For some time now I have been waiting to see TV on the Radio live. Their album Desperate youth, bloodthirsty babes has been a constant fixture on my personal playlist since I heard it a couple of years ago. New album Return to cookie mountain is growing on me. Tonight was the first chance that I had to see them live. My level of nervous anticipation was quite high. I was scared that I would be disappointed and that they would spoil it somehow. A mate had seen them in edinburgh earlier and assured me that they would be good. He was right.
The support band were ok. I can't remember their name. if I do I'll put it in here (.......). Noise with a bit of stooges and spacemen 3.
Tv on the radio were even better than I expected. What was great was the organic quality of their live show. The lead singer Tunde Adebimpe danced around the stage like he was in a gospel choir. Star producer/guitarist David Andrew Sitek had a set of windchimes hanging from the headstock of his guitar for most of the gig. Songs were adapted to the live performance. Wrong way was fast and joyous. Bomb yourself was punky and aggressive with a heavy james brown style bassline. Dreams, ambulance, wolf like me and satallite were all played in a way that revealed new facets of the original song. Recent single I was a lover was excellent.
My mate was worried that they would be a bit serious live but generally they seem like a party band. They took the time to slag off Donald Rumsfeld and at times the stage was filled with smiling lunatics madly banging improvised percussional instruments.
The hipster crowd (usually scum) were into it, singing, dancing clapping and interacting. Tunde told the crowd that he loved playing in Glasgow and invited everyone to come to Manchester the following night before saying how much he disliked Manchester.
The sound quality wasn't great but the noise produced by the band was amazing. Dreamy sweeps of white noise and pulsating rhthymns. Imagine my bloody valentine if they were a barbershop quartet jamming with lee 'scratch' perry. I am hipster scum.
Here are some reasons why you should buy a TV on the radio album if you are a music snob
1. David Bowie sung on their last album.
2. David Andrew Sitek produced the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Liars.
3. They are on genius american cooler-than-you record label Touch n go (home of steve albini)
4. They are also on 4AD in this country (home of the pixies)
If you are not a snob just but the first album cos it's fucking good.
Someday, when I'm old and close to death I hope my grandkids (if I'm lucky enough to have any) will say to me
'grandad, tell us about when you saw tv on the radio'
funk
http://www.tvontheradio.com/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment