Concert Review: Prima Donna

Prima Donna was the opening act for Adam Ant. I had been trying to listen to them in advance, to be kind of ready, because that's how I roll. I found one on Spotify that seemed to be the right one, and the biography said they were a female-fronted alternative band, not to be confused with the Los Angeles punk band, or a Texas band.

Once they stepped on stage, they all looked pretty male, but then they started playing "Sociopath", which I knew was one of the songs I had listened to. So, despite the warning not to mix the bands up, Spotify has, which I suspect means that royalties are not being distributed correctly. That's worth looking into for the principle of the matter, even if it only makes a 35-cent difference.

I didn't get all of that mentally sorted out until I was back home and on the internet, so during the show I was probably analyzing more than I usually do, trying to figure out who they were and prevent my lack of adequate preparation take away from the eventual review.

For a moment I toyed with the idea that this was still the other Prima Donna, because their bio referenced multiple roster changes, and they'd had male members at different times. These guys seemed too together for that. They had a unity that felt like it stemmed from playing in garages together.

Actually, I kind of felt the grease from the garage, which made me think perhaps there was a rockabilly influence. Lead singer Kevin Preston has played with Foxboro Hot Tubs, so maybe that makes some sense. Maria's first thought was glam rock, but they were opening for Adam Ant. Ultimately, they seem open to a wide variety of influences.

I will say that they did not seem very traditionally punk in terms of tempo. The attitude and the intelligence was pretty punk, but based on the sound alone it felt more like it was rock, but bouncing around the various rock fringes - here we are going to give you rock with some juke joint piano, and here we are going to get a little bit grungy, and then I'm going to throw some Gospel influences at you, and feel free to throw in some call and response.

The other way it seemed different for me is that, at least with the punk I gravitate to, it tends to be more fun. Here I feel traces of nihilism, like it's all going to end, so just have fun, which primarily seems to mean alcohol and sex, but then it's not actually that fun. This makes sense but makes me a little sad.

I have to balance that with saying that it was a great show. They are good performers - strong on instruments, strong on energy, and playing with a real sense of unity. I like Preston's voice, and I kind of love his guitar. I couldn't get a good look, but I think it had triple humbucker pickups and a whammy bar in a column, and that sounds crowded, but it was gorgeous. Maybe a Fender; I don't know.

I am absolutely not kidding about the intelligence, both with vocabulary used, and with the concepts in the songs. And if it was not clear earlier, when I say they bounce around the fringes of rock, that means they have great variety, and I do not get tired of listening to them, but I can see where people might get turned off. Maybe they're just a little dirty. Actually, I think they could make a great lineup with Jack Rabbit Slim (http://www.jack-rabbit-slim.co.uk/). That would be a good show.

Prima Donna's newest album is Bless This Mess and seems to have pretty good availability. They do not have their own Youtube channel that I can find, but there are some videos on a channel belonging to the label, Acetate Records.

http://primadonnarocks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/PrimaDonnaOfficial

https://twitter.com/primadonnaband

http://www.youtube.com/user/pitstop13?feature=watch

Edited to add: It occurred to me that I might be able to get some help on the guitar from Stray Dolls, who focus on news about Prima Donna. They answered my question promptly, and I think it makes sense to include them here as a good source of information:

http://straydolls.com/

https://twitter.com/straydollscom

Also, Kevin Preston plays the Ultra III from Schecter Guitar:

http://www.schecterguitars.com/products/guitar/Ultra-III.aspx

I don't understand why I respond so strongly to some guitars versus others, but I don't really question it either. I say she's a beaut.