Dead Can Dance are undoubtedly my favourite band. Their music has been with me for a long time, and it has always brought me great joy, comfort and peace. Quite a few of the good memories I hold are accompanied by their music, like a personal mind soundtrack to certain places and faces back in time. It’s especially the voice of Lisa Gerrard, haunting and beautiful, and although she sings in an idioglossia/ glossolalia, I sometimes feel I can understand the words only through the way she voices them.
I came to know them when I was about 15 and “Saltarello” was frequently played in our local pub. I went to a music store and really got on the shopkeepers nerves, asking him to get me a copy of “A Passage In Time“. I think I got it about six weeks later, on cassette, as it was the early 90ies. Soon I bought the rest of their albums, on vinyl this time. Ever since I have loved them, and my good friends do love them, too.
I went to a Dead Can Dance concert in 2005 and was absolutely mesmerised. Yesterday I’ve seen them live again and, again, it was enchanting. If I had to make a list of my top 5 concerts, both shows would be present on that list and rank high.
So yesterday I went to see Dead Can Dance touring their new album, “Anastasis“, their first new record in 16 years. They played all the new songs along with many of the old ones, such as “Rakim”, “Sanvean”, “Nierika”, “The Host Of Seraphim”, “The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove”, “Song To The Siren” and “Rising Of The Moon”. There is nothing to live music anyway, there is no sound system good enough (I guess) to give you that special live feeling and sound along with actually seeing the band perform. You have to listen (and see) for yourselves, so, if you get the chance, go and see them live. It’s worth every single second, it really is.
Am dedicating this post to 2 special people who have educated and shared my taste in music over the past 20 years, you know who you are. I wish you could have been with me yesterday. x
Sophie Is A Clown 