Subject: Beth Orton - London 29th October 1999 
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 07:01:53 PDT 


Well once again the days are bumper-full of music (sic). 

Out of the blue I got audience tickets for an indie music show which are a 
set of live concerts 2 hours in length. 

The first show is Madness, Long Pigs, Everything but the Girl. The second is 
Ian Brown, Lightning Seeds, Apollo 440, Grant Lee Buffalo or Buffalo Tom (I 
forgot - I would prefer the former). 
We'll be going to these with our posse next Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Just today I got my tickets to attend the screening of 'This Is Not Your 
Life' which is a pisstake or alternative version of that other show. This 
guest is Ozzy Osbourne. I have heard he is quite 'gone' nowadays so it'll be 
interesting. 

On Friday night we saw Beth Orton at Shepherds Bush Empire. Bought the 
tickets 2 months ago cos it would sell out quick. 

I went early as Emma had to work so I caught an awesome set but The Doves. 
a guitar, drums, keyboard band who despite the distortion I could find 
plenty of melodies to dive into with delight. 

I was right up front give or take a few metres and turning round I saw all 
the floors above us and noted that I had been seated at all four floors. 
It's always exciting being in a venue as it slowly fills up. 

At 9:15pm Beth came on. The stage walls and ceiling were filled with stars 
from a discoball buried in the middle of the stage as was befitting her 
first song. The thought that would stay with me throughout the whole concert 
was how big her fans were. The loudness and appreciation throughout the 
concert indicated that she doesn't get half-committed fans but totally rabid 
ones. She was dressed in a tasteful red dress revealing her back. He arms 
are big but her body is pretty skinny. Not like the long sleeved brown 
jersey and brown hat that was covering her eyes last time I saw her. (See 
Ronnie Spector concert review). 

Earlier I overheard with interest people discussing how they got into her. 
One gay guy said how someone suggested he listen to "I Wish I Never Saw The 
Sunshine" and he wept as he first heard it and on how that song would 
sustain him through his worst twelve months of his life.  Another guy 
commented on how he thought the concertgoers would be more polite than 
normal and not so much SQUASH as squish. (okay okay you had to be there do 
when he did the actions). 

Beth has done three albums, the first one is a collaboration with William 
Orbit and is hard to get. Apart from this one that's all I had plus a couple 
of singles and a 4 track sampler. So during the concert I was thinking "what 
am I doing here I don't know any of these songs". She performed twenty songs 
and I had only heard four of them before ! 

She did about 10-12 off the new album which is a more country-folk tinged 
album. It were the songs of her earlier album that received the greatest 
response and cheer, I found myself boogieing down on the upbeat ones and 
feigning interest and trying to make our the lyrics on the slower ones. She 
introduced a new song "Thinking About Tomorrow" which was instantly likeable 
much like the 'new' songs I had heard tonight. 

I felt she was still a bit shy, she was talking pretty well inbetween 
songs and introducing the band ("Her Left hand man, Her right hand man, her 
backdoor man" ooer) But on guitar solos she would often turn her back to us 
and play. 

All around us it seemed we were surrounded by real fans who would sing or 
dance along. Though there were two girls who would constantly shout out for 
'Sugar Boy'. A guy ahead of us said to his partner that if those girls shout 
out again he would do something with their asses. 

When she did 'She Cries Your Name' there was a tall blonde european (?) next 
to me who was dancing with such deliberate rigid movements I thought she was 
gonna collapse on the floor in a fit. For this song it was fully replicated 
onstage with a double bass and two violins ! Awesome ! 

Setlist : 
Galaxy of Emptiness 
Pass In Time 
Best Bit 
So Much More 
Stolen Car 
Stars All Seem To Weep 
Love Like Laughter 
Sweetest Decline 
She Cries Your Name 
Devils Song 
Thinking About Tomorrow 
Whenever 
Someones Daughter 
Central Reservation 
Dolphins 

First encore: 
Feel To Believe 
Blood Red River 

Second Encore : 
I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine 

Third Encore: 
Touch Me With Your Love 

Request: 
Sugar Boy 

Terry Callier was supposed to be there to sing their cover of Billy 
Bragg's "Dolphins" but he had a bad back. I knew "I Wish I Never Saw The 
Sunshine" would be the encore (one of many) as I would say it has become one 
of her signature tunes now, even though she didn't write it. The moment the 
song started everyone grabbed someone next to them and started singing along 
and no doubt some tears were shed. 

After the concert I was able to get a copy of the setlist, the roadies 
were the nicest ever, and realised that Sugar Boy wasn't actually planned to 
be performed - so it looks as though those girls succeeded. I hung by the 
stagedoor for a few minutes for an autograph but gave up as I was too tired. 
But did get talking to Nick from Watford who was a big fan of hers so we'll 
keep in touch. I was hoping William Orbit may have turned up but no luck. 

All through the concert I was imaging tucking into a lovely lamb kebab 
from around the corner so I went in there and had a chat, they seem to know 
me pretty well now. 

As I headed back home past the venue there was a girl on the corner who 
looked familiar. She was looking at me because I was possibly unconsciously 
looking at her more than is permissable. It was Sarah Cracknell from St 
Etienne. I waslked by but then decided to double back. We had a quick chat 
and she had been to the concert too. I had heard that she lives around the 
area but she then asked me where the nearest taxi stand was. I helped her 
out and grabbed a photo of us together then ran home happy. 

Tonight I'll be going to Dave's helloween party. 

;-p 

fin