iTunes Nick Cave/Spiritualized show: How much would you pay for "intimate"?
I was lucky enough to see Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds supported by Spiritualized (below) at the final show of iTunes Live London Sessions last night. The gig took place in the main room of AIR Studios - workplace of U2, George Michael, McCartney and Coldplay - and we were so close we could have picked the bands' pockets if we'd dared.
Cave in particular was on magnificent form, playing most of the new album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!; making nonchalant use of a lectern for mnemonic purposes (if you're going to do this, it helps if you look like a preacher from Deadwood); and asking audience members to hold his cup of tea for him before launching into another fearsome spate of apparent full-body possession by demons.
What really came across was how special a show is when you can see the whites of the performers' eyes - when you can read the expressions on their faces. Is this a future avenue for the live game, when the enormo-gig and mega-drome experience begins to pall? Just how much would you be willing to pay to be in a room with just 300 people in it, with a band for once not resembling stick figures on the horizon?
Pictures: Robin Lingwood
- More from Andrew Harrison.
- Login or register to post comments
It all kind of Depends
But really I wonder how much did you pay?? Perk of the Job maybe ?? Sounds a bloody good night out though.
I didn't pay - it was a perk.
But there are a few acts I think I would pay top dollar to see at very close quarters. Among them are the Pet Shop Boys, Tom Waits, Björk and Kraftwerk - if only to see exactly what it is they do.
I would pay £8.50...
the same as I did to see Bingo Hand Job (aka R.E.M.) at The Borderline in 1991. Small shows are great... you always feel you've been part of something special. I now use the T-shirt I bought as a tea towel.
£8.50? That's amazing.
By strange coincidence, the previous time I went to see Nick Cave I bought a lyric-bestrewn Nick Cave tea towel. I've not yet worn it as a t-shirt but it would probably fit if I did.
Sacreligious
A Tea Towel !!!!
I was there!
There was a competition where they had 10 pairs of tickets for each night. I'm not sure that many people went in for it and I got tickets. We got in fairly early and got right by the stage. Sprititualised were average. He didn't say a word the whole gig and every song had 4 piece orchestra and 3 female backing singers and all of them were seated and after a while it all blended into one.
But to find out on Saturday morning that I was going to see Nick Cave on the Sunday and then to be one row back from the front was amazing. I don't think I've ever been so close at any proper gig in my life.
Intimacy works for me...
...and it works well for gigs, too. In recent years I've discovered the delights of my local Arts Club, which puts on about 60 gigs a year in Lichfield's Guildhall. This holds about 200 punters, real ale bar at the back, raffle at half-time, and unreserved seating, so GLW and myself usually manage to get front-row seats with just about eight feet of air between ourselves and whoever's playing on the low stage (low = about eighteen inches off the floor). From this vantage point we've seen such delights as Chumbawamba, Waterson/Carthy, The Kathryn Tickell Band, Peggy Seger, The Poozies, Julie Fowlis, The Zappatistas, Maddy Prior, and many, many more. Without exception, it always manages to feel as though they're playing just for us, light-years from the soulless experience of seeing bands at arenas, which some may enjoy as mass communal experiences, but I've never seen the attraction of crowds myself. Off to see Shooglenifty there this Friday, who could be unnerving at close quarters if they're still featuring their Inuit throat-singer guest. But not as unnerving as John Otway might be, next month. Not altogether sure if we'll be seeking the front row for that one!
Bloody hell, Steve T
More feckin' Lichfield. Secret hotbed of Word or what?
Good beer at the Guildhall too.
I'd love to be up close
to Prince. The Man is a Groove Machine. Had the pleasure of sitting next to Tony Joe White one night when he just "made love to his guitar". When he got into Rainy Night in Georgia it was just beautiful.
Not in the same league, but...
When Bernard Butler and David McAlmont reformed 2nd time around, they played Cherry Jam in London, W2.
Atmosphere was brilliant and the pair were a mere arms's length away.
I also remember seeing The Cure during the Wish album phase (1991, I think), when they played the 'smaller' venues. Caught them at Nottingham Rock City and Fatbob was only 5 metres away - bloody brilliant