Imagine entering a pub with two floors. You climb up to a room full of tables and chairs, much like the upstairs room of the pub they had in Only Fools and Horses…remember? Anyway, you sit down, you’re surrounded by candles and friendly people…and suddenly your hero comes and sits down next to you and eats a half price salad from Sainsbury’s. That’s how my night started.
Stephen Brodsky epitomises the word busy. He is an American twenty something who mainly sings and plays guitar for gender whores Cave In, once played bass for a Converge album, recently formed a band called New Idea Society and has released a few solo albums….not bad going really.
Choice of support tonight was originally Mel from Drive Like You Stole It and Andrew from Jetplane Landing, but the latter had to pull out due to family reasons and familiar face Dave House took his place. Mel opened the show with a beautiful set; she has the voice I always wanted to audition with at school plays. When she and Stephen performed a duet cover of a Bon Jovi song, it just reminded me what real talent is about. Seeing the somewhat cheesy song covered by the two most beautiful voices in the most intimate of venues made the butterflies in my stomach flutter like they were on speed. A total reminder of what real talent is made of, I’d have loved it if Simon Cowell was there so I could have shouted ‘x factor’ in his face.
Dave “I’m not Dashboard fucking Confessional” House was a comfortable follow-up, easing the crowd into his mum-friendly music and gaining the respect of the audience quickly thanks to his constant self-jibing attitude. I think he gained a lot of fans in that room and a lot of respect too, both of which he deserves.
The one thing that really confused me about this evening was the lack of publicity it had gained. Brodsky is well known thanks to Cave In and yet there must have been around 75 people in that room. I only knew about the gig thanks to a friend who had spotted it on a website…but Brodsky alone could have easily filled a venue like the Mean Fiddler. The intimacy did however make the gig that much better. Hearing the Brodsky recipe of incandescently beautiful vocals, lyrics and acoustic guitar just a few feet away was the most refreshing and memorable moment I have had in a very long time. His acoustic covers of ‘Beautiful Son’ and ‘Joy Opposites’ from Cave In’s 2003 ‘Antenna’ album brought gossiping whispers to a standstill, all anyone in that room wanted to do was listen. It was to exciting see the thrashing guitars of Cave In’s most memorable efforts replaced with that of an acoustic guitar; ‘versatile’ is yet another word to add to the foot long list of positive adjectives describing Brodsky.
If I were to buy a scenester band any CD, it would be one of Brodsky’s solo efforts as they are a violent reminder of what music really should be about. It would be impossible for them to shake their hair-straightened head at lyrics such as ‘he loves to hate, she hates to love….true romance in joy opposites always is the case.’ Influential is too weak a word to use in description of Brodsky.
The most touching song he played was one of his solo songs called ‘Sentimental Case’ which he introduced by saying, “this is for anyone who thinks they aren’t beautiful, when they really are.” This quote summed up Stephen Brodsky to me, he has the most modest stage presence and attitude I have ever witnessed and yet he is the most inspiring person to meet and watch live. If I were to change one thing about tonight it would be that all my closest friends would have been there with me so I could share the experience with them. Everything else was perfect and I felt privileged to have been there – a night in a million.
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