JOHN GRANT | LIVE REVIEW
St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Mon 11 Feb
It doesn’t seem like three years in between albums for John Grant but he’s back with a fourth solo effort, and tonight he returns to Cardiff at the end of his Love Is Magic tour.
The last time Grant played here I was quite taken by his support act, and this time was no different – his Bella Union stablemate E.B The Younger, aka Eric Pulido from Texan folk-rock band Midlake. Pulido provided timeless Americana and sweet harmonies with his keyboard-accompanist Dan, who also gave a retrograde synth feel at times. Charming the crowd by revealing texts from his wife about their two young children’s headlice, both he and Dan seem like the kind of guys you could enjoy a drink with.
As if to let the audience know what they’re in for, that John Grant is a different type of singer songwriter to his support, the interval music was some kind of industrial jazz. Then there’s the man himself: opening with Tempest from the new album, sounding like something from the soundtrack of a cyber-war sci-fi film and setting out his stall of epic, cinematic synth loudness that’s to come in the rest of the gig.
The synth assault on the senses takes a break for a few songs from TC And The Honeybear – Is He Strange the closest thing to a mainstream rock song with postpunk percussive icon Budgie showing why he’s such a famous drummer. Then it was back with the blistering synth-rock, this time with a surprise appearance by Cate Le Bon [above], improving on the already beautiful sounding Glacier; and in between the high-decibel turns, the tender duet of 70s folk song Between Two Lovers felt like something special.
The audience was notably (to me) middle-aged – an odd fit, perhaps, for someone with song titles such as Smug Cunt. I wonder how many of them are now drinking from a mug with those very words printed on it, and purchasable from the merch stall tonight. Although it was presented by Clwb Ifor Bach, St David’s Hall seems a strange venue for Grant’s style of music: a sea of heads in front of me, politely nodding their heads to the thunderous electronic rock was just a bit unsatisfying.
Grant, though, is such a comfortable performer, and after four albums of vitriolic bile, humour and bitchiness, it’s clear that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks. He was clearly enjoying himself, even being generous enough to answer a question shouted from the audience and using a heckle in Welsh to talk about his love of language. A gig that didn’t at all feel like two hours: just like the man himself, majestic and loud!
words CHRIS WILLIAMS photos EMMA LEWIS