…in no particular order.
Live performances nowadays are often hyped. Since the record industry started locking horns with illegal downloaders, live shows have become bands’ main source of income. Hence people tour a lot and, judging by many of the gigs I’ve been to over the past five years, play on autopilot. Which, in my book, is far away from the purpose of live music. If you wanted to hear a band run through their album note for note, you might as well save the ticket money and turn up the volume on your stereo instead.
This list is made up by artists and bands who have made an effort. Who, by performing live, have taken their music to new levels:
1) D’Angelo at the Quart festival in Kristiansand, Norway 2000
I’ve never been too fond of festivals – mud, crowds, a lot of waiting around having to listen to annoying bands to secure a good spot for the ones you’re really there to see – but when I heard D’Angelo was checking in at Quart touring his second studio album Vodoo, the cons couldn’t keep me away. The Vodoo-themed appearence of the band, the crazy, kick-ass versions of the songs, the jams, the moves, the sweat and D’man’s powerhouse of a voice – after the gig people were so blown away they were on the ground laughing, words being completely inadequate to describe the experience.
2) Rilo Kiley at Shepherds Bush Empire, London, UK 2007
Nothing is off-limits for Rilo Kiley. Double guitars, latin rhythms and ‘I love you’s – if it sounds good, they’ll put it in their music. Prior to this gig they had just released Under the Blacklight and oozed of self-confidence about their new material. Jenny Lewis, coming across as a young Stevie Nicks, sang for all the girls and their heartaches on top of smooth chords in an interesting set that varied between electric and acoustic.
3) Essex Green at Checkpoint Charlie, Stavanger, Norway
Essex Greens’ tunes are simple, charming, and shrewd. At Checkpoint they brought these qualities into their performance, musically and visually, leading to a no-frills, cut-through, and authentic experience. Just good people making good music, and one of those gigs you walk away from feeling inspired and full of belief in music and mankind (they just seem so nice!).
4) Daedelus at the Luminaire, London, UK 2007
People who slip in an ironic smirk when they talk about lads with laptops should go see Daedelus and be deservingly face-slapped. Daedelus doesn’t do much but fiddle with buttons and layer samples and beats, but the feeling, the guts, the elegance and the sophistication is in the way he combines them. I was sweating by the end of it.
5) Herbie Hancock at the Malecon in Havana, Cuba 2001
I’d been travelling Cuba with my friend, and after a month we reached Havana. We were tired and full of impressions, and when our hostess said there’d be a ‘famous American piano player’ playing in the streets that evening, we unenthusiastically strolled down in lack of anything better to do. Malecon was crowded, and I could just about glimpse that someone was positioning themselves behind the keys. When I heard the opening notes of Chameleon I could hardly believe it. It was a crazy experience, and Mr Hancock delivered a mighty fine set together with a full salsaband line-up.
