“If Jesus could wash my feet I still wouldn’t have a hope in
hell.” Just one of a number of great lyrical snippets from tonight’s opening
act Fred Abong, former bass player with Throwing Muses and Belly. After a long
absence, and some persuasion from Kristin Hersh herself, Abong has recorded and
released a mini album/ep ‘Homeless’. All six tracks are played tonight and,
writing these words two days later, I’ve become a convert. Mesmorising,
repetitive guitar picking runs throughout a number of his songs – ‘Equinox’ and
‘Homeless’ being two stand outs that
immediately hook you in and make you really want to listen, while slower, heavier
strumming backs up ‘Hi Avalon’ and ‘The Cannery’ all topped with a voice that
instantly reminds me of Eels Mark Everett. Husky and gravelly with lyrics that can
deal up despair, bleakness and some fragile emotional thoughts. Acoustic
versions of previous heavier, grungier tracks such as ‘Bower Bird’ and
‘Christmas’, not to be found on the ep, sound great. Fred Abong delivered a set
of acoustic songs that allowed fans of his previous bands to experience a new
way of appreciating his songwriting.
Listen to Homeless (even better - just buy it)
here.
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| Fred Abong |
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| Fred Abong |
Kristin Hersh pushes the curtain draped to the right out of
the way, walks on stage, says “Hello” and the place falls silent, the audience
immediately transfixed by her presence. Opening with ‘Bright’ from most recent
album ‘Wyatt At The Coyote Palace’ both Hersh and those present are taken to
another place. A place where, for the next hour or so, nothing else matters
apart from the songs we’re listening to. Kristin Hersh is an endearing yet
powerful presence. There’s virtually no chatter between songs except the occasional
comment that “it’s so quiet in here.” That’s simply an indication of the
respect and adoration so many have for her. Not a single person would dare
start holding their own conversation whilst she’s playing. Not a single person
would even want to. It’s a career spanning set covering her solo output as well
as a decent number of Throwing Muses numbers. Songs that are over twenty years
old, some approaching thirty years of age sit comfortably amongst recent
releases and lose none of their power or impact. Stripped of drums and bass,
with just Hersh’s volatile guitar playing and voice that veers between delicate
sweetness and raw yelling ‘City Of The Dead’ , ‘Static’ and ‘Sunray Venus’ are
transformed into completely new auditory experiences. Crowd favourites ‘Poor
Wayfaring Stranger’ and, of course, ‘Your Ghost’ are greeted with particularly
enthusiastic, yet polite, shouts of appreciation. The rawness of ‘Mississippi Kite’
contrasts beautifully with the delicate, emotional ‘Flooding’. It’s a set that’s
all too short. Kristin Hersh leaves the stage and it’s almost as if everyone
awakes from a wonderful hypnotic trance. Suddenly there’s floor stamping and
yells for more. No way she’ll get away without returning, which she does with a
comment along the lines of “Now for my happy songs” before belting out an
encore that included, amongst others ‘Your
Dirty Answer’, the Muses ‘You Cage’ and ‘Gazebo Tree’.
Great night from one of rock’s most talented
singer-songwriters.
Setlist, but not in order and possibly with one or two minor
errors: The Key / Bright / Krait / Mississippi Kite / Gazebo Tree / Freesia /
Poor Wayfaring Stranger / Your Ghost / Static / City Of The Dead / Flooding /
Sunray Venus / I Will Never Marry / Banks Of The Ohio / Sundrops / Cuckoo / You
Cage / Dirty Answer
Shimmer - Facebook fanpage
here.
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| Kristin Hersh |
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| Kristin Hersh |
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| Kristin Hersh |
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| Kristin Hersh |
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| Kristin Hersh |
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| Kristin Hersh |
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| Kristin Hersh |
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| Kristin Hersh |
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