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.
This past weekend has seen the Sage Gateshead host the annual SummerTyne Americana Festival featuring headline appearances from The Jayhawks and Chuck Prophet among others. As usual there were also a couple of afternoons of free music at an outdoor stage all of which I missed this year. The reason for that was because my eldest son had been thoughtless enough to arrange his stag do over the same weekend. Consequently instead of seeing some fine Americana music on Saturday, I found myself scrambling through muddy Northumbrian woodland dodging paintballs coming at me at almost 200 miles an hour.
It was my first experience of paintballing and I have to say that despite the pain and the bruises I am nursing, it was a lot of fun.
Thankfully I had recovered sufficiently by Sunday evening to attend a concert by soul legend Booker T Jones and Bettye Lavette, courtesy of a free ticket I obtained from a friend.
As I arrived at the venue the Americana free music on the outdoor stage was drawing to a close but I was fortunate enough to catch the final twenty minutes of Davina and The Vagabonds as they whipped up the crowd with sensational versions of 'I'd Rather Go Blind', 'St James Infirmary' and 'Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey?'. I only wish I could have seen more and would even have been prepared to put up with the ever so slightly irritating compere, Mr (Steve) Drayton.
Inside the venue we headed for Hall One and soon after taking our seats, Bettye Lavette and her four piece band took to the stage. I have to confess that as a great fan of Free, I was won over as soon as they launched into their opener, 'The Stealer'. As Ms Lavette demonstrated with her fine 'Interpretations' album, she is happy to mix up the musical genres, yet still retain that soulful feel. Consequently we witnessed her perform songs by Bob Dylan ('Everything is Broken'), The Beatles ('Blackbird'). Lucinda Williams ('Joy') and The Who ('Love Reign Over Me'), but for me the highlights came at the end of her set when she invited onto the stage the forty piece SummerTyne Choir to back her on 'Let Me Down Easy' followed by a reworking of the Stones' 'Salt of the Earth'.
They were absolutely magnificent!
I did not envy Booker T Jones and his band having to follow that, but as anticipated, they made a great job of doing so. Switching between his trademark organ and guitar, Booker T accompanied by a fine three piece band gave us a fine mixture of soul and blues classics. These included, 'Born Under a Bad Sign', 'Take Me To The River', 'Hey Joe', 'Hoochie Coochie Man' and of course 'Green Onions'. Not that everything was rooted in the 60's or 70's as we also got a very nice version of Lauryn Hill's 'Everything is Everything'.
All in all it was a fitting end to what I understand was a very successful Americana Festival, an event that quite rightly appears to grow in popularity with each passing year.
Roll on 2015.
The Sage at Gateshead is annually the venue for the SummerTyne Americana Festival. From a vantage point on the south shore of the Tyne between the iconic Tyne and Millennium Bridges, one can enjoy basking in the afternoon sunshine whilst being entertained by an assortment of Americana acts. And it is all for free!
Of course there are some 'big name' acts who play inside the venue and charge for the privilege. This year they included Martha Wainwright, Willy Mason, Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys, The Heritage Blues Orchestra and Mud Morganfield. However, on this occasion I decided to restrict myself to the free music and was particularly delighted that the late Sunday afternoon act was Tom Russell, an artist I have paid to see more than once.
To be honest there was not much sunshine to speak of though it was a pleasant enough afternoon. Musically, I was distinctly underwhelmed by the acts until second from last came David Wax Museum who gave a very spirited and quite enjoyable performance. Then Tom Russell and guitarist Thad Beckman took to the stage. To see Tom, one wouldn't know that this was a summer's afternoon as he was well wrapped in a dark long sleeved sweater, scarf and of course his trademark stetson hat and dark shades. Perhaps he had been warned about the biting winds that can whip up the River Tyne even on summer days.
I have not heard his latest album 'Aztec-Jazz', so I was unfamiliar with a couple of numbers but thankfully he delivered two of my personal favourites, 'Blue Wing' and 'Tonight We Ride'. Introducing each number with humorous anecdotes, Tom had the crowd captivated from the start and his set ended all too soon.
After the set, we wandered across the Tyne via the Millenium Bridge into Newcastle to a bar called Brew Dog. Playing there were a group of five young ladies who call themselves Rainbow Girls. Some of my friends had seen them play at the SummerTyne Festival the previous day and were well impressed.
Crowded into a corner at the end of the bar, the girls managed to give an energetic performance, constantly swapping an array of instruments that included guitar, mandolin, banjo, electric bass, washboard, keyboards and harmonica.
The more their set went on the more I warmed to their music and their enthusiasm for what they clearly enjoyed doing.
They have a current album, 'The Sound of Light' and I will be ordering my copy soon.
Tonight I'm off to the local cinema to see the global launch of the Ridley Scott movie, 'Springsteen & I'. No doubt I will be reporting my views on that in due course.
