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Live Review
by SashaS
26-10-2001
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| "That Willie Nelson riff..." |
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Live: Dave Matthews
Union Chapel, London
Thursday, October 25, 2001
Dave Matthews, without his Band, shows that to rock you need guitar, tunes and attitude
Posters on fences and lampposts around the venue proclaimed ‘I’m Dave Matthews’, digging at the recognition value of this fine songwriter/leader of the eponymous band who’s been making great music for about a decade. Although general (Euro) public might be ignorant of this multi-platinum selling South African-born/NYC based artist the people inside were raucous fans. A single chord launching any and every song is greeted with an ovation! Plus mass sing-a-longs and a chorus of hundreds accompanying a lot of the songs!?
So, the hardcore fans are in, Matthews just needs to get his music across to hoi polloi and he’ll right-fully climb the music chain. His last album, ‘Everyday’, as well as the previous half a dozen long-players (including two live sets), is full of great songs handing over stories and observations to people who are not adverse to cerebral activity while having fun.
Matthews, armed with guitar only, opens the show with the last CD’s title cut in the most ideal place for an acoustic show, this former church. Soon a new song is performed, part of his “Willie Nelson phase” as he puts it, naming the legendary muso as his idol, ‘Where R U Goin’’ is lo-fi, gentle and pensive. ‘Grace’ is introduced as a “Country’n’Western song” but it isn’t, it is a seriously introspective pop song although lighter moments are offered on ‘I Did It’, a real frivolous and jolly track.
Adulation goes OTT during ‘Crash Into Me’ and ‘So Much’ when DM’s vocal is almost drawn by the sing-along, the latter also witnessing fans mounting pews for better views. ‘Satellites’, ‘The Space Between’ (he recorded for ToTP earlier in the day) brings us to the final song of the set, ‘All Along The Watchtower’, a rousing version of the classic. The highlight of the evening was certainly ‘Crush’, a song that self-admittedly plagiarised (again) W. Nelson by ‘sampling’ the opening word – ‘Crazy’.
Before performing the song Matthews told a funny story about the song, made famous by Patsy Cline; it was initially entitled ‘Stupid’ but Nelson “woke up in the morning and realised it wouldn’t sell many records” with such a title. Great and timely story at a show that truly provides high satisfaction and substance, despite his admittance, at one point, to being “scared sh*tless”.
It would be easy to imagine this music being for the Platinum-cards-carrying adults but that is far from the truth as majority of fans are of student age. These know Matthews has got it and simply needs his label to install him in the general awareness. It is just a question of time, on this evidence.
SashaS
26-10-2001
The Dave Matthews Band’s album ’Everyday’ is out now on Arista/BMG
The Dave Matthews Band's album ‘Live in Chicago: 12-19-98 at the United Center’ is released this week on Arista/BMG (USA only)
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