Memory Tapes – Cargo, London 13/03/10

Now at the end of European tour, Hawke has acquitted himself admirably on his first live jaunt around the globe and will showcase at SXSW this week before starting work on the follow up to last year’s splendid long player Seek Magic.

The environs of Cargo are packed to the rafters with expectant fans who missed his first set of UK shows back in January. There are adoring couples dotted around the cavernous hall with the look in their eyes of people who have committed much noctural naughtyness with Seek Magic as the soundtrack.

Having seen those earlier Memory Tapes shows – his second and third (ever) live outings – much has developed. It’s a slicker operation – the sound is tighter, the percussion is more central and Hawke’s awareness of himself as a performer is visibly less of an issue. Whilst the brevity of the set might be a problem for some – at 35 minutes, it’s about ten minutes too short to really blow things apart – this is weighted by the inventiveness of the show. Instead of a set list, we’re treated to an electro-remix-medley of ‘Seek Magic’ that effectively strips the album apart and puts it back together again as one long track.

‘Bicycle’ still sounds amazing, chopped up into chunks which are peppered throughout the set, with Hawyke’s Sumneresque guitar refrains and solos echoing throughout Cargo. The cascading crescendo of ‘Green Knight’ gears up the girl on E to my left into something of a maenadean frenzy, much to the displeasure of the glass collector who is assaulted by hugs and loved up smiles when all he wants to do is pick up the empties…

What comes next for Hawke will be very interesting – he has the weight of expectation upon him, not only to top his first record but to flesh out the live show with more musicians and a longer set. Given the originality of the enterprise thus far, it shouldn’t be too hard for him – there’s genius at work behind that beard and flannel shirt.