Yesterday evening I went to see Passenger—featuring Richard Brincklow on piano, keyboards, and bizarre Fisher-Price blowy thing—play at Komedia. They were excellent, but I knew that already. Great gig, guys. Reader, buy their single.
What I didn’t know is that Carrie Tree, the support to the support band, is astonishingly good. She completely overcame my musical prejudices and the gabbling of some of the audience to deliver a hypnotic performance. I’m ashamed to say that my first thoughts at seeing her on stage were: “Uh-oh: long-haired, high-pitched, hippie chick with an acoustic guitar singing about how someone should ‘come back’. Time to check my txt msgs.”
Then I moved into a position in the venue where I could hear her properly rather than just see her and I was, thereafter, motionless. She has the most extraordinary voice and a way with dynamics and vibrato that made me feel like a complete loser—as if I needed that. Her guitar playing was also fine and underpinned the melodies beautifully. I normally don’t enjoy the kind of music she makes, but this performance was an unbroken pleasure. If she is not massively successful within the next few years there’s no justice.
3 Comments
It’s a bloody Melodica, you’re the second heathen to call it a “Fisher Price” toy. It’s a serious musical instrument…honestly. Thanks for coming down. good to see you even if it was just briefly from the stage when I was setting up. Though I did see the reassuring dome of your head caught by the lights throughout the gig ( I am not sure about the blog ethics though I suspect having a similar enforced hiarstyle allows me some satirical leeway) I missed Carrie but heard lots of good things so hopefully we’ll play together again.
I have to confess that this was a name arrived at collectively. I was standing next to those two beautiful friends of yours who look like they’re starring in an advertisement, hoping that people would think that it was a Benetton ad and that I was in it too.
Anyone remember The Hooters? Had a hit with Satellite, which featured the entire band on melodicas and was rather good. Yes, even better than all of EMF playing kazoos at the start of La Plage.
No, I don’t have a point.