Portishead Readies Live Album & Video 'PNYC'

10/28/1998 3:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Mac Randall

(10/28/98, 1 p.m. PST) - On July 24, 1997, Portishead debuted the songs from its self-titled second album, which was then still two months away from release, with a special show at New York's Roseland Ballroom. For this concert, Bristol's finest was augmented by a 30-piece string orchestra and five-piece horn section. Warmly received by those in attendance, the performance will also soon be available to those who weren't. On Nov. 3, PNYC, a longform video, CD and double-vinyl recording of the Roseland show, will be released on London Records. In addition, a special limited edition CD-ROM of PNYC will be released a few weeks later and sold exclusively on the band's website (www.portishead.co.uk).

Earlier this week, Portishead members Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley took part in an exclusive Internet chat with the U.S. media to discuss the new release. They revealed, among other things, that they had consulted with orchestral arranger Nick Ingman for about a month before settling on the final scores, had rehearsed with theorchestra for three days, and still were "terrified" during the show. But as Utley commented, "Orchestra[tion] has always been a natural extension of what we're into anyway...this is just the first time we could afford to do it."

Though the proceedings were recorded, Barrow and Utley confessed they hadn't planned on releasing a live album, but listening back to the tapes, they were "really proud" of the results. The album wasn't mixed until nearly a year after the performance, and Utley described the process as "exciting...we'd never mixed a live album before so we didn't particularly know the rules."

As for the video, Utley explained that the look they were going for was based on "a film shot in the early '60s with Miles Davis and Gil Evans...it was shot very slowly--very slow camera tracking and lots of aesthetic/ unusual, almost photographic shots." Barrow added "with a big orchestra and loads of lights, we wanted a much more intimate setting where the audience were very close and involved in the whole event." As a result, the performers assembled in the round on the ballroom floor instead of the stage, with the audience surrounding them. And regarding the mysterious fellow who spent much of the Roseland show dancing along the side of the performance area, Geoff and Adrian quipped, "Don't ask about him--we spent 6,000 pounds trying to edit him out!"

One thing's for sure: There are no plans for further live shows in support of PNYC. Barrow and Utley describe themselves as "knackered," and say the band's immediate plans are "to take some time off, sort our heads and come back." Barrow called Portishead's recent touring experience "a giant soap opera horribly come to life," but denies that the band has any problems with performing: "We just find it odd to be stared at, like anyone would. We are very reluctant to be in any way 'pop stars' and would definitely would much rather be judged by our music, rather than what we look like. But we do understand that people want to see us play live and we are happy to show that we can play live."

For myLAUNCH's concert review of last year's Roseland Ballroom show, click here.

-- Mac Randall, New York