We braved the weather and we were rewarded with a very special event at The Zoo on 19 February.
What a show! The Zoo was packed with fans keen to be rocked and the double bill left nobody wanting.
First up Adalita, who delivered a solo set of old and new material, armed only with her guitar, and only the one. No backing band, just flying solo. And if anyone can do it, Adalita can. She played a short set of her recent, solo tracks and it was nothing short of haunting and beautiful. Each song was punctuated with sampling of her own playing, creating a virtual continuous track of sound.
Adalita - Image © Marc Austin-ZandeShe engaged the crowd in the way Adalita does, her beautiful vocals, ranging from delicate to gravelly, accompanied by her trademark, guitar sounds. Some dreamy tracks and some in-your face and punchy, Adalita is a performer of substance and her songwriting is not to be overlooked. Sometimes disturbing but always thought-provoking lyrics and, well, just amazing to see and hear performed live.
Adalita - Image © Marc Austin-ZandeJ Mascis’ career has been an interesting one spanning more than 30 years. Guitarist, drummer, and keyboardist playing hardcore punk, grunge, even heavy metal, he is a man of many talents. So notable is his sound and style that Fender released a signature model immortalising his name.
J wandered onto the stage, somewhat nonchalantly, grabbed his acoustic and took a seat. Yes, this was a solo set but far, far from unplugged. For some years now, J Mascis, the former Dinosaur Jnr frontman, has been seen far more often with an acoustic guitar rather than his signature Fender Jazzmaster. But don’t be fooled, the sound was anything but ‘acoustic’. And what’s more, he was loud; not Dinosaur Jnr loud but he filled the venue as if it were a full band up there – and when he stepped on the loud pedal, that very familiar fuzz nearly took out the windows. Yeah, it was loud but it sounded great.
J Mascis - Image © Marc Austin-ZandeAfter all these years, J manages to pull something new out of the bag without abandoning the past and the broad range in the ages of the crowd certainly confirms his place in rock history. We were treated to a selection of tracks from his new album, ‘Tied To A Star’, a great album in its own right but one which fits well with his previous works.
This really was a special show with nothing to distract from the sound and the message delivered by two great artists. Not every performer from a band can pull off a solo show like this, captivating the crowd before them.
J Mascis - Image © Marc Austin-ZandeIt just goes to show how crucial both J and Adalita have been to their former bands and what true talent they both ooze.
