Anjani at the Pigalle Club
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:37 pm
(I've posted a version ofthis on Anjani's site already, but I thought I'd put it here, too)
Finally...this was the first time that I have seen Anjani, perform live, and what a wonderful evening! It was also my first visit to the Pigalle Club, which had a welcoming aura on such a miserable, wet, night. The winding and interweaving staircases there are something of a maze, and the general lay-out is not exactly user-friendly. Clearly it is essentially a dining venue, and an ornate petition, partially obstructs half the diners view of the stage. Those who book "sans diner" have two options - either of staying near the bar at the back, and seeing little, or cramming into an aisle at the side, where there is a perpetual flow of human traffic. Arriving at 7.30pm, myself and Julie who accompanied me, opted for the latter. We stood as near to the front as possible, and befriended Roy who had arrived slightly earlier. Soon we were joined by Roy's friend and Derek Lyons (who I had not seen for years).
The support was a young Scottish lady and her friend, who made a pleasant enough sound. Then at approximately 9.45...the moment we had been waiting for - Anjani and her band. Fortunately my worst fears fwere unfounded, and a hushed silence came over the audience, who paid rapt attention to Anjani's music, and stayed quite still. Apart from one loud clatter by a waiter and one prominent sneeze, the audience remained remarkably quiet.
I'm not usually one to write down set-lists, but if my memory serves me well, Anjani began with "No One After You", and "Innermost Door" followed by "Golden Gate". The latter was the first of Anjani's songs to really grab my attention on her album, and
at The Pigalle it sounded superb. Anjani went on to play the whole of her album, and three other Leonard songs. As expected the first two of these were "Smokey Life" and " Gypsy's Wife" from Leonard's still-underrated masterpiece "Recent Songs". Both sounded great, though I must admit I am not overkeen on the pronouced percussion section of "Gypsy's Wife". To the contrary, I very much appreciated the contribution of the musician who took to the stage briefly to play a saw with a bow, in a masterful fashion.
Since every track on "Blue Alert" is a gem, I have found that different tracks stand out for me at different times. At Pigalle, I found that "Crazy To Love You" stood out for me (I woke up today with it on my mind) and I also really appreciated "The Mist" - even though these two tracks are not the ones I would normally list as my favourites. "Never Got to Love You" was strong, even though I missed hearing Leonard's voice on it. Anjani finished her set with "Thanks For the Dance" and played two encores - the achingly beautiful "Nightingale" and a lovely version of "Whither Thou Goest".
Anjani's live performance lived up to all my highest expectations...she combines sophistication with both sensuality and spirituality. After the show, she was extremely warm and generous to the (surely overwhelming!) throng of admirers who gathered around her. She made time to chat, pose for pictures, and to sign autographs.
It was great to see my friends Jim Devlin and Celia there, along with many other well-known faces. Julie Felix reminded me that the short guy with glasses was the legendary Sixties DJ, Jeff Dexter. It occurred to me that it that all three of us had been present at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival, when Anjani was just ten years old!
Once again, a wonderful evening....may there be many more!
Love to all, John
Finally...this was the first time that I have seen Anjani, perform live, and what a wonderful evening! It was also my first visit to the Pigalle Club, which had a welcoming aura on such a miserable, wet, night. The winding and interweaving staircases there are something of a maze, and the general lay-out is not exactly user-friendly. Clearly it is essentially a dining venue, and an ornate petition, partially obstructs half the diners view of the stage. Those who book "sans diner" have two options - either of staying near the bar at the back, and seeing little, or cramming into an aisle at the side, where there is a perpetual flow of human traffic. Arriving at 7.30pm, myself and Julie who accompanied me, opted for the latter. We stood as near to the front as possible, and befriended Roy who had arrived slightly earlier. Soon we were joined by Roy's friend and Derek Lyons (who I had not seen for years).
The support was a young Scottish lady and her friend, who made a pleasant enough sound. Then at approximately 9.45...the moment we had been waiting for - Anjani and her band. Fortunately my worst fears fwere unfounded, and a hushed silence came over the audience, who paid rapt attention to Anjani's music, and stayed quite still. Apart from one loud clatter by a waiter and one prominent sneeze, the audience remained remarkably quiet.
I'm not usually one to write down set-lists, but if my memory serves me well, Anjani began with "No One After You", and "Innermost Door" followed by "Golden Gate". The latter was the first of Anjani's songs to really grab my attention on her album, and
at The Pigalle it sounded superb. Anjani went on to play the whole of her album, and three other Leonard songs. As expected the first two of these were "Smokey Life" and " Gypsy's Wife" from Leonard's still-underrated masterpiece "Recent Songs". Both sounded great, though I must admit I am not overkeen on the pronouced percussion section of "Gypsy's Wife". To the contrary, I very much appreciated the contribution of the musician who took to the stage briefly to play a saw with a bow, in a masterful fashion.
Since every track on "Blue Alert" is a gem, I have found that different tracks stand out for me at different times. At Pigalle, I found that "Crazy To Love You" stood out for me (I woke up today with it on my mind) and I also really appreciated "The Mist" - even though these two tracks are not the ones I would normally list as my favourites. "Never Got to Love You" was strong, even though I missed hearing Leonard's voice on it. Anjani finished her set with "Thanks For the Dance" and played two encores - the achingly beautiful "Nightingale" and a lovely version of "Whither Thou Goest".
Anjani's live performance lived up to all my highest expectations...she combines sophistication with both sensuality and spirituality. After the show, she was extremely warm and generous to the (surely overwhelming!) throng of admirers who gathered around her. She made time to chat, pose for pictures, and to sign autographs.
It was great to see my friends Jim Devlin and Celia there, along with many other well-known faces. Julie Felix reminded me that the short guy with glasses was the legendary Sixties DJ, Jeff Dexter. It occurred to me that it that all three of us had been present at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival, when Anjani was just ten years old!
Once again, a wonderful evening....may there be many more!
Love to all, John
. Thank you so much for it. Ha. Wish I'd seen the the saw and bow. You're so right on all the elements that Anjani brings to her performance. Your account takes me back to New York City. Thanks for the trip 
.
