Re: Songs of Innocence - 18 June 2005

[Andrew F Wilson <andrewfwilson>]

Songs of Innocence : Royal Festival Hall, London 
By Sophie Heawood
The Guardian, Wednesday, 22 June 2005

Patti Smith's address book must be a darn sight more interesting than
Bob Geldof's, as the talent she has brought together on stage tonight
leaves Live 8 in the cold. At a time when male songwriters tend to be
taken more seriously, the fact that most of these artists are women is
even more heartening.

Tonight is part of the Meltdown festival, curated by Smith, and the
theme is William Blake's Songs of Innocence, although lullabies,
childhood and protest songs have been added to the inspiration list.

Under such a hazy remit, interpretation was bound to be vague, and if
Smith was trying to make an overall point, it is lost. But with such a
delicious bundle of riches on offer, who cares?

Beth Orton and Billy Bragg both sing Woody Guthrie songs about
dressing-up and wetting the bed, while Kristin Hersh cranks out
Appalachian murder ballads. Eliza Carthy's incredible voice booms out
similarly tragic folk songs from these shores, while Tim Booth of
James stirs our indie disco memories with Sit Down.

Siniad O'Connor mumbles: "Well, we're all kids aren't we?" before
telling us about her good friend God. Actors Miranda Richardson and
Tilda Swinton read aloud from Blake between songs.

Tori Amos strides on like a yogi, and takes to the grand piano to
perform her own kind of protest song, Silent All These Years. She
seems to climb right inside the music, pulling the vowels around and
teasing its time signature into something so startlingly fresh and
moving that it reduces us to tears.

But the surprise winner is Marianne Faithfull, who brings the house
down with John Lennon's Working Class Hero. It's an odd choice of song
for someone who has just announced "what a gas" it is to be here, and
hers is not the finest voice of the night by far, but her triumphant
performance propels us to our feet, roaring and cheering. Innocence
indeed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,,1511545,00.html