http://www.myspace.com/portishead
Origine du Groupe : North america
Style : Trip Hop , Electronic
Sortie : 2011
By Alberto Santillan from http://www.theowlmag.com
U.K. trip-hop veterans Portishead, in their first American tour since the Clinton administration, slayed the Greek Theater in Berkeley. The group’s first two records Dummy and Portishead are
sacrosanct in the ’90s alternative music canon (staffed by vocalist Beth Gibbons, and multi-instrumentalists Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley) and their 2008 comeback performance at Coachella (and
attending album Third) is already legendary for its might and majesty. Beyond that, though, there was no tour, U.S. or otherwise until now. After co-curating a few days of the All Tomorrow’s
Parties festival, the band’s tour (ending in Denver on the 27th) is incredibly brief and every event is a sold-out testament to the resilience and power of the group.
Their set began with the massive chasm of the Greek Theater aflutter in conversation before the lights suddenly went out and the group (accented in live incarnation by bassist Jim Barr, drummer
Clive Deamer, and keyboard player John Baggott) one by one took the stage with Gibbons last, whose arrival was punctuated by the deafening screams of her fervent faithful.
Roiling into the cinematic churn of “Silence,” every line was an occasion for reinvention. Indeed, it’s gratifying to note that their setlist visited all of the familiar peaks of their
discography. For a band whose recorded works consisted of three albums over 20 years and one live album, it’s daunting to note their immense influence: from Phantogram to the entire chillwave
movement, these guys are legends. And for the next hour and a half, it was exhilarating watching them prove it.
Using the backdrop (but little lighting), the performance was almost confrontational in its intimacy. The band plunged into their second song, “Hunter” which found Gibbons with that wonderful and
seasoned instrument of her voice asking “And if I should fall, would you hold me?” Elsewhere, the band aimed for atmosphere and power. A few songs later during “The Rip,” an acoustic swoon gave
way to a synth-driven anthem.
Older and beloved material was pretty stripped down: “Wandering Star” found the band at the peak of lounge-rock, with the combined telepathy of the group underscoring Gibbons’ confessions with
empathy and solidarity. That said, they knew the strength of attack: “Machine Gun” was as thunderous and jarring as anything I’ve seen at a live show this year. Familiar guitar breaks and band
cues elicited screams. It was safe to say that a lot of the group’s California cult was in attendance and the band knew it too.
A lot of the set was built around various material because that’s where their hearts are: on progression and growing. Portishead dipped into ’90s material with “Glory Box” and “Over,” which were
every bit as heart-tugging and evocative as you could imagine. After a momentous rendition of “Threads,” the group departed, only to return for a two-song encore that featured a surging take on
“We Carry On” highlighted by Gibbons jumping into the photo pit and high-fiving the fans. The joy that was felt by those in attendance was nothing short of contagious, though it’s worth noting
that Portishead, an iconoclastic and uncompromising as they’ve always been, can tour at their own convenience. See them if you can. Portishead are back, everybody. Recognize.
Tracklist :
01. Intro
02. Silence
03. Hunter
04. Nylon Smile
05. Mysterons
06. The Rip
07. Sour Times
08. Magic Doors
09. Wandering Star
10. Machine Gun
11. Over
12. Glory Box
13. Chase The Tear
14. Cowboys
15. Threads
16. Roads
17. We Carry On
