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Former Afghan Whigs front man Greg Dulli – the once infamous, self-styled lothario of grunge – stands centre-stage like a youthful Johnny Cash, dressed in black and playing a Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar. A commanding presence, he is flanked only by Dave Rosser on guitar and Polyphonic Spree’s violist, Rick Nelson. Billed as “An Evening with Greg Dulli”, it marks a change of atmosphere from his recent shows with Mark Lanegan which were, to say the least, both brooding and sobering.

Tonight there is an unavoidable awkwardness to the idea of an acoustic Greg Dulli solo show, which isn’t there in the solo acoustic shows of, say, Jeff Tweedy, Ryan Adams or Mark Eitzel. Those mentioned hold American roots music so familiar that they can effortlessly tap into various traditions and styles with only an acoustic guitar. In doing so, they breathe new life into songs that they have played throughout their careers. In contrast, Dulli’s heroes were always soul musicians such as Marvin Gaye, Al Green and Steve Wonder; music that would seem less fitting on folk instruments. Along with Dulli’s limitations as a guitarist, this doesn’t bode well for the evening.

Dulli, however, plays to his strengths. He elicits moods and atmospheres from the wealth of material he has accumulated from his stints in The Afghan Whigs, The Twilight Singers and The Gutter Twins. The set leans towards his work with The Twilight Singers; ‘The Killer’, ‘Candy Cane Crawl’ and set closer ‘The Twilight Kid’ are all aired along with a stunning version of ‘Teenage Wristband’, which incorporates a verse from The Who’s ‘Pinball Wizard’. Predictably, the songs that provoke the most sing-alongs are those by The Afghan Whigs. ‘Uptown Again’ and ‘66’, pure pop songs from The Afghan Whigs’ 1998 masterpiece 1965, provide an upbeat twist, as does ‘If I Were Going’ from 1993’s Gentlemen. From 1996’s Black Love, ‘Step into the Light’ is a dreamy, slide-guitar affair that offers respite in the middle section of the show.

The song that translates on the acoustic instruments most successfully, however, is ‘The Stations’, a Gutter Twins track that achieves the kind of gothic country darkness of which Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy could dream. Yearning and menacing in equal measure, it involves the whole band more than any other song performed on the night and captures the intensity of the live setting more convincingly than any other song performed. Three new songs from the forthcoming Twilight Singers record are played, much to the joy of all those present.

Throughout the evening, Dulli plays the charming host. The interplay and banter between Dulli and the audience are a refreshing change from the cocksure, arrogant and swaggering Greg Dulli that once fronted The Afghan Whigs. It’s also a welcome change from the edginess of a Gutter Twins show. An Evening with Greg Dulli? If only it were a weekly event…

Setlist for An Evening with Greg Dulli – Whelan’s Dublin, October 27th, 2010

  1. St. Gregory
  2. Uptown Again
  3. King Only
  4. Blackbird and the Fox
  5. The Lure Would Prove Too Much
  6. Bonnie Brae
  7. 66
  8. Let Me Lie To You
  9. Pair of Brown Eyes (snippet)
  10. Gunshots
  11. Forty Dollars
  12. Step Into the Light
  13. If I Were Going
  14. Summer’s Kiss
  15. The Killer
  16. Follow You Down
  17. The Stations
  18. Never Seen No Devil

Encore:

  1. Candy Cane Crawl
  2. Down the Line
    (José González cover)
  3. Teenage Wristband
  4. The Twilite Kid

Originally published by State.ie

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“Play the hits!” shouts an uninitiated punter. Tortoise, of course, doesn’t do hits. Almost 15 years on from their defining masterpiece, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Tortoise’s post- rock credentials are still intact. Initially, the crowd appears to be a convention for all the children of Sonic Youth’s band members. In time, however, they become audience members at a jazz concert: if they aren’t chin-scratching, they’re nodding to drum solos and swinging wildly to melody-laden pieces of meticulously crafted music.

On a small stage crammed full of xylophones, guitars, and synthesizers, two drum kits are pitted against each other. It is clear from the outset that while Tortoise operates as a democratic unit, all band members take their cues from Jeff Parker. The remaining band members look to Parker, the only member of the band with a set list, to initiate the night’s proceedings. He hits a key on his Moog synthesizer and, gradually, all of the remaining band members find their way into -High-Class Slim Came Floating In’, the opening track from their latest full- length LP, Beacons of Ancestorship.

What becomes more and more apparent as the show progresses is that, as a jazz or classical concert, one can easily follow the direction that the band decides to take on that particular night. By the time the band shifts into -Charteroak Foundation’, the final song of the evening, it’s clear that Tortoise, like Mogwai, effortlessly bleed all of their songs into one, continuously flowing mood-piece. What’s so generous and giving this approach to a live show is that it provides both first-time and long-time listeners alike a single point of entry into what the band is all about, which the stop-start approach of most rock concerts doesn’t allow. All the more impressive is Tortoise’s refusal to reduce their show to art-rock gimmicks and pretentions: at no point do the band members play into the crowd by donning ‘quirky’ outfits or throwing a bass drum in the air only to catch it without missing a beat. Tortoise is simply too focused on leading their audience into the next vibe, and we’re all the better for it.

“Play the hits!”, shouts an uninitiated punter. Tortoise, of course, doesn’t do hits. Almost 15 years on from their defining masterpiece, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Tortoise’s post- rock credentials are still intact. Initially, the crowd appears to be a convention for all the children of Sonic Youth’s band members. In time, however, they become audience members at a jazz concert: if they aren’t chin-scratching, they’re nodding to drum solos and swinging wildly to melody-laden pieces of meticulously crafted music.

On a small stage crammed full of xylophones, guitars, and synthesizers, two drum kits are pitted against each other. It is clear from the outset that while Tortoise operates as a democratic unit, all band members take their cues from Jeff Parker. The remaining band members look to Parker, the only member of the band with a set list, to initiate the night’s proceedings. He hits a key on his Moog synthesizer and, gradually, all of the remaining band members find their way into -High-Class Slim Came Floating In’, the opening track from their latest full- length LP, Beacons of Ancestorship.

What becomes more and more apparent as the show progresses is that, as a jazz or classical concert, one can easily follow the direction that the band decides to take on that particular night. By the time the band shifts into -Charteroak Foundation’, the final song of the evening, it’s clear that Tortoise, like Mogwai, effortlessly bleed all of their songs into one, continuously flowing mood-piece. What’s so generous and giving this approach to a live show is that it provides both first-time and long-time listeners alike a single point of entry into what the band is all about, which the stop-start approach of most rock concerts doesn’t allow. All the more impressive is Tortoise’s refusal to reduce their show to art-rock gimmicks and pretentions: at no point do the band members play into the crowd by donning ‘quirky’ outfits or throwing a bass drum in the air only to catch it without missing a beat. Tortoise is simply too focused on leading their audience into the next vibe, and we’re all the better for it.

Originally published by State.ie