From: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org (idealcopy-digest) To: idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Subject: idealcopy-digest V11 #119 Reply-To: idealcopy@smoe.org Sender: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk idealcopy-digest Friday, July 24 2009 Volume 11 : Number 119 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [idealcopy] THE WILD SWANS, Static Gallery, Liverpool ["keith a" Subject: [idealcopy] THE WILD SWANS, Static Gallery, Liverpool First of all a quick report on the venue, a small arts centre kind place in a Liverpool back seat located roughly halfway between the two cathedrals. A half dozen steps downstairs, however, led you to the venue itself, splendidly done out with union jacks and bunting like some war time English pub. It didn't stop there - the merchandise stall was underneath a sign which read 'Fancy goods', there was a jumble sale type table selling old books and LP's by the likes of Deep Purple and Argent, and a small boy dressed in Edwardian gear (like a number of the audience) went round offering sweets to the audience. We were then treated to a short set by Rebecca Joy Sharp on the harp and voice. I must give a quick mention to her last number, Stars Got Stuck, as it really was quite beautiful with a riff that had a definite Wild Swans feel to it (albeit on the harp) and some touching lyrics that included a line about her friend's mum going to school with Annie Lennox. Finally, though, The Wild Swans sauntered onstage, with Paul Simpson looking fab in a 60's family entertainer kind of way. I was expecting more of an emotional reaction from the audience to be honest, but they were quite subdued at first, but once the band started...well at the risk of sounding like some old hippy, you could feel the love in the room. They opened with a storming Bible Dreams and a couple of numbers in there was a lovely moment for me when Simpson smiled as I was finishing the "I'm always last to know line' in Immaculate. A new number, the name of which I didn't catch, followed, and very good it was too, but otherwise the set consisted of early numbers like No Bleeding, tracks such as Northern England from the under-rated Bringing Home The Ashes album, and both sides of the excellent recent single English Electric Lightning. The b-side, the spoken word The Coldest Winter For A Hundred Years, was dedicated to the late Pete De Freitas, and although much of the words were lost in the mix, the number worked in an entirely different way to the recorded version, sounding like a cross between the Velvets and the tribalism of the Bunnymen's Zimbo. This was probably no coincidence seeing as the bassist here was the latter's Les Pattinson, who having smiled his way through the show till this point, looked rather emotional during this number. A quick word here for the rest of the band - original member Ged Quinne tinkled away on the keyboards, guitarists Mike Mooney and Ricky Rene Maymi of the Brian Jonestown Massacre took it in turns to do the jangly bits and, well let's be frank, rock out (although at times, it must be said, they jangled beautifully together) while drummer Steve Beswick added much muscle. There might be some beautiful melodies here, with tender, heartfelt lyrics sung by a man in a blazer (in front of a screen showing If), but I can assure you there was nothing fey about this performance. My only complaint (other than the lack of The Worst Year Of My Life) was that Simpsons voice should have been louder in the mix. The set closed with the legendary Revolutionary Spirit, surely one of the greatest singles of the 1980's. This, however, was an altogether meatier version and I wasn't sure it was going to work at first, but it did. As my mate said, I never expected to hear this live, but there was Simpson singing that "strange and absolute" line the small matter of a few feet in front of me. After this I wasn't sure there'd be an encore - how were they going to follow that?! - but on they trooped with one addition. "You can never have too many guitarists" said Simpson, and a quick eyes right revealed that they had been joined by Will Sergeant. There was a definite change in direction here, with the band adopting an altogether funkier feel as they treated us to Melting Blue Delicious from the largely unknown Space Flower set. The Bringing Home The Ashes title track followed before they concluded with another Space Flower number, Tangerine Temple. It was a great encore - three guitarists battling it out, watched admiringly from the other side of the stage by Simpson who referred to them as the Wild Swans Guitar Orchestra. I've waited a long time to see The Wild Swans. I'm glad I eventually took the plunge to get tickets for the second night. I've got all this to look forward to again. ------------------------------ End of idealcopy-digest V11 #119 ********************************