Photos by Philip Cosores
It seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a show where the excitement in the audience was as tangible as it was for Portishead’s appearance last night – and rightfully so, this is the first American tour for well over a decade. People showed up early to get a good spot, the hubbub leading up to their arrival on stage was excited and there were even unstifled cheers from the audience every time a roady returned to the stage for one final check of the equipment. The introduction to every song was met with loud cheering, and there are probably dozens of videos of all the performances of the old favourites from this particular gig on YouTube already.
Yes, Portishead has that kind of effect on people. I was lucky enough to see them when their short UK tour in support of Third back in 2008, and considering the fact that three and a half years on the setlist is almost identical (the addition of “Chase The Tear” and the removal of “Nylon Smile” and “Numb” being the differences) you might think I’d be a little perturbed, but all of their songs are so unique and well-executed that it can seem like a true honour to get to experience them at all.
The vast innards of the Shrine Expo Hall are striking to look at, but not exactly the ideal place for a concert, especially one that threatens to be largely quiet like Portishead, but from the moment that the opening sample of “Silence” blared over the PA nothing else seemed to matter. Over the course of the 90-minute set, Beth Gibbons said few words and Geoff Barrow spent the majority of his time tinkering around at the back of the stage, but Portishead’s magnetic songs kept everyone glued, whether they were five feet or 50 feet away. Although the set drew more from the kraut-heavy Third than either of their 90s albums, we got to see all sides of Portishead’s abilities. “The Rip” demonstrated their knack with creating a fragile and beautiful atmosphere, the deafening chorus of “Threads” was terrifying, “Cowboys” gave us their punchier side and “Glory Box” was pure sexiness.
The centre piece of the set is unique: a stripped down version of Dummy classic “Wandering Star,” which sees Gibbons and Barrow sitting front and centre in a huddled and intimate way (Adrian Utley was off to the side adding atmospherics, but it was nigh on impossible to pull your sight from the central duo). As they thumped elegantly through the song, slowly bobbing their heads you couldn’t help but imagine them doing the same in the studio – slowly and patiently teasing the song out from its roots, totally focussed on the job at hand – and it made you appreciate why it takes them so long to put out new records.
While every song in the set was cheered raucously at both beginning and end, it was those from debut album Dummy that were clearly the most beloved. With the opening notes of “Mysterons,” accompanied by the alien green lights, I was immediately transported back to my first year of university when I last saw them, and I’m sure this and songs like “Sour Times” and “Roads” took the older members in the audience even further back, vividly rendering a finer time in their minds.
There are so many moments that make a Portishead show special – everyone singing “nobody loves me” in the chorus of “Sour Times,” the moment when the awesome Terminator-esque synth line comes in on “Machine Gun,” we even witnessed an onstage proposal before “Roads” – but mine comes at the very end. For the majority of the show Gibbons stays fairly still while singing, and often turns away from the audience to feed off the brilliance of the rest of the band when she can. However, with the conclusion of colossal closer “We Carry On” she makes a dash for the crowd, touching every person that she can reach. It’s a special moment when a wonderfully diminutive person acts out of character upon impulses to show happiness and gratitude to everyone around them. I hope those people who got to touch her cherish that moment; who knows when they’ll get another chance.
