Badly Drawn Boy at St George's, Bristol
With support from Malcolm Middleton
Saturday 17th February 2007
Meg Rowell went to see the show...
Badly Drawn Boy
Malcolm Middleton is famed for his words. Whether they're crass, heart wrenching or downright brutal, it's his sharp-tongued lyrics that make his music what it is. Unfortunately for Malcolm Middleton, supporting Badly Drawn Boy at St George's in Bristol tonight, something has gone slightly awry with the sound, and his quick-witted poetics are lost amidst a sea of tinny fuzz, leaving him floundering and the audience uncomfortable. A real shame for a performer who, I know, has so much to offer.
After a short interval, the sound gets sorted out for Badly Drawn Boy's arrival, as he bounces onto the stage, beer in hand, hat on head, and takes his place at the mike.
My immediate thought, as he opens up with new track If I Knew Then What I Know Now, is just how rich and clear his voice is. It's a surprise for someone who's only ever heard his records, to witness the power and clarity of a voice I'd always thought of as, well, kind of weak.
After a difficult year, he's on form, there's no denying it. He even feels confident enough to make jibes about the poor sales of his latest album Born In The UK, and there's a feeling that he almost doesn't care, although you kind of know deep down that he does.
As he moves from guitar to piano, to play the spine-tingling Nothing's Going To Change Your Mind, the orchestration that he manages to get out of just a drummer, guitarist and keyboard player, is simply incredible. The sound is full, vibrant and funky as hell - he's giving it his all, and there's no denying that Damon Gough knows how to write a bloomin' good pop song.
However, after two hours (yes, two hours), it does start to wear a little thin. Classics from his earlier albums, such as Bewilderbeast and Donna and Blitzen, go down a treat, but I can't help feeling as though he's trying a little too hard. Of course, being a musician is about trying hard, giving it your all, making every performance count, but there's an air of desperation in the room tonight that I can't quite shake.
My companion doesn't see it, and, in fact, whole-heartedly enjoys the show, so I wonder whether it's my own preconception of what Badly Drawn Boy once was and what it is that he's become. Maybe I wanted him to be that summery festival accompaniment that I knew four or five years ago, but instead was faced with a much more mature, grown-up and serious performer.
Maybe it was just too long, maybe the venue didn't suit, or maybe Damon Gough, as he once was, has simply had his day. Whatever it was, you can't blame a boy for trying.
Badly Drawn Boy is currently touring the UK. To see a full list of dates, click here.
