Last
Saturday, Scott Kelly, guitarist, singer and founder of the famous American Experimental
Metal band Neurosis presented himself in an acoustic version assisted by
multi-instrumentalist John Judkins, at Understage, Rivoli, Porto.
Playing
for a large audience, that nearly filled the room, the duo offered a concert of
remarkable grim beauty, made of rare songs that play as few can with silence
and the power of words. There is an obvious feeling of life and art interest in
Scott Kelly’s dedication in handling down the legacy of the great American
folk, country and blues singer-songwriters (as signaled in truly breathtaking
covers of Neil Young’s Cortez The Killer and Townes Van Zandt’s Tecumseh
Valley). Actually, and essentially, Kelly’s repertoire is no more than
country/folk songs adapted to a darker and heavier aestetics, connected with
the greatest influences from artists of his generation (Swans, Black Flag,
Black Sabbath, Amebix, Pink Floyd, etc.), the way of reaching it has a lot to
do with the slow, dragged and deliciously repetitive way of his acoustic chords
along with a disciplined vocals where words space is always respected, where
the message always get through , because it gets heard, because it shows
itself, because it is fundamental to the whole. One can ask, is it an easy
thing? Not at all. The way Scott Kelly
reinterprets all that musical legacy is extremely original, and, as I’ve said
before, of touching beauty. For me, it was like watching a concert from an
original Johnny Cash of my generation.
Extremely
pleased with the audience that listened silently and enthusiastically applauded
them at the end of each song, Scott Kelly confided publicly this was the
biggest crowd of all the tour and thanked the very respectful and generous
behaviour of the audience towards the duo’s performance. For this reason,
because it matters to him, he promised to return again in the future. He will
be very welcomed.
(words: Guilherme Lucas; photos: Raquel Pinheiro)
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