Review: Grinderman at Vicar Street
Grinderman at Vicar Street , 19th June
Reviewer: Steve Coyle
Photos: Natalie Byrne
The support act for the night was Thread Pulls. After hearing a few of their tracks before the gig I was hoping for a good show…unfortunately this is not what I got. The singer/front man alone was enough to put me off, with his various array of yelps and screeches laced in delay and reverb, it was just far too distracting. Although some of their musical ideas had potential, certainly the almost tribal drumbeats were consistent throughout the set and at times when the bass guitar was played with the drums it sounded like something good could come from it, but it ended in disappointment.
After the 20 minute interval I was quite happy to see the familiar face of Nick Cave and the rest of Grinderman as they walked out on stage, the crowd greeting them warmly. The stage was simply laid out, just a red backdrop. They kicked off the set with their new single “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man”. The song was full of energy, Cave in particular really exerting himself. With its heavy blues rock riffs and thundering drums matched with Caves powerful vocals, it was a great opener. In no time Cave was close to the crowd lending them the mic to sing certain lines. The vivacious performance continued through to the next few Grinderman songs, including “Worm Tamer” and “Heathen Child”.
The band began to lose their flow about halfway through their set, having to start a song a second time due to Cave missing his cue. It seems to me that Cave wasn’t 100% on his game, which up until that point didn’t seem to affect his performance. However after that point cracks began to show. Cave and lead guitarist/electric bouzouki player Warren Ellis both displaying a few flaws in their performance. The bassist and drummer proved to be the backbone to the band, keeping everything in check throughout. Ellis at times was too busy “freaking out” on stage to realise what exactly he was doing, but he was so entertaining to watch that I don’t think anyone really cared. However when the energy began to waver everything came off a bit flat for me. The encore proved this, it seemed like a tired performance to me. Their last song “Grinderman” did redeem the performance somewhat.
Anytime you see Nick Cave / Grinderman live you know it’s going to be an interesting experience. Despite the fact that in this instance the musicianship seemed a little messy at times and the energy levels of the performance fluctuated, it was still a very good gig!
(NOTE – Apologies we have amended an error where our reviewer believed the guitarist for Grinderman was Martyn Casey when in fact it is Warren Ellis)
nice review, I agree completely about Thread Pulls.
but you swapped the name. Casey is the bassist (who did a great job despite looking a bit dead at times), Warren Ellis is the maracas/violin/guitar/mandolin freaking genius
This review
is almost as badly researched as it is badly written.
“Although
in this instance at times the musicianship seemed a little messy and the energy
levels of the performance fluctuated, it was still a very good gig!” That is
one of the most painful, malformed sentences I have ever read.
You also mention their “up and coming new single” What are you
talking about? Why use the word “new”? It’s implicit within the phrase
“up and coming”. Christ.
Oh, and you mix up Martyn Casey and Warren Ellis, several times.
You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about. Were you even at this
gig?
Ah the good old grammar troll, truly can’t beat them,
First yes, Ellis and Casey were mixed up, I’ve fixed that for him now. Mixing them up is hardly grounds for not knowing what he’s talking about. Yawn.
Secondly, up and coming single, I know plenty of instances where something that isn’t new is up and coming. Lets use footballer Zidane, a footballer by trade for his entire life but it wasn’t till the twilight of his career that he started making waves. He was an up and coming talent that sparkled after years in the game. It’s not implicit at all, your being pedantic and ridiculous and over analysing his words. Oh wait was over analysing implicit in pedantic.
I do very much apologise for the mix up in names. They have been edited.
@Mycroft I’m sorry you feel this way, I’ll take your points on board, but I would like to remind you that this is all my own opinion, you do not have to agree to it, it’s all subjective at the end of the day. I’m a big Nick Cave and Grinderman fan, I’ve seen him live before. This was my first Grinderman experience and I was reviewed it as honestly as I could. I did hear that the Saturday gig was better but I was not in attendance so I cannot comment.
Also I think this is a video you would enjoy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7E-aoXLZGY&feature=player_embedded :)
never heard of thread pulls before but thought they were absolutely awesome, blew my fr**ing head off. amazing to have a band in Dublin like this that you usually only find in new york or berlin. am gonna go see them in whelans on sat night as a result.
also Grinderman we on top form, cave is a great front man. thats what rock n roll is all about, missed cues, dirty bluesy wild man music, not some lame safe band plodding along. if you are trying to establish yourself as a music site please improve the standard of writing from the usual indie boy whining with some real music heads who know what they are talking about.
Aidan – great job comparing a single due to be released by a rock band with the professional career of some footballer called Zidane. Surely the first time in history these two things have been considered comparable. Never forget – them apples is only oranges in different skin. Or something.
Then you say “Mixing them up is hardly grounds for not knowing what he’s talking about.” Ye Gods! Mixing them up is proof positive that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. If a reporter on the BBC called Obama “President of Russia” and left that comment to stand until someone else corrected it for him, it might be reasonable to presume that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Steve – “I’m a big Nick Cave and Grinderman fan” So am I, I even know who Martyn Casey and Warren Ellis are. And can distinguish between the two.
Well firstly pete, I am a thread pulls fan myself, but I can see his point and it’s not his thing therefore he has furnished you with an honest review. The whole point is to be critical and honest and if you want a website who will blow smoke up your ass your on the wrong one.
Secondly, trying to establish ourselves…. wow, Goldenplec is NINE years young this year, and is one of the bigger Irish music website traffic wise alongside State and Thumped.
Improve the standard of writing from usual indie boy whining? No thank you, We will report it how we saw it and will not cream ourselves over a band unless we genuinely thought it was brilliant. There are plenty of reviewers involved with this site, this was one of them, another could have seen it completely different. That’s the whole point, you don’t have to like our opinion, you don’t have to respect it, but it will be honest and critical, otherwise what’s the point.
I suspect you got lost on your way to NME or Kerrang. Perhaps your better off there.
@8a13b3fb1b035136413c9e294b737289:disqus That’s the height of bolloxology. I am a fan of hundreds of band, I don’t know every single members names and their mug shots off by heart. That’s a ridiculous assertation from a clear troll. People mix things up, it happens.
Also why thank you I thought my Zidane comparison was apt and relevant too. what about a lost forgotten track by Phil Lynnott or Michael Jackson, it’s existed for years but is only up and coming now. You can pick at it anyway you like, your just being a pedantic troll.
no point sending a boy out to review a mans gig…… and yes footballer reference in answer above kinda sums this site up for me. and by the way if you sit there and slag off Grinderman you should be able to take some criticism back.
“I am a fan of hundreds of band, I don’t know every single members names and their mug shots off by heart.” Neither do I, but if I was writing a review of a show (that I knew would be read by the public) I’d, you know, maybe do a tiny bit of research on the band in question. I think they call it “professionalism.”
Oh, and “your just being a pedantic troll.” I think you mean “You’re”
I have an honest question: are you guys just a couple of caffeine-addicted shaved chimps hacking away at a keyboard in some subterranean fourth-world content mill?
If not, well done on a very convincing impersonation.
@04558771fbf595d921260b3ecd523722:disqus A boy to review a mans gig, most ridiculous statement so far. So Grinderman isn’t for younger people. Wow how elite of you. We haven’t slagged off Grinderman, Steve has provided a critical review which is the whole point of the site, Were more than able to take some criticism when it’s warranted and the mistaken identities was rectified however mistaking someone is not a measure of his knowledge of a band which is what I’m addressing.
@8a13b3fb1b035136413c9e294b737289:disqus First of all, professionalism is for professionals who get paid to do this job. We do it cause we love music, I don’t get mugshots and band member names before every gig, I go to so many in a year It’s not possible, I wouldn’t expect Steve to do it either. The point is no WHO is in the band, it’s a critical review of what went on.
Correcting a spelling mistake, congratulations, you’re currently winning at life.
No were not caffeine addicted though when we have to read comments for absolute mugs such as yourself it certainly would drive you to harder substances. Maybe if we were a professional entity, did this for a living you might have a point however we do it for the love of music the last nine years. If you don’t like it, that address back goes other places.
I’ll think you will find the statement ‘a boy to do a mans job’ doesn’t have any ageist connotations whatsoever, and instead implies that the ‘boy’ in this case your reviewer wasn’t up to the task in hand. Who cares you are doing this for nowt, do you want a medal? You are judging artists music, if you get some flak back take it on the chin. Toodle pip.
Aidan – “First of all, professionalism is for professionals who get paid to do this job.” Keep digging that hole, old chum. So, because a person doesn’t get paid then they shouldn’t do even the most basic research when writing a gig review? You know what, that’s my new mantra “professionalism is for professionals who get paid to do this job.” Such paucity of ambition! I’m not getting paid so why should I even try to do a good job!
“The point is no WHO is in the band, it’s a critical review of what went on.” I would tend to agree with this. But when the reviewer goes out of his way to bring up who is in the band, and gets it completely wrong, several times, it leads me to think that said reviewer might not be the best person to give us “a critical review of what went on.”
“Correcting a spelling mistake, congratulations, you’re currently winning at life.” No, not winning at life, just winning in the small competition called “Who is better at spelling, me or you?” But hey, like you said, you’re not getting paid so why bother actually trying to spell correctly. That’s for squares and pedants! Just like fact checking seems to be too!
@04558771fbf595d921260b3ecd523722:disqus I don’t see how he wasn’t up to the task, he provided an honest review of the gig, so he mixed up the bassist and guitarist, hardly the biggest sin in the world. The error was amended, it happens, I can’t agree he wasn’t up to the task. Happy to take flack but I’ll always argue my corner.
My point here is that reviewing is subjective and people don’t seem to realise that, you enjoyed Thread Pulls and thought Grinderman was on top form. Steve didn’t really get Thread Pulls and thought there were a couple of small issues in the performance from what was an otherwise good gig. He gave his opinion and did it honestly. However your review of the gig is as valid as his.
“THREADPULLS” experimental in their approach & 100 % progressive when something is so forward thinking it can take a lot of time for people to catch up with it, your lucky to be getting to see it … watch them GO !!!
@8a13b3fb1b035136413c9e294b737289:disqus Spelling in comments is hardly a good measure, I’m not proofing a comment, I’ve a real job I currently am doing so don’t have time to spend proofing a comment for spelling. I mistype and make errors, how shocking that I’m human.
Yes perhaps if he was going to name someone he should have double checked the name but as a fan he thought he was right, he got mixed up, it happens, has nothing to do with his ability to provide a review of what happened
Correcting spelling mistakes is just pathetic, it truly is especially in comments, as if this comment was meant to be a professional piece. We are not professionals getting paid for this stuff, we do it because we enjoy it. So he made a mistake, so what, the error was corrected and life goes on, except you don’t seem to. 99% of the time we are spot on with details, god forbid mistakes happen. However I’m done with this particular conversation, if you want to correct spellings and the like, go right ahead, I’ve got a real job to be doing than arguing with someone who is as pathetically pedantic as yourself.
@37efb22203b1483e5f1d41013fe61ff5:disqus Agree, I enjoy Thread Pulls myself, wasn’t Steve’s thing though, can’t win everyone over I suppose.
I reckon Thread Pulls have big things ahead though
“So he made a mistake, so what, the error was corrected and life goes on,” Yes, it has been corrected, with no acknowledgement within the piece that a mistake ever took place. Keep rewriting history, Winston Smith.
@8a13b3fb1b035136413c9e294b737289:disqus Is that what your beef is, would you like me to put a note at the end mentioning this? I would have thought the comments would have served this purpose but if you feel the error needs to be re-highlighted for everyone then that I can do.
“Is that what your beef is, would you like me to put a note at the end mentioning this? I would have thought the comments would have served this purpose but if you feel the error needs to be re-highlighted for everyone then that I can do.”
Well, yes I would like you to put a note at the end – most people won’t read the comments so they’ll never know that the original review was filled with errors. Most reputable sites are honest enough to mention the fact when they’ve corrected a glaring error in their reporting.
I’m actually surprised you bothered correcting it. After all “professionalism is for professionals who get paid to do this job.”
@8a13b3fb1b035136413c9e294b737289:disqus OK done, a note has been made to that effect.
We don’t often have to amend our reviews so it’s a rare case and as such not a practice we’ve gotten into the habit of. Perhaps these professional and reputable sites shouldn’t have to be leaving so many notes
I’m bothered enough to correct it as this site is something I’ve been running for nine years. If something is wrong I will of course correct it, however I am of course not expecting the writers here to never make mistakes as they are not professionals yet however they do a VERY good job thus far and I rarely require to change a review post publishing.
I would like to say, as a fellow reviewer, that Steve’s reviews are judged accurately,honestly and to the best of his ability. Being Unbiased in a reviewing scenario is one of the most important aspecst of Journalism. “Mycroft” clearly cannot ease to the fact that Nick Cave brought upon a bad show to Vicar Street, I assume he is the type of person that sees Nick Cave as a man who can do no wrong. I have met people like this before and ‘Trolling’ seems to be their Fortay.
Overall, Goldenplec is a reviewing website that runs great reviews and I thoroughly enjoy being part of it. . Being unbiased is the initial idea and if you miss that, maybe you should be the one under the spotlight.
PS: I enjoy Nick Caves work
Again I apologise for mistaking the names, it was an extremely bad research error on my behalf, and it was quite embarrassing I may add. It was an honest mistake, but to be honest I rarely know the names of band members from the bands I listen to. It’s the music that’s important to me at the end of the day. But yes, this does not excuse the mistake.
I chose to review this gig because I was a fan of the band. I’ve been listening to Grinderman for the past two years, I have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy their releases. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed by the performance on the night. This is not the outcome I wished for but it’s how I felt. If you enjoyed the gig, well that’s great.
I tried to be as honest as possible in my review, I did not say it was a bad gig, it just didn’t live up to my expectations. Everyone has different takes on music, there is never one unanimous opinion. If I had written a completely positive review, I probably would of had people complaining also. If the review offended you, I sincerely apologise, but it’s my opinion, and if you enjoyed the gig, well the review shouldn’t change that.
As for the Thread Pulls, I personally did not enjoy them. I have listened to their studio material and found it much more appealing, however in a live setting it didn’t do anything for me. Again, this is my opinion. Different strokes for different folks…
I found some of the comments quite petty and a little offensive, however I really couldn’t care less. If that’s how you feel, well then you are entitled to your opinion. Just like I’m entitled to mine.
A very fair review, I have been a Nick Cave fan now for several years and seen him live numerous times. Always very entertaining. This gig was perhaps the weakest one I’ve seen of his performances, however i’m not implying it was a bad gig by a long shot, still very good just not as good or energetic as his others.
As for thread pulls, I cant really say i’m converted to them. I’m sure they have many fans but i can also see why the reviewer didn’t enjoy their set. “Oxblood” is right, 100% progressive, I think that percentage is a bit too high for my liking but best of luck to them anyway.
What i cant believe is that i wasted my time reading those petty comments, especially the grammar related ones. Grow up. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of a gig and report it as they saw it, that’s what a review is. If you disagree with this opinion that’s fair enough but slating the reviewer over grammar and mixing up musicians is just being bitter and childish about something you enjoyed more than he did. I’d rather read an honest review than a biased one any day.
Nice to see the editor defending his reviewers.
Fortay is actually spelt ‘forte’
its from the french ……don’t you know?
dunno must have been at a diffrent gig, it was Sunday night wasn’t it?
nick cave not very energetic?……the man was throwing himself around the stage.
dear oh dear.
Love the photos! Is there a way to get a copy of one or two of them?
@a36e1dda477f8b96950d11f9bcf8ef34:disqus The photos are unfortunately not ours nor the photographers to sell on. There was a contact for single use of the photos so unfortunately not even Natalie could sell the originals on.
Oh that’s such a shame. There are a couple of really great ones!
The pictures are really cool! Nick Cave is The Man!