Regarding Graham Coxon’s gig at The Roundhouse, especially in light of Blur’s storming reunion recently, it's impossible to escape the conclusion that the speccy one from Blur’s solo efforts will probably always be viewed as the chubby friend of his magnum opus. A cross to bear for many a supergroup component! However this is a double-edged sword, as his auspicious background has given him the artistic liberty and ready-made fan base to flourish as a competent solo artist, and allows him the luxury of tinkering with instruments and sounds, no doubt a refreshing change to the pressures of mega-stardom.
Support act Esser valiantly tries to keep the crowds' attention from the bar and smoking area, and to his credit receives a few whoops from die-hard fans. Or perhaps relatives. This iTunes festival gig is undoubtedly Coxon’s show and the debut of his new album 'Spinning Top'. Charting the story of a man from birth to death, this is the dubious ‘concept’ album of his career. However a wide range of influences - Indian dilrubas and joris are thrown into the mix, garage punk breakdowns and even some good old British ‘oi’ creeps in, adding shades of louche Blur insouciance - means that individual songs aren’t anecdotally hammered into a tenuous narrative. In a self-indulgent move Coxon also plays the album from beginning to end give or take a few songs, which gives the project some coherence.
Coxon has returned to his early British folk influences, which have come into vogue, slotting his more melodic work neatly in with the freak folk movement. 'In the Morning' and 'Perfect Love' are both dreamy ballads of contemplative reflection and strange soulmates, despite the slightly emo film vignettes of quivering palm leaves accompanying them. Songs 'Dead Bees' and 'Feel Alright' raise the tempo and echo the exuberance of hit 'Freakin’ Out'.
The show was let down by tinny acoustics and Coxon was for the most part invisible as he crouched down to play an instrument of sorts (My shortness left me unable to identify which). The texture of the show (perhaps due to ‘concept’ dedication) was a little uneven and could have done with some more crowd rousers; however it seems that Coxon has achieved the muted respect left for the simmering background genius who is simply writing music for the love of it. He may forever be the bridesmaid to Blur’s behemoth Bridezilla, but this doesn’t appear to phase Coxon, and at least he hasn’t given it all up to make cheese.
Photo credit: kweezy mcG
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