After such a good start with Custard, my praises for this year's Brisbane Festival appears to have run its course, thanks to Tuesday night's experience at the Spiegeltent. The Spiegeltent is a Belgian travelling venue that makes its way to Brisbane's festival as it does to Melbourne, Sydney, Edinburgh, and other international events. It is truly a magnificent spectacle, luxuriously decked in velvet, stained glass and mirrors, and we are extremely privileged that it comes here once a year for a few weeks. Hence, half the reason for my decision to see The Saints/Laughing Clowns/Aints pioneer Ed Kuepper, was due the fact he was playing in this venue.
Before I get into my gripings however, a little Kuepper run down. I have seen this old chap live quite a number of times now; by himself, with his second band the Laughing Clowns, with Jeffrey Wegener (drummer from the Laughing Clowns), and with Chris Bailey, his Saints counterpart. I'm not going to lie, all these gigs have been with one or both of my parents, and my dear godmum, who have followed his career meticulously through the years. They share a bit of a soft spot for him as he went to school with a couple of their friends, and he also lives a few streets away from my family home. In fact, mum had to excitedly tell me today of her experience walking our dog near his house, to find Ed walking his own dog and letting both dogs have a mutual buttsniff. They're of course best friends now.
Ed is a local legend in his own right thanks to his key role in Australia's 'first punk band', and his band Laughing Clowns has been an inspiration to many Australian bands including the Triffids, Go Betweens, and The Birthday Party. Somehow he still slips under the radar a bit and I find most of the people at his shows are the same ones, all around my parents' age or a little younger, including those friends of his from school. Where Chris Bailey with his floppy hair and 'tude was the rock & roll image of the Saints, I see Ed as more the brains and technique of the band, which may account for his continued slightly underground status. Anyway enough of these silly opinions of mine! To the gig!
And with that here comes my criticisms. As it always has been, the organizing and planning of Brisbane Festival events are a little stifling. Firstly, you have very little chance to appreciate the Spiegeltent properly, as the show is so goddamn early and on time (precisely 7.00pm), so you have to quickly shove a dinner down your throat before rushing into the place. It has a really nicely set out area outside with astroturf and picnic tables, in which to grab nibbles and a drink. An incredibly, extremely overpriced drink. I went to get my shout for my mum and godmum, to find that all of the wine on offer was Chandon. Chan-fucking-don? Are you kidding me? Are we suddenly in the Hamptons? Why are you serving one of the most expensive mainstream wines in one of the cheapest Australian cities, during what is in fact their actual namesake festival!??!? WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO KID?
I went for the $8 Shiraz and got knocked back as they did not have any left. OF COURSE NOT BECAUSE WHO WOULD ORDER THE $10 CAB MERLOT? But, it's only red wine for these ladies, so I had to shell out $30 for my round. Boy oh boy oh boy. Luckily they filled the glasses over the little standard glass line almost as a peace offering. Sheeeeit.
As we settled in, my ladies choosing the worst possible place to sit (left of the centre with a big mirrored pole in front of me), the next stage of my gripe became quickly apparent. There was absolutely no way i was taking a photo, not even on a phone, or the photo hawk would come swooping down on anyone quick as a flash. She stood at the front corner of the venue peering into the crowd like an irate teacher, until she disappeared briefly, probably to rap someone on the knuckles with her cane, and so all I got was a hurried bright blur. Hence you will just have to close your eyes and conjour up the scene yourselves. Imagination!
So in came Kueps, old Eddy, our pal. A little scruffy around the edges, a little rotund, a bit more bearded and just as balding as I had last seen him, but with that unrecognisable smile and slightly lazy gaze. He set up his guitar and introduced his accompanying drummer, Mark Dawson, former member of The Aints, and got straight into playing the first song off his 1985 album 'Electrical Storm'. I hadn't realised until the night that he was to play two of his solo albums in full at this show, his first solo effort 'Electrical Storm' and then the acclaimed 'Today Wonder' from 1990, the only one I had listened to. You think I'd know all his songs by now due to all the shows I've seen, but I am still very much learning. Anyway, he kicked off beautifully, and all eyes were drawn to his absolutely exceptional guitarwork. Pacing through each song with ease, his voice accompanied his guitar breezily, not faltering a second. It's a unique voice of his, in a really likeable, soothing way, and I think I speak for his fans as well that I'm glad he chose to use it as a frontman and solo artist as it runs rings around Chris Bailey's signature scowl.
Mark Dawson was extremely good as accompanying drummer, and they fed off each other as if fused together; neither missed a beat or cue and the songs flowed as if really being played on a record. I really enjoyed the earthy, gritty and poetic songs they carried along, crescendoeing at the title track, which I must have heard somewhere after all. You could classify Ed's solo sound as Australian folk, in the vein of those inspired by him such as the Go-Betweens and Triffids. This would be on the mark, but his music has an almost dirtier, rawer feel, setting your imagination free to be in the song and really picture the images he puts across with his melodies and lyrics.
There was little time for chat, as Ed noted that he had time constraints, but he tried to throw as much in as possible, mostly in jest at his partner Mark, by attempting to tell his life story, repeating a few times that Mark was available for the ladies after the show. Mark was remarkably unshaken by this talk, simply smiling and playing on.
On it went with 'Today Wonder', even earthier than the first, and just as good (I hope to be raiding the family LP collection this weekend). Some more recognisable highlights here for me, obviously, particularly the achingly beautiful ballad "Everything I've Got Belongs to You", which even involved a halfdone sing-a-long, and the amazing continual medley at the end of the album/show, including "Eternally Yours" and finishing with a cover of "If I Was a Carpenter". While all keeping within the same musical essence and feel, with each song Ed showed his immense skill and refined technique, and his guitar playing alone filled the entire space with rhythm and melody, absolutely enhanced by Mark Dawson's drums. If you were hanging around outside the tent, you may have expected there to be two or even three guitarists onstage, but there was only one excellent Ed, accompanied by intricate, full bodied drumming that carried these phantom guitars .
As he completed his set, that was that and he was gone. There was little time to process the performance, as not a minute later was the announcement over the PA: "If you do not have tickets to see the next show, dream menagerie of dreams and things, please exit the venue." I.E., please GET THE FUCK OUT. NOW.
So, being told, we scuttled off, and Ed hung around outside for signing things and selling his Prince Melon Bootleg Live CD series. I stood in line for a signature and even though he's more like an old uncle than a rockstar, all I could say was "Hi, you were amazing". He thanked me for coming with quite a genuine smile, naww. My mum and godmum had suddenly transported back to the Class of 1970 and would not go up and even check out his wares, let alone say hello.
All in all, it was most enjoyable; there was literally nothing but yourself and the music and the stories and histories embedded within them. No theatrics or stage antics, which was exactly how to appreciate his music. It was all-consuming.
But, here it comes...
HOWEVER, if the festival curators want people to come see their shows, they have to not treat them like (private?) school children. Especially when the mean age of the audience was about 55. I don't wish to be a cranky pants, but we are adults here guys, and as this audience are of the Ed Kuepper fan variety, they enjoy a (reasonably priced) drink, a lazy stroll, a good sit, and a leisurely chat about what they've just seen. Just the same as most older (and younger!) alt-music concert goers. I appreciate people want their dream menagerie time so they can gawk at people with small statures dressed in top hats (disclaimer: have no idea what happens in dream menagerie), so maybe it's not a good idea to have two completely different things from different tastes together in the one place on the same night. Just good planning maybe? Where's my next focus group dammit!!
7 out of 10 glasses of Gossips*
*Jokes guys!! I do have some standards (now)
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