I feel like I’ve waited
years for to see this woman perform live.
I first became aware if Anna Calvi when she released her debut album
(although I'm assured the rest of team snh were across this one from way-back
when and even almost booked her for a show, before she became a big deal and got
an agent and stuff). But it wasn't until I heard her 6Music track-by-track
pre-Mercury Awards interview that my fascination for this artist truly began.
I couldn't work out how
such power and such, for want of a better word, oomph could be expelled from
the lungs of a woman so softly spoken. Anna Calvi’s speech is almost a mumble,
a shy mutter that one may expect from an introverted individual. Yet when she
sings, her voice becomes deep, rich, and forceful; a tumultuously tuneful
torrent. Now I have borne witness to her
live showcase, the mystery of how these two personas exist as one is still no
clearer to me.
She opened with the gutsy
track 'Suzanne and I'; a song that is full of musical pushes and pulls. It lurches
forwards with dramatic crescendos, and then draws you into the soft, safe
realms of serenity before hauling you directly back into the realms of
calculated cacophony.
Calvi's presence was
effortlessly impressive. Her impeccable outfit and assured demeanour imposed a
silent power that resonated audibly when she sang. Throughout the performance she barely said
ten words, but when she did, we, as an audience hung off every single one.
In a recent interview,
Calvi confessed that her favourite type of gig was one where the audience
listened in silence then loudly applauded.
I can't imagine how any other type of gig would work for a showcase like
hers. Her wish was the people of Islington Assembly Hall's audience command.
Everyone stood, or sat, enraptured as she and the band played.
The four performers on
stage were enviously proficient with their instruments. The second song 'Eliza'
really allowed the Calvi and her cohort to raise the bar. 'Eliza' is musically
less complex than some of the other songs, but is nonetheless high-impact by
way of its sheer gusto.
The backdrop throughout
the show was a simple horizon. This was subjected to intricately expert
lighting; cool blues, seething reds and which created a sense of theatre. It drew an audience of around 400 people into
the meticulous mind-set Calvi expresses through each musical moment. The show felt almost operatic at times.
The gig marked the release
of Calvi's second studio album 'First Breath', an album every bit as
fascinating as her first. Calvi’s albums
are an invitation into a world she has created; a labyrinth laced with Nick
Cave, PJ Harvey and Django Reinhard influences.
The set wove the two
albums together seamlessly. Standout moments mostly came from the crowd-pleasing
first while tracks from the second exposed a layer of Calvi’s recent emotional
state. The sense of change, loss and
depression heavily feature in many of the latest tracks and her style of writing
has become more open, more revealing and more humane. However, she still maintains
her sense of musical visualisation and the ability to perfectly utilise
changing dynamics to their best effect.
She ended with her cover
of, ‘I think you know what’s coming’ she quietly joked before launching
into ‘Jezebel’. Captivating, charismatic and commanding, Calvi’s
performance was compelling and entirely worth the wait.
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