The chambermaid Dead Can Dance recapitulated in their own way
Four decades on the scene. Fixed boundaries of the musical territory, which are their characteristic identifying element. Dead Can Dance are looking back on their careers on their current tour. The Prague menu was so varied, emotionally tense and the fans of “Into The Labyrinth” definitely got their money’s worth.
Live: Dead Can Dance
place: Congress Center, Prague
date: May 2, 2022
Support: Astrid Williamson
setlist: Yulunga (Dance of the Ghosts), Amnesia, Mesmerism, Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove, Persian Love Song (Silver Weapon), We entrust the supporters of love in power, Avatar, Carnival is over, Cantara, Opium, Sanvean, Dance Bacchantes, Bylar, Black sun, Host Seraphim
Additions: Children of the Sun, Wind that shakes the barley, Severance
Photo gallery
Since the return of Dead Can Dance in 2005, there has been an almost constant team of people on concert stages. The visual of the stage is always minimalist (large projection area behind the musicians, this time made special by hanging models of leaves from various trees) and decent lights that correspond to the moods of the individual songs. This time, however, the DCD followed in the footsteps of the chamber and offered a balanced path throughout the discography, omitting perhaps only the nameless debut and album “Spiritchaser”. And after twenty-eight long years, the moving “Persian Love Song (The Silver Gun)” returned to the setlist.
© Tom Jajo Rozkovec / musicserver.cz
The evening was opened by the Scottish keyboardist Astrid Williamson, who is an integral part of the live band Dead Can Dance. As part of her block, she accompanied herself on guitar or keyboards decorated with roses and occasionally taught some pre-recorded basics. She talked lightly about her new descent “Into The Mountain”, which was mainly the end of her performance. The audience appreciated a few short sentences in Czech and a touching “Underwater”, when for the first time layered keyboards and a shaky piano line sounded. The “June Bug” and the locally named “Corsica” attracted attention from the news. Astrida’s fragile songwriting was a pleasant attunement to the ensuing main act. She could easily have played a few minutes longer, the end of the song named after our metropolis came quite unexpectedly.
![Dead Can Dance, Congress Center, Prague, May 2, 2022 Dead Can Dance, Congress Center, Prague, May 2, 2022](https://musicserver.cz/img/180232.jpg)
© Tom Jajo Rozkovec / musicserver.cz
As already mentioned, Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry took the current stage in recapitulation mode. Fortunately, many slightly obligatory songs remained in the show, but there were also a few atypical surprises. The opening “Yulunga (Spirit Dance)” indicated the paths the protagonists would walk along, and confirmed that Lisa was still in excellent vocal form (although some visitors to their performances must have noticed that there were adjustments and vocal shifts in some compositions). However, nothing diminished the majesty and enchantment of her ethereal expression. Brendan, on the other hand, selected contributions to the setlist from the newer items of their recordings, whether it was “Amnesia” early on or the additional, still incredibly moving “Children of the Sun” (both from the penultimate collection “Anastasis”). As a reminder of ancient times, she captivated “In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated” from the “Garden Of The Arcane Delights”, which is closely connected with the first film “Dead Can Dance”.
![Dead Can Dance, Congress Center, Prague, May 2, 2022 Dead Can Dance, Congress Center, Prague, May 2, 2022](https://musicserver.cz/img/180245.jpg)
© Tom Jajo Rozkovec / musicserver.cz
“The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove” and “The Carnival Is Over” became the centerpieces of the evening, drawing the audience into emotionally tense moments, destroying the more distinctive and spiritual forms on which they relied. The musical arrangements played with the typical details of sound formation, and the entire Congress Center was carried away by this atmosphere and sound paintings. The counterparts then were a lot of Gerrard’s ethereal solos – especially the flawless heart stopper “Sanvean” – in contrast to the almost demonic Perry in “Black Sun”. An unexpected revelation was the very rare “Bylar”, which did not appear on any line and which fans know only from the set “Dead Can Dance 1981 – 1998”. The main block ended with the now iconic “The Host of Seraphim” in a traditional polyphonic arrangement. Her tone was more ambient, calmer in its current form. The very end of the performance belonged first to “The Wind That Shakes the Barley”, complemented by beautiful flute solos and minimalist keyboard surfaces, and finally other classics “Severance”.
She took the current tour on dramatic turns or in search of a musical renaissance. It is not a thorough mapping of the development of DCDs, especially the first decades, when they were most active not only in the sound levels. The current setlist chooses more distinctive opuses, in which emotions are cut to the marrow, the game with details has a more modest form and offers pure intimacy.
![Dead Can Dance, Congress Center, Prague, May 2, 2022 Dead Can Dance, Congress Center, Prague, May 2, 2022](https://musicserver.cz/img/180231.jpg)
© Tom Jajo Rozkovec / musicserver.cz
The interplay of the whole group is based on mutual symbiosis – if someone manages to make a mistake or a mistake, the others will react promptly and disguise everything. Nothing like this happened in Prague, at the beginning of “Children of the Sun” Lisa was looking for something and Brendan hastily rushed to the aid. However, a small box behind the ears would deserve a few fans, who disturbed with unsuitable shouts – most of all it was behind the edge in front of the a cappella nipple “Persian Love Song (The Silver Gun)”, when Gerrard was clearly waiting for calm. Another of the series of Dead Can Dance concerts in Prague (one is planned today, it will be opened by keyboard player Jules Maxwell) has once again confirmed that this band is an unmistakable legend. Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry take great care of their musical mastery, and each subsequent tour is always an opportunity to be drawn back into a musically intense experience full of unheard of attention to detail. In the end, it is difficult to get out of this infinite and ethereal universe.