Paradiso, 25 September 2002
Damian Leslie
dampen666@hotmail.com
Have you ever spoken to someone about something really important to you and then realize that that person isn't taking a blind bit of notice of you? Annoying isn't it. Well Damon Gough, the Badly Drawn Boy himself is currently feeling that way. He's on stage playing his new single You Were Right and he's not enjoying himself. In fact, he's starting to get angry. Yep, there goes the microphone stand. "Shut the F$%@ up!!!" he yells at the audience. "I can't hear the monitor if you lot don't shut up!"
This has been coming. Ever since Badly Drawn Boy took the stage the crowd has, for the large part, ignored him. Which is strange because he's been anything but boring. In fact, he's been playing a stormer, but the audience are too busy chatting. To be honest, I'm feeling pretty angry about this too, because it's been happening at the Paradiso a lot lately. At last week's Beth Orton gig I had to force my way to within a few feet from the stage to hear her properly, the noise from around the bar being that loud. I don't understand it - it's the equivalent of those annoying people who talk really loudly in the cinema. (You know who you are you ignorant sods!) You've paid good money to watch the film, the least you can do is give it your attention. If you don't like it - LEAVE! Other people might be enjoying it, don't ruin it for them.
But how can you do this at a gig? To those in the audience tonight I'd like to ask a question. Do you like to waste money? Because that's what you're doing, you've paid about 20 euro each to be here tonight, don't you want to get value for your money? I can understand it if the band you've come to see are shit. If they sound really bad or if they don't seem to be making an effort then fair enough, boo them, ignore them or leave. It's up to the band to entertain you, but first you've got to give them your attention and THEN they have to earn it.
Tonight is the exact opposite of that for the band are really good. Excellent in fact. The songs are great and there's even a legend on stage. The bass guitar tonight is handled by none other than Andy Rourke, once of the Smiths.
All this just doesn't connect and it's a crying shame. Nobody gets it. I don't know whether there's a language barrier tonight or whether people just don't understand the music but just think about tonight's situation for a moment. The Paradiso isn't a big place, but the music is always loud. There's a bloody big PA system in there and yet the sound of chatting is still drowning the band out to the point where they can't even hear what the hell they're playing. Now that's a lot of chatting. It's not just one or two people and I can sympathise with Damon tonight because the audience never gave him a chance.
True, he perhaps didn't start off in the best way, three brand new tracks from an as yet unreleased album took everybody by surprise and the audience just didn't understand them. Which is another shame, because they were all really good.
Damon Gough is a great entertainer, he's very laid back, his wit is sharp, ironic and very sarcastic but tonight it's just gone over everyone's head. He's tried everything. After the cool reception to begin with he played a few more recognized tracks but with only warm applause for the tracks culled from the About a Boy soundtrack apart, nothing seems to be working.
Using almost every trick in the book he tries to get the audience to warm to him and create some kind of atmosphere. He even tries changing the lyrics to About A Boy into a song about felching, which is hilarious. Response? Nothing, just louder chatting.
A great rendition of Falling into Water brings some of the crowd onboard, but their applause only seems to make everyone else talk louder again. I start to feel embarrassed to be a part of this crowd. And so here we are, with the microphone stand being hastily reassembled and Damon Gough's blood boiling.
Fair play to him he pulls himself together, apologises to the audience and begins the song again. "I know it's hard for you, with me playing all these new songs and that. I know you might find it hard to understand but just wait till the record comes out and you'll all be having orgasms over these new songs."
Some of us already are. I count myself as one of the lucky few. As Badly Drawn Boy plays out the main set with Disillusion the crowd, ridiculously late, jump on board and the band are clapped off stage enthusiastically.
They come back on for what must be the most unexpected encore I've ever witnessed. The crowd didn't deserve one but Damon has one more card up his sleeve and it's a fantastic ploy. "I'm running over time and so I can only play one more song, and this is my favourite song to play live at the minute - and you've already heard it tonight. Sorry about that, but that's the way it goes" and so What Is It Now? makes it's third appearance tonight. It's as if he's saying, 'before I leave, you bastards WILL listen to this song and you WILL like it!'
For the first time tonight the audience give him their full attention and we get a glimpse of just how special this night could have been. What Is It Now? proves itself to be one of the best things he's ever done. A song about being away from home and family it's heartfelt, emotional and should be another Badly Drawn Boy classic.
Add this to the rest of the new stuff played tonight, especially new single You Were Right and I expect the upcoming album Have You Fed The Fish? to be a blinder. The night is finally brought to a close and Damon thanks the crowd for being a great audience and once again the sarcasm goes over everybody's heads.
For the band and the few of us who tried to enjoy ourselves, it's been a disappointment. For the rest, you don't know what you missed. But I swear you'll live to regret it. Next time, shut up - give the singer some! Heaven knows, you might even enjoy yourselves and that wouldn't be a bad thing would it?
© Damian Leslie 2002
