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12 September 2011
John Grant has been caught up in a simple twist of fate. It's a well-known story now - a couple of years back he was on the verge of giving up on music and getting a full time translating job. The Czars had split, nothing much was working out, and then Midlake pretty much insisted he make an album at their studio, with them as a backing band. And suddenly the album 'Queen of Denmark' is topping everyone's album of the year polls; he's in demand for solo gigs and in 2010 undertakes a prestigious tour opening for Midlake. The wheel of fortune has taken a half turn and suddenly John Grant is riding high. And deservedly so. Here he is, having gone from just about nowhere to selling out the RFH.
A major plus for tonight is that his backing band is, again, Midlake, which offers the chance to hear the fully developed songs from 'Queen of Denmark'. However, the hope that Midlake will also be the opening act is somewhat dashed by the appearance on the bill of Lanterns on the Lake, who had started their set by the time I managed to get to the Royal Festival Hall. Lanterns on the Lake are, without doubt, a band who are at home on Bella Union. They have the sound - Stephanie Dosen fronting Explosions in the Sky - and they have the look - 1/6th angsty, 1/3rd geeky and 1/2 just having a good time. The brittle ice crystal crackle of their songs fly on a common trajectory towards an ear assaulting wave of noise, bowed guitar, booming drums and then silence. And if that has a hint of faint praise about it then it shouldn't - that's a formula that will sell me copies of your EPs with great facility.
John Grant. Tall, relaxed looking, in scruffy jeans and an ancient suit jacket. And happy. And chatty. And pleased to now have a crowd that listens in silence and applauds to the rafters. Initially he's onstage with just his regular accompanists - Chris Pemberton on keyboards and Fiona Bryce on violin and backing vocals. The first two songs are new ones - a taster of what's to come when he finds time to get back to the studio, and he is still as bitter and biting and scathing as you might hope him to be with the vitriol of what he refers to as these "I wish you were in a wheelchair" songs.
Somewhat surprisingly when his "boys" take the stage it's for 'Sigourney Weaver' and 'Marz' - two of the biggest hitters on the album, at least one of which I'd thought would be encore material. These both feature science fiction references as metaphors for disconnection from reality, and in a way this is carried forward by the follow on the super funky "'hicken Bones', only here it is alienation by human hand. And whilst Midlake cut loose and rumble around on a groovy bass line, John shows off his, perhaps surprisingly limited, dance moves.
Hearing the songs live, with the full richness of the studio recordings and a small glimpse into the world of mutual support and respect that they were created in, and with John's voice just so perfect is a beatific experience. And that songs so peppered with self-hate, anger and disgust can at the same time be so perfect that they raise the listener to a higher state of joy is the result of this magical blend of musicians, songwriter and a warm expressive voice.
This is something of a valedictory concert - as John Grant takes time between songs to individually thank, with bantering bonhomie, the members of Midlake for their generosity to him. There are hugs. There are pledges of love on both sides. Sounds cheesy and self-indulgent? Well not from where I was sitting. Heartfelt and genuine and (although he has a few gigs left to do) as John himself said "it's been eighteen months and it's time to wrap this shit up and get onto the new album". Queen of Denmark is a great album, but the man has more music to offer us.
And look at that set list - mostly the anger and angst forms the first half of the set - the spikey, quirky, confused and disappointed songs, then the second half is pretty much the love songs, the songs that ooze beauty, the songs of longing and aching. John Grant elegantly proves that he is adding to the Great American Songbook with 'Drug', 'Where dreams go to die' and 'It's easier'. 'Caramel' is going to be a sizable hit for whichever female singer takes it mainstream, but no-one will ever sing it better than its writer, revealing the higher registers of his range, and the depths of love he is capable of.
Queen of Denmark is a huge set closing performance, Midlake beautifully creating the gentle backing for the verses and the wild abandon of the I can't stand it anymore choruses - light effects adding to the gleefully wild assaults on the drum kit by a full three band members. And what a universal lyric - "Why don't you take it out on somebody else ? Why don't you bore the shit out of somebody else ? Why don't you tell somebody else they are selfish ? A weakling, coward...". If you've never felt that way then I hope you enjoy your sainthood.
The encore reveals that John Grant is learning to reclaim his music from The Czars - and really why let songs as good as 'Drug' (already revived on Queen of Denmark) and 'Little Pink House' linger in the forever unknown backwater of a band that should have been bigger, but wasn't ? Maybe an album or two down the road we can look forward to "John Grant sings The Czars". Maybe.
Was this a good gig ? More than good. This was one of the special ones.
Set List
You don't have to
Vietnam
Sigourney Weaver (with Midlake)
Marz (with Midlake)
Chicken Bones (with Midlake)
Silver Platter Club (with Midlake)
Jesus hates faggots (with Midlake)
Outer Space
Fireflies
Drug
Where dreams go to die (with Midlake)
TC and Honeybear (with Midlake)
It's easier (with Midlake)
Queen of Denmark (with Midlake)
Encore
Leopard and lamb (with Midlake)
Paint the moon (with Midlake)
Caramel
Little Pink House