Usher Hall, Edinburgh - Five stars
When a dressing gown clad Chilly Gonzales declares Kanye West to be the new Wagner, given that the timpani led ditty the lyric comes from is called ‘Fuck Wagner’, it’s probably not meant as a compliment. It has, however, prompted Gonzales to start a campaign in his adopted home of Cologne to change the name of Richard-Wagner-Straßeto Tina-Turner-Straße. Such are the pop/classical tensions of the artist formerly known as Jason Charles Beck’s world.
After a restless run of instrumental albums, collaborations, a Christmas record and a French language opus, Gonzales and his three-piece band open with the bongo-led title number from forthcoming song-based album, GONZO, on which forthright musings on art, artistry and audiences are to the fore.
Beyond the new material, Gonzales vamps his way through Satieesque sketches and poundingly propulsive epics. There are showbiz yarns about his collaborations with Drake and Daft Punk, both of which he performs prior to an anthemic take on Bryan Adams’ ‘Summer of ‘69’.
For the encore, Gonzales premieres ‘Neoclassical Massacre’, a withering comment on algorithm led musical banality. To finish, ‘Never Stop’ sees the maestro high-five his way through the stalls. It is an exhilarating display of showmanship and parallel universe lounge bar showtunes. Who needs Wagner, anyway?
The List, August 2024
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