Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Venue: Gala Hala, Metelkova, Ljubljana
Concert date: 18.11.2009
Attendance: 0
On Thursday most music-hungry folks were rushing to Hala Tivoli, where the charming Eros Ramazzotti was playing, though the ticket price was anything but charming. Me, I obviously wanted to get past that scene as fast as possible and make it to Gala Hala, where three outstanding musicians from Woven Hand, led by Crazy Horse himself, David Eugene Edwards, were paying us a visit. Every time I hear his name, I think of the end of the world, the four horsemen of the apocalypse and similar dark medieval imagery, which is of course a killer combination for those of us who experience music as a dramatic journey into the unknown.
It would be a mistake to assume that the Woven Hand frontman is some kind of religious fanatic just because of his signature preacher-like, sometimes chillingly menacing gospel way of painting the coming doom for all the sinners of the world. His grandfather, who he grew up with, really was a Nazarene preacher who infected his grandson with biblical speech too, but young David got married at 17, decided to look for a more personal God’s truth, and left his grandfather’s church, earning himself eternal damnation. So his music isn’t defined by Christian metaphor alone. Even in Edwards’ former band 16 Horsepower you could hear the influences of Joy Division, Nick Cave and The Gun Club, among others, and there are also elements of American folk music (Bob Dylan), Gypsy motifs, Native American heritage, and every now and then a sense of guilt creeps in over the sins of his white ancestors, who reached their present-day territory in bloody fashion, over the corpses of Native Americans. In the song Winter Shaker, for example, Edwards sings: “Still living on Indian land, I clap my dirty hands.”
Sadly, the Rockline crew didn’t get the chance to have a quick chat with the charismatic American before the show, since the man is truly fascinating, but also notoriously unwilling to give interviews. On stage he comes across as God and Satan rolled into one, convulsing spasmodically in a constant trance and staring at the sky, and his Hallelujah in Winter Shaker sounds like the war cry of a Native American shaman before the decisive battle. It gives you goosebumps. It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to say you can see a little bit of Jim Morrison in him, too, the Lizard King who writhed around on some stage and addressed higher powers in a state of deep hypnosis.
On Thursday the guys (Edwards is joined on stage by bassist Pascal Humbert and drummer Ordy Garrison) played us tracks from the albums Blush (2003), Consider the birds (2004), Mosaic (2006) and Ten Stones (2008), plus an encore with the song Heart and Soul, which dates back to the 16 Horsepower days. During the show Edwards often swapped between electric guitar and mandolin for a more acoustic flavor, and to crank up the drama he repeatedly jumped to a megafona-effect mic for that extra touch of mysticism. There was also a really endearing moment when Edwards just couldn’t get his guitar tuned to his liking (during the intro to Tin Finger), so one of the people in the crowd tried to console him, telling him to take all the time he needed, and he sincerely thanked the whole audience for their patience, showing he’s actually perfectly humble and down to earth. A very intimate moment, when some of us thought we might be at home in our living rooms, with a friendly guy from Colorado in a red band across his forehead just happening to keep us company that evening.
Despite the dark images Woven Hand create, their music always radiates hope and immense, piercing beauty. Kingdoms of ice, winter, a cold wind: those are just obstacles on the road to catharsis, on the road to the sun.
Photos: Tanja Goršič
Setlist
1. White bird 2. Kicking bird 3. Deerskin doll 4. Beautiful axe 5. Tin finger 6. Your Russia 7. Kingdom of ice 8. Speaking hands 9. Whistling girl 10. Winter Shaker Encore: 11. Heart and soul
Photo gallery
