zero 7
tuesday, june 1, 2004 • the showbox, seattle wa


review: Oh, Zero 7...how do I love thee??? If I were 13 years old, I would have posters in my bedroom and be a card-carrying fan club member. This ensemble never ceases to amaze me. I recently saw the launch of their current tour in Brixton and jumped at the chance to catch them here in Seattle. The ever-wonderful KEXP should be given big love for bringing them to the Showbox.

Zero 7 was started by childhood friends Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns, who grew up together in North London. Their big break came when they were given the opportunity to remix a track for Radiohead. Gilles Peterson of Radio One fame heard the results and the rest is history.

The show started with Mozez singing "Warm Sound" from their latest release, When It Falls. A dear friend of mine describes Mozez best: "he sings like it is the last song he will ever sing". That is so true. Looking a bit like Al Green, he hit the stage and grabbed everyone instantly.

He was followed by the newest member of the band, Tina Dico. Tina sang the track "Home" which she co-wrote for the new album. Her vocal range and angelic looks are a welcome addition to the group. She and Sia Furler, who is by far my favorite vocalist in the group, proceeded to sing "Somersault". This is their latest single, and what could be my favorite track by them. It is a gorgeous song about love and devotion. What happens when Sia opens her mouth is nothing short of magic. Her voice sends tingles to all my parts and back again. She is mesmerizing. The beauty of the women of Zero 7 is the fact that they are all such strong singers, yet they come across like they can't believe they are on stage. It's adorable! They do little dances together, and appear to be quite shy despite the power behind each of their voices. Sophie Barker hit the stage in a cute denim frock showing all that Sophie has to offer. I have always seen her in a hat, but not this time. It was a delight to see her gorgeous eyes (yes, I was looking at her eyes) as she made her way through tracks like "In The Waiting Line"...an acoustic version that really allowed her voice to shine. A real treat came when Sia did one of her own songs from her latest release Colour The Small One. "Breathe Me" is an incredible song that really allows Sia to use her gift!! Thank you!

I can't forget to give much love to the band. This is one of the tightest outfits around. It is very apparent that they all love what they do and doing it together. Two encores just didn't seem like enough. Zero 7 has carved themselves a niche in the world of electronica that no one else could possibly fill. Theirs is a unique sound that I am grateful they have given us. Yet another incredible evening with one of my favorite bands.

On a brief sidenote: I hate to be a negative Nelly, but to the patrons of the Showbox...please refrain from screaming, chatting, and drunken idiocy during such incredible shows as this one. There are people who actually paid to see the artists. Not to sound nasty, but it was really out of hand last night. I believe there were people who had no idea who they were seeing last night. Wasn't the 3 day weekend long enough to get your drink on? Watching someone carry their girlfriend to the car is never pretty... (karen.06.04)