News / / 30.09.14

Lauryn Hill

Manchester Apollo | 25 September

People really cling on to The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. When we interviewed TDE’s SZA she described the album as “the perfect piece of work”. The LP has showcased a sustained cultural relevance like few other records from the late 1990s have. The open-page honesty, the unwary ad-libs and the peerless flow. Even when Crack caught her live last May in Brooklyn before her prison sentence, we tried to convince ourselves that her imminent stretch would be the precursor to a new and exciting chapter in her troubled ride. Then came the Brixton backlash earlier in the week where crowds took to the timelines to pan the comeback show they’d all been so excited for. As the 10 minute wait becomes a 60 minute wait and the DJ mixes Collie Buddz’s Come Around in to House of Pain’s Jump Around our dreams of proving Brixton wrong are looking more and more unrealistic.

Eventually Ms. Hill takes to the stage for a cover of Soul Rebel (1 of 5 Bob Marley covers in the setlist) and soon after jumps headfirst in to an unidentifiable rendition of Everything is Everything. Remodelling old numbers for a new live show is nothing new but this was far from a remodel. The lyrics had been lifted and spread out across a brand new double-time melody. Lauryn was manically weaving the lyrics around a misjudged honky-tonk piano line and drummer who seemed to be constantly chasing after Hill’s uncontrollable need for speed. The boos came, the crowds thinned and the peculiar remixes continued. The tragic moment came when the crescendo of To Zion proved to the adoring crowd that her voice was 100% intact. This apparent addiction to reworking her songs wasn’t there to mask a damaged vocal and it didn’t even appear to be bringing her that much joy as a performer. It felt like 3 minutes before showtime, she panicked and had to quickly remember how to be Lauryn Hill again.

Things picked up when we were treated to a few choice cuts from 2002’s astounding Unplugged record. Before hypnotising the naysayers (Crack included) with Mr. Intentional, Lauryn called out a heckler in the front section and asked what the issue was. The fan spoke for the whole Apollo when they told her plainly, “I’m just so confused”. From then on, the show gained momentum and the last few hits were played in alignment with their recorded versions but that didn’t remedy the on-mass bewilderment.

It’s confusing that she’d choose to play almost as many Bob Marley covers as she would Miseducation cuts. It’s confusing that her voice sounds unbelievable but she makes it work at a pace that leaves her flustered and breathless. It’s confusing that the person behind one of the greatest solo records of the last 50 years is making her fans work so hard to stay on her side. It’s all confusing. And it when it hurts so bad, it really doesn’t feel so good.

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Words: Duncan Harrison

@dunchar_

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