A rainy night in London is one to forget for one of New York's most talented sons.
There's no doubt that Gavin DeGraw is supremely talented and that's what made his London gig on a rainy November night all the more infuriating. Breaking immediately into a raunchy, rock-driven opener the tone was set for a night that would only wow fans that refer to him as "That guy who sings the One Tree Hill song".
Making his name with a piano and a heaven-sent vocal, New Yorker DeGraw has seemingly abandoned the intimacy that brought him to the attention of record labels and fans and sought an all out assault on the popular music scene. Given the current financial climate it's probably right to be chasing the yankee dollar but to do so while retaining integrity is a tough task and, on the strength of this one night in an historic British entertainment venue, a task at which Gavin DeGraw has unfortunately failed.
London's Astoria theatre is such a "cosy" venue that you would be hard pushed to find a bad seat in the house. Everywhere is close to a stage tailor made for the music with which DeGraw made his name. On this night though he chose to ignore the signs and force a new sound down the throat of the full house.
It's true, he is yet to make a bad album; a stunning debut in Chariot, a stripped version (recorded in one breathtaking take) and an accomplished, self-titled latest release. Why his music isn't more well known has been a mystery - until now.
It could have been the venue, it could have been the sound engineers (one of whom appeared to have a help menu open on his screen for most of the show) or it could just have been a bad night but, DeGraw simply didn't transfer the energy and depth of his albums to the stage. SURELY it should be the other way around!
The sonic delivery was messy, bass-heavy and engulfed the act's biggest selling point - DeGraw's voice. More the aural serving one would expect from a basement club's open mic night than such an exciting, label-promoted talent such as this.
It's not that there was a requirement for a toned down set of ballads and vocal acrobatics but it would have been nice. The only hints of DeGraw's vocal range, power and perfection were displayed in embarrassing, seemingly improvised interludes between muddy versions of his pop rock hits. Amazingly, the best track of the night was Chariot's Chemical Party which injected some much needed life into the subdued crowd who mostly made noise from static positions. 
Perhaps the band are paid too much money to sit back for a song or two but that's what the entire performance was crying out for. Something stripped down, beautiful and clean. Every time a standout track looked ready to deliver it fell flat. It took until the encore to even begin to lure the goosebumps from the skin. Finally, a vocal driven performance. No drums, no bass, just soul. It lasted mere seconds and 80 percent of it was delivered by the crowd. A massive tease.
Throughout it all, the strength of so many well crafted songs lured a decent amount of sing-a-long value but it was the knowledge of just how good the original versions are that helped take the edge off a lackluster stage show. Even the lighting did little to rouse, cajole or otherwise enliven a vocal yet uninspired audience.
So on this night it didn't work. The man's too good for things to go on like this and surely, when his grunge-rock tinged with pop rebellion is over there'll be far more to be taken from shows like this.
Right now though, if performances are like this on every night of this current tour, it would be worth spending your money on a top spec stereo and a copy of Chariot Stripped to enjoy Gavin DeGraw the way he's meant to sound.
I thought I was the only person who felt ripped off. The last time I saw Gavin (which was also the first) was at the Shepherds Bush Empire back in 2005 and that performance still lingers. So much has changed and unfortunately, not for the better. I don't want to say it, but it really felt like it that night...Gavin, kinda, sold out. There wasn't much heart in this last show, and whatever showmanship he had to give, while still --- entertaining...it wasn't the same Gavin. I don't know what direction he's heading for in his career but I just hope he doesn't lose his way and still hold onto what made him original.
Posted by: Cristina | November 27, 2008 at 04:46 AM
I quite agree, Cristina. A real shame, but hopefully this will do enough to push Gavin DeGraw to the chart highs he (or his label) require so he can go back to doing what he does best.
Thanks for your comment.
Ben - HT&E
Posted by: Ben (HT&E) | December 15, 2008 at 02:39 PM