Year: 2020
Director: Spike Lee
Stop Making Sense directed by Jonathon Demme is on many people’s list of best music concert films. Mine too. This is different to SMS but it is still rather excellent. It was filmed during a season at the Hudson theatre in New York which ran after their world tour. So the whole band is as tight as a fish’s arsehole, as we say down here.
Back to the concert. I reviewed it for the blog so you can track it down if you want. I was mightily impressed by the staging, the lack of amps, leads and all the other usual stage paraphernalia. A bare stage with long, I thought ropes, but after seeing the film they are revealed to be chains. Long chains, heaps of them and highly effective as a backdrop, for use with lights and with their movement.The photo I have posted here from the Melbourne show is a good example.
So I was expecting the usual front of house view of the stage all perfectly recorded. But no -this was filmed from on stage , up, down, around and behind. So up close that I started taking a ,possibly unhealthy, interest in the appearance of sweat patches on their uniform light grey suits.
The filming is so close that you are seeing the parts rather than the whole. You are watching how they are making the song rather than listening to the song. Most of the songs on American Utopia are pretty good but it is competing with classics from the Heads catalogue and mainly from my preferred mid to late period. Watching them “construct” I Zimbra up close was fascinating.
David Byrne- he takes risks. As we know he has a limited voice but he repeatedly has to start a song bang on, perfect diction and with long slow unwavering notes – nowhere to hide.
At show’s end the camera follows them backstage- exhausted, relieved, triumphant. The closing scene has daggy old David leaving in his white puffer jacket, donning his bike helmet to cheering fans and pedalling off home.
Might appeal to people who enjoyed:
If you liked the concert you will like the film
If you missed the concert this will do
If you don’t rate David Byrne maybe this will prompt a reappraisal
Am really looking forward to this. Missed the actual concert as there were too many others to see that month – also missed Phospherescent and First Aid Kit the same week as DB. If only I’d known then what I knew now!
A lot of people are rueing not seeing the tour. I went to the concert on a whim at the last minute , getting a single ticket a day before. Lucky me.
Missed the gig (a fair-weather DB follower, massive TH fan). Pre-ordered the BD, which is released here in January.
BD = blue ray disc ? Be interested in your opinion of it Steve.
I’ve always wondered why Blu Ray Disc weren’t called BRD (c.f.: DVD, etc) but never enough to bother to look it up.
I assume someone owns the copyright on “BRD”. In my day job, it’s a file extension for Cadence Allegro (ECAD).
Is anyone else awake?🥴
I am very dull… You must have had sufficient warning by now.
Just playing to the gallery!
Saw the gig twice. Really superb, but it didn’t make me seek out the album. Thought the new songs were pretty good, but you are right to say SMS is superior in that respect. I also wondered at times how much actual playing was going on and how much was on tape. Still a great theatrical experience even if one of the shows I saw was at a big outdoor festival.
He addressed that at the concerts didn’t he and he does again on the film. He constructs a song, musician by musician till it is performed completely in the hope of proving this ain’t no tape player this ain’t no foolin around.
Sounds great! Where can I see it?
Brilliant, looking forward to this as I didn’t see the live show. No doubt it will be on Sky Arts in the UK soon!
It is on limited release here so presumably the types of places that usually show arty farty stuff.
All over the Eel Markets
Better in a cinema if you can organise it.
We just fire up the projector, beam it against the château walls and throw a couple of peasants on the fire to keep us warm and cosy. Beats The Odeon any day.
Planning to see it this coming Sunday. Can’t wait.
I should probably go and see it, although DB’s last few albums haven’t really grabbed me. Watching clips on youtube I kept thinking it looked a bit like synchronised swimming.
There’s a bit of that synchronised swimming about which certainly stops being a concert. But it is fascinating nonetheless. I’d say 2/3 of the set list are Heads songs and while people can moan, that it’s not ver Heads with Jerry, Chris and Tina waaah, the songs are still performed very well. As the Aldi ad goes -good, different.
As I said above, cinema size screen and cinema sound system is the way to go.
The one I saw only had 8/21 Heads songs, may be more on Broadway I suppose
You are probably right @Dai, I can’t find a set list for the theatre show. I think the Heads ones stuck ot more coz they are so familiar.
An afterthought @Dai. There is the number of songs and there is duration. I wonder what proportion of playing time those Heads songs represent.
You should ask H.P. over on the “Don’t get testy with me” thread. He’s got a Google.
Dai’s a details man, maybe he knows.
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/david-byrne/2020/hudson-theatre-new-york-ny-b98156e.html
One more? Yeah maybe half the show in duration.
America’s Bowie?
DB
But his heart and umbilical cord belong to Dunfermline
Is it not Dumbarton?
Yes, but he..he…he – desperately seeking way to justify his faux pas –
was conceived in Dunfermline
That’s correct!
Saw it tonight – was absolutely captivated, as was Mrs thep. In fact she applauded.
Not just Byrne, although he was superb, completely in control, relaxed and friendly. The rest of the cast were magnificent too, particularly the two dancers. All so well drilled, and perfectly in sync at all times. Was especially impressed by the bass player, keeping up his thunderous riffs while capering about the stage like a mad thing – although why he needed three basses I have no idea.
Highly recommended.
I finally got to see it last night. It is superb.
It was like watching a football match on TV after being there at the stadium earlier on. You see far more detail, skilful teckers, heart-in-the-mouth moments but less of the overall ebb and flow of movement across the stage.
I was really impressed with Byrne’s stage patter. Sure, it was carefully planned, but he delivered it perfectly naturally without pause or hesitation. It threaded the new and the old songs together, producing a narrative of his view of the world. For a man notoriously uncomfortable interacting with humans, his love of people is overwhelming. Hell You Talmbout was very emotional.
It made feel old. I Zimbra made a spine-chilling impact on me over forty years ago, both on record and live. Last night, watching and hearing it again, brought the hairs on my neck to a stand and a tear to my eye. Byrne is six years older than me and the close focus on his face was a shock. In the end, I warmed to my age because Byrne was clearly in his element, perfectly at ease in his own skin. Talking Heads and David Byrne must be two of the essential connections in my brain that make me what I am.
I bought it so I can watch it repeatedly.
I also reviewed it on here at the time of seeing it. It remains the best concert I have seen – a real spectacle.