FATHER JOHN MISTY PREACHES TO THE CONVERTED

EL SOL, MADRID 11 DECEMBER, 2012

NO's Brad Carter

The cellar that passes for El Sol is a seething mass of expectancy. There’re so many flannelette clad, hirsute caballeros in attendance one could be forgiven for thinking this was some kind of lumberjack convention; despite a smattering of senoras, this is definitely a boys’ night out.



NO - sculpted hair and lo slung jeans

Los Angeles based NO kick off the night. The 5-piece indie rockers are fronted by Kiwi Brad Carter and the only thing slung lower than his guitar are his jeans – I just don’t get that look!  Their sound is as sculpted as their zany hair’n’beards, and their set is well received. They seem genuinely pleased by the warm response, and whilst promising to come back I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

Fathe John Misty searches for the high notes

The good Father John Misty takes to the pulpit with his band and immediately places the audience on the back foot with a “Good evening motherfuckers” greeting; I’m not sure that this is the sermon most have come to hear. Gone is the long hair and beard, and with it the perception that this would be a celebration of Laurel Canyon ambience. Josh Tillman is touring to support his majestic album ‘Fear Fun’, one of the year’s outstanding releases, and the gentle strumming and haunting harmonies of opener ‘Funtimes In Babylon’ receives immediate recognition and rapturous approval. However rapture rapidly descends to concern as he sings the first refrain, opting not to reach the glorious falsetto so integral to the sound of the whole studio album. Fortunately, by the second chorus, equilibrium is restored and his voice soars into the stratosphere, note perfect; it’s a sublime, hair raising moment. There isn’t another false note all evening.

Father John Misty's hot gospel

Throughout the course of the show, Tillman’s banter with the audience borders on belligerent and several hecklers clearly tire of the incessant “motherfucker” reference – not many Spaniards speak English, but some words traverse all languages! What makes this stance all the more confusing is that he clearly enjoys performing his music, and the punters are equally appreciative of each song. In severing his Fleet Foxes relationship, Tillman has ditched his name in favour of Father John Misty and removed himself from his drum kit. He is an imposing figure on centre stage and totally absorbed in his music. The bohemian whimsy of the album is turned into a heaving, gyrating mass of hips, arms and legs as he totally immerses himself in each and every performance; it is engrossing to both hear and watch.



Charismatic Jeffertiti Rumano witha savant over his shoulder

His band doesn’t put a foot wrong; Kyle Flynn (keyboards) and Dixie Darley (rhythm guitar) are solid, charismatic bassist Jeffertiti Rumano vies for headline attention, and guitarist Benji Lysaight is as creative as his background suggests (he’s a dropout from LA’s Savant Art School!). Toughest gig of all must be as the drummer for a drummer; Aaron Sperske was the original drummer in Beechwood Sparks and more recently with Ariel Pink, and he holds things together immaculately. Tillman himself remains steadfastly at the microphone, only once lifting an acoustic guitar during ‘Tee Pees 1-12’. Together they are tight, harmonious, and clearly enjoy the interplay with their main man. Interestingly, none of them featured in the recording of “Fear Fun”.

Humidity's killing me - I had an afro when we started



Father John discourses 11 of the 12 songs from “Fear Fun” before taking his exit; there’s none of his earlier solo material, not wholly surprising seeing he openly admits to its mediocrity. Ignoring the between-song interplay, his performance is an overall triumph. He returns alone, excluding the tree-trunk sized spliff in his hand, to sit upon a stool and deliver an a-cappella rendition of the Bing Crosby standard ‘Nevertheless (I’m In Love With You)’. If you’re going to lay your singing credentials on the line then there can be few more rigorous ‘warts and all’ tests than to go it alone; the man can sing! Finally, he is joined by the rest of the band for a ramshackle version of Canned Heat’s ‘On The Road Again’ before he departs, obviously pleased with the reception he has received, and leaving the band to work out how to wind up the song. It’s all over in an hour.

 

How do you evaluate someone whose performance reaches both extremes? Does the crude belligerence outweigh the exquisiteness of the performance? Would I venture out to hear another sermon from Father John Misty? The answer is an unequivocal “SI”, but in my case I guess he’s preaching to the converted!

Father John Misty - one motherf***er too many?

Set List (all songs bar the encores from Fear Fun):

1.            Funtimes In Babylon

2.            Only Son Of The Ladiesman
3.            Nancy From Now On
4.            I’m writing A Novel
5.            Misty’s Nightmare 1 & 2
6.            This Is Sally Hatchett
7.            Well, You Can Do It Without Me
8.            Now I’m Learning To Love The War
9.            Tee Pees 1-12
10.          Everyman Needs A Companion
11.          Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
Encore:
12.          Nevertheless (I’m In Love With You) – Bing Crosby
13.          On The Road Again – Canned Heat