Daisy Martey of Morcheeba gets on down. (Photo: Michael Hubbard)
Conditions are good for Morcheeba's return to their favourite venue, the first of an ambitious London two-parter.
Take a warm, sultry evening, add an audience basking in the glow of a long weekend, not to mention a warm-up stint in the sun outside on the green, and finish with the intrigue of a new singer. All this during the Big Brother launch night!
Unfortunately the band's very own big brother lurks in the wings.
Or
rather, he stands on a raised platform in the centre of the stage. Paul
Godfrey's performing contributions may be relatively minimal as a
turntablist and occasional backing singer, but he's determined to let us
(and vocalist Daisy Martey) know who's in charge.
This is at best unfortunate. From his lord of the manor position Godfrey
has her within his sight at all times, and banter with the crowd begins,
and ends, from his perch. Unlucky, then, for someone near the front who "looks
a bit pissed off", and unlucky for the whole crowd as Paul yells, "I wanna
hear you scream!" two songs in. Screaming at a Morcheeba gig?! They respond
surprisingly well to this brief nod to stadium rock, then settle down for
an evening of blissed-out vibes and more strident tracks from the new
album.
The Empire lends itself perfectly to Morcheeba's acoustic, and for die
hard fans the ideal opportunity to appraise Daisy's performance in
comparison to the velvet tones of previous vocalist Skye Edwards.
There's no Trigger Hippie or Tape Loop, but Martey acquits herself well,
staying true to the dreamy spirit of The Sea, whilst bringing a more
piercing tone to the newer material - at times a bit too overcooked.
Nerves
play a part early on, as she moves somewhat gracelessly around the stage
during Wonders Never Cease, but her whole demeanour becomes more relaxed as
the gig progresses, as she begins to add a pleasing spikiness to Everybody
Loves A Loser.
By the middle of the set much of the audience, who seem to be with their
other halves, have reached a state of holiday bliss, eyes shut as they
drink in a particularly good Part Of The Process. Predictably it's these
moments of Big Calm that get the best reception, but the new stuff passes
off well and gives Daisy more of a chance to show off her big throated
voice.
"How do you think she's doing?" asks her boss. The warm cheers of the
audience are in the affirmative. Let's hope come the next tour she's given
the chance to fend for herself more in a gig environment. Only then can the
band move completely into their next phase.
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