Southbank Centre - Royal Festival Hall
Details
- Date
- May 08, 2000
- Venue
- Southbank Centre - Royal Festival Hall London, England
- Billed As
- Yo La Tengo
- Gig Type
- Concert
- Guests
- Robyn Hitchcock, Neil Innes, Sonic Boom
Set List
- Night Falls on Hoboken
- The Crying of Lot G
- Last Days of Disco
- Tears Are in Your Eyes
- Stockholm Syndrome
- I Want to Be With You Neil Innes vocals
- Flavour of Night Robyn Hitchcock vocals
- Cherry Chapstick
- From Black to Blue
- Cheese and Onions Neil Innes vocals
- Big Day Coming
- Center of Gravity
- Transparent Radiation Sonic Boom vocals
- Autumn Sweater
- Saturday
- Ready-Mades Neil Innes vocals
- True Love Will Find You in the End Sonic Boom vocals
- I Wanna Destroy You Robyn Hitchcock vocals
- You Can Have It All
- From a Motel 6
- Moby Octopad
- I Heard You Looking
- Our Way to Fall
- Sugarcube
- Mr Apollo Neil Innes vocals
- The Summer
Reviews
Yo La Tengo (and guests)
London SE1 Royal Festival Hall
Live collaborations - brrrr. Nominally the preserve of old geezers who ask other old geezers along to play rhythm ukelele at the Albert Hall, the practice nowadays summons up visions of Chris de Burgh and Elton John doing some ghastly 'Candle Lady In The Red Wind' medley for a credit card-sponsored stadium gig, but it can work if the vibes are right. Take Kevin Shields playing guitar on Primal Scream's tour, for instance. But former Spaceman Sonic Boom playing black boxes and tambourine in Yo La Tengo? With old cult dude Robyn Hitchcock (now solo, once a Soft Boy) on guitar and even older dude Neil Innes (former Rutle and Bonzo Dog Doo Dah man) tinkling the ivories?
Against the staggering odds of age, disparate musical heritage and performers' natural egomania, it's actually OK. More than that, Innes + Boom + Hitchcock = a Yo La Tengo performance to cherish, to paraphrase a YLT album. Songs like 'The Crying Of Lot G' and 'Tears Are In Your Eyes' are graceful examples of what some Sonic Boom wind noises and an understated Innes piano can add to already lovely tunes.
Mostly, this is a hushed affair, given that six people are trading instruments around, that favours the gentle brushstroke moods of 'And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out'. But all the extra guitar power make older songs like 'Stockholm Syndrome' a heady janglefest, allowing nominal frontman Ira Kaplan to assault his own with impunity.
The visitors get their own spotlights too. The Rutles' 'Cheese And Onions' and 'Mr Apollo' by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dahs gets Innes' back catalogue a cheerful airing, with Hitchcock on Viv Stanshall impressions. Hitchcock, meanwhile, revives the Soft Boys' 'I Wanna Destroy You' for a new generation of ears. But the most unexpected thrill comes from Sonic, who sings a mesmeric 'Transparent Radiation', once covered by Spacemen 3.
Naturally, though, it's the home side that steal the show. For all the glory in their generous numbers tonight, Yo La are rarely more appealing than when the three Tengos, Georgia Hubley, James McNew and Ira, are alone - armed with nothing save downy-soft vocals and a backing tape - perform a dance routine along to 'You Can Have It All'. Less remains more, then - even when more is rather excellent.
-- Kitty Empire
London SE1 Royal Festival Hall
Live collaborations - brrrr. Nominally the preserve of old geezers who ask other old geezers along to play rhythm ukelele at the Albert Hall, the practice nowadays summons up visions of Chris de Burgh and Elton John doing some ghastly 'Candle Lady In The Red Wind' medley for a credit card-sponsored stadium gig, but it can work if the vibes are right. Take Kevin Shields playing guitar on Primal Scream's tour, for instance. But former Spaceman Sonic Boom playing black boxes and tambourine in Yo La Tengo? With old cult dude Robyn Hitchcock (now solo, once a Soft Boy) on guitar and even older dude Neil Innes (former Rutle and Bonzo Dog Doo Dah man) tinkling the ivories?
Against the staggering odds of age, disparate musical heritage and performers' natural egomania, it's actually OK. More than that, Innes + Boom + Hitchcock = a Yo La Tengo performance to cherish, to paraphrase a YLT album. Songs like 'The Crying Of Lot G' and 'Tears Are In Your Eyes' are graceful examples of what some Sonic Boom wind noises and an understated Innes piano can add to already lovely tunes.
Mostly, this is a hushed affair, given that six people are trading instruments around, that favours the gentle brushstroke moods of 'And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out'. But all the extra guitar power make older songs like 'Stockholm Syndrome' a heady janglefest, allowing nominal frontman Ira Kaplan to assault his own with impunity.
The visitors get their own spotlights too. The Rutles' 'Cheese And Onions' and 'Mr Apollo' by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dahs gets Innes' back catalogue a cheerful airing, with Hitchcock on Viv Stanshall impressions. Hitchcock, meanwhile, revives the Soft Boys' 'I Wanna Destroy You' for a new generation of ears. But the most unexpected thrill comes from Sonic, who sings a mesmeric 'Transparent Radiation', once covered by Spacemen 3.
Naturally, though, it's the home side that steal the show. For all the glory in their generous numbers tonight, Yo La are rarely more appealing than when the three Tengos, Georgia Hubley, James McNew and Ira, are alone - armed with nothing save downy-soft vocals and a backing tape - perform a dance routine along to 'You Can Have It All'. Less remains more, then - even when more is rather excellent.
-- Kitty Empire