Academy 3, Manchester, 13 November 2005

Great live shows seem to arrive like the proverbial buses. You wait and wait and then several turn up at the same time, all going to the same place. Well, November 2005 is turning out to be a bit it like that gig wise, the main difference being that they are all going in very different musical directions. This amazing run of shows started with singer/songwriter Johnathan Rice at Manchester’s Night & Day club. It was then the turn of My Chemical Romance to provide a dynamic, electric gig at Manchester’s Carling Apollo, followed by this one at Manchester University’s smaller Academy 3. In a few days time the incredible Martha Wainwright bares all (musically of course!) at Liverpool University, and then the month finishes with the fabulous Irish band, the Frames at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. Christmas for me has arrived early!

Something these acts share, in relation to Shakenstir, is that their more recent albums have all been nominated for our annual ‘Best Albums of The Year’ in 2004 and 2005. And with the exception of My Chemical Romance which featured last year, these acts have earned their places in our top ten albums list for 2005 (and probably within the top five). But in addition to creating superb albums, these acts are hard to better in live performance, with Dirty Three providing a quite unique musical experience. The gig had one surprising and delightful trick up its sleeve in the form of support act Lift To Experience’s Josh Pearson whose 2001 album CROSSROADS TO JERUSALEM blew many reviewers away, including myself.

A rather dazed and confused Pearson eventually managed to locate himself on a precarious looking low stool at stage front after seemingly to struggle to connect up his acoustic guitar. He then rambled on for a few moments before declaring he would play ‘country songs’. Then this tall, heavily bearded artist stopped dead in the middle of a sentence and launched into a performance that few who witnessed it will ever forget.

Through gritted teeth Pearson gave the most passionate, moving and electric performance I have ever seen from a solo artist. It was a compelling performance that had everybody aghast at its ferocity and skill. I can’t tell you what the song titles were and in the context of the show it really didn’t matter. They were all superb (and hopefully will appear on a future album) with strong melodies, biting and sincere lyrics, and a rocky vibe, but it was the manner of their delivery that counted most. As the sweat dripped down his face and cascaded down the mic, you could tell he was feeling every note and every word. It was extraordinary.

Now none of this should have surprised me because the Dirty Three only play with people and musicians the guys respect, and sure enough Pearson joined the band on stage mid-way through its show for several songs. Pearson finished his short set by inviting the audience to sing a chorus of his last song. I can’t remember the words exactly but it was about Satan running away and life getting better as a result. We all joined in as though our lives depended on it. It was a great end to a memorable, gut-wrenching and inspiring set.

**page*

Last week I received the new Dirty Three album, CINDER, and haven’t stopped playing it since. It’s very different from previous offerings in that there are nineteen tracks short tracks totalling over seventy minutes, and a couple of guest vocals from Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power) and Sally Timms (Mekons). In addition, the range of instruments used is much wider and includes mandolin, bouzouki, organ, piano, and bagpipes, in addition to the band’s usual weapons of choice. The album is rich in diversity but maintains the band’s highly characteristic emotional core and melodic sensitivity.

For those new to the Dirty Three I should explain that it is an instrumental band who is roughly equivalent to the modern jazz style of playing. Lead man Warren Ellis plays various stringed instruments but majors on the violin; Mick Turner plays guitar and bass; while Jim White plays drums and percussion. The three Australians also enjoy independent careers with one living in London, one in Paris, and one in New York. The band regularly provide support to Nick Cave, and in my view Cave lifts his game substantially with the Dirty Three playing behind him (Ellis is a lead member of Cave’s band the Bad Seeds).

Ellis opened the show explaining that the first songs would be from the new album, with older ones to follow. It seemed to me that this explanation was especially necessary for devoted fans who just love ‘the older stuff’. With his newer hairier look he reminded me of a younger and taller version of Dickens’ character Fagin. The opening song was Cinders with its introductory notes actually sounding like red cinders flying through the air in all directions from a blazing fire. It was the briefest of songs and appeared like a warm-up for what was to come. Then came a song which doesn’t appear on the album that upped the pace ante. Restless Ones represented a milder instrumental explosion before Josh Pearson appeared on stage and was handed a mandolin for album track, Amy.

The song is a mournful, meandering tune with Ellis providing a mesmerising fiddle display. Then came The Zither Player and a song based on the work of Hungarian violinist Felix Lajko, a major Ellis playing influence. It is a contemplative song played at steady, slow pace; heavy on melody and drama; and just beautiful. Ellis introduced each of the songs with short, humorous explanations which had both the audience and White smiling. Shouts from the audience were met with Ellis’s glaring, almost evil, eyes and a finger sign going from his face with arm outstretched to the punter. It was all great stuff and added atmosphere to an already great gig.

**page*

Next up was Sad Sexy from the new album played at soulful pace, with White’s drum tumbling away in the background and Ellis’s fiddle weaving a romantic spell. What is about this band that is so extraordinary, so unique? Well, it’s a combination of things including songs that have the power to move to tears; Ellis’s skill and overtly animated style, White’s intuitional drumming: and Turner’s ability to watch his mates and tap into the vibe, thoughtfully and passively. Imagine a football team and the ball being passed back and forth at the far end of the field, and then eventually the almost mathematical way the last set of passes culminates in a goal at the other end. That’s what Dirty Three music is like; everything begins to make sense.

It was then request time and the shout went up for Everything’s Fucked, amongst other songs. This is a 1993/94 song from the first self-titled album. It started quietly before ultimately building up to a characteristic instrumental rush in the middle-eight, unlike anything that you’ll ever hear. It then dies down with some classical style fiddling from Ellis. The applause was deafening and welcomed in another popular tune in Hope from the 1996 album HORSE STORIES - still my favourite Dirty Three album. It’s a song that builds momentum from its bass-driven, glacial start. For me, it’s one of the most vocal and moving songs written by this or any other band. If you’d like to dip your toe into Dirty Three waters, then this is the album to try. Incidentally, on the album this song is followed by one of the greatest rock/folk tunes ever written with spells of the most devastating and violent instrumental play – backed by a mountainous melody.

Then another song of 1993/4 vintage, this time the opening track, Indian Love Song. By this time Ellis was on his knees as if worshipping the fiddle he held in front of him. I lost track of the songs after this and became embroiled with the compelling display on stage. Such was the energy and commitment put into the performance that an encore was out of the question, and we all retreated shell-shocked from what we had just seen and heard. I’d brought along a Dirty Three virgin to the show and he was stunned into silence and immobility; he just stood there while people filed past him on their way to the exit, and until the place was empty…

The new album is wonderful and I can promise you that when you’ve tasted one you’ll want to devour the whole menu. This is a unique band that inspires, moves, excites, and above all, entertains. And it was all there on the night in a show that I’ll not forget in a hurry.