| |
|
|
| |
photo:
Florent Mazzolini |
|
|
| |
| Date |
City |
Venue |
| Thu 10/2/08 |
Los Angeles, CA |
Royca Hall - UCLA |
|
 |
Perhaps
you haven't been paying attention, but Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
is clearly one of the great American songwriters to emerge in
the last decade. Listen more closely, and you'll see.
Over the course of five albums and countless singles, compilation
tracks, collaborations, live performances and material not intended
for release, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy has become a sought-after
commodity around the free world, as well as some of the uncharted,
"evil" parts of the planet.
The Bonnie 'Prince' got his start as the featured singer with
the Palace Music band. He struck out on his own in 1998. His
first expression was a curious one: "I Am Drinking Again."
When had we ever known him to drink before? When had we even
known him at all? Here, Bonny's black humor first raised its
hoary head, and belched a good one. This record set the tone
for that first year: four singles on four different labels from
three different countries (Domino, Lowfly, Allcity and Palace
Records). This delivered the message that Bonny belonged to
no one man — but conversely, to the whole freaking world.
"I Am Drinking Again" was sold to Italian audiences
in March and April of 1998 during shows played with Bryan Rich
in accompaniment. The mood was romantic. For the remainder of
the year, Bonny appeared around Europe and the US in the company
of different friends and fellow players — the beginning
of a regular and far-flung tour schedule that continues to this
day, where shows are played to reach new audiences in new environments
for Bonny and his everswelling band of brothers to explore and
enjoy. Thusly, '99 kicked off with more dates, this time in
Ireland, Paris and Reykjavik (and England, proving that there's
always an exception to the tour schedule rule) with Easy Times,
an ad-hoc trio made up of Mike Fellows, James Lo and Matt Sweeney.
The cold dawn of 1999 brought the darkness — the first
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album, I See a Darkness was released in
January on Palace Records, taking his name to the masses. This
bleak and hectic record remains a fan favorite to this very
day. Kids are sick like that. But they like good songs. Looking
to see a bit of sunshine, Bonny spent the month of June heading
west, north and east in the company of good friends —
Bob Arellano, Colin Gagon, Mike Fellows and Joe Propatier —
and stopping to play 27 shows along the way. Whew!
In 2000, the Tour That Always Ends returned Bonny to the Scandinavian
Peninsula for a week of solo in-store performances, bringing
him closer to the curious tribes of northern Europe. Free shows
ease the tension on everyone, which is something Bonny likes
to do once every blue moon or so. Ease the tension, that is.
Back in the USSA, a defection to Cuba was arranged in March
with Cubano Bob Arellano and his Havanarama leading the charge
and Papa M in tow, all of them living la vida loca. Jumping
from one island (and hemisphere) to another, Bonny landed in
Australia for solo appearances opening for The Dirty Three.
Next, a Mediterranean sojourn: a return to Italy and his first
ever concerts in Greece with Matt and Spencer Sweeney and Mike
Fellows — fun fellows all.
Lest you think that the Bonnie 'Prince' did nothing that but
leap on and off of planes, trains, busses and limousines, records
tell us that time was also spent in the studio in the year 2000.
Releases included the "Little Boy Blue" 7" single,
the "More Revery" CDEP and a collaborative EP with
Mick Turner (aka The Marquis de Tren) entitled "Get On
Jolly." Tour dates with the Marquis and The Monkey Boys
(Paul Oldham and Jim White) were played late in the year.
Also in 2000, Johnny Cash released a version of "I See
a Darkness" on his American III: Solitary Man album. Bonny
attended the session, flexing his pipes in harmony with the
no-longer-so-solitary Man for a classic version of a classic
song.
2001 saw the release of the second Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album,
Ease Down the Road. This one is another critical and fan favorite
— don't those critics and fans ever take a breather? Favorite
this, favorite that…ah, God bless 'em anyway. Also released
was a live EP with the Marquis de Tren, reliving the odd times
on the road with the Monkey Boys the year before. But new odd
times were calling him back to the road. And so — January
in Ireland with Papa M sharing the bill. March and April on
the European continent with David Pajo, David Human, Matt Sweeney
and Benjamin Van Dyke. Summer stints in eastern and midwestern
states. September in Brussels at La Botanique, where Bonny had
a hot three nights of concerts: 79 different songs played solo
and with two different Belgian backup bands. The year ended
with visits to Ireland, Australia, England, Scotland and Iceland
with different group of humans (but not David Human) every time.
2002 kicked off with Bonny jumping onstage to sing with Giant
Sand in New York and striding onstage to sing with Marianne
Faithfull in London and Nashville. March was spent touring surfing
spots on the pacific coast with a gig at every whistle-stop.
Bonny then brought his star power to a bankrupt indie festival
in southern England as a personal favor to his friends in Shellac.
And the festival lived! Sort of…2002 also found Bonny
in New York, San Francisco, Oslo, London, Louisville and Baltimore.
In November, he returned to Greece to play once again (this
time solo) and debuted in Turkey. In between dates, Bonny collaborated
with Erik Wesselo on a book with music. The 'Prince' was worldwide
and multimedia, showing no signs of slacking. But the best was
yet to come.
In late 2002, sessions were held for the next album, which was
released in 2003 as Master and Everyone. On a short east-coast
tour in January, Bonny debuted the album live, from start to
finish. Then Master and Everyone took off, becoming one of the
hottest-selling Bonnie 'Prince' Billy records ever. A celebratory
mood was invasive. In May, the "Mountains and Deserts"
tour of America took Bonny and band from southwest to northwest
over the course of eighteen shows, most of which were followed
by a night camping out under the stars, clouds, rain, sand and
urine all of which are healthful and cleansing when experienced
properly. The encore of choice was "Kokomo," leaving
no one any doubt where their hearts were at. Then Roskilde Festival
in Sweden, with a few Scandavian concerts around that appearance,
and Bonny returned to America to open dates for Bjork around
the country. An online diary kept fans and friends appraised
of the 'Prince's (abridged) every move.
Released in January 2004, Greatest Palace Music reconsidered
fifteen classic Palace songs in the company of Nashville's finest
session players, including Eddie Bayers, Stuart Duncan, Mark
Fain, Mike Johnson, Bruce Watkins and Hargus "Pig"
Robbins. As this monumental record hit the streets, Bonny along
with Paul Oldham and the ubiquitous Matt and Spencer Sweeney,
was playing for the very first time in Japan, where fans had
waited years for this. Their love was dutiful and punctual.
For the "Pebbles and Ripples" tour of the American
southeast that May, Bonny recorded cover versions of songs suggested
by touring partners Brightblack (who did the same in return)
for an EP that was sold on the tour. Freaks worldwide turned
to eBay to get their copies, but these high-priced purchases
paled next to the power of the shows. The tour was a righteous
romp featuring Ryder McNair, Dave Bird, Matt Sweeney, Pete Townsend
and Pink Nasty, unforgettable for all who witnessed it. As fall
fell across America, Bonny was in Australia, enjoying the springtime.
Two shows at the end of the year offered an ominous preview
as to the way of 2005: Bonny and Matt Sweeney on their lonesome,
billed as "Superwolf."
The Superwolf album was released in January 2005 and was followed
by long runs through America and Europe (including a really
outrageous number of festival dates). Bonnie also traveled to
Toronto, Ontario to sing with Current 93. Another highlight
of 2005 was the day in New York when five free shows were played
in five different stores. A lot of motherfuckers came out to
those shows. And some great kids too. The year concluded with
the release of Summer in the Southeast, a document of performances
from the "Pebbles and Ripples" tour of 2004, rocking
and rolling harder than on any record Bonny had released to
date and proving to all those eBay kids that their agoraphobia
had to end next time the Bonnie 'Prince' came a knocking.
As 2006 takes to the wind, Bonny is back from lengthy passes
through New Zealand and Scotland. So far, everything is taken
care of. But something is missing. And the best is still yet
to come. You're not alone if you're wondering — among
the many challenges to face, many new places and faces to see,
what happens next?
The Letting Go. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Cursed
Sleep
Drag City
2006 |
|
|
|
