Oh My Darling, West End Arts Centre, Winnipeg, 5th November 2011 8/10

There’s a danger of becoming comfortable with your local music scene: you get to know the venues, places to eat nearby, and which rules can be broken. I’d urge you to take some risks: explore an unfamiliar music scene, go to see a band whose music you haven’t heard before, and try a different genre. Taking my own advice, I found myself making last minute plans to see a roots bluegrass group in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and having far, far more fun than I expected. Indeed for sheer pleasure this exceeded far more illustrious bands I’ve heard in Manchester.

I’m lucky to live within reach of the UK’s second city for live music, after London, and in my arrogance hadn’t imagined somewhere as far flung as Winnipeg could have such a vibrant musical scene. On this Saturday evening, there was a choice of five gigs listed on Songkick, but even though I hadn’t heard them, a Google search showed that Oh My Darling were huge locally (and have just returned from a 60 concert European tour).  I took a chance buying a ticket despite not having heard a note of this group.

This was a real event: it seems most of the town, from all age groups, had sold out the West End Arts Centre and much to the excitement of the audience the four piece were joined by a drummer and extra guitarist for this special release show for their second album. A special beer had been brewed for the occasion, and I the sense of anticipation reminded me of waiting to see Adele (whom remarkably the music enthusiast sat next to me on the front row hadn’t heard of, despite attending six shows a week in Winnipeg).

It’s fascinating to compare live music scenes: the atmosphere here was staggeringly relaxed and friendly, with no security guards, and little risk of trouble given that everyone there seems to have known each other for years. Unusually, there was no support act, but two sets by Oh My Darling, separated by an interval. A local musical figure provided an introduction, and the band themselves chattered to the audience between each song. One of the more moving moments was when the lead singer explained that a song they were about to play had come into her head the day after her grandmother passed away, and she regarded it as a gift from her.

Oh My Darling’s sets consisted largely of original songs, written in an old time style: their latest album is titled ‘Sweet Nostalgia’, and they play tribute to past North American music, whilst making it their own. They all sung (very beautifully and characterfully), and played electric bass, fiddle, acoustic guitar and banjo skillfully.  They are true musicians, not manufactured celebrities, and utterly inside their folk style, steeped in it to the very core of their existence. All four were beaming with joy throughout the performance, danced, clapped, and go the audience moving. A special mention has to go to the lead vocalist Venessa Kuzina for her voice, charisma and enthusiasm. I went away with a deep sense of satisfaction and joy.

I’ve written before about my belief of music’s deep relationship to place, and Oh My Darling exemplify this. I’ve also written about love of Canada music, and my connection with it. As I travel on a train through the Wilderness of Manitoba I’ve been listening to the eponymous band, and the wide open spaces, hour after hour, relate closely to the relaxation and expansiveness in the music. The magic of this gig lay in the musicianship of the four young ladies, the sense of both continuity and reinvention in the music, and above all the intense pleasure and fun all those present experienced.  Oh My Darling is touring Europe in 2012, and I will be seeking them out again. 

Lykke Li, Manchester Academy, 31st October 2011 8.5/10

If this was a formal review site, rather than a personal blog, I'd analyse Lykke Li objectively and state that she puts on an accomplished show, but ultimately is a little limited in her musical range, with an accomplished voice rather than an amazing one like Adele's. However here, I assess live music by whether I wake up the morning after still buzzing with excitement, and whether that elusive, transformational 'magic' was achieved: this show easily passed these subjective criteria.

The evening started beautifully with a support band that I'd eagerly see as head liners: the folk duo First Aid Kit; youthful Swedish sisters. I was struck by the magnetic smile on their faces as they made joyful music, with Fleet Foxes' harmonies and enchanting songs. Their 45 minute set varied between foot tapping folk numbers when they were joined by a drummer, and sweet lullabies accompanied by auto harp. They sung in English, and their sound contained elements of American roots, as well as pop: they really were spell binding.

Reviews of the 2011 album Wounded Rhymes (produced by Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn and John) have emphasised the stark contrasts between the powerful and vulnerable as she switches between aggressor and victim roles. Instead, I was struck by the unity and coherence of her vision: numbers from the 2008 Youth Novels are more upbeat, but the entire set had a cool, mysterious aura. The sheer intensity and dark mood reminded me of the remarkable PJ Harvey set in Manchester a few weeks ago. Lykke Li also benefited from extensive and imaginative backing: the 5 musicians included drummer, keyboard player, guitarist, backing vocalist, but most strikingly an additional percussionist. Surprisingly, rhythm even more than melody made the greatest musical contribution to the atmosphere.

Almost more important, though, were the visuals: Lykke Li was dressed in black, whilst lighting (and use of darkness) increased the theatricality. Whilst I've gone to the ballet in my past lives for the music alone, in this show, the dancing really did capture my attention. Lykke Li's energy and commitment added to my total absorption in the experience, from a centre front row vantage point. The lead singer of an up and coming Manchester band who was present Tweeted that the music was amazing, but the audience were lethargic. There was some singing along, but the crowd was not whipped up into the frenzy of Cut Copy last week. This is missing the point though: it was a more spiritual experience.

Lykke Li spent time in the Southern California desert, writing songs for Wounded Rhymes, and in this revealing interview wrote about the spirituality of music:
'It's about going inside yourself and then bringing out something. It's such a spiritual thing for me. And very deep. I don't know if you meditate, but if you hit that, kind of unified feel, I feel like that's the same thing when you sing. It's something greater than you. You can take all your longings and go somewhere with it.'
To me, music, and wilderness are the two experiences which help me to make a connection with the world beyond that explained by science. I was reminded of the comments by my friend and musical expert Colette, in her review of a Fiona Apple gig this week, which echo my feelings about great music:
'Not only is her voice impeccable, her presence engaging, and her performance magnificent, she also seems to have a visible, direct connection to. . .  if you don’t believe in God, you will.'
Some may have misguidedly found Lykke Li cold last night: she made little attempt to talk to the audience, didn't introduce any of her songs, and  her expression was distant. This was more than just professional focus: instead, I really believe that she was in another realm, contemplating the meaning of life.

The evening ended with just one encore, but it was the highlight of the set: Unrequited Love. Wounded Rhymes was written after a relationship breakup, and this was a night of much soul wrenching and great intensity. It's fascinating to speculate where Lykke Li will take her numerous new found fans next: after playing 60 gigs since spring, she's earned some more time in the desert to re-fuel that creativity and continue her deep thoughts. So have I; I'll be taking a short break from live music to spend some time in The Arctic amongst nature, and Lykke Li's albums will be part of my soundtrack to that barren landscape.

The singer herself appealed to the audience near the start to refrain from videoing the gig, but I'm sharing my still photographs.