St. George’s Church, 11th June

The walk at sunset to St George’s Church from Brighton city centre is a long but pleasant stroll. Leave the bustle of St James’ Street behind, get in character and enjoy it. It’s easy to assume the persona of an Americana-loving lonesome cowboy up here. As The Byrds on the MP3 player sing about catching a chestnut mare “up on the stony ridge”, all is well. It’s intimate acoustic time people; let’s do this.

Isobel Campbell used to lead Gentle Waves and is an ex-member of Belle and Sebastian. A couple of years ago she ditched the twee-pop to make an album with grizzled American king of darkness Mark Lanegan, he of Screaming Trees and sometime singer in Queens Of The Stone Age.

So far, so weird. ‘Ballad Of The Broken Seas’ was a small triumph, a hushed gem featuring Lee ’n’ Nancy-style vocal interplay over folk, country and sparse acoustic pop. This year, the duo reunited to record ‘Sunday at Devil Dirt’ and did it all over again. The grand old church was rammed and the lack of air-conditioning meant that everybody knew it. When the twosome and well-drilled band took to the stage, the anticipation in the St George’s oven reached boiling point.

And then… Well, not much really happened. Lanegan and Campbell stood stock still, didn’t say a word nor acknowledge one another. They also stuck rigidly to the songbook like God himself might strike them down if a bum-note were played in the holy house. This was a real shame. The two girls next to me whispered “Just bloody say something woman!” and it’s a sentiment the whole venue was likely thinking. Granted, this isn’t a KISS concert and Lanegan can get away with towering and growling like some slightly peeved statue, but would it be too much to say “Hello”?

Things picked up a little with their whip-cracking cover of Hank Williams’ ‘Ramblin’ Man’, but it seemed too little too late. It was not a phoned-in performance, more like a really well-written letter…about council tax.

Words by Tom Hall
Photos by Sam Hiscox