Venue:
Royal Albert Hall
Date: 16/03/2016
Now don’t get me wrong, it was a great show, it just wasn’t the show I was expecting. With the 20 year revision of Tiger Lily, Paradise is There, I was somehow expecting this to be a play through of the album live, as is currently de rigeur. And the stage set-up led me to believe the same, with keyboards, guitar, double bass and drums, with a string quartet alongside. When the first half consisted of songs from other albums, first night nerves causing her to fluff the start of ‘Maggie Said’ three times, this was fine, as I was able to confidently say what the second half would be. Once her stilted start wore off she gradually melted, loosening her hair and unleashing her fabled twirls, sort of Stevie Nicks meets Maddy Prior, uncertain whether more or less embarrassing than either, with several newer songs from 2014’s eponymous album, a staple in my car recently. The string quartet were divine, the rest of the band a tad anonymous, albeit accomplished, especially the bassist and guitarist. An interval led, again, to a song I wasn’t expecting before the familiar start to ‘Beloved Wife’. But actually barely a couple of other songs from this album appeared, with the emphasis more on songs that the crowd could respond fawningly to. And no room for my favourite,’San Andrea Fault.’
The audience:
Sedate, polite and, inasmuch as the quartet in front, annoying, as they spent most of the time playing with their mobiles.
It made me think..
I wonder how many others were expecting The Paradise is There Tour to consist of what the label suggested. I like Natalie, but the no expense spared would have been for a standard, however top-notch, show.
Carl says
I was going to do a review this morning but it looks like you were burning the midnight oil.
My review was pretty much going to be along those lines.
I was surprised that she was so nervous at the start given the length of her career and she has played the Albert Hall before. The nerves seemed to affect the whole of the first set, which I thought was very uneven. As she jokingly and apologetically said after the first failure with Maggie Said “I am a professional”.
With River, which I think was fourth number in, everything seemed to come together and she relaxed into it, only for the stiffness to return. And so it continued until the interval, very much up and down.
The, unfortunately much shorter second set, seemed to be a completely different performer. She
was at ease and it showed. Whatever happened in the dressing room during the intermission was extremely efficacious.
I too was perplexed at the omission of San Andreas Fault. Given that Katell Keinig, the song’s author had joined her on a couple of songs I was also hoping to hear Gulf Of Araby.
My wife made the point that when she was in her stride on a song it was magnificent the way her voice filled a space like the RAH.
With respect to the audience, I was surprised at the number of latecomers. Maybe they were expecting a support act and had missed the e-mail saying the gig was starting at 7:30, but we were very aware of them given our proximity to a door. There was a fair number who didn’t arrive
until well after eight.
All in all an enjoyable evening, but it could have been so much better.
Carl says
A couple of things I forgot to mention earlier:
I was disconcerted by her turning toward and singing to the string quartet rather than facing us in the audience, which she did on quite a few songs.
I was wondering what has happened to Gabriel Gordon, who has played with her on every UK tour since the Ophelia album.
On the topic of guitarists, I’ve wondered what became of the female guitarist who played with her on the original Tigerlily tour. I assume it was Jennifer Turner who played on the album, but I’m not sure of it. I remember her from the gig at Shepherds Bush Empire because during one song she played this fantastic solo and it seemed for a minute or so Paul Kossoff had risen from the grave because she just hit his tone and had a touch of his vibrato. A beautiful memory.
Kaisfatdad says
Thanks for the excellent review and comments Retro and Carl. How strange that someone who has been performing in public so long can be so nervous. More common than one would think maybe?
For those of us who would have loved to be there, here’s Natalie doing her twirling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgGkok6yyTs
Her voice is still a think of great wonder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emOkaX9kXGw
Kaisfatdad says
Oops! A thing of great wonder.
Kaisfatdad says
YouTube just went on to this clip without me doing anything. Natalie certainly has some devoted fans.
Did you present her with a pineapple too, Retro?
retropath2 says
For failure to have thought of what songs I specifically wanted to hear, it was nearly a raspberry. No, that’s mean, as Carl P has said, it was a perfectly good show. Katell Keineg, for I had wondered who she, was a welcome extra vocal in the several she came on for. Natalies voice was largely free of her Cilla timbre, occasionally present on record, and when she did quiet any dropped pin could have deafened, yet was carried clearly to the roof. Bert Hall has a reputation for poor sound, but not so for this.
Next time I’ll get her to fax me the setlist before I buy the tickets. (Not least as when she played in California earlier in the month, she apparently played quite a few more songs, including San Andreas Fault, according to setlist.com or whatever it’s called.
SteveT says
Sorry I missed this gig but SXSW called and to be honest I just saw Iggy Pop live and he was stupendous. Review later but Natalie is lovely and hopefully she will come back and play somewhere other than London.
Vulpes Vulpes says
As a means of bumping this to the front once more, be aware that Natalie is now touring again. I have already secured tickets for Komedia in Bath on Monday 16th July, which is now sold out. Really looking forward to it. Anyone else going?
Contraryarticle says
Guess I’ll see ya there in July VV @vulpes-vulpes. Sorry for late reply but was away from computer & can’t log in to here on my phone. Any chance yer coming to see Giant Sand in Briz tomorrow night? They’ve got their original drummer Winston Watson in tow, who spent a number of years as Bob Dylan’s drummer, til Van the man got him fired. Howe’s daughter Patsy playing support with her band Patsy’s Rats. Should be a great night, & at the Fleece! Have always wanted to see GS at the Fleece. My favourite venue.
SteveT says
Lucky bugger @Contraryarticle that sounds like a great gig.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Sadly no – I’ll miss that one, though I’d like to see that lineup on fine form. To be honest, the Fleece doesn’t do it for me any more – I always get some lanky bugger in front of me, can’t see a thing, and I hate standing gigs these days, cos I am an old fart! The last time I went there was 8 years ago to see the Talisman re-union gig; now that was epic!
Contraryarticle says
What a difference a day makes as Dinah Washington has been wont to sing. Em, so no I wont be going to that Natalie Merchant gig after all, @vulpes-vulpes but instead skedaddling up to that there London to go see David Corley do a couple o’ shows in The Green Note again, on the 16th & 17th o’ July, with a great line-up in tow, of new Wolfe Island Records signings, The Stephen Stanley Band, & the lovely Hadley McColl Thackston. Also has the fab Irish singer Amy Montgomery as support. How can I miss it!!! Looks like there’ll be more musicians in the room than actually paying punters, sice that little room only holds about 20!
So I’ll have a NM ticket needing a good home to go to if anyone is interested?
And I might even have a few spare David Corley tickets going seeing as I rather exuberantly bought too many the other night when I came in rather refreshed after a great night at the Giant Sand gig. Turns out some of my friends can’t make it. I should maybe have checked with ’em first, but it was 2 o’ clock in the mornin’. Of course I haven’t actually wangled the time off work myself to get there either, but I’ll work on that.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Hold on to that NM ticket a mo’ – I’ll ask a pal if he wants to take it – will get back to you later today.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Ah, no, they are away that day. So let’s hope you find a buyer for your spare.
SteveT says
Hi Vulpes, I am going to Buxton – love Natalie. Have written to her asking if she will kindly play King of May which has deep emotion for my wife and I. We wait with baited breath but aside from Lucinda she is my favourite female singer songwriter.