Pere Ubu - Carnival of Souls live at Sage Gateshead

When I last saw Pere Ubu at the Sage, Gateshead last April, I reported that during the show David Thomas removed one of his boots and adjusted his sock, something I had never before witnessed at a music gig. Well, I returned to the same venue last night to see them promote and perform the latest album 'Carnival of Souls' and was stunned to see Thomas once more remove his boot. This time however, the sock came off as well and he then proceeded to use the sock to mop up some red wine he had spilt on the stage. The wine stained sock was then tossed onto the stage and remained there for the remainder of the set.

Well this was a Pere Ubu gig. What did I expect?

They took to the stage without any preamble, warning or introduction and Thomas seated centre stage regaled us for a few minutes with random stories including how Nico smoked 50 to 60 cigarettes a day and would often hit on people for £10 to buy more cigarettes. Thomas reckoned it would go on on booze or drugs. And so the stories went on. So far not a note had been played.

The music started without warning and continued for twenty minutes when Thomas called a halt and the band left the stage. We had just witnessed Pere Ubu being their own support act.

I have owned the latest album since it was released in August. Once again they have maintained the high standards that have been constantly set during their 40 year and 15 album career. Has any other band been quite as consistent? Answers on a postcard please. Yet there were only about 200 of us in Hall Two of the Sage. A travesty or what?

They may be an acquired taste but I believe that everyone should make the effort to acquire that taste. Perhaps it is the eccentric nature of Thomas and the band that detracts from the music itself. Certainly during live gigs, a central part of the performance involves the rhetoric of the seemingly world-weary Thomas. At one point last night he pointed to the discarded sock and said "I had to use my sock to mop up some wine, the zipper on my boot is broken and it flaps about." He then looked down at his legs and torso and said, "And I'm covered in food stains." Then after a slight pause, he peered out into the audience and growled "But I'm a fucking legend."

And he's right!

Last night the band were missing bassist Michele Temple but guitarist Keith Moline covered the absence well. Also added to the line-up since their last visit, is clarinetist Daryll Boon who added some wonderfully creepy touches as he does on the album itself. During 'The Road Trip of Bipasha Ahmed' from the previous album, 'Lady From Shanghai', Thomas sang into the mouthpiece of an old black, bakelite telephone, Who knows why? 

Two highlights from the current album were 'Carnival' in which Thomas reveals the male psyche and just what goes on inside his head. Not a pretty sight. The ballad 'Irene' combines words from 'Goodnight Irene' and 'I Put a Spell on You' over a chord progression reminiscent of the start of The Beatles' 'Sun King'. It might just be the loveliest song ever done by Pere Ubu. The old curmudgeon does have a heart after all.

On this occasion they did return for an encore. To finish they played something called 'Buy More Merchandise' It is not the weather for T-shirts and I have all the albums, so I did not take the advice.




My own advice is get the album. It may be destined to be a classic.