Live Review: Liam Finn Mumuration @ The Lexington.

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Liam Finn is a force to be reckoned with. In the first of his 4 Murmuration residency shows at the Lexington, he brings his crew of old friends, new band mates The Dream Team including his brother Elroy on drums and longtime collaborator singer Eliza Jane Barnes to create a very memorable night.

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Eschewing the usual support act for a ‘play’ (in reality, more of a funny idea involving Connan Mockasin as a lizardy music teacher who mistakes a male student with a blonde wig perched on his head for a female – hi-jinx ensue) in Boston ‘N Dobson a play by Blake and Connan.

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Followed by a faux comedy club Kool Komedy Klub reads their spray painted sign, the call for jokes from the audience is put out and none other than James Blake tells one about corduroy.

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

James Blake  with Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

This sets up the communal vibe nicely as Liam Finn shows are nothing if not inclusive; of the audience and of his friends who lend a hand throughout, whether it’s smearing something (oil?) on Finn’s chest and fitting a sparkly bolero-ish jacket on him for a number in the crowd or sharing a mic on the intensely raw I’ll Be Lightning, we feel like we’re included in this close group of friends.

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Connan Mockasin is never far from the stage, playing guitar, singing, hitting the swirly noise maker thing, making eyes at Liam.

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Connan Mockasin playing with Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Despite the goofy antics, the music is as strong as ever and songs like Helena Bonham Carter and Ocean Emmanuelle (“about discovering the soft core 70’s film Emmanuelle when you’re 11”) from the new album The Nihilist both go places you don’t expect and remind us how much talent this kid has.

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Liam FInn at The Lexington on Sept 1, 2014. Mumuration residency. (Rachel Lipsitz)

Words and Photography by Rachel Lipsitz 1st September 2014. Rachel is a gifted photographer and has her own website here: http://www.littletrousers.com/

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000syMkL_IuMiI” g_name=”Liam-Finn” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

Dexys (Sandra Vijandi)

Oh Geno! Dexys Divide The Crowd At The London Palladium

With the promise of a full performance of their first album in seven years, it’s easy to see why the long-standing...
Black Spiders

New Black Spiders Tour Blows The Cobwebs Away

Hard rock band Black Spiders have been around for a while. Having formed in 2008, they delivered a brace of well...
Triumph Of Death (Roland Moeck)

Tom Gabriel Warrior’s Triumph Of Death Announce Hellhammer Live Album

The impact of Swiss extreme metal forefathers Hellhammer is one that still resonates around the global metal scene...
Jungle (Filmawi)

Jungle Announce Major Outdoor Manchester Show

UK production duo Jungle have announced a major outdoor summer show headlining Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl on...
BLACK GRAPE 2023 PROMO SHOT BY PAUL HUSBAND scaled

Black Grape Declare Pimp Wars

Black Grape have just dropped Pimp Wars, the second single to be taken from their forthcoming album Orange Head which...
Punk Rock Factory (Press)

Punk Rock Factory Take The Fun Down Under

Punk Rock Factory are a band on the rise. Their seventh album of pop punk covers has just been released, and the...
The Courettes @ The 100 Club (Pauline Di Silvestro)

The Courettes Close Their UK Tour With A Dynamite Double Header

This show at the 100 club was the last night of The Courettes current UK tour, ahead of their upcoming US leg that...
Chris Shiflett of "The Churnups" @ Glastonbury Festival 2023 (Kalpesh Patel)

Foo Fighter Chris Shiflett Sits Down With Nile Rodgers

On the newest episode of the Shred with Shifty Podcast, Foo Fighters guitarist and Honky-Tonk frontman Chris Shiflett...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing