Music
Kate Nash's Successful Show
You don't have to suck dick to be successful.
Sounds like a hit song to me. It's also the song title of one of the encores performed by Kate Nash Monday night at The Phoenix to a sold-out all-ages crowd comprised mostly of adoring teenage girls.
The song itself was a rant created after Nash attended what she described on stage as "the worst party ever." She said she felt much better after writing and recording the song. I'm not sure the audience felt the same after hearing it.
The rest of the show was a much quieter affair, save for a few avid fans who insisted on dancing frenetically throughout the show, even to the more down-tempo songs. Perhaps most surprising was that there's such a following to this singer today.
I guess it took raw talent for Nash to rise to the top of the charts, at least in her native UK, where she was recently crowned Best British Female at this year's Brit Awards.
A simple backdrop with a pink neon sign bearing Nash's name lit up the stage.
Nash lists Regina Spektor as one of her biggest musical influences and there's certainly similarities in some arrangements, vocal style and even dress.
But Nash is a more British, brash and rough version of Spektor. Less of the story-telling charm and nuance and more of the personal angst. And swap the Bronx accent for a Cockney drawl.
She certainly struck a chord with the younger crowd, almost all bopping their heads along to her songs like Foundations, Model Behaviour, and Pumpkin Soup.
The crowd just ate it up when she performed the The Supremes' cover, Baby Love.
The opening band was the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, comprised chiefly of a geeky-looking father and his 14-year-old daughter.
The quirky duo features the dad on guitar and vocals (pictured below) while she bangs the drums (pictured right). Occasionally adding backup vocals, the daughter also strummed a ukulele at one stage.
Meanwhile, the mother of the family operates the slide show projector featuring vintage images culled from estate sales, garage sales and thrift stores.
The resulting musical exposes are described by the band as "indie-vaudeville conceptual art-rock." Charming.
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I love the idea behind the Trachtenburg Family. Would love to see them perform.
Monday night's show was the first time I've left a show in all my years of going to shows. I thought she was boring and half the time even looked bored (see the Baby Love video). The worst part though was the crowd who's chatter was often louder than Kate's singing. What a waste of $17.50.
She sounds nothing like Regina. Stop the comparisons, please.
It was because of Regina Spektor that I heard about Kate Nash. Perhaps it was on my last.fm stream. I agree she sounds nothing like Regina. Certainly not live.
While Nash had a lot of fun on stage, I think that fun didn't necessarily translate as well for all her audience. Especially the 19+ crowd, who mulled about the back half of the sectioned-off drinking area, chattering amongst themselves.
The Phoenix has got to come up with a better way of allowing 19+ concertgoers to mingle with the under-19 crowd without drinks. Relegating them to the back half of the venue certainly didn't help any.
could you be more arrogant? what an anal review. or are you just peeved that the performers were moving too much for you to get a crisp picture of anything?
my impression is a lot of fuss over nothing as though this generation connecting to her has a desperate need to feel emotion, to release energy... to feel alive, even if it IS only emoting- or over-zealous dancing- or even picking fights to prick some random hostility
To be honest i saw Lilly Allen No. 2 Sorry Kate Nash grow up here in the UK and i can resoundingly say she ain't that good.
The first single was mildly amusing but to hear her drone on in that horrid accent for an hour would send me to sleep.
Just another cookie cutter Angst ridden Cockney in my book