Julia Holter. Gig review, Glasgow November 2015

Julia Holter at the Hug and Pint, Glasgow. Nov 2015

Julia Holter is a musician, composer, singer from Los Angeles who I first started following as her first album, Tragedy, appealed to me by being unfashionably inspired by Euripides play Hippolytus. The music was as interesting as the concept, full of breathy voices, field recordings, drones mixed with a medieval dreamy atmosphere. Next album had more pop overtones, but in the manner of Laurie Anderson or David Sylvian. A concept album inspired by Collette's novel Gigi (Loud City Song) and now her latest album Have You In My Wilderness have followed. 

She arrived tonight in Glasgow to tour her latest album, as part of a four piece band made up of herself on keyboards and vocals, Dina Maccabee (viola, vocals), Devin Hoff (double bass), and Corey Fogel (drums, vocals).

For me it was also my first chance to take in a gig at The Hug and Pint. I lived around the corner from here for about ten years, when the pub sported a picture of an old car wheel outside and was called The Hub. It then became The Liquid Ship, using the basement for live music several days a week. They now use the same downstairs space that hosted gigs in its former guise as The Liquid Ship, but with some internal walls knocked down to open up the space a bit. It can accommodate 100 people apparently, and tonight's gig was sold out, making it a cosy affair. Upstairs the large kitchen area leaves a small bar squished into one corner. The food is described as "vegan Far Eastern" and if that is the cuisine that you have been waiting for, then this is the place for you.

First up was Danish singer-songwriter Søren Juul, an indie Jean Michel Jarre. When Julia Holter arrived on stage the start of her set was disrupted a bit by a dodgy microphone and she appeared a bit frazzled, bemoaning being cooped up in a van for 9 hours today, and not being able to get into the toilet to get herslf ready. This is the second time that I have seen her play in Glasgow, she played the CCA a couple of years ago. On both occasions she completed the venue on their LA-style food (or maybe LA on its Glasgow-style food?) Once she warmed up the show ticked along nicely, jazz-tinged electronic pop introduced with a smirk and some droll comments. With a 50:50 mixture of tracks from the new album and some older material the songs varied from baroque harmonies to ones with jaunty whistling. Finishing the main set with a quiet ending and bowed head, someone's perfectly timed phone gave us a Dom Joly ringtone, and raised another smirk.




It was a great show, and surely merited a bigger venue than the cramped basement here. She has definitely outgrown this type of space. With the likes of Ela Orleans, Joanna Newsom, Holly Herndon, Grimes, Zola Jesus, FKA twigs, Lykke Li, etc. it is clear that women are currently making some of the most interesting and cerebral music around.

Julia Holter and Shellac in Glasgow. Live gig reviews

Julia Holter, CCA, November 20th, 2013

Shellac, SWG3, November 23rd, 2013

It is easy to forget how big a country the United States of America actually is, how diverse its people and communities are. We tend to lump them all together sometimes. Musically their differences were apparent in two of Glasgow's cookier venues this week. On Wednesday, Los Angeles musician Julia Holter brought her 78-date tour to an end at the CCA on Sauchiehall Street. Whilst on Saturday, Chicago based Shellac played one of their sporadic gigs, before they move on to play at Camber Sands as part of the last ever All Tomorrow's Parties festival to be held at the Pontins Holiday Centre venue.

Julia Holter is a 29 year old classically trained, multi-instrumentalist and singer, the daughter of a musician and an historian. Her three albums to date are themed on the ancient Greek play by Euripides, Hippolytus (Tragedy), the musical Gigi (Loud City Song), or quote Virginia Woolf poems (Ekstasis). She is most often compared with Laurie Anderson in style. Despite these high-faluting aspirations she has released ethereal, distinctive, ambient electronica that may not set the pulse racing but creates lovely atmospheres. Whereas I loved the album Visions by Grimes, seeing her live drained the music of any interest for me. The opposite was true of Julia Holter tonight. Playing keyboards and singing in front of a cello, saxophone and drummer/percussionist/singer she was cheery, chatty and tone perfect. Her voice on the recordings comes over as another instrument, but played live the songs had more emotion and the lyrics stood out more. She epitomises cool, breezy, intelligent Los Angeles.

Worth mentioning was the excellent support slot by Ela Orleans. Definitely worth catching if you get the chance.

Over 2000 miles away from LA, and a world away from Julia Holter's floaty vocals is found Chicago and Shellac (or Shellac of North America as they are sometimes know, perhaps so that they are not mistaken for nail varnish). They are a trio of musicians with Steve Albini on guitar and vocals, Bob Weston (bass and vocals) and Todd Trainer (drums). They see themselves as more of a "minimalist rock trio" than the post-hardcore label they are usually stuck with and have been touring and releasing albums sporadically for 20 years. I first heard them when I bought 1000 Hurts, but I got rid of it as the CD came in a big box and took up too much space (I've held on to Excellent Italian Greyhound though - neater packaging). Where Julia Holter is all digital and produces a lot of her stuff alone, Shellac are decidedly analogue. Steve Albini has produced albums for a multitude of musicians in his Chicago studio, often recorded as live, without overdubs. His most famous collaboration was as producer for Nirvana's In Utero album. Their stripped down sound, throbbing beats to the fore with Trainer's drums front of stage, fitted perfectly in the SWG3 space. In Watch Song all three of them end up beating the cymbals, and a highlight of the night was a long version of End of Radio with Trainer wandering about thrashing his snare drum and hurling away the drumsticks as they splintered. The customary mid-gig Q&A was more random than enlightening - "What is your favourite shape of window?", "Do you think Scotland should have independence?", "Could you turn the vocals down a bit?"(hipster question - he is well known for toning down the vocals in production).

I'm still a bit mystified by another random Albinin conversation. Perhaps someone who understands how Americans regard Utah could enlighten me.

Shellac, to Glasgow crowd - "If you are England's Canada, who's their Mexico?"  

Crowd - "WALES!".  

Shellac - "I always saw Wales as their Utah"

Anyway they were a great lesson in the creative benefits of being able to just do whatever you want, not being beholden to record companies, highly entertaining. They in no way take themselves too seriously and look out for their new album, "Dude, Incredible", whenever they get around to releasing it.