Feeding My Passion For Transcendence - Twenty Gigs By Low

I like Low. They're my favourite band. I've seen them play live quite a few times. On twenty* glorious, life-affirming occasions to be exact. (*update - December 2015 - it's actually twenty-one now but I haven't got round to writing about the last one yet!)

I was sorting out some old gig tickets earlier in the year when I realised that I had actually managed to keep all of the tickets from these shows. Very pleasing (and quite unusual given that so many gigs these days use e-tickets which don't result in a satisfying visual reminder you can stumble across years later).

I guess the fact that I've been able to see them so many times is essentially explained by their willingness to tour so extensively and generously. They must be one of the most hard-working bands around. The number of gigs could have been higher - I remember a few London shows over various years that took place while I was visiting my wife's family in India (including a special Christmas show at Union Chapel around 2008 I think). 

I've seen them every year since 1999 with the exception of 2009 & 2010 (I'm not sure how I struggled through those dark years). My little boy was born in 2009 but I don't think that is in any way a contributing factor. 

I thought the twenty gigs would make a good blog post. I've summarised them below in terms of how many times I've seen them at each venue. What follows later is a gig-by-gig breakdown including various things like setlists, reviews, photos and random memories. 

I really hope they never stop touring. I'd be sort of lost without them.

Low gig history:

Union Chapel, London x 4
Shepherd's Bush Empire, London x 3
Royal Festival Hall, London x 2
Barbican, London x 2
Sage, Gateshead x 2
Scala, London x 1
KOKO, London x 1
Dingwalls, London x 1
Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne x 1
Junction, Cambridge x 1
Queen's Social Club, Sheffield x 1
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds x 1

Low gig 1: Dingwalls, London - 10th November 1999

Where it all started. I remember hearing John Peel play Immune earlier that year and immediately knowing that this was something special. I moved to London in September 1999 so this gig at Dingwalls in Camden would have been one of my first in the capital (possibly only second to seeing Mogwai at the Kentish Town Forum a few weeks earlier). I can't find a setlist online but it was the Secret Name tour. I think the phrase I'm looking for here is "enough said". Heady days.

Back in those days I used to (slightly sadly) cut out and keep copies of gig reviews - here's the (rather good) NME review of this show by Neil Thomson.

Low gig 2: Union Chapel, London - 10th November 2000

My second Low gig took place exactly a year after the first (one of many weird date-related coincidences that crop up over the twenty gigs). I think this was my first gig at Union Chapel also. These were the shows where tracks from Secret Name took up a significant amount of the setlist. Sigh.

Low gig 3: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London - 22nd March 2001

I found the below setlist online. They started with John Prine! SWOON.

John Prine / Laser Beam / Dinosaur Act / Medicine Magazines / Sunflower / Two-Step / Kind Of Girl / Lust / July / Embrace / Starfire / Closer / In Metal

Encore: Lazy / Will the Night / Same
                             
Low gig 4: Union Chapel, London - 23rd November 2001

I remember feeling that this was one of the greatest gigs I'd ever been to at the time. I found the below setlist online. If I could hear them play Long Way Round The Sea again I would be so happy.

Little Argument With Myself / Dinosaur Act / Sunflower / In The Drugs / Laser Beam / John Prine / Two-Step / Shots And Ladders / Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me / In Metal / Long Way Around The Sea

Encore: Lordy / Like a Forest / Starfire / Over the Ocean 

Low gig 5: Union Chapel, London - 24th November 2001

Second gig in as many nights at the same venue. I somewhat randomly remember Alan sharing an anecdote about getting his hair cut during the day and generally being very funny. I found the below setlist online. Note the Neil Young cover to open, The Smiths cover towards the end and two Christmas songs in the encore.

Down By The River / Sunflower / In The Drugs / Canada / John Prine / Two-Step / Starfire / Little Argument With Myself / Closer / Last Night I Dreamt that Somebody Loved Me / In Metal

Encore: Dinosaur Act / One Special Gift / Blue Christmas / Lordy / Over The Ocean

Low gig 6: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London - 25th April 2002

I don't have any detail or clear memories on this one but I'm sure it was just magnificent.

Low gig 7: Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne - 6th February 2003

A show dominated by tracks from my favourite Low album (Trust), on my birthday, in my hometown. An unbelievable set of circumstances. I don't think I really appreciated at the time how unique and never-to-be-repeated this was. I went with my wife Shalini, my brother and his girlfriend. I found the below setlist online. Two-Step to finish and a rare outing for Below & Above. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

Candy Girl / (That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace / Tonight / Time Is The Diamond / Canada / Sunflower / La La La Song / Fearless / John Prine / Below & Above / Lordy

Encore: The Last Snowstorm Of The Year / Two-Step

Low gig 8: Union Chapel, London - 14th February 2003

A Valentine's Day gig back in London eight days after seeing them in Newcastle. I took Shalini along again (such romance, no wonder she married me the following year). 

Low gig 9: Scala, London - 23rd November 2004

Another show on 23rd November (three years to the day since the Union Chapel show). Can't remember a great deal about this one except that Ella Guru supported them and I stood downstairs.

Low gig 10: Royal Festival Hall, London - 18th February 2005

I remember being amazed how Low were now suddenly playing venues of this size. They still felt like my band though. I took Shalini along to her third Low show. I think this was the last show I saw with Zak Sally on bass (before he left to be replaced by Matt Livingston, then current bass player Steve Garrington).

Low gig 11: KOKO, London - 26th July 2006

Things We Lost In The Fire was played in full as part of the ATP Don't Look Back series. I took Shalini again (gig number four for her) and we stood on the highest level inside KOKO against the barrier looking down on the stage.

The concept seems to be dying out but I would love to see them do another full album show someday (Trust or Secret Name please, if at all possible). It would be great to hear them play the likes of Whitetail, Medicine Magazines and Closer live again also.

Low gig 12: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London - 8th May 2007

After standing for the two earlier SBE gigs I progressed up to level one seats for this show. I think I gave Shalini the night off on this occasion. A Drums And Guns heavy set I seem to remember with In Silence being particularly powerful.

Low gig 13: Sage, Gateshead - 18th April 2008

When this show was announced I realised that by a stroke of luck it was on the night before my sister's wedding back in the north east. Tickets were duly purchased. I took my Dad along! He enjoyed it (and said he thought they sounded like Fleetwood Mac).

Low gig 14: Barbican, London - 3rd June 2011

After not seeing them for a full three years I can barely imagine the levels of excitement I was experiencing ahead of this show. I had recently started writing for musicOMH and reviewed the gig here. 

I also got a copy of the setlist from the press desk. A real 'greatest hits' set. 

Low gig 15: Royal Festival Hall, London - 3rd April 2012

I remember feeling particularly swept away after this show. So much so that I bought Trust and Secret Name on sumptuous double gatefold vinyl afterwards. The setlist is below. If pushed, I'd probably choose this as my favourite Low gig. They played Hand So Small!

Nothing But Heart / Try to Sleep / Nightingale / Hand So Small / Witches / Especially Me / Sunflower / Little Argument With Myself / Waiting / Everybody's Song / In The Drugs / Silver Rider / Words / Pissing / Murderer / From Your Place On Sunset

Encore: Shame / Dinosaur Act / $20

Click here to watch a video of the gig made by Peter Liversidge and here for some photos courtesy of TLOBF.

Low gig 16: Sage, Gateshead - 26th April 2013

Back up north to see them at the Sage again. Shalini came along again (gig 5 for her) and we sat in the second row from the front. I bought Drums & Guns and C'Mon on vinyl afterwards. The setlist is below. Note the rare appearance of Secret Name track Soon towards the end.

Plastic Cup / On My Own / Holy Ghost / Clarence White / Monkey / Waiting / Just Make It Stop / Witches / Especially Me / To Our Knees / Mother / Pissing / Words / Canada / Soon / Last Snowstorm Of The Year 

Encore: In Metal / Dinosaur Act / I Hear...Goodnight

Low gig 17: Barbican, London - 30th April 2013

Back to London four days later to see them at the Barbican. I wrote some more words for musicOMH here. The last two lines are two I'm fairly happy with:

Time stands still while emotional thresholds are quietly and gracefully demolished. It's an intoxicating, hypnotic event that never diminishes in power regardless of how many times it is experienced.

WOAH.

The setlist is below. It was great to hear So Blue and Four Score for the first time (these didn't feature in Gateshead).

Plastic Cup / On My Own / Holy Ghost / Clarence White / Monkey / Amethyst / To Our Knees / Just Make It Stop / Last Breath / Four Score / Especially Me / Mother / Pissing / Words / Canada / Soon / So Blue 

Encore: Over the Ocean / In Metal / When I Go Deaf / I Hear...Goodnight

Click here for some more photos courtesy of TLOBF.

Low gig 18: Junction, Cambridge - 14th November 2013

The first standing gig since the 2006 KOKO show (somewhat surprisingly) and my first gig in Cambridge. A fairly tight set of timings both before and after gig (leaving work to rush back home for my son's first parent's evening at school before jumping on a train north). The setlist is below. Some surprises in the form of Majesty/Magic and Dragonfly while they played their cover of Stay by Rihanna in the encore (wow - just listening to this as I type and Mimi's voice just blows me away each time I hear it) . It's always incredible to hear Last Snowstorm Of The Year (slower, gentler and more stripped back tonight) and Murderer. I'm pleased I got to see them finish with I Hear... Goodnight before dashing off to catch the last train back to London.

Words / Majesty/Magic / Canada / Plastic Cup / On My Own / Holy Ghost / Monkey / Waiting / Just Make It Stop / Nothing But Heart / Dragonfly / Pissing / Last Snowstorm Of The Year / Murderer / Especially Me

Encore: Stay / When I Go Deaf / I Hear... Goodnight

Low gig 19: Queen's Social Club, Sheffield - 16th November 2013

This gig will always be remembered as the one where I met Alan at the merchandise desk and had a lovely chat with him. I may have been slightly gushing/embarrassing. We spoke about the tour so far and the different venues they played. He kindly signed a vinyl copy of the Christmas EP (later Steve Garrington added his autograph to it as he was packing away equipment on stage). I may have been a tiny bit drunk and did my usual thing of excessive post-gig tweeting.

INTENSE! INTENSE! INTENSE! #low
— Steven Johnson (@_SPJ_) November 16, 2013

I could watch Mimi play drums for eternity.
— Steven Johnson (@_SPJ_) November 16, 2013

Ah, man. Low were simply amazing in Sheffield tonght!
— Steven Johnson (@_SPJ_) November 16, 2013

Another great show - the setlist is below. The main changes were the appearance on Laser Beam and Walk Into The Sea in the encore (I requested John Prine, Silver Rider and In The Drugs).

Words / Majesty/Magic / Canada / Plastic Cup / On My Own / Holy Ghost / Monkey / Waiting / Just Make It Stop / Nothing But Heart / Dragonfly / Dinosaur Act / Pissing / Murderer / Especially Me

Encore: Stay / Laser Beam / Walk Into The Sea

Low gig 20: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds - 20th November 2013

Show number twenty. Quite a momentous occasion and it was great for it to happen at such a cool little venue. The coach journey up from London was delayed and I had horrible visions of possibly missing some of this but thankfully I arrived in time for support act Barbarossa (who I also saw at Cambridge and Sheffield). Check out his latest album Bloodlines, there's some beautiful songs on it.

Low reworked the set quite a bit for this show, starting with Sandinista while Clarence White, Nightingale and Silver Rider also reappeared in the set. The latter sounded utterly transcendent, particularly after having been omitted for the last four gigs. Words got pushed back in the set but served as a reminder of how pure and distinctive their early albums still sound. Pissing also stood out - it's a real staple of their live shows but tonight was possibly the best version I've heard. In terms of the new songs Holy Ghost sounded as sublime as ever and Waiting showed once again how it really comes into its own in the live environment. Especially Me closed the set as it did in Cambridge and Sheffield. On record it is so pretty and feminine but live the guitars are more dominant yet Mimi's vocals still soar beautifully over the top.

The undoubted highlight however was the super rare version of Two-Step that they played in the encore. It was a classic Low encore moment - the band taking their time to choose which song to play, with Alan and Mimi quietly exchanging a few words. Mimi ruled out In Metal as an option despite a few requests from the crowd and I think Alan started to play When I Go Deaf before cutting it short for Two-Step. Stunning. They don't play it so much these days so this was so special. A genuinely unbelievable way to end my little three day jaunt around the UK following Low.

I wonder how long I'll have to wait for gig number 21?

Leeds setlist:

Sandinista / Plastic Cup / On Your Own / Words / Holy Ghost / Monkey / Clarence White / Waiting / Just Make It Stop / Nothing But Heart / Nightingale / Silver Rider / Pissing / Murderer / Especially Me

Encore: Canada / Two-Step

BBC Symphony Orchestra/Kirill Karabits - Barbican - 24/02/12

I made a late decision to go to the Barbican on Friday to see the BBC Symphony Orchestra play pieces by Sibelius, Prokofiev and Stravinsky, conducted by Kirill Karabits. It was my first classical concert in almost 6 months (I wrote about the last occasion here). I was sitting in the circle, I think the first time I’ve seen a classical concert from that position (most of the time I’m up in the balcony). I had been intended on seeing Tindersticks at the Soho Theatre but unfortunately it had to be postponed due to Stuart Staples suffering from laryngitis (get well soon Stuart).

I attended the pre-concert talk in the Barbican Hall, which provided an interesting overview of the three pieces being played tonight - Sibelius’ 4th Symphony, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Stravinsky’s score to the ballet Petrushka (the 1947 version). The uniting theme of the night was that each piece was composed or premiered in 1911 - during his talk broadcaster Mark Lowther encouraged us to imagine being a music journalist in 1911 (yes please!), and specifically the range of musical events taking place across Europe at the time. There was a lot going on - on top of the three pieces performed tonight there were opera premieres of Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Ravel’s L’Heure Espagnole as well as the first performance of Elgar’s Symphony No. 2 (not to mention the death of Gustav Mahler later in the year). It’s hard to think that this level of activity will ever be replicated in modern times. I wonder how events taking place in classical music during 2012 will be viewed in 2112. I hope they are still remembered and thatthere are people who talk about them.

It was the first time I was hearing Sibelius’ Symphony No. 4 and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 being played live (or, in the case of the Prokofiev piece, the first time I was hearing it). Much has been written about the darkness of Sibelius’ 4th Symphony, in particular in relation to the composer’s personal situation and tonight was suitably introspective and foreboding, consumed by a tangible, overbearing sadness. Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto in comparison sounded untroubled, convivial and (towards the end especially) quite dynamic. Khatia Buniatishvili was the pianist and gave a superb performance. She returned to the stage for an encore of the third movement of Prokofiev’s 7th Piano Sonata, an astonishingly virtuosic performance, almost superhuman in its near-mechanical execution.

Stravinsky’s Petrushka was as dazzling as ever with its stitching together of Russian folk melodies, all layered and overlapping. As I watched the performance I realised one aspect I particularly like about Stravinsky (and Petrushka in particular) which is how he doesn’t use up his melodic quota early - dispersing it unevenly over the piece, almost teasing the audience by revealing fragments of melody. I always find the ending slightly awkward, I guess due to the association with the ballet. I’m not very good at comparing versions but tonight the BBCSO sounded extraordinarily tight tonight, giving a punchy, slightly pacier version of the piece.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot commission, The Curve, Barbican Centre

I went to The Curve gallery at the Barbican yesterday to see the much talked about current commission by French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot where tiny zebra finches "play" electric guitars, basses and cymbals. The accompanying notes explained how Boursier-Mougenot is interested in creating works inspired by the natural rhythms of daily life to produce an auditory, participatory experience.

The queue to enter on Tuesday evening wasn't too bad, I had seen some very long queues over previous weekends.

The installation begins in darkness, with black and white images of hands playing guitars projected on to the walls of The Curve. As you move towards the far end of The Curve the light increases and you get a first glimpse of the birds and instruments.

The birds fly freely around the gallery space, occasionally land and hop along a guitar or rest upon an upturned cymbal to take some food or water. Sometimes they perch on a wall edge or the sand below the instruments.

As they bounce gently along the specially-tuned guitar strings the sounds are emitted from speakers around the gallery. Most of the guitar chords are fairly quiet and brief but occasionally a loud chord fires out, much to everyone's satisfaction.

I've never seen so many people simultaneously smiling at an art exhibition.

After I returned home I realised that the commission reminded me of a previous Curve installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, (which i posted about here), where the movement of the visitor influenced the sounds that were generated. Another brilliant installation at The Curve, then. It seems that the space is ideally suited to such interactive installations.

Abdullah Ibrahim's Ekaya, The Barbican, 30/03/10

I was at the Barbican yesterday to see South African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and his band Ekaya play a rare live show. My busy schedule and an element of gig-fatigue had combined to make me consider missing this concert but I am pleased I was able to make it. I have to confess to never having listened to any of Abdullah Ibrahim's music before and largely went out of curiosity and what I had ready about his music / reputation.

The concert began with Ibrahim alone on stage, playing some soft, gentle piano which projected an air of stillness and calm across the Barbican hall. The introduction of the double bass and percussion added an extra dimension to the sound but the playing continued in patient, restrained, almost meditative style. The subsequent appearance of the saxophones, trombone and flute completed the band and provided some smooth, unobtrusive melodic lines.

The concert continued in similar fashion, the pace generally remaining laid-back and mellow, and only periodically being broken by the saxophones gradually rising to assume a more dominant position. Ibrahim seemed content for the piano to take a back seat, and allow his band to almost play around him in effortless, mellifluous fashion.

It was an enjoyable set, very accomplished and easy to listen to. I do love the knowledgeable, mid-set applauding of adept solos or impressive segues that you only get at a jazz concert.

I will definitely aim to pick up one or two of his many albums over forthcoming months...

London Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Adams, The Barbican, 11/03/10

I was at the Barbican for the 4th time in the space of 6 days tonight to see John Adams conduct the London Symphony Orchestra again.

The programme included 'Preludes' by Debussy, 'Valses nobles et sentimentales' by Ravel, 'Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments' by Stravinsky and the European premiere of 'City Noir' by John Adams.

The evening began with the pieces by Debussy and Ravel which I thought were subtle, occasionally being punctuated by moments of orchestral colour and dynamism. I enjoyed the next piece by Stravinsky which, as always, featured some excellent playing by a pared-down LSO. I picked up on a few noticeable Stravinsky musical traits throughout, although could not help feeling it was possibly one of his less arresting pieces.

After the interval I thought it became clear that the first three pieces were very much "supporting acts" for tonight's final piece, the performance of 'City Noir' by John Adams.

Adams was inspired to write the symphony by the films of 1940s & 1950s Los Angeles. In places it did have a distinct cinematic feel to it. I enjoyed the jazzy inflections which surfaced at the beginning and reappeared throughout the work and especially enjoyed the mountainous sonic landscapes of the second half. It all ended in a near-riotous finale. Wow.

BBC Radio 3 is broadcasting a recording on Wednesday 17th March. Click here for details.

My pre-concert iPod playlist included:

Magnus Lindberg 'Clarinet Concerto'

Einojuhani Rautavaara 'Cantus Arcticus'

György Ligeti 'Atmosphères'

John Adams LSO Discovery Day, The Barbican, 07/03/10

I was at the Barbican for most of Sunday to immerse myself into the world of one of one of greatest living composers, John Adams.

The first part of the day was an open rehearsal by the London Symphony Orchestra for the evening concert featuring 'Four Sea Interludes' by Britten, 'Symphony No. 6' by Sibelius and the European premiere of John Adams' 'Doctor Atomic Symphony'. I caught the final part of the Britten rehearsal and all of the Sibelius. It was interesting to see Adams directly address and instruct the orchestra.

The rehearsal was followed by a Q & A session involving David Alberman and John Adams. It was an enjoyable discussion and interesting to hear John Adams talk about the creation of the symphony, how he composes, exotic musical modes/scales, the role of developing technology in modern composition, the extent to which he writes for himself/his audience and his views on Sibelius’ Symphony No. 6 (which he thought “had an aspect of clinical depression” and “had a dark cloud hovering above it").

He also talked briefly about his piece ‘On The Transmigration Of Souls’, the commission he received from the New York Philharmonic to write a piece for the victims of the World Trade Center attack. He also talked a little on the subject of film soundtracks (he doesn’t do them anymore due to the lack of control over where/how these are used in films). He did mention however that pieces of his music do feature in a film due to be released later this year called ‘I Am Love’ (which I had read about in the Curzon Cinema guide yesterday incidentally). An enormously likeable and intelligent man.

Next was a performance of Adams’ ‘Shaker Loops’ by members of the LSO at St. Luke’s. It was my first visit to St. Luke’s and I liked it – a decommissioned church that has been restored as a performance/rehearsal space. We were told a little about how ‘Shaker Loops’ was inspired by the American landscape as seen from a moving vehicle. The time it was written in 1978 coincided with his exposure to other minimalist composers such as Steve Reich and Terry Riley.

I thought it was a brilliant piece of string-based chamber-minimalism, featuring subtle rises and falls in pace. It had a distinct linear feel to it which re-emphasised the association with the idea of a journey. This was the first time I was hearing it and it reminded me of modern classical composers such as Max Richter (although chronologically I guess it should be that Max Richter reminds me of John Adams, but nevermind). I found myself being drawn in and thought it far more accessible than I had imagined.

The next part of the Discovery Day involved travelling to the Barbican Cinema 3, located in the outer-echelons of the sprawling Barbican complex to see ‘Wonders Are Many: The Making Of Doctor Atomic’ a film about the creation of Adams’ opera. It was a great, funny film, almost just as much a history of the creation of the atomic bomb as a film about how Adams and Peter Sellars created the opera.
 

The evening concert was the final event of the day. Britten's 'Four Sea Interludes' from his opera 'Peter Grimes' was the first piece played and ranged from sad and moving to lively and dramatic. On previous listens Sibelius’s Symphony No. 6 had not left as much of an impression as his other late period symphonies (4, 5 & 7 to be precise). However, tonight’s performance was different. I heard things in the live performance that I had not heard previously, especially the emergence of melodic motifs and the glacial strings of the 4th movement. There were moments of sadness but I didn't really see enough to make me agree with Adams' earlier comments on the symphony.

I have always found John Adams music to be infused with drama and excitement, huge swathes of high-energy orchestral sound interspersed with moments of calm and beauty. The 'Doctor Atomic Symphony' followed a similar theme, stormy passages being succeded by episodes of quiet reflection. The trumpet solo towards the end was beautifully played but not as prominent as that featured in one of my favourite pieces 'Quiet City' by Aaron Copland.
 

All in all, the event was a great example of what an arts organisations should aspire to – to inform, educate, inspire, excite and challenge.

Portico Quartet, The Barbican, 08/03/10

I was at the Barbican for the third night running on Monday to see the forward-looking, inventive post-jazz outfit Portico Quartet. I had seen them 2 years ago playing with Basquiat Strings at Union Chapel. Tonight they played the Barbican to promote their recently released second album 'Isla'.

Tonight their tracks ranged from the free-flowing, melodic sound of pieces such as 'Paper Scissors Stone', 'The Visitor' and 'Clipper' to the quiet, abstract minimalism of 'Knee Deep In The North Sea' and 'Line'. I thought that these latter tracks sometimes almost suggested a kind of musical representation of an abstract expressionist painting. Just on the right side of inscrutable.

Whenever they are written about in the press the main focus always seems to be on the hang. It does give a nice glossy finish to their sound but for me it is the expressive, almost lyrical saxophone playing that dominates and leads the band. Their spacious, airy sound is helped by the intricate, detailed drumming and cohesive double bass. They finished with 'Dawn Patrol' and 'Steps In The Wrong Direction'. Very good.

The Manganiyar Seduction, Barbican Theatre, 06/03/10

My final event of the day was to be my first visit to the Barbican Theatre (as opposed to the concert hall) to see The Manganiyar Seduction, a production by Royston Abel which showcased the music of Rajasthan in spectacular, choreographed style.

The stage was set up with 33 interlocking, stacked boxes which together formed an alluring square block. Inside each box was a sitting musician/singer. The piece opened with a solitary musician playing an instrument similar to a sitar. Slowly others revealed themselves from behind the curtain. As the performance progressed various blocks of musicians began playing before retiring into darkness. The conductor/dancer/choreographer (not sure what his official title was) positioned at the front of the stage seemed to exhort sound and energy from the red grid of musicians.

The music itself was a slow building piece which melded the raw, fluctuating, near-transcendental power of the vocals with the hypnotic string and wind instruments and exhilarating percussion. It all translated into a series of energising rhythms which engulfed the theatre. It culminated in all musicians playing together in a joyous finale, an ecstatic, vibrant wall of sound.

Visually it was sumptuous, with the red curtains, glowing lights and traditional Rajasthani attire of the musicians combining to spectacular effect against the surrounding pitch black darkness.

After the performance ended Royston Abel came on stage to say a few words (including a comment about the practicalities of attempting international travel with a group of 40 plus Muslim musicians, most of which have the surname Khan, and in particular the difficulties immigration control at various airports around the world (they tour USA later this year which should be fun for them).

The show held special appeal for personal reasons in that I visited Jaisalmer, the stunning desert-city in north-west India a few years back, where most of tonight’s musicians originate from. As I sat in the Barbican Theatre I was reminded of the almost-otherworldly performance of local traditional music I witnessed on that particular cool, star-lit night in the Thar desert in October 2007.

You can see a clip of The Manganiyar Seduction on YouTube here. If you ever get a chance to see them play live you really should go.

Grizzly Bear, The Barbican, 31/10/09

I was at the Barbican on Saturday to see Grizzly Bear perform with the London Symphony Orchestra. I have been enjoying the soaring, widescreen sound of two albums ‘Yellow House’ and ‘Veckatimest’ recently, with their intricate, layered melodies so was particularly looking forward to this gig. I was quite hopeful that the meticulous construction of these recent albums could be replicated live.

Support came from St. Vincent – a two person guitar/violin act who played a nice, varied mix of tight, hard edged guitar lines to ethereal ambient pieces all underpinned by Annie Clark’s mellifluent, looped vocals. Nice.

The Grizzly Bear / LSO collaboration was promoted as being something more than your usual indie band / orchestra link up – with feted contemporary-classical composer Nico Muhly preparing a special arrangement to complement the songs but not supercede in any way. Things got off to a decidedly understated, restrained start in terms of orchestral score – opening track ‘Easier’ sounding pretty but slightly pared down compared to the fully sound on ‘Yellow House’. Next up was my favourite from ‘Veckatimest’, ‘Cheerleader’. On record it sounds brilliant, the choral backing vocals lifting the song to another level. Disappointingly, the orchestra wasn’t really able to reproduce this live, the strings struggling to make themselves heard against the fully amplified band. The rest of the gig followed in similar suit. The orchestral arrangement seemed very light – almost too respectful of the songs, strangely unable to transform them into the grander version they could have been. It was almost as if Muhly was too disciplined in trying keep the songs intact. The versions of ‘Knife’ and ‘Central And Remote’ were decent reproductions of the songs on the album but again could have been transformed into something else. One thing which came across just as brilliantly live as on record was Ed Droste’s voice – a uniquely muffled, enjoyably garbled sound unlike pretty much anything else out there.

At the start of the year I went to see Elbow record a version of ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ with the BBC Concert Orchestra and even though arguably I think ‘Veckatimest’ could just be a fractionally better album and Grizzly Bear a potentially slightly better band, but on that occasion Elbow did the guitar band / orchestra collaboration thing so much better, each song sounding notably different and vastly improved as a result of the orchestral backing. Sadly, in this respect tonight’s gig didn’t really match this, although it was an enjoyable concert, just not as spectacular as it promised to be.

Xenakis - BBC Symphony Orchestra - Barbican

On Saturday evening I went to the Barbican to see the BBC Symphony Orchestra play as part of the 'Total Immersion' day dedicated to the Greek composer Iannis Xenakis. The programme consisted of a selection of orchestral and choral pieces.

Opening piece 'Tracées' set the tone for the evening with its layered, structured mass of sound, all densely packed into a brief six minutes. Three movement piece 'Anastenaria' followed next. The huge, overlapping blocks of sound and combination of orchestral and choral melody came across as being more accessible than I initially expected. The influential role played by mathematics and architecture in helping to formulate Xenakis' music was at the forefront during these pieces and continued throughout the evening.



The second part of the performance featured three small pieces. 'Sea-Nymphs' was up first, a truncated, jarring sound-collage for a small vocal ensemble. Another short solo piece, 'Mists', followed, comprising irregular, cascading piano lines interspersed with flurries of sharp, erratic notes. The final piece in this section was 'Nuits'. The concert programme had described the piece as being "coruscatingly beautiful", words which are almost guaranteed to get my heart racing when applied to music. It proved to be another complex, jagged, arrythmic mass of choral sound.


The final part of the evening resulted in the full orchestra taking the stage again to play two monumental, challenging pieces - 'Troorkh' and 'Antikhthon'. 'Troorkh' was a staggeringly powerful piece. Piercing, bruising brass lines augmented by Christian Lindberg's solo trombone were pitched alongside imposing orchestral fragments. 'Antikhthon' followed a similar path, punishing brass peaks colliding with percussive orchestral shards.An amazing evening of uncompromising, intellectual music with an enormous, physical, visceral impact. On my way home I listened to 'Black Sea' by Fennesz which seemed kind of appropriate....