Sinister: Report from concert in San Francisco

[peter arnold]

Dear Listerines,

You don't know me but I know you - haha yes! I've been reading your mail 
these several years. And I went up to the city to see the Belles last night! 
Here is my homework:


Report from B&S gig in Saint Frank, 3/21/06

In the SOMA district of San Francisco there is a kind of ghetto for 
furniture sellers, in the midst of which is a vast barn with no seats where 
normally they have wild furniture-roping contests or some such. Except on 
Tuesday, when they had Belle y Sebastian plus Nude Photographers or whatever 
(actually they were quite good. I had bought their album and not really 
gotten into it, but the live show was great esp. the drummer who is a star. 
Extra credit for thoughtful use of cheesy plastic keyboards.)

The main event began at 9:30. The band came on in the usual 2-4-1-1 
formation with Stuart leading the attack up front and Stevie tucked in just 
behind him. A four-man midfield featured an un-named lady cellista plus 
Sarah, Mick and the marvellous Bobby who made little attacking runs down the 
right wing (stage right that is). Beans at left back, Richard on the right 
with the above-mentioned nameless but versatile auxilliary dropping back to 
cover the near post during set-plays. Stuart had thin striped shirt and 
burgundian pants. Sarah in red hoodie. Beans with walrus 'tache. A charcoal 
suit was wearing Stevie.

Here's what I remember of the set. They must surely have played Blues are 
Still Blue (right?) but I can't actually remember that happening! Also the 
order is really confused in my memory.

Stars of Track and Field
Sunny Day
Sinister
Funny Little Frog
White Collar
She's Losing It
Sunshine
Jonathan David
Sleepyheads
Your Cover's Blown
Dog on Wheels
Sukie in the Graveyard
Piazza NY Catcher
I'm a Cuckoo
Fox in t'snow
'Leccy Renaissance
Judy and the Dream (sing along at first!)

Simple Things
Arab Strap

Missing: none of the B&S-classic style songs from That 70's Album (i.e. 
Mornington Cres., Dress Up in You, Acts Ch.1&2 vs.9-21, etc.) were played. 
Nothing off TBWTAS until the encore. No amusing cover was performed. None of 
the songs I personally yelled out (Dream #2, Strng. Bn. Jn., Marx'n'Engels, 
many others). A loud-voiced fellow called for Rollercoaster Ride, which 
Stuart heard and called an "intersting choice" before not playing it. But I 
think what was played hung together really well as a set. It was quite 
youthful and bouncy and moved along nicely. The only thing I felt the crowd 
was not quite in the mood for when it came up was Piazza NYC.

The up-tempo material from the new album was just great and a big hit with 
the very young crowd (well everyone looks young to me, but these peoples 
really were young and many had thick-plastic-rimmed oval spectacles, in the 
manner of intellectual youth). I really enjoyed Your Cover's Blown. I also 
liked Jonathan David which I am normally bored by. Stevie and Stuart really 
hammed it up onstage with that evening's freshly selected Bride of Murdoch 
from the audience. She was called Jamie which Stuart found to be highly 
American of her.

It was a contrast from last time they were here at the Warfield. Bigger 
crowd, less intimate, more rock show. Musically they were pretty tight with 
only the occasional vocal weaknesses in evidence. Y'know who I think has 
catalysed this new direction? The new post-"Hands Child" B&S? None other 
than young "Relfast" Robert Kildea. The boy is an awesome bass-player (e.g. 
on Sukie) and plays a mean lead as well. There's just something about him 
that gives the band a bit more width to explore which is a good thing. Plus 
he is easily the most attractive figure on stage, even when he's not there.

I felt Stuart's banter was a little stretched in some places but of course 
everything went down very well with us, the crowd. I have a funny little 
idea he was waiting for ad-libs to come to him in the closing cadences of 
Arab Strap but nothing arrived so he just kind of wound it up. But I could 
be quite mistaken here.

I can't wait for them to come back and see how they are progressing but I do 
wonder - if TLP gets the sales it deserves (and it really is a strong, 
accessible album) the next tour could be in  stadia. Or
godforbid the bloody Shoreline Amphitheater. Or the Sleeptrain Mattress 
Auditorium in Marysville. And this would not necessarily fill me with joy 
like last noght's wonderful concert.

I wish you all could have been there, I feel sure you would have enjoyed it. 
Perhaps next time my fellow lurkers and I can have a picnic where we meet in 
a bar and not talk to each other, but just listen to what one of the other 
tables is saying. We could buy a drink and not have to pay $6
for a small cup of wine inside the furniture barn, which would be nice.

Next time, ok?

Love from
The Quantity,
Cupertino, Calif.


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