I. love. Regina. Spektor (Patreon)

Hope everything’s fab in your world. Plz forgive my absence on here lately - I’ve been finding the internet pretty overwhelming so I think it was a natural reaction to distance myself for a bit! However I am easingggg back in, toe first, made all-too-easy by the gorgeous reaction to my ‘problematic’ video on Youtoob, which is here if anyone missed it! - https://youtu.be/bvC6RKPAAM4

such lovely comments. Such lovely people. SMITTEN. WITH ALL OF U.

STORY TIME. So last week, after many years of waiting, I finally got to see Regina Spektor live. And heckity heck heck heck, it really was unlike any gig I’ve been to - even the word ‘gig’ cheapens it somehow, it felt like more of a ‘concert’; a word I usually associate with my Granny (“ooh! Playing any concerts soon Orla? Have you got your act together with a  CD yet?”). But it really was a concert, leagues above the gigs I’ve been to before. 

It was on in the Southbank Centre, a sweet venue right on the Thames that I’d never been to before; luckily my fave person who accompanied is also a big Regi fan and was the perfect company throughout this spIRITUAL experience. With doors at 7.30 I thought she’d prolly have a support act beforehand, then stroll on stage about 9.30, but I was one surprised lil’ ginge when we got there at 8 and she walked on  stage straightaway. No support act, no fannying around, audience in and BAM, a full 2 hour set. Tasty. 

There were drums and keys in the back, a string quartet in the front & then Regina centre stage on a great whopping Steinway grand piano. They started off with some faves of mine from her new album (‘Older & Taller’ & ‘Bleeding Heart’ were particularly ace). For some songs like ‘Small Bill$’ she hopped off the Steinway and onto another mic to the right - these songs where she stood & sang were so great. Having no keys in front of her inevitably made for a little hunching & shoe gazing but it was the mOst charming thing and made for such a dynamic set. The lad on keys in the back was in charge of the synths & other fun sounds so it was such a sweet contrast to hop from piano ballads to the more poppy, electronic songs.

Towards the back end of the set she played a couple handpicked songs from her 3rd & 4th albums, to my DELIGHT sang her wacky acapella tune ‘Silly Eye-Color Generalisations’ (hop onto Spotify & listen to this on her ‘Live in London’ album from 2010, arghgghhg. Perfect). She ended with a couple classics from ‘Begin to Hope’, her fave album of mine, some super-fast-but-super-cool full band versions of ‘Fidelity’ & ‘Hotel Song’, and of course ended with a solo rendition of ‘Samson’. Oh mama. Too good.

The vibe of the whole show fell somewhere between a mental gypsy folk gig & a posh piano recital. Her records capture her personality in such a beautiful, right-there-in-the-room way that I worried it mightn’t feel the same on stage, but there was nada to worry about. Singing to a theatre of almost 3000 people it felt like she was still somehow right beside you, whispering each lyric into your ear.

Alongside Imogen Heap, Joni Mitchell and a few others, Regi (can I call her that now? are we there yet?) is a reference I come back to time and time again for my own material. The way her and her producers manage to weave in and out of different sonic landscapes but keep her personality at the very core of every song.. it’s awesome. It’s such a feat. The recordings always sound clean, concise but never contrived. She sings as different characters with different accents, she sings in French, sings in Russian.. she’s forever theatrical in the best way. Each song is so undeniably and unapologetically HER. 

But yeah, enough gush. She’s my idol. I hope I get to some day play to big theatres and maybe have 5 albums or at least one album before the whole album format dies out forever and 

ever

amen

AHHH