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André Paine's rating
Moby finds the natural blues
By
André Paine
17.06.09
His multi-million selling Play album ended up all over adverts and TV and film soundtracks but Moby has now admitted he doesn’t much like its ubiquitous, sample‑strewn electronica.
Understandably, then, his new record Wait For Me is a downbeat departure. This was its public debut at the Meltdown festival and Moby admitted to feeling nervous.
There were certainly a few rough edges. But the show was all the more effective for melding raw, bluesy versions of Find My Baby and Natural Blues into the sequence of fresh material, with the slight, bald New Yorker doing a pretty a good impression of a rock god, even going down on his knees to strum the guitar.
The old ravers were off their seats with their hands in the air for his first hit, Go, from 1991 although the string section looked a bit out of sorts.
Otherwise, this was a more virtuoso performance than you might expect from a dance artist, as Moby drew on blues and post‑punk influences for new songs such as Mistake, while having the nerve to go straight from a savage cover of Joy Division’s New Dawn Fades to the lush Porcelain.
Moby credited the efforts of his more glamorous vocalists in staging the torch songs on Wait For Me, admitting that he resembled “the guy who should have rented the truck to the caterers” rather than a frontman.
Unlikely he may be, but the reaction for the exultant finale of Honey confirmed that Moby is an undoubted star.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (2)
The bald maestro is back. And, without the hang ups and expectations which dogged his infamous Hotel album. Using tonight as a vehicle to rightly pay homage to Ornette, Moby used this opportunity to regale us unworthy heathens in his sense of purest new age electronica. The new album, although downbeat and dark (inspired by David Lynch) no doubt caters to the recesses of the soul of, by now, average Moby listener while giving the more fatihful food for auditory thought. Moby's take on his old hits were, as expected, unexpected. From the wah wah guitar melding with the bluesy vocals as part of the soaring crescendo that was the concert end to the beginning where the vocals segued into his new single from pale horses. (Vodoo Child fans will notice the end to beginning skew!). From the monumentally timeless and continously uplifting Go (thanks again Mr Lynch) to Extreme Ways (with a subtle and restrained string section syncing perfectly with the harsh rhythm guitar) the evening was a cavalcade of old tunes with modern twists and new stuff to get stuck into. An amazing night of old skool rave nostalgia coupled with the darkenedsynth beats from an era yet to come sums up how the past and future collide to make a timeless piece of music history. Moby is back. And we should thank our stars. Because thats what we're made of
- Donald 'The Hameer' Blake, Blackheath, but my heart should be at the bottom of the tyne..ask my wife..., 17/06/2009 16:33
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On 16.06.2009 at the Royal festival hall london, history was made. Not musically but in the fact that I could not, even having tried my best, to give away my extra moby ticket. Literally. I offered a free drink to any mate who would come with me. They all said no. And referred to how 'no one listens to techno no more'. Thus, my curiosity aroused, i had to investigate as to whether my beloved techno really is dead. The answer...(drum roll): no but is in a possibly terminal coma. Causes of coma: a lack of bullding on his obvious talent, repeating the same synth drum beats (yes, we know you record music iin your bedroom but cmon...you can afford decent studio time), playing (pardon the pun) off of past piano meets gospel meets bluesy mish mash melodies and pretending to be a rock star ('Animal rights' should have taught him that he is not).
The concert, attended by an ever ageing crowd whose dance moves during 'Go!' would made Thora Hird cringe, was by no means a failure.I have seen worse. (Showaddywaddy at Cleethorpes, Chas n Dave, not so live at the Gin Palace on Old Kent Rd However, his upbeat polite and occasional lapses in timing (ref: Porcelain) made you wonder whether he dragged Ornette's meltdown, down. Anyway, the new stuff is above average at best. The string section looked like the same rejects from Pebble Mill at 1 but at least he got rid of that 'Best DJ award winner from 1989' guy. Seriously. All in all an ok effort. He was never at his best. But neither are we
- Calvin Rankin Aka Loopstar, New X-esque, 17/06/2009 14:21
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