The Seventies New York punk survivor Patti Smith reminds us of what we have lost. Smith still believes music and poetry can change the world, and, in a time where Bono Vox poses for photo-op’s with George Bush, asking us to visualise the bigger, if severely blurred picture, her stark, uncompromising sloganeering seems increasingly of another, simpler era. At The Queen Elizabeth Hall to deliver a set of stripped down songs old and new, followed by a reading of an elegy for her friend the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, Smith looks elegantly dishevelled on a set suggesting the corner of a homely recording studio, with sofas, threadbare rugs and a standard lamp. She reamins a strange and eternally beguiling hybrid of stentorian Old Testament prophet, raining down fire and brimstone, and a shy little girl, whose slinky-hipped stage moves and fluttering fingers still bear the stigmata of a teenage Mick Jagger fixation. For most of the first half Smith is backed by her regular bassist Tony Shanahan and the Italian cellist Giovanni Solima, whose thoughtful, sparse accompaniament suggests a musical template over which Smith, should she ever abandon her usual ferocious performance mode, could chose to grow old gracefully. The lament Qana is hot off the press, a passionately declaimed memorial to the thirty-seven children killed in last month’s Israeli shelling of the eponymous village, while the closing number of the first half, a version of Beneath The Southern Cross, from 1996’s Gone Again album, sees Smith’s trio augmented by two influential guitarists of the 1980’s British underground. Jason Pierce of Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized, and Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine, who takes up a slumped position on the sofa with admirable nonchalance, were both ideally suited to sustaining a two-chord.
After the interval, Shields is due to accompany Smith reading her Mapplethorpe tribute, The Coral Sea. As the audience re-enter, the number 49 can just be seen blinking red in the liquid crystal display window of his Alesis Midiverb #2 reverb box. This particulr factory pre-set of the now discontinued effects unit was discovered by Shileds in 1988, and is the key to hs former group My Bloody Valentine’s hugely influential smear of liquid noise and subliminal harmonics. Nearly two decades later, one has to admire his single-mindedness, but a more adaptable approach may have suited The Coral Sea better. Given that Smith’s first musical forays,in 1974, were as a performance poet improvising in a little trio, there was little actual interplay between her and Shields in The Coral Sea. Smith is an engaging, unselfconscious and disarmingly open performer, but Shields works, head down, in hermetically sealed, introspective space. It seemed his furry blankets of feedback and fuzz would have unfurled in exactly the same order wether Smith had been present or not. Their collaboration, recorded both nights for subsequent release, was an experiment that didn’t completely succeed, but it felt like a rare priviledge to be allowed to sit in on it.
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube