After establishing with my dumb-ass girlfriend who it was we were actually going to see, “the one from Nouvelle Vague”, “oh, so not Jenny and the Shoe Strings?” (jeez!) and an excruciating set from a dire Keane-esque support band, the dimmed lights and brooding bass leading to the appearance of the slight, seductive Phoebe Killdeer was a revelation.
Eyes wide, hair flailing and jerking beatnik movements make Killdeer a captivating performer, enthralling an otherwise drab audience and transforming a mediocre venue into a bluesy, should-be-smoky, rock n’ roll spot. With her ability to smooth talk her way through a set with her sultry, smouldering ad-libs “Who here’s looking for a man?” she manages to transcend rather than mimic a generation of blues singers that are rarely deployed on live audiences today.
The songs themselves show a knowing, intelligent lyricist, with enough self-awareness of the value of a live, entertaining performance; she captures elements of Tom Waits with nostalgic heaves of rockabilly and blues and her rootsy influences surely stemmed from Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds.
Phoebe Killdeer and her exceptionally first rate band the Short Straws (Shoe Strings) are sleazy and seductive. This Femme Fatale and her erratic lounge act should be seen whilst being heard.
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Frieze Art Fair to launch new section for young galleries in 2012
Frieze have today announced details for the 2012 edition, their tenth art fair in London. Taking place...