MEILYR JONES | LIVE REVIEW
The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff, Fri 3 Mar
2013 wasn’t a particularly special year for me. I was two years out of university and still bolloxed without a clue of how to make any intelligible use of this so-called ‘degree’ thing. Meilyr Jones found himself in a similar but more turbulent situation, experiencing a critical set of ups and downs that included the breakup of his band Race Horses, the end of his relationship and then – more cheerfully – a rejuvenating trip to Rome.
Loss though, can be followed by a welcome renewal and Meilyr’s first solo album acts as an absorbing account of his. March 2017 is upon us and it’s a full year since he compiled that exciting body of work, and my first opportunity to witness it all live. Those of you who know the album will recall the intricacy, with rather grand, artful orchestral arrangements, of what is in essence well-constructed catchy pop music. Here, we see Meilyr with a stripped down five-piece band: more earthy, more wild, raw and different, yet still with all the theatrical nuances of the recording.
Bursting onto the stage with the opening drumfire of How To Recognise A Work Of Art, Meilyr exudes charisma and has the audience exactly where he wants us from the outset. The last beat rings out, all eyes are fixed on the stage and through the deafening roar of the crowd he welcomes us as though we were family before launching, harpsichord-ready, into the next spellbinding track.
Meilyr’s live vocal is a marked improvement on the recording: his delivery is bold and spirited and his gangly, energetic rollicking around on stage brings a smile to the face. The band was on top form and, as the evening unfolded, revealed themselves to be adept multi-instrumentalists, switching around selectively and bringing out all the necessary additional textures to compliment Meilyr’s whimsical, imaginative vision.
Without warning, at one point he drifts into the crowd and all heads turn to follow as if they were some kind of eerie automatons. There’s no falter in the performance, as he uses the opportunity to engage with one or two of us before leaping back to the stage. The dynamics of the whole show rise and fall at his will, dropping down to even mic-less volumes at the more tender moments, forcing overly excited onlookers to silence themselves allowing the gentle sounds to cascade off the walls and ceiling.
This was how he ended the show. The encore, rather than being one last blowout, was instead, a heartfelt rendition of Be Soft leaving the punters stunned and yearning for more. It’s evident that he will continue to go from strength to strength and that a spark of inspiration in otherwise discouraging circumstances can ignite a very prosperous spell of creativity. I think I’ll hold on to that.
words CHARLIE PIERCEY
