Live Review: Scott Kelly And The Road Home, Noah Landis, Greg Dale

The last minute cancellation of Jarboe left this bill a little lighter in weight, yet if there is any solace to be had in this unfortunate turn of events, it is that those in attendance are now privileged to a couple of rare solo performances by those in Scott Kelly's backing band. Greg Dale is the first of the two and does well to start things off on the right foot. Through half a dozen dry-folk cuts, a confident voice is exhibited over some inspired acoustic guitar work that is coloured with touches of delay. 

Seeing that Noah Landis' infamous keyboard work has contributed so much to the menacing undertones of Neurosis and Tribes Of Neurot, it seemed likely that he'd perform some kind of tortured set of ambient synths. Landis, however, throws a curve ball. He straps on an electric guitar and confronts the mic with a collection of songs that see his punk, rock and doom roots melded together and cast in a folk-like furnace that is more characteristic of this evening. And what a sight it is to witness him beat out the guitar with an urgency not too unlike his infamous performances on the keys.   

It was only last year that Scott Kelly played this same stage, but tonight he's complimented by the backing band that his music deserves, and the results make for a rather momentous, albeit subdued, occasion. Though tonight he's reserved in performance, Kelly still commands quite a presence. The mighty Neurosis frontman stands firm at centre-stage with an Oakland Raiders cap obscuring the eyes in his down-turned head. From this near-still stance, he delivers reserved outpourings of signature vocals and slow-irregular guitars. The accompaniment of Dale's guitar work lends Kelly's irregular strumming-rhythms an added sense of force and momentum. And Landis' keys and sample textures project a spatial dynamism and thickness through which the core of each song is better able to swim – the greater example of this comes late in the set, when Blood and Time's Silver Ocean Storm is rendered majestically over subtle soundscapes of thunder. After being mostly muted between songs, Kelly drops his guard and gives a deeply heartfelt monologue expressing both his appreciation towards the respectful crowd and his personal sentiments behind the “last” song. While it all looks to finish up with The Forgiven Ghost In Me, closer, We Burn Through The Night, and the album's opener, A Spirit Redeemed To The Sun creeps onto the end. Another moving performance – now, fingers crossed for the big N!