A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.
Damon & Naomi at Café Oto, 18 May 2014
Left home and headed to Kings Cross where I was meeting Hazel, before heading into the wilds of Dalston to Café Oto for the second ever showing of Naomi's film 'Fortune' presented with a live soundtrack performed by Damon & Naomi. Hazel's train was delayed so I headed on alone.
It was a beautiful, warm evening so I loitered outside, where Damon & Naomi were also loitering. Chris came and introduced himself and we had a good chat before we sidled up to Damon & Naomi for a pre-gig natter. We hung around outside during the support act, who sounded interesting and (occasionally) noisy, but it was too nice outside.
Headed inside and Chris had found us a couple of good seats to the right of the stage, with a good view of the screen for the film, and Damon & Naomi took to the stage and issued the instruction to start the film... "press the space bar... did you press it? Did you press it twice?" - eventually the film started.
The film was a very beautiful, if slightly baffling, silent exploration of a man dealing with the loss of his father. Naomi explained, in a short Q&A after the film, how the project had been conceived as a visual addition to their show but had, over the course of the two years it took to make, become a film, with an arc. This explained to a certain extent its other-worldliness, and puzzling course, but in no way detracted from the beauty of the film and the eleven new songs that were written for it.
After the short Q&A, Damon & Naomi carried on with a set of songs that they felt reflected the mood of the film. They opened this second portion with Tim Buckley's Song to the Siren, and followed it with Lilac Land, Judah and the Maccabees, and then a stunningly beautiful Listen, the Snow Is Falling, which would have been the highlight of any year... but turned out it was an even higher highlight than that.
A stunning end to a very beautiful show. I went home on a cloud (and an overground, two undergrounds and a bus).
