Oh Come, All Ye Faithful
Tuesday night at chapel and there's a different kind of reverence going on between the stone pillars near Highbury Corner.
From the altar, one man and his many guitars had this
In this case, it's important to mention place. The Union Chapel is an understandably and increasingly popular venue. It seems there isn’t a singer or a band that doesn't want to play here these days. They usually stand, gaze around and go "Wow!"
I've seen a few of what you might call top gigs here. And some utter rubbish too. This venue itself, splendid as it is, cannot make a gig. At worst, it can be unforgiving: mid-January, with a boney backside on a sub-zero pew, and - no criticism, it is a place of prayer - you're not even allowed a wee dram inside. So supping coffee and watching Mangum was fine, but something stronger might've softened the relative blandness of others on this same stage (yes, Gutter Twins).
Mangum pays no lip service to the venue. He seems utterly focused on some point in the far distance. The rapt audience hangs on every strain in his delivery. And for most of 60 minutes, his only company on stage is the four or five guitars that circle him.
Neutral Milk Hotel's 'In The Aeroplane Over The Sea' was probably the star of the show. Stripped back, it remains utterly potent. But the songs from ‘On Avery Island’, now 17 years old, sound fresher than ever.
When band members join him occasionally, the sound is richer. Their marching entrance down an aisle is charming and adds meaning.
But such is the natural intensity of Mangum-plus-guitar, the band's sound also takes something away. If anything, it seems to distract from the sound of Mangum's voice, the power of one man and his vocal chords. At times, it sounds like Cobain is in there, trying to get out.
It is easy to get carried away with talk of great voices. But Mangum's is exceptional. He could make Hips Don’t Lie sound like a call for the revolution.
"Didn't you bring anything to throw on stage?" he asks the congregation. There's a murmured response, but the unspoken throng goes: "You're Jeff Mangum! We just want to hear you sing and don't you know we're bashful and we’re British and we can't do that audience interaction thing very confidently."
A kind of meerkat confusion occurred when the lights came up at 10pm, if only because the signposted 10.30pm curfew was already disappointing before the evening had begun.
Still, it was a magic hour. Catch him anywhere if you can. This was joyful and triumphant.
Nigel Watts
Set:
1.Two-Headed Boy Pt. 2
2.
3.Song Against Sex
4.A Baby for Pree / Glow Into You
5.Engine
6.The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1
7.The King of Carrot Flowers Pts. 2 & 3
8.Oh Comely
9.Ghost
10.Naomi
11.April 8th
12.Two-Headed Boy
13.The Fool (with The Music Tapes)
14. Aeroplane Over The Sea
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