Reviewed: The Raconteurs and Money Mark
The Raconteurs Olympia Theatre, Dublin
A rock band so old-school they should be in shorts, jacket and tie, The Raconteurs are obvious, plagiaristic, as loose as an unravelled knot, and almost brilliant. When it was announced that Jack White (of The White Stripes) was teaming up with friend and colleague Brendan Benson (of noted solo cult fame) to form a contemporary variation of an old-fashioned prog rock band, it was viewed at best as an ironic sideswipe to the natural born grit of White's band.
Yet there is no irony here at all - everything is in its right place in this gloriously updated prog rock world: from the anonymous rhythm section (actually Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler from US dirt-rock band The Greenhornes - not that we'd have known unless we hadn't been told) to the famous frontman and his almost-famous sidekick; from the long hair falling over the face to the squiggly guitar solos; from the extended instrumental passages that directly reference Deep Purple, The Doors, Led Zeppelin and, if I'm not mistaken (and I do believe I'm not) Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
On paper it amounts to something of a mess - how could this work? In the flesh, the secret weapon for success is a mixture of several elements: an intuitive understanding of rock music history/legacy, a straight-faced and precise appropriation of what works (and what doesn't - those lengthy jam sessions have always been boring), and the presence of Benson, whose filigree pop touches and harmony vocals counterbalance White's gruff exterior.
With just one album to plug, the set is perfectly pitched - album tracks (including Steady As She Goes, Hands, Call It a Day, Blue Veins and Broken Boy Soldier) are interspersed with covers (including a virtually orgasmic take on It Ain't Easy, from David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars; a long-winded wig out to the Cher hit single, Bang Bang - my Baby Shot me Down), while any apparent shortcomings are overcome by the brevity and sheer bravado of the gig. - Tony Clayton-Lea
Money Mark Crawdaddy, Dublin
Mark Ramos Nishita (or Money Mark) became the latest victim of airline misadventure when United Airlines lost his keyboard and varying other musical equipment en-route to his European tour.
To most people, this would be a major inconvenience, but to Money Mark, it's like chopping off an arm and a leg and offering only a vague promise of reattachment. But he soldiered on.
Somehow, I doubt he's likes the "fourth Beastie Boy" label he's been tagged with but he's most revered for his collaboration with the trio on such releases as Check Your Head and Ill Communication.
He's really a solo keyboardist though, who likes to team up with lots of artists to keep his style fresh. Nowadays, he's best known for creating atmospheric records that incorporate pop appeal.
But musical fame wasn't always part of his game plan.
He's originally a carpenter - he met the Beasties while doing some hammer and nail work at their studio - and he's just put down his toolbox momentarily to make some obscure tunes.
He played an assorted mix of hip-hop beats, blues, jazz and rock 'n' roll that was never repetitive and spanned from style to style with ease.
Between songs, he floated about the stage haphazardly but his musical capability shone through as he moved from his keyboard to pick up a mouth organ, theremin, guitar and whatever else came to hand.
Back on stage for a weird but wonderful encore, Money Mark put the microphone in his mouth to create feedback and banged hard on the drums. He's one of those people who looks around a room and sees everything as a potential instrument.
Money Mark plans to travel to every part of the world in search of new inspiration because he has grown bored of the sounds in the Northern hemisphere.
It's sold as music for the open-minded and is created by an exceptionally talented, if somewhat dazed, musician. - Ali Bracken
