Neil Halstead
Upstairs at the Garage, London
22/07/2010
 
For those who have adored everything Halstead’s been involved in, from the still-revered Slowdive - arguably the best of the original wave of shoegaze bands – to Mojave 3 and his solo albums, it’s a real treat to witness the great man performing in such intimate surrounds.

The seventy five or so people assembled are similarly in awe, aside perhaps from the inevitable ignorants who eschew etiquette with loud tedious conversation, and Halstead appreciates the fact while retaining his endearingly ramshackle approach. It’s reminiscent of a family gathering where the resident entertainer brings their guitar and trots out some songs, with no arrogance or demands for adulation. He has no setlist, nor indeed does he apparently have any idea which songs he’s got in mind – and at times he even forgets the words to songs he must have performed a hundred times, though admittedly not on the recent Jack Johnson support tour with Mojave 3. But if we wanted polish (and contrived manure) we’d be at Mumford & Sons, not here.

What’s always set him apart – in whatever guise – is the beautifully reserved feel of his songs, upon which the irresistible melodies and sharp, earnest lyrics are placed. Tonight’s seven five-minute set mirrors the effortless consistency of his career output and spans his twenty-odd years in the business, with Slowdive standards sat next to M3 catalogue and selections from last year’s ‘Oh! Mighty Engine’ and the majestic ‘Sleeping On Roads’ solo albums.

His calming presence is especially apparent in the between-song exchanges, where he seems as affable and personable as any artist we’ve ever seen live. Admittedly he’s faced with an audience in whose eyes he can do no wrong, but even with the aforementioned absolute absence of polish this show underlines an unsung master of his art, and truly one of the finest singer-songwriters in his field, and of his generation.
 
Andy Slocombe