Enthusiasm Eggs

I went to see PJ Harvey at the Regent theatre the night before last.

I've been excited about this gig to the point where in the weeks leading up to it I've consciously been 'not thinking about it'. I even limited my playing of the record that she's here touring, the amazing Let England Shake. 

This most recent record of PJ's has got me, and the rest of the music loving world it seems, in a bit of a tizz.
The good kind of tizz. 

Though it's dark in nature (but what's new? This is PJ..) Let England Shake is one of the most engaging, thrilling even, records I've heard in ages.

Is it Because she's working with such sad, raw subject matter - war, namely the great war, the battle of Gallipoli and current war in Afghanistan- that it gives me chills so?

Is it so effective in it's chill-delivery because the production, like the songs themselves, is bare without being overly minimal or particularly 'low-fi'? Is it the playful and experimental way she uses a slightly shonky sounding brass ensemble (of players that haven't played in 20+ years) and samples of reggae hooks and wailing middle eastern women.. a fascinatingly wrong but right combination of sounds.

Apparently PJ she started work on researching and writing words alone for 'Shake quite some time ago, saying she didn't want to start on the music till she was lyrically happy first.

Maybe it's this very considered approach, this crafting and collating of words, stories and substance that makes it stand out from the pack and pack such a punch.

(try saying that quickly)

Whatever the exact reason, the specific combination of good calls that make up awesome, this album ends up a wonderful experience that is greater than the sum of it's parts. 

Peej and her right hand men, John Parish (check out his instrumental solo album, How Animals Move, it is amazing) and North Melbourne's own Mick Harvey (we share a suburb, yay)  have nailed it.

They've brought a moving, poetic and important thing to life.

Anyhow, let me move onto the gig.

Needless to say expectations were high. Though as I said I did Try not to get too worked up about it, not so though one of my dear friends, who booked us our tickets and was Visibly nervous and quite highly strung when we met up outside the theatre.

Her nerves were to me understandable, even if not shared, and it reminded me of one of the main reasons we are such good friends. We both care deeply about things like this. We don't have many acts or records a year that we get truly worked up about, she even less than me, so when an album comes along ticking so many of your boxes that you didn't even know where lying there, dormant and tick-less, well it's hard not to put all your enthusiasm eggs in one basket.

Two Irish coffees and a red wine later our gig going trio were slightly more calm and collected and ready to absorb whatever was to be offered.

We hurriedly power-walked and 'Butoh' ran (I'll explain that one another day) down Collins street to make the oh-so-grown-up stage time of 8.30

The gig, sorry, it wasn't a gig, it was a performance, with minimal chatter, and certainly no banter, 

Well it was, like it's start time, mature.

Beautifully so.

Paced and pitched with confidence and clarity, Peej worked through most of 'Shake, almost in album order too, save for a few switcheroo's and additions. 

Her set up was quite austere, just (exquisitely played) drums, she on guitar or auto-harp, a Wurlitzer/synth combo, guitar and occasional bass from Mick with Parish on guitar as well.

These men also had the fun job of triggering the wonky horn lines that are such an integral part of the record, and extra wing dings as samples played on keys. 

In short, I loved it.

The way it was simple, bare boned, letting the songs themselves and PJ's unconventional but more impressive than ever vocals do all the heavy lifting..

PJ's new high pitched vocal style, developed for this album, is reason enough to respect the lady and the effort she puts into pushing herself as an artist. 

Dedicated to finding a light to shine on and balance out the album's dark undertone, this lilting, quite youthful vocal approach gave her a way of delivering heavy lines not so heavy handedly. 

Live it had me transfixed. 
It's creepy but it's pretty. It's child-like but wizened. 

Her performance lay somewhere in a curious land between theatrical and laid-back.

I know that sounds like an oxymoron, theatre hardly ever being in my experience 'laid back', if Only..  it just felt very natural. 

Though her corseted black gown and feather headpiece (which my other, near-sighted friend thought was a set of horns! Hey she's dark, but not That dark..!) gave a nod toward theatricality, her over-all vibe, was just, real. 

She didn't overly play up the drama of the words anymore than just singing them beautifully and whole heartedly.

Maybe it's this conscious care meets understatement vibe that hit the nail on the head so directly for me.

Maybe I'm feeling over-exposed to and over-stimulated by the current musical climate, space gaga's and no-pants aliens... (not to mention the S&M loving aliens.. wow)

It feels sometimes like the stylists have taken over the industry, and the one with the spikiest glittery shoulder pads to place upon their beauty queen wins..

Songs with meaning, wether personal or global, this is what I am really craving.. 
I do love an artist who dresses for the occasion, but must every single day be an occasion? Or is every day just one of those no-pants-alien days for these ladies?

When all the focus is on style and none on substance, pop looses it's way, and it's place in my heart. When the two meet, in a timeless two-step, aided and supported by one another, then, we're cool. 

PJ is a lady who knows how to work with both. Powerfully.

I could go on forever with 'why it was awesome' minutia, but I must wrap it up for now..
I left the concert feeling elated.

I felt inspired and hungry. 

I felt connected and proud, of and to what I'm not exactly sure. I think I had a sense of being a part of the musical community that I wish to be in, the one in my heart and mind where people release records like this and play shows like this more often.

Also, It made me more keen than ever to push myself, to stay on track with all that I'm doing in preparation for my own album, to keep my compass clean and true.

A great night, that spilled from a great concert into post-great concert don't want this night to end wanderings and ramblings with two of my closest friends.

Like all good things, the night must end, but I can happily say, that the heart-raising and eye-widening effect of that night has stuck for three days now..

And counting.