I was inquisitive to see how the CFTPA experience would translate live due to the solo nature of the live show compared to the guest vocalists and musicians that feature on record. It was a feature I felt the set was clearly lacking for the most part as the female vocals that feature on recent album Etiquette give the CFTPA sound a welcome boost. Despite this Owen managed to perform an entertaining set even though he was battling sound problems throughout due to the venues rather annoying sound limiter.
The limiter interrupted the performance on a few occasions and it didnt put Owen in the best of moods. To be fair it is quite understandable, having come all the way from Chicago to be told youre too loud for the snobs at the local council is a bit demoralising. However he laughed it off and battled on regardless.
The stripped down sound of the set was very reminiscent of CFTPAs earlier albums, featuring battery powered keyboards and a lo-fi sound although the set contained a lot of newer songs from the Etiquette album, that features a more polished production and more diverse range of instrumentation. This juxtaposition of styles was a welcome part of the show as I feel its important for an artist to not simply replicate an album live but to create a unique live sound of their own.
It was an enjoyable gig although at times I felt everything seemed a bit samey, after all theres only so much you can do with a Casio keyboard and a set of vocals. It was kind of a case of once youd heard one song youd heard them all and I couldnt help but wonder if Id of had more fun across the road at Jeniferever. A fun gig nevertheless, however Id definitely recommend the CFTPA album experience over the live one, especially as the cds dont get cut off by sound limiters!
article by: Jan-Paul Maddix
published: 30/05/2006 09:03
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