REVIEW - MUDHONEY
KOKO By WILLAIM BALDWIN
IN many ways Mudhoney were the quintessential grunge band.
They set themselves low standards on the musical excellence scale,
were usually drunk, always looked a mess and were happy to be
offensive.
And when they played at festivals they never minded being pelted
with sludgy mudcakes.
Other acts around at the time, however, like Meatloaf took great
exception to being forced off the Reading Festival stage with
urine-filled bottles of beer.
Mudhoney were the first grunge band that many people had heard
of in the early 1990s and their finest album, Superfuzz Bigmuff
(1990), named after the band’s two favourite guitar pedals,
exemplified the Seattle sound.
At Koko last Saturday they played their great hits, which are
all on that album and tagged on several, less distinctive encores
when their best songs were all used up.
In contrast to Dinosaur Jr, who played Koko a few weeks ago, Mudhoney’s
back catalogue seemed rather shallow; a sad reminder of how they
never fulfilled the promise of their early triumphs. The band
have been playing these same songs now for around 15 years and
they did not manage to inject the same innovative excellence of
the re-formed Dinosaur.
However, it was still a good party, played to a packed house.
They ripped through tracks like In ‘n’ Out of Grace,
Hate the Police, Touch Me I’m Sick and If I Think like they
were still young hoodlums.
The band themselves have aged well and, almost uniquely, got thinner
with time. The rotund bass player, who would often be seen naked
in their glory years, has slimmed into Jeremy Clarkson.
Singer Mark Arm (pictured) was as cool as ever. His voice, one
of Sub Pop record label’s highlights, sounded great and he
didn’t appear to have aged a day. Arm, always one of pop’s
shrewdest observers of the USA’s political scene, sported
the best T-shirt I’ve seen in years. It pictured a Native
American with the slogan, Fighting Terrorism Since 1492.
The fact that bands like Mudhoney and Dinosaur Jr still sound
so fresh after around two decades is a real achievement.
Seeing groups like this now is similar to seeing The Rolling Stones
during the 1980s when they were releasing awful music and wearing
blue leather. No thanks. On a practical point, you have to wonder
why the bouncers douse the mosh pit in chilled water during gigs.
There is surely no danger of anyone dying of dehydration during
a 50-minute.
All it does it make the dancefloor even more slippery when mixed
with the other unnamed fluids that are thrown liberally around
during gigs.
Demo of the week - The Pipettes
SUCKERS for girls in headache-inducing polka dot dresses will
come over all feint if their paths ever cross with The Pipettes.
For the rest of us, it is a good job their music is spicier than
the tired routine of dressing up in doo-wop milkshake uniforms
and prancing around as if it is the most inspired stage act ever.
Of course, we’ve seen this all before – one of the first
ever Demo of the Week winners, The Scha-La-Las, do it, probably
better than The Pips.
So do giddy guitar-crunchers The Priscillas, another band gifted
the DotW laurel.
But Grooves checked The Pipettes out after a tip-off from an anonymous
letter writer who had obviously been rather excited at a previous
gig.
“How can your music page overlook this band?” the letter
cried. “They are so gorgeous.” That’s a matter
of opinion but it’s true that The Pipettes are worthy of
a few lines on these pages. The tracks available on their website
(www.thepipettes.com) stand up to the test, full of fun melodies
and fizzing vocals. We Are The Pipettes is typically la-la-la
jolly. Second track Hurts sounds even better and a little more
up to date – as if Sleeper had been sucked through a polka
dot blender and spat out. I like it.
Listening to a whole album of these jukebox fillers, however,
might be more taxing.
Yet, people with even more influence than me are taking interest
and record deals are being inked and new singles are coming soon.
One of their dizzying songs is called Uniform. It starts with
a referee’s whistle before some inane chanting: “I love
a boy in uniform.” I wonder if everybody will eventually
love these girls in uniform.
• Demo of the Week, Grooves, 40 Camden Road, NW1 9DR. Details
to rosley@camdennewjournal.co.uk
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LISTINGS
A gold nugget
REVIEW - LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST
COVENT GARDEN By HELEN LAWRENCE
|
Catherine Ashmore
|
PUCCINI'S wild west melodrama, La Fanciulla del West (based on
David Belasco’s play, The Girl of the Golden West) is one of
his most interesting works, exploring new directions and responding
to the musical ferment of the early 20th century.
Without the sweeping melodies of some of his other operas it is
less popular and has not been heard at Covent Garden for 11 years.
Piero Faggioni has returned to revive his splendid 1977 production
in the magnificent sets by Kenneth Adam, the James Bond film designer.
Set in the Californian Gold Rush, the story is a love triangle between
a gun-toting, saloon bar proprietress who has never been kissed,
the bandit who is saved by her love and repents, and his rival the
Sherriff.
As the heroine Minnie, Andrea Gruber’s voice has all the notes
but is not ideally focussed. A tremolo somewhat obscures pitch,
especially in the important middle register which carries the burden
of the role. However, she succeeds in portraying the character with
sympathy. Jose Cura cuts a dash as the bandit Ramirez, with handsome
appearance and burnished tone. Mark Delavan brought authentic American
swagger to Jack Rance, the Sheriff, but was somewhat underpowered
vocally.
The minor characters were all superbly drawn, with, among others,
veterans Robert Lloyd, bringing authority and sonorous tone to Ashby
the Wells Fargo agent, and Francis Egerton recreating his touching
cameo as Nick.
The chorus (director Renato Balsadonna), play a vital part in the
story and they are quite outstanding, both musically and in the
teamwork of their highly skilled and responsive stage craft. A wonderful
display of ensemble work at its finest.
Completing a most enjoyable performance, music director Antonio
Pappano draws wonderfully warm and passionate playing of this rich
score from the orchestra, which is in top form.
Piano delights
PREVIEW - ARTUR PIZARRO
ST JOHN'S SMITH SQ
ONE of the most exciting series of concerts over this autumn and
winter must be the Debussy and Ravel series performed by Artur Pizarro.
He is one of the world’s great pianists and is coming to St
John’s Smith Square for six concerts, beginning on Thursday,
September 29, and ending in March next year.
He is presenting an immense body of work, the entire solo piano
pieces of the two French composers and this week’s work covers
Debussy’s canon between 1880 and 1894.
It includes the Deux Arabesques, which features one of his most
famous works, with the arpeggioed left-hand quavers contrasting
with the descending, flowing, stream like triplets in the right.
To hear it performed with the clarity and touch that underpins Pizarro’s
technique will be a real treat.
For more information ring 020 7222 1061.
Diversity at Shaw
PREVIEW - SAGI HARTOV
THE SHAW THEATRE
THE Shaw Theatre begins a series of evening concerts this week
with a programme featuring the diverse music of Mozart, Britten
and Argov.
The theatre in Euston Road has teamed up with cellist Sagi Hartov
to present the six concert series that runs until May 2006.
It begins with Mozart to Argov, the Russian-born Israeli. The Eden
Chamber Orchestra, Royal Academy of Music graduates and soloist
flautist Guy Eshed, are performing and it is to be directed by Daniel
Cohen. The key, though, with be Hartov who has made a reputation
of presenting invigorating and challenging series.
He has performed across the world and here he has brought together
a fascinating series.
He will also perform in the third concert of the series on January.
For tickets ring 0870 033 2600. If you bring a copy of this paper
you can buy two tickets for the price of one.
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