Costello sprints through concert
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BRUSSELS Elvis Costello stepped on stage and started without foreplay with "Accidents Will Happen". That's not something we're in favour of in principle, without foreplay. Fortunately the audience burst with desire to get started too. And that's why the audience didn't grumble when he didn't pause for a second in between the first four songs.
Only after "Watching The Detectives", actually played too fast, a pause for applause was inserted. We even got a small introduction with "Spooky Girlfriend" from our host, as always dressed in black: it is a morality story about a showbiz manager and his protege. "At least half of you knows that "protege" is a word for a woman who is spending your money."
And off we went again for four songs. The sound was not very loud, but the constant combination of thumping bass and bass drum did make the show heavier. Straightforward rock songs like "My Mood Swings" from the soundtrack of The Big Lebowski could handle that vigorous sound, but the clever "Green Shirt" only received some oxygen from Steve Nieve's harpsichord.
After some ten songs even the admirers of a mighty patch of noise wanted a break. Just in time Elvis pressed the save energy button and took up the acoustic guitar. "Candy", yelled somebody in the room hopefully, but instead got "Indoor Fireworks", that didn't hide its country roots, followed immediately by a sharp "Tart" from his new CD, with wafts of epic synthesizer work by Nieve.
A grand slam? Why not, Costello immediately fitted in an exquisite "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror", and the ever moving "Shipbuilding". Although we have to admit: nobody can equal Chet Baker's trumpet solo in the song, not even a furiously trying Steve Nieve.
Onto "When I Was Cruel", the most beautiful song from the new CD. But that failed live because Nieve replaced his Satie-like play with a kind of "Once Upon A Time In America" -organ and because the song was stretched out for five minutes too long.
The final decision was reached in the encores: witty, funny versions of "Tear Of Your Own Head" and "Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" and a slow building "I Want You". Passed but not with honours: that could not be blamed on the set list buildup, but on the group's haste to go celebrate tour manager Robbie's birthday.
Elvis Costello & The Imposters. Brussels, Ancienne Belgique, 15 September.
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