constant snoozing

[parthenia]

Went with B., 200 older gay men in serious long-term relationships, and approximately 3000 lesbians to see kd lang at the Hammersmith Apollo.

She was ...quite good, I suppose. An absolutely beautiful voice, especially when she sang her version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, and a very competent band, but the first half was seriously soporific in the manner of what Bill Bailey calls 'Belgian dinner jazz.' Only Canadian.

She sang her early hits, then confessed that she'd got a new album out and reluctantly sang a couple of numbers from it that sounded very much like remixes of all the early stuff. Near the end, she sang some upbeat hillbilly country stuff which was completely made for her voice, but then abandoned it for what she called self-mockingly 'a lullaby about existential longing.' Which it was.

The crowd was a strange mixture of madly, crazily over-the-top adulatory (she could have hiccuped and got a standing ovation) and very, very sleepy. I love looking at gig crowds: Franz Ferdinand have 20-something couples who've fallen off TV advertising; Patrick Wolf has art-school groupies; Scissor Sisters have beautiful gay men, 8 year old girls and yer mum; and kd lang has People In Fleece. People in matching padded bodywarmers wearing very sensible trainers. People who mysteriously bring their backpacks to a gig and harangue the bar staff about not being able to bring their plastic water bottles into the auditorium.

Anyway the gig finished at 10, so we were home in plenty of time for a mug of Horlicks and a discussion about separatist politics.

(What? Yes, of course B. wore a fleece.)

Oh, what do I know.

Wait! It was EXACTLY like this. Even though this review is from 2007.

Here's a song. This Boy, Franz Ferdinand. The antidote to gentle tunes everywhere. Please let Green Day be my next gig.

In other news:

1. I sent off my tax return on time ! I owe the government only a modest amount of money!
2. I miss ravurian's snarktastic loveliness. Are you back yet, mate?

Comments

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the Franz Ferdinand. I've been on a real tear of downloading of audiography, heavy on the J-Pop.

But I do love Lang's Hallelujah. So here it is.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yes, I love her version, and it was the nearest the gig came to chills-down-the-spine; nearly (but not quite) ruined by Drunk Older Gay Man and Biggest Fan who was about 10 feet away and insisted on wolfwhistling wildly just before she finished each song. There is a special place in hell, I tell you.

[jonem.livejournal.com]

ruined by Drunk Older Gay Man and Biggest Fan

There's always someone. *thinks death thoughts*

I love Constant Craving, but I can't say I know much else by kd lang. Plus the lowercase always confuses me! I got quite excited the other day when I discovered Yazoo were touring this year - that's right, a band who broke up before I was even born.

There's a lot to be said for a nice snuggly fleece.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Apart from her old hits, she's played with various genres over the years, but her voice really suits covers of people like Patsy Cline and Roy Orbison.

Funnily enough it reminded me a lot of going to see Alison Moyet (of Yazoo) back in the day...

Seriously, fleece. If anyone had dropped a match, the place would have been a ball of flame in seconds.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Do you have Jeff Buckley's version by any chance? I thought i did, but no.

[jonem.livejournal.com]

Ahem.

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

Beat me to it. Ta.

I have several different recordings of this song if there are other requests. I think the oddest interpretation is the U2 version.

[temaris.livejournal.com]

I love kd lang's cover of Halleujah -- far better than any other version I've so far heard, but I've never really enjoyed her other stuff for much the reasons you said -- beautiful voice, singing music that doesn't suit it.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

She has a brilliant album called Hymns from the 49th Parallel in which she sings covers of Canadian artists such as Neil Young and Leonard Cohen; she also does a version of 'A Case of You' which is oustanding. I might upload it at some point.

[temaris.livejournal.com]

*blush* I do actually have that album -- the only one of hers I do -- for the one track. I'm afraid I haven't really listened to any of the other tracks. Maybe I should give them a chance and try playing the rest of it...

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Mwahaha. Try 'A Case of You' and 'After the Gold Rush.'

[snorkackcatcher]

I think I have that version -- yes, quite good. I picked up Ingenue a while back, but apart from Constant Craving and Miss Chatelaine, the rest seemed like forgettable album fodder.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

It's very pleasant; trouble is, at a gig you need something more that something that's quite nice to have on in the background while you're serving the hummus and pitta bread.

[ravurian]

I am! Sort of. I love kd lang's voice. My faves are 'A Case of You' and 'Constant Craving', but I do love her version of 'Hallelujah' too. I think you should upload them all! Mwahahaha. Er.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Hmm, maybe tomorrow. 'A case of you' is amazing. Or I'll rip you the album when you come.

She was very good in parts, LOL, but the choice of songs made for an odd mix. Meh. And the audience were so extravagantly adoring, they gave her no space to work for it, if you know what I mean.

I think the best singer-songwriter I've seen lately was Regina Spektor, where every single song had you on the edge of your seat.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

And speaking of Regina Spektor and Hallelujah:

Regina Spektor - Hallelujah (live)

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Sounds like an interesting night, anyway. I like k.d. lang, too, and here are some of my favs - see? They're covers.

The Air that I Breathe (The Hollies)
Crying - w/ Roy Orbison
After the Gold Rush

Now that Roy Orbison duet really suits her.

And gosh, I haven't had two minutes to rub together all week long! I hope to catch you tomorrow, but basketball's at night.