Perfume Genius & Lonely Galaxy – Cecil Sharp House, London – 19/10/10
4/5
By: Mike Harounoff
Cecil Sharpe House looks awesome, but there’s something odd about joining a line of people who you think are queuing up for a pint only to end up with soup to take into a ‘venue’ where you’re forced to sit in deathly silence. It’s almost like the promoters chose this space so people would actually, like, watch the bands rather than just talk to each other and take photos to put on their Facebook. Weird.
In his first ever London show, ex-Video Nastie Harry Howell (aka Lonely Galaxy) has chosen to keep things simple. The gentle giant stands toward the front of stage with his guitar accompanied only by a violinist. Metaphorically, I’m going for Harry personifying his emotions through appearing naked and vulnerable on the stage, whilst the violin embodies our human ability to separate ourselves from the issues that attempt to devour us. Nice, hey?
All that is complimented by Howell’s heartbreakingly honest voice, and we sit open mouthed as we’re welcomed into the diary of a broken man slowly piecing himself back together. Tracks from the Transparent release EP1 dazzle in their live format, and in many ways there’s a weird feeling when watching Lonely Galaxy that’s very similar to the feeling you get when a friend pours their heart out to you. It’s an age old formula, sadness in the past but happiness in the future, and Lonely Galaxy is a great representative for the art of human emotion.
Perfume Genius deals within the same emotional cycle, except one can’t help but fear there’s no hope for the characters he so earnestly and beautifully sings to us about. Every attempt on the piano to create a haven for ,or virtue to these people, seems doomed to failure. His way of using chords is completely bizarre – minor chords are used less to reinforce notions of sadness as they are to jar against the usually hopeful major chords that underpin most of these truly tragic narratives. His skill at of juxtaposing the two only brings with it a horrible reminder that sometimes in life things just aren’t going to be OK.
It’s with this in mind that watching Perfume Genius live and developing a personal attachment to him and his songs is only for those strong of heart and mind. The man (Michael Hadreas) gives so much both musically and personally that a strange feeling of discomfort starts to swell around the room. I hear the people behind me whisper to each other, the girl next to me starts to fidget in her seat, and it’s only once the set is over and the dark, silent room comes alive again that people can discuss and agree that seeing this genius live is one of the most captivating and awe inspiring experiences new music has offered us this year. As Hadreas walks back onto the stage for an encore, the applause stops, silence is restored and everyone again listens with spooky intent to someone we’re all becoming increasingly convinced is one of the most important musicians of our generation.
“his way of using chords is completely bizarre – minor chords are used less to reinforce notions of sadness as they are to jar against the usually hopeful major chords that underpin most of these truly tragic narratives. his skill at of juxtaposing the two only brings with it a horrible reminder that sometimes in life things just aren’t going to be OK...”; release – 2010
Artists in this article: Perfume Genius, Lonely Galaxy
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