Portishead @ Belvoir, Perth(15/11/11)

Mon 21st Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

There are few venues that offer stunning views and acoustically vibrant sound from all vantage points, yet this is exactly what you get at the Belvoir amphitheatre. With ascending seating set into a hillside deep in the heart of the Swan Valley, it is simply a stunning venue and the perfect place to stage one of the classiest acts to come out of UK in the last fifteen years. Portishead have produced three albums over this period, but it must be the debut release Dummy, which is most likely to be included in the record collections of many discerning music lovers, the world over. Released in 1994, Dummy introduced to the mainstream the lazy break-beat style that was typical of the Trip-Hop genre. Merging that sound with the emotionally charged vocals of singer Beth Gibbons, Portishead created an unique style that remains as fresh and appealing today, as it did back in the mid 1990’s.

The audience were entertained early on the evening by the majestic and accessible sounds of Mercury Rev, whose animated front man Jonathan Donahue proved he was more than capable of captivating the 4000 plus audience with style and ease. Playing a mixture American alternative indi from their 1998 release Deserter’s Song and epic movie score inspired songs from more recent albums, Mercury Rev were a well suited support act for the headliner of this sold out show.

The sight of the familiar hallmark cyan coloured letter ‘P’ projected on the massive back drop projection screen, signalled the start of this memorable performance. Opening with the first three tracks of their 2008 release Third, it was obvious the band had not lost any of its ability to perform to the highest of standards. Gibbons vocals are purely haunting, portraying a sense of loss and agony that chills the soul. The audience erupted into a spontaneous cheer when the distinctively eerie theremin melody, guitar riff and trademark DJ scratching of sound-man Geoff Barrow introduced Mysterons, the first song to come from the acclaimed Dummy album. In what would be an hour and a half long show, containing a mixture of tracks from each album, the selection of songs was slightly biased towards Third.

Throughout, little chat came from the front, which was not a bad thing, as this show was more about the music than audience interaction. The occasional saying of thanks came from Gibbons, but not much else, It seemed they were too engaged in maintaining the introspective passages of lazy rippling sounds that drifted effortlessly over the audience. Some of highlights include the duet performance of Wandering Star, where Gibbons sat upon a stool facing Barrlow on Bass, producing a slowed down and deeply emotional rendition of the mellow song. Or, the sounds of the mesmerizing The Rip filling the air with melodic analog synth arpeggiations, moog voyager bass and sensitive vocals, married with the intriguing and insightful Nick Uff produced animation projections, taking from the singles video.

The chilly evening air seemed fitting for a show that left you feeling enchanted and perplexed at the same time, watching Gibbons’ intense emotional expression as she sang, coupled with the slick, dark and moody instrumentations, all were executed to perfection. This could well be the last opportunity to see Portishead perform in this part of the world, so to experience a stellar performance such as this, will surely leave lasting memories for all multitude of fans that left the amphitheatre looking amazed and content.