Lisa Hannigan – St John’s Church, London, 10th December 2008

For a first solo UK gig, Lisa Hannigan hasn’t exactly gone for the small, dark club, with sweat dripping from the ceiling option. St John’s church is somewhat cavernous inside, with huge white pillars adorning the stage and a large red curtain hanging importantly behind the band lending a bit of grandeur to the occasion!

Being a church, the acoustics were up to the challenge and were put to good use right from the beginning. Lisa’s voice is roaming and breathy and sometimes reminds me of Björk in her quieter moments. Providing a subtle blend of indie, lo-fi and folk (even if that does sound like a whisky advert), she has clearly brought together a talented bunch of musicians for her band.

Songs like Venn Diagram really showcase her vocal range and an excellent cover of The Lady Is A Tramp ups the tempo a little from the gentle pace that’s been the way so far tonight. A sonic assault this is not, but then taking place in a church, this is the neither the time nor the place for thrashing guitars and crowd surfing.

The songs are lively at the same time as being low-key affairs, so much so that Lisa often looks like she is about to break out into Thom Yorke style dancing from her slightly more reserved moving and shaking. A altogether calmer, more relaxed gig than I’m used to but enjoying and uplifting nonetheless. And whoever chose the Ghostbuster’s theme tune to play the crowd out after the band had left the stage is clearly a genius.

By Mark Williams

The Pigeon Detectives with support from The Virgins (Manchester Academy 04/12/2008)

There was plenty of overtime available at the old rumour mill before this gig, due to a few no shows earlier on in the tour tongues are wagging about the Mat Bowman fronted, The Pigeon Detectives. Given their love of their home city of Leeds, they wouldn’t think twice about ditching a gig in their rival city, would they? However, doubts are put to bed upon several testimonies to sightings of the ebullient Mat Bowman.

This means that the entire venue is relaxed and boozy enough to soak up this tenderizing vibe given off by the Cage The Elephant spirited New York support act, The Virgins. Whilst not having the energy of the main act the accessible, R N‘ B flirting material has a universal impact. This is something that is illuminated in the slow grooving smooch out of ‘Rich Girls’. Whilst minds dance, bodies remain constant due to the chilled out nature of some of the material. They are a band whose sound will slowly seep into the mindset and given that for most people this is their first time experiencing The Virgins (come on, you gotta allow one cheap play on words!), energy levels during their sets will start rising.

Beer and inhibitions fly into the air upon the mere sighting of Mat Bowman and his ranting Rothwell troupe, who form The Pigeon Detectives. Given the ease, energy and enthusiasm on display, you’d be surprised to learn about a chest infection that has caused Bowman to disappoint fans with a couple of cancellations on this tour. This is especially the case with a chesty rendition of the self-sure, boozy indie dance-floor filler, ‘Everybody Wants Me’. Its simplicity and catchiness is the epitome of the group and Bowman’s energy underlines why they have previously been perfect stage mates on tour with The Kaiser Chiefs. A bit of arrogance, alcohol fuelled confidence and two albums worth of hook fuelled tunes is certainly a recipe for Christmas abandon.

Their second album ‘Emergency’ has received a mixed response mainly for coming so quickly after the debut album and being a little too similar for the variety seekers out there. Tonight, the material blends slickly into one and it gives you the impression that a live album is an absolute must. ‘ I Found Out’, provides for a shouted crowd inclusive moment of fun, the twining guitar stroked rhythm on top of Bowman’s spirit and exuberance lifts it up more than a notch. You can see the adoration shining out in the faces of a mainly teenage crowd. Naturally, ‘I’m Not Sorry’ cements Da Detectives status as rabble rousing royalty. It does seem that Leeds and indie in general is big enough for both The Kaiser Chiefs and the larger than life Bowman crew.

By Dave Adair

Ida Maria - Club Academy, Manchester 20/11/08

High profile support slots can either promote you to a similar platform as the main act stands upon, or it can leave you feeling like a Guantanamo Bay detainee; judged without a full and proper trial. Unfortunately, for the quirky Norwegian, Ida Maria the lairy and expectant crowds that gathered to see The Courteeners when she last visited the UK, had expectations that weren’t compatible with her hollow, well crafted pop/new wave Bjork and Amy Studt merging pitch. Tonight is her night, as the glamorously glad females and slick males make it known that Ida can do no wrong. The carefully promoted starlet shuffles briskly and surely onto the stage at one of her biggest UK headline shows. Then sticks rigidly to the script that is her debut album, ‘Fortress Around My Heart’.

Her giddy, alcohol fuelled demeanour gives reality to the rugged, acoustic trickling ‘Louie’. Authenticity is given to the words;

“Louie, I’m always drunk, as drunk as can be.”

A crowd enhanced delivery of the above line gives this Thursday evening occasion more life, as it runs into a Friday feeling. This impetus increase is something that benefits the clatter pop parading, ‘Oh My God’. Ida’s stage presence flits from humble bewilderment, to carefully rehearsed self promotion and usually culminates in a little alcohol inspired frivolity. Some super-confidence of the Oasis lyrical vein is gushed forth in the old style, new wave reviving previous single, ‘Queen of the World’.

Satisfied, is the look on attendees faces as they head towards the exit. Although, for the impartial judgement reserving amongst us questions still linger, due to the lack of new material on show. The main one being whether or not Ida will remain a haven for the adventurous, Bjork spirited folk, or if she and her well oiled backing band will look to impart a bit of universal strut to the material? That is in order to be able to hob-know with the likes of The Courteeners again.

By Dave Adair

The Chemists/ The Music at Edinburgh Picturehouse, 27th October

It was a tour that could never evade the sardonic eye; ‘The Chemists are supporting The Music’. Although this may well be the first time that the two bands have worked together, it is certainly not the first time that the chemists have supported the music. From Dylan to Doherty; it is no secret that the work of chemist’s has provided endless support, although we’re talking strictly pharmaceutical. This event however, was far from cosmetic. Having been left on a high from their amazing nine song set, I am in no doubt that whatever musical medicine these Chemists are concocting, it’s explosive and addictive. I am warning; approach with protective goggles and great expectations.

I had been told to expect a well honed Indie band of great potential, but from the moment ‘Tazmanian Devil’ stormed on to the stage, it became clear they were worthy of a much greater title. What separates the band from your generic indie piece? A dirtier guitar, a cleaner vocal; the hint we detect of metal, the subtle hint of pop. It’s confusing, and its genius.

As the set stormed through, I suddenly became rather reflective, as one tends to do when surrounded by hundreds of strangers, cider and black in hand. The lyrics of vocalist Johnny Benn, never faltering a note and with incredible conviction resonated through to my subconscious. ‘The sounds are the same as the bands come again, as they pound and pound on that radio booth’. You would certainly be forgiven for thinking that the songs you were stood listening to as you embarrassingly sway along were not far from what their very lyrics describe. Having seen them performed live however, I can happily report, there is a great difference. The difference being, the music does not simply pound and pound through the crowd, it pulses through. The band have developed quite a reputation for putting on a live show, and with good reason. At times they were electric.

The frantic speed at which guitarists Sam James and Dave Betts play was enough to leave any audience member in awe at the sheer force of their performance. Kept to perfect beat by drummer Matt Albon and perfectly complimented by bassist Wayne Jones, every note was played with the passion of a powerful performance. This may sound a little cheesy, but sometimes only alliteration can describe how intricately and inspiringly an instrument can be played. When alliteration strikes twice in a single paragraph, trust me, they’re good.

A highlight of the evening I hear you cry? Three tracks in, ‘Hear our Song’, floored the crowd. If you do manage to catch the remainder of the tour, I can only urge you to listen to the somewhat commanding title, and please do, hear their song. From the moment the guitar struck, the performance was incredible. I sat in awe, watching four minutes of outstanding vocals, perfect drumming, and terrific energy.

Nine songs later, the band took their final bow. Certainly, the set had its glitches; a six foot neon sign emblazoned with the bands very name nigh on collapsing upon the poor, unsuspecting bassist being one of the more generic problems I imagine bands face all the time. Overall, I would thoroughly recommend catching this band before they explode on to the mainstream. If I were to summarise my evening spent listening to the chemists at the glorious Edinburgh Picture House; a band with amazing energy and performance skills, and what are chemists without chemistry?

By Rebecca Monks

Cara Dillon with support from The Lost Boys (Warrington; Parr Hall 09/10/2008)

Frills free, acoustic and light percussion pairing, The Lost Boys are initially timid as they seek to harness the intimacy and the consistently good acoustics of this homely hall. Despite the boldness of its title, opener ‘Jesus Drives A Rolls Royce’, lacks consistency between the subtle percussion, the blues leaning folk based vocals and the slow winding acoustic guitar. The communication of the ambitious lyrics needs body behind it. Despite clear, yet searching vocal delivery, the song needed to be fattened out, as it creates a lonely slightly limp echo. A slow building up of the tempo and a bluesy hue embellishes ‘Mr Broke’, emboldening an earnest set and a more robust instrumental element helps the bracing ‘Tapestry’, find favour.

A judgement reserving crowd starts to show more appreciation when the percussion takes on little more life towards the conclusion, complementing the vocals. Continuing in this vein will help The Lost Boys find new followers, but in brief sets they need start capturing an audience’s attention from the start.

A whistling flute inclusive backing band of three routinely comes into view waiting loyally for the understated entrance of Cara Dillon, who is one of Ireland’s most universal folk protagonists. It is almost as though Cara is too humbled at receiving applause for merely entering the stage. However, she graciously accepts it after her rootsy, clearly projected beginning that includes a snippet from next year’s 4th album, in the form of ‘Johnny Love Johnny’ that shows a continuing playfulness in her work.

The leading lady’s ability to switch tone and emotion sets off a range of facial expressions from the audience that is drawn from a wide demographic. Going from intrigued, to contented, empathetic and then illuminated, as quickly as Lewis Hamilton goes through the gears at Silverstone. ‘Black Is Colour’, bears out a deeper and darker lyrical edge and a deeper tone contrasts with the usual clear, well-pitched vocal stroll. A plea for audience participation for a comforting reworking of the Tommy Sands classic ‘There Were Roses’, is met with an initially nervous response. It soon grows into a warm choral recital as the tone, hymn-like nature and friendliness of the number builds up.

Pastoral Irish imagery decoratively litters the set. A Gaelic jig, ‘Knotted Hanky’ sees Cara’s fiddling prowess coming to the fore. Throughout the seventy five minutes in view, she demonstrates an appreciation of her home country without ramming it down the throat of the audience. Endearing between song storytelling, promotes a genuine feel to proceedings and the inter-song chemistry between Cara and her husband/guitarist/pianist and tour manager, Sam Lakeman draws out warmth and heart. Enough to make people forget about the strange smell that is lingering around the venue, probably leftover from The Charlatans visit here three nights earlier.

A colourful, almost Riverdance inspiring parade, ‘P Is For Paddy’ has minds dancing at least, as the wholly seated setting prohibits much physical movement. Although, chairs do start sway, even those on which the stern looking connoisseurs are placed. The lady who has been blessed with the honour of broadening modern folk’s appeal, whilst at the same time, appreciating its roots and traditions, continues to carry out this honour with enthusiasm and humility.

By Dave Adair

Black Box Revelation - Live At The AB (29/09/2008 T4 Tunes)

I say Brussels, you say sprouts? It is a sorry state of affairs indeed; perhaps we have been so busy spitting out the sprouts that we have failed to notice that Brussels has been spitting out a new form of dirty rock ‘n’ roll. My friends, behold; the resolution, the revolution; The Black Box Revelation.

The duo’s most recent release, quite simply entitled ‘Live at the AB’ has set a standard for all blues hybrid’s to follow, and as their last track, ‘I think I like you’ storms to its sleazy conclusion, I have to say, I think I like them too.

Throughout the record, there are several sentimental nods to the rawest form of garage rock. ‘Set your head on fire’ in particular injects the squalid influence of ‘Black Rebel’ and ‘Iggy Pop’ into a potentially clean cut blues lick, giving the track the edge that’s been missing from the genre. Building on a simple refrain, the dirty magic of the guitar and the evident force of their performance left me but a whisker away from grabbing a lighter and setting my head on fire right with them. Well, almost.

It has to be said, on first listen, the unrefined style of BBR, other wise known as Jan Paternoster and Dries Van Dijck, left me slightly confused; is it indie, is it blues, is it classic? It is only when you stop searching that you find the answer; it’s different, and it’s wonderful. Certainly, there are moments during ‘Gravity Blues’ when you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled across Jet, but let’s just hope that Gravity keeps the duo’s feet on the ground, I’ve got a feeling they’re going to be big.

By Becki Monks

Bestival 2008

Imagine, if you will, a UK festival for about 30’000 people, in which the vast majority spend the Saturday dressed in an array of colourful and bizarre fancy dress costumes. Then go a step further and imagine that the theme for the fancy dress is ‘30’000 Freaks Under the Sea’ and, appropriately, the Friday has seen a month’s worth of rain in one day. This will bring you a step closer in your head to Bestival, held annually on the Isle of Wight in the first weekend of September and now in its’ fifth year. Curated by Rob da Bank too, a name familiar in the UK as a DJ who has a show on BBC radio 1, but is also to Bestival what Michael Eavis is to Glastonbury.

My costume for what would become a very muddy weekend was the most amateur looking Spongebob Squarepants ever likely to come into creation. It got a few laughs though and that is the point with Bestival. The more ridiculous you look the better. Everyone who dresses up is fully committed to looking like a fool. For some of us this comes naturally enough, but you should see the effort that people will go to, to look silly! An institution embodied by the Lost and Found group, not as you might expect the place where you go if you can’t find your wallet, but instead a small trained posse of fools. Professional organisers of mayhem, Lost and Found demand that everyone have as much fun as they do throughout the weekend!

Headliners this year on the main stage were My Bloody Valentine, Amy Winehouse and Underworld. I have to say I missed My Bloody Valentine, in true festival style I’m not really sure where I was at that point. Underworld closing on the Sunday were a performance to behold though, lights, inflatable tubey-things and giant white balloons like something out of The Prisoner! As for Winehouse, she was only ever going to turn up and either A) blow everyone away, restoring all faith in her ability as a performer and rejuvenate her rapidly ailing career or B) turn up half cut, and put in yet another half-arsed, disappointing display. And I have to say that I left halfway through option ‘B’ in order to go and dance my legs off to 808 State who were playing in the Big Top at the time.

Standout performances of the festival were not in short supply though, some of the best I managed to see came in the form of Hot Chip, Santogold and a madly brilliant Sebastien Tellier. Toward the end of his set, Tellier spent about five minutes sexually moaning and sighing into his microphone, rubbing the speakers suggestively and probably causing any parents their with children to cover their eyes and ears. Well, I suppose he is French…

Hot Chip were the perfect band to celebrate the fact that it had stopped raining by Saturday evening, doing their set in a range of fancy dress costumes, getting into the spirit of the event and really giving everyone a reason to move their fishy feet.

A relatively undiscovered joy of the festival was a tea tent run by the Women’s Institute. I don’t know if the W.I is an international phenomenon or just a UK thing but think about how you feel by the Sunday of a three day festival and how comforting a hot cup of tea served by your Nan would be. Except that here you have 10 surrogate Nans, all serving tea and cake for 60p which is about half the price of a cup of tea anywhere else on site. Almost too good to be true. It is exactly the little touches like these that separate Bestival from other festivals of comparable size.

Oh, and let’s not forget a guest appearance from The Specials! Most festivals would be shouting it from the rooftops that they’d got the two-tone ska legends to play a Saturday afternoon slot but here they were listed in the program as ‘special guest’. (Maybe a light clue in the name, I grant you…) Although, having just mentioned the program has reminded me of one gripe, which is charging patrons £6 for a (albeit well presented) small magazine, listing who’s playing.

So, on a weekend when sales of wellington boots sold like hot cakes, and hot cakes probably sold pretty well too, a superb time was had by all. The festival organisers had been unduly worried by criticism appearing on the Bestival website forum, coming from those who had left early because of the initial torrential rain. But once all those who, like myself, saw it right through to the soggy end got back and gave their two cents worth, the true feelings of the patrons were overwhelmingly that Bestival was a grand success and who needs bloody sunshine anyway? It’s Britain, we have a week of sun during Wimbledon and before we’ve even gone out and bought some sun-block the clouds are back…

And where else other than Bestival can you queue up for a ride on the toboggan run while Gary Numan is playing Cars on the main stage?

By Mark Williams

Paramore with support from Phantom Planet, Paper Route, and Jack’s Mannequin (08-28-08)

I had really high expectations going into this concert for two reasons: a) I love Paramore and had heard amazing things about their live performances and b) the Kool Haus in Toronto is my favourite concert venue to date because of its modern décor and fun atmosphere, and most importantly, every show I’ve attended there has been unforgettable; call it coincidence, but it has yet to prove me wrong.

The show started off just like any other summer concert: no room to move in a boiling hot club, while listening to catchy tunes by a fun, up-and-coming opening band. The first opening act was Nashville, Tennessee foursome, Paper Route. Throughout their performance, I couldn’t help but think that their sound and presence was awfully similar to Taking Back Sunday – I have yet to decide whether this is a good or bad thing. While the band had great stage presence and a ton of energy, they just didn’t deliver an unforgettable performance. With that said, I’ll definitely keep my eye out for these guys because I can’t help but be a little intrigued by what they might have to offer.

Next up were California natives, Phantom Planet. To say that lead singer Alex Greenwald is charismatic and funny would be an understatement. He blew the crowd away even before the band began to play – an impressive feat if I do say so myself. In between crowd-surfing and inviting the audience to hang out after the show, the band performed five or six songs that, while catchy and enjoyable, just did not connect with the crowd. However, saving the best for last, they closed with their biggest hit, California. For those of you who may not know, this is the theme song for “The O.C” and of course, the audience loved every second of it. It’s funny how a song that more or less repeats the same four words over and over can be so popular, but who am I to judge? I was singing along at the top of my lungs too.

About fifteen minutes after Phantom Planet left the stage, the crowd started chanting for the last opening act, Jack’s Mannequin, to come out. Now, I’ll admit I had heard of them, but I’d never really looked into them, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, after seeing two good opening bands and witnessing the crowd’s excitement for this next band to come onstage, I thought to myself, “Wow, they must be awesome”. Apparently, when I’m wrong, I’m REALLY wrong. Funny, that’s exactly how I would describe Jack’s Mannequin: really, really wrong. For starters, lead singer Andrew McMahon kind of sounds like Claudio Sanchez from Coheed and Cambria, just less high pitched and somehow more annoying. Then, about halfway through their set, they started to play a song called “La La Lie” – allow me to take you through the chorus: “I’ve got friends who will help me pull through (la la la).” I kid you not. I’ve got friends? What happened to sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll? Maybe it’s just me though, because the crowd was really into them. I guess nasally whining is an acquired taste.

After what seemed like an eternity, Hayley Williams and the boys of Paramore jumped onstage and dove into an energy-filled performance of “Born for This”, followed by their current single, “That’s What You Get”. By this point, we were all already dripping with sweat and had no room to move, but somehow Hayley made sure that every single person in the room was dancing and having a great time.

While Paramore’s entire set was unbelievable, there were a few highlights that stole the show. First off, before jumping into “Hallelujah”, Hayley performed a beautiful cover of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” as the crowd fell silent. Then, the band announced that they had been getting a lot of requests on their website to play “My Heart”, a song from their 2005 album, “All We Know Is Falling”, and therefore decided to add it to their set list, which sent the audience literally shrieking for joy. Near the end of their set they performed “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic”, which during interviews, Hayley claims is her favourite song to perform live, and it is certainly clear why that is – every person in the room was screaming the words as loud as they could and she fed off the enthusiasm and energy of the crowd.

Before moving onto the next song, the band took a moment to explain their involvement with the clothing brand Hurley, to design a sweater whose proceeds go toward an organization called Love146, which works to stop child sex slavery and exploitation. Needless to say, by the time they were finished talking, the sweater was sold out at the venue.

Finally, after an unforgettable show, Paramore ended their set with an energetic performance of “Misery Business”, a fan favourite, and left the crowd eagerly anticipating the band’s next album.

Stay tuned.

By Souzan Michael

Creamfields 2008

With the Olympics winding down, Creamfields head honcho, Ryan Barton seems to be in the mood to feed off the frenzy it created by arranging for a relay of high profile, hard-hitting and groove inducing acts over an extended two days. Queuing revellers have also caught the Olympic bug, as news filters through that the strategy of last year to confiscate all pre-purchased alcohol is continuing into this year. This means that panic sets in and weird and wonderful containers of beer, vodka and most other spirits are being passed around like a relay baton. You couldn’t script it, but as scary looking concoction of vodka, red bull and few unknown ingredients is swiftly passed to a Californian, who is here to check out the legend of Ian Brown. The container falls out of his hand and the contents disappear, becoming absorbed in the combination of mud and water quicker than you can say “the Americans have dropped the baton again!”.

The Presets shake up those towards the front of the main-stage area, who have gathered early in order to be in the mix for Fatboy Slim. Creaky, slow building tunes are crafted by the friendly Aussie duo of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes. The low-key pearl ‘Girl and the Sea’, basks in the main-stage profile, giving off a chilled out, mildly lazy and thoughtful vibe. The main difficulty for The Presets, seems to be in the fact that their versatile, genre skipping approach has allowed them to tour with the likes of 2ManyDJs and The Rapture, but it means that their sound is usually moulded to fit in with the needs of the main act crowd. Today, their more pop-friendly side comes out for their Main-Stage billing. It is time for this pair to be given free-range to explore their eclectic approach on their own terms.
Seedy 90’s dance resurrecting stompers, Simian Mobile Disco use their off-kilter digitalism to draw at first, perplexed looks and then to inspire some quirky gyrating that hasn’t been seen since the auditions for Hairspray. Jas Shaw & James Ford manage to use enough cheekiness and flashes of controlled feistiness, to earn themselves the tag of being a male Salt N‘ Peppa, at times. Intrigued? You should be! Having built up a reputation in his home country of Argentina for his blistering, futuristic dance sets during his residency at Pacha, Buenos Aires, DJ Hernan Cattaneo uses his ability to work up a crowd. He does so with a climax of swirling stings to make full use of the stunning strobe-lights. This has the impact of getting the glow sticks soaring and bodies swaying.

Of course, if you are going to remain an icon for your lifetime and beyond it, you need a lot of help. Films like 24 Hour Party People, has aided the profile of the Madchester era. For many gathered to watch Ian Brown, his Stone Roses legendary status was what drew them here, not his politically nudged, world-music slanting new material. However, ‘Sister Rose’ one of the funkier new tracks, finds favour for its distorted guitar approach and the fact that Brown sings quite well on it. Creamfields is certainly full of surprises. A rising run through Roses’ classic ‘Waterfall’, is just what the nostalgic doctor ordered and feeling is put into it. Brownie has certainly exorcised demons of Roses past and it helps give his set variety and authenticity.

For many, the main disappointment of the last two years of this event, was in the below par showings from the headline acts; Prodigy and Chemical Brothers. This year, it is down to Fatboy Slim to restore the faith. His more universal appeal helps and when he kicks into a fuzzed out, elongated mix of House Of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’, the spasms of euphoria that certain sections of the crowd are sent into is justification enough. With Festivals waning this year through expectation and the disappointment of cancellations from some of the star turns, Creamfields has stepped it up a notch.

By Dave Adair

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds at Dublin Castle (Live 05-03-08)

11.30 am On the Saturday morning I made my way to the luxurious Fitzwilliam hotel in Dublin where Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds had just arrived the night before. The place was really calm. I went directly to the bar which was empty and decided to settle at a table in a corner and started to prepare my things. As I was switching on my laptop I realised that I could not connect to the internet.

I got up and asked the barmaid for a glass of water while I could see Mick Harvey standing at the reception looking for me. We had planned to meet the next time he was in Dublin. I arranged to be there by 12 am. We were both on time.

I was going to show Mick the bar when he said “I think there is a calm room where Nick Cave is…somewhere over there”. I reassured him by saying that the hotel was empty anyway and I was sitting in a corner of the bar that was also empty. The place looked nice.
He then followed me to the bar and sat at the table. He looked a bit tired but in a good mood. I asked him if he would like a coffee. He smiled “Yes, I’ll have a coffee …and maybe something to eat if you don’t mind..” I replied to him that I did not mind. The barmaid came to our table and asked us what we would like to order. I ordered a cappuccino and water while Mick was going through the menu to find a suitable plate. He then looked up to me and said “This is the only meal I would have today..”. I smiled “I am just the same .I only have the breakfast generally and off I am going”. He then made his order a bit later while I complained about the non-existent wireless connection “I just cant believe it !! What’s this BT network thing !!?? It looks like that the hotel doesn’t have their own free access network..” Mick then smiled and said “I know, that’s weird. You could always use an Ethernet cable but they don’t even have any plugs…” I smiled back and said ” My modem is built-in my laptop and its Wi-fi so I don’t need any cable as far as I’m concerned but the point is that there is no internet…that’s mad.”.
Mick smiled ” I mean , nowadays that should be everywhere…really..”. He asked me where I was living at the moment and I replied that I was travelling between Dublin, Dundalk and Belfast. I had some good friends in Dundalk that gave me a 3 bedroom house for myself almost free of charge so I would have some space and would decide to live there temporarily. Mick said that it was not that bad at all. He then asked me again about Dundalk just like the last time I talked to him. I then started to geographically locate it for him again and talked a little about the town’s history when suddenly I burst out laughing and so did Mick. We had a quick chat about the last interview we did before I began leading him into a passionate conversation about music and travel.

I would find out how the European tour with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds had gone so far.

I asked him first about his recent gig in Paris . He enjoyed being on stage but then he would not speak on the behalf of the audience. He wished he would have more time between the gigs to visit the towns where he plays. He did hang around Paris before his gig. The Opera and some “Passage de ..something” .

He couldn’t remember the correct name.
He would say some words in French from time to time with a nice accent. I was quite surprised that he was able to understand some French expressions I said to him. He nodded and said “Oui..”.I looked at him “But you are able to understand everything I say in French and you pretend that you do not speak French?!” . He smiled ” No , I don’t speak French but I know some words”. I continued with a smile on my face “it seems it’s a little more than a few words you understand!”. He would then laugh back at me.

We then talked about music and what he had been up to since the last time we spoke. He played last February as a support act for PJ Harvey on her Australian tour and asked me if I had heard about her new solo stuff. He really enjoyed it and was very fond of what she was doing .She is a very talented and respected musician. As far as his solo project was concerned he did not think about it yet. He would begin thinking about it when he’s in the process of doing it. At the moment he is on tour with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds across Europe and next fall across the United States. Later on I was telling him a story about tourists as we were talking about what we liked to do when we wanted to travel. I could not understand people that go to such destinations following guide books step by step like robots. They rush around and are only interested in taking pictures of landmarks. I would prefer to hang around the place and discover it myself. Its more charming and magical.

He agreed and admitted he didn’t like it either and also mentioned that he could not understand this kind of attitude. He would then tell me about his experiences and how people in Australia would ask him if he was looking forward to coming to Europe. I then looked at Mick and laughed “I see what you mean, they would really like to go to Europe themselves but do not actually do it.” Mick replied “That is exactly what it is. I don’t understand them ..They are making a projection on me. I am not sure if they are normal.. ” He then insisted that they are sheep.
Mick went almost everywhere around the globe with and without Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. I asked him if there were any countries left he would like to visit. He looked at me for a few moments before bursting out laughing “Mongolia. I have not been there yet”. He did not like Argentina as it seemed too similar to Europe. He would talk about his last personal trips to Hawaii and French Polynesia. His son gave him an excuse to travel wherever he wanted to go and this year they would go to Japan. He enjoyed being in Egypt with Nick Cave & the Bad seeds. I would ask him if he had been to “Le Caire” and he would then say “….mm…you mean lequel??” I would then say “Sorry , In English it’s Cairo”. He would smile and say “Yes ,I have been to “Le Caire” and Louxor too”. He would like to visit more African countries. He would go to France for a period of 3 weeks once a year and visit some friends in Paris. He liked to hang around “Le Luxembourg” and “Saint-germain-des-pres”.

I asked him about Dublin but he unfortunately never really had the time to wander around the city when he came either as a solo musician or with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. He would recall one of his gig at the Olympia and was confused as we were talking earlier about the Olympia in Paris. He would remember playing the Olympia theatre in Dublin some years ago. His favourite places in Ireland are Cork and Kerry where he goes from time to time to visit some friends.

Later I asked him about living in Australia and if people there could feel isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. He said that this was something that was well understood. It was a cultural problem and that some people could feel they were stuck there and far from everything. Being so far away can have an affect on the nation’s mentality. He would say there were also a lot of Australians that were quite happy to just be there and spend their time watching TV at night but certainly not people involved in cultural pursuits like they were, playing music. One could feel if he was just stuck in Australia , he could feel stuck in Australia and like he was not part of the world. Mick asked for an espresso and I asked for a glass of water .It was around 1.30pm then as I left the hotel. I gave Mick a big bag of sweets and chocolates and he lent me his personal pass so I could go in to town in the meantime and meet them again for the sound check at 3pm.

3.15 pm As I was walking around Dublin Castle I could not find any entrances and discovered a bit later that I was at the wrong gate. I finally managed to get in and eventually asked a security guard where the stage was. He showed me the entrance to a smaller yard and there I went walking under the arch until the backstage where I stepped into the first room on my right which was the production room . I could feel some curiosity from the local promoters when I entered the room waiting for Mick Harvey. I was not speaking to anyone and they were wondering who I was. Then the very nice local tour manager came to me “Nick Cave & co are on stage now doing the sound check , you can go now and come back with them afterwards and bring his pass back “. I just thought to myself “What’s the matter with this guy?!”. I went outside. The yard was completely empty .The band was on stage starting the sound check.
I sat in a sunny corner and lit a cigarette. Nick Cave looked at me as he checked his microphone. I would only glance at the stage from time to time. Some fans could feel that if they were at my place they would have stuck their eyes to the stage from the start to the end of the sound check. I could feel that Nick Cave was intrigued by my presence. I was looking around and listening to the powerful sound that was promising a brilliant concert. I looked at the sky. It was sunny and cloudy then sunny and cloudy again. I hoped it would not rain when the gig be on.
I liked the fact that I was on my own in this empty yard sitting some meters away from the stage where Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds were sound checking.
Forty minutes later even though I was drinking water I was feeling a bit dizzy and numb. I decided to stretch my legs for a couple of minutes .
Nick Cave glanced at me as I got up. I put my MP3 player on “Leonard Cohen” and walked outside the castle . When I got back, the stage was completely empty and I thought “I cant believe it !? I am sitting here for an hour or so and the moment I go away for 5 minutes everybody is gone!”.
I always carry my music with me everywhere I go. As I walked through the yard towards the empty stage with my MP3 on I could see Mick from a distance standing there waiting for me and suddenly walking towards me. I apologized to him and hoped that he did not have too wait for me too long or to even start to wonder if I would ever come back. He did not mind and somewhat he knew I was coming back. He then asked me how many friends I would bring later on . I replied to him that I did not think about it. As he insisted I said that I would bring two friends. I walked along with Mick to the production room behind the stage where Nick Cave and the other Bad Seeds were standing there waiting for Mick who was waiting for me. Mick introduced me to the earlier very nice local tour manager “This is Aurelie, she will be coming back later on so she will need an after show badge”. Nick Cave was standing beside me speechless.

Mick then gave my name to the guy so he could add me on the guest list. I stood there among the band listening to the directions from the local promoter. I would not speak to anyone but only respond if someone would come up to me.

5.30 pm At the end Nick Cave asked a question about costumes . He left the room first and the other members followed. Thomas Wydler, the drummer smiled at me before leaving the room. I then left along with Mick who was telling me that the gig would start at 8.30 pm and end at 10.30 pm. I would then see him at the after show.

8.00 pm . I was back there and two friends would have joined me. They were really happy and thankful while I would realise that I would have actually preferred to be on my own so that I could not be distracted. I did not know that Mick also allowed after show badges for my friends. We got into the VIP area in front of the stage that separated from the crowd that had paid for their tickets. There were around 200 people in the VIP area and 2000 or maybe more in total. I guess that Nick Cave & the bad Seeds have not changed a bit. The same energy and quality. Nick Cave would continuously catch the attention of the whole audience. He would be talking to the them between the songs, encouraging them to participate along with him. He would be almost screaming in the same tone of voice he would sing. The crowd was agitated.
Ones would keep on taking pictures, that way it would reassure them they would not miss anything. Others would ask for “The weeping song” while Nick Cave would go for “The ship song”. They played old stuff along songs from their new album “Dig, Lazarus, dig! “. Nick Cave’s parts on the piano got the most response with “The ship song” , “Nobody’s baby now” and “Into my arms” .
The audience sang along and moved smoothly to the rhythm of music. This was magical.
For the last song , Shane McGowan joined Nick Cave on stage for their famous duet “Wonderful world” . Shane McGowan was putting on his act as best he could. He would almost spit in the microphone as he would acknowledge Nick Cave before leaving. I thought that was exaggerated.

10.30 pm Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds went off stage. The crowd disappeared quickly while around twenty people were left including myself and two friends . I headed to the backstage where I ended up in a basement room and could not believe that this was supposed to be “The” after show party. It looked like a small canteen. I felt like I was at school or either in the waiting room at the doctor. There was only a few other people including some of the Bad Seeds . There was a small fridge with drinks. I had a soda and sat at a table. The atmosphere of the room was strange.
I glanced at Mick who was talking to a few people . He was actually looking at me . He came to my table and we talked for a while. I asked him when the “party” would be over. He replied in French “20 minutes”. He was leaving the following morning heading to Glasgow. I said to him at a certain time that the performance was brilliant and that I really liked it. He looked surprised and said “Oh, thank you”. I said goodbye to Mick and left shortly after him .

11.45 pm Time to go home. The after show was not that great. The band also felt the same but did not have any control over it. However that didn’t take anything away from the fantastic performance they gave and the impressive gentleness and personality of Mick Harvey.

By Aurélie Montfrond

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