2004-11-27 NME

2004-11-15 London, England | Bush Hall

photo by Flutterby

Recorded by the talented and generous BloodRoses:

Intro
Dance Anthem of the 80s
Carbon Monoxide
Time Is All Around
interlude
The Virgin Queen
Poor Little Rich Boy
Blue Lips
interlude
Bobbing for Apples
interlude
That Time
Après Moi
interlude
Uh-merica
interlude
Hero (of the Story)
interlude
Ghost of Corporate Future
Summer in the City
interlude
Samson

This show earned a 5-star review from The Guardian and features the first (and, to date, only) known performance and recording of The Virgin Queen.

2004-11-13 NME

Let's go to quirk

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Words: Imran Ahmed in London
Photographs: Ed Miles in London

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Devendra Banhart, Rufus Wainwright, Joanna Newsom and Regina Spektor are so cool they give singer-songwriters a good name. And that name is quirky-somethings

[...] So, quite clearly, one thing the quirkies have in common with Motown is that they • ingest tabs of psychedelic mind-funk by the bucket- load, right? RIGHT?

"I think that's a personal issue," mumbles Rufus, a man who previously has spoken frankly about his crystal meth addiction. Regina is equally guarded, squeaking: "I don't wanna say anything about that, it's private."

[...]

Regina Spektor

Describe yourself as a personal ad: "Bronx mastermind reborn as Manhattanite, seeks to live in apartment with piano. And a fire escape."

Need to know: Has toured with The Strokes (last Christmas in the UK) and Kings Of Leon. Has a song that goes, "Someone next door is fucking to one of my songs" about life on the road with the latter.

2004-11 Gigwise.com

Tuesday 09/11/04 Regina Spektor @ Night and Day, Manchester

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by Daniel Pratley

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Acting sweetly can get you a long way if you’re a lady. Blunder your way through songs, hitching and snagging each note and then top it with a cutesy smile and you're excused. Well you’d be forgiven for believing this backhanded tactic is employed by Regina Spektor but the truth is she need not hide behind the guise. The fact that she chooses to act the sweetest fool while delivering syrup soaked vocals is a mystery and somewhat irritating. This is the only fault in tonight’s set and quite frankly its not really worth mentioning because tonight Regina’s niggles of embarrassment and doused state (painkillers) play needle to her talented haystack.

The Russian born, New York raised quirky folkster inhabits a world somewhere close to Tori Amos matched with the lyrical comic attributes of Jeffrey Lewis, and it sounds great. She effortlessly quavers and trills whilst simultaneously bludgeoning a chair and banging a piano (‘Poor little rich boy’), no mean feat and quite a spectacle. Often conjuring sexually charged images (‘Hero’) she harbours a realistic approach that touches the psyche of most listeners, resulting in her authentically rich tapestry of experiences being presented in a refreshingly frank way. Although bestowing us with her timid exterior she seizes no hostages whilst calling for quiet at the venue, the result is instant peace.

Regina delights the small assembly to a set consisting of mainly new material, flitting between guitar, piano and chair ‘beating’ leaving some perplexed at her reluctance to perform her most well known tunes, later she informs us she will return “when I’ve practised them”.

‘Carbon Monoxide’ highlights Regina’s individual idiosyncratic singing style: sometimes whispered sometimes growled, whilst all the time pleading to be understood in a childishly naive sort of way. ‘The Virgin Queen’ stands dangerously close to Amos, which is by no means a criticism more a compliment on vocal dexterity, she even manages what sounds like a muslim chant come the end, yeah…it’s pretty surreal. But not as odd as her "ode" to "uncle Bobby" or as we know him Bob Dylan, it’s a strange innocent statement of appreciation to someone she obviously admires, done in the most cringey heartfelt way it’s almost uncomfortable to witness. Last tune ‘Secret Stash’ with a chorus of beat box noises is again bizarre but somehow works. Tonight it all works, although in an innocently peculiar kind of way.

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Photo by Daniel Pratley