Going Low on Shepherd's Bush

[dotinthesky]

The ideal venue to see Low is a building where the audience can sit or lie on the floor, light up joints and sip wine while the music washes over the crowd. But Shepherds Bush Empire, last night's venue, isn't such a place. It's a great building -- I've seen brilliant gigs by Sinead O'Connor, Radiohead and Beth Gibbons there -- but it's not my ideal place for this trio of turtle-like Mormons.

We arrived to a half-empty building and a long-haired woman on stage, strumming a guitar and singing like an Apache Patti Smith. Despite Mark and Natalia giggling at the singer's folky pretentions, I was entranced. There was something unusual about her strong features. When she paused, just before the end, to chat with the audience, we realized she was a bloke! He goes by the name Death Vessel and is worth checking out.

Low were naturally excellent. The pints beforehand, plus the silent standing around, took its toll on my concentration. I drifted into the green beams shining down on the stage, the audience's call for quiet, the nodding specs. For the encore, people shouted out their requests. Mark got the audience laughing by shouting "Fish Batter!", "Internet!", "The Birdie Song!" After two encores, we took a sleepy tube home.

Edit: Which one of you made me a mix CD with Death Vessel's "Deep in the Horchata"? I've heard this song before...

Comments

[sparkx.livejournal.com]

You're not stalking me well enough :oP

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Ha! Are you sure? Are you sure that bloke who snapped a quick photo of you today in the tube wasn't me? ;-)

[octoberxswimmer.livejournal.com]

i would like to see low. i saw them open up for radiohead a few years back before i really got into them!

but tonight i am off to patrick wolf....

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

You are overdosing on Wolf... slow down before he takes you over. ;-)

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

*whine* I am SO mad at myself for missing his show here! I could have gotten in for cheap, too! Oh well, Friday I see The Mountain Goats.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

He went to the other one too, the one you were meant to go. And he danced with the gay bday party boys! :-)

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

*lower lip quivers* *sniffle* Listen, is Patrick gay or what? Have you any idea?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I think it's safe to say he's a left-handed fellow.

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

See, I thought so, but then he sings about a Lucy and says Wife before Husband in Bluebells. Still...these, in and of themselves, do not point directly to right-handedness.

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

ME, ME, ME! I did!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

It was the girls-only mix, wasn't it? The track you said was actually a guy. ;-)

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

You are correct! I was just about to comment that remember I'd put them on a mix for you? when I saw the edit bit.

[(Anonymous)]

I like Low very much, though I haven't listened to any of their more recent stuff. I am scared of going to see them live, though, unless I accidentally happened upon them in a barn in the rain somewhere after my car had broken down.

[rosamicula.livejournal.com]

Oops, sorry, that was me.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

If the barn had comfortable hay, and the rain was kept strictly outside, I think it would still be a great gig. ;-)