It's been far too long since I've been to see a gig in the Borderline -I have a huge soft spot for this venue, having seen some brilliant performers such as Ryan Adams, Tres Chicas and The Magic Numbers. Just check out the hall of fame as you walk in. Its impressive! The atmosphere there is always, without fail, intimate and warm - setting the mood for a great evening of entertainment.
First off the support act, THE BELIEVERS, set the tone with a whole lotta beer-swillin', Stetson wearin', mouth-organ-tootin' Alt-Country fun. By the time they were done, the audience was warmed up nicely for the main act.
GINA VILLALOBOS, small and elf-like, came onto the stage, accompanied by BEN PRINGLE on guitar and backing vocals, and they proceeded to launch into one hell of a set. I don't know where the time went; the tunes were superb, and Villalobos' vocals were husky, weathered and powerful - conveying the message of the songs directly into the listener's head, not leaving much choice other than to pay full attention.
Most of her songs are autobiographical - they lyrics are passionate and honest. They started off gentle, but soon built up to let loose all the pent up aggression and caged emotion that Villalobos carries around with her. Their performance was believable, and wherever Villalobos went with the music, you were taken along with her - storytelling at its best.
And you really don't want to mess about with this woman. She may look and act very sweet, but she does not appear to suffer fools gladly (a strong theme in a lot of her lyrics). This performance was being used for a live recording, so (predictably) some idiot screamed "Fuck off mate!" when the crowd was asked not to swear. Hilarious that. To which Villalobos responded, in a voice sweet as honey, "OK, well you can go buy the album and say 'That's me there, saying fuck off mate'." Tail between legs and all that.
The songs in this performance were mainly from her self-produced 2004 album "Rock n Roll Pony" (Laughing Outlaw Records), with new music from her forthcoming album, due for release in early 2006. This gig was acoustic, and I find that these type of performances can be brilliant, the performance is more raw, focussed more on the feelings of the songs, with no band to hide behind. Here, Villalobos' performance was so strong that within two acoustic guitars I could hear percussion, lead, and bass. Don't worry, I'm not schizophrenic - these sounds were insinuated in the music. They were played so well, and with so much depth, that the sound was rounded and complete. And there was not a pin from the audience unless Villalobos was not playing, which makes a nice change.
You could compare Villalobos to the likes of Sheryl Crow (for her pop-ness and accessibility), and Lucinda Williams (for her open and honest lyrics). But to simply state this and leave it at that would be lazy. Although predominantly alt-country/Americana in genre, Villalobos also embraces rock and indie styles. I would suggest that Villalobos has been influenced by Janis Joplin, and even Courtney Love in the way that she sings. I could go on, but it is easy to compare the styles of different artists, and I don't want to take away from the fact that Villalobos's music is captivating and sounds great, and I'm sure that she will no doubt spawn a following of female singer/songwriters who are influenced by her style.
|
Villalobos has gone down a long road to get to where she is today, having previously been in two Californian-based bands during the 1990's - Liquid Sunshine, and The Mades - the latter having supported acts including Frank Black, Counting Crows, Ben Harper, and Weezer. In 2002, Villalobos began work on her first album "Beg From Me", and her solo career has gone from strength to strength ever since.
I was lucky enough to have a quick chat with her, where she gave me the low-down on how, amongst other things, the experience of touring has inspired the songs for her forthcoming album.
"My album is electric," she began, "so I'm embracing the feeling of two guitars and vocals, just to get down to the guitars. It's nerve wracking to do that. Acoustic is a challenge.
On commenting that she must be very brave to expose herself like that, she replied: "Its not brave at all! I really enjoy it! although with acoustic guitar you can't really rock out." I'm sorry, excuse me? I thought she did!
"The new tracks in the set will be on the new album. Rock n Roll Pony I produced myself. This record was easy to make. When it gets hard, something's not right with the songs."
"This new album is going to be very dark, reflective of the travelling disconnection, you're miles away. One of the new tracks, "Am I Hard Enough" is going to be the first track on the album, I'm going to do a stripped down acoustic version. It's going to set the tone."
Villalobos puts everything into her profession, and her passion for this became evident during our short conversation. She absorbs everyday experiences, and condenses these into her music. She is a steely, determined woman who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. The fact that her previous two albums were both self-produced, even doing the photography for the covers, is proof of this. But, she admits, it can take its toll.
"I'm very self-sufficient... I'm feeling super-strong right now, but it's hard work," she added.
In all honesty, after talking with her for all of 10 minutes, I was left feeling inspired. For me, a major part of the charm is Villalobos' ability to wear her heart on her sleeve, without coming across as being overtly self-indulgent. She approaches the subject matter with a cynicism and honesty that is refreshing. her delivery is superb, and the songs are straight from the heart. And she rocks big time.
|
