New Yorker Suzanne Vega walks out onto the stage with a warm smile and thanks the crowd. She’s carrying a flat, round, black object, which she proceeds to pop out and place on her head – it’s a shiny top hat! A perfect addition as she launches into her ’80s hit, ‘Marlene On the Wall’.
Accompanied brilliantly on electric guitar by Gerry Leonard, most famous for his work with David Bowie on the Heathen, Reality and Next Day albums, Vega is superb to finally hear live. Her voice is beautifully smooth and deep as she strums her acoustic guitar.
Removing the top hat for the next tune, the artist starts clicking her fingers and shuffling from side to side for the sensual ‘Caramel’ (from the movie, Cats And Dogs). It’s a dreamy, jazz-like number that one would imagine hearing from the corner of a dimly lit bar.
Vega tells the room about the background behind her new album Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles until she realises that she’s been talking for quite a long time. The artist apologises by saying, “The intro to this song is longer than the song!” to which the crowd laugh in agreement.
‘Jacob And The Angel’ is a personal favourite. The way it creeps in with just Leonard on the electric guitar, beautifully layered and echoing while Vega sings and stands with her fingers snapping, hands hovering. It’s a truly sublime tune, soaking into the senses with beautifully dark undertones.
‘Small Blue Thing’ came straight after and it matched perfectly – so cool, smooth, and curious.
‘Gyspy’ was written when she was 18. Vega tells the story of teaching young girls disco dancing at a summer camp in the Adirondack Mountains of country NY, and the young arts and crafts teacher from Liverpool whom she had a summer romance with. It all began with “Do you like Leonard Cohen?”
She informs her fans after the song that she did get to meet Leonard Cohen years later, and when he signed her program from his concert, he wrote “To my female shadow, love LC”.
The musician likes to tell stories with a romantic, old-world feel about them, outlining characters like queens, soldiers, and jesters. The next song is long and sad, she says, before jokingly adding, “You’re ready for that, aren’t you?” Everyone claps and cheers as they realise it’s an old favourite, ‘The Queen And The Soldier’.
Soon the lights turn blue, fading into darkness as the singer-songwriter says, “You’ll know this one.” ‘Left Of Centre’, written for the film Pretty In Pink, begins to a wave of applause. It is so brilliant to hear this live; Leonard’s guitar echoing is epic.
She introduces ‘I Never Wear White’, with, “And it’s true!” Indeed, Vega is wearing black trousers, a black top, black boots, and a cool, black blazer. For the black-clad Melbourne patrons, this song is very apt. “White is for virgins and children in summer. Black is for secrets, outlaws, and dancers, for the poet of the dark.” The song is sexy and provocative, and she delivers it staring into the audience with conviction and a boundless air of cool.
‘Tom’s Diner’ then begins and is a slightly different version than the more sparse original. Leonard chugs the beat, echoing the D.N.A. remix in the background with his guitar layers looping behind him. The singer is cool as she walks around the stage, oozing the stylings of New York City.
Overall, Vega’s voice has a wistful, sad tone. It’s beautiful and sincere, and after seeing her live, you can feel the impressive strength behind it. This artist definitely is a brilliant female shadow of Leonard Cohen.
