My first gigs of 2012 occur a mere one day after my arrival back into the UK from Australia. I am jetlagging like a bitch but nothing is going to stop me from heading to my favourite London venue, the Union Chapel ('the UC'), for two nights of acoustic greatness from one of my high musical priestesses - Ani DiFranco.
Put simply, this chick rocks. Not only is she an amazing songwriter and guitar player, she also owns and runs her own record label, Righteous Babe Records, making her (as she says in her own words) the 'Queen of her own compost heap'.
Ani is flying solo on this visit to the UK without her usual touring partners in crime, Todd Sickafoose and Allison Miller. One gal and a guitar - sounds just about perfect to me.
Now I'm no expert, but in my humble opinion the acoustics in the UC are really second to none in London. I defy even the Royal Albert Hall to produce better sound. What I love about the UC other than the sound is its intimacy - it is designed for up close and personal shows and there is almost an unspoken requirement that you be good enough as a performer to deliver a high quality performance because if you make a mistake there is nowhere to hide. Everyone can hear everything in this room - from a performer's lost chord or flubbed lyric to an audience member dropping their cup of tea (another hugely endearing part of a UC gig). This thing is, if you are good enough, the UC can take you and your audience to a higher plain and damn it I was ready to get high!
Both nights begin with English singer-songwriter Ruth Theodore opening up proceedings. She is a barefoot guitarist with a pixie look and Juliana Hatfield-like voice. Her tunes are lengthy poems which, whilst not up my alley, are well received by the Ani faithful.
Night 1 begins with Ani's anthemic 'Little Plastic Castles' which sufficiently rouses the crowd from their cold pews. She then proceeds with a casual stroll into the her past catalog pulling out gems like 'As Is, 'Swan Dive' and 'Rain Check'. These tracks are interspersed with more recent tracks (such as 'Marrow') and tracks from her new album 'Which Side Are you On?'. The new album isn't officially released until next week but as Ani is her own CEO and doesn't give a hairy rat's ass about the 'charts', the album is made available to those attending these shows and I of course nabbed myself a copy to maintain my continued support of this gifted, independent artist.
The main set contained a good seven tracks form the new album including title track 'Which Side Are You On?' (an updated protest song), 'Albacore' (a wedding song for Ani's bethrothed), 'J', 'Lifeboat', 'Unworry', 'If Yr Not' and 'Mariachi'.
As usual Ani's straightforward and to the point lyrics pack a punch and win over the audience - my personal favourite being:
"If Yr Not, If Yr Not, If Yr Not getting happier as you grow older then yr fuckin up"
- good point, well made.
A highlight of NIght 1 comes with Ani asking the audience for comments or suggestions - cue many people screaming out various song titles while Ani attempts to translate. One request from the balcony in particular catches Ani's attention on the basis that she cannot make out what is being requested at all. It is an old gem - 'Overlap'. Ani says she would need help to attempt it and the confident audience member offers assistance and ends up providing the same on stage via both guitar and vocal - it's a spontaneous, fun moment AND most importantly it sounds good.
Another bright spot for me was Ani's cover of Woody Guthrie's song 'Do Re Mi'. It is the mark of a good song to sound so good and fresh 50 years after it was written.
Night 1 ends with two Ani classics - 'Gravel' and one of my all time favourites '32 Flavors' - beat these opening lyrics:
"Squint your eyes and look closer
I'm not between you and your ambition
I am a poster girl with no poster
I am thirty-two flavors and then some
and I'm beyond your peripheral vision
so you might want to turn your head
cause someday you're going to get hungry
and eat most of the words you just said"
My only disappointment for the night is that my favourite Ani album (Reprieve) is not represented in the set, but as I have another Ani gig the next night I am not too concerned.
I rock up the next night looking forward to a varied setlist and a better seat. Last night my vantage point was in the balcony, however tonight (thanks to the excellent line up skills of my gig companion Jeff) I have a great spot about five pews from the front.
Ani again starts out with some classics - 'I'm Not Angry', 'Manhole', '78%H2O' (yay Reprieve tune!!) and her indi-chick diatribe 'Napoleon'. The crowd is louder and livelier than last night and is raucous in its approval of said tracks.
A magnificent version of 'The Atom' from Red Letter Days follows new song 'Splinter'. There is rapt attention from everyone in the room - it's real, it's poignant - it's classic Ani.
After a few more "crusty old ones" ('Everest' & 'You Had Time'), Ani again asks for requests and I hit the jackpot tonight as she changes guitars and heads full steam into 'Untouchable Face' - one of the most underrated unrequited love songs ever in my opinion - RESULT!!
A further highlight is Ani's spoken word piece - an untitled work in progress I will call ' The River's Source'. Ani asks the building (being religious in origin and standing since 1806) to pardon her as he has a few thoughts about religion and then begins. Her poem covers many concepts found in Ani's work - the fight against patriarchy, a women's inner power and the need to question what is going on around you. It's just further evidence to me that Ani is a 'high watermark' lyricist.
A few new songs ('Mariachi', 'Zoo', 'Which Side Are You On?' and 'Albacore' - which Ani says is made to be played in a room like this) finish off the main set and Ani returns for a brief encore of two classics - 'Both Hands' and 'Shameless'.
With just her songs and her guitar Ani is the same paragon of inspiration she has been to me for many years. I have thoroughly enjoyed these shows and look forward to seeing her again - guitar in hand and heart on sleeve.
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