Joan is better than Florence

My previous post referred to last week being a ‘two gig week’. First up was The Go! Team. The second gig couldn’t have been more different, on just about every dimension.

The Mercury Lounge is a tiny venue. Properly tiny. You know it’s small when you feel that you have to be quiet between songs because even your whispers would be heard on stage (so much so that Seasick Steve once told off a mate of mine for doing an Alan Partridge impression halfway through a set). We’re talking about a venue smaller than some apartments – New York City apartments, at that. In light of this, I feel especially privileged to have been in the audience on Thursday night to see Joan Wasser (AKA Joan As Police Woman). It was an astonishing show – truly outstanding – and one which will take some beating.

For the uninitiated, imagine PJ Harvey having an injection of soul, and then deciding that she should do a set of Aimee Mann covers. Only it works. In a parallel universe, Joan As Police Woman would be huge. Her music is accessible, it’s delivered with more passion than you’d find in any number of acts which have risen to the top, and she just has ‘it’. Her presence would fill many a larger venue. For the Mercury Lounge, I think it was spilling onto the street.

A couple of years ago, when Florence + The Machine first started to break, I caught the band play a few times. From large open air festivals through to smaller venues, one thing stood true: Florence ruled. Her voice was stunning, truly stunning, and she completely owned the stage. Everyone, regardless of venue, was paying full attention to Florence. She was massive. Since then, her stature has only grown (especially in the US) – and rightly so.

But, get this – Joan As Police Woman trumps Florence + The Machine. Big time. The difference is simple – for Joan As Police Woman it’s all about the music. She’s truly laying bare the very depths of her soul up on stage. This is no act. Add to the astonishing voice an impeccable live band, and you have something truly stunning. I say ‘live band’ – but all that you have on stage is Joan singing, playing the keys and occasionally pulling out a guitar to tear away on, joined by two blokes. It’s hard to believe that three people is all it takes to create the sound that they manage – Joan joined by a drummer harmonising throughout, and another guy – WHO IS AMAZING – playing keys with one hand, knocking out all the basslines on a moog with the other, and supplying backing vocals. Joan was clearly in awe of her band. As was the entire audience.

Joan As Police Woman: go see her. Gig of the year so far – by a country mile.