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Hefner: The Hymn For Domesticity
Hefner prove that live they are anything but lifeless.
10 november 2001, Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
Tekst: Marjolein den Hartog
Beeld: Marjolein den Hartog
Publicatiedatum: 10 november 2001
The new Hefner album 'Dead Media' seemed very un-Hefner upon first listening. But after giving it a few more chances, the penny eventually dropped. Time to check out how this all sounds in a live-version. The upstairs room at the Paradiso was pretty crowded (which is quite usual actually, because it's such a tiny, intimate room), and after most people told each other the latest gossip about their neighbour screwing the nanny or something like that, the crowd stopped blabbing and started listening to all of the catchy songs. Some people even sang along at the top of their voice. The curious thing was that these were the people you would least expect to be at a Hefner gig and to know even the lyrics of their songs. They were more like domestic men-about-the-house who lived their second youth after bringing their kids to bed and dropping their wives at a clay-modelling course.
The crowd also accepted the 'Dead Media' songs like 'Trouble Kid' and 'The Nights Are Long' as if they were typical Hefner songs. And it must be said: It was all Hefner, and you didn't even notice the difference between their old and new material at the live gig. It all mangled into a very nice, inspiring, and enthusiastic performance, with 'The Sad Witch', 'The Hymn for the Cigarettes', and 'Love Will Destroy Us in the End' as personal highlights. It is a pity, though, that most of the live songs lack the layered structure of the recorded versions. These little noises and bleeps, together with Darren Hayman's somewhat out-of-tune voice and the naive adolescent lyrics, are what make the Hefner sound.
Despite the absence of these layers, there was enough happening on stage to ensure that both the
eyes and ears were kept amused. When Jack Hayter sat down with his lap steel, he seemed to be in a
very different world, far away (perhaps drinking a cup of tea with Alan Bean - the hero of one of
their singles - on the moon) and completely immersed in his own playing. This gig furthermore
revealed that the band could in no way do without their bass player John Morrison. John made a
mistake during the intro of a song, leaving the rest of the band not knowing what to do. Darren
confessed that John is actually the only one who really knows the songs. That night the crowd was
lucky to be a witness of his "first mistake ever".
Suddenly a dreadlocked squatter/traveller-type came out of nowhere to sit down at the side of the stage, uninterested, with his back turned to the band. This didn't seem to distract Darren and company, but they found it quite funny when the guy seemingly fainted and fell from the stage onto the floor. Although it might be cool to pretend not liking a band playing live, he probably was pretty impressed by the show. Or did he just enjoy too much of all the treats Amsterdam has to offer?
Hefner obviously enjoyed the gig in the long run, which marks a refreshing change compared with other bands, who often just stand there and run down their repertoire in one go with no passion. So, while their record might be titled 'Dead Media', Hefner prove that live they are anything but lifeless.
http://www.kindamuzik.net/live/hefner/hefner-the-hymn-for-domesticity/1000/
Meer Hefner op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/hefner
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