Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions

In Australia for the first time ever playing at the Enmore Theatre, getting to see Hope Sandoval is something akin to finding a rare orchid in a remote jungle. The notoriously reclusive and camera shy Sandoval rarely performs live, and though her the peak of her glory days in 90's shoegaze band Mazzy Star are firmly behind her she has an allure and beauty that ensnares everyone that sees and hears her. So for this reason anticipation was high as was my willingness to pay the exorbitant $78 ticket price.

I arrived at the all-seated gig at a reasonable time, in part to get my money's worth and also to see Dirt Blue Gene who are Hope Sandoval's backing band who were supposed to be doing a support slot before the main event. They literally must have come on as soon as the doors opened as I sadly missed them, instead I was unfortunately left with 'special guests' for the evening, Mick Turner on guitar (Dirty Three), Jeffrey Wegener on drums (Laughing Clowns), along with Ian Wadley (bass) performing some avant-garde improvisational noodlings which could have been mistaken for a sound-check.

Though the drumming was amazing, Turner and Wadley did a poor job of playing anything interesting on their guitars with almost amateurish performance in the execution and very little on stage rapport or audience interaction. Some rehearsals would probably have been a good idea. As they gradually found their feet, the feeling was that they had shot their load a little too late leaving the audience underwhelmed.

After a really long wait, many years in fact, the moment i've been waiting for finally happened. Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions takes to the stage with rapturous applause and hoots of affection and after some hesitant fumbling and prompting by Hope they begin their performance almost entirely in shadow save for the minimal lighting scheme without even a 'hello' or nod that an audience existed.

This I was prepared for, having seen clips online before, Hope always hides in near darkness like an enigmatic nymph lending to her characteristic disembodied airy vocals. Against the projected backdrop of Busby Berkeley choreographed 30's Hollywood kaleidoscopic dancing and whirling early film-stock of flappers, Hope's petite frame is silhouetted with the occasional flicker of light across her face from the projection. Hope though staggeringly beautiful looks surly and unemotional and maintains a nonchalant borderline arrogant dismissal of the audience.

Despite appearances they perform a near perfect rendition of most of the songs from both her latest release 'Through The Devil Softly' and 'Bavarian Fruit Bread'. As a unit, they perform with such confidence, cohesion and and sensitivity. The music can only be described as a narcotic hypnotic fusion of shoegaze and alt-folk styling. Hope's voice is unique and live is pitch perfect. Playing the single 'Suzanne' from Bavarian Fruit Bread, Hope proves she's also a deft glockenspiel player.

I find myself zoning out as I am hypnotised by the projections and the narcosis of the music such is the cerebral nature of it. It's the kind of music you can get lost in very easily. Highlight's of the set include 'Suzanne', 'Blanchard' and 'Drop'. On stage and between the band and audience there is almost no interaction. Throughout the set declarations of love and compliments shower Hope who effortlessly ignores them in her guarded manner. After a seemingly short set Hope and the band leave the stage leaving a mind numbingly long wait before the encore complete with cheers and slow hand claps. One punter shouting out quite rightly, 'Hope, you're being really disrespectful to the audience'. On eventual return to the stage another heckler shouting 'turn on the lights we want to see you', to be responded by Hope, 'there's not much to see up here, you only have to listen'.

After a brief few more half-hearted songs Hope and the band abruptly leave the stage quickly without so much as a thank you or goodbye and then the house lights come on with the set being dismantled immediately. Many people are left bemused. In all quite a strange gig, kind of bereft of human emotion though simultaneously musically flawless. One can't help but feel that there must have been some earlier altercation in the background between the band and promoter's or perhaps the band really are just contemptuous of the audience. Despite the rudeness I know I'll probably never see her perform again live so I am kind of thankful for that at least to have experienced the magic of the albums Bavarian Fruit Bread, and Through The Devil Softly live.

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