CURRENT 93/ ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS/ BACKWORLD
TEATRO IBÉRICO, LISBON, 08th February, 2003
A night for magic. A night for the feelings. A night for the tears.... A night for LOVE.
David Tibet
David Tibet and his troop came down to Portugal for two exclusive performances in Lisbon. It was a great and unique opportunity for the Portuguese and Spanish likes of this legend to enjoy the music of a band that hardly play live. And it really got worth!. We could be witness of a very special and emotive performance in the marvellous Teatro Ibérico. The music of Current 93 is so special. So it deserves a very special venue to feel the deep intense and faint fragility of songs that more than songs are feelings made music. How could I describe the wonderful Teatro Ibérico? It’s like an old and small Baroque Cathedral, dark and empty, that smells of dust and memories. A structure with seats has been placed in the way of a theatre, with a big and clear stage where the altar should be. But this time a grand piano, some sits, a pair of guitars and a black and white curtain were the scenery for the ceremony. You went inside, and after being seated, while you were contemplating all around you, astonished for the beauty of the place, you knew that a very special event was going to take part. It was very cold, but our hearts were warm enough to forget our red noses and our icy hands...
Current 93: Soft black stars over Lisbon
A
soft and repetitive loop sounded all the time, inviting you to concentration,
helping to relax the anxious and the nervous. Lights turned out and Antony and
Joan Wasser took the stage. I just needed two notes of the piano and Antony’s
voice softly singing “Twilight” once to feel that all my skin was shivering.
What kind of Angel is this man? Forget his records. Antony’s voice live escapes
to any sort of definition. It’s magic. Magic flowing from his heart through
his voice. I’ve never heard something so beautiful and pure. Sometimes delicate.
Sometimes strong. Sometimes dramatic. Sometimes romantic. But always full of
emotion. Antony played the piano while Joan drew beautiful melodies with her
violin and aided with some vocals. They spread a setlist full of tragedy, sweetness
and love. Antony spoke between song and song, funny, tender, lovely...
They played some new songs perfectly mixed with tracks from their only album and maxi, like “Twilight”, “I fell in love with a dead boy” or “Blue angel”. They made some jokes (Antony is a great performer) and left the stage with a smile under a rain of applause.
And then a surprise: Backworld were not included in the show, but his front man, Joseph Budenholzer, made a special guest appearance that night as a sort of link between Antony and Current 93. I’m not very much into Backworld. The folk music they play is correct but not very original or intense for my taste. Anyway, Joseph played some songs of their forthcoming album and a pair of old tracks with a very good version of “The devil’s plaything” included, in fact the only song I did recognize.
David Tibet and Antony
After
a sort break, where the same loop as the beginning was sounding, lights turn
out again and I prepared myself for one of the most beautiful and sensitive
experiences I have had in my life: Current 93. Maja Elliot took the stage, sat
in front of the piano and began to play a beautiful and slow melody that transformed
itself into “Judas as a black moth” when David Tibet, all dressed in brown,
with a cup of green wine and a book in his hands, appeared on the stage looking
shyly to the silent people. He took the microphone softly and start to sing/talk
very very low and very very calm, with closed eyes and deep voice. A perfect
beginning. Tibet is so fragile. Tall and thin, surrounded by a halo of sadness,
illness and loneliness, he seemed to be the eternal suffering soul. His body,
his face, his eyes were the mirror of his music. The first part of the concert
was a pure and beauty performance of their wonderful masterpiece album: “Soft
black stars”. They made a great version of “A gothic love song”, dramatic and
theatrical. The songs floated and I was like dreaming: “Soft black stars”, “It
is time, only time”, “The signs in the stars”... And some words were repetitive
like a litany: “It’s time”, “you know it was time”, “time”... Time passes away
and death is so close... and we leave so many important things unfinished, so
many love unshared... “It’s time”... And David looked to the people with sadness.
His soul was talking to us... The first surprise came when Antony took the stage
and they both performed a great version of “Whilst the night rejoices profound
and still”. This song marked the end of the “Soft black stars” cycle. Michael
Cashmore appeared to help David and Maja with his guitars. If Maja Elliot was
perfect on the piano Michael is a genius of the guitar. Serious and smart dressed
in black he went the third point of a perfect triangle. They played a great
version of “Sleep has his house” full of epic and intense emotion that was one
of the highlights of the night. David dedicated this song to his father and
made a great crescendo from his purest voice to his most screaming one. Terrific!.
Then another masterpiece: “A sadness song” sweet and perfect. With “All the
world makes great blood”, “Alone”, “The seahorse rears to oblivion” and “Walking
like shadow” the first part of the concert was finished. They three left the
stage to come back in a few minutes. But something had changed. David Tibet
appeared almost naked, showing his fragile torso and with a bottle of wine.
“God morning great Moloch” was the first song of this first encore, followed
by the second surprise of the night: the most impressive version I have heard
in my life of this jewel called “Fields of rape”: full of mystery and epic and
with a great work of Cashmore on the guitar. They ended with “So: this empire
is nothing”. And left with all the people applauding and asking for more. And
we had more. The second encore began with “Mary waits in silence” but we were
over excited and wanted much more and I think David knew it so he exhume his
wildest side with THE MOMENT of the show: “Oh coal black Smith”. All his friends
on the stage: Maja on the piano, Michael on the electric guitar, Joseph on the
acoustic guitar and Antony and Joan helping with the choirs. It was incredible.
Tibet moving like a pixie, jumping like a little boy and all of us stamping
our feet and singing. A real catharsis after the intimacy that Tibet had created
during the show. A child gave a bouquet of flowers to a fallen on his knees
Tibet and another one to Antony. And we leave the Teatro Ibérico in silence,
without words but with our hearts full of love and emotion. A night for memory.
Oh coal black Smith!
I would like to thank Jose Pacheco for his kindly help sending me the pictures of the show. Obrigado y hasta pronto.
CURRENT
93 SET LIST
1. Judas as a black moth.
2. Larkspur and Lazarus.
3. A gothic love song.
4. Mockingbird.
5. Soft black stars.
6. It is time, only time.
7. Anti-Christ and barcodes.
8. The signs in the stars.
9. Moonlight, or other dreams, or other fields.
10. Whilst the night rejoices profound and still (duet with Antony).
11. Sleep has his house.
12. A sadness song.
13. All the world makes great blood.
14. Alone.
15. The seahorse rears to oblivion.
16. Walking like shadow.
...the end
17. Good morning great Moloch.
18. Fields of rape.
19. So: this empire is nothing.
20. Mary waits in silence.
21. Oh coal black Smith (with Antony, Joan Wasser and Joseph Budenholzer).
Félix M. Chamorro