Christmas came early
It may only have been mid November but Low were determined to get everyone into the festive party spirit with their UK tour showcasing live performances from their celebrated Christmas record. It may not be the most obvious Christmas record and it certainly won’t be fighting for airwave space with Slade or Roy Wood but when it comes to brilliant songs played well, Low really do have the Christmas market sewn up. Thankfully, the band were also able to play a smattering of some of their own best loved tunes to ensure that those who were still in a bit of a bah humbug mood didn’t miss out entirely.
The first couple of songs of the night were not festive numbers so they helped ease the band and crowd into the show gently. Songs such as ‘On The Edge Of’ and ‘Sandanista’ were dark and menacing in tone yet light in sound, which made them all the more ferocious and concerning. Starting off the show with their traditional three piece line-up, there was no lack of volume or power from the band and they can certainly get a lot out of their instrumentation. When this is added to the wonderful melodic interplay between Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, it creates a number of songs that are just delightful to listen to, regardless of the message or style of play.
It seemed as though some audience members were growing impatient in their need to hear Christmas tracks and their spokeswoman was an extremely loud and seemingly obnoxious American woman. Let’s not get down the route of thinking all Americans are that way, the ones on stage seemed absolutely lovely but the piercing screech of this Yankee harlot was in stark contrast to the reverential quiet the rest of the audience were able to maintain. Mind you, as so often is the case, it’s the loudest person who gets their way and the Christmas songs followed shortly, proving that having class and decorum isn’t always the best way to get what you want. That said, the fact that the Christmas songs were going to be the main part of the show was well advertised so it’s not as if people can have too much to complain.
And very quickly, any opposition to festive tracks being played so early in the year were blown away by some outstanding performances and deliveries. Cover versions like ‘Blue Christmas’ sat with original compositions like ‘If You Were Born Today (Song for Little Baby Jesus)”, which is one of the more unusual Christmas songs you are likely to hear but none the poorer for it. The blend of traditional with modern twists (well, given the Christmas ep was released in 1997, as modern as it can be considering its over 10 years old) works extremely well and its obvious why the record should be in the collection of any serious music lover, nestling neatly beside Phil Spectors Christmas Gift To You and festive offerings from Johnny Cash, The Beach Boys and Neil Diamond. There are many great Christmas records out there; you just have to look beyond the pop pap for some of the hidden gems.
‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ brought the Yuletide numbers to a close and what a way to go. One of John Lennon’s best solo numbers, the song manages to act as a Christmas track and also fit in superbly with the peace and love campaign that John and Yoko Ono were waging at the time. Low delivered the melodies perfectly and the ringing bells managed to get that Christmas feel spot on.
The last song of the night was the immaculate ‘When I Go Deaf’ and if you wondered what the fuss about Low was all about, this is one of the songs you have to hear. Hidden away on ‘The Great Destroyer’ lp, the record where the band finally turned up the amps and rocked out a little, on the surface the song seems like a simple tale about the songwriter facing up to what would happen if he went deaf and that if it did happen, things wouldn’t be so bad and a lot of the pressure would be gone. The benefit of hindsight came after Sparhawk took a break from the music industry to battle some demons and the tone of the song took on a whole different meaning.
Suddenly the song was telling the tale of a songwriter feeling under intense pressure to stay on the treadmill when everything in his body is telling him to stop and it has become quite moving. Thankfully, melodically and musically the song is immense, full of so many of the Low trademarks. The soft and patient build-up, gentle vocals with a strong narrative with the bass and drum meandering in the background and then the guitar crunches in and the song soars to a whole new level.
It may not have been the way that many people envisioned a Christmas concert to end but the people pouring out into a cold and damp, not crisp and snow-filled, West End of Glasgow were undoubtedly grateful for the gifts that they received.