Magic Pixie Newton Faulkner

We went to Newton Faulkner on Monday. I love going to the Olympia, it still feels like such a theatre – I really think it’s the best venue in Dublin still. Last time we saw NF he was playing in the Village, which wasn’t such a nice venue. This time he had a band with him, and an extremelly original support band. I went with my husband and his two band mates. The support was already on when we came in, as we’d stuffed our faces in Subway first – my other half is a fan of the foot-long Meatball...

Angus and Julia Stone were great. It’s such a treat to come across a good support band. Added value. When I came in first, a barefoot girl in a floaty dress was piping into the mic, while her girly brother swayed beside her – and I thought, oh no, weirdy weirdy. But it was good-weirdy. She plays guitar, keyboards, trumpet and god knows what else – he sings in a soft girly but lovely voice and plays guitar and a wonderful wooden slide guitar that was atmospsheric and evocative. Her voice is all husky candy, and gets scary and intense when appropriate. My singer friend was transfixed – ‘She’s like a fairy!’ She was, really. They announced themselves as brother and sister but I would have guessed anyway – they made me think of a pair of genius twins, incredibly close, but she can deal with the world far better than her shy retiring brother, who’s a little eccentric, better with maths and music than people. He needs her more than she needs him but she’s very loyal. They might possibly have a slightly incestuous relationship... I’m just making soap opera up here, but I could see it all...

Hah! I just went to check out their website and while Angus may talk like Michael Jackson, he's actually gorgeous. I take it all back about the incest! You'll haveto excuse me, we were very far away! Check out their myspace.

wasted video clip


Anyway, they were great. Newton was the business as well – My husband liked him better without the band, didn’t think they were that good, thought the bass was too much – I’m not that discerning, I just thought it was great for dancing to. And the really exciting bit was that rather than being up in the gods where I’d got tickets for, Midget Wrangler kindly invited me down to her box, right at the side of the stage! Magic! In the Village I could see the top of his head if I craned, on Monday I could see that he’s getting quite cuddly from all the touring fast food, presumably, he has a little pot belly you’d love to rub up against . Watching his fingers on the guitar was awe-inspiring, it reminded me of acupuncturists checking for pressure points. Again, I have to admit it just made me think of how good he’d be in bed!

But maybe I’m wrong – he was getting drunken horny heckling from a couple girls in the front, ‘You’re coming home with us! You’re coming home with us!’ And he went bright red and ummed and err-ed, and had absolutely no rejoinders, god bless him. Midge wonders if he went to public school. He’d clearly be far better off coming home with us mammies, we’d look after him. Midge thinks he’s a magic pixie.
I thought the songs were beautiful, especially ‘For God’s Sake’, that’s going to be on the next album, beautiful lyrics. And he played some new, astonishingly difficult music that was just gorgeous. He’s noticed that the audiences don’t actually mind when he messes up, we like the humour of it – I’m always trying to get this across to my husband when he’s grumpy after a gig he’s deemed below par. Last time Newton had to stop and rearrange his pants, this time his mobile rang and caused feedback – such a modern phenomenon, while I imagined the pants problem is as old as, well, underwear. They had an actual hovering UFO for the UFO song. I WANT one! As always, he was funny, and sweet, and genius and entertaining. Great job.

I felt bad being in the box without the Husband. But part of me just thought, what difference does it make? He tends to watch gigs with is arms crossed manfully, listening intently – not so much dancing or cuddling or chat. His drummer asked if I wanted to move back beside him after he came back from having a smoke, and laughingly suggested we could have a cuddle. I always feel like such a fraud when people say that sort of thing, because it just doesn’t happen anymore. And it’s embarrassing, because I want it so much, I mind so much. I would so love to be at a gig, and be able to hold my lover’s hand, or kiss him during a song I love or that has meaning for me. But what can you do? He asked me what if he can’t give me what I want (I’m assuming this is the sort of thing he means). I suppose the answer is I just go through my life feeling like a lonely fraud.

Anyhoo, I had a disposable camera Midge got during the blog awards so I took loads of photos – but I won’t wait to get them developed as that may take rather a long time. I have to say, being old now, often by the end of a gig I’m hopping to get home – but I could have sat through another one on top this time. I can’t wait to see him again. Hopefully The Juice will get to play Oxygen and will befriend him!