Sinister: Barcelona gig review

[oc245d8aff at xxx.net]

Hello everybody,

Here's a very rough and ready review of our heroes in Barcelona:

ARE BELLE AND SEBASTIAN NECESSARY ON A BICYCLE?

The beautiful old square was packed to the rafters, except there weren't
any rafters because it was an open air concert. People were precariously
perched on the gargoyles instead. These gargoyles were apparently used
in the Middle Ages to pour boiling oil on unruly Jethro Tull fans. In
spite of being surrounded by other pop attractions, including Primal
Scream, people seemed only too happy to stand around packed like sailors
in a leaking submarine to see Belle and Sebastian strut their funky
stuff.

They leapt straight into "Tigermilk" at which point we buggered off for
a drink. Pop salvation is one thing, dehydration is another. When we got
back it was obvious they were getting a bit shirty due to malfunctioning
monitors and the egg-bound sound of some of the rented instruments. The
monitor man, bless him, was a distant cousin of Manuel from Fawlty
Towers. Say no more.

It all went by so fast I can't really remember the set list, most of
which I didn't recognise anyway. They did "Dylan in the Movies", which
has always been one of my least favourite songs because it reminds me
of...well, Dylan in the movies, namely the terrible film....whoops,
can't find my Dylanology books...I think it's called "Streets of Fire"
or something equally ludicrous. But I digress. The song is much better
live than on record, rollicking and celebratory. Next came a new song,
"Wash Your Feet in the Sea", and then "Get Me Away From Here, I'm
Dying", one of my all time favourites because it's so joyously apparent
that the singer ISN'T dying at all. Up until now I've had my
reservations about Belle and Sebastian, but now I can put my hand on my
heart and say that they are as good as Orange Juice, my own teenage
obsession, the band I didn't want to share with anybody, the band that
taught me it was okay to feel things. I like to think B&S are fulfilling
that purpose for a growing number of lost sheep. The meek SHALL inherit
the earth after all. Giving eskimo kisses to torturers' assistants,
tickling the feet of international business men. In short, spreading
love where love doesn't want to go.

Isobel was dressed in a very fetching AC/DC school uniform, but sadly
she didn't attempt the Angus Young Hoppity Skippity Funny Walk with her
cello. The keyboard player (Chris?) was tinkling away merrily behind his
Rick Wakeman bank of vintage keyboards. He was wearing a jumper supplied
by the Lenny Godber Gentleman's Fashion Boutique in West Bromwich, now
sadly demolished to make way for Spaghetti Junction. Stuart Murdoch
looked very smart in his Sunday School trousers and sensible sandals.

At one point the drummer was called upon to mark the re-release of the
Led Zep back catologue with an impromptu drum solo. It sounded like The
Mighty Thor parking his mini in a crowded Safeways car park. Then the
rest of the band joined in, rocking out as if they were possessed of
several devils, Stewpot grinning like a kid who's just been invited to
provide handclaps for the Bay City Rollers' new single on "Jim'll Fix
It". The cello was groaning like a hump-backed whale in the final stages
of labour. It sounded like a cross between My Bloody Valentine and Miles
Davis' band in the early seventies. Rented amps were turned up to
eleven; someone had to take the back off the Wurlitzer piano and pour
some water in it, otherwise we might have had the first pop-induced
inferno since Brian Wilson abandoned "Smile".

Oh, and Stuart laughed just after starting a very tender piano ballad.
Whatever would Elton say?

I can now clear up the mystery of the prolonged instrument changes. On
some songs a laughable little xylophone is featured. It looks like
no-one is willing to play it for more than one song (hardly surprising),
so they have to keep changing round. A bit like when you're playing
football with your mates and nobody wants to be goalie.

Can't think of anything else to say. Thanks to all concerned for making
a wonderful weekend possible. It really was like "Jim'll Fix It", and
you can't say fairer than that now, can you?



Peter
back down to earth with a bump!


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
.     This message was brought to you by the Sinister mailing list.
.        To send to the list please mail "sinister at majordomo.net".
.  For subscribing, unsubscribing and other list information please see
.            http://www.majordomo.net/sinister
. For questions about how the list works mail owner-sinister at majordomo.net
-----------------------------------------------------------------------