1,256 NADA SURF, Kevin Devine, Bristol The Fleece, Tuesday 29th November 2022

 

Third night out in Bristol in 5 days, and two in a row on consecutive nights at The Fleece, but this one, as ever with ‘da Surf, was a no-brainer! My 16^th time of asking for my favourite band currently making music on this planet, NYC’s indulgently melodic and supremely talented alt-rockers Nada Surf. I’d last caught up with them immediately before the first Covid lockdown, their March 2020 Electric Ballroom gig in support of most recent release “Never Not Together” earning them top “live” honours for that admittedly shortened year. This one, seemingly a continuation of their truncated 2020 tour, was originally scheduled for February 2022 but postponed until November, as Covid concerns made life difficult for US touring bands at that time. Been awhile a’coming, then, but it’s finally time to Surf again!

This rescheduled date however clashed with England’s key World Cup game with Wales which The Fleece were showing “live” and ticketed, so doors were rearranged for 9! Yikes! So, I picked Stuart up at half time in the footy and hit the road, England going 2-0 up before we’d reached the motorway! We were first in the queue as The Fleece cleared out the occasionally lairy footy massive, but I was getting anxious about the bouncers advising folks with white wristbands, signifying entry to both events, to go down the front! It’s ‘da Surf, that’s MY spot! Luckily there was an opening front centre when we were allowed in at about 10 past, so I gleefully grabbed it. On in short order was solo support Kevin Devine, a welcome addition to the bill for me, as I’d thoroughly enjoyed his strident US college powerpop “live” when our paths crossed about 5 years ago (January 2017, gig 1,020) but had rather shamefully overlooked him since. My mistake. A deadpan introduction dispensed with (“I hope you’re happy with the [footy] results… Nope? Well, it’s only going to get worse from here!”), the intricate picking and tumbling wordage of a light, melancholy “It’s A Trap” immediately impressed, followed up by a more robust and upbeat “Override” and the darker religious critique of “Albatross”. Keeping things necessarily brief due to the late running of the gig (pointedly commenting, “I wish I could spend more time [onstage] to impress upon you my wit and personality – I’m a great guy to know!”) and sensibly choosing songs from his oeuvre that suited the acoustic treatment (though it would have been nice to hear my favourite, the swaggering “Daydrunk”), Kevin delivered a shining vignette of a set, quickly wrapping matters up with a dramatic “Brother’s Blood”, a dark Violent Femmes-like backwoods murder ballad during which he delivered an impassioned off-mic middle-8 rant from the corner of the stage. Impressive stuff – shame he didn’t bring any CDs to buy!

Matt (who’d finally succumbed to the charms of Nada Surf due to the plethora of tracks I’d been putting on my “Best Of” annual compo CDs down the years) had joined us down the front by then, but I only had time for a quick catch up and an equally swift loo trip (during which I bumped into Big Jeff, recently discharged from hospital after his terrible fire ordeal and happily now back gigging) before Matthew Caws led his charges onstage dead on 9.45 (giving me a nod as he noticed me front and centre – oh yes he did!). Straight into the moody opening riff and post-grunge cheerleader sneer of arguably their “millstone” number, 1996’s “Popular”, Matthew dismissively firing off the spoken verse lyric leading into the huge choral hook. “We’re starting with a few old songs; that was 96, this one was 94,” he then announced before the urgent Buzzcocks’ “Boredom”-like punky blast of little-played B-side “Telescope”. A fulsome, bass heavy and brilliantly bouncy “High Speed Soul” followed, before the A-side, the hurtling, change of pace thrill-ride of their 1994 debut single “The Plan”, breathless and brilliant and getting me bouncing along, still uncomfortable stomach be damned. Whoa, what a start!

 

At the risk of repeating myself, Nada Surf were quite magnificent tonight, a joyous, feelgood celebration of all that is wonderfully right about rock’n’roll, the set touching on all aspects and ages of their formidable widescreen canon of work. And as ever played beautifully by this inspiring band: Matthew, the definition of sunshine onstage, shrinking the room as if he’s playing just for you; Daniel, the monolith, coaxing undulating patterns from his bass while languidly swishing his dreads; and Ira, perma-grin playfully etched across his features, all octopus arms and overt gestures, worth the price of admission alone for his entertainment value. A funny exchange between vocalist and drummer about Ira’s tambourine preceded a heartbreaking “Inside Of Love”, the revolving disco ball lights evoking an onstage snowglobe effect and earning a comment of thanks from Matthew to, “Andy on the lights!”; “Matilda” (“from our pandemic-new album!” joked Matthew) was a haunting, angular change of pace; and compliments from the vocalist about Bristol (“I love your record shops… I’d be very poor if I lived here!”) followed a frankly mind-blowingly incendiary “Hyperspace”, for which Ira, as ever, was the hyperspace engine propelling the band into the interstellar void. But for me the absolute zenith amongst a set replete with highlights was “See These Bones”, the opening eerie meander ceding to a circular ascending crescendo, overlaid with the repetitive hook, which was absorbing, evocative and quite outstanding. The driving post-punk effervescence of “Something I Should Do”, during which Matthew understandably resorted to his music stand to read the extensive spoken word denouement, rounded off a breath-taking 1 hour set. The boys then took a break before a emotive encore of “So Much Love”, which put me in mind of my Boston friend and fellow Nada Surf devotee David Mirabella, sadly lost to us earlier this year. But we ended on an uplifting note; their “party” song “Blankest Year”, which featured 2 false finishes – one a huge glam stomp, the other an effects-driven psych-out – was followed by the band abandoning instruments and taking to the front of the stage, Matthew donning an acoustic guitar and leading his cohorts and the crowd in an all-inclusive singalong to “Blizzard Of 77” before departing, work done, Best Gig of 2022 signed, sealed and delivered!

 

That wasn’t it, though – it rarely is with ‘da Surf! Matthew repaired immediately to the merch stand, and after a lengthy wait I got to renew acquaintances with the great man, introduce my 2 favourite Matts to each other, and talk briefly about David Mirabella (a friend of our mutual friend Ed Valauskas). Got the setlist Matthew had handed to me earlier signed by all the band too, waiting for Ira to painstakingly unpack his drumkit (“a roadie’s dream!” he referred to himself as, before showing us his “I’m In Nada Surf” badge, which he wears as he’s often being mistaken for a roadie!), before reluctantly tore ourselves away for a late drive home, back at 20 to 1 (from Bristol? Yikes!). Headachey and knackered the following day but well worth it. A no-brainer, and one for the ages, this, Nada Surf on top form. As I said, quite magnificent!