Reviews
Artists: k.d. lang/Little Missy Higgins
Venue: The Festival Hall
Town: London
Date: 2nd June
Website:
http://www.kdlang.com/ http://www.littlemissyhiggins.com
It must be a bit strange being the opening act for a huge star: one month you are on your own 18 date tour with the vast majority of people coming out just to see you and the next, even though you are playing much bigger venues, you are playing to smaller crowds because who sees the support act? Who sees the support act when they are on stage at 7:30, when there are countless restaurants and bars on the South Bank or when you could gaze across the Thames at St Pauls knowing that your seat is allocated (no needing to get there early for a prime spot against a crush barrier) and you don't need to be in until 5 minutes before show time? Well, about 80% of kd lang fans do.
Little Miss Higgins played just about the best set a support artist could possibly do. Her twangy old time country sound - both her and Foy Taylor played semi acoustic guitars and Taylor kept rhythm on a stomp box - was obviously going to appeal to lang's fans and she had a wonderfully natural way story telling to link to her songs. 'Snowin' today: a lament for Louis Reil' tells of the death of the founder of the Province of Manitoba and leader of the Metis people and in 'Bargain Shop Panties' Higgins explains the practicalities about living in a small town by way of the mundane chore of buying underwear. I really would have liked to have heard more of her.
Touring to promote 'Sing It Loud' her first album recorded with her own band (the exceptionally talented Boom Siss Bang) since 1987's 'Angel With A Lariat' I was expecting a slick, theatre style, performance but this was a proper rock and roll gig.
The majority of the tracks from 'Sing It Loud' were played; 'Perfect Word' seemed to be particularly well received (maybe it's the lyrics?) 'Heaven' was introduced as "A country song from one of the all time great country acts - The Talking Heads!" but it was another cover, Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' that was the show stopping, standing ovation track. I know since Jeff Buckley brought the song to the world's attention it seems that everyone has had a go at singing it but this really was special.
I have never heard a voice so powerfully controlled as lang's and nothing else quite reached the heights of this track, not even 'Constant Craving' could touch it.There was a lot more to lang than her peerless voice and two decades of great songs. While her dancing was more enthusiastic than proficient (she blamed it on "plastic shoes on a rubber") there was a impishness to the band introductions "here's the five men who changed my life … yes, it took five" as she proceeded to both playfully mock and joyfully praise guitarist Joshu Grange, bass player Lex Price, Drummer Fred Eltringham, keyboardist Daniel Clark and guitarist and band leader Joe Pisapia.
In 90 minutes it was over, ten o'clock seemed far too early and I doubt if anyone would have complained if she played longer.
John 'The Jacket' Hawes