Fond Rememberence of a Friend

Posted on 25th Apr 07 by Contributor | 0

Artist: Elliott Smith " Tribute
Author: Hubert McIntyre

I don't think I've ever listened to Elliott Smith's music in company" his gentle charm is better suited to the times when you need something sensitive" and maybe even the times when all you're fit to do is crawl into bed with a big pair of headphones on and weep yourself to sleep. His songs are poignant and fragile" and full of the themes that were prevalent in his life: depression" heartbreak and drug and alcohol abuse. These themes are voiced in his distinctive whispery" vulnerable delivery" which is double tracked to subtly appealing effect on his recordings" and backed by his intricate guitar picking style. His popularity shot up with the inclusion of his music on the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting and the subsequent nomination and Oscar night performance of his song Miss Misery" which lost out on the night to none other than Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On.

Smith's untimely death in 2003 sent ripples of grief among his fans but not everyone was affected by his work" like the friend of mine who said to me at the weekend: "that Elliott Smith is playing in the Roisin on Monday". He was of course talking about the Elliott Smith tribute night organised by the good people behind COPE" a Galway charity who provide" emergency accommodation and support services for the homeless" refuge and outreach services for victims of domestic violence and run community catering and a day"care centre for older people.

The people at COPE did a fine job in organising a strong line"up for the night. Newcomers Fatso" Chimp Science and Blasterbra join Rhob Cunningham" Ennis' Vertigo Smyth and Turn frontman Ollie Cole for a cosy candlelit gig at Galway's Roisin Dubh.

The night kicks off with a showing of Steve Hanft's short 1998 documentary Strange Parallel" which consists of interviews with Elliott Smith and his family and friends" as well as a bizarre subplot involving Elliott having his arm sawn off by a Jamaican"patois speaking Rastafarian and replaced with a robot hand. Despite the dark subject matter of Elliott Smith's songs" the film has plenty of laugh out loud moments and it's well worth clicking on the link below to watch the film in it's entirety on youtube.

Lots of musical highlights to report tonight" starting off with two members of the promising new Galway band Blasterbra doing a rendition of Needle The Hay which was…… well see for yourself at the link below. Next up Vertigo Smyth did a couple of Elliott Smith numbers before treating us to few of his own songs" the first using a delay pedal to beautiful effect" a segment at the end of the song particularly sending shivers up my spine. Vertigo Smyth really does have a remarkable voice. It's a comparison he's probably sick to death of" but he's got a voice that is sometimes strikingly similar to another young singer who died tragically before his time " Jeff Buckley. Check out his myspace to see what I mean.

Next we have Rhob Cunningham and a great version of Waltz "2 that for some reason" the singer wasn't happy with at all" a fact he makes clear to the audience several times during the song. The lyrics seem to coincide with his sentiments" "In the place where I make no mistakes" In the place where I have what it takes" " to great effect" and by the end of the song the whole room is singing along to the closing refrain. I'm seated at a table at the foot of the stage and Rhob kneels down and apologises "completely unnecessarily" to the table for his performance. Rhob's myspace is worthy of a look" especially his track Australian Autumn" a delicious mix of electronica and er………… acoustica which has been blaring from my laptop constantly over the last few days.

Windings is the more sensitive side of Steve from giveamanakick" who treats us to a version of I Didn't Understand" a few tunes of his own" and the only electric guitar of the night. The second original song he played was particularly memorable" the end section boasting a mesmerizing effects sodden sound reminiscent of The Durutti Column.

To round off the night we have Turn front man Ollie Cole" whose solo work is profoundly influenced by Elliott Smith. He takes requests from the crowd" and knows the vast majority of Smith's songs. Cole's girlfriend Danielle Harrison" an excellent singer in her own right" is coaxed onstage to lend a hand and Ollie almost risks having an onstage tiff in demanding she stay for a version of PJ Harvey's C'mon Billy.

It's an altogether excellent night" and not even the loud noise of people trying to step quietly across a sticky floor can detract from the atmosphere" an atmosphere which was" If I had to describe it in two words" would be: a loving gush"fest. It's a comforting thing to discover just how many people come out of the woodwork to pay tribute to that obscure artist who soundtracks your private moments of angst.

COPE

Strange Parallel " A Documentary about Elliot Smith.

Blasterbra's version of Needle In The Hay.
http://www.myspace.com/blasterbra
http://www.myspace.com/vertigosmyth
Rhob Cunningham
Danielle Harrison
http://www.myspace.com/olivercole