Sunday, April 01, 2007

A Great Night of Music

Voltaire

I went to Liverpool last night to see Voltaire. We actually bumped into him walking up to the gig and had a chat before hand and afterward. He seems a really nice chap. Actually there is an amusing anecodote there. My partner, who isn't in to Goth music generally but does like Voltaire's music, came to the show with us. We were walking through Liverpool, trying to work out where the gig was and she spotted some Goths walking in the same direction. She wandered over the road and asked if they knew where the Voltaire gig was and, of course, one was Voltaire, whom she hadn't recognised! (I have express permission from her to relay that story!)

Voltaire's set was great, very funny and I was most happy when he played the track Vampire Club – you might remember that I featured the track as a vampire music highlight some time ago.

Many thanks Voltaire; and I remind you that you said you felt you should make playing over here an annual event – speaking for the UK, we’ll hold you to that!

Voltaire’s homepage is here and he also has a MySpace profile, so there’s no excuse not to check his music out.

Sieben - High Broad FieldThe revelation of the night was seeing support act Sieben. Sieben is Matt Howden, who in the first instance seems a really decent chap but is also one of the best musicians I think I have ever seen.

The music is hard to classify, there are touches of David Sylvian and Dead Can Dance/Brendan Perry but that does it no justice what so ever. It is its own unique thing. Matt is a violinist and, live, he builds layers by looping his own play, there is actually a sense of anticipation as those layers are constructed. It is astounding, his skill and timing are superb and the harmonies he produces mind boggling. I bought the album ‘High Broad Field’ whilst there and immediately ordered ‘Ogham Inside the Night’ when I returned home.

Please visit his site, you’ll find some MP3 clips and the full track ‘Millennia’ off ‘High Broad Field’ and there is also a MySpace profile with sample tracks. If you get the opportunity, however, go see him live – utterly superb.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi there.. mind if i link to this post? I'm the promoter who put on the gig last night. Glad you enjoyed it!
Regards
sistercarrion

Taliesin_ttlg said...

Sister Carrion

Please feel free to link to the post and thank you for putting on a great night.