Back in November, I managed to find last-minute tickets to see Dirty Three, my favourite experimental violin-fronted trio (and, admittedly, the only one I know). I’d been lucky enough to see Warren Ellis, the band’s eccentric frontman, perform twice before, both times in sold-out venues alongside long-time collaborator Nick Cave, and a couple of the Bad Seeds. This time, however, I found him in Glasgow’s modest Classic Grand, a tiny venue in comparison. What followed was something else entirely.
It’s almost impossible to explain the kind of music Dirty Three make without (a) playing it or (b) making it sound horrific. Purely instrumental, the trio’s discography is made up of an amalgamation of dramatic, noisy arrangements created by three of the most talented musicians around: the aforementioned violinist Warren Ellis, guitarist Mick Turner, and drummer Jim White. Sometimes credited as ‘post-rock,’ but more often refusing to fit comfortably into any genre, Dirty Three have this ability to create incredibly poignant music without needing to say a word. Admittedly, there are hints in the song titles (and it doesn’t take a genius to interpret what ‘Everything’s Fucked’ might be about), but usually this is the most the band will let on. The rest is left entirely up to us.
The Glasgow gig was the first of a string of shows following the success of 2024’s Love Changes Everything, the trio’s first album in 12 years. Although perhaps overshadowed by more audacious previous releases, this record remains an incredibly intricate piece of work, exploring the complexities of love through mellow, often melancholic soundscapes. Five of the six pieces that make up Love Changes Everything (aptly named ‘Love Changes Everything I-V’) made it onto the Glasgow setlist, alongside many of the band’s more abrasive earlier numbers. Most notably, ‘I Remember a Time When Once You Used to Love Me’ was a particular highlight of the show. Its celestial violin motif became increasingly more chaotic over the course of the song’s six minutes, until what remained was Ellis, Turner, and White using their instruments to their absolute extremes, fiercely competing for who could make the most noise. ‘Sue’s Last Ride,’ a sentimental ode to death, then proved itself as a fitting closer, bringing the set to a cathartic end.
Ellis in particular was an enigma on stage. Half the time he spent almost motionless with his back towards the audience meticulously plucking his violin, the other half he spent practically ripping it apart, stomping around the stage screaming with a kind of primal rage, even at times lying on the floor and kicking his feet around in some kind of demonic trance. These ferocious performances were invariably juxtaposed with Ellis’ ridiculous interludes, which he filled with absurd ramblings about anything from his aversion towards Billy Joel to his ideal gym playlist (which turns out to be entirely ACDC). Yet, without fail, every time the music began again, this charming persona vanished and Ellis transformed once again into this unrestrained creature.
I’m eager to see what is next for Dirty Three. The members’ respective individual projects perhaps explain the band’s sporadic release of music over the last few years. Take Ellis for example, who has been making his mark everywhere recently. It’s his ethereal string performance that makes The 1975’s ‘About You’ the shoegaze-inspired masterpiece that it is, and his long-time collaboration with Nick Cave has recently resulted in a series of beautifully transcendent albums, like Wild God (with the Bad Seeds) and Carnage (credited just to Cave and Ellis). But I’m sure Dirty Three will be back. Even if that means waiting another 12 years.
“Nick Cave 1986” by Yves Lorson is licensed under CC BY 2.0.