The Necks eh, what to say about the Necks. They make wonderful music, particularly to write to; I'm listening to them while I write this. In a certain mood I will put on and listen to a Necks record, but if I'm honest most often they soundtrack another activity. They calm the unconscious mind, allowing the conscious to fully focus on its task.
Unfortunately when that task is watching the Necks perform, the two sides risk cancelling each other out.
As a member of a Necks audience I can't work out what my role is; if it is to simply watch these three men fill 40 some minutes with piano, bass and an incessant ride cymbal (more of which later), perhaps I am the wrong man for the job.
It's tough to be critical of such a highly acclaimed, critically successful band. I am beset by the thought that perhaps I just don't get it. Maybe I'm not smart enough. Is it me? Doubts aside, I don't think it is.
Their performance in the MAC on Sunday 05 October felt entirely perfunctory. And I realise that is quite a harsh word to use, but while the music had moments of genuine tingling excitement, they were just moments.
These men taking to the stage to create music that before the moment it is played has never previously existed should be thrilling, but for me, tonight just felt like filling time.
With the conclusion of the first piece I couldn't shake the feeling that the preceding 50 minutes had meant very little. Merely a passage of time, that the Necks had very adequately completed their job and now we could all just move on.
Well, once they had come back and done it again for another 40-50 minutes.
Beyond introducing themselves and telling us to buy their records, the Necks don't engage the audience in any way. I won't presume to speak for anyone else in the audience but for me I felt like my presence at this show meant very little. That the Necks could set up and play improvised music, which just stops around 40 to 50 minutes after it started, and then just carry on with their day.
Nothing exciting is going to happen in the Necks music, and I understand that is indeed the mature of their music – it is about small changes across an expanse of time – but it left me questioning why I was here. Watching the Necks is, if anything, less exciting than listening to the Necks.
As for that incessant ride cymbal, my gripe is simple – the drummer played very little but it for both pieces that the Necks played. The same part of the cymbal, creating the same continuous noise, which I couldn't tune out. It is a silly and rhetorical question but I did wonder why he had bothered to bring the rest of the drum kit.
The Necks do make wonderful music, I have perhaps now realised that I don't need to see this music performed live. The records will be enough to keep me more than happy.
Hornby
Moving On Music presented the Necks in the MAC, Belfast on Sunday 05 October. They have a number of other shows coming up with would highly recommend, including the Neil Cowley Trio, Petunia and Nathan Godfrey and Buke & Gase. Find out more at movingonmusic.co.uk
