Slow Club: Brick and Mortar Music Hall, San Francisco, CA 03/10/2012


Photo Credit: Joan Bowlen

Slow Club is comprised of Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson– two young and fresh-faced 20-somethings from Sheffield, UK who take turns on vocal and instrumental duty. However, for this American tour, they’re joined by a drummer and bassist, which really helps to flesh out their sound. While the stage at the Brick and Mortar is fairly small in scale, the band made it seem genuinely crammed from the sheer force of their sound emanating out into the nearly sold-out crowd.

Opening with a sparse, acoustic cover of Pulp’s “Disco 2000,” Taylor and Watson immediately commanded the attention of the audience, who had waited quite a long time by this point for the headliners. Somewhat rowdy through the final opening act Y La Bamba (at certain moments members of the crowd rudely yelled out “Slow Club!” when Y La Bamba asked if it was alright to play 1-2 more songs), the audience hushed to hear Slow Club’s rendition of the mid-90s hit. A partial hat-tip to their hometown of Sheffield, as well as partial homage to a decade that has clearly had a major impact on the band’s aesthetic, Taylor and Watson delivered a beautifully vulnerable and contemplative version of the song.

Launching next into “Where I’m Waking,” one of the singles from the band’s latest release Paradise (2011), Slow Club turned up the volume considerably and let loose into a fairly raucous take on the song. Led by Rebecca Taylor’s rock-solid vocals, squarely in chest voice, the band held time underneath and punched out the track’s more percussive elements, making it a real pleasure for their live show.

The band played the majority of Paradise, only dipping into their back catalogue for a couple choice pieces. While this may be a point of contention for some, the vibrancy and vigor of the new material did not disappoint and if anything grew and deepened with its live incarnations. “If We’re Still Alive” was particularly engaging, with both Watson and Taylor leading the audience in a spirited sing-a-long. Many knew the majority of the lyrics and were not shy about singing (or yelling) in time with the band. It was difficult to tell if this type of participation was really appreciated by either Taylor or Watson, though, as they were fairly tight-lipped throughout the show. Even so, the band ripped through the song with high energy and passion, transforming the track into a much larger and more brawny version of its recorded self.

Photo Credit: Joan Bowlen

The highlight of the evening, however, was the ending couplet of the main set. Taylor-led new song “Not Mine To Love” made its debut not long ago on stage, and is said to be from a forthcoming EP, so virtually no one in attendance had heard it. What a treat, then, for the next four minutes while Taylor dug into a beautifully rich Americana/country vibe that spoke to influences of Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Neko Case. “Not Mine To Love” also showcased a band willing to take musical risks and explore some territories their fans may not expect them to explore, and the fact that they did so with such adroit skill and seamless execution spoke to their maturity as a group and Taylor’s grasp at writing gorgeous melodies. They then followed up with a sultry, blues-inspired take on Paradise’s opener “Two Cousins.” With a slightly slowed-down tempo, Taylor and Watson dug into the groove of the song, giving it a swagger that isn’t found anywhere on record. In fact, it was so delightfully different and sexier that it’s a shame this live version doesn’t exist in an official form, as it is an absolutely superior version to the original.

While there were many highlights to be found among Slow Club’s set in San Francisco last night, there were moments that also revealed a band that seems at some points disconnected from their own artistry and fans. While the two opening acts gave nice sets that certainly warmed up the stage for the headliner, the fact that Slow Club only played for 60 minutes (including the encore) was a real shame. Wanting to focus on new material is definitely understandable and justified, but they really should have dug into 2009’s Yeah, So to round out the set to 80 minutes. They have such capable work that translates fantastically live from that record, so it’s too bad they didn’t choose to mix in a few more from that. Also, there was very little audience interaction, and for personalities as engaging as Taylor and Watson, it was puzzling why there was hardly any banter. Maybe the band is a bit exhausted from six months of touring already under their belt to support Paradise, and that they have a healthy handful of shows at South By Southwest this coming week, but they did come across as a bit overwhelmed by the show.

Even so, Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson proved that their work as Slow Club is both meritorious and exemplary. Having delved into many new musical territories over the last two years, they continue to sound relevant and powerful. And for a band so young, they’ve already established themselves as a compelling studio group, but as they demonstrated at their show last night, they’re a much more engaging live act, and one absolutely worth seeing before they explode into a wildly popular group– which is only inevitable at this point.

Related Content

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter