[Gatsby]

I really have to agree, best gig ever.

I didn't expect him to be in such good form. The crowd were unbelievably quiet, you could hear a pin drop. I've never been part of an Irish audience who have been so respectful. (Perhaps because he closed the bar during the performance, actually thats definitely why!!) But even when people sung along, it was low, hushed and hauntingly beautiful. Perfect.

I must agree with that comment that he was incredibly baked for the whole thing! It was kinda surreal. He would go off on a tangent, then just mumble, then forget what he was saying, then play a song! With no guide from the audience. We just waited patiently for him to find his place again.
He told some mad stories, most were new ones i hadn't heard before, or changed versions of old ones with new details included (sometimes a bit too much detail!), but he was definitely in a very open, sharing mood the whole evening. I loved 'The Greatest Bastard'. Was hoping he'd play a few more new songs, but from the few i heard they seemed slightly sarcastic yet basic. More that he is laughing at himself rather than getting so emotionally tied up. That's what i got from it anyways. The other new one "Long way to the top", sounded like he just made it up. It held no depth for me, nor liking. But maybe i'm being too harsh and critical.

He had invited a guy to play drums (a drumset he found under the stage seemingly) and a "friend" who had watched the soundcheck and he had invited onstage for a few songs. It wasn't rehearsed or even very good, but i think the arrangement was more out of charity than to enhance the performance. (that sounds really mean, but he was definitely not a drummer!). I was disappointed at the lack of "Guests" but perhaps it would have changed the course of the whole gig.

Overall it was a fantastic gig, seeing one of my favourite artists in my favourite venue, with a fantastic crowd. Spoiled! But i just can't shake this underlying feeling from the gig. He seemed very disconnected at times, (I do put that down to being stoned) but mostly he seemed unprepared and his mindset didn't seem like the focused album releasing Damien. It's hard to explain... He seemed almost too relaxed and happy (if thats possible!). He spoke of a recent dream about his own death, and how he was lying there thinking of his achievements. My memory is fuzzy on the details, but it was extremely morbid and mostly in relation to the new album. He was incredibly open with the audience for the whole gig. At times i think he forgot we were there and he was just rolling out a cognitive chain of expression, frustration, happiness and fears. It was really beautiful yet haunting. It was such a surreal experience to be in that audience last night and something that i think will be impossible to translate via quotes or videos or even to explain (i'm not really doing such a great job!). But this performance will last forever with me. Not just because of how intimate and beautiful it was, but for how imperfect and open he was in sharing with us. It was really something i didn't expect to be so moving.