Best Coast at The Borderline

Best Coast
Fear Of Men
The Borderline, 18 September 2012

Apparently Best Coast are pretty cool right now: they've been on the cover of trendy magazines, the hipster blogs love them and singer Bethany Cosentino has even designed a range of clothes for the yawn-inducingly hip clothes chain Urban Outfitters. So by all rights I shouldn't be here, I feel worryingly out of place until I spot a bunch of older gentlemen who obviously have no clue who the band are and have been persuaded to come along by their younger friend who appears to be the only fan among them. Still, despite this I can't help enjoying Best Coast's sunny, feel-good surf-pop and I'm looking forward to seeing them play the tiny Borderline as part of a brief low-key tour of smaller venues.

Hawksley Workman at The Borderline

Hawksley Workman
The Borderline, 15 June 2012

I've pretty much comes to terms with the fact that seeing Hawksley Workman these days is not about hearing songs from his latest album or surprise additions to the set list. Instead it's about hearing old favourites from his first few albums with lots of audience participation and letting Hawksley tell funny stories in between. And you know, it's a formula that works and is always fun plus, with all Hawksley's often surreal ad-libs and spontaneous additions of other pop songs, it's definitely never boring and the songs always sound different.

Jonathan Wilson, Dawes and Jackson Browne at The Borderline

Jonathan Wilson with special guest Jackson Browne

Dawes

The Borderline, 20 July 2011

After years of going to gigs sometimes you think you've seen it all and then something happens to totally surprise you. Like going to see two largely unknown artists in a tiny club for just seven quid and having a rock legend, who you paid £50 to see in a huge venue a couple of years ago, turn up and turn a great gig into one of the best shows of the year. Thanks to the appearance of the legendary Jackson Browne about halfway through this is one gig I won't be forgetting soon.

Tift Merritt at The Borderline

Tift Merritt

Simon Lynge

The Borderline, 4 July 2011

It's funny, I think I had forgotten just how petite and lovely Tift Merritt is because when she walks on stage I'm surprised at how small and beautiful she is. Wearing tights, black shorts and a sailor-style top, she seems over-dressed for the warm weather but she tells us our London heatwave would be considered mild in her hometown of North Carolina. Tonight she seems more excited than the last the last time I saw her live, filled with a nervous energy that somehow enhances her performance.

Caitlin Rose at The Borderline

Caitlin Rose

Treetop Flyers

The Borderline, 7 March 2011

It's interesting how the mood of a performer can affect the show. A bad mood doesn't necessarily mean a bad show, sometimes an angry artist can make for a more intense, powerful show (check out a pissed off Neil Young or an upset Cedric of The Mars Volta for evidence). However, with Caitlin Rose tonight the change of mood seemed to come over her midway through the gig and it was odd to see the feisty and defiant singer suddenly become timid and guarded.

Hawksley Workman at The Borderline

Hawksley Workman

Roken Is Dodelijk

The Borderline, 14 February 2011

I've always wondered just why Hawksley Workman isn't a huge star. He writes clever, funny and incredibly tuneful pop songs that are just on the right side of offbeat, sung with a powerful, soaring voice and in concert he's a true showman, full of amusing stories and slightly surreal banter. I can only assume it's because he's not as classically good looking as the Jeff Buckleys and Rufus Wainwrights of the world, especially now with his slightly chubby face and receding hairline. But live he's somehow transformed, he looks younger, like an adorable little schoolboy who can't believe what he's getting away with. "I get to live inside my head for a living," at one point he admits grinning.

M. Ward at The Borderline

M. Ward

The Borderline, 25 February 2009

Two days later, after what I thought would undoubtedly be my gig of the year with Neko's outstanding Bush Hall show, I made my way to Charing Cross Road to see Matt Ward with his band. Funnily enough the last time I had seen him live was supporting Neko with an entirely acoustic set and he had blown me away with a chilling version of Daniel Johnston's Story Of An Artist played on piano. The shy Mr Ward arrived on stage by himself with just his guitar and immediately entranced the audience with three stark, acoustic numbers beginning with Hold Time, moving onto Lullaby and Chinese Translation.

Don McGlashan at The Borderline

This cool photo is from nznewsuk

Don McGlashan

The Borderline, 22 January 2009

Performing acoustically but this time flying solo, was former frontman of one of New Zealand's finest ever musical exports, The Mutton Birds, Mr Don McGlashan.