Oh Patti
Oops - went the whole of August without an update - there was meant to be a V Festival entry but somehow it never happened, so I'm doing this here and now before Dawn Right Nasty cuts me off.
During last years Meltdown, curated by Patti Smith, the Royal Festival Hall became like a 2nd home and I've missed it during it's closure, however for your more intimate/arty occasion the Queen Elizabeth Hall will do nicely ... especially when it's Patti there. It's always nice to see her, a bit like greeting an old friend.
Tonight was "The Coral Sea Sessions", building on an evening she presented at last years Meltdown which was one
of the few we didn't make it to - this time she's performing it for two evenings and recording it for posterity. The first half of the show consisted of songs, mainly new work, accompanied by a pianist, an amazing cellist and later on the unbilled Jason Pierce/J Spaceman, Spiritualized leadman and all round music god and Kevin Shields, who I'll return to later.
Being September 11th, the date couldn't be ignored and she opened with a typical address, listing the numbers killed on "9/11", the number of US servicemen since killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and various unknown figures, such as those suffering long term affects from their time in service and the number of mothers who'd lost children. This was accompanied by some stunning footage shot by an artist whose name escapes me the night of September 11th 2001 ... it was nicely done, point made without over-preaching and within a few minutes it was time to move on.
New songs followed, most of which would generally be classed as political but Patti Smith claims she's not a political person, she just thinks of the human experience and what it's like for those affected. A song about an attack in Lebanon, from the point of view of a mother who pulled her son alive from the rubble, followed by her daughter who had not survived, was followed by a just written number concerning the plight of a Guantanemo Bay prisoner who was released without charge after 4 years of being chained up, the audience being asked to provide the response of "without chains" during the chorus ... it was an angry but uplifting number, "ironic joy" Patti called it.
She also included a personal favourite of mine, Beneath the Southern Cross, alongside a few more tracks and it was of course interspersed by her wonderful rambling, personal, moving anecdotes. Quite often these involve people lost - her husband Fred Sonic Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, on a previous night William Burroughs - and although she has the occasional emotional moment, these stories are always told with such glee and joy, a celebration of the lives lived, you can't help but love her.
The 2nd half consisted of a performance of her elegy for Robert Mapplethorpe, the Coral Sea, accompanied by another god-like genius, the wonderful and somewhat elusive Kevin Shields, formally of My Bloody Valentine and occasional Primal Scream collaborator. I can't pretend to fully understand what all of the piece was about and in particular it's reference to Mapplethorpe but the effect was spellbinding, Patti intoning over Shields hypnotic soundscape, her voice rising to be heard at times over the thunderous drones.
Walking out some people seemed to think Kevin Shields backdrop was an improvised piece, not neccessarily in fitting at times with the words or images, rising at inappropriate moments - I'd disagree strongly, I thought it all fitted together brilliantlly. It was hard to keep concentration for the whole time, but when the climax came you couldn't help be drawn back in and the end effect was very uplifting and life affirming.
And then they went off and the lights came on - people hang around a little while wondering if they'd return for an encore, as no "house music" came on but that was the end for the evening and I think I liked it that way.
Please come back when the Royal Festival Hall re-opens Patti.
During last years Meltdown, curated by Patti Smith, the Royal Festival Hall became like a 2nd home and I've missed it during it's closure, however for your more intimate/arty occasion the Queen Elizabeth Hall will do nicely ... especially when it's Patti there. It's always nice to see her, a bit like greeting an old friend.
Tonight was "The Coral Sea Sessions", building on an evening she presented at last years Meltdown which was one
of the few we didn't make it to - this time she's performing it for two evenings and recording it for posterity. The first half of the show consisted of songs, mainly new work, accompanied by a pianist, an amazing cellist and later on the unbilled Jason Pierce/J Spaceman, Spiritualized leadman and all round music god and Kevin Shields, who I'll return to later.Being September 11th, the date couldn't be ignored and she opened with a typical address, listing the numbers killed on "9/11", the number of US servicemen since killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, and various unknown figures, such as those suffering long term affects from their time in service and the number of mothers who'd lost children. This was accompanied by some stunning footage shot by an artist whose name escapes me the night of September 11th 2001 ... it was nicely done, point made without over-preaching and within a few minutes it was time to move on.
New songs followed, most of which would generally be classed as political but Patti Smith claims she's not a political person, she just thinks of the human experience and what it's like for those affected. A song about an attack in Lebanon, from the point of view of a mother who pulled her son alive from the rubble, followed by her daughter who had not survived, was followed by a just written number concerning the plight of a Guantanemo Bay prisoner who was released without charge after 4 years of being chained up, the audience being asked to provide the response of "without chains" during the chorus ... it was an angry but uplifting number, "ironic joy" Patti called it.
She also included a personal favourite of mine, Beneath the Southern Cross, alongside a few more tracks and it was of course interspersed by her wonderful rambling, personal, moving anecdotes. Quite often these involve people lost - her husband Fred Sonic Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, on a previous night William Burroughs - and although she has the occasional emotional moment, these stories are always told with such glee and joy, a celebration of the lives lived, you can't help but love her.
The 2nd half consisted of a performance of her elegy for Robert Mapplethorpe, the Coral Sea, accompanied by another god-like genius, the wonderful and somewhat elusive Kevin Shields, formally of My Bloody Valentine and occasional Primal Scream collaborator. I can't pretend to fully understand what all of the piece was about and in particular it's reference to Mapplethorpe but the effect was spellbinding, Patti intoning over Shields hypnotic soundscape, her voice rising to be heard at times over the thunderous drones.
Walking out some people seemed to think Kevin Shields backdrop was an improvised piece, not neccessarily in fitting at times with the words or images, rising at inappropriate moments - I'd disagree strongly, I thought it all fitted together brilliantlly. It was hard to keep concentration for the whole time, but when the climax came you couldn't help be drawn back in and the end effect was very uplifting and life affirming.
And then they went off and the lights came on - people hang around a little while wondering if they'd return for an encore, as no "house music" came on but that was the end for the evening and I think I liked it that way.
Please come back when the Royal Festival Hall re-opens Patti.
posted by gdpreston at 10:26 PM
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