Hello all,
De-lurking briefly to post my thoughts about Tuesday’s gig at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham…
Firstly, I should say that it was great to see some of my Sylvian-gig buddies there – Lisa and I enjoyed our time spent with you all. If any of you happen to be reading, a big "hi" to you, especially Sandy, Karen, Paula, Garry, Andrew and Matt.
Highlights for me included; Ride, Snow Borne Sorrow, Playground Martyrs, Brilliant Trees, and Every Colour You Are… Which surprises me, as these wouldn't (all) necessarily be in my usual list of favourites.
Excluding the title track, I didn't particularly enjoy the live Nine Horses renditions. For one thing, there was a little too much reliance on backing tracks, and paradoxically there was also too much missing from the originals. Whilst I find the production to be of a high standard throughout the Nine Horses recording project, I'm less drawn to the material than I am say towards Blemish, as it's a little nondescript for my liking - so maybe that’s the issue? Also, my 2nd favourite NH track, Darkest Birds, was sadly absent, but that's no big deal I guess.
I was very disappointed with the acoustics at the Birmingham show. Clearly David himself was struggling with the stage foldback mix to begin with, but even after some adjustments 2 – 3 songs in, the sound from where I was sitting (7 rows back) was boomy, and muddied a lot of the detail that was clearly in there somewhere.
Part of the acoustic problem is the venue itself – It's designed for classical music. However, the mix didn't really compensate for that, and could have been better. It was unflattering towards David's vocal style, which is already bass-heavy, but his upper mids and high end were pretty much lost.
The set list contained some surprises, for me at least, as I had deliberately avoided all the forums prior to the show. The plusses being that there were a number of pieces David had never been performed live before, but the minus being a few pretty obvious oldies clearly thrown in as crowd pleasers.
As mentioned above, I found some of the Nine Horses tracks dull in this context, although when David produced a megaphone during Snow Borne Sorrow I laughed out loud, in a good way! His dry humour still creeps in now and then…
During the high spots I was taken away by the music, and reminded (not that I really needed reminding) what a huge influence this man’s music has had on me at key stages in my life, both as a musician and as a music lover in general. However, I also – for the first time
ever at a Sylvian gig – found my mind wandering at times. I just wasn't fully engaged throughout, because I felt that David himself was, at times, going through the motions…
Sure, a less than perfect Sylvian gig is still worth attending, and stands head and shoulders above many other artists' best attempts, but when the lights came up at the end of this particular night I found myself thinking "Is that it? Surely it's not over already?" It felt like the show was only just getting going at that point.
I think it’s safe to say that David 'was' partially going through the motions, given the number of recent interviews stating his intention never to do this (at least in this way) again. There doesn't seem to be any real reason for this tour, other than perhaps as a promotional vehicle for Samadisound, and a cash generator. But I don't think that's a 'bad' reason for touring – it’s just that previous tours have tended to showcase something bold and new in David's approach.
On the band: Keith Lowe is a great bassist, and a nice chap to boot. Steve is great, but I find his drum work pretty tame these days – he rarely breaks out of his comfort zone, which is a shame. I struggled to hear Takuma due to the poor mix, but liked what I did hear… There's no doubting Theo's musicianship, but I wasn't entirely sold on the addition of flutes, etc. to some of the pieces.
What the band lacked was a guitarist. David frequently used his electric guitar as a prop, but played very little, and some of the material suffered due to the absence of guitar, (in my view).
Reading this back, I'm sure some folks will think it a negative review, but I hope it doesn't come over that way. These are the candid, honest thoughts of someone who greatly admires the man's work. I did indeed enjoy much about the show, but it's the first time I've ever come away from a Sylvian performance feeling anything less than ecstatic! I guess I've been spoiled in the past
If I were to hear a properly mixed soundboard-derived recording of the show I might feel a little different, as the acoustics were certainly the largest distraction.
Oh, and one more mini-gripe – Enough already with the medleys!
I really do hope he tours again, but would prefer for him to play smaller venues with better acoustics, and try out newer material for the most part, with different musicians. I may get my wish, as it would seem that David is more likely to do just that in the future, rather than 'Everything & Nothing part 3'…
Rounding off – I'll just reiterate what a huge fan I am, and indeed have been since the age of 13, (to put that in context, I'm 38 now - groan). I continue to appreciate David's progression musically, and eagerly wait whatever's next. Some of my all-time live highlights have been at Sylvian gigs, but this just wasn't one of them.
Great night out though!
Cheers,
Lee
P.S. The tour book, as usual, is a thing of beauty, and I love the new tracks. Thanks to Keith Lowe I managed to get mine signed by David & Steve too.
by sonic_chronicler on Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:56 pm 
(FWIW I don't use a flash at shows anyway)
), afterall, that will be their lasting legacy, not gossip and innuendo.
