Music is intimately related to place, and Helado Negro talked of places 'far more tropical tropical than this'; of humidity; and palm trees. His musical style takes the form of slow dub pop, with an experimental feel: this is music that is demanding of the audience, and takes time to adjust to. He sings in Spanish: foreign language lyrics seem normal to an opera lover like me, yet could be a barrier to some people's appreciation. Yet he won us over through his facial expressions: sometimes his eyes were closed, yet sometimes he gazed straight into our eyes. It had a hypnotic effect, and his warm, relaxed persona made entry into his exotic world easier. His real name is Roberto Lange, he's based in Brooklyn, and his stage name bizarrely means 'Black Ice Cream'. This was his first visit to Manchester, yet he's an experienced performer, and his Ecuadorian roots helped to make this a transportational set.
Matthew E. White by contrast brought part of Richmond, Virginia to this rainy part of England. More specifically, he talked warmly of the musical community he helped to nurture there, and he felt like an evangelist for it. He founded a record label, Spacebomb Records, in 2011 and its first album is Big Inner. No less than 40 local musicians feature on it; tonight the brass and chorus were understandably absent. In fact so was one of his five fellow band members, who'd fallen ill, prompting Matthew to explain to applause how differently we approach health care in the UK. This debut album has attracted much critical acclaim, Paste and Consequence of Sound naming Matthew E. White their 2012 breakthrough artists of the year.
I've rarely encountered a musician who has such evident gratitude for the audience: he explained how lucky he felt that he could sell out a gig in a town half way across the world he'd not played previously. The album has a slightly muted, laid back feel, yet live there was far more energy. The musical influences include funk, southern soul, Motown and art rock, yet it was the American roots vibe (complete with use of pedal steel) which connected most strongly with me. His soulful baritone voice was at times subdued, but this was very much a collaborative effort, and the band jammed together in a way they could only after refining their act over the long term. At times I felt the sound was opaque, yet this is clearly intentional, as listening closely to the album revealed the same mix.
Towards the end of the set, his true masterpiece Brazos, a deconstructed Gospel song, was performed. Some may find the religious references uncomfortable in Matthew E. White's work, yet this is subtle songwriting, the antithesis of superficial mainstream pop. The hosannas are not to be taken too literally: this song talks about slaves who've not seen much compassion from organised religion (and the gospel song descends into discord by its conclusion). I found this music intensely spiritual, and having been through personal challenges recently, I found peace and contentment in this experience. There's no doubting the passion and sincerity here, which like the support act challenges you to delve deeper into the meaning of our existence. Yet this was not a dry, academic exercice. There was humour, not least around the difficulty for an American to understand the Mancunian or indeed Scottish accents, and I came away feeling uplifted.
Set List
- Will You Love Me
- One of These Days
- Steady Pace
- Country
- Hot Toddies
- If You Need
- Big Love
- Human Style
- Gone Away
- Brazos
- Sail Away (Randy Newman)
- Ain't That What Love Is
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