I had a ticket to see Thundercat a couple of years ago but I caught Covid a couple of days earlier so I couldn't go. So when this show was announced, I bought a ticket straight away. However, my favourite live act, Sunn0))), subsequently announced a gig elsewhere in the city so I had a decision to make. Do I get a ticket for Sunn0))) instead or do I stick with Thundercat? I made the decision to stick with Thundercat but even now, I'm plagued with the idea that I could be missing out.
The giant cat's eyes light up at the back of the stage and the air is filled with the stench of weed as a lengthy orchestral overture serves as an introduction to Thundercat. His dexterous bass playing is obvious from the start and his falsetto vocals are otherworldly (think Phillip Bailey meets Michael McDonald) but as is the case with many virtuosos, it can come across as self indulgent. The musicianship is impressive (particularly the drummer) and when they lock into a groove they create glorious futuristic space funk. At other times, it doesn't engage and just sounds like noodling just for the sake of it. The cyborg jazz drum 'n' bass of 'How Sway' is pretty cool. When the band get soulful like on 'Overseas', they sound like a modern Earth, Wind & Fire. The 'meow meow' singalong of 'A Fan's Mail (Tron Song Suite II)' is cute. A new track is smooth 80s soul and sounds stellar. The sweeping, orchestral 'A Message For Austin' is grand, sounding like an orchestra playing on as the Space Titanic is sucked into a black hole. However, too much smooth soul and instrumental noodling seems to suck the life out of the crowd. A Stevie Wonder-esque number picks things up a bit. Culturally, many of the references (Dragonball Z, Spongebob Squarepants, anime and Jake Paul) go completely over my head. The stuttering drum and bass of 'Tokyo' is excellent but overall, the whole show becomes a bit of an endurance test in the end. On reflection, I probably didn't make the right choice tonight. Ultimately, a handful of powerful notes trumps thousands of flashy ones.
Thundercat ***
No comments:
Post a Comment