Tindersticks Tickets

One of the most unique live shows I've ever seen....

Better than I expected. Film and music were a great pairing.

It has been about 15 years since I saw a much smaller Tindersticks perform live at Aron's Records in Hollywood. The combo has lost some members and gained new ones since. The core nevertheless is represented by Stuart Staples whose vocals lend Tindersticks a part of their unique sound. At heart, though, Tindersticks are instrumentalists. For this concert, a rarity for the band in the States, the core of the band was augmented by musicians who played a variety of instruments (cello, bass, trumpet, etc.) to give Tindersticks an orchestral feel. Musical nuance often gets lost at a concert venue, but the Luckman Fine Arts Theatre was acoustically perfect. Excellent seating allowed everyone in attendance to take in the the music along with the excerpts from Claire Denis's films for which the music served as the score. Some of the images on the screen were disturbing: the rampages of a rag-tag band of young rebels. The Lords Resistance Army comes to mind, but the east African (British) setting oddly juxtaposed to the French film language. I mean: I assume the films were in French. At least some of the film excerpts came from Nenette et Boni when some of the dialogue (in French) was audible. The music, however, did mesh well with the imagery on screen, images that often evoked sombre minor chords. One could almost wonder whether the music was the score to the film excerpts or the film excerpts were made to fit the music. The band itself were intensely focused on the music. The only communication between audience and band was the announcement by Mr. Staples of the band's two final numbers. No encore was offered or needed, as nearly everyone in attendance left satisfied. Occasional vocals by baritone and band leader Stuart Staples punctuated the lush orchestral sounds. Eternity was a crowdpleaser. One minor complaint must be recorded, however. Given the instrumental nature of most of the songs, there should have been a prepared set list handed out to those in attendance. Though I was familiar with most of the songs, to recall instantaneously their names was well nigh impossible. Besides, a bio sheet with song listing would have been a great keepsake. Such things are expected at classical music events, and this "concert" was constructed more along the lines of a classical music performance than a typical rock concert.

Such an amazing show. Tindersticks' collaboration with Claire Denis was showcased very nicely with a perfectly flowing montage of imagery and music. The stage lighting was very nicely done, highlighting each musician as they were playing, enforcing how each were important in their own right in creating the thematic whole. I don't know if it was intentional but the way Stuart Staples was "held off" from singing until the third or fourth piece was also a very nice tension builder for all of us who love his distinctive voice.

Simply gorgeous. It's a shame they tour the States so rarely.

Watching images from films of Claire Denis' with Tindersticks playing live? Sublime for both the ears and the eyes. When Stuart Staples took the microphone to sing a song rather than to play a score for the film, all attention was on him, his sensual voice, the lyrics. Mesmerizing.