10/04/99  Halifax, NS, Brave New Waves 10th Anniversary Party, Bonnie Prince Billy solo.
Review by Michael McLeod.

saturday, april 10, halifax, nova scotia...the bonnie prince's southern
stride took to the stage with electric guitar in hand and no backing
musicians. black robe and black shoes came to light in waves of red, yellow
and blue. no words were uttered, no introduction save for the emcee and free
of pick, fingers down-stroked strings as a voice wafted through the smoking
air, 'i was drunk at the pulpit, i knew it was wrong so i left in mid sermon
tempted by a barhouse song'...jesus i thought, he has gone back to the
beginning and this was an indication of the night ahead. preconception and
recent set lists read on 'the royal stable' had me expecting a heavy dose of
i see a darkness and the recent singles but no, he exhalted the palace
discography. not one song received a title, not one a thank you, not one
comment came from oldham's mouth, songs drifted into one another, ohio river
boat song, o let it be, west palm beach, i send my love to you, i am a
cinematographer, arise therefore, riding, new partner, idle hands are the
devils playthings...obviously the pattern was to treat the clanking beer
bottles and mumbling voices to history and redemption. only three passages
from the beautiful darkness of the latest lp took form. will could only let
a smile sweep across his face when glass crashed to the floor disturbing the
soft silence of his music, roll his eyes to the back of his head and
cry,'don't you know that's sinful boy, god is what i make of him.' riding
was desolate, dark and god-fearing. the dry and washed-out abstraction of i
see a darkness bathed the room in rationality as heavy as gold stars. a
mouth twisted in emotion, marked by memories and seized by feverish fire
warned of the crossing in o let it be. lonesome language of the sea housed
west palm beach and dreaming my dreams offered the warmth of human
interaction. throughout the night, the emotion oldham expressed with his
archaic language and his ability to play the whole evening with only fingers
and nails was stunning. mysteries and music.