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Simon Phipps's personal commentary

Live, as required, in Sydney

I don't know if it was the afternoon start, the problems with her keyboard, or something else altogether. But Juana Molina did not seem pleased to see a room full of people out to enjoy her remarkable and accomplished music in Sydney last Saturday. She seemed elsewhere - had nothing to say, commented condescendingly as if our presence was unwelcome or the venue beneath her, seemed ill at ease throughout the performance.

The music was worth hearing though. I'd not fully appreciated that everthing she does is live, and had anticipated canned loops throughout. As it is, she creates every song live, recording the guitar or keyboard notes in mid-flight and weaving the set-up into the song. My respect for her talent is greater than before - she is clearly someone deeply practiced in what she does.

The incident with the keyboard was also impressive. The one she was using failed and a replacement found. She performed while it was installed, performed while it was configured and loaded (from the floppy disk in her guitar case) and weaved the testing of the new one into the next song. All thoroughly professional.

The sound she makes live isn't as clean and rounded as her recorded sound - that's obviously polished in the studio before the bits hit the disk. Her audience was perhaps muted as well. It seemed to comprise women dragging along bemused partners to experience the happening. Row upon row of alternating nodding and bemused, tilted heads spanned the tent.

Finally the end came. Once the regulation period of suitable applause was submitted, Juana Molina returned for her required encore, delivered it with excellent professionalism and departed, perhaps a little surprised to discover how many of us were actually fans rather than anthropologists. Overall a worthwhile afternoon, but I'm not sure that her inner entertainer really shone through.

Labels: Music, travel

posted at 4:09 AM (UK) | |