I photograph and review a lot of bands, and with so much going on in Liverpool, it takes a pretty special artist to lure me over to Manchester on a school night, and Leeds is pretty much unheard of.
With an early start the next day, I had to be on the 10.06 train, and with St Vincent due on stage at 9pm, I was always never going to catch the whole gig, and as it turned out she didn’t take to the stage until around 9.25, which meant I only caught the first 4 songs.
So, was it worth spending 3 hrs on the train for just 4 songs? You betcha!
With her model looks and dazzling outfits, you could be forgiven for thinking that the attraction wasn’t entirely musical, but you couldn’t be more wrong!
She’s an incredible musician, creating catchy pop with real depth. Masseducation is sheer perfection.
Famously she collaborated with David Byrne on the album “Love this Giant” and in many ways it was a match made in heaven. They are both quirky, sometimes downright mad, seemingly avant-garde for the sake of it, and yet once you “get it”, you realise what utter geniuses they are.
It’s hard to review a gig when you only saw the first 4 songs, but when a gem such as “Los Ageless” is the 2nd song on the bill, you know you’re in for some real treats, if you were lucky enough to be able to stay until the end.
I’m not surprised therefore that the response on social media to the gig is overwhelmingly positive.
Let’s hope she returns to the UK soon!
Photos and Review by John W. King
Also appears in Live Music Reviews
