Yes. After ten long years of parental roadblocks, just-misses, and cancellations, I finally got to see one of my musical heroes, Tricky, in concert last night at the Independent here in SF. This British musical badass had been creating weird albums since 1995, all the while spinning this fan-boy's head into hazy whirlwinds of beats and riffs, creating a truly unique atmosphere. And since Tricky is frustratingly elusive when it comes to the public, especially in America, catching a live show is about as easy as trying to catch a gazelle by dressing up as a tiger. But the tears ceased to fall as I claimed a front row spot for the show, only to realize that I was standing to the right side of the stage, forgetting that Tricky consistently claims the left. It wasn't all bad, as I was directly in front of Tricky's lead female vocalist, Veronika, who is very easy on the eyes, not to mention a great singer. Having heard that Tricky shows can be hit or miss in regards to quality, I was thoroughly impressed and blown away; the musicians were spot on, the singing was great, and all the while Tricky stiffly lurched across the stage, throwing his arms in the air, shouting bits of verse and chorus like a possessed musical shaman channeling notes from the great unknown, while simultaneously directing the rest of the band with tempo cues. This spectacular show was complete with key songs from Tricky's repertoire, including a cover of Black Steel by Public Enemy, and several songs from his new album Knowle West Boy. Surprisingly, before the encore, Tricky made an announcement apologizing for not being one hundred percent, saying "it's been a rough night" as he had just gotten out of the hospital, and was playing despite doctor's orders. Can I get an AMEN?
2 comments:
great post man. good to hear it was a successful evening. i'll be looking forward to hearing more about it.
I was there, just found this post, my wife was pregnant with my first and only son. Tearing up
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