I'm writing primarily about the support act at this gig, since The Avett Brothers completely failed to engage me. Much of the audience seemed to be stimulated by their energy on stage, yet the hyperactive jumping up and down felt meaningless to me. Their music is indebted to bluegrass and folk, and if they didn't pre-date Mumford and Sons, I'd describe them as derivative. I found the set bombastic: even when Seth or Scott announced an intent to slow down, there was scant variety of mood. In contrast to Mumford, this exaggerated frenzy was unsupported by memorable melody, and whilst some found meaning in the Christian references in the lyrics, I ended up leaving a gig early for the first time. Americana and folk is within my core area of musical interest, yet I clearly have a blind spot where The Avetts are concerned. For the sake of balance, a national newspaper gave their London performance the night after this a glowing review.
However, I'm grateful to the North Carolinians for inviting what Grace Potter herself described as 'a bunch of hooligans from Vermont' to support them. I'd seen Grace Potter and The Nocturnals last year at Coachella, but this was their first UK appearance, and I'm happy that she promised to return here soon. The 40 minute set drew heavily from their fourth album The Lion, The Beast, The Beat which was released in 2012 and produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach. Whilst their breakthrough came with the self-titled album two years earlier, the tightness of the performance reflects the fact they've been performing for over a decade. Grace Potter moved between her Gibson Flying V guitar, Hammond B3 Organ, and tambourine, whilst The Nocturnals here rocked bass guitar, harmonica, drummers and slide guitar.
Grace Potter established a warm rapport with the crowd, but her charisma was matched by the band so it was clearly a collaboration. The overwhelming impression was of a group of musicians enjoying themselves together, their sense of fun infectious. Grace herself has a considerable stage presence, at times almost sensual, and always highly expressive. Her voice, sometimes compared to Janis Joplin's, is powerful and bluesy, and her dancing phenomenal. The harmony may be rooted in the American folk tradition, but this had was powerful rock and roll with blues riffs. At one moment it can be gritty rock, and then incredibly moving and expressive.
Grace Potter is a sincere, hard working musician, building her profile steadily through touring. This passion is transferred brilliantly to the audience, and if you like rock with a country twinge, you must see her act. She's one of those artists who proves the adage about music existing in a completely different dimension live.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete