Devotchka – Cargo, London, 11/08/09

Shoreditch hipster haven Cargo may be one of London’s more dependable venues, but it does tend to devolve into a sauna for all but the most sedate shows. The stifling humidity certainly doesn’t help tonight’s support act Tristan Funnyman, an American three-piece whose bland pop balladry sounds like it should be soundtracking a low-budget Australian soap. They’re reasonably competent musicians (basic drumming apart), but devoid of a single original idea, their thirty minute set would have dragged hopelessly even in a better-ventilated setting.

On the plus side, they did make Devotchka seem even more exceptional in comparison. The Colorado quartet’s songwriting may occasionally lean towards the contrived, but their remarkable talent is undeniable. Tom Hagelman’s virtuoso violin is often understated but always perfectly delivered; Jeanie Schroder provides the band’s rhythmic heart with her double bass and serpentine sousaphone. If there’s a weak link, it’s Nick Urata’s melodramatic vocal stylings which can verge alarmingly on Ricky Martin territory. He’s a good frontman, and when he reins in his more overwrought tendencies he can also be an effective singer, but his delivery can add an unfortunate element of cheesiness to proceedings. Nonetheless, it’s not nearly enough to scupper their high-quality set, which began strongly with the energetic strum of ‘Head Honcho’ and the lively ‘Basso Profundo’, rattling along with a manic vaudeville edge that harkens back to their burlesque origins. A preponderance of medium tempo ballads results in a mid-set lull but they soon recover with a fantastic four-song stretch encompassing ‘C’est Ce La’, employing the obscure-but-awesome trinity of sousaphone, accordion and theremin, and ‘breakthrough’ hit ‘How It Ends’, a highly emotional, slow-building marvel where Urata’s over-emoting actually comes across as rather poignant.

Unfortunately their momentum is squandered with ‘Siouxise’ providing an undistinguished conclusion to the main set, but all is redeemed with a superbly triumphant encore- balloons are dispensed with abandon and the frantic Balkan exuberance of ‘Such A Lovely Thing’ sparks mass dancing throughout the venue. If they’d had more moments like this, rather than the kind of 50’s-style crooning your granny would approve of, Devotchka would be an unmissable proposition. As it stands, they’re merely an excellent one.