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13/03
Glen Hansard
@ Auntie Annie's, Belfast, 28 January 2003 |
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Having seen support act Mark Geary
in the same venue almost a year ago, I wasn't expecting much. I found his
songs to be laborious and dull. So I was pleasantly surprised by tonight's
performance - he seems to have harvested a lot of his songs, cut away the
chaff and kept the good tunes, while making these shorter and more pronounced.
But we were here for Glen Hansard.
This is the fifth time - count them - I've seen Glen Hansard live in the
past 12 months, both as a solo artist and in The Frames. I've always come
away impressed with both his songs and the entertainment value of the shows,
and tonight was no exception. A rapturous welcome to the stage was greeted
by a trademark smile from Glen before he picked up the same battered guitar
he has been playing for years and launched into his set.
Tonight's set seemed musically more
orientated than the usual story session Glen launches into at most gigs.
That is not to say he didn't talk - he joked around and explained the meaning
behind some tunes, but this time a lot more music was played. Perhaps he
has been listening to some of the light-hearted criticism about his gigs
becoming slightly embarrassing - with the crowd hanging onto every word.
What Happens When The Heart Just
Stops? is truly a touching masterpiece. It really takes a gig like this
to realise just how many classic tunes The Frames have. From Red Chord
to Lay Me Down, they are all played here and sound exceptional in such
a secluded live environment. As the man himself said, tonight's gig was
used as a testing ground for the seemingly vast collection of new songs
waiting to be recorded. Even on first impression they all seemed very promising,
and although it was difficult to tell just from one listen, they did appear
to be of a simpler formula, almost resembling The Beatles at times.
I came away from this gig with one
question on my mind - does Glen Hansard really need The Frames as a vehicle
for his music, or would he be better off solo? From tonight's performance
I would go with the former. Although I said the same thing last year, I
will repeat it again - see him live in a small venue while you still can.
- Graham Smith |
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