Alexander Carson | Gig Review
May 1 | Written By Danielle Champ
Voodoo Daddy’s is unassuming. On a Thursday night in late March, the music venue is quiet, with the exception of glass clinking at the bar and cutlery clashing in the kitchen. On Timberhill in Norwich’s city centre, the venue doubles up as a gig space and pizza joint, and on the 31 st , it housed approximately 50 young folk gathered to see Norfolk’s own Alexander Carson (they/them), and their band, the dot dot dots… At this, the final leg of their tour, Carson’s show is a promotion of his latest album, The Idiot. The album, released in October 2022, is an exploration of overcoming personal demons, the mundane, and quiet love. Their classical musicianship, where complex piano melodies and jazz rhythms intertwine, is a distinguishing trait that continues to flourish in this album, and on March 31 st , he brought this haunting sound to life one last time.
Along the walls draped in 90s rock bands, and up the stairs that lead to the stage, there is a calm that fills the room. Although Voodoo’s lends itself to the sort of music that should shake through the floorboards, that is not tonight’s agenda. Starting the show is Chlo Atlanta, a musical waif defined by ancient mythology. Under a vine-covered chandelier, Chlo holds the tension of the intimate room with each pick of her guitar. From laments about forgotten love to her plight with the gods, her fragility and sadness cloaks the audience in an uncomfortable veil of vulnerability.
This means that by the time the second act swings round, fans groomed for a change of pace. Billy Lubach, and his two-piece traditional folk band, are able to inject the room with a shot of upbeat joyfulness. In songs of folklore, the group’s modest energy, and humble instrumentation is fun and child-like, akin to one of indie music’s icon, Noah and the Whale. Despite being small and local, both acts are artists to keep an eye on.
Between the solemn heartbreak, and cheery stomp ‘n holler, we find equilibrium. Opening the show with his usual melancholy, Carson begins just as unassumingly as the location in which the music-goers find themselves. Their romantic piano melodies slowly float through the room, and despite the small audience, there is a sense of connectedness, as we sway along to obscure words that no one understands, but they’re pretty anyway. Of course there is drama in the show. Carson is eccentric; that much is true in both the control and release in their piano playing. They hold notes in peculiar places, and throw their hands about the keys in testament to each lyric.
But there is also calm. In moments between songs, Carson shares thoughts about the inspiration behind the album. In one such song, ‘The Past is a Foreign Country’, they talk about Norwich, and how the city has changed, specifically the spaces that fell victim to the pandemic. Before 2020, Carson moved out to the countryside with their wife and dog. Now, returning to places where Carson grew their career, like the Birdcage and Jurent’s Bar, there’s a sense of loss as they’ve either been replaced or closed down completely. “And it’s like the spaces that molded my past are unrecognizable.” With that, they rock their body gently into the line, “The crumbled palaces of my youth…”
The show closes with ‘Algorithim’, a Hannibal Lecter tribute, which says everything about Carson’s music. The audience has journeyed through two-and-a-half hours of melodic fantasies of the surreal and fantastic, and openly enjoyed every second. What made this show particularly unique is the vulnerability that clung tightly to every song from each performer that contributed. It’s a rare experience, but so memorable.
Carson then sends us off with three requests: “If there is anything that you can do to help support this show, please consider any of these: one, give us a follow on social media. Two, check out our merch because there are some great sustainable items there, or three, wear a mask of my father’s face, and tell me you’re proud of me because that validation is the only reason I do this.” If the night’s performance was anything to go by, there’s no doubt their father would be.