I think it is fair to say that if you are a big fan of Alanis (as I am) you will have really enjoyed her London gig last night but if you were not….
Alanis is a talented Canadian singer with a unique voice who sings rather depressing songs about love and loss. Anger features heavily in her lyrics. She had a couple of decent albums in the mid1990’s of which Jagged Little Pill is the best in most peoples eyes. A lot of people will know of her through her most well known hit Ironic (which I don’t actually like much tbh). Following a quiet patch she has a very good new album out Havoc and Bright Lights. Alanis did have a brief forray into acting playing God in the brilliantly brilliant film Dogma.
She was playing at the O2 in North Greenwich (the dome) and it wasn’t full even with the upper tier closed off. The crowd seemed to be a mix of hardcore fans and people who had heard some of her music and thought they’d come. I had a decent seat which cost £50. There were two supports. First up was a mediocre rapper who turned out to be Alanis’s hubby. Alanis joined him on stage for a song or two which I missed as I had grown bored of his tunes and gone for a walk. Second support were Athlete who played an excellent set -really enjoyed them – dare I say almost as much as the main event.
And so – eventually – Alanis came and did her stuff. She started at about 9.15 and sang the first number from offstage. Not entirely sure why. First proper track on stage was Woman Down off her new album. Alanis was suitably attired in tight glittery jeans and black shirt with her waist length hair. She was shorter and than I expected but she bounced around well.
The first few songs were played at full volume and I couldn’t hear her voice well enough and felt the levels should have been adjusted a bit but that’s just my opinion. I love her new track Guardian which she performed really well. She then played Mary Jane which was ace – I much prefer her quieter tracks. A few tracks later came the obligatory Ironic which as I say I don’t actually like very much (heard it too much?) but it went down well in the arena with just about everyone singing along – including me.
A word at this point about my fellow attendees – pillocks mainly. 1) Two blokes behind and to the right of me who spent the whole time talking loudly to each other and who eventually started a commotion and were ejected 2) two other blokes who started right at the back of my block then came and sat behind me on the left and kept making noise and who where involved in the commotion with the other two and who were also ejected 3) People who spend the whole time walking in and out of the arena 4) people drinking far too much beer and as a result getting stupid (see 1 and 2) and 5) people who leave before it has finished. Rant over.
The next stand-out track for me was Uninvited which was loud but agreeably so and is a great track. A couple more tracks and she was done for the main event. As soon as she left the stage a flock of roadies started moving the kit about which sort of made me think it might actually be over but it wasn’t.
Some low key kit was brought on and a comfy stool and Alanis and the band came back and played a couple of ‘acoustic’ tracks including the brilliant Your House which she sang completely unaccompanied. I was hopeful that she would sing I Would Be Good at this point and was gutted that she didn’t as that is probably my favorite Alanis track. Oh well.
The roadies then removed all the extra kit and Alanis came on to sing one last track – Thank U – which went down well although lots of people had either gone or were going – which is highly rude in my view. But what do I know.
And that was it. Not the best concert I’ve been too but not the worst. The pratts around me made me enjoy it less but despite all that I was glad I went and I’m glad I’ve got to see Alanis as she is a great singer. I was out of the O2 and home by tube, train and car to Southend in a little over an hour which was a bonus – especially when I had to get up at 5am to go to work.
Oh – and I had a crispy beef and noodle box and a pint of Becks from one of the outlets in the O2 at £9 and £4.50 respectively. The beef and noodles was not worth £9 so don’t bother if you are tempted.
Next concert for me is Eels in March at the Brixton Academy – now that will be brilliant – as they were when I saw them last year 🙂
Credit for the videos included here goes to fabiom321
Full setlist:
- I Remain (1st Segue)
- Woman Down
- All I Really Want
- You Learn
- Guardian
- Mary Jane
- Receive
- Right Through You
- So Pure
- Ironic
- Havoc
- Head over Feet
- Lens
- I remain (3rd Segue)
- Uninvited
- You Oughta Know
- Numb
Encore:
- Hand In My Pocket
- Your House
Second Oncore:
- Thank U
andrew kenyon photography 