This evening provided a double sense of excitement, namely matching poet laureate Simon Armitage’s band LYR with the nostalgia that oozes out of the City Varieties Music Hall.
The show begins with the philosophical Blah Blah Blah, a list of unlikely statements followed by the words Blah Blah Blah. Quite disturbing in places, but humorous too. The musical backing from singer-songwriter Richard Walters and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Pearson is quite funky throughout, but still allowing for a degree of melancholy.
Armitage reveals his art historical knowledge in the cheeky Guernica Jigsaw, a list of famous artists become banal gifts, once more with angelic backing vocals from Walters and Armitage’s deadpan delivery.. ‘What’s not to like?’
The new album’s namesake Dark Sky Reservation track sees Walters start the singing off with a sombre tone before Armitage kicks in with a sublime poetic commentary on a very icy world: ‘It was cold.’
The synth backing is ever pervasive but not intrusive such as in Pray Silence, a gentle ambience supporting the two singers. One thing that is Armitage’s leitmotiv is his descriptions of nature; very vivid and illuminating.
The Enlightenment is a passionate paean to the libraries of the world, with Armitage commenting, ‘lovely librarian, run away with me!’ And The Pigeons of Eldon Street came out of a project in Barnsley and Armitage minces no words in describing the filthy, dirty birds as opposed to his love of doves.
Great Coat is a sideways glance to mourning and loss, with a sense of mystery, too. Never Good With Horses reveals items left by the dying but by no means morbid. Not sure if he was joking that it was written for Marianne Faithfull, who found it too wordy.
The encore Under Artificial Lighting is Armitage’s take on his own writing methods and is a rather grand end to the evening.
Order Dark Sky Reservation here.
New festival dates here.
Main image: Photograph courtesy of Everyday Mag.
