In a career spanning six decades, there are bound to be some ghosts. Closing out Somerset House’s Summer Series on Sunday night, Patti Smith placed those enduring connections front and centre, with a set celebrating absent friends and her lifelong love for collaboration.Joined by long-time bassist and keyboardist Tony Shanahan, Seb Rochford of Polar Bear on drums, and her son Jackson on guitar, the revered punk-poet spent a little over an hour delivering dynamic renditions of cult classics.
Contrasting a light-footed, reggae rhythm with its heavy tale of grief, Redondo Beach sounded every bit as arresting as you might imagine it did on its debut – almost 50 years ago. Dancing Barefoot remains similarly timeless, with last night’s version featuring an impassioned outro with striking vocal harmonies.Always a keen covers enthusiast, Smith’s faithful take on Bob Dylan’s Man In The Long Black Coat was eclipsed by her inspired interpretation of Lana Del Rey’s Summertime Sadness. Dedicated to her late husband, Fred “Sonic” Smith of MC5, bittersweet lines like, “Kiss me hard before you go,” were imbued with a fresh poignancy, further accentuated by the warm, weather-beaten timbre of Smith’s tones.
Later, she was moved to mark the 30th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s passing – who died the same year as Fred – with the haunting atmospherics of her 1996 tribute About A Boy, and by reprising her unique take on Smells Like Teen Spirit, complete with eerily syncopated vocals.At the age of 77, Smith remains a formidable frontwoman. Captivating the audience with her fidgety presence, she oscillated between moments of calm and passion, waving at the audience one moment and spitting on the floor the next. Arguably, her voice is even more commanding than in its youth, and its gravelly depth added fresh emotional power to anthems like Pissing In A River and Bruce Springsteen co-written Because The Night.Equally, her activism remains impressively undimmed, with Ghost Dance dedicated to displaced Native Americans “made refugees in their own country”, and Peaceable Kingdom to the Palestinian people. During the encore, she entreated, “Use your voice,” and dispatched a euphoric version of 1988’s People Have The Power, accompanied by Paul Simonon of The Clash. The fact the gesture felt genuinely inspiring rather than trite, speaks volumes of Smith’s continued appeal.
Throughout, it was a performance that proved she remains one of the rarest of propositions: a legacy artist with something vital to contribute to the cultural conversation.
