Concert Review: Gramsci – ASB Waterfront Theatre October 16, 2020

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Proudly Prog. I think that best describes Paul McLaney’s relationship with the much-derided musical genre. 

Paul as plenty to be proud of as he proved last night at Auckland’s ASB Waterfront Theatre. Together with Jol Mulholland (guitar) and Greg Haver (drums) this version of Paul’s Gramsci put on a show that was a delight to the eyes and ears.

Sonically, the trio’s playing was impeccable with the majority of the heavy lifting coming from McLaney…his vocals with passionate and sweet and his guitar playing soared. The easiest comparison is to Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.

But while 70’s prog heavyweights such as Floyd or King Crimson or Yes could be faulted for making precise but cold music, Gramsci is anything but that.

One gets the feeling that these songs mean the world to Paul McLaney and that passion is passed on to the audience.

Visually, things were just as interesting.

A transparent screen had been erected in front of the band with evocative graphics, animations, etc projected onto it.

The trio burned through the 10 songs that comprise Inheritance with  sax player Lewis McCallum making a cameo appearance on Tantalus.

Once the full album had been played, there was no question that more music was needed and so Paul dipped into the Gramsci back catalogue, taking up his acoustic guitar for the first time of the evening proving that the quiet and intimate can be just as powerful as the loud and bombastic.

Solo and acoustic Paul performed songs from 2001’s Permanence and 2002’s Object adding a bit of levity to the evening after making a rather Freudian slip introducing Give Me Strength. By then the band had returned and Jol and Paul got to turn it up a notch before closing out with the politically-charged Complicated.

This was a special evening, one that Paul, his band and his fans had been waiting for all year. I believe there will be more shows…do yourself a favour and attend one.

Marty Duda

Click any image to see a full-size gallery from Veronica McLaughlin Photography:

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