years and hang out with various dodgy characters before emerging as the twisting and twisted front man of a guitar-driven rock band.
It was a good gig. I think they played for about 90 minutes, almost without catching a breath. High energy stuff for a not-quite-full room. The hard core fans up the front were loving it. It was probably a bit too raucous for my tastes, but on the right night I could really have gotten into it. (I’m far from an expert on Thin Lizzy, but I had the impression that the sound wasn’t a million miles from what a Lizzy gig might have been like.) From Neil Finn the night before to Craig Finn, it was definitely the antidote to the more gentle proceedings of the evening before. I probably would have liked both to be somewhere in between.
The support act was actually louder and more raucous again. Cymbals Eat Drums, also from New York. Their songs were a bit more disjointed and angular – not really my cup of tea, but interesting to watch.
It’s on nights like this that I miss going to gigs in Ireland. The Dutch are a friendly, fun-loving nation, but sometimes they seem a bit dry when it comes to live music. It’s fair to say that neither the venue itself nor the fact that it was a seated gig helped matters, but the rippling applause after songs and the subsequent polite silence wasn’t really what I’d associate with a Crowded House gig. Maybe I’m being a bit unfair about my hosts, although I’ve spoken with people that have lived here for much longer than myself and share the same opinion. (I’ve written elsewhere about the disrespect shown to support acts at smaller venues and a guy who did sound at a Bon Jovi gig recently said he couldn’t believe how placid the crowd were.) In any case, I would have loved to see last night’s gig with an audience that really wanted to sing along to all the old hits.
Crowded House deservedly have a great reputation for their live performances. I had the feeling that they weren’t entirely up for the gig last night, but they still put in a really good performance, with things picking up particularly when Chocolate Cake got the crowd to their feet for the second half of the gig. There was plenty of between song banter, albeit some of it a bit strained, and I think they even changed the set list to keep the energy levels up once people were up and dancing. But I still got the impression that they “phoned this one in” (to borrow an expression).
I wasn’t hugely impressed with the songs they did off their newest album, The Intriguer. (This is turning into a very negative review. Positivity on the way…) I don’t have the new one yet, but I did like the previous post-reforming album, Time On Earth. What both albums have in common is the presence of at least one song featuring Neil’s wife Sharon on backing vocals. And both of those songs are terrible. Really terrible. The new one last night was the definite low-light of the gig. I like how he’s a family man and involves the rest of the Finns, but I don’t think Sharon is much of a singer (or maybe it’s the songs).
(Incidentally, Neil’s son Elroy played acoustic guitar with the band on a few songs last night too. The last time I saw him on stage was around 1998 in Dublin on Neil’s solo tour for the Try Whistling This album. That night he was probably about 9 or 10 years old and was just wandering around keeping himself amused!)
There were, I’m pleased to say, lots of highlights as well. I’d never heard Chocolate Cake live before, and Neil’s solo performance of Message to my Girl on the piano was really lovely. Great versions too of I Feel Possessed and Nails in my Feet, and the impromptu jam of She Called Up, from the Time on Earth album, was fun. They got the crowd singing along to Don’t Dream It’s Over and got some nice harmonies going on Fall at your Feet. And they did one of those extended swampy versions of Private Universe with Matt the drummer battering the bejaysus out of his kit.
Neil Finn is one of my musical heroes. I think someone once said something about not having heroes as they only let you down eventually (or was that me?). Well he hasn’t let me down as such, but last night was the fourth time I’ve seen him (Edinburgh with The Finn Brothers and Zurich with Crowded House were the others, in addition to that Dublin gig), and for the first time I found him to be a bit on the cheesy side of the middle of the road at times. Maybe it’s just that Flight of the Conchords has brought a new perspective to Kiwi folk-rock, but during some of banter he sounded uncannily like Murray, the manager from FotC. Still a hero though – and I look forward to seeing him play live on many more occasions. But it definitely won’t be in the Heineken Music Hall (or at least not with seats in place).
Finally, a quick word about the opening act, Connan Mockasin. They’re a (mostly) Kiwi band based in England and they managed to completely bemuse the audience last night with their art-rock noodlings. I thought they were kind of entertaining; clearly good musicians and didn’t seem phased by what must have been an unfamiliar type of venue for them. I imagine it was a bit like seeing Split Enz in their early years. I’ve no idea whether we’ll hear more from them, but I think I’d like to see them in a more intimate venue if the chance came up.
Tegan and Sara – Paradiso – 17.06.2010
I went to this gig not really knowing the music in advance. The impression I got from putting a few of their albums on Spotify in the background beforehand was that the songs were kind of repetitive, with choruses repeated over and over again. I think this works well sometimes – I did/do like Walking with a Ghost, a good example of the repetitive thing. But for the first half of this gig, which I gather was mostly filled with new material, I really couldn’t get into any of the songs. For me there was no real warmth to the music, or anything I could really engage with. Mind you, the packed in crowd on the ground floor were really enjoying it all.
The older material they did later in the gig seemed more fully formed. Better hooks in the choruses and more substantial verses. Musically the older songs were more varied and interesting too. My favourite part was the encore where the three fellas in the band left the stage, leaving Tegan and Sara with their acoustic guitars. That stripped back sound was more what I associated with them in my head. I believe that’s how they started out more than ten years ago, so maybe that’s the vague impression I formed of them somewhere in the past.
Other things:
- More security than I’ve seen at any other gig in Amsterdam. Barriers setting the crowd back from the stage, with a guard on each side, and a security guard on stage throughout the whole gig. Very strange. (Was there some incident at a gig sometime that spooked them?)
- Sara’s voice does start to grate after a while. She described it herself as an “angelic chipmunk”.
- In between songs they took turns to tell long rambling stories that didn’t really go anywhere. I suppose it’s endearing if you’re a big fan, but I got a bit bored to be honest.
Not really my cup of tea then, but they are good at what they do.
Villagers – Paradiso – 14.06.2010
Villagers could end up becoming everyone’s new favourite band. But I think first they (or he, as they’re really the musical framework around one Conor O’Brien) need to work out just what kind of band they are. I heard echoes of Conor Oberst, Bell x1, Mumford & Sons, Damien Rice, early Radiohead (thanks Nadine), Scott Walker and many more. I think O’Brien is a really talented musician who clearly draws his influences from the widest pop-rock canvas and could probably turn his hand to just about any style of song. What makes him that bit more special is that he is a talented lyricist too – clever turns of phrase, a real clarity of language, and stories that draw you in but don’t feel too forced. And as a vocalist he has an impressive range, lots of drama, and a way of enunciating his words precisely that keeps you listening.
The first half of tonight’s gig was top notch. I really like the title track from the album, Becoming A Jackal. It reminds me a bit of Al Stewart’s Year of the Cat – it’s probably some major seventh chords or something, but it’s damn catchy. And the gentle folk of To Be Counted Among Men, solo acoustic guitar with subtle piano fills, struck a well balanced contrast with some of the high energy noisier moments. Things dipped a little then for me, with a few songs that didn’t quite hang together as well, or didn’t have quite enough weight to them.
(By the way, in implying above that the band are just a vehicle for Conor O’Brien and his songs, I didn’t mean to detract in any way from the other four guys. They did a fine job – and seemed to be having a good time too, which isn’t always the case with singer-songwriter led bands. Some fairly complex rhythms from the drummer and chaps on keys and electric guitar added some nice backing vocals too.)
Villagers played in the small room at the Paradiso tonight. I’d like to think I might have the chance to see them again in a couple of years in the big room; by then it might be a little clearer what kind of band they are. It’s not that they need to be pigeon-holed or conveniently tagged as “the new X” – it’s just that one was left with an odd feeling at the end of not being sure what kind of gig it was. A good one for sure though. And that’s the main thing.
What motivates us?
Not money apparently…at least where anything that requires some intellectual input is concerned. I really like this method of illustrating a talk – it works remarkably well to hold your attention for a ten minute film.
Beach House – Paradiso – 26.05.2010
I really wanted to enjoy this gig, and I thought I would enjoy it, but I didn’t. Oh well.
Beach House, from Baltimore, are described as playing “dream pop and indie rock”, but to me that just translated into an evening of long monotonous songs that didn’t really go anywhere or do anything. A little less dream and a little more pop would have been welcome. Musically and rhythmically each song was quite interesting for the first 30 seconds or so, but then they just lost me.
Sometimes they sounded a bit like Mercury Rev, or a less energetic Arcade Fire. They looked more like a synth pop group from the 80s and there was definitely a bit of that genre in the mix too. But ultimately I think their songs, in the live environment anyway, need a bit more craft to keep the attention. I have listened to some of their recordings and quite enjoyed them, although again I think my attention tends to wander mid-way through each song.
The support act, from Belgium were called Isbells. I also found some of their stuff to be a little dull, but as it was all acoustic it was a bit easier to float away the music. The lead singer has a great voice; I was reminded of both Bon Iver and Iron & Wine.
They did one song completely unplugged and off-mic, which is all well and good if you can hush the crowd down and project out to the whole room. Unfortunately they only managed the first part of this…there was respectful silence, but where I was sitting on the balcony I really couldn’t hear them well at all. I’ve seen a lot of acts do this and I think it only works either in very small rooms (upstairs at the Paradiso), or if the performer has a powerful voice (Josh Ritter, Glen Hansard…). I do like it when acts step away from the mic like this, but in this case I’d rather have heard the song properly. Still, I do recommend checking out Isbells.
Zoos and conservation
For my day job I’m the Communications and Membership Manager with EAZA, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. We’ve produced a video to mark 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, looking at the links between zoos and conservation work in the field.
22,000 happy hens
This is a nice idea from our current country of residence. Most of the “adopt a whatever” schemes trade on the warm fuzzy feeling of having something good done in your name. There’s a donkey somewhere in West Yorkshire that was adopted in Nadine’s name; I think she can go to visit it if she feels the urge, but I don’t think the conversation will be up to much. And there’s a tree somewhere in the UK that was planted in our name when we got married – I’m not sure we’d ever find it though if we felt the need to hug it.
The difference with the Adopt a Chicken scheme in the Netherlands is that you get more bang for your buck: namely 12 vouchers that can be exchanged for half a dozen fresh, guaranteed organic, free-range eggs. Mmmmmm! And of course some of the money also goes to supporting and promoting the whole idea of organic produce.
There’s an interesting graphic (below) on the scheme’s website that shows the various amounts of space that can be made available to chickens. To qualify for the highest certification they need to have at least 24m2 to run around outside, with a maximum of 6 birds per m2. Seems like a nice life. For a chicken.
Looking forward to some tasty omelettes in the next year!
I had never heard of Angus and Julia Stone before my friend and colleague Christina invited me to use a spare ticket she had for this gig. A quick listen on MySpace didn’t put me off so I took her up on the offer. They’re a sister and brother duo from Australia – he looks a bit like a stoned scarecrow; she like Alice back from Wonderland. The music itself was “nice”. Nothing to quicken the pulse. Some mellow sounds over acoustic guitars, a little piano, and some inobtrusive bass and drums. For the most part the lyrics passed me by.
There were two highlights for me: a song about “the windy city” where Julia went a bit wild on the trumpet, which was their last song of the main set, and their very last song called, I think, Santa Monica. Nothing else stood out for me, except for a completely pointless cover of “You’re the one that I want” from Grease. (Bafflingly, Julia sang this alone. They’re a duo, covering a duet, and she sang it solo. Strange indeed.)
This was the sort of gig where, if you knew the music ahead of time, and if it meant something to you, then I think you’d have been in heaven. But as someone coming to it cold, and someone that likes a lot of music in the same general genre, they really didn’t grab me. Just three stars (out of five).
Ben Howard, the support act, was rather more interesting. He plays the guitar really well, particularly when he slides it on to his lap and plays it more like a cross between a guitar, a drum and a zither. He sings in a slightly whiney voice – a bit like David Gray on a bad day – but his songs were quite good and the fantastic guitar playing alone was worth seeing and hearing.
I got the distinct impression that Bret and Jemaine decided to start this tour, their first in over a year according to themselves, with a couple of nights in Amsterdam so they’d have an opportunity to polish their act before hitting bigger venues in Ireland, the UK and the US. It was very entertaining with some very, very good bits, some very loose bits, and one or two bits that just didn’t work. Which is not to say that it wasn’t an enjoyable evening. Most of the songs were great, including a few I didn’t recall from the TV series. The only really weak moment for me was a new song about a coach tour guide in NZ who shares too much with his tour group about the local gal he never made it with. Maybe it’ll work better in a different context. Another new (to me at least) song was a really funny one about going to “woo a lady” in 1534.
The between song banter was very amusing at times, but they really did seem to run out of things to say. They hadn’t really worked out ahead of the gig which songs they were going to play and were a bit nervous about playing some that, perhaps, they hadn’t rehearsed. The result was a lot of drawn out bits between the songs where they tried to work out what to sing next, and then what key/rhythm/etc… to use.
Musically it was good, if far from tight. They were accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, a.k.a. Nigel the cellist for most of the songs. (Apparently the other member of the orchestra missed her flight from NZ, and would need to wait for next month’s flight.) The finale – once they got their beat boxes working – was great. Imaginative use of cardboard boxes and flashing lights for “Too many dicks on the dancefloor”.
