February 1, 2007
Camera Obscura: Opposites Attract, As They Say
Last night at the Opera House, local concert goers met their match. Toronto audiences are (in)famous for their subdued responses at live shows, which is usually expressed through a steady nodding of the head. Scottish indie group Camera Obscura provided an equally stoic performance, with singer Tracyanne Campbell delivering each song note-perfect yet devoid of any physical expression beyond the strumming of her guitar. Even the infectious single "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" managed to spur some borderline dancing within the crowd, but the band remained workman-like in their performance. However, if you’re one of the people who argue that concerts are ultimately about music, regardless of whatever's happening on stage, then you might not have been disappointed. The band’s sampling of their recent LP Let’s Get Out Of This Country and its predecessor Underachievers Please Try Harder were at least faithful to the recordings. But in that regard, seeing Campbell throw a few lines from Paul Simon’s "You Can Call Me Al" onto the end of one song -- ostensibly to create a rare moment of spontaneity -- while still not breaking from her deer-in-headlights gaze over the audience made listening to their records seem like the better way to experience the band.
Photo from Chromewaves.
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I saw them live in the Glasgow Botanic's in June 2004 and they were very good indeed.
Maybe I am one of those "ultimately about the music" people (which, as a photographer, would be odd I guess!), but I have to disagree on the devoid of expression comment - Traceyanne was charming in a typically shy Scot way. There were quite a few jokes & subtle grins (like when the folks from Essex Green joined in on the side of the stage). That photo does make her look a bit grumpy, but it's not from last night's show so isn't really an accurate picture.
Hmm, I guess it depends on how much subtlety one expects from a live show. For the record, the pictures from last night's show don't show it being any livelier. This one in particular is how I remember the evening.
I enjoy the show quite a bit, and I am not the worlds biggest Camera Obscura fan. I thought the vocals were fantastic, and in general the sound (despite Tracyanne's guitar being a bit wonky) was excellent. I don't know - sometimes it's better when it's about the music. I guess it's no fun anymore unless it's performance art.
Cheers.
My favourite part was the percussionist/trumpet player jumping up to the ride cymbal during 'Teenager'
An excellent show
If you want to use a photo from last night's show, mine are up now.
And I can't be arsed to get a typekey membership to post a link, so just go to chromewaves.net yourself.
Did anyone see the show poster anywhere?
I thought it was actually an excellent show by both the Essex Green (whom I loved - I just didn't know it: I loved a couple of Ladybug Transistor LPs but had never actually put 2 and 2 together!) and Camera Obscura. In fact, the latter's set compared very favourably to their Horseshoe show from last summer - I think the larger venue suited the more expansive sound of Let's Get Out Of This Country and gave the colourful arrangements more room to breathe. And while Tracyanne will never make anyone forget David Lee Roth or Bruce Springsteen with her stage presence, I think her shyness comes across as charming rather than offputting.
I thought they were charming live. And I can't believe nobody's mentioned the wicked-awesome audience handclaps during "I Need All The Friends I Can Get."