Re: Patti – The Coral Sea – 22 June 2005

["PageRox" <PageRox93>]

Beautiful review, Andrew--how wonderfully you write!

And how fortunate for you to be in the front row for this.
Thankyou for your continued coverage of this monumental event.

XO-Glenna
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Andrew F Wilson
  To: babel-list
  Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2005 5:32 PM
  Subject: Patti  The Coral Sea  22 June 2005


  Tonight's Meltdown concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall was "The Coral
  Sea: an evening of poetry, music and film in remembrance of Robert
  Mapplethorpe".  Due to a last minute ticket swap I was in the front
  row, a few seats away from the magisterial Robert Wyatt.  The stage
  was set up with a grand piano to the left, and a couch and standard
  lamp to the right.  There was a large cinema screen, showing a
  self-portrait photograph of Robert Mapplethorpe.

  Patti and Cat Power came onto the stage and Patti welcomed us to
  Meltdown in her usual manner.  She then read December ("Perfect
  moon"), accompanied by Cat Power on piano.  Cat then played a solo
  set, one song on piano, then three on guitar, ending with Knocking on
  Heaven's Door.  After enthusiastic applause, Patti prevailed on her to
  return for an encore.  As a preface the second half of the programme
  Patti then spoke about Robert and mentioned how, on the day he had
  died, she "vowed to continue working with Robert throughout her life".
   There was then an interval;  Patti encouraged us to "visit the
  bathroom".

  Patti returned to the stage with Kevin Shields, who sat down on the
  couch, surrounded by four guitars and a number of pedals.  Patti then
  began her reading of The Coral Sea and, so far as I could tell, she
  read the book in its entirety.  This was accompanied by a stark black
  and white film made by Jem Cohen, mostly showing waves and the sea.
  The opening of the film was very like the Mapplethorpe photograph of
  Lake Mephramagog in the book itself.  The music began quietly, with
  sparse organ-like chords.  But the sound built up during the piece,
  becoming more insistent and swaying like the ebb and flow of the ocean
  that was suggested by the words and pictures.  The overall effect
  became quite hypnotic, and I really cannot say how long it lasted 
  nearly an hour, I suppose.  By the end, the tide of music had drowned
  the remains of Patti's words, though this seemed appropriate at the
  time, as the words were reduced to flotsam on the surface of the
  music.  Kevin played only chords, achieving the variations in tone and
  movement through his pedals.

  Deservedly The Coral Sea received a standing ovation and the audience
  expressed its appreciation of a unique performance.

  Patti, Cat and Kevin returned for an encore.  Patti explained how
  Derek Jarman (who she had not known) had telephoned her after Robert's
  death and had wanted to make a short film in memory of Robert.  She
  had offered him a song for the film  the song which she had performed
  acapella at Robert's funeral, Memorial Song ("Little emerald bird").
  Patti, Cat and Kevin then performed the song, in an arrangement for
  piano and guitar.

  Overall a beautiful evening, especially for those who had travelled a
  long way to be there, as many of the audience evidently had.

  Kind regards


  Andrew


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