Date: 01/05/08
Rating:
An expectant and sold out Manchester Academy 3 is treated to the downbeat folktronica-cum-bluesy vocals of Mara Carlyle, a songstress who seems capable of pulling this style off well. For around 40 minutes the captivated audience are silenced by the sound of her voice sweeping through original work and the unusual interpretations she affords other artists' oeuvres. The performance is a confident display of musical attributes by the lady and her band - a crew of semi-bohemian looking types - that had enough heartache, energy and innovation within the music itself, if not the actual show, to immerse even the most sceptical attendee.
Such a performance it is, that it may risk overshadowing the main act, if the act in question was not Jamie Lidell, the bizarre funk-soul brother from the Warp camp, and subject of one of Carlyle's exceptional covers. "You're gonna really enjoy Jamie - he's got an amazing show for you" she promises us. It would be hard to spot a person in there that isn't. Just over an hour later, it's boiling hot, and a sweaty and exhausted Lidell is carried off stage by his band and crew.
Although a criticism could well be that the gig was made up almost entirely of tracks from his new album 'Jim' - a record that is his furthest move away from his electronica roots - renditions of 'Open Up' ensure that even the tech-heads in the crowd start to nod with the bizarre yet familiar sound. 'Out Of My System' is blended with an overtly electronic reworking of 'A Little Bit More', resulting in a frenetic funk frenzy which sounds like the sound system is about to explode.
After the pleasantries and acoustic based delights of the support, the intense party atmosphere with which the night closes, accompanied by 'Multiply''s invitation for attendees to join in with the "I'm so tired" chorus, it would seem that the Academy has been too generous for one evening. The only guess is if those downstairs for Wu-Tang Clan's RZA regretted their evening's choice.
Martin Guttridge-Hewitt
Mara Carlyle Official Site
Mara Carlyle Myspace
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