A friend and fellow blogger has just written about taking a break from live music after a truly transcendent show. These sentiments are relevant to my review, since I found myself standing on the front row for Panda Bear in Manchester still on a high from a remarkable Zola Jesus concert. It's fair to say that whilst this was an unusual and inspiring evening of music making, it didn't quite have the revelatory effect on me that Zola Jesus did.
Panda Bear still created quite an event: on a night when Rihanna had filled a nearby stadium, he attracted hardcore music enthusiasts from far and wide. Pandas are a rare species, and it had been four years since Noah Benjamin Lennox had last played in Manchester. I'd seen him earlier this year at Coachella, as part of an Animal Collective set, but this was my first experience of his solo project. He apparently told the promoters in advance of this gig that he's not likely to return here for at least three years: perhaps it was the thought of setting up the vast array of analogue and electronic equipment which almost filled the stage. Noah's from Baltimore, but moved to Lisbon in 2004 because it was 'a slow moving kind of place'. His art is the type which requires mental preparation: you need to cast aside contemporary life and open your mind to submission to art, in the same way you might approach a modern art gallery.
Religion somehow came to the fore tonight. The event itself was held in a Methodist Church Hall in Manchester, a fine location chosen for its 25 foot screen with a triple projection system. The absence of alcohol there was a reminder of my own non-conformist upbringing: as a son of the manse its influence on my life is inescapable. Noah himself majored in religion at Boston University because of his interest in the 'concept of God'. His singing, bathed in a haze of artificial reverb and natural echo from the large hall at times reminded me of the celebrant's chant at Westminster Cathedral: it was ethereal and timeless.
The support act, Stellar OM Source from the Netherlands gave an insightful interview which eloquently expresses some of my own feelings about great live music, continuing the spiritual theme:
Those feelings of attaining something higher in joy, in the mind, in the body, and climbing and wandering in those zones, transcendental states... I hope people will feel so energized, empowered, transported, and so uplifted by intense esthetic and physical pleasures.
Christelle Gualdi's performance was akin to a DJ set, except that I witnessed her manipulating the music more freely, and her body language spoke volumes of her immersion on the electronic sound worlds she was creating. Her proto-techno, acid house influenced compositions are wholly instrumental; but what was lacking was not so much the voice as the atmosphere of the crowd dancing, and a light show. She's clearly incredibly gifted, but I'd love to hear her work in the context of a rave, not just as a passive witness.
In contrast, my overwhelming impression of Panda Bear's set was sensory overload: it was a hypnotic experience, with stunning visuals and lighting, copious smoke, and a mass of electronic loops, echoey beats and Noah's haunting, indistinct vocals soaring above the space. It was minimalist and repetitive, yet anchored by his profound sense of melody. The intention, and effect, was to place you in an altered state: there was no option but to submit. This was a full on experience, requiring concentration and close attention, rewarding you with real beauty. Much of the set was from his masterly Tomboy album released in April this year, which is more stripped down than 2007's Person Pitch, yet with greater impact and bite. This bear has more bite than a chill wave artist, and gives a more physical experience.
Make no mistake: Panda Bear live is a one-off, must see event, and in this relatively small venue had a more intense effect than Animal Collective on the main stage at Coachella. He was aided by Peter Kember (known as Sonic Boom) who produced Tomboy, but compared to Zola Jesus, I missed a sense of audience engagement. Whereas she interacted in a close and remarkably powerful manner with the crowd, Noah remained in a trance like state, often with his eyes closed at the back of the stage. This made it a more intellectual and less psychologically engaging experience; I was more of an awed observer, and less of a participant. Even so, at times I could barely see through the smoke and strobe lighting, and I closed my eyes, revelling in the magical sonic beauty.
Stellar OM Source (support act)
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