Carina Round came to my attention through her collaboration with Maynard James Keenan's Puscifer project. Yet, her début album First Blood Mystery was released 10 years ago, influenced by Patti Smith, Tom Waits and Jeff Buckley. Her mother was a keen music enthusiast, taking her to see Metallica when she was 12. After being signed to Interscope Records she in 2004 she moved from her native Wolverhampton to Los Angeles, becoming a touring member of Puscifer in 2009. It's clear that she's been exposed to a wide and rich range of musical influences, and indeed she has an alternative country side project called Early Winters, which released its first full length album earlier this year.
Tonight's gig was part of her Tigermending Tour, funded through Pledgemusic. This album was in my top ten for the first half of 2012, and I wrote about its powerful emotional impact, depth and passion. It includes collaborations from musicians such as Brian Eno, Billy Corpan and her friend Dave Stewart, demonstrating how widely connected and respected she is. My expectations for this gig were high, and when I arrived at this new (to me) venue in typically torrential Manchester rain, it was clear it was going to be an intimate show.
After two support acts and what seemed like an interminable wait, Carina's stage presence was immediately apparent. The hour long set was, as expected, dominated by songs from Tigermending; amongst the highlights for me were Girl and The Ghost and Pick Up The Phone, with its startlingly direct lyrics. Her enthusiasm and love of performing was palpable, although the audience responded impassively. I missed the amazing crowd atmosphere of an act like Two Door Cinema Club, but the subject matter here is of a more serious nature. This was a cerebral experience, not a party, as with PJ Harvey, to whom she's been compared. I was also reminded of Sharon Van Etten in her ability to communicate energy and passion, and to explore melancholy themes.
Carina performed with gusto, her body movements expressive, and the three piece backing band sounded tight. The real draw here was Carina's remarkably rich and sensuous voice, which is incredibly versatile, and expressive. She's an adventurous, experimental musician, able to adapt her sound to different material, most notable in the acoustic, solo encore, performed unmiked at the front of the stage. It's a pity though that the venue's sound system revealed less detail than on is evident on the Tigermending album, and the lyrics were indistinct at times. The lighting was minimalist, the stage dimly lit, but this isn't an act in need of distractions.
Given her level of musical talent, Carina deserves to perform in larger venues than this one, but she's maintained her artistic integrity and avoided compromising for popular appeal. She showed genuine appreciation for the support of her fans as she struck up a conversation with the audience between songs. A profile of Grizzly Bear this week revealed that even this relatively high profile indie band doesn't make enough money for all its members to be covered by health insurance. Carina acknowledged last night that although her album had only just been officially released in the UK 'anyone who gave a shit could have got it (illicitly) in May'. She's an incredibly hard working musician, touring relentlessly to make a living from art. If you care about the life enhancing force that is music, you should do all you can to support artists such as Carina Round.
Set List
- Set Fire
- Weird Dream
- The Last Time
- Downslow
- Pick Up The Phone
- Die 4 u (Prince cover)
- You Will be Loved
- Elegy
- For Everything a Reason
- Girl and The Ghost
- Into My Blood
- Backseat
- You and Me
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