February 20: Pj Harvey 051/366

Wednesday February 20 2008
Yet Another Year in the Life of a Melbourne Multimedia Designer

I wouldn’t call myself a connoisseur of all things PJ Harvey but I certainly have a passing interest in her music which, as it happens, is scattered throughout my iPod and other digital repositories! My girlfriend, on the other hand, is a big fan so when I saw the proliferation of Polly Jean Harvey Tour posters around town, I quickly snapped up two tickets to the Melbourne show of the Australian Tour.

Tonight was the night of the gig and I am so glad we got to go because PJ Harvey live… is something to behold. I wasn’t sure how it would all go tonight as PJ is basically performing a one-woman show and not being overtly familiar with her live sound - I had no idea how it would all translate in a live environment.

The lights dimmed down and a diminutive figure in a white dress strolled onto the stage. She slipped on the Gibson Firebird guitar and burst into a blistering version of ‘To Bring You My Love’. I literally felt the hairs on the back of my neck tingle as the electricity permeating the air was sending an aural shiver throughout the enclosed throng. Songs were stripped back to their most basic and organic structure and this is surely what they sounded like when she was writing them.

Heck, it was just so spellbindingly raw but tinged with meticulous melodic magic! I must’ve collected my jaw from the floor several times throughout the night as Ms Harvey showed her musical prowess song after song after song. I've seen Tori Amos and Diamanda Galas on that very stage in various shows through the years, but as good as they are, none could hold a candle to the sheer eclectic majesty that was PJ Harvey tonight.

Genius. Pure Genius.

An amazing concert going experience all round.

*****************

(A year ago today - 2007)

(Two years ago today - 2006)