24/11/99
Colin
Greenwood from Radiohead
has described The Muttonbirds as “a very important band”. He could not be more
correct. Don McGlashan’s
songs are inspiring and involving pieces of pop music. But to label them as
such still seems to undervalue them immensely. The songs literally come to life
as Don (who cut his teeth in performance based bands like Blah!Blah!Blah! and
The Front Lawn) summons up the characters from deep within, creating both
sympathy and intimacy in what is surely a rare combination in the world of rock
and roll. What’s more, The Muttonbirds seem to flourish in intimate
environments , and this evening’s performance at The Basement saw them in truly
splendid form.
Much has been made of the band’s loyal
following; the legions of screaming fans singing along (or in the very least
mouthing along) to the words of all their songs. It was obvious that tonight’s
crowd was filled with such punters, but it must be said that this performance
surely deserved to convert some newcomers. Whether it did or not, it was as
intense and beautiful an experience as any popular music can provide.
For the most part the band appeared to be more
relaxed and comfortable than their last (excellent) gig at Bar
Broadway on November 2. The band shirked the traditional, attention
grabbing upbeat pop song opener , instead starting with the sublime Envy of Angels. The song builds so well
but sadly Don’s euphonium sat idly by this time around. The tempo changed
abruptly with the shift up to AsCloseAsThis,
getting feet tapping on the well trodden floor boards. What followed was a very
generous mix of material from the back catalogue, with the Envy of Angels material getting a good run through early on. Indeed
by the time the band hit Along the
Boundary, it was obvious that this was going to be a particularly special
gig.
A few technical problems dogged the evening,
culminating in some confusion during the low key acoustic performance of the
beautiful Jackie’s Song. Don and Tony
pushed on through this one but, sadly the vibe just wasn’t there. The mood was
soon recaptured however, with the
perfectly executed Last Year’s Shoes
which was easily the winner on the night.
Drummer Ross Burge and new guitarist Chris
Sheehan returned to the stage to deliver an energetic and comprehensive set.
The band covered many of the highlights of their career, including; Anchor Me, Like this Train, Wellington,,
Your Window, and the much shouted for Dominion
Road. Happily the aforementioned euphonium made a welcome appearance on
more than one occasion, proving
especially powerful during Don’t Fear
The Reaper.
The band also know how to leave a crowd
hanging, blasting through a magnificent version of The Heater before heading off for the first time. They delivered a
fantastic version of The Queen’s English and
finished up with a real blast from the past, in the form of their first single,
Nature.
The performances were much more confident than
the last gig. While Don McGlashan seems incapable of delivering his songs in
anything less than spectacular fashion, at Bar Broadway it was apparent that the
new line up were still settling in. Tonight the new comers were much more at
ease and really complemented the haywire energy of Ross Burge as well as Don’s
passionate intensity. While Chris Sheehan is not the most energetic of
guitarists, he and bass player Tony Fisher are obviously two very competent
musicians. Still, the absence of Alan Gregg’s wonderful sense of harmony is
noticeable and sadly missed.
But you can’t have everything. What you do get
with The Muttonbirds though, is a beautiful, intimate performance of perfect
pop songs, delivered by some very fine musicians. And while The Muttonbirds may
have been preaching to the converted for the most part, there was at least one
person in the crowd heard to be saying “Wow, this ended up being a really good
night”. Honest.