Bootlegged Courtney Barnett

CB3

It's probably safe to say that the Bootleg Theater is in a part of L.A. that the tourist guidebooks don't normally wax on about. The sight of the homeless dossing under the freeway bridge (if they're lucky) or sidewalk (pavement) if they're not, is a shameful reminder that the streets of L.A. aren't quite the walk of fame and that the sidewalks aren't always paved with golden stars... and unlike the twat the other day in Barstucks who insisted on informing me otherwise, I suspect that it isn't really their preferred lifestyle "choice." That being said, the knights of the road are usually a pretty decent - if down on their uppers - bunch, so be kind and polite to them.

Anyway, the Bootleg Theater is a strange kind of place. There's the bar, a merch stall complete with CDs, hand-designed Tees (v.cool)  - no vinyl though - as Courtney explains during the gig, "we sold out, sorry" (which, seeing as I had to sell my record collection when we relocated here, less the weight of it sunk the container ship, isn't that much of a hardship...) It's kind of reassuring to know that the old ways still sound the best, but don't try downloading a 12" album at 33 rpm, mind...

And then there's a stage about the size of my dining room table... "It's round the back" I'm informed, as a kindly soul obviously spots my bemused expression... And so it is, a proper theatre no less, with rows of seats at the back - although I suspect that with the venue packed and the crowd in the **cough** mosh about 20 deep, the first two or three rows of seats are only going to see the back of a lot of heads - still, where I come from, gigs are about standing (not necessarily still) on yer own two feet...

First up are local Silverlake/Echo Park band Fever The Ghost. As their debut EP "Crabs in Honey" demonstrates, this four-piece are more than capable of putting together a collection of pretty-decent melodic post-psychedelic pop tunes (even if some of the song titles owe more to Captain Beefheart than is probably wise in today's age.) I'm just not quite sure as to whether the elaborate stage show detracts from rather than enhances the aural experience. Me? I'm old skool - if a song is good enough to stand out on its own, then let it. And this band have enough in the armoury to suggest this is the case...  Seriously, "Crabs in Honey" is worth a spin...

Left-handers of the world - unite and take over

As the Courtney Barnett trio take to the stage (Not sure whether this is the legendary Courtney Barnetts or the stripped-down touring "CB3" as they've become affectionately known) and strike up the chugging "Jean Genie"-ish riff for "David" (pretty sure that Mr. Bowie's people will be in touch later), I can't help but recall that when I reviewed " The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas", I hinted that underneath all that sublime poetry and Wordsmithery there was a thwarted rocker bursting to be heard... And so it proved. Courtney, ably supported by the guys on drum 'n' bass gave full reign to her unleashed inner rock demon... "Canned tomatoes (whole)" and  "This is a new song from the new album" (didn't quite catch the title - though by now stage-3 tinnitus was beginning to set in) were both given the whole 8.23 metres  worth of gorgeous indie-guitar heaven treatment... Meanwhile, "Are you looking after yourself", with its own thumping riff - has its closing bars given a more-than-pounding guitar-fueled lift at the end...

Now I'm not sure who actually said "...the Devil has all the best tunes", but I'd suggest that Courtney Barnett has some of the best put down lines... If "I don't really like any of your friends, but it's not that hard for me to pretend..." wasn't cutting enough then as the band launches into Lance, Jr - and the crowd cheers with approval  (we know what's next) - with its ode to the joys of stress relief,  the denouement would surely cause an exit stage-left and sharpish; "... Doesn't mean I like you man, It just helps me get to sleep, And it's cheaper than Temazepam..." Ouch...

Courtney Barnett

Biggest cheers though are for arguably Courtney's best known tracks here; "Avant gardener" - a song which needs no introduction - but which arguably demonstrates her songwriting skills - and the ability to effortless transpose the mundane and dramatic - to the fore; and the set's closer, the never-fails-to-put-a-smile-on-my face, "History eraser", with bassist Sloane adding extra resonance to the song's monotonic refrain...

Courtney encores with a solo rendition of the Lemonheads' "Being around", the B-side of their C86 anthem cover of "Mrs. Robinson" - the slightly croaky vocals ("weet(a)bix and kerosene" on the rider?) actually add to the song's awkward poignancy. The delivery - and response - suggests that some of the album's slower, more introverted tracks (such as the sublime "Porcelain" and "Anonymous club") would go down a storm as part of any live set. The band rejoin for the final number, another teaser from the new album "DePreston" - a wry look at house buying (in this case in Preston, in the Melbourne 'burbs), and the whole property-viewing-fatigue syndrome, can drive you to the pits of despair... a few barbed comments on that City's finest and some oh-so-sharp clinical observations hint that the new album is going to be well worth waiting for.

For those who didn't know it (and I'm guessing that by our presence here, Courtney is already preaching to the converted), there's more than enough on display to confirm that not only is Courtney Barnett a great song-writing poet, she's a pretty fine musician who can expertly craft a tune to marry both lyrics and melody. And as tonight proved, she's a not-so-secret rocker on the side...

With a recently inked licensing agreement with indie label Mom + Pop" here in the States, I'm hoping Courtney Barnett returns to these shores soon - well the West Coast anyway (and no, playing Coachella doesn't really count - but it's a sign of the growing awareness Stateside)... and I'd argue she'll be playing and packing-out somewhere like the El Rey or Music Box...

Else I'll eat a baggy green...