T on the Fringe: Michael Franti & Spearhead @ Corn Exchange
If you didn't know one Michael Franti tune or had never even heard of him it wouldn't have mattered, this was a perfect gig
| 14 Aug 2006
Xavier Rudd opens tonight's proceedings with more of a jam session than a gig; giving the soulless, cavernous space of the Corn Exchange a festival atmosphere that I'm sure can't be mustered by the conferences that fill it throughout the year. Describing him a singer/songwriter doesn't go nearly far enough – he's a one-man band, often playing drums, guitar and didgeridoo simultaneously.
After a short break Michael Franti & Spearhead begin what transpires as one of the finest live performances ever witnessed by these eyes and ears. Clocking in at nearly two hours, with no encores, they deliver a show that stepped up in quality and intensity with every number. Franti is a natural entertainer who understands how to involve a crowd, at the same time getting his political message across to what were, to be honest, pretty sympathetic ears.
Spearhead provide great backing and also spirited solos, along with a dose of the most nimble bass playing around. If every Michael Franti gig is this good, performers everywhere should be taking notes, as his energy and enthusiasm is phenomenal. Beginning this gig standing towards the back in reviewer mode, quietly sipping a pint, it was easy to finish it metres from the stage, jumping around in time with the band and the majority of the audience.
If you didn't know one Michael Franti tune or had never even heard of him it wouldn't have mattered tonight, this was a perfect gig, right down to the end of the show when he jumped the barriers and started posing for photos and shaking hands. Sure it was a bit corny but I got to touch Michael Franti and, well, you didn't.
After a short break Michael Franti & Spearhead begin what transpires as one of the finest live performances ever witnessed by these eyes and ears. Clocking in at nearly two hours, with no encores, they deliver a show that stepped up in quality and intensity with every number. Franti is a natural entertainer who understands how to involve a crowd, at the same time getting his political message across to what were, to be honest, pretty sympathetic ears.
Spearhead provide great backing and also spirited solos, along with a dose of the most nimble bass playing around. If every Michael Franti gig is this good, performers everywhere should be taking notes, as his energy and enthusiasm is phenomenal. Beginning this gig standing towards the back in reviewer mode, quietly sipping a pint, it was easy to finish it metres from the stage, jumping around in time with the band and the majority of the audience.
If you didn't know one Michael Franti tune or had never even heard of him it wouldn't have mattered tonight, this was a perfect gig, right down to the end of the show when he jumped the barriers and started posing for photos and shaking hands. Sure it was a bit corny but I got to touch Michael Franti and, well, you didn't.