Titus writes:
This week I had a ‘short list’ of new bands in my
head, from which to choose one to blog about. Having watched the BBC’s
highlights of PJ Harvey’s Glastonbury set on the Pyramid Stage, there
was no other choice other than to rave about and review that set, plus
indeed her long career. It’s unusual for me to follow an artist(e)
throughout a career – I feel that many fall into the trap of becoming
ordinary & predictable, and how can these people call themselves
‘progressive’ when this happens? I won’t name any names but some bands
think it will suffice to go on stage (usually augmented by backing
vocalists, loads of extra instrumentalists) and just make ‘noises’,
performing their most successful tunes to a dreadful standard. In my
opinion, Neil Young, Half Man Half Biscuit, The Fall (before the tragedy
of Mark E. Smith’s death), the late David Bowie, and PJ Harvey have
truly progressed. PJH has evolved in true Bowie-esque styli IMO.
Polly
Jean Harvey, M.B.E. , born in 1969 in Bridport, is primarily known as a
singer, guitarist, saxophonist and plays a variety of other
instruments. She has had a long term musical partnership with John
Parish, who was the frontman when she joined local band Automatic
Dlamini. She began her PJ Harvey career with Parish, and they
performed as a ‘The PJ Harvey Trio’, releasing two well received
albums, ‘Dry’ and Rid of me’. After 1994, Harvey tried her hand as a
solo artist, but soon reformed the band. To date, 10 Studio albums
plus 2 Collaboration LP’s have been released and each one has proved so
different to the previous one. My personal favourite LP is ‘Stories
from the City, Stories from the Sea’ but believe me, they’re all good.
There’s also an EP, and 23 singles.
Anyhow,
I’m reviewing their Glastonbury 2024 appearance now, and, unusual for
me, I’m going to praise the BBC. The coverage was good, and the cult
followers were in the main, very attentive. A great choice of a haunted
crow tree dress adorned Polly by the way, but I felt a bit sorry for
the various people in the front rows though, who had ‘bagged’ their
great view for when Dua Lipa came on later – they must have wondered
what on earth they were listening to and looking at! The tracks
performed were more of a miscellany of PJH’s work, unlike the 2016
appearance, where in the main, the band showcased their two (then)
recent albums ‘Let England Shake’ and ‘The Hope Six Demolition
Project’. The miscellany I refer to, for the 2024 Festival, was
‘Prayer at the Gate’, ‘The Nether-edge’ and the title track from latest
album ‘I inside the Old Year Dying’; ‘The Glorious Land’, ‘The words
that Maketh Murder’ and the title track from ‘Let England Shake’; old
favourites ‘50 ft Queenie’, ‘Black Hearted Love’ ‘The Garden’, ‘Man
size’, ‘Dress’, and to conclude ‘To Bring You My Love’ from the LP of
the same name.
As
always, I could write pages and pages about PJH. If you’ve not seen
Polly Jean and her band before, and are a little apprehensive on the
enthusiasm stakes, please stick with it. The music and its origins will
win you over I’m sure. Back to those old and favourite words “Truly
alternative”. I could choose dozens of tracks, but I chose this one which is called
‘This Is Love’ from the LP ‘Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea’.