Review: Damon & Naomi – 12 Bar Club, London , UK – 19th March 1997

I sometimes hate how much of a fan I sound at times – I decided this as I stood \”chatting\” to Naomi afterwards \”you\’re wonderful…you\’re great…I love everything…etc.\” I cant help it – that\’s the way I am, and they WERE wonderful AND great, and I do love everything…

The 12 Bar is a tiny venue – the stage takes up a quarter of downstairs – and the table Jonathan had reserved for us was right at the front of the stage – I fumbled my way in as Damon & Naomi where half way through their opening number and, rather embarrassed, sunk down onto the tiny wooden chair.

Damon & Naomi sat on stage, Damon playing acoustic guitar and Naomi alternating between bass (what beautiful noise she got from that bass – it\’s so nice to hear a bass as a melodic instrument!) and a fascinating Indian squeeze box called a sruti which made a beautiful drone.

The first set – I didn\’t make notes so this is of the top of my head – included (in no particular order)

• This Car climbed Mt. Washington
• How Long
• New York City
• Information Age
• Forgot To Get High
• …and a couple of others

…and off they went – in the bar between sets I ineptly introduced myself \”Oh we\’re afraid of you\” said Damon – which I found amusing because I was scared stiff of them (it\’s traditional for me to be scared of my heroes) – after some fumbling words from me – and an explanation from Damon that they were actually over, as publishers, for the London Book fair the previous week and the show was just tagged onto that – hence only one show – off went our heroes to be entertained elsewhere while I slunk back to my seat red-faced and settled down to one of the worst acts it\’s ever been my misfortune to see (although Ken today reminded me of a band called The Troubleshooters we\’d seen at the Fiddler a few years back).

\”Hi we\’re the Sorrentinos, and we\’re from California\” was followed by 40 minutes of godawful chunky guitar RAWK music – I read for a while until it occurred to me that sitting in the front row reading while a band was playing their hearts out was an insult that not even a band as poor as The Sorrentinos deserved – halfway through the last number they \”took it down\” and introduced the band – I began to think that they did deserve that insult after all – but thankfully it was too late – big finish and off.

Next on were an English folk trio – now I have to admit to having a soft spot for some English folk music – I can happily listen to some Fairport Convention or Sandy Denny without really flinching (too much) – but this was a poor example – too cheery and twee, I want heartfelt and earnest from my folk music – a pedal steel guitar – and too long a set.

Damon & Naomi returned and announced that they were unprepared for two sets and proceeded to repeat a lot of the first set – they did a new song that\’ll be coming out as a 7\” on Earworm soon – they did a cover of Colin Palmer\’s (ex-Incredible String Band) \”Spirit Of Love\” – they smiled and joked (and had a moan at the people on the balcony who insisted on talking through the set!) – and on the whole made my night – it was all too beautiful – exactly what I hoped it would be – only more so.

At the end this inarticulate fan chatted with Naomi for a short while \”you\’re wonderful…you\’re great…I love everything…etc. etc.\” – it was nice for my ego to know they knew of me – we talked of upcoming events – a long interview in the Ptolemaic Terrascope (\”probably the longest ever\”) a track on a Pearls Before Swine tribute album and a single on Blue Rose Records, the Earworm single featuring a cover of a Ghost (Japanese Krautrockers) track on the flip side name of the a-side). More Sad Hits will be re-released by Sub Pop at the beginning of May. Damon was very pleased about the live Galaxie 500 album getting released (\”I always liked that tape\”).

I shook their hands (again) told them they were great (again) and told them to come back soon (god did I really say that) – and lamely walked away. I\’m so pleased that these two of my heroes were really nice people – I just wish they\’d play here more often.