Edwyn Collins | Stereo Jealousy

There’s so much love in the Queen Elizabeth Hall; Collins is determinedly walking with the aid of a stick to his spot at the front of the stage, his band pumping out Chic’s Good Times. Sometimes, the applause of a performer onto the stage can be a little perfunctory, but there’s no hint of that here. Every single person in the crowd is ecstatic and thankful that the Scotsman is with us, the fact that he’s making music a bonus scarcely believable five years ago. He settles into position and leads his band, and make no mistake lead he does, into the title track from his new album, Losing Sleep.

11 October, 2010
Posted by Wagert at 11:02 pm
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Live Review
Tagged with: 23 September 2010, Edwyn Collins, Live Review, London, Queen Elizabeth Hall

There’s little under ten hours to go until the gates open at Glastonbury. For the first time in over fifteen years the festival hasn’t sold out in advance. Michael Eavis claims it is due to the dreadful weather of the last couple of years, but most would put it down to a lacklustre headline and main stage lineup. As always though, the undercard is where most of the highlights are to be found. Here are my ten picks for the festival, with some tracks to whet your appetite…

1. Edwyn Collins, Friday – Park Stage (A Girl Like You)

2. Massive Attack, Saturday – Other Stage (False Flags)

3. Black Mountain, Sunday – Other Stage (Wucan)

4. Holy Fuck, Saturday – John Peel Stage (Milk Shake)

5. Elle S’Appelle, Thursday – Left Field (Little Flame)

6. Six. By Seven, Saturday – Glade (IOU Love)

7. Lykke Li, Saturday – Park Stage (Breaking It Up)

8. Martha Wainwright, Saturday – Pyramid Stage (So Many Friends)

9. Hercules & Love Affair, Friday – East Stage (Blind)

10. My Morning Jacket, Sunday – Park Stage (Look At You)

Photo: Gilberts

Today’s Best Live Show is surely the comeback of all comebacks in the form of former Orange Juice frontman Mr Edwyn Collins. The owner of one of the most easily-identifiable voices in all popular music, Collins suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 2005. The record he was finishing before his illness has been recently released, entitled Home Again. Tonight’s show represents one of the first live performances since his recovery and should be pretty special. He’s playing at the Arts Theatre, WC2.

Elsewhere in town, Arcade Fire / Clinic continue at Ally Pally, Rilo Kiley (nifty website!)play Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Canadian indie-pop tarts Hot Hot Heat play Scala, and finally The Four Tops and the Temptations treat the Royal Albert Hall to some Motown classics.

Here’s Edwyn, though, at the height of his popularity:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkKxGzm98AU]

Post Composed to ‘The Campaign For Real Rock‘ from Gorgeous George, Collins’ best-known record.
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