Frankie Rose, Cold Beat and Devon Williams Live at Bootleg Hi-Fi

A piece of advice from someone I should have really listened to, was that I ought to just enjoy the gig rather than blog about it - but given that I, for one, had a blast (so following rule number one) - here's the blog post... Yes, I totally ignored that second piece of wisdom! 

But anyway, having fought my way through the carnage that is any freeway heading into L.A. on any Sunday evening, should I be just a little concerned when, having rocked-up to Bootleg Hi-Fi, I find the venue not exactly heaving? There's a smattering of an audience scattered in the seats at the back... Seriously what is about the Bootleg and the lure of those bloody seats? (Ma daddy told me that it was disrespectful to sit and listen to live music  - actually, I made that bit up...) So I'm standing around, just in the shadows of the stage lights, nervously shuffling from foot to foot and feeling a bit like Billy-no-mates...

Fortunately a handful of people wander down to the front of the stage - phew, I'm not feeling as self-conscious as I was - although my new found confidence takes a bit of a hit as I realise they're on intimate, first name terms with the opening act...

Blog rule. Always - always - catch the opening act...

 
Confession. Until the gig was announced I'd never heard of Devon Williams. But anyone who has a great line in self-deprecating humour (I'm a Brit - we appreciate this) and more importantly obviously has the knack of writing (and performing) incredibly intricate, adult, yet immediately accessible songs and - despite  playing in front of fewer people than I ordinarily get page hits - puts heart and soul into a live set, is worthy of a more considered listen... Turns out that Devon released his latest album "Gilding the Lily" earlier this summer and - after last night's brief taster - I most definitely will...


Now yours truly, our headliner this evening, had first alerted me (and the rest of her twitter followers - lest you think we're on first name terms) to Hannah Lew's band Cold Beat and having been - it's safe to say - blown-away by the album "Over me", I'd been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to catch Cold Beat live. Thankfully by the time the band take the stage, the audience has filled-up - at least enough to make some appreciative noise.

Oh boy! After a set which literally flew by, here is an artist and band that I now really want to see again. Taking the essence of their album - that's already a heady mélange of West Coast Lo-Fi meets post-punk meets C86 - and making the jangly-pop even more jangling and infectious, the heady combination of throbbing bass and haunting synth even more mesmerising... And then there's Hannah on stage managing to out-Hooky Peter Hook... Honestly this set was everything and more that I'd hoped to hear... I really didn't want it to end. 

Yet just to prove that I have absolutely no social graces (although in my defence I'm an engineer) and am in-fact as useful at holding a conversation as a Trappist Monk, when I do get a chance to try and thank Hannah for a great set - I end up talking about the merits of vinyl vs. cassette vs. CDs... DOH! Sorry, Hannah. The band were great, the set was awesome... And yes, "Mirrors" live is just 101% pure indie heaven...


The last time I'd seen Frankie Rose was at the Superbowl Sunday gig that Frankie refers to half-way through the gig. And while tonight's set-list draws heavily on that earlier show, armed with a brand new (all-female band), the songs sound to have benefited from a brand new arrangement - there seems to be a more throatier - raw - interpretation of the dreamy synthesiser-infused indie-pop of her albums. 

Frankie Rose centre stage at the Bootleg

I remarked after the earlier gig that when performed live the songs took on a harder edge, but tonight Frankie's inner-rock demon was given a license to thrill - the guitars are heavy on the reverb; percussion and bass sound far more prominent... I don't know - the songs just felt "earthier" - the impression was one of experiencing something reassuringly familiar, yet different. 

The set's closer, "Interstellar" really kicks - there's  more noticeably profound and deeper sound, the song takes on a darker undertone (I half expected the song to morph into Joy Division's "Atmosphere") but then Frankie kicks the song up a gear or three and it literally soars - a stunning set closer... I can even continue to overlook that fact that the outstanding bookends from last year's "Herein Wild" ("You for Me" and "Requiem") still don't appear to get an airing live - "Interstellar" will always remain a pretty fine way to bring an evening's events to a close...

Despite Los Angeles proving once again that it really is a fickle and transient town (although since everyone wears shades, it must be cool?) We, the discerning and select crowd at the night's gig (we all obviously have impeccable musical taste) saw three great acts put on a great show. Personally it gave me the opportunity to have Frankie's and Cold Beat's albums on heavy rotation in the days leading up to the gig, and discover a new artist in Devon Williams to check-out. 

I'll leave you with Frankie's stunning re-interpretation of "Street of Dreams," played with much gusto during her set...

Let's try and catch-up again next year?