Weeeeeelllll. Saw some lovely Specialized S-Works bikes in Freewheel on the way down the hill to Bunker's Hill, and was bought a drink by the lovely Mr Eldritch as congrats for course pass-age (I did briefly become my dad when remembering going out for a night with £5 in ma yoot - the cost plus 55p for our 2 drinks). Then to ice the cake Mr C Summerlin came thru' on the posters (and how wrong does that sound but it's staying now), thanks for all the freebies Chris, lovely stuff.
We went in to the upstairs room at BH, which I really like (blowing the myth that I don't like any venue) apart from the artexing looking very shonky and indeed of making good, no Welsh barmaid this time (indeed the upstairs bar looked shut, not that I was buying at that price), and took a seat right at stage front right.
We were treated to a great set by Patrick Farmer and the aforementioned Mr Summerlin, I had seen PF with the Designer Babies (supporting Melt Banana a few years back), and could see he knew how a drum kit worked. Tonight though he was really good, maybe freer to improvise, small set up, bass drum, snare and what looked like a single timbale plus one cymbal and hi-hat. He festooned these with various other percussion ephemera and was constantly in motion. CS switching from banjo (home-made electrification, very Nick Knowles) to guitar made some sexy swooshes rills and curls. I thought I was being original thinking of Mick Turner and Jim White, but Damn You had described them as such beforehand, so I am just another herd sweller. There is an element of transportation to Victorian Victoria (Australia), and you expected gunfire, or a spicy laydee in clothes of silk to burst forth. Cool.
Then came Gareth Hardwick, who I'm sure I've seen before, just can't place where. Personally I felt he had a tough ask following CS and PF, but worked some nice wave-like sound cycles, and generally kept me transported. There were a couple of times when I was watching other things and worrying about that artex, but all-in-all he done good.
Finally came Lichens (or Robert A. Lowe as QVC may know him). It is really hard to review something so oddly mesmerizing as seeing this man perform. Palmer has had a good go earlier this week (it'll be better than my effort). He is just very... different. How though, bloody hell there's a knack to all this that i don't possess. here's my blind slash at it anyway, he sounds like all the sounds of nature crossed with Ry Cooder gently humping Leo Kotke, while a choir goes through its paces in the background... See I said it was hard to describe. Anyway it's not so bestial as that (maybe I'm not getting enough eh?) but it is a mind-fuck and it's hard to believe the sounds are coming out of him (much like miserablist 80s pop artiste Black), but they are I tell you they are. He was also assisted by a guy with many wonderful electronic things and a cheeky hat! Mr E thought he may be Lichens collaborator White, but that's unconfirmed by me right?
It was good to chat with Chris and Peter and nice for PE's fans to finally meet him in all his glory (he is a fine figure of a man), and hey that Bettini World Champ Quickstep Specialized S-Works was still in the window when we went past (still think the pink one's a ladies though - it's the saddle). Salut (apres un clip de Lichens en Paris dans 2007, c'est j'vais en vacance ici pour une semain)!
Fans?!?!? Fans???? Whaddayalike. I've run out of words to describe Mr. Lowe, I'm afraid - and he played Northampton THIS VERY EVENING and I didn't go... and he's playing Coventry tomorrow and I'll be watching Eurovision in a haze of alcohol... oh well...
Posted by: palmer_eldritch | May 24, 2008 at 12:22 AM
Collaborator was Jeremy from White / Light
Posted by: chris | May 25, 2008 at 08:22 PM