Rocking the Mike – April 2011 Reviews

Song Reviews

Adele -- "Someone Like You"

I've been on a real Adele kick lately; that woman's voice is like no other, and her ability to project such raw, unbridled emotion in her voice is, simply put, incredible. And it would appear that I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Adele sang "Someone Like You" live during the Brit Awards back in February, and the song shot to the top of the UK Charts. That's quite a feat.

The song, one about coming to terms with a broken relationship, seems to be a common theme in Adele's life, and, while it would become monotonous with any other artist, she's managed to give it quite a bit of depth. It all boils down to how she delivers the song. "Someone Like You" is a song done best stripped down to its barest core, as evident in both the album version of the song as well as live performances. It's just Adele: her voice and the piano. Nothing more is needed, the content of song is complicated enough on its own.

Beth Ditto -- "I Wrote the Book"

The lead singer of The Gossip has branched out into a solo career (as all lead singers eventually do), and the result is a debut EP that is so-so. Noteworthy, however, is the lead single, "I Wrote the Book." This is an incredibly sexy number; it slinks, it slides, and it just oozes sexuality and sensuality (not bad for a woman is known to be a bit . . . vulgar). Lyrically, it is very reminiscent of her work with The Gossip, but the music is very much her own. Just enough departure that you feel like she's actually creating something fresh, not just recycling old band ideas and trying to pass them off as her own. It's dancier where as The Gossip is a bit more rock; it's sophisticated and the perfect track to throw on a playlist for chill-outs or even those middle of the night grind sessions on the club dance floor. This song is, in two words, sinfully delicious.

Katy Perry -- "E.T."

Definitely one of the strongest tracks on the album, but, a lot like "Firework," it sticks out like a sore thumb when played against more dance-friendly tracks like "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream." All in all it's a decent track and shows that Perry is able to "strut" vocally with the right kind of track. Beware though, the single version features Kanye West, and it's terrible. It is really best to stick with the original album version for this one. Perry has described in interviews that the song is about falling in love with a foreigner, so she likely had husband Russell Brand in mind as she was writing this song. Using an alien metaphor is a bit odd, but she didn't go for a straight-forward analogy in writing, so I at least have to give her points for creativity here. A track that is definitely worth a listen.

Concert Reviews

Lady Gaga

Setlist: Dance in the Dark, Glitter and Grease, Just Dance, Beautiful Dirty Rich, The Fame, LoveGame, Boys Boys Boys, Money Honey, Telephone, You and I, Monster, Teeth, Alejandro, Poker Face, Paparazzi, Bad Romance, Born This Way

Madonna, please step aside as there is a new Queen of Pop in town, and she goes by the name of Gaga. That's a bold proclamation to make, but, if her show in Ottawa at the beginning of March was any indication, Lady Gaga is not some flash-in-the-pan pop star. She's here to stay, she's resetting the standards, and she's taking no prisoners.

At just under two hours, the Monster Ball Tour incorporates the best of both The Fame and The Fame Monster, throws in an unreleased song ("Glitter and Grease") and two songs from her upcoming third album ("You and I" and the megahit "Born This Way"), and you have a show that is part rock opera, part dance club, and all Gaga spectacle. She sounded fantastic live, danced like it was the dance floor of a club, and made everyone in the audience feel as though they were a part of the entire production.

Photo: Mike Cullen

She rarely stood still, and everything was done like clockwork (think Madonna live but with more humanity). Seemingly timed to the minute, video interludes played between "acts," but none ran over two minutes with elaborate costume and set changes accomplished within that timeframe. They first act was done rapid fire; "Dance in the Dark" to "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" before she stopped to talk to the audience, the first act ending with "The Fame." The second act ran from "LoveGame" to new song "You and I" while the rest of the main set consisted of "Monster" to "Poker Face." The final three songs made up the two encores with "Born This Way" probably getting the most response from the audience.

I think most fans left ScotiaBank Place on a musical high that night. I know I did. I've been to a good number of live shows in the last few years (probably close to two hundred by this point), but Lady Gaga is easily in the top three for best concert I've ever seen.

Scissor Sisters

Setlist: Night Work, Any Which Way, I Don't Feel Like Dancin', Running Out, Take Your Mama, Filthy/Gorgeous

I've been a fan of the Scissor Sisters ever since they released their debut album way back in the early 2000s. I missed an opportunity to see them in Montreal in early 2004, and they never really seemed to be close enough for me to see whenever they were back on this side of the pond.

Obviously a big deal over in the UK and Europe, their stateside success can only be described as limited, and that's something I can't quite wrap my head around. Their music, their style, and their performance art is so unique (save from perhaps Gaga herself) that they should stand out for all of the right reasons in the music scene, yet, as female vocalist Ana Matronic has joked during this opening gig for Lady Gaga, "If you're not a Brit or gay, you probably haven't heard of us."

Their opening set was tragically short, six songs, but they did manage to showcase not only depth but breadth of their material, selecting songs from each of their three albums. "Any Which Way," a personal favourite, sounded fantastic live, and, while I've never been a big fan of "Take Your Mama," there was something about the performance of that song that just clicked for me. Both Jakes Shears and Ana Matronic worked the stage, whipping the pre-Gaga crowed into a crazy. As the last song of their set suggests, their act was both filthy and gorgeous and, for this fan, an experience eight years in the making.

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