 |
| |
|
| |
Live Review
by SashaS
3-5-2002
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Alex Band of The Calling band |
|
Live: The Calling
Dingwalls, London
Thursday, May 2, 2002
The Calling bring more than their 28-week-old US hit to Europe
The Calling’s frontman Alex Band expresses his delight of being in England on more than several occasions and they even have a song entitled ‘Thank You’ which he precedes with a remark that tonight is “a dream come true!” Reasons for it are their (mainly) British influences and some 4 years of ‘development’ (of which more when we publish the interview with the band); even their debut album ‘Camino Palmero’ had to wait a year to occupy stores’ displays.
In meantime the band has learnt the craft of songwriting, recording and performing to have honed their sound to an assassin’s precision without losing on passion and energy dosage. The LA band is tighter live, more rocking, it has an overall room to operate sensitively rather than packing intensity and comfortable within its chosen emo-domain. From the opening bars it is a sound so huge to overcome every fan’s expectations as the band has obviously matured since the album through playing enough shows to handle the setlist with an ease and spontaneity of a happy bunch!
The ‘Camino Palmero’ (named after a street on which singer grew up in Hollywood Hills) displays more restrained sound that is transformed into this dynamic, complex and rousing rush. The five-strong line-up is working like the slickest Corvette with drums pumping with some rather strange and syncopated strokes over which Alex is dispatching vocals with a heartfelt bravado.
They perform an unrecorded song, ‘We Are Not Fouled Out’, that is followed with Band’s “favourite track” off the album, the closing ‘Stigmatized’ which they use as basis for a mini-jam with a couple of very economical solos that made them look like fans of the (pre-punk) 1970s with taste. (An oxymoron if there are few.) Well, haven’t heard something this cool since… the last Black Sabbath reunion! Their biggest hit/best known song, ‘Wherever You Will Go’ is not saved for the encore but performed mid-set; the ‘bonus’ song is ‘Adrienne’, that is going to be their next single.
The Calling will not re-shape the rocking horizon but are certainly more than capable of providing the sound and vision (singer is becoming a firm favourite with the nubiles) in the world that is getting tired of either ‘shock’ or rap- or nu-metal… And, without wishing to diss others, miles ahead of Nickelback, for instance…
The Calling rock with feelings in a more melodic way that is not a bad company for loners, couples, lovers, pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, babies, pedal-boaters…
SashaS
3-5-2002
The Calling album ’Camino Palmero’ is available now on RCA/BMG
|
|
|
