07 October 2011 (gig)
09 October 2011
The Shepherds Bush Empire has a different look and feel for this gig; mainly because, unusually the seating is in place on the ground floor, giving this historic venue its true theatre ambience. The seats are not just a reflection of Love and Money’s slightly older audience though. Apparently they’ve been in place for the whole week, including shows for the more youthful Nerina Pallot and Brooke Fraser.
Not that it’s been a good week for the staff. A friendly barman was less than impressed with New Zealand’s Brooke Fraser, complaining that she was quite tedious. He’s hoping for something a bit livelier and interesting. It would have been great to gauge his view then of Love and Money’s reunion London show. His face would probably have been a picture during the first half of this two-set gig. Here Love and Money are playing tracks from two of their albums – but the records could easily have been recorded by two different bands, such is the difference.
James Grant and his band start with tracks from Dogs In The Traffic, a bluesy beast of an album that features some tracks that make even tennis playing fellow Scot Andy Murray seem chirpy; Pappa Death and My Love Lives In A Dead House to name just two. Grant claims most people here are there to hear the second set (featuring tracks from Strange Kind of Love) but judging by the reaction that’s not completely true.
The bleakness of some of the material is helped by lighter, more accessible tracks like Winter and the sumptuous Lips Like Ether but also by the wit and it has to be said wisdom of Grant himself. His banter is terrific and he shares some delightful stories about his dad, the band’s time in the US recording next to Prince and there is a short interlude where Grant has to blow his nose. “It is all very rock and roll” he points out.
For those not familiar with the band’s sound, the album Strange Kind of Love is hard to describe. While interviewing Grant three weeks before this show (see separate article), I tell him that no other band sounded like them on that record. It is not a lie. The funk and rock mixed with Grant’s sweet Glasgow croon is unique and 20 years on the album sounds just as good. The likes of Halleluiah Man, Axis of Love and Inflammable sound terrific, and encouraged by Grant, there is even some ‘bad dad’ dancing in the aisles as Jocelyn Square and Up Escalator up the tempo.
Without doubt the best moment of the evening is the truly outstanding Shape of Things To Come, a beautiful tale of love and obsession, which after its final soaring guitar solo sees Grant declaring “I really enjoyed that.” He wasn’t the only one! Walk The Last Mile is the emotional encore, dedicated to the late Love & Money bass player, Bobby Paterson followed by a surprise rendition of bizarre debut single Candybar Express. Love & Money are back and in style and Grant promises the audience that the forthcoming new album is a serious matter; “We’re not fucking about” he declares.
