DEVOTOGRAPH
Magazine
St Georges Hall, Bradford UK
July 5th 1978
THIS PLACE looks like a converted church, huge organ pipes at the
front flanked by tiers of red-cushioned seats. The stage comes to rest
between this dominating edifice and the pit because more banks of
seats surround it on the remaining three sides, rising high to the ceiling.
There's an air of the sacrificial altar conferred upon the narrow strip
where the band and their equipment are set to perform. It goes under
the name of St. George's Hall.
Huge cheer as the lights dim. Air of intense anticipation. Shadows on stage.
Lights flash up. Outlined across the stage, four of the band begin playing
nightmare catcalls and whispers to each other, the music resounding in some
strange oscillatory rhythm. Then Devoto appears, popping up beside Dave
Formula's keyboards. Dressed in red shirt and with his gaunt face, the
flaming image of Dracula's castle bursts open the music and we're off into the
first number.
Vampirically perched on his mikestand, Devoto lifts his voice gently,
seductively, at the end of the bar in 'Beautician's chorus; the bass/drumbeat
are irresistible in 'Touch And Go', a mass of jubilant pogoers heaving up and
down, even gobbing, while the keyboards, fidgeting away on top, suck many
more heads into gentle to-and-fro motion. Perfectly arranged, the long sweep
into 'Burst' with the reverberating intro between John McGeoch's lead and
Barry Adamson's bass had me knocked on the head by the end of the first
eight bars.
Whatever their difficulties at London gigs, Magazine are unforgettable when
they're out there and really mean it. Devoto exudes an air of latent violence which churns the bottom of your slomach; you never felt safe
when he was onstage, an idea helped along by a slight altercation with some particularly offensive gobber in the audience. This individual was
first informed politely that the contents of his mouth were unwanted onstage and, when he persisted,
was threatened with the heavy end of the mikestand.
The vocals were particularly nicely rendered tonight, so that it was possible to concentrate on the lyrics and leave the music to work its way
inside you. I discovered a lot of missives concerning power and manipulation: 'Goldfinger' is a very serious piece on these two and 'Give Me
Everything' felt like an exploration into sadistic audience bleeding. Not that Devoto falls foul of these traps: he can sing them as though
commenting on how you respond to him (witness the Devoto Enigma stories as evidence of the sort of power his audience try to give him). Just
listen to that line, 'Keep your silence to yourself.'
Musically, the effect was brilliant: 'My Tulpa', vertical climb of a chorus, followed by the frenetic pace of 'Motorcade', "This is a fast song. It's
another unpleasant one", blew out all inhibitions.
Without being able to go overboard, their audience was mesmerised. Unable to fix easily on those jerky Bowie rhythms, unable to convert them
into dance or something, attention stayed locked on the slab where this strange ritual was being enacted.
There is a clear line passing between Roxy (early variant) and Magazine, but instead of sliding into easy sentimentality, this band go for a
more devastated lyric and heavy backbeat. Basically, you drop the piano out of the rhythm and leave it to tinkle away on top, while putting up
the drumbeat to a resounding level. Devoto, singing like 'Space Oddity', captures the overall spirit and slides the whole package gently into
you.
When the continuous cries for 'Shot By Both Sides' were finally rewarded, the index finger of everyone in the Pit seemed pointed at Devoto's
face. Astounding, the best version I have ever heard. After that, it didn't matter what they did for an encore: 'Three Blind Mice' would have
been OK by me.
If all this sounds fantastic in print...Dracula, power, manipulation fear and mesmerism, you're quite right. But that's because this is no
substitute Magazine.
PAUL CHAUTAUQUA
(Reprinted from the DC Archives - SOUNDS JULY 15TH 1978)
Magazine
St Georges Hall, Bradford UK
July 5th 1978
THIS PLACE looks like a converted church, huge organ pipes at the
front flanked by tiers of red-cushioned seats. The stage comes to rest
between this dominating edifice and the pit because more banks of
seats surround it on the remaining three sides, rising high to the ceiling.
There's an air of the sacrificial altar conferred upon the narrow strip
where the band and their equipment are set to perform. It goes under
the name of St. George's Hall.
Huge cheer as the lights dim. Air of intense anticipation. Shadows on stage.
Lights flash up. Outlined across the stage, four of the band begin playing
nightmare catcalls and whispers to each other, the music resounding in some
strange oscillatory rhythm. Then Devoto appears, popping up beside Dave
Formula's keyboards. Dressed in red shirt and with his gaunt face, the
flaming image of Dracula's castle bursts open the music and we're off into the
first number.
Vampirically perched on his mikestand, Devoto lifts his voice gently,
seductively, at the end of the bar in 'Beautician's chorus; the bass/drumbeat
are irresistible in 'Touch And Go', a mass of jubilant pogoers heaving up and
down, even gobbing, while the keyboards, fidgeting away on top, suck many
more heads into gentle to-and-fro motion. Perfectly arranged, the long sweep
into 'Burst' with the reverberating intro between John McGeoch's lead and
Barry Adamson's bass had me knocked on the head by the end of the first
eight bars.
Whatever their difficulties at London gigs, Magazine are unforgettable when
they're out there and really mean it. Devoto exudes an air of latent violence which churns the bottom of your slomach; you never felt safe
when he was onstage, an idea helped along by a slight altercation with some particularly offensive gobber in the audience. This individual was
first informed politely that the contents of his mouth were unwanted onstage and, when he persisted,
was threatened with the heavy end of the mikestand.
The vocals were particularly nicely rendered tonight, so that it was possible to concentrate on the lyrics and leave the music to work its way
inside you. I discovered a lot of missives concerning power and manipulation: 'Goldfinger' is a very serious piece on these two and 'Give Me
Everything' felt like an exploration into sadistic audience bleeding. Not that Devoto falls foul of these traps: he can sing them as though
commenting on how you respond to him (witness the Devoto Enigma stories as evidence of the sort of power his audience try to give him). Just
listen to that line, 'Keep your silence to yourself.'
Musically, the effect was brilliant: 'My Tulpa', vertical climb of a chorus, followed by the frenetic pace of 'Motorcade', "This is a fast song. It's
another unpleasant one", blew out all inhibitions.
Without being able to go overboard, their audience was mesmerised. Unable to fix easily on those jerky Bowie rhythms, unable to convert them
into dance or something, attention stayed locked on the slab where this strange ritual was being enacted.
There is a clear line passing between Roxy (early variant) and Magazine, but instead of sliding into easy sentimentality, this band go for a
more devastated lyric and heavy backbeat. Basically, you drop the piano out of the rhythm and leave it to tinkle away on top, while putting up
the drumbeat to a resounding level. Devoto, singing like 'Space Oddity', captures the overall spirit and slides the whole package gently into
you.
When the continuous cries for 'Shot By Both Sides' were finally rewarded, the index finger of everyone in the Pit seemed pointed at Devoto's
face. Astounding, the best version I have ever heard. After that, it didn't matter what they did for an encore: 'Three Blind Mice' would have
been OK by me.
If all this sounds fantastic in print...Dracula, power, manipulation fear and mesmerism, you're quite right. But that's because this is no
substitute Magazine.
PAUL CHAUTAUQUA
(Reprinted from the DC Archives - SOUNDS JULY 15TH 1978)
