[photo by P-Squared Photography]
These twenty-year reunions can be mixed affairs. Some bands are content to simply play the “hits” (i.e. Pixies, Wedding Present), while others re-establish themselves as working bands performing both old and newer material (Dinosaur Jr., Mission of Burma). When Crime & The City Solution announced their first tour and album in more than twenty years, the hope would be that they would follow the latter course. Crime didn’t really have any “hits” to recycle anyway. At Music Hall last week, it was quite apparent from the outset that this was indeed a vital working band and while just three new songs were performed, the title track from the new album (American Twilight) was played in the final encore slot. The other obvious positive sign was that Crime was not just mailing it in — in fact it was quite the opposite. This performance was intense, tight, and inspired. Band founder and leader Simon Bonney anchored the centerstage with his dramatic and confident vocals while the twin guitars of Alex Hacke and David Eugene Edwards were both powerful and animated. The eight-piece band wasted precious little time with formalities but simply rocked hard from start to finish. I left the venue encouraged that sometimes second acts (or for Crime, third or fourth acts) can be just as compelling as the brand new. While their US tour is now complete, Crime & The City Solution will continue to tour in Europe for the balance of this month. We expect that they will return to NYC in the not too distant future, as American Twilight will be released on Mute Records in the Spring.
I recorded this set from the center of the balcony with the Sennheisers mounted on the railing at a lower level to line up with the stacks. While the sound in the venue was somewhat boomy, we EQ’d a little bass roll-off and boosted the highs. The clarity (and vocals) now supplement the rich bottom end for an excellent recording. Enjoy!
Stream “Six Bell Chime:
Download the Complete show in [MP3] / [FLAC]
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Crime And The City Solution
2012-10-22
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA
Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Center Balcony Rail
Sennheiser MKH-8040s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, EQ, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)
Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-10-25
Setlist:
[Total Time 1:30:02]
01 The Bride Ship
02 Keepsake
03 The Colonel Does Not Call Anymore
04 Rose Blue
05 Steal To The Sea
06 I Have The Gun
07 My Love Takes Me There
08 Hunter
09 On Every Train (Grain Will Bear Grain)
10 The Last Dictator (1 and 2)
11 The Dolphins And The Shark
12 [band introductions]
13 All Must Be Love
14 [encore break]
15 Six Bells Chime
16 American Twilight
If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Crime & The City Solution, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from Mute Records [HERE].
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