Giant Sand

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• Giant Sand

  Union Chapel 2 June

  Union Chapel at the top of Islington’s Upper Street near to Highbury Corner in North London is a working Unitarian chapel as well as being one of London’s finest music venues. On a long June evening where the weather has alternated between sun and heavy rain the light streams in through the stained glass illuminating the pews and balcony as well as the stage where Giant Sand is hosting a special evening of music.

  At 7:40 Howe Gelb steps on to the stage and introduces the first of several cameos by members of the current incarnation of Giant Sand.

  First up is Brian Lopez who performs solo with acoustic guitar. He’s from Tucson and plays a song about the rain in the desert.

  Next up is Gabriel O Sullivan, also from Tucson, whose song is addressed to someone who will break his heart.

  Lonna Beth Kelley from Phoenix is the third act – she’s not quite ready so Howe provides a piano interlude.

  Finally Maggie Bjorklund takes up her stool at the pedal steel and leads what is now basically Giant Sand through a gorgeous instrumental.

  Now Mr Gelb steps up front and the Giant Sand set proper begins. He struggles with his guitar strap before announcing as it’s a formal occasion he’ll go strapless.

  Starting with The Eye Opening the band moves through Song So Wrong and Every Now And Then from Heartbreak Pass before turning in the night’s first oldie a rocking Solomon’s Ride (from Center of the Universe).

  At this point we’re joined by the evening’s first guests – The Psycho Sisters for the wistful road song Home Sweat Home.

  The Psycho Sisters – who comprise Susan Cowsill (of the Cowsills) and Vicky Petersen from The Bangles – do a short set of their own with three tracks from last year’s crowd funded debut album Up On The Chair Beatrice - Gone Fishin’; Never Never Boys; and Fun To Lie. They’re sisters in law in real life.

  Giant Sand resume with three band songs including Lost Love from the excellent Tucson album.

  The band is then joined by Lonna Beth Kelley while Howe switches to piano for a couple of duets the highlight of which is a sweet take of Gypsy Candle off the new record.

  The full band then launches into a mighty Chunk of Coal – from Blurry Blue Mountain.

  Howe’s in great spirits and the band is superb – the two guitar players are the openers, Messrs Lopez and O’Sullivan , the mighty Maggie Bjorklund on pedal steel and the Danish rhythm section – Theger Lund !bass) and Peter Dombernowsky (drums). That’s a 50:50 Arizona: Denmark ratio in the band which parallels the Gelb family.

  Howe introduces the next guests - The Common Linnets from the Netherlands. I heard a reference to Eurovision and checking back when I got home it turns out they came second in the 2014 Song Contest (Americans can find out about this here). The Common Linnets are a harmony based country rock band – stripped down this evening to a front three led by their own Howe Gelb in the form of Ilse Delange. Their Eurovision tune (Calm After The Storm) opens the set – preceded by a first two line acapella rendition from our MC. It’s followed by three more finishing with a rocking You Should Know Better Than That.

  After an electro waltz from Giant Sand, Lonna Beth returns to join Howe on Forever and Always. The song was a co-write with his daughter and Gelb pere is concerned that after a false start or two on the lyrics she will hear a tape of the show and he’ll be in the kennel.

  The full band with the Psycho Sisters rocks out the remainder of the set which runs through a powerful Transponder and closes with Heaventually > Texting Feist.

  Curfew beckons and Howe substitutes a two song encore for a pointless round trip to the dressing room. The entire ensemble is up on s stage finally taking it home with a massive Tumble And Tear from the Valley Of Rain album. It’s 10:25 and the show has been non-stop. 2 ¾ hours on a wooden pew as well as a superb evening’s music see Giant Sand and friends given a well deserved standing ovation.

  Something of a one-off show so hopefully a few excerpts will make their way on to YouTube. Until then here’s a link to their Primavera show the previous week.

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  por rpn10

• Arizona rock outfit Giant Sand have had the opportunity to play alongside a number of celebrated artists over their three decade career including Neko Case, Juliana Hatfield, Vicki Peterson, PJ Harvey and Steve Wynn. This evening though it is all about the large array of musicians led onstage by Howe Gelb. They have been releasing albums and touring to promote tirelessly since the debut 'Valley of Rain' in 1985.

  This dedication has been rewarded in a cult-like following who show equal dedication to turn up and cheer the band's expansive and complex live operation time and time again. Howe is not a particularly charismatic frontman yet he is an expert conductor and he keeps every musician onstage in time as they showcase the very finest selections of their discography. The setlist appears to be a crash course for anybody unaware of Giant Sand and goes over well as they demonstrate variation and skill before a crescendo of 'Tumble and Tear' receives the largest cheers thus far.

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  por sean-ward

• Howe Gelb is a master of cool. He and Giant Sand are elegant when tunes are melodious, and rocking when guitars finally take over. I highly recommend their unique blend of alternative americana-latino-blues-jazz-rock. Nobody else does it like them. Tucson sound at its best!!

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  por monsieur_zed