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

[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.