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As a devoted Dandy Warhols’ fan, I make a point of seeing them live at least once a year and here I am at the Islington Academy, ready for my annual dose of Oregon’s finest.
The last gig I witnessed, in October 2005, left me for the first time a little disappointed as frontman Mr Courtney Taylor-Taylor was struggling with his voice and seemed a little intoxicated, so tonight I don’t really know what to expect.
But any negative memory gets instantly erased from my mind as the Dandys, Courtney, Zia McCabe, Brent DeBoer and Peter Holmstrom take to the stage, all smiling, waving, bright-eyed and bushy- tailed, despite the fact that this is the last show of a very long and thorough European tour. |
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The last gig I witnessed, in October 2005, left me for the first time a little disappointed as frontman Mr Courtney Taylor-Taylor was struggling with his voice and seemed a little intoxicated, so tonight I don’t really know what to expect.
But any negative memory gets instantly erased from my mind as the Dandys, Courtney, Zia McCabe, Brent DeBoer and Peter Holmstrom take to the stage, all smiling, waving, bright-eyed and bushy- tailed, despite the fact that this is the last show of a very long and thorough European tour.
They get welcomed with screams of “we love you Zia” replied by “I love you too!” . So it’s love all round.
Without an album to promote, we are expecting tracks from their five Lps and The Dandys open with ‘Godless’, ‘We Used To Be Friends’, ‘Get Off’, followed by ‘You Were The Last High’ from 2003 ‘Welcome To The Monkey House’ Lp.
In fact tonight is a preview of what a ‘Best Of’ record could sound like, confirming why I think that this Portland’s quartet very rarely puts a foot out of place.
Hit after hit, anthem after anthem....as the crowd is singing in unison, I acknowledge that in the last ten years the Dandy Warhols have become the soundtrack to so many lives, indispensably able to accompany moments of joy and sorrow.
Tonight’s venue, by Dandys’ standards, is rather intimate with a top capacity of 800 people, and I wonder if they’re treating the audience or just want to please themselves....
But by the look of things it’s a deliberate gift to all and a nice way to end weeks on the road that took in many festivals.
The Dandys best gigs have often been in this kind of set-up, surrounded by a small number of die-hard fans and tonight is no exception as the four musicians are so comfortable and at ease that we could be standing in someone’ s sitting room.
So at ease that after a gorgeous rendition of ‘Good Morning’, Zia decides to leave the stage and go to the bathroom!
It’s time for some friendly banter from C T-T and a touching acoustic sing-along to ‘Everyday Should Be A Holiday’, but Zia’s back and the volume gets cranked up again with ‘Bohemian Like You’ and recently released single ‘Have A Kick Ass Summer’, a tune characterised by the line “me and my friends” sang over and over again and distortion pedals galore. So simple, so stunning.
Before we know it Zia must go back to the toilet and drummer Brent, whose ‘out of control’ hairstyle I can only admire, also decides to leave us and have a chat with some mates backstage!!
Nonplussed Courtney and Peter play ‘Green’ and when they’re a band again launch into a few more favourites but when ‘Country Leaver’ from 2000 ‘Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia’ is over, it’s all over.
We’ve just had two hours of great music from talented musicians, seemingly happy and grateful to be playing for us and we’re rather sad to see them go.
Convinced that the musical landscape just wouldn't be the same without them, I am impatiently looking forward to the Dandy Warhols’ next Lp and return to the UK for more memorable live music.
Words: Florence ACHERY
www.dandywarhols.com
www.myspace.com/thedandywarhols |
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The Dandy Warhols |
