Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan at the Barbican
Willy Mason
Barbican, 10 September 2010
I swear I’m not stalking Mark Lanegan, I know it seems like it, this is my third time seeing him this year after all. But then Lanegan has become something of a tour animal of late, whether by himself or with his numerous side projects and it’s hard to resist going to see him and hearing that amazing voice of his in the flesh.
And there’s something magical about seeing Mark sing with Isobel Campbell, not just because of the music they create or the unique sound of their contrasting voices, but their immense chemistry together. When he's with Campbell it's one of the few times you’ll ever see Lanegan smile on stage, Campbell even remarks on this strange phenomenon at one point exclaiming “all this smiling!” after a particular warm moment when Lanegan and Campbell make eye contact one time. Maybe it’s the old romantic in me but it’s undeniably lovely to see her bring out this side of him that is usually hidden under his stoic, emotionless and gruff stage demeanour.
Campbell and Lanegan are at the Barbican in support of their third album together, Hawk. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Barbican and I had forgotten how maze-like and full of stairs it is. Still the inside of the Barbican Hall is pretty nice, if inferior to the similar Festival Hall, and admittedly the sound is great and perfect for more folk-influenced gigs like this one. This is particularly evident on the first song, the opening track of the new album, We Die And See Beauty Reign, the sort of dark, moody slow burning number that showcases Lanegan’s deep, smoky, macho vocals and Campbell’s breathy, sweet, girly voice. It’s not just vocally they are opposites, even visually they are a complete contrast: Lanegan dark, frowning, big and imposing, his hair unkempt and dress simple; Campbell light, smiling, petite and ladylike, perfectly made-up with her Brigitte Bardot blonde hair and short white dress that makes her look like a sophisticated country girl. But this mixture of masculine and feminine is part of what makes them so intriguing to watch. I know people have compared them to Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood or Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, but unlike those Campbell, the female in the partnership, is also the creative mastermind of the duo, writing and producing the material. This makes the dynamic between them, especially with someone as macho and dominating as Lanegan, even more interesting to watch.
That’s probably why when Lanegan disappears and support act Willy Mason arrives on stage in his place to sing the songs he contributed to on the new album, some of this magic is lost. Sure Campbell seems a little looser without Lanegan’s dark presence and Mason has an appealing deep voice, but a lot of the tension is lost and Mason's and Campbell’s voices don’t have the same beautiful blend, particularly on Mason’s own countrified Say Goodbye, where Campbell just seems to be a distraction to the melody. Mason was only brought in when Lanegan refused to sing the two Townes Van Zandt covers on the album that Campbell had already created the backing tracks for (due to the fact he had already sung a Townes song on his album with Soulsavers) but Lanegan actually sings one of those songs Mason eventually sang on the record, The Snake Song, at the start of the show and it’s magnificent, so much so that it actually makes you sad to think what could have been, it’s so much better than the released version.
After Mason finally leaves the stage (during which he amusingly has to run off and back again because he had forgotten his guitar, "I'm such a professional," he jokes), Campbell sings a few songs on her own and her voice is surprisingly sugar sweet on lead despite being small and whispery. But, despite her beauty, talent and likeability, it is a relief when Lanegan re-emerges, with the pair getting all bluesy on the deep groove of Back Burner. Their moments together are the true highlights of the show: I actually get chills when Lanegan sings the sad lament The Circus Is Leaving Town; Honey Child What Can I Do? is positively smouldering and the upbeat You Won’t Let Me Down Again, one of the best songs of the year, sounds like it.
The encore is maybe the best moment, with an awesome version of Hank Williams’ Revolver, made into a sexy, grooving stomp and dirty, grinding rendition of Lanegan’s solo track Wedding Dress. Watching them together there’s no doubt it was some kind of kismet that brought them together. I only hope Lanegan sings on all the songs, if there (hopefully) is a next time because you can’t duplicate that energy and chemistry when he sings with Campbell.
In support, not surprisingly, was Willy Mason who gave us a solo acoustic spot. Having never seen him live before I don’t know if he usually performs with a band but there’s no doubt he plays the folk troubadour well, preferring not to talk, he just lets his rich, deep voice rise to the rafters instead, telling stories of graduation, moving on and even one touching song written for his mother. He’s clearly a gifted songwriter, his songs veering from typical Will Oldham-style indie folk numbers to more Townes Van Zandt country territory, which in my opinion suits him best, but with many of his songs of a similar pace and rhythm some interaction with the crowd would have offered up a little variety to his set. I must admit I haven’t followed him since his much-talked about first album came out but I’m definitely glad I finally saw Mason live.
Barbican, 10 September 2010
I swear I’m not stalking Mark Lanegan, I know it seems like it, this is my third time seeing him this year after all. But then Lanegan has become something of a tour animal of late, whether by himself or with his numerous side projects and it’s hard to resist going to see him and hearing that amazing voice of his in the flesh.
And there’s something magical about seeing Mark sing with Isobel Campbell, not just because of the music they create or the unique sound of their contrasting voices, but their immense chemistry together. When he's with Campbell it's one of the few times you’ll ever see Lanegan smile on stage, Campbell even remarks on this strange phenomenon at one point exclaiming “all this smiling!” after a particular warm moment when Lanegan and Campbell make eye contact one time. Maybe it’s the old romantic in me but it’s undeniably lovely to see her bring out this side of him that is usually hidden under his stoic, emotionless and gruff stage demeanour.
Campbell and Lanegan are at the Barbican in support of their third album together, Hawk. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Barbican and I had forgotten how maze-like and full of stairs it is. Still the inside of the Barbican Hall is pretty nice, if inferior to the similar Festival Hall, and admittedly the sound is great and perfect for more folk-influenced gigs like this one. This is particularly evident on the first song, the opening track of the new album, We Die And See Beauty Reign, the sort of dark, moody slow burning number that showcases Lanegan’s deep, smoky, macho vocals and Campbell’s breathy, sweet, girly voice. It’s not just vocally they are opposites, even visually they are a complete contrast: Lanegan dark, frowning, big and imposing, his hair unkempt and dress simple; Campbell light, smiling, petite and ladylike, perfectly made-up with her Brigitte Bardot blonde hair and short white dress that makes her look like a sophisticated country girl. But this mixture of masculine and feminine is part of what makes them so intriguing to watch. I know people have compared them to Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood or Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, but unlike those Campbell, the female in the partnership, is also the creative mastermind of the duo, writing and producing the material. This makes the dynamic between them, especially with someone as macho and dominating as Lanegan, even more interesting to watch.
That’s probably why when Lanegan disappears and support act Willy Mason arrives on stage in his place to sing the songs he contributed to on the new album, some of this magic is lost. Sure Campbell seems a little looser without Lanegan’s dark presence and Mason has an appealing deep voice, but a lot of the tension is lost and Mason's and Campbell’s voices don’t have the same beautiful blend, particularly on Mason’s own countrified Say Goodbye, where Campbell just seems to be a distraction to the melody. Mason was only brought in when Lanegan refused to sing the two Townes Van Zandt covers on the album that Campbell had already created the backing tracks for (due to the fact he had already sung a Townes song on his album with Soulsavers) but Lanegan actually sings one of those songs Mason eventually sang on the record, The Snake Song, at the start of the show and it’s magnificent, so much so that it actually makes you sad to think what could have been, it’s so much better than the released version.
After Mason finally leaves the stage (during which he amusingly has to run off and back again because he had forgotten his guitar, "I'm such a professional," he jokes), Campbell sings a few songs on her own and her voice is surprisingly sugar sweet on lead despite being small and whispery. But, despite her beauty, talent and likeability, it is a relief when Lanegan re-emerges, with the pair getting all bluesy on the deep groove of Back Burner. Their moments together are the true highlights of the show: I actually get chills when Lanegan sings the sad lament The Circus Is Leaving Town; Honey Child What Can I Do? is positively smouldering and the upbeat You Won’t Let Me Down Again, one of the best songs of the year, sounds like it.
The encore is maybe the best moment, with an awesome version of Hank Williams’ Revolver, made into a sexy, grooving stomp and dirty, grinding rendition of Lanegan’s solo track Wedding Dress. Watching them together there’s no doubt it was some kind of kismet that brought them together. I only hope Lanegan sings on all the songs, if there (hopefully) is a next time because you can’t duplicate that energy and chemistry when he sings with Campbell.
In support, not surprisingly, was Willy Mason who gave us a solo acoustic spot. Having never seen him live before I don’t know if he usually performs with a band but there’s no doubt he plays the folk troubadour well, preferring not to talk, he just lets his rich, deep voice rise to the rafters instead, telling stories of graduation, moving on and even one touching song written for his mother. He’s clearly a gifted songwriter, his songs veering from typical Will Oldham-style indie folk numbers to more Townes Van Zandt country territory, which in my opinion suits him best, but with many of his songs of a similar pace and rhythm some interaction with the crowd would have offered up a little variety to his set. I must admit I haven’t followed him since his much-talked about first album came out but I’m definitely glad I finally saw Mason live.
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