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Soulsavers, 2009
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August 24, 2009 – Ruby Lounge, Manchester, UK
review by Foz
Ah, the Ruby Lounge. A venue so intimate that upon leaving afterwards, I almost felt the urge to thank it for a wonderful time and of course promise to phone it in the morning to arrange further liasons (and then not bother to do so). Ahem. Anyway, after a very sweet (but sadly rather short) solo set from Red Ghost and further tuneful and noisy 2nd support (from a band whose name I missed as I was off being a bit of a social butterfly at this point), the brand-new touring Soulsavers arrived on stage.
This band is a very different prospect to the Soulsavers of 2007 – a smaller ensemble with a much rawer-edged sound that tore through the opening trio of Ghosts of You & Me, Death Bells and Jesus of Nothing with a red-hued (which added to the general Twin Peaks-esque feel of the evening, although given the name of the place, they might have just been the only coloured bulbs available) intensity. And even when the decibels were toned down somewhat when You Will Miss Me When I Burn followed suit, that same slightly skewed approach to the performance remained.
And so it continued through the night. The set was weighed not unsurprisingly in favour of new release Broken, with Unbalanced Pieces, Shadows Fall, a magnificently soaring Some Misunderstanding and jazz oddity Rolling Sky, with each song performed as if this band had been together for years. Previous album It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land also got a look-in, with the aforementioned joined by Paper Money and – sole encore – Revival getting a welcome airing, with a downbeat cover of ZZ Top’s Jesus Just Left Chicago thrown in for good measure.
Only slight criticisms of the evening came from the venue itself, really – a somewhat fluffy sound in places and that sodding pillar in the middle of the audiencey bit that meant that for most people towards the back of the tiny room, it looked like a Martyn LeNoble solo set. And although we’re all kind of used to a pretty untalkative show when Mark Lanegan is concerned, an introduction to the band would have been nice.
But the criticisms are slight. What is of importance is that the first night came across like a unit tight enough to sound great and loose enough to sound like it’s oh so much fun. And it will only get better.
And it should also be pointed out that – as with the album itself – Mark Lanegan’s voice and comfort with the material at hand is simply staggering. I have never heard him sing so well. This is one of those events (album and live) where it has to be said that you miss it at your peril.
August 27, 2009 – Highbury Garage, London, UK – please scroll down for multiple reviews
review by invisibles
Good show.
I didnt get the full setlist. very similar to Oran Mór from what i recall..
To Bring You My Love was on setlist again, unplayed.
Rich wandered through the venue, unnoticed, a couple of times before the support acts.. as did Rosa. i considered going over to say hello, but didnt bother.
the gospel singers from the ’07 tour were at the venue. not singing. they were stood with the sound guys all night.
my one complaint is the same complaint as last time i saw them – Paper Money. no Lanegan roar in the loud section. just utter silence from him during that part which, on record, is the absolute pay-off.
review by soonforgotten2
I was there last night… I was really surprised it was such a short set. About 60 minutes altogether. They sounded great for those 60 minutes though. I have to say, I was ready to like Red Ghost going into last night, but her support performance was terribly underwhelming. She has no stage presence or charisma and she really holds her vocals back. I do like her voice but all her songs were the same tempo and she just doesn’t show any kind of range. I was really disappointed/bored.
I also missed the live CDs. I didn’t see any merch anywhere. Soulsavers tech was a bit of an ass… he made sure no one got any of the setlists, like they were some sort of secret government document. One security guy was about to give one of the fans one but this guy took it back from him. I’ve never seen anything like that. It seemed really petty.
review by jules
We went to the Garage gig, nearly didnt see them! came from Cardiff , got stuck in traffic for 4 hours most of that time in London, still in traffic at 7pm when doors opened…still in traffic at 8pm, parked car, ran to hotel in Kings Cross with bags, got to the room, chucked bags in and went to set off to the gig, couldnt find the tickets!! not only the Soulsavers tickets but also our Reading weekend tickets all in the same envelope, had a massive panic attack, time now getting on for 8.30! hoped they hadnt fallen out our bags when running, ran back to the car, checked the floor and found them under the seat, phew, what a relief!!! ran back out, jumped in a taxi, arrived at the gig at 9pm sweaty and stressed out, only to find they wernt due on til 9.45!! was well was worth it tho, good gig, ive nothing to compare to as its the first time ive seen the Soulsavers. Reading performance was a far more subdued affair , obviously a much shortened set, got right to the front as it wasnt that packed, but their lighting is so dim still couldnt see much! they seemed to be going through the motions a bit. Nice bonus on that day was seeing Sweethead, really good, Josh’s new project which wasnt even billed, just happened to pass the tent and hear his voice!! sounded awesome, really enjoyed Spinnerette too, better than I thought they would be… would be nice if Mark could show some slight acknowledgment that there is an audience in front of him though, he doesnt have to do much just a little something to show us he’s glad we turned up!
September 1, 2009 – Estragon, Bologna, Italy
review by borracha
First of all this was a real rock show starting with unpuctuality (also, everybody was smoking even though it was not allowed -indoors venue-, I also smelled some pot in there…). Doors were supposed to be open at 9.30 but at 10.30 they were just starting doing soundcheck (I could hear Ghost of…, You will miss me… and Kingdoms…). They finally opened at 11 and about half an hour later started Red Ghost’s set. Short but good. It was just her singing and playing guitar, she has a great voice and I liked her songs. She’s king of “laneganish” on stage she just said good evening and thank you (both in italian) and fifteen minutes later she was gone.
Soulsavers where just awesome. I don’t know how Lanegan’s voice has sounded live in the past but right now it’s just mere perfection, no other way to describe it. I heard him before with the acoustic shows and now with a whole “electric” band and both times it sounded wonderful.
In the band there are all excellent musicians (at least to my very unprofesional ears) so the combination of both can only turn out great. Setlist was the same as the previous shows, I guess, alternating between songs from the previous record and broken. I kind of miss the backing vocals on the first songs (ghost, paper money…) and Lanegan’s oohhhs on paper money (replaced with guitar riffs which sounded good but I wanted at least one of the ooooohs!!!!). “Death Bells” sounded plain rock and roll, it’s different from the rest of the set, I really liked it. They played “Jesus has left…” and the set closer was “HIT-THE-FUCKING-CITY” (luckily I was able to restrain myself from peecking at the set list published here before so it was a great surprise) with Red Ghost doing P.J., amazing job. After a short break the band minus Lanegan and second guitarist (sorry, don’t remember his name) came back to play “By my side” and then all together closed with “Revival”. All very laneganish too, nobody in the band said a word, not even good night or thank you.
I guess I’m repeating myself here, it was a great-great-great show. Try to make it to one of they’re shows if you have the chance.
September 2, 2009 – Magnolia Parade, Milan, Italy
review by borracha
I’m finally writting the review of what sadly seems to have been my last Lanegan show for a long, long time.
First of all, Magnolia was a festival (small but still a festival) which means I got to listen to a bunch of italian bands (and they wren’t bad either…) before the Soulsavers finally took the stage. This time it was an outdoors thing and the weather wasn’t that good (it had been raining a bit during the afternoon) but by night time the sky was clear enough to let us see the full moon up above.
Setlist was the same as the night before (and every other nigh of the tour it seems) performance was as stunning as Bologna’s one with a few sound issues (not really that noticiable, just regular festival stuff) this time I was standing up first row center so the visual of Mr. Lanegan was much better. I noticed that at times it seems like he’s hurting when he sings (I can’t remember right now on what parts exactly), doesn’t mean that he really does it’s just the face he makes, all tight, eyes closed, mouth wide open…
Anyways, highlight for me (both nights) was “Some Misunderstanding”, it sounded just plain fucking amazing I particularly like the part: “we all need a fix…”. I had only heard the recorded version a couple of times before through the internet streamings as I could manage to get the actual cd just today. It is to me one of the highlights of the record as well but live it’s just breathtaking.
On to the sidenotes now, while on the previous bands was playing Rich was walking arround unnoticed. I aproached to ask him weather they were selling the records there (at that point I was looking for the live record but for broken too as I hadn’t been yet released in Italy), he said he was gonna ask I-don’t-know-who (manager, I guess) and that I would sure get one.
After the show, it wasn’t still for sale so I hang arround to see if I could ask him again…
Backstage was kind of see through and there were a couple of people standing at the door. I aproached and it turns out they were calling out for Lanegan (we could see him sitting in there) and he came out!!!!. He singed cd’s covers, shooked some hands, let someone take a picture of him and went back inside… all the while I was just standing there watching. I turn dumn (more than usual), feel kind of stupid, I couldn’t say a word.
Later, I saw Rich sitting at the same spot Lanegan was before but I didn’t dare bother him again so I went away with no new cd’s in my hands. I kind of regreted it later but well… hopefully I’ll be able to get it sometime.
September 4, 2009 – Postbahnhof, Berlin, Germany
review by Pouneh Rassuli
i was at the concert of soulsavers with mark lanegan in berlin/germany at the postbahnhof. i was traveling from hamburg, because it was their only show in germany.
the location is an old poststation in the east part of berlin and was renovated during the last years for events like concerts, disco, but also exhibitions. i couldn’t hear the band from berlin, because i arrived too late, but early enough to not miss the soulsavers. as they started to play, with lanegan, i was blown away by the sound of the venue. no distortion and such a clear sound, that it was a pleasure to listen to all the musicians. it was only guitar, bass, drums and syntheziser.
i have seen lanegan in hamburg with isobel campbell and greg dulli, but liked his voice more with the soulsavers. maybe because the concert with the gutter twins was only acoustic and i like the way his voice dominates the other instrumenst. they played a couple of songs from it’s not how far you fall, and from the new record broken. and they played, before they finished they first set and left the stage, i hit the city in a far more faster version than on the record. it was the only song from lanegan as a soloartist.
it was a great concert, the only shortcoming was not the band, but, as i would say, the german crowd. i dont know, why people go to concerts, if they want to talk throughout the time. in the front you had the music and in the back some stupid people shouting against the music. but thankfully there was enogh space to go to the front and find a place where to enjoy the music.
as i said, i saw lanegan a couple of times in hamburg and he never spoke much or thanked the crowd. but that night he was in a good mood or he liked berlin. after every song he nodded a thank you and after the encore he wished the crowd a good night and thanked for coming and ‘see you soon’.
playlist (as i can remenber, there were a couple of more songs)
ghost of you and me
unbalanced peaces
death bells?
some misunderstanding
rolling sky
pharaohs chariot
hit the city
by my side
revival
September 6, 2009 – Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
review by thatdamnracket
Great show to open the US tour last night. The band really has it together and it shows. Mark was in great voice and looked great. I didn’t have Broken till last night (They are also selling the live disc and t-shirts) so I am not sure of the setlist. From the previous posts of the european tour, it sounds like the setlist has really not changed. Still are playing “Jesus just left chicago” and closing the main set with hit the city.
Only complaint was it was really short show. 50 minutes including the encore. There was not one word between songs so I guess they made up time that way. Also, the show was not attended well. Maybe just a couple hundred people. Though the crowd was really receptive and thankful. I am sure today at Bumbershoot in Seattle they will have a huge crowd.
Great night!
September 7, 2009 – Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, WA
review by: grangerlang
Right, they were great.
…Oh, that’s not a review? Okay…
Seriously, though, they were fabulous. By the time they hit the stage, the sun had gone down, and the dusk was darkening to night. It’d rained earlier, but it was dry for the set, and it was pretty cool and breezy, but in the huddle of the audience it wasn’t too bad. The band were probably freezing, though! Soulsavers came on stage first and started playing and though people were definitely watching, I saw several necks craning around looking for Mark, who sauntered onstage in his own good time
Not a bad audience, they clapped and cheered after each song, and only a few tools were shouting song requests (for Revival, specifically). Considering a lot of the crowd seemed to be there for Metric, who were taking the stage after Soulsavers (which I’m basing on the fact that there was an inhumanly strong surge to the front of the stage after Soulsavers were done, so that I really thought people were going to get hurt, and everyone up front–actual soulsavers/lanegan fans–could hardly get out), I thought they were pretty respectful. It also explains why there weren’t too many voices shouting for an encore BUT WHATEVER THE BAND WAS GREAT SO THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS.
As per, they didn’t say much (well, no one in soulsavers said anything, Mark was the only one and stuck to his usual few ‘Thanks’), but they seemed to be in a good mood, and played like mad. Mark sounded amazing, and I was a little worried for Ian’s guitar–they can spontaneously combust, right??
They had both Broken and the live CD on sale, so I nabbed one of each But haven’t had a listen to either yet.
I didn’t nab any video, as the guy in front of me with crazy hair kept throwing his head back to headbang and nearly gave me a black eye at least 3 separate times, so I didn’t really want to risk my camera. I got some mediocre pics in the dark, but my photo program is being a wanker right now. I’m sure there’s a ton on flickr that are much better, so check those out!
Setlist as far as I can remember…
GHOSTS OF YOU AND ME
DEATH BELLS
JESUS OF NOTHING
YOU WILL MISS ME WHEN I BURN
SOME MISUNDERSTANDING
PAPER MONEY
ROLLING SKY
UNBALANCED PIECES
JESUS JUST LEFT CHICAGO
HIT THE CITY
REVIVAL
BY MY SIDE
September 10, 2009 – Troubador, Los Angeles, CA -please scroll down for multiple reviews
review by kyselina
Yes, it was a really great show. My friend who had never seen them before really enjoyed it. And it was great to see Raeni yet again and finally meet Romini as well as Mary.
On the show itself: First of all, props to Rosa/Red Ghost for coming out on stage with just her guitar, 30 minutes after the doors opened, and playing to less than 50 people, very few of them on the floor. She did a really nice set and has a beautiful voice.
Jonneine Zapata was OK, but they didn’t really grab me in any way.
Soulsavers: Setlist was the same as the San Francisco show. It’s pretty much impossible to pick out the high points because I really loved it all. Unbalanced Pieces was awesome and I continue to be struck by how beautiful Some Misunderstanding is. The set was good mix of new and old. The only problem for me was that on Rolling Sky (which I love for the two voices) I couldn’t hear Rosa very well. But that was probably because we were right up front, which isn’t the greatest spot sound-wise.
Pictures to come later (though as usual it was so dark that I don’t know how many turned out).
On to San Diego!
review by carlito
pretty good show in my opinion and i generally agree with the reviews so far. here are a few of my additional observations:
1) The show was too short
2) The guitar player was quite good and it was nice to see martyn lenoble play the bass, I havent seen him play live since pornos. I like that there are basically no guitar riffs, just feedback and textural sounds.
3) Not a big fan of the zz cover, thats a hard song to get right and it was a little, uh, uninspired.
4) Some Misunderstanding, Jesus of Nothing, and You Will Miss Me When I Burn were clear highlights
5) I miss the gospel singers
6) I do not like standing so close to the stage, I usually like to lurk in the back but my wife made me stand up close. Lanegan scares me, and I kept imagining that he was gonna jump down off the stage and kick my ass. Like tell me to go to TJ and fuck a donkey or say…..”Whats your fucking problem charley, I oughtta kick your fuckin head in”
7) I think I saw Kyselina, Raeni, and Romi, in fact I may have been standing right next to you all, but I’m generally antisocial so my apologies for not saying hi (I was the tall guy in black and red). You didn’t miss anything anyways because I am a total dick and have nothing to offer.
8) Every twilight singer was in the audience.
Generally, a great night, the beers were cold, the tunes were rockin, the crowd was happy, and carlito was pleased.
until next time or never, karl
September 12, 2009 – Casbah, San Diego, CA – please scroll down for multiple reviews
review by kyselina
Another awesome show, what more to say? Well, on 3 hours of sleep I’m sure I can ramble on about a few things.
This was even better than LA, and the vocals were amazing. I could hear Rosa really well this time (until her mic went out), and the times when Rosa, Martyn, Mark & Rich W were all singing were just indescribably good.
My San Diego friend who came with us was new to Soulsavers, had listened to my CDs a couple of times before the show, and left the show a serious fan.
The Casbah’s stage is really really small. And there’s no backstage area, there is a door next to the stage that opens out onto the street, and the musicians just walk in that door and onto the stage. It kind of adds to the whole intimate feel of it all.
I don’t have any pictures to post, it was even darker than the Troub. The girl behind raeni took a ton of flash photos of Mark, it was really pissing me off. And I think it was pissing Mark off, because at one point he seemed to glare in her direction.
And I echo raeni’s thanks to Mark, Rich (who is a very cool guy), and the whole band for two great nights. If I had $$ and time I would be really tempted to fly to Texas, grab my Dallas & NOLA friends and do a little road trip.
(And I capped off this really great week by seeing my beloved yet pitiful Denver Broncos manage to pull off a win in the last 20 seconds of this morning’s game with a pretty awesome play.)
review by osmenog
I was there! I wasn’t as close to the front as you folk. It was interesting that there were all kinds of people at that show, including people I would never expect to know about the Soulsavers. But it was good to see that most everyone was into it. I thought that everything sounded great- too bad about Red Ghost’s mic. At least they replaced it quickly (even if it wasn’t quite quickly enough).
All in all I was very glad to have gone, and very glad to have taken a couple friends with me. Can’t wait for them to be back in our neck of the woods again. Great first show at The Casbah for me.
September16, 2009 – House of Blues, Pontiac Garage, Dallas, TX
Review by: laceyn
I was at the Dallas show. Show was great. Lanegan sounded incredible, as always. Downside to the show, the turnout was pathetic. I doubt there were 100 people there. Actually 100 people would be pushing it. I would say closer to 75. I was expecting the place to be packed. It almost felt like a private show. If anyone in the band reads this, thanks guys for playing your asses off even though there weren’t many people there. Those of us there really enjoyed the show!
September 21, 2009 – Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC – please scroll down for multiple reviews
review and photos by Todd Thurman
http://www.grungerockguru.com
The Soulsavers came to the nation’s capitol on an absolutely beautiful day, and the Soulsavers only added to the day’s beauty. Touring for their new CD “Broken” (and we are all thanking them for choosing a shorter album name) they decided to play intimate venues. For Washington DC, that meant the Rock and Roll Hotel. The venue was indeed small. They had a soundboard on the stage and there was barely enough room on the stage for all of them, but there were still rocking out.
The opening act was Red Ghost who provided vocals for the cover of “Praying Ground” on “Broken”. I got there in time to hear about half her set (My apt is not Metro accessible and neither is the venue, so getting there was quite a journey). The songs I did hear, however, really impressed me. She has some pipes and can really belt out a tune. I am going to have to get her EP. The rest of the crowd agreed with me as she left to a good ovation (as good as it could be with small crowd).
She walked off stage and I knew what was next. The last time I saw the Soulsavers was in 2007 in Los Angeles. I count that as my favorite concert of all time. A lot of stars were aligned that night. It was the first time I had seen Mark live in over a year, it was at my favorite venue, it was with a band I really enjoy, and I was there with good friends. Now seeing Mark play live is old hat. I’ve seen him 3 times since then and 6 overall. But it is always different when he comes around with the Soulsavers and tonight was no different.
They started with a rocking version of “Ask the Dust” off of the “It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land” CD. Mark walked on stage and they went right into “Ghosts of You and Me” and we were on our way.
The night was a mix of songs from “Broken” and songs from “It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land” with highlights that included “Some Misunderstanding”, “Paper Money”, “Jesus of Nothing”, “Unbalanced Pieces”, and “You Will Miss Me When I Burn”, and “Kingdoms of Rain”. The band was in top form, it seemed, really adding a lot to the music and the live experience.
They ended the set with the seminal “Hit the City” and they walked off stage. The facade quickly ended as the band walked back on stage (minus Rich and Mark) and sang a stirring rendition of “By My Side”. After the song was over, Mark and Rich joined the band back on stage and BLEW us away with the powerful “Revival“. I’ve heard that song over 50 times in the last 2 years, and it still blows me away every time.
The show seemed to end as quickly as it started, but we were left in amazement. After the show was over I made my way over to the merchandise stand to pick up a shirt and a live CD I had heard about. To my great surprise, the live CD was from the show at the Troubadour back in December of 2007. It came full circle.
Interestingly enough, due to the “no flash” rule, I was able to snap probably the best picture I have ever taken.
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review by wheels132
The show was fuckin phenomenal. Mark sounded superb, no other way to describe it. Best I’ve heard him after seeing him three times now. I’ll try to provide something a bit more descriptive (even though I suck at reviews) tomorrow. Seemed like every except in the band except for Mark and Rosa were smoking – glad to see he’s been able to shake the habit – it’s doing wonders for his voice.
The set list was the same from the others shows I’ve seen reviewed on the board. I have some decent videos of Jesus of Nothing, You Will Miss Me, and Revival.
BTW, to a dude named Jared, nice meeting you – hope you join the board here (if you haven’t already).
Time to crash, gotta get up for work in like 4 frigin hours. But hey it was worth it.
September 22, 2009 – Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY – please scroll down for multiple reviews
review by wyldechylde69
Saw the show last night! If this is what the tour is like, everyone should be really pleased. They played enough from everything to make us happy. I’m shit at remembering setlists, so I tried to take a shot of it to post, but was told that I couldn’t. For some reason it’s being protected like a national secret. I think they’re worried about people DLing stuff.
The show was very direct, little talk and eye contact. It seemed(to me) that Mark was ticked off about something.They opened with(to my pleasure) “Ghosts of You and Me”. I was pleasantly surprised when they did “Hit The City”. I was happy that I got “Paper Money and “Kingdom of Rain” ,which really stood out for me. Enough was done of the new stuff to keep you satiated. Mark’s voice sounded strong and clear, and the band amazingly tight. I like him better here than with Campbell. His voice is better suited for the work he does with Soulsavers and Dulli. For me, this beat the Gutter Twins, primarily because the sound was much better. You got to hear his tones much greater this time around.I saw GT at Warsaw, and the sound sucked. Also, The Bowery Ballroom was pretty small(if it fit 400 people,I’d be surprised) This is a great place to see a show.
review by ravenlullaby
Great show last night… I missed Redghost’s set since we didn’t get there until 9:15 or so. Got to see Jonneine Zapata, and I really enjoyed her performance, her presence is pretty intense and it was cute when she told the crowd at the end of their set to use our blackberry to text our friends in Boston and tell them to go to their show the next day. They were well received by the audience, which at that point, was maybe about 25 people.
It’s funny, as mentioned in another post in this thread, the room was fairly empty during Jonneine Zapata’s set and even after the crew began setting up for Soulsavers. At that point I went downstairs to get a drink, wondering if this show would be well attended, but when I got downstairs, the bar was PACKED, so I knew it was going to be crowded. About 5 minutes after I came back up with my drink, and got situated in the third row towards the middle, the room was jammed, and I was glad to be so close to the stage. Of course a few minutes later, two 6 foot tall guys squeezed into the second row right in front of me (this happens to me at almost every show, and being that I’m 5’3, even my high heels didn’t help) but whatever, I still had a good spot and was able to see, Mark’s mic was directly in front of me, and it was great to see the place so full.
The setlist, I’m pretty sure was the same as the rest of the US tour, no surprises, but still a great show. Mark looked good (seems like he got a haircut since the westcoast shows?) and I didn’t notice that he was ticked off, seemed like the ‘normal/usual’ Mark to me, haha. He did say “Thanks for coming, we appreciate it” at the end.
The rest of the band was tight, and they looked like they were having a good time. Martin and Rich (Machin) were smoking throughout the whole thing, they really made me want a cigarette, but being that I’m not in the band, I had to wait till I got outside.
Crowd was really into it, I went with a friend who is only vaguely familiar with Lanegan’s music and never heard of Soulsavers, and he really enjoyed it. He brought another friend who never heard of Soulsavers or Mark, but liked the show as well, especially Mark’s voice. He did point out that it was too short, and I couldn’t argue there
September 23, 2009 – Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA – please scroll down for multiple reviews
review by angela
The Boston show was surprisingly very sparsley attended. This can’t have been good for the bands, having brought that many people and a bus to town, but for us fans it did have its perks. For once, everybody who was there was there to see Soulsavers. Better yet, it was a bit like having Mark sing in your living room, and WHO could complain about such an intimate show!
Set list:
ASK THE DUST
GHOSTS OF YOU AND ME
SOME MISUNDERSTANDING
JESUS OF NOTHING
DEATH BELLS
YOU WILL MISS ME WHEN I BURN
PAPER MONEY
KINGDOMS OF RAIN
ROLLING SKY
UNBALANCED PIECES
JESUS JUST LEFT CHICAGO
HIT THE CITY
BY MY SIDE
REVIVAL
Such a killer set list – it’s like the Soulsaver’s “Greatest Hits”. The band played/sang their collective asses off. Rich Warren is one mean guitarist. (What’s the name of the drummer?)
I recorded the gig. The quality isn’t stellar, but if you liked my Boston Gutter Twins recording from last fall you’ll be happy with this one also. I’ll post in the download section once it’s up on Dime.
Hopefully the others will fill in some more gig details.
review by rambis35
What a fantastic show. Incredible setlist, Mark’s voice was amazing, and the band was great as a whole. My wife and I were pretty much front row, dead center, behind one or two people. I was surprised how few people were there, although it filled in more by the time Soulsavers came on. I wish they played longer, but the set was so perfect that I can’t even complain, well worth the two hour drive. I’ve seen Alice In Chains and Soulsavers at Paradise in the last three weeks, it’s great to see bands I love in such a small venue.
Also, being able to purchase the live CD was a very pleasant surprise. It happened to catch my eye when I went to the bathroom, and luckily I remembered to buy one on our way out. Just a really enjoyable night overall, can’t wait to see Mark live again.
Soulsavers, September 25th, Mod Club, Toronto, ON
Review by: silverjetz
very cool show – though did they not pay for the whole lighting system or something? damn it was dark there w/none of the moving lights on the rear wall running – which is a real shame, as they have a great system there that would really have enhanced the show.. but alas a small gripe.. same old same old setlist – but in the pre-internet era it would have a surprise to me, so.. great, but very SHORT show (my bud figured it should have been called the “$0.50 cent tour”, as that was the approx cost on a per minute basis).. mark sounded great (did he quite smoking? thought I read that somewhere & while the 2nd guitarist & martyn were smoking onstage @ times, none for the reverend lanegan) w/his vox sitting very nicely in the mix (was about 15′ FOS/DFC), right in front of him.. found the bass (kick & guitar) a little punchy @ times, otherwise sounded top notch. great band as well (martyn is such a tasteful bassist) & rich is one mean guitarist..
highlights IMO were: jesus of nothing (killer), kingdoms, death bells (albeit a tad fast), hit the city (always nice) & revival was a great closer..
downer: WTF happened to the merch? didn’t bring w/’em to canada? but the SUPPORT act did? lame & sure the guys could have used some extra money as well, which makes it even more odd..
Review by: antiyou
Unless you all were at a different show than I was, did mark not forget the lyrics (or lose the rhythm) to Kingdoms of Rain? And was the guitarist not terribly out of tune for the song following that (Hit the City I think)? These plus no merch at all made for quite a disappointing show. I was so excited to get the live cd for the 2hr drive home. Obviously I didn’t. I enjoyed seeing Martyn live as I never had the opportunity to see him with Porno for Pyros. He is a great player.
I was amazed by how small the crowd was, especially considering the turnout for the Gutter Twins. Oddly, I have never come across anyone that has said the Afghan Whigs or Twilight Singers were their favourite band. Clearly Dulli is a draw in Toronto. Wonder why?
Overall, disappointing. Everyone has an off night I guess. I was home by 12:30 with a 2hr commute.
Review by: salesman
I’m pretty sure he just skipped over the second line, or messed up the first one. I didn’t think it was a big deal. That song was a highlight. It was pretty hypnotic. Though, the entire set was pretty solid. Considering Zapata’s set and the Soulsavers I thought it was a pretty great show through and through.
Did anyone else notice the Soulsavers walking through the venue from the exit doors about five minutes before they hit the stage? I was standing at the back near the doors and I noticed way too late to say anything to them. Plus they seemed like they were trying to go unnoticed and book it pretty fast backstage
Review by: corpusse
Pretty much all of the concerts I’ve really enjoyed have been because something unique happened. They played something they don’t normally play, a Bside, a cover, even a tease. Something I’d never seen, a song I requested, someone joined them on stage ect.
I really enjoyed this concert because of how it made my heart feel. Everything that happened setlist wise was exactly how I expected it to happen, except I didn’t expect it to be that amazing.
Soulsavers, September 26th, Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
Review by: dollarshort
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Soul Saving in Cleveland My hands shaking in anticipation, I sucked down a heavily-poured Jameson & Coke, watching Red Ghost finish her soundcheck from my barstool. The friends I brought with me on the five-hour drive from Bay City, Angela and Dani, flanked me, repeatedly telling me to calm down. Never had I been this excited, this nervous, for a show. Not when I saw Tom Waits, not when I saw Nick Cave, the other two components of my musical Holy Trinity. For, as fantastic as their respective shows were, I knew there was no chance I’d be against the stage, much less get to shake their hands. |
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But this time would be different. Something told me I would meet Mark Lanegan, either before or after he took the stage with the Soulsavers. On first entering Cleveland’s Grog Shop and scoping the club’s intimate layout, my determination cemented.
With only twenty or so scattered patrons, Red Ghost began her set, accompanied only with a guitar and a glass of red wine on a stool beside her. More eager to see her than the opening act of any previous concert I’d been to, I left my perch at the bar and stood directly before her, Angela and Dani beside me.
Beginning with a sound collage of looped guitar strumming, the fragile-looking Ghost—clad in a black dress matching her coal-colored hair—proceeded to play a handful of songs off her fantastic EP, “Brittle Times.” Her eyes closed as she played, she signaled each song’s end by a single sip from her wine glass, adding a demur “Thank you,” into the mic for every round of applause. Sounding a mix of PJ Harvey and Elliott Smith, her songs were at once delicate and powerful, her voice a captivating and soaring instrument, accomplished beyond her years and frame.
Red Ghost left the stage as quietly as she took it, leaving it to five-piece Cobra Verde to hold the audience’s attention. As the band ripped through eleven punkish hard rockers, their singer bounced and thrashed, a clear disciple of Mick Jagger, David Johansen, and Iggy Pop.
In the interim between the end of Cobra Verde’s set and the beginning of the Soulsavers’, I held fast to my position in front of the stage, directly before Lanegan’s mic stand, my hands on an amp. The crowd began replicating and surging toward the front, but under no condition was I going to relent from my spot.
“Any minute, and he’ll be standing right there,” said Dani, patting my back. A recent Lanegan convert by way of the Screaming Trees, she was more pumped on my behalf than for the show itself.
To my other side, Angela smiled at me sardonically, no doubt thinking I was a bit too hyped up, but amused by it nonetheless. And to think, this was her birthday.
Mingling with other fans near me, I made the acquaintance of Leonora, who traveled from Philadelphia for the show. Far from her first time seeing Lanegan, I asked her if she had ever met him after any show. “Oh no, and I never expect to,” she said. Talk about being demoralized. Subduing my momentary lapse in spirits, I found another reason to stay committed.
Soundcheck seemed an eternity as the roadies attempted to fix a malfunctioning amp or microphone. Problem resolved, all the members of the Soulsavers except Lanegan took up their instruments and mounted the stage, kicking things off with instrumental “Ask the Dust.” Rich Machin, the band’s musical architect, kept to the rear of the stage, unassuming as he played the hell out of his guitar.
Without a word, Lanegan appeared out of the shadows and climbed the stage, standing directly above me as the band seamlessly segued into the implied menace of “The Ghosts of You and Me.” Without a word, his tattooed hands gripped the stand and his face grimaced as though he were conjuring his dark muse for each song, his minimalistic yet commanding presence a shining example of “less is more.”
Over the next hour or so, the band ripped through a series of favorites—the heartrending “Some Misunderstanding,” the slinky sultriness of “Paper Money,” the clanging chaos of “Jesus of Nothing,” and a sparse “You Will Miss Me When I Burn” among them. Never a break between the songs, never a comment from any of the six bodies on stage; rather, each musician was dedicated to the music they were generating, playing off each other in perfect harmony. Guitarist Rich Warren cranked out the distortion, often kneeling and facing his amp, and bassist Martyn LeNoble ably filled in for Mike Patton on “Unbalanced Pieces,” the lyrics of the chorus taped the floor near his feet.
Occasionally, Lanegan let slip some of his offbeat humor. When, in a brief pause between songs, a fan bellowed, “We love you, Mark!” Mark silently mouthed, “I love you, too.” During the somber opening of “Kingdoms of Rain,” a drunken female cliché repeatedly shouted over the music “Oh my Gawd, I luuvvvve this song!” and proceeded to drop her beer bottle, Lanegan leveled a gaze her way which could seer to the bone.
Only once during the setlist did Lanegan address the audience, announcing Red Ghost before the two of them dueted on the unhinged soundscape of “Rolling Sky.” A stark reworking of ZZ Top’s “Jesus Just Left Chicago” followed, and I must say, Lanegan needs to get on the phone with Billy Gibbons to get permission for the Soulsavers to record it for their next album. After closing with a cover—is that the appropriate term?—of Lanegan solo song “Hit the City,” with Red Ghost filling in for PJ Harvey, Lanegan quickly thanked the audience for coming out, then slipped away with the rest of the band.
Minutes later, all the band save Lanegan and Machin returned—as anyone close enough to the stage to read the setlist knew they would—for “Broken” closer, “By My Side.” The only misfire of the night, Red Ghost’s vocals sounded drowned-out by the music. A shame, as she seemed possessed in her performance.
Immediately after, Lanegan and Machin returned to their familiar posts for the unparalleled awesomeness that is “Revival,” still the group’s grandest song, equal parts devastating and affirming. As the drums hammered down, part of me was saddened to know this would be the last song, while recognizing this was the best possible note to end on.
Show over, the band off the stage and presumably heading to their bus, my friends and I filed toward the door. Catching sight of the torrential downpour happening outside, we paused momentarily to gather ourselves before embarking on the four-block trek to my car. In that brief instant, I glimpsed a hooded Red Ghost pass by and enter a side door, where I had assumed the band left from. Recognizing my once in a lifetime chance, I slipped through the crowd and followed Red Ghost, dragging Angela and Dani with me.
Standing beside the Ghost, I mustered enough courage to tap her on the shoulder. On her turning around, I told her how great her show was, how much I loved her EP. “Yay, somebody bought it,” she said, laughing and seemingly genuinely touched. When I asked if she’d sign my copy of “Broken,” she did so without hesitation.
Looking around, as fans lined up at the merch booth to buy T-shirts and buttons, I noticed the rest of the Soulsavers, all except Lanegan, which didn’t really surprise me, as I knew his reputation for not being one to do meet-and-greets after shows. Approaching Machin, I told him how much his last two records have meant to me, how I drove so far just to see them play. After telling him I’d do it again in a heartbeat, I mentioned it was Angela’s birthday, to which he addressed her, voicing his hope that she was having a happy one. Like Red Ghost, his gratitude over this seemed to mean a lot to him. He also gladly signed my copy of “Broken.”
Readying to leave and brave the rain, I happened to catch sight of someone I hadn’t noticed before. With his back to us, he chatted with the lead singer of Cobra Verde, off to the side, past Machin. Should I dare approach him? What if I went to shake his hand and he shrugged me off?
Ah, hell, I thought, once again recalling this was my only chance. But first, I couldn’t let a fellow-Lanegan devotee miss the opportunity. I dashed outside, luckily found Leonora by the door, and pulled her back inside. Seeing Mark as she entered, she was overcome with giddiness.
As others flocked around, Leonora, Angela, Dani, and I took our place in line. Leonora the first of us near him, she turned to me and said, almost with heartbroken realization, “I don’t have a camera.”
“If you get the chance, we’ll get a photo of you two and I’ll get it to you later somehow,” I said.
Her enthusiasm reignited, she gave me her e-mail address, which I scribbled on the back of an eight-by-eleven Soulsavers poster snatched from a window. As I finished writing, Leonora found herself beside Lanegan. After saying something only the two of them could hear, Leonora stood with Lanegan’s arm on her shoulder as she smiled for the camera. Angela snapped a quick shot of the two of them before I moved up.
My heart beating fast enough as to be vibrating, I let myself go into pure automation as I shook his hand and rambled some amazingly trite gibberish, something along the line of “You’re awesome. I’ve been trying for years to see you in concert.” Yes, I knew I was making a fool of myself, but, honestly, I didn’t expect any other outcome.
On asking him if I could get a photo with him and an autograph, he immediately said “Sure,” signing the cover of “Broken” before posing for a photo once again snapped by birthday girl Angela. Stepping away from him, I quickly shook his hand again, allowing Dani time to sneak in and clutch him in a hug, Lanegan having to bend almost ninety degrees to accommodate her five-foot-two stature.
Making our way to the door thereafter, I was smiling like a Cheshire cat, the rain soaking me as I walked to my car at an unhurried pace, hoping to let the memory sink in just a while longer.
Review by: hundog
awesome show, and everyone i was with enjoyed it as well. the rain last night made for a perfect setting. the setlist may have been cut, didnt seem to follow the same order as previous shows(seemed really short), but i may be wrong. mark was cool, and i was able to snag a picture with him after the show. was hoping they had an exclusive poster, but was able to pick up the live cd which is pretty good.
Soulsavers, September 27th, Double Door, Chicago, IL
Review by: Buttercup
I was so happy the Double Door drew a decent crowd for the last night of the U.S. tour. Mark thanked the two openers and said they would be missed. I don’t think there were any variations from the standard setlist.
Review by: minusblindfold02
Awesome show last night. So glad i got to pick up a copy of Broken without the brutal import fees. The place was empty most of the night then next thing i know it was packed when soulsavers came on.
I realized on the way home that I haven’t really seen Mark “lead” a band since the Screaming Trees. I’ve seen him a lot with Dulli and QOTSA, so it was nice to catch him in a setting where he’s pretty much the boss. Totally worth the trip
Review by: LostCause
Great show. I have been basically basking in the glow of the performance and everything I can remember. It totally makes the CDs come to life even more. I was pretty close to the stage and had no idea so many people where there in the end. It was my first time seeing Mark be the only (pretty much) lead vocalist for a band. His vocal performance was totally outstanding and the band was sooooo tight. I am not sure I have ever enjoyed a show more than this show. I don’t want to hear him sing with anyone else for a while. I saw the entire band walking around before and after the show the only person I missed was Mark. I met the sister of the bass player who came from Holland to catch the New York and Chicago shows and talked with her a bit. Very nice girl. I only wish that I had not had a 2.5 hr drive home after.
I do have to chuckle a little though at Mark’s attire. It must have been some time after Bubblegum that he switched to his current style of dress. I am not sure I have seen him dressed in any thing other than his usual black on black on black since. I am not sure if he has given up smoking but his voice is totally strong. He can dress any way he wants and I’ll be there to see the show. He is a master.
Review by: tankboy *NOTE* this review appeared here: http://chicagoist.com/2009/09/28/photos_soulsavers_at_double_door.php along with some great pictures. please go check them out.
Soulsavers rolled through Chicago last night, but it was obvious everyone filling Double Door last night was there to see their frequent singer and collaborator Mark Lanegan. He presided over the evening’s dark affair, and while he rarely moved just about every eye in the house was on him. It’s hard to describe Lanegan’s charms through pure description, since he stands stock still, doesn’t address the crowd at all, and insists on stage lights that barely push through the darkness. But he is so focused on each song’s delivery he becomes a hypnotic presence. He conveys more drama and emotion through sheer will than most other performers can do with a stage full of props. It’s pretty incredible.
Soulsavers, November 4th, Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium
Review by: Elewout
When I arrived, the opening act of the show, The Tenebrous Liar, was already playing so I only managed to hear a few songs but I thought they were an all right band (hadn’t heard of them until yesterday), playing slow, “muddy” rock with a pinch of feedback now and then.
On to the main dish: after the instrumental Ask The Dust, Mark Lanegan joined the band to perform Ghosts Of You And Me. I don’t know the whole setlist by heart but I saw the setlist of the Bumbershoot Festival from September 7th and it was pretty similar. They also played a song called Feel So Good (apparently a Spacemen 3 song) and I think they ended their
main set with that (Hit The City was definitely not the last song but somewhere in the middle of the setlist).
As other reviewers noted, they weren’t very talkative with a mumbled “thanks” from Mark here and there and a “thank you very much” at the end. The encore started with By My Side, sung by the two female backup singers (well, they were more than
just mere “backup” in my opinion) and after that Mark joined again to close the evening with Revival.
Revival (I’ve been trying to figure out why I like this song so much but I can’t put my finger on it; which makes it so much more interesting) and Some Misunderstanding (the way Mark sings this is bound to give you goose bumps) were probably my personal favourites of the evening. Like in other shows, Mark didn’t sing/roar during the chorus of Paper Money and it felt like something was missing (yes, the vocals, I know…) but I think they should have filled the gap with a stronger instrumental
part. But apart from that one tiny detail, it was an excellent show. Mark has an amazing intimacy in his voice which really suits the music the Soulsavers make so I’m hoping we’ll hear and see more of them in the future.
On a side note, they are still selling those live CDs from the Troubadour performance. They cost 10 euros (luckily just the amount of money I had in my pockets) and they are signed (well, somebody scribbled on the back with a silver marker).
Soulsavers, November 5th, Divan du Monde, Paris, France
Review by: Nathalie
I live 2 hours drive from Paris, in normandy… 2 hours drive because of traffic. I hate towns. I reach Le Divan du monde quite late in the evening, with a friend of mine who doesnt really know Mark Lanegan as he is much involved into electro indus music… no real time to wait. We stand in front of the place and i recognised some people who were at Gutter twins show in La maroquinerie on 19th february 2008. Good.
We pass the door, look at the place. It’s a very intimist place, indirect red lights, a small typical parisian theatre. It smells fresh paint as they re-opened for that show. Special show. Another boardie joins us. Fun. Then lights off, but were on on stage, for the 1st part “Tenebrous Liar” (not sure) plays under lights. Not a young band, but quite good. As they are about to finish i check around… not much people. I am a little disappointed for this. But I re-check. Yeah. The Soulsavers are in the place, among
us, like if nobody couldnt recognise them. Yes ! they were in the crowd and nobody recognised them !!! I am feeling home at this moment. Fun time… Balance on stage…One two, One two. We wait.
Lights are off . My heart beats loud. The Soulsavers arrive. Each one plays, and 2 chorus girls… then Mark comes, last but not least. With a (FUCKIN’) jacket and a little smile on his face. In fact they all wear Jackets. Isnt that a good vibe ? Oh Yeah.
“Ask the dust” is fantastic. I even hear my friends mumbliing a WOW. He sounds fantastic, his voice resounds in my head. I’m on the ninth cloud. Soooooo that i dont even remind me if he said “Hello” at the end of “some misunderstanding” or “jesus of nothing”, the soulsavers one i think now.
He is in a good mood, i see that, and everythings sounds magic. My friend is surprised i am so melt. And at every song, i am
like a child, amazed. Excited when i hear the first notes of Hit the city. I drink every word, so much that i feel drunk of his voice. Yeah. Drunk of magic sounds. I check around again , people have smiles on their faces. It is a real good show. Unforgettable.
They stop. Already ? Nooooo ! Wait for the encores… Ohh really it was so short, according to me. I am sad. 2 last song i drink again. They leave the stage, he thanks us and waves good bye. I keep my tears inside. I am fragile. Then i bargain for the setlist, no way with the roadie.
And i ask my friend to stay cause i expect to go back stage. I see people waiting for backstage, but they have a “pass”. It’s dead for me. But i lived it. It was just …amazing. I actually dont regret to go into town. And my friend enjoyed the show. It’s my victory.
review by Arthur
The /Divan Du monde/ is, in my opinion, the perfect place for a Soulsavers show : intimate, old-fashionned and compact. When the drummer, keyboardist, bassist and the two guitarists take the stage in dark suits, opening the show with the instrumental Ask the dust, the magic of the moment gives the impression to be stuck somewhere back in time…
That’s the moment when Mark Lanegan finds his way to the stage in a dark suit with a jacket and classy shoes, heading for a huge performance : no error, no hesitation and a deep voice easily changing from emotion (You will miss me when I burn, Unbalanced pieces) to power (Hit the city).
The band is tight, the lead guitarist is shredding his guitar to play solo evreytime it’s possible, but with sounds that fit the atmosphere ; the back-up chorists are there from songs to songs and are even given the opportunity to sing lead vocals, which they achieve with geat class.
A magical show all in all, with a final Revival that will onlyhit the audience with the envy to see the soulsavers again as soon as possible.
From what I can remember and could gather on the internet :
Ask the Dust (instrumental)
Ghosts Of You & Me
Some Misundersanding
Jesus of Nothing
Death Bells
You Will Miss Me
All The Way Down
Paper Money
Kingdoms Of Rain
Spiritual
Hit The City
Unvalanced Pieces (not 100% sure of its order in the setlist)
Rolling Sky
Jesus Just Left Chicago
Feels So Good
Encore :
Through My Sails (instrumental)
Revival
Soulsavers, November 29th, Melkweg, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Review by: Shoeshoene
Seeing Mark Lanegan perform is like watching an exotic creature rarely seen in the wild.
He seems completely entranced and focused on the song at hand, and it seems impossible for anything to break his concentration.
There didn’t seem to be much communicating within the band, but anyone who’s seen them on a previous tour could see they’ve grown into a great working team. This is no longer a case of Mark lending his voice to a project, The Soulsavers really is his band. The songs work great and they’ve all seemed to have found their groove. Even the gospel singers are now used to the dark vibe Lanegan brings to a project. Before they sang in a gospel way; uplifting and trying to stir up a crowd. Now their voices are the perfect tool to make the Soulsavers-sound. Gospel with a heavy rock background, or the other way around, it’s hard to say.
To me Spiritual was the absolute highlight of the evening. I have to admit that I too kept saying after each song that that was the greatest one of the evening but my opinion changed as the first note of Spiritual sounded. I got the same chill I get when I hear the first notes of The River Rise. It’s impossible to describe but it’s as close to a religious experience as you’re likely to find outside of a church. Truly beautiful done, I felt 100 % joy for those few minutes, and it even managed to cure me of my hang-over disappear temporarily. Excellent.
About the rest of the concert, like I mentioned earlier, after each song performed you got the feeling like that was the best song of the night, till they started the next one. Mark has never sounded so great and I thank Jebus that Mark decided to quit smoking. It has made a great difference to his sound, which was great to start with.
The band were playing their collective ass off and the back-up singers made the songs they sang on extra special. And they were given enough room to show their talents, even doing the main vocals on one song if I remember correctly.
I haven’t heard the new cd and I’m not great at critically writing a musical performance so I’ll stick to describing what the show was like, like I’ve done before. The opening act deserves a little credit, for they are the first opening act I’ve seen that really rocked. My friend was looking forward to purchasing their album after the show, but by then their merchandise was gone.
The last thing I feel is worth mentioning is the way Mark ended the evening. The past times I’ve seen him perform, someone else usually thanks the audience and Mark mumbles a thank you. However, on this occasion Mark took the microphone and thanked the opening act for coming all the way from England to join the soulsavers. He then went on to say he thought they were fantastic, which lead to a great and well deserved applause. I expected that to be the end of it but Mark continued. He thanked the audience for a great evening and said we were too kind. After that I started to melt and so I can’t be sure what he said next. He said something about seeing us the next time or something like that and said goodnight.
The end, of what someone from my hometown described as an extremely great evening, which was proved by just looking at so many happy looking people in the foyer and seeing people visibly still shaken after the show.
Soulsavers, December 15th, O2, Dublin, Ireland
Review by: Killian
http://sacredcowpats.blogspot.com/2009/12/depeche-mode-soulsavers-live-at-o2.html
This was my first visit to the O2 (formerly known as the Point). The Point was never one of my favourite venues. Eddie Vedder commented about it on stage at a Pearl Jam gig circa 2000, when he told a long and rambling story and then said “what’s the point? It’s a great place to play in Dublin.” But the truth is it was little more than a large warehouse with poor sound and tortuous queues for bar and toilets.
The new venue is completely opened out, which has the effect of the gig being visible from the bar. Discovered it’s way too easy to get beer. Disturbingly, they also sell buckets of popcorn, just like the cinema. That’s entertainment?!
Anyway, enough of the venue and on to the music. Soulsavers were on stage when we arrived. Lanegan was wearing a suit and surrounded by musicians, there must have been more than 10 on the stage (including backing singers). The set was a mixture of their last 2 albums, solo Mark Lanegan (Hit The City and Kingdoms of Rain were highlights) and they finished with a Spacemen 3 cover, Feel So Good. They were pretty good, though would like to see them in a smaller venue – the sound in the O2 is still a bit muddy. Lanegan was his usual compelling presence, standing still at the mic stand, and the band played well, though the backing singers were a little OTT, over-‘gospelly’, maybe?
Depeche Mode followed up which was a completely different experience. Last time I saw them was in 1994 in the same venue when singer Dave Gahan was in his ‘rock god’ drug phase, and they were very impressive. They began with tracks from their most recent album, Sounds of the Universe which got an OK reception but most fans were here for the older stuff. I had forgotten how small Gahan is, he’s really tiny. The sound was too polished for my liking, it was hard to pick out the instruments, it just sounded like one mass globule of sound. Maybe that was deliberate?
Anyway they rolled out many of the ‘classics’ – A Question of Time, Personal Jesus, Walking In My Shoes, and both Gahan and Martin Gore were in fine voice, but the experience was a little like watching a video or listening to a CD. Perhaps the venue was too big for me? One of the songs they played was Miles Away. It felt like it.
Have to have a word about the merchandise: €70 for a Depeche Mode hoodie was almost as amusing as the popcorn sellers!
Killian Laher
Soulsavers, December 11th, Electric Ballroom, Camden, UK
Review by: Ken
The Electric Ballroom holds about 800 people and appeared reasonably full – not jam packed. I had been looking forward to this having missed the London show earlier in the year and the 2007 tour.
Support were the Exit Calm from Yorkshire. Probably ok, but dogged by the curse of support bands everywhere – rubbish sound. Listening to their song on myspace, they’re a bit earnest – sound a bit like U2.
Good thing the sound for the Soulsavers was much better.
Setlist:
Ask the dust
Ghosts of you and me
Jesus of nothing
Death Bells
You will miss me when I burn
All the way down
Paper money
Kingdoms of rain
Spiritual
Hit the city
Rolling sky
Jesus just left Chicago
Unbalanced pieces
Feels so good
Silent night
Revival
I can only give you my impression, because Lanegan was his usual chatty self and the band followed his lead. They are well into the tour at this point and it showed. The band seemed really tight; well rehearsed and I very much hope they enjoyed the show. I got the impression that the crowd was a mix of fans and people who did not know what to expect. The band did not subdue the crowd with volume, but played a well paced set which held the audience and will have won over everyone there – the reception at the end was loud and enthusiastic.
So how was it for me? Fantastic. This is the seventh time I’ve seen Lanegan in the past couple of years (3 w/Isobel, 2 Gutter Twins and “An Evening with…”). I’d go for this ahead of the others. Mark Lanegan always appears to sing with a concentration and intensity that is rare in this field and this suits the Soulsavers music perfectly. Great set and oddly the highlights for me were not the songs I expected. The absolute highlight was Spiritual, sublime performance all round, other highlights were Jesus of Nothing, Feels So Good, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Kingdoms of Rain. Check out the performance of Revival that’s currently on You Tube, captures the performance really well for what I presume was a mobile phone – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvQ5FgcLveo . I must have been standing near the person that taped this – didn’t notice! The show was being professionally filmed, so we can hope something arises out of that.
Bonus for those who’d requested the Troubadour concert was there were plenty available. I hovered up four which have been posted out to those who requested. Another favourable review here:
Ken 1 January 201
Soulsavers, December 17th, Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK please scroll down for all reviews
Review by: Sara
Here’s my attempt at a review of last night’s show in Nottingham. It’s not so much a review as a lot of over-excited waffle, as will become apparent…
The first band, Tenebrious Liar, came on at about a quarter to nine. To start with, their guitarist seemed to be missing in action, but he appeared (looking a mite sheepish) part of the way through the first song. They were good, didn’t sound too much like anyone else. I was particularly struck by the third song (which is no help, since I don’t know the name of it). The crowd seemed to be getting into their music. I spoke to some of them after, too, and they were super nice to me. Somehow I got into a conversation about the Banach-Tarski paradox (look it up!) with Tony Ash (the tardy guitarist), which has to be a first.
Soulsavers came on to an instrumental one, the name of which escapes me, then the mighty Lanegan appeared and they went straight into Ghosts of You and Me. No matter how many times I hear him sing, that first few notes sends shivers through me. I remember the first time I went to see him, I was so excited waiting for the show to start I had to go have a wee sit down outside by myself! At least I’m not that bad anymore. Anyway, for the first half of the show I was stood to the left of the stage by the bar on a raised step, which would have afforded me a great view, had it not been that the stage was so dark I could make little out but silhouettes. I was directly in front of the bass amp and it was so loud I could feel a breeze coming from it! It did seem to drown out the vocals a bit during the louder numbers. Eventually I moved into the middle of the floor and was really glad I did, the sound was immeasurably better. Highlights for me were Paper Money – especially the very last line where all the music cuts away, man, that was so powerful! – Spiritual, which was uncommonly beautiful (first time I’d heard it live, too), Jesus Just Left Chicago, Kingdoms of Rain, All the Way Down,…. actually, the whole thing was a highlight. For the encore, the gospel singers came out first, with just half the band, and sang Silent Night (that was braw!) , then, finally, Revival. I wish it could have gone on for hours more.
At the end, I went to sit down just by the stage, waiting for the queue at the merch stand to die down (I had already got the guy there to put some cds back for me – they’ll be in the post folks!) and one of the crew came up to me to tell me I had a nice dress on (!), so I asked him for a setlist (not possible – apparently because sometimes they change things around and they hate hate hate having misinformation posted on the internet – fair do’s) and we got to blethering. I asked him about Red Ghost, who I missed from the last time, and he gave me a little plush red ghost car-thingy! Well, then I went and got cds and stuff, met Rich Machin, talked to the support band, you know, the sort of thing you do when you can’t quite accept that the evening is drawing to a close. I went outside and there were three guys quite obviously hanging around trying to wait for Lanegan to appear. I decided to wait too – even though I’ve never had the nerve to do it before – why I chose the night it was snowing and freezing, I’m not quite sure! Anyway, they gave up and left and I sat with my orange juice like a sadcase watching the band get packed up (the support band all said cheerio to me!). Finally, I succumbed to the onset of hypothermia and decided to go back to my hotel room. I walked around the back way and saw the bus there, with the lovely crew guy. I went to say goodnight – I absolutely swear I was not trying to get on the bus! He was really friendly and started talking to me again, we ended up talking for ages (I did ask at one point if there was any news of a solo record, the answer is unfortunately no). Eventually, I really was so cold I couldn’t feel my entire body, so I shook hands, promised to go on Facebook, and walked off… just as Lanegan came back!!!!!!!!! (There aren’t enough exclamation points in the world to illustrate how exciting this was!) First I just kept walking, but then I couldn’t resist going back to tell him thank you for such a wonderful show and generally for being completely top. He was very gracious, telling me “well, that’s made my day”. I ran away then, smiling madly, and I should say I’m still smiling now! That was really just the cherry on top of a thoroughly amazing night.
Sorry for such a long rambling story. I really wish I was on my way to Manchester to see them again tonight, but nothing doing. I have to go home.
Review by: Marc
Live CDs still available. Cracking gig. Sound wasn’t great but it was a really good performance, in the smallest venue ive ever seen Mr Lanegan performing in. Can’t have been more than 150 people(??)
I don’t remember setlists but it was the usual sort of fare. They did Silent Night again (without Lanegan). Hit The City near the end. Revival to finish. Ghosts of You and Me, Paper Money, Kingdoms, all the stuff ive heard people mention from the last few shows.. Quality. Much better than the August show i saw. I think the Depeche Mode support slot has tightened them up and they had an air of confidence and swagger about them.
Like i say, sound wasn’t great but that’s because it was a small venue. The performance was there.
We had a brief chat with Rich Warren before the show while i bought live CDs. He told us a bit about how the Nick McCabe thing in London came about, and said how great it was to play alongside him. Spoke about the Depeche Mode shows at the 02. He was friendly and polite – total gentleman. Great guitarist. After the show he came back out and chatted with a few people.
..and that was the 17th time ive seen Lanegan live, i believe. that’s gotta be some sort of embarrassing record.
Tenebrious Liar supporting again – and it was the best ive heard them sound. they seemed to be struggling with technical difficulties, but sounded good. they had a couple of funny/interesting moments. they couldnt find their guitarist so they tried calling him up a few times, then attempted to phone him from the stage.. they started first song without him and he ran onstage during the second verse. later, they abandoned a song after a couple of minutes etc etc.. but they sounded much more at home in a little venue. they sounded a bit ragged and free – you could feel a bit of tension, like they were fighting the sound a bit. it was almost like they weren’t enjoying it at times…… but in a good way. i think it suited them.
Doors were 19:30 (although this turned out to be more like 20:00) and when I got in I went straight to the merch table where I bought a live CD. Also for sale was (if memory serves me correctly) Broken as well as a couple of t-shirts, one with pretty much the broken album cover on and another with just the compass design. Everything was £10 each.
At 20:35, Tenebrous Liar came on stage (without their lead guitarist). I have to say I was not impressed with this band at all. I felt they were very unprofessional and didn’t seem very organised. As well as that, I didn’t feel any of them were particularly proficient at their instruments. The only one who looked as if they were very relaxed with their instrument was the singer playing guitar but I felt his singing left a lot to be desired. Sorry if that seems a bit harsh. I accept that music is completely subjective and everybody else that has posted so far seemed to enjoy it and I think that’s great. Anyway, they played until 21:15.
At 21:45, Soulsavers took to the stage to do their instrumental and then Lanegan came out to a loud cheer to begin singing the next song. The set seemed to go so fast! I have to say I was very impressed with all the musicians on that stage. They were so tight as well! A special mention to (I’m sorry I don’t know any of their names! Maybe somebody can help me out) the guy playing guitar to Lanegan’s left. He was really giving it some welly! Really enjoyed watching him perform! Also, I was impressed with the backing singers. They didn’t overpower Lanegan and when they got the chance to sing alone they more than proved themselves as talented singers.
I loved how all the songs sounded a lot different to how they did on record. Sometimes they’d start playing an intro and I’d think “ah, here’s a cover then” and then Lanegan would start singing and I’d be like “ooooh!”. That made it more enjoyable than it already would have been. One of my least favourite Soulsavers songs before the gig was Death Bells. I could take it or leave it really. Hearing it live though, it’s jumped right up my rankings! Amazing!
Silent night was a bit of a curve ball! Wasn’t expecting that at all! Just the backing singers on this was one but it was a really nice touch. Lanegan sang one more song and it was over. Can’t believe it was 2 days ago already!
The second time I’ve seen Lanegan. Even more eager to see him the next time! I’m hoping for more Gutter Twins as I would really like to see Mark and Greg together live.