Interviews

Steve Kilbey at the Borderline by Assaf Friedler

Last night I've been to the SK show in the borderline in London. It's the first time I've seen SK live so I wanted to share my impressions with you. First of all - it was the best concert I've ever seen. I expected for it for a very long time . Until 3 months ago, when I lived in Israel, I had no chance to see the Church live, but now when i moved to England I thought I might have such a chance, and indeed I had.

I arrived to the Borderline at 20:30. Didn't meet any other Seancers (I saw that my message regarding a possible meeting made its way somehow only this morning...), and I was just waiting. I was standing just in front of the stage, leaning on the loudspeaker, and waiting...There was an opening band which I didn't recognize. It was very hot (until later on they operated the air condition), and then, at 21:25, SK went on the stage. 1 meter from me probably. He had a set list written on a note in front of him but he played a different set. The songs were:

Fly
Caroline says
Silvermine
Thought that I was over you
September 13
Nonapology
Goliath/song of Solomon
Back of my mind
Civil war lament
Limbo

And then - MWP joined Steve, and it became a Church show! Not that it was a surprise, but it was my dream coming true - two shows for one ticket - Steve solo and now the Church . Marty brought with him another set list, and they played more or less according to it.
The songs were:

Providence
Buffalo
Tristesse
My little problem
? (maybe someone can figure out the song? I don't think it's a church song)
Mistress
Hotel womb
Life's a gas
Reptile

And then another guest joined them - a saxophone player from Cameroon. He added another dimension to the songs. It's the same one that played with MW in his solo show. They played together:

Hiroshima mon amour
Constant in opal
Lost
Cortez the killer
Under the milky way

(In "Lost" it was very nice - seems they didn't do this song with the sax player before, so Marty told him what to play in "real time" and the result was amazing!)

Then it was 23:00 and the time for the show ended. I didn't think there will be an encore, but there was one. They came back and played:

Get it on
Almost with you

And then it was over.

It was the best concert I've ever been to. The Church is my favourite band for more than 10 years, and it's the first time I've seen them live. General impressions: They were very relaxed and friendly. They felt really free on the stage and had a very good connection with the audience. Steve is just brilliant, and Marty is an amazing guitar player (3rd time I see him in the last two months - saw his solo show and the AAE show, and I'm always impressed). The set list was great - songs from almost all the Church albums and Steve's solo albums. A very good set list (the only song I really missed is "Othertime").

Highlights of the show: for me the highlights were: Goliath, Limbo, Mistress, Buffalo, Hotel Womb, Reptile and the wonderful version of Hiroshima Mon Amour (a nice surprise - didn't think they will play this one).

I must say that in general I prefer acoustic shows, like the one yesterday, than electric ones. When the songs are played in their unplugged form, it's the song stands on his own - not hiding behind layers of sound. This unplugged form just fits brilliant songs like SK writes.