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It’s hard to believe that the world of music nearly lost John Grant
for good after the implosion of The Czars in 2004. After six
albums together, five of the Denver cult group’s members departed in
the space of just nine months, leaving front man Grant alone.
Disillusioned, he pursued a new career in Russian interpreting for a
time before being persuaded to record a solo album by acclaimed Texan
folk-rockers Midlake, who also volunteered to play with and house
their friend for free.
The resulting Queen Of Denmark was universally lauded as one of the
best albums of 2010. A wonderfully accomplished collection of
bittersweet, elegant songs inspired by a combination of Grant’s often
tortuous upbringing in the American Midwest as a gay child in a
religious household and the classic soft rock of the 1970s, it
established its creator as one of the most original artists around.
Eighteen months later, a packed Royal Festival Hall gives an
indication of how far the Michigan native has come. Grant doesn’t
make the best of first impressions with a poor taste introduction to
his first song in which he expresses his hope that certain individuals
from his past “end up in a wheelchair”, but that’s just about the only
off key moment in a truly outstanding performance.
In a set of nearly two hours, we are not only treated to
note-perfect renditions of almost all of the Queen Of Denmark’s
exquisite tracks, but also re-worked versions of several Czars
favourites with a couple of new songs from Grant’s forthcoming second
solo album for good measure. Midlake are on stage for much of the
evening, but the star of the show also goes solo at times too,
offering a neat contrast and showcasing his impressive piano playing
and singing voice.
Ah, that voice. On record, Grant’s rich baritone glides smoothly
over the lush musical backdrop that characterises his work,
complementing rather than dominating the sound. Live, it’s a
revelation; a beast of rare power and poise, it switches effortlessly
from languid croon to operatic soaring, revelling in the wide open
spaces that the Festival Hall provides.
Picking out highlights from a display of such sustained quality is
devilishly difficult. New song You Don’t Have To, another example of
Grant’s mischievously dark humour featuring some marvellously over the
top vaudevillian keyboard flourishes, bodes well for his next release.
Silver Platter’s irresistibly toe-tapping Beatles/ragtime hybrid
stomp is as infectious as ever, a solo piano performance of Outer
Space is wonderfully expressive, and violinist Fiona Brice’s delicious
harmonies help carry off a superb TC and Honeybear.
It’s perhaps the closing Queen Of Denmark title track that best
captures everything that’s great about Grant. Starting off with the
marvellously wry couplet “I wanted to change the world/but I could not
even change my underwear”, a graceful, maudlin piano melody slowly
builds up to a defiant crescendo, with three members of Midlake
simultaneously smashing the drum kit cymbals with evident relish as
the crowd rises to its feet to applaud. They are spoilt by no less
than four encores, including a final, heartfelt Little Pink House –
arguably the criminally underrated Czars’ finest moment.
Throughout the evening, the towering, avuncular Grant is a
commanding presence who is clearly having a ball, sharing witty banter
as well as genuine affection and respect with his fellow musicians.
It’s clear they love working and performing together, and when the
results are as enjoyable and memorable as this, long may it continue.
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