David Gray, Bridgewater Hall Manchester June 3rd 2011 5/10

The evening opened with the Irish Folk Singer Lisa O'Neil, who was  a little lost in this vast concert hall, where I've spent many an hour listening to large orchestras and choirs performing large scale classical works. In a more intimate acoustic, I'm sure she would have been charming, and her voice had a distinctive colour (David Gray fans queued up to buy her CD in the interval).

I've come to learn that the audience and venue are the two most significant elements after the music which can have such an impact on my reaction to a show. The Railroad Revival Tour in San Pedro CA in April featured two of my favourite groups (Edward Sharpe & Magnetic Zeros and Mumford & Sons), and yet the atmosphere was ruined by people talking throughout. Here, the audience was impeccably quiet, and the venue a multi million pound state of the art hall. I was seated in a prime position, right in the centre of the stalls, and before the concert I'd enjoyed an agreeable meal outside in uncharacteristically brilliant sunshine. I was in the best possible frame of mind to enjoy some live music.

So, what went wrong? Engagement is often difficult to achieve in a large venue, and here the audience was simply too polite. I've experienced more rapturous applause at classical concerts, and nobody stood up, danced, or showed any kind of emotion: we could have been at a corporate conference. Gray was backed by an acoustic band including cello, double bass, harmonium and piano, but his songs hardly traversed a wide range of feelings. It was all terribly polite: Gray nodded his head incessantly, some of the band moved their bodies a little, but it seemed so comfortable and eager not to offend. The vintage lamp stands on stage only added to this aura of respectability, and it was not too surprising when he introduced a song by talking about the décor of a house he used to own.

He started with Foundling, a song from his recent eponymous album, but this was predominantly a journey through his back catalogue, as requested by fans. The night ended with his hit Sail Away, the full set list being as follows:

Foundling - Only The Wine - The One I Love - Flame Turns Blue - Ain't no Love - Kathleen - Fugitive - Nemesis - Forgetting - World to me - Coming Down - In the Morning - My oh My - Whiteladder - Alibi - Lately - Babylon - This Year's Love - Fixative - Sail Away

Classical Music snobs joke that Vivaldi wrote the same concerto hundreds of times over, and whilst it would be unfair to level the same charge against David Gray's songs, I did find a lack of variety at this concert, and a certain all-pervading sentimentality and lack of grit.

At this stage, I should note that this tour has received at least one enthusiastic review in a UK national newspaper, and that Gray's performance was professional, his experience showing in his stage presence throughout the close to two hour set. There were subtle changes of instrumentation (including guitars) throughout, and Gray performed some a selection of songs solo. One rare moment of spontaneity was when an audience member shouted out 'Coming Down' and Gray duly played this unscheduled number.

I overhead a fan who'd obviously attended several David Gray performances telling his friend afterwards that he was enjoyable when he had 'more of a band behind him'. I wondered if a non-acoustic concert would have provided a counterpoint to the mood of his vocals and some of the bass which I craved so badly (I believe music should be felt, as well as heard). There's no doubt Gray is an accomplished performer, and I'm sure many at the Bridgewater Hall were touched by the end of the evening. I doubt anyone was shaken though, or ended up re-evaluating the priorities in their life. It just didn't engage me because the music wasn't to my taste, which just goes to confirm how personal and mysterious force music is. I suspect thought that you will know already if David Gray is up your street, and whether you will be one of the many who derive more satisfaction from his music than I do.

Videos

5/10

Kyla La Grange, Wolf Gang Sugarmill Stoke June 1st 2011 6/10

I deny being biased towards 24 year old Kyla La Grange for having studied Philosophy at my own university, although I do admit to being a little envious that she has hippy parents who were involved in the anti-Apartheid Movement. This background information's relevant because her songs lyrics are deep; about screwing up life. Indeed she said in an interview: “I only write because I’m often quite sad…I don’t think I’d write if I was a genuinely happy person.”

She cites Elliot Smith as an influence and played at Glastonbury in 2010; her first album is due to be released in 2012. Her début single is Walk Through Walls, with her second Been Better due out later this month. She clearly thinks deeply about her lyrics and  interestingly she lists Elvis Perkins as one of her influences, an artist I admire greatly.

Kyla played an entertaining set, accompanied by a band, and put on a confident performance. Her style was more pop oriented than I expected: I think she's decided to turn away from her folk roots and court wider appeal. I wasn't expecting to mention Ellie Goulding in this review, but I think she's aspiring to develop along similar lines. On this evidence, she might just pull it off, but I hope she doesn't lose her distinctiveness in pursuing this ambition: based on my prior research, I'd imagined this would be a less visceral and more spiritual experience.

The Sugarmill is a small, local venue which is a showcase for emerging artists. Kyla played a relatively short set, and it's early days to assess her talent, but there's definitely evidence of her potential, and she's a performer to keep an eye on.

Wolf Gang’s 24 year old founder Max McElligott is the son of a history professor, and has a violinist mother. He dropped out of the London School of Economics two months before his final exams and turned down a well-paid Government job to party and make music. Influences have been described as late 70’s Bowie,  Eno and Talking Heads, or Grizzly Bear in more contemporary times. He's already achieving recognition: the first album, Suego Faults with Atlantic Records set for release on 11^th July, and he's playing UK festivals Glastonbury, V Festival, and T in The Park this year.

The single Lion in Cages is electro pop, with references to MGMT and The Killers: not especially original in style but well executed, catchy and joyful. The King and All of His Men has heavy use of synth and chrorus. Dancing with the Devil is the most energetic, rockiest song.

 
Wolf Gang’s appeal is in the catchy hooks, interesting chord progressions, jauntiness and layers. There’s a romantic side, the album title ‘Suego Faults’ being the name of an imaginary utopia which came to him in a dream. The parallel with Kyla La Grange is the decision to pursue a pop path despite an intellectual background.

I was excited about this gig, since Wolf Gang created a real buzz at Dot to Dot Festival, and I'd been impressed with their EP. Perhaps my expectations were too high, since whilst their 45 minute set was enjoyable, circumstances conspired against them as they faced technical difficulties. Whilst Max dealt with these issues professionally, I wasn't really able to relax until the last song, as their sound engineer rushed around the stage and the venue's  technicians eventually managed to get their equipment working fully. Furthermore, whilst the event was well attended, it wasn't packed like their gig in Manchester a couple of days' earlier, and the audience didn't really rock along. I also felt that the Sugar Mill's sound system's volume was at the expense of clarity in the vocals: the mix seemed opaque to me.

Live music can sometimes be a lottery for both the performer and audience, and I'm learning that with spontaneity comes unpredictability. Wolf Gang may end up breaking through into the mainstream, and the band's embarked on an extensive UK tour. I'll certainly be checking them out if they play at another festival I attend, and I'll be buying Suego Faults, but Stoke perhaps wasn't his finest hour.

6/10