Julian Plenti

A pleasant if a little too 'chamomile tea' show from Julian Plenti, alias Paul Banks of Interpol, at Magazzini Generali in Milan, the only date scheduled in our country. His album, "Julian Plenti is… Skyscraper", is an interesting debut, but his performance, while high-calibre, was at times lacking bite and didn't fully convince. Perhaps Paul was too preoccupied with distancing himself, a bit too forcefully, from what he usually does with his main band: hence the studied low profile in his clothing (he wore a lumberjack shirt rather than Trussardi or Armani as he would with Interpol) and in that of the band backing him, as well as in the choice of venue, and above all in the way the songs were performed, favouring an intimate, subdued version over the rock one, with the songs slowed down compared to their studio counterparts and stripped of certain flourishes and instruments like saxophone and trumpet.

A smart choice for the support act: I'm In You, a Brooklyn four-piece with two members trading off on vocals, who opened the evening early, ten minutes past eight. Their syncopated rock, full of rhythm changes, recalled at times — especially in the singer's high notes — Spencer Krug and his latest project, Sunset Rubdown.

After forty minutes of tight, fairly engaging music, which included a brief punk moment when the burly drummer hurled an empty beer can into the crowd, it was already time for the performance by Helena Christensen's current boyfriend, backed tonight by four musicians, including a cellist.

The opener is "Mythsizer", a short interlude leading into the first proper song, "Fly as You Might", performed with the vocals a bit too low, buried under the drums. It's a rather muted start, and already a sign that the show won't reach the exceptional heights of an Interpol live set. "No Chance Survival" is more convincing, in a more intimate version that makes it easier to appreciate the studio rendition. "Fun That We Have" is slower and rather toothless, as is the lifeless "Madrid Song", which leans too heavily into chill-out territory.

"Girl On The Esplanade" is syrupy live too, and the situation is made worse by the fact that Plenti doesn't seem flawless on some of the higher notes, unlike his alter ego Paul Banks would have been. The guitarist to his right, a hefty, bespectacled guy who rocks back and forth continuously as he plays, wipes his face as if already exhausted. From this point on, though, the show changes character and becomes decidedly more interesting, with the danceable "Unwind" and the gorgeous "Only If You Run".

After the ritual band introductions and heartfelt thanks to the crowd (though the venue was far from sold out, and no male fan came up to kiss him onstage as happened in London ten days earlier), it's time for three gems in a row: "On The Esplanade", a rocked-up cover of "Into The White" by the Pixies, and "Skyscraper", with the drummer switching sticks for the occasion. After "Goodbye Toronto", an unreleased track and frankly one of the weaker pieces, Julian-Paul tells everyone there are still just a few songs left before the end ("We got a few more, folks!"). A thoroughly pleasant interlude introduces the delightful instrumental "H" and, after the folky "Horse With No Name", an America cover, the show closes with the excellent single "Games for Days", the most 'Interpol-like' of his compositions.

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