Grant-Lee Phillips @ NAC
Worthwhile and lovely
As the UK goes steamrollering into festival season in a haze of denim cut-offs, flowery hair decor and questionable tent-pitching skills Norwich Arts Centre decides to stamp its foot on the ground and declare ‘here is a man and a microphone. This is how it’s done’. Well, perhaps not quite. But they should have. The man in question is Grant-Lee Phillips - formerly of Grant Lee Buffalo and off that Gilmore Girls telly show - and the setup is as bare as I’ve seen in a while. For what it’s worth the Californian could probably teach Mr ‘Greatest Living Rock Star On The Planet’ West a thing or four about commanding a presence with minimalism. But I digress. Stripped of glitz and busyness it’s a performance that tingles with honesty and an intimacy that’s a thrill for long-time fans.
The 90's love-in was possibly something to be expected. It’s not a night for blazing fresh musical trails - though there’s a new song on show that’s all loop pedal and high, rasping vocal that I can’t wait to hear committed to record - but retreading ground as rich as this is no bad thing. The singer goes about nailing a flock of tracks that raise knowing smiles and effusive nods around the faithful from both the band days and more recent solo LPs. The latter are warm, country-folk affairs, compellingly delivered and proof that Phillips continues to write with conviction. The golden oldies tend to stick out as products of their time, sure, but unlike curtained boybands, Ceefax or inflatable furniture, they’re not things that you’d shudder at having back in your life. Even for the uninitiated Grant-Lee provides something worthwhile and lovely. If he’s back in these parts again sometime, I’ll see you there.
