Due to unforeseen circumstances, its past 10.30 when we arrive at The Roadhouse, we have missed both Former Bullies and Anna Kashfi, and GIANT SAND are on stage creating some vaguely psychedelic noodling. Quick enquiries inform us that they have already been playing for 45 – 50 minutes!
Disappointed, we find a reasonable vantage-point to watch what we expect to be the last song or two of their set. Amazingly, we leave for home straight after the encores and it has now turned 11.30. For the hour that we are present we get to witness some great music, some seemingly random interludes from Howe Gelb and a couple of ‘sing-a-long’ encores.
Throughout, Gelb seems to orchestrate proceedings from a set-list that’s beamed down to him from somewhere else in the universe. Songs stop half way through or simply swerve into something else and the band are constantly watching his every move, apparently in the hope of picking up a clue as to where he’ll go next. From the frequently bemused and/or amused looks on their faces it would appear that more often than not he still manages to take them by surprise.
However they hang on to his coat-tails with great determination, creating an overall feel that is like a raw, ragged and under-rehearsed Calexico, sometimes quiet and slow – Gelb barely whispering his stream-of-consciousness lyrics – and at other times it’s crash and burn with smouldering guitar noises and growled, distorted vocals. One song is introduced as ‘a song we haven’t written yet’ and it’s easy to believe. Another is described as ‘a true story’, Gelb adding, ‘most of these songs are, they just might not have happened to me yet’.
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They close the set with a storming version of ‘NYC Of Time’ which makes a kind of reappearance during the encores. So they’re off and after a couple of minutes the band respond to the crowd’s enthusiastic calls for more, strolling back on stage and chatting for about ten minutes before playing some more. But, when they do, it’s worth the wait. First we’re treated to a Dylan medley that includes ‘Watchtower’, ‘Lay Lady Lay’ and ‘I Shall Be Released’ the crowd singing along to the latter when invited. Finally, Gelb acknowledging the crowd’s desire to sing along, he takes the line “take a bad time and make it better” from the above mentioned ‘NYC…’, transposing it via a wickedly humorous twist (i.e. “take a bad song and make it better”) into a wonderfully ragged and grungy ‘Hey Jude’ complete with na, na, na’s for everyone to howl along to.
Generally it’s been great, occasionally loose and unfocused, but if what you want is a good dose of irreverence and eclecticism then Howe Gelb is the man for you and, what a great example he provides of simply doing it as you feel it, something he’s been doing now for 20 plus years. Respect!!
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