Concert review: Mark Lanegan Band at Birmingham HMV Institute
Less was more when US alternative rock singer Mark Lanegan performed live in Birmingham last night.
Mark Lanegan Band
HMV Institute
Birmingham
Less was more when US alternative rock singer Mark Lanegan performed live in Birmingham last night.
The gravel-voiced grunge survivor did not leap about the stage to make an impact while his band rocked through his career highlights.
Simply by standing near still throughout, leaning on the microphone stand and brooding, Lanegan created a unique air of menace while the audience enjoyed his trademark hard rock sounds.
With a delivery somewhere between that of his late friend Kurt Cobain and the great Johnny Cash, Lanegan mixed songs from his recent album Blues Funeral with his past glories.
Newer tracks such as The Gravedigger's Song sat well besides old favourites including Hit The City.
Lanegan is famous for his battles with drug addiction but new numbers such as Gray Goes Black and Quiver Syndrome proved his underrated songwriting skills remain undimmed.
Other high points of the evening included the oldie One Hundred Days and a superb rendition of Phantasmagoria Blues.
The main set finished with his unlikely floor filler, the stomping dance influenced Ode To Sad Disco.
Lanegan and his four man backing band returned for an encore of Pendulum followed by Harborview Hospital, a track which sounds like a hard edged U2.
The biggest cheer of the night was for the finale, a run through fans' favourite Methamphetamine Blues, which also produced the loudest audience singalong before admirers queued up for Lanegan to sign autographs in the foyer.
Concert review by Chris Leggett
