With: Jay Jay Pistolet
Tuesday 17th June 2008 @ Academy

The Academy is known for its many rock and indie gigs but tonight one of Bristol’s biggest venues will chill the hell out. Tonight the sublime Morcheeba take to the stage and they bring with them their own brand of trip hop and soul.

Before the headline act we are treated to a short set by London’s own Jay Jay Pistolet. I have seen Jay Jay perform before at the Louisiana and was surprised back then at how atmospheric his sets are. Tonight was no exception as there is something prophetically personal about listening to the songs of just a man and an acoustic guitar. His music is a mix of folk storytelling and heart felt love songs that are worth checking out in a smaller more intimate venue for full effect.

Then it was time for Morcheeba to shine and not only did they shine they were blinding. They treated us to all the crowd’s favourite tracks in exactly the right places. This band’s music has morphed from coffee table chic to chill out, feel good pop and back again. With all the turmoil of their previous tours and break ups behind them the band seem elated to simply just be playing their songs to people let alone being adored for doing so.

New vocalist Manda’s voice fills the void left by Skye and takes us to an entirely new dimension. If you closed your eyes you could feel as if nothing had changed, although closing your eyes would prevent you from seeing the strangely unique performance she puts on. Manda looks like a 60’s Carnaby Street Pixie and skips around the stage with the sort of extreme dancing Bollywood would be proud of. Her voice is soft and silky and almost identical to her predecessors which cannot be a bad thing.

The new album Dive Deep is modestly plugged and played in healthy conjunction with the classic Morcheeba tracks. Crowd pleasers such as Trigger Hippie, Part of the Process and the beautifully heart warming Over and Over gave the crowd a chance to sing along. A highlight was the inclusion of the song Let Me See which is now a personal favourite. Dive Deep was explained as an album which is being used to promote marine life awareness and will hopefully help bring awareness of the need to preserve rare aquatic life humanely.

As the set came to a close it seemed that the uninitiated had found they knew more Morcheeba songs than they thought they did. This was confirmed when the band chose to close the show (and their UK tour) with the infectiously upbeat Rome Wasn’t Built In a Day. Giving the crowd a chance to dance and sing along for a final time. This was an incredibly accomplished live set and a wonderful way to announce their return to the music scene and to our coffee tables. Welcome back.

www.morcheeba.co.uk

Stu Freeman
Photos: Chris Merrick