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Concert
Review by Nick Morgan |
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MARIANNE
FAITHFULL
Shepherds
Bush Empire, London
June 5 2005 - by Nick Morgan
OK,
I admit it. I was going to start this review with
That Marianne
Faithfull confectionery joke, albeit
nicely wrapped up in a sugary conceit that I’d
dreamt up myself. But when it came to it, after
about two hours in the company of this charming,
self-depreciating, graceful, elegant and still
hugely talented lady, I decided to think the better
of it. It would, to say the least, have been churlish
under the circumstances. |
| It’s
just a pity that there weren’t more people
there to do the evening justice. A half empty Bush
– those of us with spare tickets couldn’t
even give them away outside. At least on this occasion
the French voted “Oui” with a strong
de rigueur contingent in the crowds to celebrate
this Grande Dame of rock and roll. And celebrate
we all should. Forty one years and still going pretty
strong – well, she had a cold, nasty cough,
and by her own admission was “the size of
a small bungalow” - but still managed to look
and sing like an angel who’s been to hell
and back (which, of course, she has). And –
it occurred to me, despite the slightly over-theatrical
gestures now and again, and the café chanteuse
cod dramatics, and occasionally appearing (as my
photographer described it) “un peu distraite”,
she is a real professional. It is refreshing to
see a performer who knows how to make a real entrance,
and a real exit, sufficiently impressive to forgive
the Monroesque and heavily pouting, “I love
you all” mouthed to the adoring crowd as she
departed. Yep – top class. |
| And
although we had an evening that offered a retrospective
of her long (and to be frank inconsistent) career,
this is also an artiste who has just recently released
a pretty decent album Before the Poison, principally
made up of collaborations with P J Harvey and Nick
Cave (with a few of those nasty Bad Seeds in tow
too) which makes very good listening, and certainly
deserves a “please go out and buy this”
commendation from Serge. Critically acclaimed as
possibly her best album it is however not selling
well, and she’s thinking of quitting. That
would certainly get a “Non” from me
if I were allowed a vote. |
 |
| Supported
by a pretty spunky band of New York residents, albeit
led by her faithful collaborator (ex-pat ex Mancunian)
Barry Reynolds, Ms Faithfull gave us a handful of
songs from the new album, including the excellent
‘Mystery of Love’ (Polly Harvey) and
“Crazy Love” (co-written with Cave).
We went as far back as ‘As tears go by’
(hmmm) and also had (an ill-judged inclusion if
you ask me) a song written for her by Roger Waters
(recorded and understandably never released by Pink
Floyd), ‘Incarceration of a Flower Child’.
Also of dubious quality was the result of collaboration
with film composer Angelo Badalamenti from her ‘forgotten’
album Secret Life. Called ‘She’ it sounded
very much in the mould of that other song of the
same title by that Frenchman, Charlie something.
Not a good choice. Apart from the newest songs the
best were predictably the hardest – ‘Guilt’,
‘Sister Morphine’, ‘Working class
hero’, ‘The ballad of Lucy Jordan’
(hey Serge, what is this nonsense about driving
through Paris with the wind blowing in your hair
?), the spitting and splenetic ‘Why d’ya
do it’ and the fantastique ‘Broken English’,
as you say. |
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All
in all this was a pretty impressive show from a
lady who only seems to be remembered for news headlines
from almost half a century ago, rather than for
the handful of truly great and timeless albums she
has recorded, including I suspect, the latest. Buy
the album, and if you get a chance go and see her
and celebrate her unique voice, and her unique and
tenacious hold on life. Nick Morgan (photos
by Kate) |
Check
the index of all reviews:
Nick's Concert Reviews
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