Matt Hales is a genius!
Well, possibly that's a bit strong, but he is extremely talented. However, the Aqualung gig at the Queen Elizabeth Hall last night was pretty amazing. The first half was a collection of artists that Matt really likes, some of which he played with. We had Clayhill, who may or may not be the next big thing in depressing indie, ex-All Saint Melanie Blatt, whose new album Matt is producing, and the interestingly named Duke Special (that's a man, not a band), who was very impressive. After the break Aqualung appeared to rapturous applause and proceeded to play a fab set. They played a few songs that they don't usually play, including 'Halfway to the Bottom', which sounds amazing hearing him sing it live. In fact, most of the stuff sounds amazing live because of his voice. Highlights included a reworked and fresh-sounding 'Strange and Beautiful', the peerless 'Easier to Lie', and a fabulous extended version of 'Brighter Than Sunshine', rising to a crescendo, and complemented with a line of gold lights snaking across the stage in and out of the instruments. The gig finished with 'Gentle', which is a favourite of mine from the first album, and which they don't usually play. Unadulterated pleasure.