Liverpool University Academy


24/5/03

Very rarely in reviewing is one handed the opportunity to ‘kill two (fascinating) birds with one stone.’ Maria McKee has always remained a bit of an enigma to me since her massive chart hit single from the movie Days Of Thunder back in around 1989/90. I think it still remains one of the finest pop songs ever recorded, and by an artist I’ve seen described as having one of the most powerful voices in the popular music market. I only recently discovered that she was the lead singer with the terrific Stateside band Lone Justice! In more recent times, she seems to have slipped out of the limelight following a move from the USA to Dublin and then back to the USA. So this performance was my opportunity to put some ‘meat on the bones’ in the performance context.

Woodstar is an Irish band whose recent EP impressed greatly. The band possess a distinctive sound and sing pure emotion. But, like McKee, for me they have remained heard but unseen.

Woodstar

As the five piece band wander onto the stage, I notice the audience size is pretty meagre, and why not? The band may be very good but they are from Ireland, a market the UK media tend to criminally ignore, and nobody knows them from Adam. Well, almost. I noticed nods of recognition from the band’s leadman, Fin Chambers, to a few people at the front. The band’s influences are from the more glacial, darker end of the lo-fi spectrum and what I saw excited. From a nervous start the band built energy and enthusiasm with each song and garnered immense acclaim from the small crowd. Did I say small? Well, about halfway through the thirty minute set, many more punters appeared and probably in response to what they were hearing from the adjacent bar.

I recognised Dumb Punk Song and Amphetamine Lights from the EP but there were several other songs that inspired. Through Our Lives, Time To Bleed, The King, Suicide Way, and Blue Sarong OR Can’t let Go each reeked of melody and drama, helped by a deeply expressive performance by Chambers. As the performance progressed, a handsome and tall Chambers became more animated and inspired his fellow players on to greater things.

Final song, Sorry Skin was a beauty and by this time the crowd was well and truly hooked. This song nailed it and ended a performance of great passion and musicality. It’s regrettable and common for a few bevvies to take precedence over support acts as so often there’s hidden treasure that’s missed. This is one support act that shouldn’t be missed and are guaranteed to ‘reach the parts’ that even the black gold cannot. Woodstar are performing at Witnness 2003 in Dublin and on the strength of this performance, I’ll be seeing them again - God willing…

Maria McKee

I arrived early at the gig to ensure that photo passes were available and when satisfied that no problems existed, I wandered outside. A rather forlorn looking McKee was leaning against a railing staring blankly, through her sunshades, out into space. She didn’t look happy. McKee and her band/crew are now independent and recording on their own label, so the stresses and strains are greater, and especially for visiting overseas artists. McKee’s crew also seemed tired and listless. I then wondered if this would affect the performance and concluded that it was likely to. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

McKee hasn’t played the UK for quite a while and I suspect there were serious doubts as to whether a good-sized audience would attend. Wrong again! As I readied myself and my equipment for the show, I turned to find that the audience had swelled to three/four times its previous size and the buzz was tangible. In fact, I was a little concerned that my space at the front of the stage was becoming smaller and a tad restrictive for the job I had to do.

McKee and her band entered to huge applause. Along with McKee were another guitarist, a drummer, husband/co-writer/bass player Jim Akin, and a multi-instrumentalist and backing singer. Without delay, McKee launched into the first song and immediately I realised I had a small problem. I’m not a fan and I didn’t know her songs, and hadn’t received a review copy of the new album HIGH TIDE. And there was no set list! Fortunately there’s a thriving FORUM on McKee’s website so I was eventually saved. The first song I was I Can’t Make It Alone and I was instantly blown away by a voice and guitar work that was nothing short of explosive.

This was definitely not the forlorn lady I’d seen earlier. It seemed to me that live performance is where McKee’s at; the stage is a second (maybe first?) home, and music’s in her blood. A couple of songs into the show and I noticed that she was being relayed messages from her husband as to which song was next. I now understand that McKee’s eyesight is worse than mine and she had major problems reading a set list! But you know what? This added to the charm of the show. McKee chatted comfortably with her audience as the gig progressed, at one point asking the audience if anybody had seen Neil’s show (I assumed she meant Neil Young). A member of the audience replied in the affirmative and McKee then asked what the punter thought about the new songs… Relaxed? Tell me about it.

Some reviewers get hung up on song titles, but for me the performance was not so much about the songs (many of which came from the new album) that were excellent mild country/rock/pop/folk (in other words, virtually unclassifiable). No, this particular gig was about the craft of entertaining, and McKee proved the master craftswoman. There was an incredible moment when she vocally gave it all she had and then miraculously and instantly turned the tone to a virtual whisper. How the fuck did she do that? And frankly, one didn’t need to know the song to know where it was coming from; her face and tone said it all. At times here eyes were blazing and fixed at some imaginary enemy ahead of her. At times the look was gentle, innocent. At times her eyes beamed fun and mischief. At times her look was one of deep despair and frustration. These were songs from deep within that erupted with a rare level of expression. And it was not only that immensely powerful voice, which drilled a hole straight to the pit of my stomach, that impressed me so much. McKee’s guitar work was at times Hendrix-esque as it too sang the song. Physically, vocally, instrumentally - it was game, set and match.

McKee treated her audience to a menu of diverse pace and mood, as all great artists do. It was an involving, ‘giving’ performance that allowed the audience into her dreams, fears, beliefs, experiences. It was a dynamic and compelling performance that had me riveted and at times unable to focus on photography. And from my position as non-fan, she convinced me to go and buy the new album on the strength of what I saw and heard; and in particular her renditions of my highlights of the show: Life Is Sweet, High Dive, Something Similar and No Religious Building.

Having recently witnessed Radiohead proving to be one of the finest bands in the world, I feel somewhat privileged to have also seen one of the world’s finest female artists - and both within three days. Call me lucky! Two encores, more musical brilliance, more audience connection, and then it’s time to do it all over again - in my head, on the drive home. Live performance doesn’t get much better than this….