 The Delgados with Autour de Lucie
@ Shibuya Club Quattro (16th Feb '05)
An Inaugural Tokyo Come Together For Now And Forever...Scotland's Delgados Serendipitously Remove The Walls Within And Without
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It is often said that your true self is only revealed behind closed doors under lock and key, perhaps in the most familiar and cozy confines of your own room where you enjoy a complete trusting awareness of your surroundings. All within this self-created universe of a whole certainty effortlessly unfurls, acting as a natural catalyst to let go of every inhibition, allowing each and every undeniable individual facet, whether attractive or not to flow naturally, either in a trickle or heartily. Whatever the case may be, in the ever-massive urban sprawl that is Tokyo, it is undoubtedly a daunting daily challenge for the millions who call this home and must find a way to release. |
Naturally, one of the most effective distillations of music is when it's found in a shared safe haven. With all its elements of certainties and uncertainties mixing and matching, music performed live uniquely produces an experience of compounding results that can unmistakably and positively change one's perspective of themselves, of each other and of the small microcosm they inhabit in this world amidst their ongoing adventures as it did this Wednesday night. |
Fortunately, most Tokyoites recognize these daily stressors faced within such a behemoth of a city and its populace, wisely neither choosing to nor staying universally holed up in their rooms in order to actualize their desired environments of nourishment in rejuvenating themselves and each other. Whether as a healthy release or as a systematic enabling escape, most as in other big cities turn to music for it's readily and plentifully available along with other substances and activities as transportable elixirs and catalysts for a more comforting reality.
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Like many other nights in the popular and warm confines of Club Quattro in Shibuya, this one bloomed a guiding light on the greater good to be found within and without when an earned trust is shared. High above the twisted neon streets of mass stimulation formed from a relentless conglomeration of sights, smells and sounds, France's famed indie quartet Autour de Lucie and Glasgow's The Delgados combined their respected indie special forces to forge 2 disarmingly and lasting terms of endearment for all to consume in the fruition of this trust. |
| Well known in their native France, yet a bit of a mystery in Japan, Autour de Lucie somewhat sheepishly took to the stage amidst a full, yet amazingly quiet house of anticipation. Slimmed down from their original quartet to just a duo, their simple, yet rich and mesmerizing tapestries where powerfully led as usual by the incredibly delicate, yet strong vocals of Valerie Leuillot. Her graceful band introduction and easing into the acoustic strumming and soothing organ-drenched "Je Reviens" set the tone for the evening, immediately giving us a comfort food of sorts in making all feel within that they were witness in part to a very personal concert as if it was in your own home. A safe haven was immediately born and sustained throughout. Track by track, these 10 year veterans comfortably placed burning embers in us all, not only warming us to them, but to each other and the space we occupied. |
And natural they were in that in looking around Quattro, all that I could see were people in a pleasing trance. Finishing with the slow ponderous jangler "The Last Word," Valerie's polite, yet sweetly warm goodbye amidst its quiet finish led to warm waves of claps as keyboardist/programmer Fred bowed and waved in appreciation as they gracefully left the stage, leaving The Delgados gear in plain view to see and to anticipate as the stage help and techs quickly moved on to do their final settings. |
Whether in French or English, Autour de Lucie breezily decompressed us so that we could fully savor the joyous tomfoolery later to be had with The Delgados. Showing their love and friendship with countrymen Air, one could draw parallels to each other with their hypnotic use of organs and keys as well as their love for their forefathers as was the case in covering 60's and 70's soul and rhythm &blues Frenchman Nino Ferrer's "La Juan Natural."
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| As with Autour de Lucie, The Delgados are relatively unknown in Japan that comes as a surprise for their lasting contribution to the world of indie music founded upon the hatching of their 10 years and running Chemikal Underground Records imprint that's also home to such stalwarts as Mogwai and Arab Strap. And while Mogwai and fellow Scotsmen Belle & Sebastian have both graced not only Japan's most famous Fuji Rock Festival as well as regular tours here, surprisingly this was The Delgados first trip to Japan! And what was the most wonderful surprise was their sincere and infectious giddiness amongst the dispensation of their wares from this Glasgow quartet whose steady rise in success from their past 3 albums, The Delgados 2004 Mercury prize nomination for their fourth effort titled 'Universal Audio' finally gave them the right of passage to Osaka the night prior and to Tokyo tonight. Well, they do say good things come to those to wait right? |
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With the wait gone, one night done in Osaka and a buoyant child-like enthusiasm, The Delgados collectively disarmed all Tokyoites within in a most unconventional manner for all in which they would readily agree if reading this in ensuring a most memorable night in their career thus far. Whether a step spot on or a misstep, it need not matter as The Delgados simply couldn't sabotage their absolutely brilliant and unstoppable night into a shared intimacy impossibly foreseen, yet so happily and infectiously apparent within Quattro.
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 Steadily and sublimely, each song, bridged with a growingly comical interlude, The Delgados quickly engaged each other and audience into a most welcomed meltdown into familiarity. The 4-member core Delgados unit thickened for this Japan-Australia road trip and soon let their group dynamics unfurl naturally to our warm embrace as a spooky dark jazzy instrumental ushered them in. The ever animated bassist Stewart Henderson harkened a deep, "Konbanwa (Good evening)" to a rapturous applause and whistles as Emma Pollock (vocals/guitar), Alun Woodward (vocals/guitar), Paul Savage (drums/percussion) and Alan Barr (keyboard/cello) joined him alongside as they plunged into the hypnotic looping opener from 'Universal Audio' and led by the lungs of Emma titled "I Fought The Angels." Pretty much solid standard fare there with that track and as well as when they switched gears into the Alun sung, guitar bouncing into a long, sustaining drive that is "Is This All That I Came For," but that would soon all change.
 Unlike many musicians who panic when things go awry live, The Delgados showed their poise and humour and turned it around into an advantage that simply made them beloved beyond. Between Emma's flubbing of lyrics on "Keep On Breathing" to the technical difficulties for Stewart that had Alun playfully hitting his keys in his rendition of The Muppets theme song suggested by Emma prior to her misstep (not to mention another that perhaps was sake induced), the raw beauty, passion and humour dispensed between them quite simply swallowed us whole in our sheer delight. Amidst all their folly, they manage to slip in a pestering request in a cracking rendition of "Pull The Wires From The Wall" in their encore.
Indeed, everybody knows that ultimately they have themselves to blame for their current situation and blame this night was gleefully and comically bestowed upon and accepted between The Delgados and their audience alike. True to their own words, "Homeward bound, peace is found. They as we just found another for now and forever.
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report by michael and photo by keco
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