This is a fun (and very geeky) behind the scenes look at Hazel's set up (as well as a brief chat with the tour's playback and keyboard tech.) The amount of different configurations Hazel has to manage -- sometimes within the same song -- is staggering. The interviewer is someone with a long history with the band, too!
Alison sounded incredible last night, her voice is just as powerful and mesmerising as ever. It was such a bizarre mixture of people in the crowd. I've only ever seen Goldfrapp in standing venues playing their more electro/pop material, so it was very different being seated in a theatre type affair. On my right was a woman in her 60's who kept shushing everyone and on my left were two ridiculously drunk women who spent the whole night shrieking. During Eat Yourself they were screaming and cackling and during Black Cherry kept pissing themselves laughing at Alison's 'ha ha ha' bits. It really spoiled what was otherwise a wonderful set. I get the feeling that a good few people there had no idea it was the Felt Mountain tour and rocked up for a blazing night of synths and dancing...
Last night really was special, Alison was on spectacular form. Hearing Moon In Your Mouth live was the highlight for me - purely spellbinding it gave me chills. Hopefully a new album is on the horizon?
As a stan since Felt Mountain, this 22nd anniversary tour is the hottest she’s ever looked! The quasi-mullet suits her so well!
I'm a spoil-sport but I really wish they'd stop serving alcohol at some venues. Too many live shows for me have nearly been ruined by stupid people just getting pissed and shouting, talking, falling into people etc. You'd think they would be engrossed in the show, having paid for tickets but sadly some just see it as another night out and clearly can't control themselves. Fine, if you're heading to G.A.Y. but not when you've paid good money to go see an act at a decent venue. Is there really any need to serve alcohol anyway? I know the venues make a profit etc. but can't people just turn up to a gig and enjoy it without the need to have a beer or a double vodka in their hands?
Absolutely! The drunk women next to me spent the whole show screaming and laughing over every song, even the quiet slow ones. They also didn’t know Lovely Head and used it as a break to go back to the bar. Why are you even at this gig?!
Luckily at my two shows, the people around me were all clearly there for the same reason as me - but by looking around the crowd you could tell that a lot of people had just gone along for the sake of a night out and an excuse to get drunk and dance. It’s a shame but inevitable really. I couldn’t think of anything worse than people talking and shouting through the slower songs, it would completely take me out of the moment. I was at the front and couldn’t hear anything but the band / Alison thankfully. Eat Yourself and Hairy Trees live were a dream.
I’ve been listening to Head First today. It always saddened me how little they cared for it after its release. On Steve Anderson’s podcast it sounded like Will at least has maybe warmed slightly to it. Maybe it’s just me but I never thought of it as that much of an outlier in their catalogue. Hunt, Shiny and Warm, I Wanna Life, Voicething (obvs) - have always sounded very Goldfrappy to me! And I’m months late but anyone causing a ruckus during a performance of Black Cherry - sacrilege.
I always liked this version, I believe it was on the Goldfrapp Jukebox back in the day. Man I woulda hated that. I was front row centre for their Vancouver show in 2017, and I danced all the way through, except for Black Cherry - I just leaned on the barrier and watched Alison perform. That song meant a lot to me as a gay kid growing up in the country ... well, their whole discography did.
Head First is the only Goldfrapp album I haven't bothered to get on vinyl. It's fine but it would never be an album I would rush to when wanting to listen to their music.
Head First left me whelmed when I first listened through. I don’t know why it just didn’t feel like there was heart in it, and that was even before the band themselves bluntly shoved it aside. Some absolute classics though but as a Goldfrapp album it was just okay. It didn’t transport me anywhere like the previous four did.
It’s definitely their weakest, and yet it’s got so many wonderful songs on it-they genuinely aren’t capable of not hitting. The title track especially is outstanding.
