There
is a generally accepted theory that the happier the musicians
are on stage, then the more enjoyable the concert will be for
the audience. Therein lies the dilemma. Such is the level of
skill and technical perfection that we demand today that often
the pressure and concentration show through in the faces of
the artists, meaning that some of the artistry and performance
are lost. We were very lucky indeed then to witness Soulsec
with not just a new name and a new line-up, but also by no means
over-rehearsed. It was obvious that at times some of the musicians
were wondering exactly how the songs were meant to go, and in
case you think that is a criticism or may have lead to a rough
edge to the performance, then nothing could be further from
the truth. Soulsec enjoyed every second of this gig, and any
moments of doubt about how the songs
should go were treated as opportunity for improvisation and
for humour. All five were as laid back as it possible to be
without physically falling off the stage, in particular Brad
who plays his five string fretless bass with such ease it seems
like an extension of his arm. New guitarist Andy looked cool,
starting the gig sitting on a stool but ending up on his feet
for the encore. Vinnie held a solid rhythm section as usual,
and drove the jazzy tempo that was used to great effect on a
number of songs, particularly "Eight Days". Richard's piano
playing is at times unbelievable - the arpeggios in Lady Grinning
Soul are as metronomically perfect as if played through a sequencer.
With Richard's hair ever longer, at times he resembled Cousin
Itt from The Addams Family.
This semi-acoustic manifestation of Soulsec is easily my favourite
format for this band - I very much hope they record like this
some day. It is clear that Andy is the final piece in the jigsaw
to complete what should now be the permanent line-up. In fact
for the first two songs, it was just Paul and Andy on stage,
later joined by Richard for a three piece before Brad and Vinnie
completed the line-up. Such
was the good humour both on stage and in the audience that even
the woman in the flats next door who is trying to get the venue
closed probably would have approved of this one.
My only personal issue with the evening was that my plan to
partake of pre-gig victuals in the adjoining Thai Bistro were
scuppered by the band themselves who were huddled in the corner
of the restaurant finalising their battle plans when I went
in - it would have been SO uncool to continue going in, so I
had to make do with the pizzeria next door to the pub. At least
they had a forno di legna. And whilst we are on the subject
of refreshment there was no bar in the venue itself, necessitating
a stroll back to the main bar for a top-up.
This wasn't the longest gig in the world, with only a single-song
encore and I think about 15 songs altogether. But its Quality
rather than Quantity that we are after. I really enjoyed this
gig, as did everyone else I spoke to. Lets see if the full "electric"
version of the band can find the same magic sparkle.
There
is a generally accepted theory that the happier the musicians
are on stage, then the more enjoyable the concert will be for
the audience. Therein lies the dilemma. Such is the level of
skill and technical perfection that we demand today that often
the pressure and concentration show through in the faces of
the artists, meaning that some of the artistry and performance
are lost. We were very lucky indeed then to witness Soulsec
with not just a new name and a new line-up, but also by no means
over-rehearsed. It was obvious that at times some of the musicians
were wondering exactly how the songs were meant to go, and in
case you think that is a criticism or may have lead to a rough
edge to the performance, then nothing could be further from
the truth. Soulsec enjoyed every second of this gig, and any
moments of doubt about how the songs
should go were treated as opportunity for improvisation and
for humour. All five were as laid back as it possible to be
without physically falling off the stage, in particular Brad
who plays his five string fretless bass with such ease it seems
like an extension of his arm. New guitarist Andy looked cool,
starting the gig sitting on a stool but ending up on his feet
for the encore. Vinnie held a solid rhythm section as usual,
and drove the jazzy tempo that was used to great effect on a
number of songs, particularly "Eight Days". Richard's piano
playing is at times unbelievable - the arpeggios in Lady Grinning
Soul are as metronomically perfect as if played through a sequencer.
With Richard's hair ever longer, at times he resembled Cousin
Itt from The Addams Family.
Such
was the good humour both on stage and in the audience that even
the woman in the flats next door who is trying to get the venue
closed probably would have approved of this one.