mtc@datagen.UUCP (09/30/83)
** HOWARD DEVOTO, Live at the Paradise, Boston, 29 Sept 83
(see rating scale at bottom of article)
Howard Devoto, singer and songwriter for Magazine and the Buzzcocks,
appeared last nite in Boston at the Paradise. He is touring his new solo
album called JERKY VERSIONS OF THE DREAM which was released last month.
As expected, the show featured selections from the new album,
of which he played about eight, including the singles "Rainy Season" and
"Cold Imagination"; also from the album: "Some Will Pay (for what others pay
to avoid)", "I Admire You" "Waiting For A Train", and "Topless".
The band played some of the more recent Magazine hits: "Song from Under the
Floorboards", "Because You're Frightened", "Permafrost", & "About the Weather".
Devoto is a short guy and describes himself variously as "ugly as sin" and
"ripped off by nature". Actually, while he DOES have a distinctive appearance,
the award for ugliest performer is still in the hands of the singer "Skafish"
from Chicago. Devoto's vocals are as distinctive as his appearance. The already
expressive singing is emphasized via gestures and movements; he has strong
stage presence. He is an accomplished musician in vocals and songwriting;
however, he also helped out a bit on rhythm guitar (on the album, he plays
some of the keyboards).
The band was not introduced, but you can be sure that the beautiful background
vocalist was Laura Teresa, who has been with Devoto on the last few Magazine
efforts. She is not just another pretty face: she has a beautiful voice to
match.
The keyboard player for the performance was probably Dave Formula, also from
Magazine. Unfortunately he was well hidden in the mix, so I could not hear
enough to be impressed.
The rest of the band on the solo album is Alan StClair on guitar, Dave Martin
on bass, and Pat Athern on drums. I am fairly sure that StClair performed
last nite, as the guitars sounded very similar to the album; the others I am
not sure about. I do not know where these musicians have played in the past;
they are probably studio musicians put together for the album. Their playing
was adequate, but lacked the strengths of the original Magazine group - too
bad that group broke up, I would rather have seen them perform.
The live performance was, overall, good. The songs that came across the
best were the simpler rocking tunes; the more complex and studio oriented
tunes (like "Rainy Season") were more difficult to perform live, and it
was obvious.
Last nite's performance was probably near the beginning of a national tour,
so they will probably be hitting the Midwest and Western states in the next
few weeks. The Paradise is a club, not an auditorium, so look for local
club appearances. I would recommend this show highly to Magazine fans; those
unfamiliar with the music may enjoy it also, but it helps to have heard the
tunes before.
I expect that the new album and Devoto's new style/material will be
criticized as "commercial" in the same fashion as Pete Shelley latest
efforts. Yes, it is more commercially oriented than Magazine, and at times
even danceable. There is a bit more keyboard than was used in Magazine.
Disclaimer: I am unfamiliar with the Buzzcocks, but I thought I had heard that
both Shelley and Devoto came from that band. Confirmations?
=========================================
Rating system:
***** stellar: rarely if ever awarded
**** excellent: not commonly awarded
*** a very good performance
** good and worth seeing
* overall fair, some very good moments
(none) not a notable performance
o a real turkey: well worth missing
Mark Colan, Data General Corp MS E-111, Westboro MA 01581
{decvax!ittvax, allegra} ! datagen!mtc