Harvey Williams - Luminaire, London, 10/8/2007

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 24 / 8 / 2007

intro

Anthony Strutt finds a set at the Luminaire from former Field Mice and Trembling Blue Stars Harvey Williams worth making the trip across London for, but is equally impressed by support band the Dreamers who were playing their first gig

The Dreamers are a new Anglo/Swedish duo who tonight are making their live debut. The band features Kevin Wright and Sarah Nyberg Pergament. Kevin has been recording for 20 years now and his previous projects include Always and Mr Wright, while Sarah is a lot younger and also works under the moniker of Action Biker ,with which she will also be releasing an album soon on Friendly Noise Records, the same label that have picked up the Dreamers. Tonight the band are playing as a four piece with a hired extra set of hands on drums and Toby Robinson, who is a producer and looks old enough to the father of any band member, on bass and keyboards. The Dreamers come on stage to the Velvet Underground's 'She's My Best Friend', and instantly hold the crowd's attention. The set is a mere 30 minutes but there is enough depth and understanding of the word songcraft here to put shame to the average indie wannabes who just want to get in the charts. They open with 'One Day in the Woods', which has a jangly guitar and a very soft female vocal from Sarah that reminds me of Nico or Trish Keenan from Broadcast. She sings this tale of woodland life very elegantly. The second track isn't announced but, once more woodlands based, has more of a Velvet Underground feel. The gently paced 'Piccadilly Night Bus' recalls Mojave 3 and is sung by Kevin, while Sarah provides gentle backing vocals on it. Next up is a song sung beautifully in French by Sarah, while the track after that has a much bigger sound and sounds more again like the Velvet Underground with its very weird but wonderful bass lines. 'Michael' is a tribute to the one guy in the audience with that name, and is a song about a chap called Michael, who runs away and doesn't understand or like himself. 'Night and Day' has a Kevin vocal,deep bass lines and cool guitar licks, while the closer of the set, 'All Across the City' sounds like a perky combination of the Velvet Underground and Mojave 3. This is very promising material from this new project indeed. Harvey Williams is the guy who has brought me to the venue tonight. He used to be in Another Sunny Day, a legendary Sarah band, which was his own project before he joined the Field Mice. Later still he was in Trembling Blue Stars, although he isn't with them anymore. He also has a solo career. His set is even shorter than the Dreamers lasting just 26 minutes. Half his set he plays on piano, while the other half he plays on guitar. He is a bit full of himself, which, while I haven't seen him on stage since the Field Mice in 1991, is always the impression I have always had of him when I have seen him out and about since then. He has no new album to promote, although his last solo album, 'California', came out in about 1999. This is, however, a short set full of observations on life from a still keen record buyer, who knows there is a difference between men and women and that it is hard for him to get along together. The classic 'In Love With a Girl That Doesn't Know I Exist' gets a rare live outing and it is worth it just for that and the long journey to the Luminaire on this hot and sweaty Friday night. Harvey Williams Set List : Don't Shout at Me Eurostar When Your Boyfriend's Not Around Upstream Boychart Horseriding In love With a Girl That Doesn't Know I Exist Rio You Should All Be Murdered Second Chance

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