Reviews

Artists: Damon and Naomi
Venue: St Philips Church
Town: Salford
Date: 02 May 10
Website: www.damonandnaomi.com

When you have a 12 hour festival spread over half a dozen or more venues it is pretty much impossible to say that any one act is headlining, but all the talk on a bitterly cold afternoon, be it on Chapel Street, in Islington Mill where tickets were exchanged for wrist bands or in the snug of the Kings Arms was that Damon and Naomi was the place to be come 10:30 that evening.

Much was new to me; the city, the venues, the majority of the bands but, having visited north London's Union Chapel so many times, a gig in a building whose primary function is religious rather than secular was not one of them. St Stephens has a vast interior with, as one would expect, wonderful acoustics which suited Damon and Naomi's gorgeous dreamy pop.

With Damon Krukowski's Art Garfunkel hair and acoustic guitar coupled with Naomi Yang's elegant bob and Nord synthesiser they do look an odd couple on stage but they are effortless in delivering a set of songs that, despite an often dark nature, sparkle with shimmery loveliness. They engage their fans at a personal level when, introducing their song about drinking whiskey in Japan, they compare North Tokyo with Manchester ("northern city", "rains a lot", "they talk funny", "they have the best musicians") and, in an acknowledgement of the relative youth of many of their fans, "Unlike most of you we're old enough to remember the Hacienda".

This gig was, as festival ones tend to be, over way to quickly amd I could have easily listened to another hour or so of their ethereal beauty.

The Jacket