Tunng at Union Hall

Tunng - Beautiful and Light [mp3]
Tunng - Woodcat [mp3]

"You're late," I yelled silently in my mind as the hippy-looking British group known as Tunng took the stage. It had been more than a year in waiting for them to play New York and this year they were not promoting the stellar This Is Tunng album, but rather the tepid Comments of the Inner Chorus. I hoped they wouldn't ignore my silent requests I shouted all night - that is, the entirety of This Is Tunng.

Tunng has three acoustic guitarists. That's nearly an orchestra of guitars, or least the early formation of a jam circle. Behind the wall of strings, they had one guy on electronics and another on auxiliary percussion. Yes, in addition to the weird blips bleeps and blops, they had a guy solely dedicated to weird clangs, clunks, clinks. Helping out on auxiliary, was the sole female in the group. As a woman, she was the only member forced to stand for the entire show while the men lounged in chairs. Chivalry is dead.

They began their set with Young Folk "People Folk" and an amazing version of "Beautiful and Light." "Woodcat" and "Jenny Again" were the only tunes off Comment I truly adored. They whipped out their Bloc Party cover "Pioneers" to please many in the crowd, and tried to conclude with "Surprise Me 44." A minute later, the electric power shorted-out on the electronics and they were unable to go on.

Whhhhaaaaa? Surely a band with three acoustic guitarists and two auxiliary percussionists can improvise without a sample machine, no? With the crowd demanding another song, the wall of strings rose out of their chairs and played an incredible version of "Fair Doreen." My dream of seeing Tunng in concert was fulfilled.

Leaving the moment unspoilt, we didn't remain for Loney, Dear.

Tunng play tonight at Mercury Lounge!

Here's a really great bittersweet video for "Fair Doreen."