Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan

Wednesday night Leanne and I caught up for a few beers and saw the Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan gig. I meant to catch them the last time they played London but my laziness got in the way. Although both Isobel (ex Belle and Sebastian) and Mark have a huge repertoire of songs between them, however, they have only released the one album together and I was quite curious to see how it transpired into a live act. Worked it did. Mark's amazing baritone vocals were so deep I felt like I was wallowing in the depths of his octaves. He makes Lee Hazelwood, Tom Waits and Nick Cave sound like pre-pubescent choir boys, whilst in beautiful comparison Isobel's breathy, sweet, delicate vocals frolicked while Mark's gave chase. Isobel is like an amalgamation of Dusty, Nancy Sinatra (to whom she and Mark constantly get compared to. They even did a Nancy and Lee Hazelwood cover of 'Sand' for an encore which had me gasping and teary eyed) and Brigitte Bardot on her best day. And as for Mark? I have this whole idea of who he really is. He's the kind of man who spends money on the occasional prostitute, he drinks Jim Beam straight from the bottle, not because he can't afford anything better but because its his drink of choice. And he smokes Marlbro Reds.... and lots of them. But then I've always had an over active imagination.

The contrast of her light and his dark are just magic. There whole set was reminicent of 'Some Velvet Morning' It had such shape and colour. You could feel it peak and soar and then be taken down again to the depths of the lowest depressions you ever thought imaginable.
It made me long to have that breathy girlish voice that I will never have...