LATER...with Jools Holland (22/02/08 - Show 4)

Later…is back on track this week with a very strong line-up, including Duffy who stands in at the last minute for Alicia Keys. The set list this week is:

• Duffy - Mercy
• We Are Scientists - After Hours
• Martina Topley Bird - Carnies
• Duffy (Chat with JH)
• Steve Earle - Satellite Radio
• MGMT - Time To Pretend
• Duffy - Rockferry
• Martina Topley Bird - Poison
• Steve Earle (with wife Allison, chat with JH)
• Asa - Fire On The Mountain
• MGMT - Pieces Of What
• Steve Earle - City Of Immigrants
• We Are Scientists - Impatience
• Duffy - Stepping Stone

An interesting set this week with only replacement Duffy getting three songs. The sudden cancellation of Alicia Keys is her loss and our gain, musically of course as Duffy was amazing. Starting with the rousing recent number 1 Mercy, then soulful favourite Rockferry and closing with Stepping Stone it was a stateswomanlike performance, her voice in particular on Rockferry the best I’ve heard in a very long time. And her supporting band are great. At the piano with Jools, she showed that as a ’star’ she still has a great deal to learn, recommending whisky and cigarettes as a flu cure if honey and lemon is nowhere to be found. Ironic humour or misjudged naivety? Not sure.

The support was again divided between two young indie bands, We Are Scientists and MGMT with the slightly overshadowed Martina Topley Bird, and the mighty Steve Earle.

Praise is split equally to all except Topley Bird who sounded weak and lacklustre up against Duffy and even the unknown French Jamaican singer Asa sounded more fresh. It’s a shame because she would have added some breathy soul against the absent Keys.

We Are Scientists gave us a great rendition of After Hours, the guitars vibrant compared to the ironic indie rock of MGMT’s Time To Pretend - the vocal mix was drowned by a swathe of messy guitars. Thankfully they gave the performance of the night with the dark brooding Pieces Of What compared to the ‘music by numbers’ Impatience from We Are Scientists. From only two turns, you never get a great view of new bands but it’s just enough.

Steve Earle with steel guitar and backed with DJ complete with mixing desk effortlessly swaggered through Satellite Radio and then brought in wife Allison for City of Immigrants. The vocals on the mid-point duet didn’t work at all but it all came together when Allison hit the backing vocals for the close. In the chat, JH showed 1980’s footage from the guitar town days, complete with General Lee flag abashedly displayed on the wall of the backwater diner. So I suppose the anti-racism intention of City Of Immigrants was an appropriate choice to make up for past discretions.

So it was a good show but again lacking in variety and depth. But then that was tried last week and it was a bit of a mess. This is much more like it.