Elvis Perkins at the ICA
ICA, 6 April 2009
It's been almost two years since I last saw Elvis Perkins In Dearland. Last time they were winding down the tour in support of Elvis' incredibly moving debut album Ash Wednesday. Live he had taken the downbeat songs and with his talented band, added a more joyous, celebratory feel to his music. His new album carries on that feeling, so it's no surprise to see a fiddle, double bass, trombones and other fun instruments litter the stage but it is a surprise to see Elvis himself (his real name: dad Anthony Perkins - that's right the Psycho actor - named him after his rock n' roll hero).
Gone is the short quiffed do and waitcoated appearance of old and in its place is scraggly long hair, a rather crumpled looking white shirt and white jeans. But there's still a little of the old Elvis about him with a colourful handkerchief daggling from his shirt pocket and a rather cool hammered silver bracelet on his wrist. Still he's virtually unrecognisble from the last time we saw him and it's only when he speaks into his microphone that we realise it's him.
He begins alone on the stage strumming his guitar and his band gradually join him, his drummer Nick Kinsey banging away on a big drum, like he's leading a marching band. This is definitely a showcase for the new album, with the band trying out 123 Goodbye, Hey and Chains, Chains, Chains to great effect before treating us to a wonderful Emile's Vietnam In The Sky from Ash Wednesday.
No doubt fed up playing songs from the first album after three years of constant touring, throughout the show there's only renditions of While You Were Sleeping, an almost acoustic All The Night Without Love and an incredibly moving Ash Wednesday (no Moon Woman II sadly), but that said one of the highlights of the evening is a stomping version of Shampoo, the first single from the new album, with Elvis calling "sweep up, little sweeper boy!" to a delicious backdrop of rootsy instruments.
Maybe because Easter is coming up, Elvis tells us they are going to sing a song with ancient roots (someone in the crowd shouts "Beowulf!" amusingly, to which Elvis replies "How did you know?") and the band play a really spirited, almost old-time boogie jazz version of the old hymn Weeping Mary. There's also what sounds like a fun cover of an old time rock n' roll song, but I didn't recognise it or catch the name, so it may well be an original.
The night ends almost as it began with Nick back out front banging on his big drum, Wyndham Boylan-Garnett on trombone and Brigham Brough on double bass, thumping their way through new track Doomsday, like a brassy New Orleans big band. Fun indeed.
Afterwards we were given a free CD featuring two tracks from the new Elvis In Dearland album. Free stuff is always good and a very cool end to a very cool night.
Gone is the short quiffed do and waitcoated appearance of old and in its place is scraggly long hair, a rather crumpled looking white shirt and white jeans. But there's still a little of the old Elvis about him with a colourful handkerchief daggling from his shirt pocket and a rather cool hammered silver bracelet on his wrist. Still he's virtually unrecognisble from the last time we saw him and it's only when he speaks into his microphone that we realise it's him.
He begins alone on the stage strumming his guitar and his band gradually join him, his drummer Nick Kinsey banging away on a big drum, like he's leading a marching band. This is definitely a showcase for the new album, with the band trying out 123 Goodbye, Hey and Chains, Chains, Chains to great effect before treating us to a wonderful Emile's Vietnam In The Sky from Ash Wednesday.
No doubt fed up playing songs from the first album after three years of constant touring, throughout the show there's only renditions of While You Were Sleeping, an almost acoustic All The Night Without Love and an incredibly moving Ash Wednesday (no Moon Woman II sadly), but that said one of the highlights of the evening is a stomping version of Shampoo, the first single from the new album, with Elvis calling "sweep up, little sweeper boy!" to a delicious backdrop of rootsy instruments.
Maybe because Easter is coming up, Elvis tells us they are going to sing a song with ancient roots (someone in the crowd shouts "Beowulf!" amusingly, to which Elvis replies "How did you know?") and the band play a really spirited, almost old-time boogie jazz version of the old hymn Weeping Mary. There's also what sounds like a fun cover of an old time rock n' roll song, but I didn't recognise it or catch the name, so it may well be an original.
The night ends almost as it began with Nick back out front banging on his big drum, Wyndham Boylan-Garnett on trombone and Brigham Brough on double bass, thumping their way through new track Doomsday, like a brassy New Orleans big band. Fun indeed.
Afterwards we were given a free CD featuring two tracks from the new Elvis In Dearland album. Free stuff is always good and a very cool end to a very cool night.
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