Venue:
Birmingham Symphony Hall
Date: 31/05/2015
“You can go home now, you’ve seen all the hits” yelled The Beloved Entertainer as he strode to centre stage, the giant TV set behind him having played promos from his past while we awaited his arrival. (why don’t more bands put thought into entertaining the audience during these longueurs? – The White Stripes used to show old 50s cartoons). It’s a tricky balancing act he takes on these days – rewarding the trainspotters (Hello!) with rarely played nuggets while satisfying those there to hear ‘Oliver’s Army’ and She. Tonight he pulled it off superbly in a two hour set that spanned the years as he painted himself in the same vaudeville tradition as his father and grandfather.
He opens with two songs from the same vintage but years apart, ‘Red Shoes’ and ‘Blue Minute’ – both demoed for ‘My Aim Is True’ but the latter not seeing the light of day until the umpteenth reissue of his debut. There was a sparkiness and energy in his delivery of even familiar material. “Look out music lovers, I’m gonna play the piano’ he once yelled on a live B-side’ which was felt on last years jaunt where a shonky electric keyboard made songs like ‘Shipbuilding’ sound like musak to my ears. Fellow gig attendee @SteveT remarked that his other half must have been giving him a few pointers as his playing on that and ‘Shot With His Own Gun’ was fine although missing Steve Nieve’s effortless light and shade.
He paid tribute to local boys, The Move, with a verse and chorus – “it’s all I know” – of the mighty ‘Blackberry Way’ who I assume have a star on the Brum Walk Of Fame that runs past the venue. I spotted Jeff Lynne, Murray Walker, Noddy Holder & Tony Iommi among others. The dreaded ‘She’ reared it’s head during a section that Elvis performed on a rocking chair under a standard lamp. Shorn of its sticky strings and bombast, low key with softly picked strings it became Parisian café introspection with no vibrato but still as yearning.
His brother , Ronan Macmanus, whose Brand New Zeros had opened the night, joined for a strum through crowd-pleasers ‘Good Year For The Roses’ and ‘Oliver’s Army’ before Elvis appeared inside the big TV to ‘Pump It Up’. A slowed down piano take of ‘I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down’ bought it back to the original Sam & Dave version which was my personal highlight along with the guitar loop and feedback squall of ‘I Want You’. The fact there was room for ‘Peace Love & Understanding’ & the underrated ‘Mr Feathers’ from the criminally underrated ‘Momofuku’ in tonight’s set shows there was something for everyone.
The audience:
A woman behind me was constantly texting and occasionally chatting during the support slot which made me fear she was another reluctant attendee dragged along so the male fan didn’t have to go to a gig alone – the horror! However she, like everyone else, was so well behaved and enthusiastic, better class of audience all round in Birmingham I find.
It made me think..
That this fabulous venue seems to bring out something special in Mr Costello – whether it’s the audience, the ambiance or response but it makes the trip up the M40 worthwhile.
DogFacedBoy says
Blackberry Way from last night that some naughty person recorded
https://soundcloud.com/33andanerdpodcast/elvis-costello-blackberry-way-birmingham-310515
SteveT says
You beat me to the review DFB but I heartily concur with your comments. I think where the show most benefitted is that it was slightly trimmed down. Last years gigs were running close to 2 and a half hours. Last nights was 2 hours exactly. There was no dip in performance and he left the stage still seemingly full of vigour.
For me Girls Talk and Ghost Train were the highlights but I agree regarding She. Wouldn’t be on any dream setlist of his but last night he sang it beautifully and the words really stood out compared to the schmaltzy Aznavour version which is blighted by a heavy handed production.
Lost track of number of times I have seen him now but this one was up there with his best.
Did you get to meet him post show?
DogFacedBoy says
Nah apparently he didn’t show til nearly midnight, I was long gone down the M40 by then
dai says
Does he think She was a big hit or something? It was a tie-in to a shit movie that soared to no. 19 in the charts. Its not like it was no
1 for 12 weeks or something like Wet Wet Wet.
Given such an impressive back catalogie he should drop it immediately forever (and I hate it when he over sings).
Thanks for the review.
SteveT says
Actually he didn’t over sing it last night – I don’t care much for the song either but he did it justice, it was very tender and fitted into the show perfectly. DFB refers to his attempt to emulate the music hall backgrounds of his Dad and Grandad – many of the songs in the set fell into this ambience. Why else for example would he cover Side by Side? However he did do the snarling equally as well on I want you which is to my ears really quite sinister.
duco01 says
Did he do “Jimmie Standing in the Rain”? I really like that song.
DogFacedBoy says
Yup
01. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
02. Blue Minute
03. Girls Talk
04. Watch Your Step
05. Accidents Will Happen
06. Ascension Day
07. Church Underground
08. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
09. 45
10. Shipbuilding – on piano
11. Blackberry Way – on piano – partial
12. Shot With His Own Gun – on piano
13. Walkin’ My Baby Back Home – seated
14. Ghost Train – seated
15. She – seated
16. Watching The Detectives
17. When I Write The Book – including Everyday I Write The Book- dedicated to Bobby Irwin and Nick Lowe
Encore 1
18. Good Year For The Roses – with Ronan MacManus
19. Oliver’s Army – with Ronan MacManus
Encore 2
20. Pump It Up – inside TV
21. Alison – inside TV
Encore 3
22. Side By Side – on piano
23. I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down – on piano
24 Jimmie Standing In The Rain
Encore 4
25. Mr. Feathers
26. I Want You
27. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? – with Ronan MacManus and Luke Dolan
On the setlist at his feet but not played
The Comedians
Down Among the Wine & Spirits
Beyond Belief
Wave A White Flag
Either Side Of the Same Town
Come The Meantimes
Poison Moon
Slow Drag With Josephine
Mystery Dance
Vincent says
Bloody Hell! That’s a perfect set. Hits, a few odd ‘uns, sit down at the piano, a melody and a ,musical joke, then into a robust closing stint, followed by 4 encores, of another albums worth of classics. He really is an unappreciated treasure.
DogFacedBoy says
Oh forgot to mention the film of his dad performing ‘If I Had A Hammer’ with Joe Loss Orchestra that played between encores. I was only reminded of Heppo’s horra about meeting Elvis when no-one knew who his dad was and saying of Ross ‘And there was this utter clown playing the bongos’
Moose the Mooche says
I’m liking Richard Hawley’s new direction
Jeff says
Elvis’s dad is Michael Gove?
I did not know that.
DrJ says
@dai If you go by Spotify plays, She is EC’s biggest hit by some margin (over 7million steams, next up is Alison with 3.5m)
dai says
Ah Spotify, no doubt Mr McManus received about 37p for all those plays. I would imagine most of his audience don’t bother with it, I may be wrong though. How many does Tramp the Dirt Down have?
Martin S says
Did anyone catch his performance on the one show (possibly last week). It was certainly one for the dedicated fans only. He might possibly have had fold back issues but gawd blimy it was off key!
Zanti Misfit says
Did he play Party Party on a washboard, semi-recumbent on a chaise lounge inside a giant bidet?
Jackthebiscuit says
Great review Dave, very evocative writing, I really wish I could have been there.