The Fiery Furnaces / Franz Ferdinand - New York Mercury Lounge - 22/11/03
4/5
By: Joshua K
Following their notice-generating sets at the recent Rough Trade 25th Anniversary gigs, '70s-inspired, brother-sister rock-combo The Fiery Furnaces return to NYC on their first headlining tour supported by much-hyped Scots-pop upstarts Franz Ferdinand. So how did it all go down, to a packed club on a Saturday night? File under: head-scratchingly good.
First up are Domino Recording Co.'s next hopes, making their Manhattan debut with 30-minutes of careening, careering rock action. The downtown crowd admittedly don't know what to make of le experience Franz Ferdinand - and you can't blame them. After all, a blazing mélange of arty spoken-word intros, British Invasion pop, and Cure-like '80s rock takes some getting used to. Especially when these diverse elements occur in the same song.
Though the closing 'Darts of Pleasure' finally seals the deal and paves the way for the equally quirky Fiery Furnaces.
As is their wont, singer Eleanor and multi-instrumentalist brother Matt Friedberger take every opportunity to completely reinvent their recorded sound live. This refreshing approach results in some misfires, sure, but also amazing sonic workouts - including a music-hall take on 'Tropical Iceland' (already one of the standout moments on debut LP 'Gallowsbird's Bark'), a Patti Smith-esque rock version of 'Bow Wow', a punked-out 'Asthma Attack' and Matt singing 'We Got Back The Plague'. Not to mention an inspired medley of 'South Is Only A Home' and 'Don't Dance Her Own'.
And in the end, this willingness to a-bomb their own material, in some cases blasting it beyond recognition, coupled with the sheer intensity with which Eleanor delivers her lines, help Fiery Furnaces transcend their influences... and make them well worth your live dollar. You'll be left always intrigued, and, at times, breathless.
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