As published by the Tottenham, Woodgreen and Edmonton Journal David Gray played a secret gig to a selected audience at the Church Studios a few days ago.
This concert will be broadcasted on November 9 on Channel 4.
Audience with a chart topper
IT'S not every day you get invited to the cosy recording studio of a multi-million selling artist to hear him and his band play some of his greatest hits.
But there I was, shivering in the cold outside singer-songwriter David Gray's Church Studios at the bottom of Crouch Hill, hoping it would be worth the wait.
But on trekking in from the cold with a handful of excited competition winners, I realised I was joining a privileged few who have seen the foundry where Gray has been forging his future hits.
No expense has been spared on the double-height hall, with immaculate white walls, original dark wood balcony and beams creating an evocative atmosphere.
A makeshift stage had been erected along one side for the mini-concert, which was being filmed for Channel 4 show Transmission With T-Mobile to promote his imminent Greatest Hits album.
Taking questions from the audience before the set, Gray said he had "grown into" the studio after buying it from Eurythmics member Dave Stewart "three or four years ago".
"Only now am I starting to think, 'Oh yeah!'" he said. "Only now am I getting used to it. I have been cutting tracks here for what will be the next album."
In the coming months, revellers in Crouch End might well stumble across Gray making his way to or from his studio from his Essex home at all times of the night.
"I'm quite disciplined," he said. "I'm like someone who works in the City. I turn up at work at nine on a Monday morning and stay until six.
"But sometimes you have got to break that. If I go to bed and something is really buzzing around my head I just have to get it done, and maybe I will wake and get up at 2am and then go on to 7am.
"Something arrives and you feel the power of it straight away. Generally these things have a certain something.
"I think if you work fast you have more of a chance of keeping your mind out of the process."
Diving straight into a semi-acoustic set with chart hit Sail Away, Gray was plainly enjoying himself. A flowery, fingerpicked version of Babylon single-handedly rediscovered its lilting inner beauty, away from the overplayed radio version.
Gray moved to his stripped down upright piano, with strings exposed, for a surprisingly tender and poignant version of The Other Side, his band building it to an ominous climax.
"This year's love had better last," he sang on This Year's Love. Doubtless Gray hopes this will stand true for his next album of new material, expected autumn 2008.
DAVID Gray's "Greatest Hits" will be released on November 12. The mini-concert will be broadcast as part of Transmission With T-Mobile's show on Channel 4 on November 9. He plays three dates at the Roundhouse in Camden on November 12, 13 and 14. Tickets, priced £28.50, are on sale now from usual outlets.
Link to the original article.
- Rena
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