thu 28/03/2024

World Party, Royal Albert Hall | reviews, news & interviews

World Party, Royal Albert Hall

World Party, Royal Albert Hall

Karl Wallinger's first big live performance in a decade impresses with a jukebox of superior songs

Karl Wallinger: It's his party and he'll cry if he wants to

“A hurricane didn’t stop me getting here,” shouted Barry from Philadelphia, and there were plenty of hard core World Party fans for whom last night at the Albert Hall was a big deal concert – the first proper tour in 10 years, coming on the back of a brick-like five-CD box of unreleased material called Arkeology.

Karl Wallinger (who is for all intents and purposes World Party) had a good excuse – he suffered an aneurysm a decade a ago and for a while couldn’t speak. Last night, though, he was in fine voice. Wallinger never was starry, and certainly doesn’t look it – imagine Griff Rhys Jones as a rock star - but what people were here for was a jukebox of finely crafted pop songs.

There were a few mavericks who came to the fore in the 1980s or just before who were neither glossy and shoulder-padded nor avant-garde alternativists, but who adored pop and were clearly super-bright  – Elvis Costello, David Byrne, Green of Scritti Politti being the obvious example - and Wallinger, although he never had huge hits, was part of that intellectual tendency. 

A sign of great pop is the ability to infuse cliché with meaning

The DNA of the music, and Wallinger’s singing accent, are both mid-Atlantic, and the set started off like a dream bar band from somewhere like Ohio, weirdly reminiscent of pre-punk pub rock with David Duffy’s fiddle adding a country swing. There were Beatles-style harmonies, Laurel Canyon flourishes on his minor hit “Is It Like Today?” and antique soul. A sign of great pop is the ability to infuse cliché with meaning, with choruses asking “How did it come to this?” or“ Is it too late?” somehow weighted with existential import.

In mid-set came the song that enabled Wallinger financially to survive his illness and off-the-road years: “She’s The One”, turned into a worldwide mega-hit by Robbie Williams. Lest we forget, Guy Chambers, who became Williams' co-writer, was once in World Party and some of his songs are distinctly Wallingeresque. There were at least a couple more songs here with which Williams could pole-vault up the charts, songs like “Thank You World” or even Wallinger’s first hit, the gloriously Homeric “Ship of Fools”. Somehow nostalgic, it is strangely put together and very clever, but still manages undeniably to be pop, it was the highlight of the night.

Wallinger alternated between guitar and keyboards and pretended to be chaotic. Behind him the band were highly polished without ever coming across as too slick, with Oasis drummer Chris Sharrock holding things together at the back, with a couple of terrific black singers as backing vocalists.

The concert contained a slight lull, with a country-soul-by-numbers song “Sweet Soul Dream” surprising with its generic banality, but things picked up with a bit of social commentary on “Vanity Fair”, then came a modicum of dirt and anger on the Dylanesque “Who Are You” (but not too much: Wallinger is Welsh after all). The emphasis throughout was on understatement. “I won’t leave it so long next time,” Wallinger said at the end, after 10 years off the road. Barry from Philadelphia was among those hoping he doesn’t.

Wallinger never was starry, and certainly doesn’t look it but what people were here for was a jukebox of finely crafted pop songs

rating

Editor Rating: 
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)

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Comments

we were there for the music of course but first and foremost we went to see if he was ok. we love him. it was a superbly beautiful night, he was on fine voice and great form.thank you world for giving him back to us.

Yes, we love him. Karl seemed genuinely surprised at the love for him - of course we haven't forgotten him or his sublime music, even after 10 years absence from the UK. So good to have him back - a new album for 2013 please - we need some Karl inspiration and commentary please!

saw karl at the first gig at leamington. travelling fom manchester,met him after show to ask him about his health.top man, lovely guy and a music legend. all the best karl and world party, you have been my life for a long, long time. back to manchester and uk soon please.

Putting aside the lazy stereotype, Karl's not actually Welsh...

Does being born & raised in Wales not make someone Welsh (at least a bit?)

I stand corrected. My apologies. It's just a lazy stereotype.

Actually, maybe it's not a lazy stereotype either. I'm a bit tetchy tonight.... :-). Great singer songwriter....

Saw him for the first time ever yesterday as World Party. Spent the entire time thinking why I hadn't seen them before. They were magnificent. Sweet soul dream was actually one of the many highlights. A great night and a great band. Can't wait to see them again. This time I won't wait 25 years!

World Party .... an amazing gig .. John Turnbull played incredible guitar - as all the musicians surrounding Karl were really tight ..

Couldn't agree more - it was an amazing concert. What a fabulous night.

What's this dumbass trying to say when he states: "a couple of terrific black singers as backing vocalists".......... Like skin color matters ?

In a just world,Karl's music would be dominating the charts.

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