This is the McBusted for a new generation. A moment not too similar to Neil Young joining David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. Black Midi, the Hellfire-reigning powerhouse fronted by Geordie Greep now on hiatus and Black Country, New Road, now completely reworking its members and song, are heard here on a fascinating album. Their self-titled Black Midi, New Road piece is a phenomenon. From a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run to a series of improvised and genuinely charmed covers of left-field Christmas classics, the aim of this performance is artistic liberation in the face of a global pandemic. A chance to head back onto the stage after so many months away from it. The Brixton Windmill is blessed with a roster of raw talent and to hear it made good on here is an essential, satisfying listen.
An improv fundraiser may have theatrical dramatics written all over it but in the hands of two bands which defined a London scene, it is hard not to love the improvised instrumentals, the slow crawl into Elton John and Springsteen covers. Their playing style goes hand in hand, an intimacy usually reserved for playing around in recording studios and breaks is presented live on stage over an hour. The first of two improvised tracks is a barnstormer, reliant on percussion and brass as a foundation not just for this section of fiddling with tempo and musical synchronisation but as a test of where the show can go from here. All of this good faith is laid on the line with a powerful Snowglobes performance. A vocal performance drowned out by the crashing drums and instrumental variety on the show becomes the cacophony of noise Ants from Up There rip was crying out for.
Muddle through the half-hour improv spot, as most of the musicians on stage did at the time, and find some solace in the rewards to follow. An intense cover of Born to Run and a vague run of Coldplay’s The Scientist can be found within. Despite the merge of both bands on a one-off show, there is a sense of defiance to them both, a mystique which still runs through the Black Midi, New Road and Geordie Greep shows of the modern-day. A sense of defiance in the face of audience expectations prevails. It is why Black Midi, New Road gets away with a half-hour instrumental which could be likened to noise rock or tuning in places. Where parts of Black Midi, New Road sounds like messy filler, they can always fall on the goodwill of charitable acts as a line of defence.
What Black Midi, New Road proves is most covers are about feeling and momentum more than anything else. Born to Run is a mess, Immigrant Song is off-key and fails to find a steady tempo, but they are great fun. Their hopes of inflicting this excitement on an audience pay off. It remains a fascinating listen. A spread of Christmas covers where the differences of the band, particularly their vocals, are laid bare, is more than enough for most listeners. Step Into Christmas remains a flustered example of the improvised sound collapsing. Ultimately this is the feel-good camaraderie of the stage, of coming together for an overwhelming good. By the time a cover of Forget You rolls around, there is a sense of tongue-in-cheek charm to the performance which may alienate or overwhelm a listener. Whatever the case, Black Midi, New Road is a fascinating listen.
