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Following such cross-band hybrids as Zwan and Audioslave, former Smiths legend Johnny Marr has teamed up with Ringo Starr's son Zac Starkey and Kula Shaker bassist Alonza Bevan to unveil his long awaited solo material. After various collaborations since his split from the Smiths, an eager crowd was at London's ULU to witness the experience.
Firstly though, Mellowdrone aka Jonathan Bates displayed his brand of gently intricate rock, which is vaguely reminiscent of bands such as Geneva and Radiohead. Bates made the mistake of appearing on the stage by himself and his skinny frame lends him no stage presence. Thankfully, his drummer eventually joined him on stage which was a relief for both Bates and the audience.
Bates is an accomplished, experimental musician but his performance was like that of a selfish lover too concerned with his own sense of satisfaction. There was a distinct lack of two-way interaction with the audience that makes a great gig. The overall effect was that of being a bystander in a demonstration of musical masturbation, despite some promising moments such as Fashionably Uninvited. Sadly though the majority of the set lived up to Mellowdrone's name.
When Johnny Marr arrived on stage he was greeted like a long lost friend. In a set high on surprises, the biggest was how comfortable Marr was a frontman. Years of living under the shadow of Morrissey has bred a frustrated leading man which he released in all his glory tonight. Engaging and witty, Marr was utterly at home in his new role. Marr's voice was another surprise - his husky tones suit the band's laid-back rock style. His vocal performance is a lot stronger live than the weakly produced album Boomslang may otherwise suggest.
Smiths fans expecting a reincarnation of the band may have been disapppointed as the music owes more a debt to groups such as The Stone Roses, Oasis and Primal Scream. Only the new single Down On The Corner had faint echoes of his former cohorts. The songs as a whole were all strong and played with precision, and the new material hinted at even better things to come.
It may seem a little slack to review a performance by one of Britain's finest guitarists and not even mention his guitar playing. Yet there is nothing new to say about Johnny Marr the guitarist. Tonight was about Johnny Marr the singer, songwriter and frontman - he comfortably succeeded in proving that he is a true all-rounder.
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