Julia Holter

Pre script 1: The saxophone
I don't know what it is about the saxophone but it is undoubtedly my least favourite instrument. Whether it's asthmatically providing atmosphere or honking away, as upbeat as a drunken uncle dancing at a wedding, it has marred many a Duran Duran 12" for me and a large proportion of Gary Numan's 80s output. My first wife's brother once said to me "I've never heard anything played on the saxophone that wouldn't sound better on electric guitar" and I count that as one of the few genuine pieces of wisdom that I've heard in my life.

Pre script 2: The double bass
Up until 1985, my appreciation of the double bass was pretty limited. If you'd asked me about it, I would have thought of orchestras and also Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, and that would have been about it. But in 1985, Kate Bush released 'The Hounds Of Love'/'The Ninth Wave' and I slowly fell in love with the instrument via the contributions made by Danny Thompson and Eberhard Weber.

Julia Holter

This evening, the Minx and I met up with Charlie to go and see Julia Holter playing at Manchester Cathedral, which is a beautiful venue. I first came across Holter when my friend Tony came on the radio show and played one of her tracks from the album 'Ekstasis', which I went on to buy, followed by 'Loud City Song' (2013) and 'Have You In My Wilderness' (2015).

We arrived at the venue in time to grab a drink before the band came on stage, which is pretty much perfect timing in my book. I was dismayed to see a saxophone player come to the fore, although correspondingly delighted to see a double bass player.

It took me a couple of songs to get into the gig; I found Holter to be a little too self-consciously kooky. But soon enough the music took over and my favourite parts were most certainly the extended instrumental passages, which sounded semi-improvised. In fact, I could have listened to those all evening. 

In the end, the songs and performance became a little too samey, though, and we left after an hour or so. Which isn't to say that it wasn't a good gig, it was simply that the lack of variety threatened to spoil how much I had enjoyed it up until then.

Post script: The saxophone
Although I should add that I love Lee Thompson's sax playing unreservedly. Seeing him and his ska orchestra was a Glastonbury highlight for me.