GIG REVIEW: Tunng
- Posted on June 23, 2008 11:36 AM
- 0 comments
Tunng
Massive Attack Meltdown Festival 2008
21st June, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre.
Review By Max Hogg
If Meltdown is Massive Attack’s posh two week party at the Southbank Centre, then Tunng’s appearance at Queen Elizabeth Hall was the Saturday night barn dance, complete with foot stomping and with its tounge firmly in its cheek. By the evidence of Saturday night Tunng are most definitely a pop outfit, but don’t fit into any of the usual manufactured, formulaic pop stereotypes.
Being a fully seated affair (at least to start with), it took a few numbers for the band and audience to get into their stride, with Tunng seeming a little distant for several of the first few songs. But by the time they finished their third song, some of Tunng’s trademark bonkers informality was emerging and it was clear that a fairly devoted audience were enjoying it.
After announcing that they were all rather nervous because their parents were in attendance, co-founder Sam Genders gleefully explained that their next song, Woodcat, was about a man who wants to be turned into a hare. Except that it wasn’t…Sam had forgotten about Clump, a bonus track from their latest album, Good Arrows, which they had to play first. Mike Lindsay, the band’s other founder, delightedly corrected him and they launched into Clump.
This ramshackle informality onstage helped bring the band to life and got lots of cheers from the increasingly enthusiastic crowd. By the time we got to Sweet William, complete with a surprise present from the band of a sweet for every audience member, it was impossible not to love Tunng. Even if the gig was starting to take on the appearance of a particularly jolly cult.
The highlights of the evening were the tracks like Cans where the band used their electronic wizardry to full effect, whereas the more folk-laden tracks such as String failed to stand out. The band wavered between quirky brilliance – playing Soup as a tribute to Iron Maiden and metalheads everywhere – and slightly gimmicky pop – the use of a toy box of children’s instruments on Bodies added nothing to that particular tune. It’s clear that Tunng don’t want anyone to take them too seriously, but there is also a suspicion that the biggest gimmicks on Saturday night hid a few tracks that lacked much substance.
Which is a shame because the gimmicks really aren’t necessary. As the crowd got to their feet and invaded the aisles, dancing and singing along with the band, Tunng rounded off the set list with a couple songs about freedom and catching butterflies in their teeth that showed them at their brilliant best. This really is pop as it should be.
On the way out we noticed a sign outside the door that had directed other punters to the ‘Rendition Monologues’ on at the same time. I hope the soundproofing in the Queen Elizabeth Hall is still up to scratch because the atmosphere could not have been further from a film about American-sponsored torture. Overhearing a harpist singing about rotten peaches really would really have destroyed the impact of an impassioned plea for global human rights. Massive Attack were looking for diversity in their stewardship of Meltdown 2008 and, on Saturday night at least, they certainly found it.
4 out of 5
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