Anna Calvi – Islington Assembly Hall – 8^th October 2013

Having played Wilton’s Music Hall in September, Anna Calvi once again dips her toe into the waters of London’s live music scene with a gig at Islington Assembly Hall to mark the launch the previous day of her new album “One Breath”.

Support comes from former Coral guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones, who persuaded Domino to sign Anna having seen her play in Manchester. He refers to that gig tonight, describing it as the best gig he’s ever seen. Bill’s career has been relatively low key since he left The Coral, presumably by his choice. That’s not to say he hasn’t been busy. Since 2011 he’s been responsible for four film soundtracks together with two albums: “If….” and “A Bad Wind Blows Through My Heart”. Tonight we get a pleasing display of slow acoustic-led balladry, which displays little of the jauntiness of The Coral until the last couple of songs. Ryder-Jones is a modest and self-effacing frontman. Perhaps he should crow a bit more.

Projection is something that Anna Calvi doesn’t lack however. Although she’s not necessarily the most mobile of performers, she doesn’t have to be: her astonishing voice and guitar playing do the talking. There is something almost sexual about the way that she looks at the audience as she smiles and drinks in the applause. A little like a cat relishing the sight of its potential prey.

For the “One Breath” campaign Anna has dispensed with her matador look and has replaced it with a simple outfit of a white top and black trousers with cummerbund. Her hair is scraped back in a way that makes her look a little like Eva Peron.

Anna has retained her usual band (Mally Harpaz on harmonium, percussion, bass and additional guitar; and Damien Maiden-Wood on drums, harmonies and 150% enthusiasm) with the addition of a keyboard player who also plays occasional bass.

The set starts in familiar territory with “Suzanne & I”, before we get a hefty chunk of the new album beginning with “Eliza”. Bearing in mind that “One Breath” was only issued the day before this is potentially a brave move. However, the audience gives each song a rapturous response.

Anna and her band all have an inventive approach to the way they play their instruments, which sets them apart from many current artists. During “Suddenly” Mally Harpaz plays the frame of her glockenspiel with a violin bow, whilst during “Tristan” Anna plays her guitar with a drinking straw.

There is a great sense of dynamics and drama throughout. During the introduction to “Cry” Anna stands with her head bowed and her fists clenched as if she’s about to explode; which in a sense she does later producing some great effects on bottleneck. During “I’ll Be Your Man” she produces some lead licks that Jimmy Page would be proud of.

As a performer Anna Calvi is both captivating and intoxicating: it’s impossible to take your eyes off her. Whether she’s vocalising with abandon, is hushed, is seemingly lost in reverie during “The Devil”, or is pealing off astonishing solos during “Love Won’t Be Leaving”, she’s electric. When did we last have so complete a performer as this in one package? Jeff Buckley perhaps?

After answering a question about whether she’ll be playing Glastonbury with an embarrassed “er….probably” Anna encores with “Bleed Into Me” and “Jezebel”, in which she gives Edith Piaf more than a run for her money. Anna Calvi is a warrior princess guitar slinger for the 21^st Century. Long may she reign!

                                                                                                                 Mark Kelly

  

Hard Skin – Stockwell Grosvenor – 15^th June 2013

Saturday night is punk night at the Grosvenor. Before headliners Hard Skin appear we’re entertained by Frau who sound like they picked up their instruments for the first time during the last week (very 1977). The Pukes who follow Frau play largely acoustic but energetic versions of punk classics whilst combining a hen party with playing a gig (good luck Cheryl!).

Hard Skin however are the real deal. The music is hard and fast, but it’s not a case of ‘bash it out and hope for the best’: these guys can play. Their lyrics are probably the most non-PC on the planet, but their tongues are  firmly stuck in their collective cheeks. They don’t mean it maaaaan. They depict real life with a twist. Their merchandise includes shopping bags emblazoned with the slogans “Bag for wife” and “Shopping is for ****s” (minus the asterisks). Some of their t-shirts could without doubt get you arrested.

Tonight was loud, bouncy and sweaty with great tunes. A celebration of what punk was really all about, but with added irony. A bloke who was probably there tells me that wasn’t quite like 1977, but it was f***ing close! 

                                                                                      Mark Kelly 

Elvis Costello and the Imposters – Royal Albert Hall – 5^th June 2013

In some quarters Elvis Costello is seen as a somewhat curmudgeonly performer. The lie to that is proven tonight as Elvis returns with his ‘spectacular spinning songbook’ on the 13 Revolvers Tour, which he oversees in the guise of ringmaster / MC Lord Napoleon Dynamite. That’s not to say that this particular top-hatted character isn’t a little bit scary and disturbing, just as some of the best clowns are.

However, before we are introduced to Lord Dynamite, Elvis leads the Imposters (effectively The Attractions minus Bruce Thomas) onstage and crashes into Welcome To The Working Week quickly followed by No Action. From the start there is a go-go dancer in a cage (although some of the ‘bars’ are actually chains) and one gets the feeling that this is actually a bit more than a gig. There’s a very real feeling of some sort of circus at large.

After Accidents Will Happen, Elvis makes his transformation into Lord Dynamite, and introduces us to “the mysterious Josephine”, his glamorous assistant who periodically disappears into the audience to bring a lucky fan onstage. They then have the opportunity to choose a song from Elvis’s wheel of fortune that they would like to hear, and then spins the ‘wheel of fortune’ to select another  song for Elvis to play. He plays them both, often with one or two others that he considers to be complimentary, while the fans sit in a ‘VIP area’, which looks like a small bar. Elvis himself wanders into the audience to pluck out a fan more than once.

In doing this Costello demolishes the barrier between artist and audience at one fell swoop. He has in fact been undertaking tours of this nature for around twenty-five years, but that takes nothing away from its value. The result of this method of playing live is that the audience gets a mixture of greatest hits, fan favourites, and songs that Elvis clearly wants to play. So for every Oliver’s Army you get a Human Hands and a Sweet Drag Josephine.

Tonight’s set features such an embarrassment of riches that there are too many highlights to mention. Particularly powerful was Tramp The Dirt Down which featured in the first batch of encores. Elvis was virtually spitting bile as he told us that he was inspired to play it by seeing David Cameron on the TV on Prime Minister’s Question Time. It’s a relief to know that he hasn’t lost any of his righteous anger.

We’re sent out into the night with Heart Of The City ( a Nick Lowe cover), Pump It Up and (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love And Understanding (another Nick Lowe cover) ringing in our ears. The crowd walking down Exhibition Road had a particular energised spring in their step. Tonight was much more than a mere gig. At times it felt like some kind of unholy communion.

                                                                                                Mark Kelly

Michael Schenker – Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 31^st May 2013

View: Centre balcony

In the liner notes for last year’s Temple Of Rock – Live In Europe album, Michael Schenker stated that in terms of rock music “there is not much new left to expect” and that he has now entered Stage 3 of his career “which is all about celebration”. This is a sentiment that he pursues with his current tour which is subtitled the “Lovedrive Reunion”.

This is not surprising as Schenker’s current band also features former Scorpions bassist Francis Buchholz and drummer Herman Rarebell. Consequently the set is liberally peppered with Lovedrive classics. Indeed, the set commences with Lovedrive and Another Piece Of Meat. Later in the set, Coast To Coast crunches satisfyingly and Holiday appears as an encore.

The band as a whole, and Schenker in particular, seem to be enjoying themselves. The impression given seems to be one of mates getting together to bash out some great tunes. Schenker has a real rapport with the crowd and his playing is frequently jaw-dropping. Yet he makes it look so easy! It’s not all about Schenker though. The band are all individually excellent. Herman Rarebell in particular is a picture of unflappable calm.

In keeping with Schenker’s aforementioned assertion regarding ‘celebration’, there is little in the way of new or recent material in the set. Horizons, a Motorhead-like track from the upcoming Bridge The Gap album is essayed, whilst Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead from the Temple Of Rock album is dedicated to recent rock losses Ronnie James Dio and Trevor Bolder.

Other than that, it’s pretty much classics all the way. The 1980s Michael Schenker Group are represented by Assault Attack and Into The Arena, whilst from UFO we get (amongst others) Shoot Shoot and Only You Can Rock Me.

The main set ends with Lights Out, but the band are quickly back for an encore that lasts the best part of half an hour. During Blackout Schenker hands over the solo to keyboardist / guitarist Wayne Findlay, a far cry from his diva-ish behaviour in years gone by. During Rock Bottom Schenker solos with his left hand whilst taking photos of the audience with his right. It’s all so easy – apparently!

OK, so in terms of ‘artistic endeavour’ there’s nothing particularly new going on here, but does it matter? Surely it’s enough to be able to witness one of the best guitarists of his generation cranking out some of the songs that he’s best known for ably aided and abetted by some equally talented mates?

                                                                                                 Mark Kelly

 

Rush – London O2 Arena – 24^th May 2013

View: A vertiginous perch up on the side, stage right.

Rush are past masters at providing epic, spectacular rock shows, and tonight was no exception. In keeping with their current Clockwork Angels album, the gig is prefaced by a short steampunk-inspired film, whilst the stage is decorated in a steampunk style.

Notwithstanding these nods to Clockwork Angels, the set commences with Subdivisions from 1982’s Signals album. Indeed, for this first half of the gig we are very firmly returned to the 1980s, with amongst others Big Money, Grand Designs, Red Lenses and The Analogue Kid being essayed. Personally this era featured too much keyboard work for my taste. However, when Geddy Lee escapes from behind his keyboards, he produces some great bass runs, and proves that he hasn’t lost any of his agility by performing the odd Pete Townshend-style leap. Alex Lifeson displays his usual understated sartorial taste with what appear to be electric blue – possibly suede – shoes.

Strange things do happen during Rush gigs. Somebody dressed as a chicken walks across the stage, seemingly repeatedly dropping a giant banana skin. What precisely this signifies I don’t know, but it does prompt Neil Peart to commence a drum solo which ends the first half of the show.  

Like the first set, the second begins with a short film in which Rush unmercifully send themselves up. Virtuosi they may be, but let it not be said that they take themselves too seriously! For this part of the show they are joined by a string octet. This is unexpected. However, the octet rock out like they’ve partaken of some particularly powerful chemical amusement. The fact that they’re accompanied by LOADS of pyro probably helps!

The emphasis for this half is Clockwork Angels, which is a splendidly riff-driven beast. The material is superb. There is spectacle, bombast, humour and irony. Friends, almost all human life is here. At the risk of being accused of heresy, in my opinion Clockwork Angels is better than a great deal of the 1980s material played in the first half. There: I’ve done it now.

We don’t get all of the new album however. We return to the 1980s for Manhattan Project, which is followed by another drum solo which is accompanied by a great animation of Neil Peart as a robot! The main set ends with a vicious version of YYZ followed by Spirit Of Radio. The band aren’t gone for long though, returning for Tom Sawyer and a shortened (and ecstatically received) 2112. We’re sent on our way by another humourously self-mocking film.

The key feeling that I took away from this gig was a feeling of fun. Rush aren’t too self-important to have fun with their back catalogue. Their music is cerebral and complex but they are able to override that. More importantly they’re not predictable. The audience never quite knows what they’re going to get. Long may that continue.

Pad's Playlist

Here's what was rattling the windows last week:

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Their 70s & 80s soft rock influenced third album.


The Cure - Disintegration

You wanted dark? This is damn dark!!! The Cure mining the depths of human collapse from 1989. 


The Cure - Greatest Hits

For all of their legendary gothic miserabilism, it is often forgotten that The Cure are a jolly fine pop band. This album contains the proof.


The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette

The Damned were an early punk victim of intra-band strife, splitting up in 1978. They quickly re-formed however, with Captain Sensible moving onto guitar in place of the departed Brian James, and Algy Ward joining on bass. This superb album containing the classics Love Song, I Just Can't Be Happy Today, Noise Noise Noise and Smash It Up marked their return in 1979.


The Damned - The Black Album

Confounding the critics, in 1980 they followed the aforementioned slice of punk with this excursion into psychedelia. Never ones to stand still and all that.....


The Dandy Warhols - Earth To The Dandy Warhols

I remember listening to this at the time that it came out (in 2008) and thinking that it sounded rather tired and the druggy in-jokes were somewhat grating. Listening to it again after six years the jokes haven't improved at all (Valerie Yum for example) but the music sounds much perkier than before. Well worth revisiting.


Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night Of The Soul

Not everything on here is as gloomy as the title suggests. Indeed, there are moments of pure pop delight. However, the fact that Mark Linkous and Vic Chesnutt both comitted suicide shortly after this album was recorded does tend to hang over it like a pall. That doesn't stop it being a very good album though.


Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue

Ah - the man who invented 'the cool'. This album is an absolute classic and All Blues is particularly fine.


The Dead Weather - Horehound

Much more than just another Jack White collaboration. If anything the star turn here is Alison Mosshart from The Kills, who makes the album her own.


Deep Purple - In Concert

This album documents concerts Purple's classic mark II line-up gave for the BBC in 1970 and 1972. The performances aren't as free-flowing as on Made In Japan, as these performances are respectively promoting the In Rock and Machine Head albums shortly after their release, so presumably the new songs aren't fully bedded in as live vehicles. It's still very good though.


Deep Purple - On The Wings Of A Russian Foxbat

Here the mark IV line-up (featuring Tommy Bolin on guitar) are captured in concert in Long Beach, California, in 1976. The performances here are astonishingly good. Sadly, by the time the tour reached Europe, Bolin was so incapacitated by his heroin use that he could barely manage barre chords onstage. The band split up at the end of the tour, and Bolin died in 1977 at the age of 25. Purple re-formed with their mark II line-up in 1984.

Pad's Playlist

Here's what's been exacerbating my tinnitus over the last week.

Anna Calvi - Baby It's You (Youtube clip)

A cover of the Shirelles' song covered by The Beatles on their first album Please Please Me. With her imaginative treatment Calvi makes the song her own


The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night

There seems to be a bit of a Beatles theme progressing here! This was their third album, and their first to be completely self-composed, which was both an unusual and pretty major achievement in 1964. Albums at that time comprised a hit single or two surrounded by undisguised filler. The first side of this album consisted of songs from the film, whereas side 2 comprised what would now be classed as bonus tracks. Top quality was maintained throughout.


Cream - Royal Albert Hall, London, May 2005 

The aural record of Cream's first (and thus far, only) live gigs since 1968. The 'secondary' market inflated ticket prices to such a degree (and they weren't cheap to begin with) that they couldn't be obtained without either taking out a second mortgage or sacrificing a limb.

However, the good news was that Eric, Ginger and Jack were on top form and the musical quality was astounding. Also the band were better at editing themselves than in days of yore. So whilst there were lengthy jams, they never became anything near aimless, which wasn't something that could always be said of their late sixties performances.


Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory

Whilst seemingly not viewed by some as one of the best Creedence albums, this still sounds like something of a greatest hits collection, featuring as it does Travelin' Band, Lookin' Out My Back Door, Run Through The Jungle, Up Around The Bend and Who'll Stop The Rain. The guitar intro to Up Around The Bend must be one of the most joyous sounds ever committed to record!!!


Crippled Black Phoenix - I, Vigilante

More of a collective than a band, CBP specialise in dark, psychedelic progressive rock. Standout tracks on this album are Bastogne Blues, evoking the frozen horror of the Battle Of The Bulge in late 1944 / early 1945, and Of A Lifetime. Highly recommended. 


The Cribs - The New Fellas

The debut album from Wakefield's finest. Apparently they used refer to bands they liked as "the Fellas", hence with their recording debut they became the new 'Fellas'.


The Cribs - Ignore The Ignorant

For this album and its subsequent tour they were joined by fan Johnny Marr. It's good, but not quite as good as the sum of its parts. 


The Arctic Monkeys - AM

The latest from the ever maturing and evolving Arctic Monkeys. Apparently some early fans feel alienated by the band's recent work. A pity, because this is fine stuff. Don't be too put off by talk of R'n'B grooves by the way. There's not much more than a hint of that here.


Morrissey - Ringleader Of The Tormentors

Worthy follow-up to the career resuscitating You Are The Quarry. This displays the effortless confidence that Morrissey so much needs to recover. The Youngest Was The Most Loved and The Father Who Must Be Killed are particularly good.


Biffy Clyro - Opposites

A sprawling double album that doesn't let down celebrated representatives of its genre such as The White Album, Physical Graffiti, and Melon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. A canvass this size gives the Biff opportunity to display the sheer breadth of their highly dynamic oeuvre. 


Jake Bugg - Shangri La

Definitely not 'more of the same' from the Nottingham bard. From the spiky indie of What Doesn't Kill You to the delicate Pine Trees, Bugg demonstrates the kind of onward momentum that it would take comparable artists four albums to achieve.


The Beatles - Beatles For Sale

With their second album of 1964, The Beatles failed to emulate its cover-free predecessor A Hard Day's Night. However, you could hardly blame them. When they weren't in the studio they had been on the road, conquering most of the world including, most emphatically, the US of A. This was a fine album which included no singles, although Eight Days A Week was certainly worthy of a single release. 


Crosby, Stills and Nash - Crosby, Stills and Nash

In which Graham Nash escapes the stultifying 'straightness' of The Hollies to join Crosby and Stills, alumni of The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield respectively. Apparently the three first harmonised together at Mama Cass's house in Laurel Canyon, and thereafter could not return to their previous lives. Or something like that anyway. This is a fine debut, featuring Suite: Judy Blue Eyes and Marrakesh Express.


Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Deja Vu

For their follow-up, CSN added the mercurial Neil Young to their mix. He brought the seemingly effortless Helpless to the party for this album. 


The Cure - Pornography

In which The Cure mine the dark stuff. However, they possibly surpassed this with Disintegration in 1989. Possibly best not listened to alone..... 


The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground with Nico

This was their debut album recorded under the sponsorship of Andy Warhol. With its Warhol designed sleeve, and with Nico on board at the artist's insistence, this album could have been construed as a Warhol 'project', but was none the worse for that. Nonetheless, the band loosened ties and emphasised their independence for their second album.


The Velvet Underground - VU

This collection of unreleased Velvets material was welcomed with huge excitement on its release in 1985. There was good reason for this, as the quality of its contents was very high indeed. One could only wonder why songs as good as I Can't Stand It weren't released the first time round.


Lou Reed - New York

Reed's 1989 album was a terrific piece of work, albeit one that was almost unremittingly dark. Many songs (Romeo Had Juliet for example) had a particularly Velvets influenced groove. Optimism was in short supply. See Busload Of Faith and The Great American Whale for proof.