March 4, 2004

Auf Der Maur : London Islington Carling Academy

Here is a person deliriously in love with music and life, and with enough talent to sustain her momentum...

Fair dos, the very idea of Melissa Auf Der Maur is delicious. A sturdy muso in the form of a grunge Farrah Fawcett, she managed to rudder two of the nineties’ most legendarily chaotic bands without anyone ever really knowing who she was. Somebody really should have thought of dragging the quiet girl into the spotlight before, but the fact that they didn’t – and that she formed and funded this band herself – is the reason we’re not met with a Belinda Carlisle clone, but this staggering display of lust and enchantment.
Because Melissa is a she-rock white witch, the Queen of the same world of which Josh Homme is King. They could have the most fabulously talented ginger children together, but updating the work of Led Zeppelin for the Cave In fans is good enough to be going on with.

Of course, her often brilliant album suffers a little in translation without players like Josh, Brant Bjork and Twiggy Ramirez, but the kookily Byzantine world that Melissa creates around herself is still a heady, and more importantly, heavy place to visit. We’re talking Soundgarden bass with the Bangles sparkle, but given a life of its own by songs – like ‘Would If I Could’ and ‘Taste You’ – that burrow deep enough to become instantly familiar. A great rock show, then, but made a proper pleasure by Melissa’s utter delightfulness: who else could introduce a song as roaring as ‘Followed The Waves’ saying "this is a song about the ocean of love! A treacherous thing… a beautiful thing!" without sounding like she’s failed a Polyphonic Spree audition? Here is a person deliriously in love with music and life, and with enough talent to sustain her momentum. Be aware Melissa Auf Der Maur is the biggest-hearted person in music today. And one of the hardest rocking.

Dan Martin