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By the time a suited Hannon strolled onstage with bowler hat and briefcase to the familiar strains of the Mr Benn theme, the ears of the Leadmill had already been gifted anyone’s fair 24-hour quota of musical delights at the hands of Cathy Davey; her indulgent, smoky voice and her skilled navigation of an electric guitar had beautifully complimented her bewitching songs. However, the crowd’s absolute adoration for Hannon was made as plain at his entrance as it was at his exit almost two hours later. Launching into improbable opener ‘Assume The Perpendicular’ from new album Bang Goes The Knighthood, he immediately bore his musical stamp upon the grand piano with his jaunty playing style, moving jukebox-like through the mettlesome, the melancholic and the melodramatic. It was all proof that crowding a stage with an exotic array of instruments was no match for a performer who knew exactly how to use just one.
After breezing through fan favourite ‘The Pop Singer’s Fear Of The Pollen Count’, he explained his attire: ‘To get into the mindset of the financial community…’ He then made his (and everyone else’s) opinion of said folk clear with the witty stomper ‘The Complete Banker’. While the whole affair leaned heavily towards the polished gems from his latest album, Hannon made sure to litter the setlist with some of the many classics from his back catalogue, ‘Absent Friends’, ‘Becoming More Like Alfie’ and ‘Songs Of Love’ all making appearances. There were also surprising but brilliantly chosen covers, The Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’ and Pulp’s ‘Common People’ getting the Hannon treatment before Cathy Davey returned to the stage to duet on ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’.
While many of the songs were originally conceived with larger performing forces in mind, the stripped-down approach served to highlight the sheer beauty of Hannon’s songwriting craft. Experiencing his music in such an intimate way proved just as, if not more effective than if a full-blown symphony orchestra had been present, and it allowed for full appreciation of his rich, characterful baritone. The romantic overtones of ‘The Summerhouse’ and ‘Certainty Of Chance’ sparkled in a minimal setting while ‘A Lady Of A Certain Age’ revealed a subdued poignancy.
In the end, however, it was Hannon’s relation to his audience that impressed the most. Truly comfortable on the stage, he engaged throughout with modest confidence, his stage presence always commanding but never to the extent of alienation. Creating the warmest of atmospheres, he punctuated his set with humour without depreciating his music. Ever the showman, he knew exactly when to involve his audience, asking before the outrageously fun ‘At The Indie Disco’ whether people felt like ‘clapping metronomically for three minutes’. The rendition of ‘National Express’ that closed the set was a true collaboration, allowing the audience to return home feeling like they really had been part of something. If only all performers were so generous.
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