False starts and technical gremlins aside, Stephen Malkmus’s visit to Hove (backed by long-time companions The Jicks) served as a reminder of his ragged brilliance.
Still best known for his tenure in Pavement – who ranked among the all-time great indie bands – Malkmus has delivered a string of impressive records under the Jicks banner, culminating in 2014’s Wig Out At Jagbags.
Songs from the latter dominated much of Monday’s set, from a breeze through the wistful, subtly infectious Lariat to suitably thrashed-out renditions of Surreal Teenagers, Scattergories and Planetary Motion.
Now in his late 40s, Malkmus remains an accomplished, if frequently underrated performer; his quips, non-sequiturs and occasional bouts of forgetfulness disguising a great deal of melodic nous. His spiralling lead guitar lines never failed to impress.
This was anything but a polished affair, and it did take the four-piece a while to build up a head of steam.
But they were flying by the end of the set, Joanna Bolme’s fluid basslines, Jake Morris’s versatile drumming and Mike Clark’s storming guitar/keyboard work laying down a perfect backdrop for the frontman to do his thing.
It was an enjoyable evening, with just the slightest tinge of nostalgia – on and off stage.
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