Lawrence and Felt, 1983
"Passionate timidity"
Lawrence, the eccentric founder of Felt, Denim and Mozart Estate, is in the spotlight right now.
Street-Level Superstar, the book Will Hodgkinson has written about him, was published this year to wide acclaim. And it has just been named Book of the Year by Uncut, Mojo and Rough Trade.
I can’t help wondering whether he actually likes being in the spotlight. He didn’t seem to be enjoying it when I saw Felt live in 1983. Here’s the review.
FELT
Warehouse, Liverpool
Melody Maker, February 5, 1983
THERE is some music which simply does not belong on stage, and there were suspicions that Felt belonged to that category. The exquisite semi-instrumental beauty of their records seems to belong in a particular atmosphere, to be savoured by one brain at a time.
In other words, music that's filed under quiet doesn't usually work in a club. But the group's always been in a state of flux and might have changed.
Tonight the group comprises three nervous young men (hardly daring to look at the audience let alone speak to them) with bass, drums, guitar, and (sometimes) voice. They produce similar sounds to the recorded Felt - jangling guitars, the Lou Reedish vocals - with more reliance on drums and bass to establish rhythms (you can even tap your feet to this).
In fact, it's the drums that hold everything together.
It's a strong contrast to the effect produced by the records, where each piece of music seemed perfectly conceived, with Its own lucid formality. Here the tone is of a passionate timidity, far from calming, and the main impression is of something unformed, embryonic. They've hardly been on stage long enough to begin to search when they give up and leave as if frightened to continue.
Some people should not be allowed on stage until they've decided why they want to be there. Felt, obviously, don't.
Listen to Felt
My Face is on Fire was included in the Cherry Red compilation Pillows and Prayers. Here it is.
I was at that show as well, Penny. I first saw Felt in 1980 at Pickwick’s when they supported The Fall (The Passage were advertised, but didn’t play). I interviewed Lawrence about ten years ago when the film came out, and he said it was their first gig.
I saw Felt around the same time, on the same bill as The Weather Prophets,. A few songs in, Lawrence walked off stage and the band continued in silence without him. He came back on about 20 minutes later. Someone told me that he's gone for a dump but I don't know if that's true ...