Articles

Portishead's New York Return A Qualified Success

Rocktropolis, July 25, 1997.

The 1994-95 success of Portishead's debut album, Dummy, was the signal flare for American acceptance of the Bristol, England trip- hop sound, which also claims Tricky and Massive Attack as part of its scene. Thursday night (July 24), Portishead returned to the U.S. for a packed show at New York's Roseland Ballroom, with qualified success.

This grandiose affair, which showcased Portishead's forthcoming eponymous album, was taped for an upcoming home video. The band didn't play on the stage, but rather in the center of the dance floor, giving the performance an intimate "unplugged" feel. Complete with director's chairs, booms, jibs, and a scurrying crew, the setting was technically impressive, although it had its drawbacks: bright studio lights disrupted the mood of the music; a couple of booms interfered with lines of sight; there was an unexpected intermission while audio tapes were changed; and one severe vocal mishap warranted a take two. Sonically, however, the performance was a credit to Portishead's fine musicianship, energetic arrangements and inspiring use of the beat.

When singer Beth Gibbons' angelic vocals sit atop stark, electrifying bursts of horns and haunting string textures, they're as dainty as they are lusty. Accented with Geoff Barrow's squeaking old- school scratching, Portishead's songs are bastions of post- modernism, combining classical arrangements with electronica's cool beats. And Thursday night, the duo redefined and heightened their sense of gentility with the inclusion of an orchestra. It added refined luxury to Barrow's spastic scratching and drum- machine rhythms, beautifying -- though significantly altering -- Portishead's sound.

The richness provided by the orchestra -- coupled with the room's makeshift studio sound -- made for beautifully urbane, though quite unexpected music. A show shouldn't mimic the album exactly, and Portishead's didn't. But while their songs sounded musically identical, the shift was in the feel of the songs, not the sound. By replacing harrowing dissonance with fullness and warmth, the orchestra -- and similarly Gibbons' unaffected vocals -- added opulence to the music, but in doing so forfeited the eeriness found on the albums.

Joe D'Angelo

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Portishead's New York Return A Qualified Success