Live
MACY GRAY: LIVE @ KOKO, LONDON, 03.03.07
Some things never change. In true Macy fashion, the singer stumbles onto the stage with a "hello people and goodnight”, flaunting her typically androgynous look (this time, she’s rocking a straight bob rather than the fro) before commencing with the flirty opener 'Sex-O-Matic Venue Freak'.
The lady has arrived – and in all her faux-drunken glory she’s here to assure fans that her vocal shortcomings (which I now liken to an execution of a symphony of cats by gas chamber) have got nothing on her star quality. Of course, this depends on what you expect from a live show. If it’s humour and entertainment, than Macy’s slurry anecdotes – like taking a bus from Los Angeles to London, then taking some other forms of transport before eventually landing at Koko – will have you giggling and then some. Musically, she’s bagged some tight producers for new album Big, and it’s translation to the stage is incredible. 'Ghetto Love' is an absolute romper for the six piece band and three backing singers, while 'Okay' (produced by Timberlake, she tells us) and 'Everybody' are punchy numbers that rock with style. But you almost wish a more convincing vocalist could take these wonderfully soulful songs around the corner to the Jazz Café, where the sound system’s ten times better. Admittedly, she’s got some kind of allure that can cast a spell on this intoxicated crowd, but for the most part, her antics are remarkably ridiculous.
Welcome back Miss Macy.
Words Matilda Egere-Cooper
