Portishead vs. Sex.
When the tickets first went on sale in Adelaide (South Australia), I was stupid to think that I could buy mine on the afternoon of them first going on sale - Stupid Me! What I had not taken to mind was that the venue was small for a band that had just been in the top 50 with the single "All Mine". Unlike the punters that were going to hear the just mentioned single, I was going to go for the experience.
After crying for two days inside and cursing for weeks the Triple J listeners who stole my chance, I had given up on having a night of pure sensuality with Beth Gibbons and her not so merry men. But thanks to the best and sexiest people in the Universe... I went with just a few hours notice to a night of pure sensuality!
It happened at Thebarton Theatre, 23 April '98 from 8pm to late. After a lump of sampling of some very funky - if not straight from the 70's - tunes, it was time to get a tongue bathing of soulful cries of what is Portishead. With visions of the group's "hometown" we were welcomed into their land, one of light and many times a town of a thousand stories. Many songs sounded just like the album version... but with more passion and sexual tension.
In many respects it is possible that the great vision was what stopped them from doing too much improvisation.
By the end of the night, every bone felt like it had been touched, every muscle massaged. Making the experience a very sexual one.
For those that had just been dumped, it was a very cleansing effect that came over them... you could see the tears and the smile of hope.
Portishead are Sex.
Reviewed by John Murch ([email protected])