Spiritual and earthy guitar

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The music is also notable in that, while it rewards close listening, it is very pleasant as background to food or conversation, although if you have it playing on a warm night while you dine with an intimate friend, be prepared for the subtle stirrings of emotions that might ensue - this music is neither passive nor passionless.
Di Marco is a beautiful player. I don't mean this in the technical sense. His technical performance is generally superb, without in any way interfering with the passion of the music. In fact, I suspect that the odd fluffed note has been left in because the performance on that particular take was the best overall - an eminently respectable and venerable approach to performance which has regrettably fallen into disuse as the recording process exposes more and more of an artist's technique. No, Di Marco's quality is easy to sense but hard to define - call it feel, soul or even spirituality. Along with his musical sophistication, this quality lifts his music well above the ruck. The cover art of Light and Shadows seems to highlight this quality ambiguously, subtly suggesting that the performer is something between a religious and a political leader, but holding a guitar. Indeed, Di Marco has started an artistic movement/philosophical vision called the United World Music Projekt (sic) - for more, see the story on Di Marco in this issue.

Although Di Marco's music could be described as Mediterranean, it is informed and modified by the European art music tradition. He keeps this influence subtle, creating a music that is eminently listenable (as so much modern European art music is emphatically not) but not coarsely repetitive in a primitive folk sense (as is so much ethnically-derived music).
In summary, the music of an urgent, passionate, romantic and very talented soul.

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Stranglers get a grip

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Local Melbourne boys The Go Set kicked off the evening with some terrific stage energy, something like the Pogues meets the Sex Pistols. They opened with Johnny Rotten McHaggis on the bagpipes and pretty soon had us all - well mostly me - pogoing to the fabulous old school punk sound. I enjoyed them immensely but was disappointed the crowd didn't get into them more; maybe they were conserving their energy. You must remember, a 30-year-old band usually pulls some pretty old farts - oops, I mean "fans" - having their annual night out.

The crowd livened up a bit as the original men in black made their way onto the stage, and the younger ones moved forward to create what could pass as a mosh pit. I felt tingles run down my spine as JJ Burnel picked up his bass. I took a deep breath and waited for that gut-wrenching bass grunt that was the sound the Stranglers gouged their way to fame with - but I was a little disappointed. They launched into a reasonable mix of old and new tunes, but the grinding vocals of Hugh Cornell were sorely missed, and new singer Roberts gave most of the old faves a wide berth. However, he did a reasonable job on chart toppers Golden Brown and Always the Sun, and even rendered a version of the popular if highly sexist Peaches.
Overall, the gig lacked that heavy bassline that spells the Stranglers to me. My partner's night was made when they played No More Heroes but I had to settle for Get a Grip as the only really gutsy number for the night. Their new material was playing more to their newer and younger fans; song from the new album included Long Black Veil and Big Thing Coming and are a definite move away from the old bass and keyboard sound. The band gave us plenty of attitude but the fans failed to respond and the gig fell a bit flat. Don't get me wrong, the Stranglers still have a lot to offer the modern music fan, and I think we can look forward to plenty more from the men in black, but for me, I'll go back to listening to my scratchy records and singing along with Nice and Sleazy and Queen of the Streets. Maybe I'm stuck in my youth but maybe I don't mind.

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