0.13.1 - It's got to be...perfect

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Dashboard!


On the balcony amphitheatre seating at Manchester Academy, a row back from the balustrade which separates us from the crowded standing room only dancefloor below, a group of young adults are sat in front of us;  well, mostly sat - the four young women, in patch covered bomber jackets, denim skirts, stripey tights, are on the edge of the seated section below us, but their friend, a young man in a v-neck black shirt and artfully tousled hair, leans against one of the balcony posts near the small set of stairs.  As Orla Gartland on stage below brings another song to a close, I see one of the young women turn round to address us.  For a moment, I clench up, wondering what confrontation I'm about to get dragged into.  


"Do you mind if me and my friends stand up?"

Friends, it's possible if you've been reading this blog (haven't quite managed to scare people off enough to get to single figures yet, but we are getting closer) you're under the impression that despite talking about how much I like live music, that what I mainly do is complain about it.  Yes, I am older and grumpier but also audiences have got worse and venues more exploitative.  I complain at times because in my mind, I have an idealised version of what a concert going experience can be - an audience of engaged fans, responding to and feeding an on-stage performance which takes the crowds energy and reflects it straight back, a moment of musical communion between performer and attendees which exists as the pinnacle of musical experience.  I get mad because most of my gigs not only don't reach that place, but several of them don't come close.  So when it happens, suddenly, unexpectedly it's like an unexpected Christmas gift, a windfall, a kharmic reward for a hundred little injustices.

Last night, on the balcony level of the Manchester Academy, watching Orla Gartland, it happened.  

I was so poised for confrontation with the least threatening gang in history in the row in front of us, just because I've been conditioned to expect nothing empathetic or considerate out of concert going audiences.  A simple, polite request that all 5ft 5" of them be allowed to stand for this performance perfectly encapsulated everything about that show, that crowd, which I came to appreciate as the night went on.  I joked to Catherine as we were walking back from the gig to our car that we should try and find the email addresses of everyone who was at that show last night and ask them what the next show we are all going to see together was.  It reminded me of why I love live music, and I want to just give out there a sense of how overjoyed and taken aback I was by the gig last night.  It was magical.

I've talked before about how I came to listen to Orla Gartland's music and Woman On The Internet; I think the best compliment I can pay both Everybody Needs A Hero and last night's performance is that I spent a lot of the time driving back, and further time as I figured out how frame this article today, trying to come up with a reductive comparison to another musician.  If I were 22, and it was 1996 right now, and somehow Orla Gartland time-travelled to 1996 and released Everybody Needs A Hero*, who would people line her up against?  I've been drawing a blank.  She careens so effortlessly between earnest, self-deprecating, and incisive in her lyrics, from a voice and a single guitar playing a few chords to full synth/bass/drum/guitar bombast its hard to draw a bead on her.  I had a terrible, dark moment where I thought about The Smiths, but I wouldn't want to afflict anyone with a Morrissey comparison for any number of reasons.  She walks a thin line which weaves between genres and conventions, but is all her own.

I tried to think of some high minded way to talk more about how much I loved this gig, but I wasn't getting anywhere so instead I am just going to scattergun some things that stood out to me.  I knew the crowd was up for it** when Hot To Go! came on during the pre-roll playlist and a significant portion of the audience sang and danced along; neatly dovetailing with Orla performing a wonderful cover of Red Wine Supernova as a reward for making it out of the "suffering and feelings" section of the setlist.  Her tour tech running onstage with a cowbell on a stick for her to hit.  A crowd willing to sing along from the jump, managing to do some clapping along to songs which wasn't just hitting the 2 and 4 of the beat (a rare thing they manage even to do that), and some call and response stuff that worked very well.  After blowing up the fiction of the Final Song/Encore process, the unveiling of the Wheel Of Encore Songs, and then nearly breaking the wheel while unveiling it, saved by quick reflexes from Ms Gartland.  

I'm pretty sure we got every song from Everybody Needs A Hero live (though I did listen to the album beforehand to maintain the integrity of the exercise) plus a new song from her demo club***, the Chappell Roan cover and half of Woman On The Internet.  Truly a phenomenal evening, one that will be hard to top.  I told you you should come.  The fact there were still tickets available on the door is a crying shame.  
The Wheel Of Encore Songs in all it's intact glory

So take this advice from me dear readers.  She's in London at Kentish Town Forum tomorrow night!  She's in New York on the 23rd of April!  Yes, I am narrowcasting specifically a people I know who are reading this but what else am I supposed to do?  And if you wandered onto this page 5 years from now, lost or looking for something specific, know that I saw Orla Gartland before she really made it big.

*God, my fingers and brain cannot stop calling this album "Everyone Needs A Hero" and that is not correct and I have had to scan this article five times to make sure I've got it right each time.

**Manchester Albert Hall is, to my mind, the finest music venue in the north of England, the building is incredible, the staff who work there incredibly helpful and friendly, and every time I've been there the crowd has been at least good-to-great.  It's a magical venue and if you're within striking distance of it, you should scour their upcoming listings to find a reason to visit.

***Incredibly for someone with two published albums, Orla Gartland is fully independent, operates her own publishing, promotion and tour operations, which is truly remarkable.  She also maintains a Patreon where she publishes demo songs, tour videos, and other musical thoughts.  If you enjoy her music, please consider subscribing to it as I have, it's very good,

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