REVIEW & GALLERY: Still “Tellin’ Stories”: The Charlatans Take Over Hollywood
WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY SYDNEY MERCHANT
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There is something special about watching a band that has been performing for decades step onstage and look like there is nowhere else they would rather be.
On Friday, September 4, The Charlatans took over the Hollywood Palladium for a night that felt equal parts electric and intimate. From the moment the band walked out, the energy in the room was undeniable. The crowd was full of smiles, but perhaps the biggest belonged to Tim Burgess himself.
Burgess looked completely at home onstage. There was an ease to the way he moved through the performance and interacted with the crowd that made the night feel personal, despite the size of the Palladium. He seemed genuinely happy to be there, taking in the audience just as much as they were taking in him. It was as if everyone in the audience could reach out and hold his hand, and he was just as eager to hold theirs.
That feeling extended to the entire band. At times, watching The Charlatans perform felt less like watching a planned out and practiced live production and more like being allowed into the studio while the artists curated the joy of their own music. There was an almost “jam sesh” and “studio-like” quality to their chemistry. They were locked in with one another, basking in the music and the moment without ever making the performance feel rehearsed or distant.
The set reached across The Charlatans' catalog, opening with “Weirdo” before moving through songs like “North Country Boy,” “Tellin' Stories,” “Can't Get Out of Bed,” “One to Another,” “Just Lookin'” and “How High.” The night ultimately closed with an encore that included “Many a Day a Heartache,” “The Only One I Know” and “Sproston Green.”
But what stood out most was not simply hearing songs that have meant something to listeners for years. It was watching the relationship between the band, the music and the people in the room. The audience knew these songs, loved these songs and, in many cases, had likely carried them for decades. The Charlatans seemed to understand exactly what that meant without ever relying solely on nostalgia.
There is a reason Tim Burgess and The Charlatans have earned the status they have. More than three decades into their career, there was no sense that they were simply going through the motions or revisiting a version of themselves that existed years ago. The energy was present, the connection was present, and most importantly, the joy was present. The same band that viewers yearned to reach through the MTV screen and touch took the stage, and their joy, talent, and captivation haven't aged a day.
The Charlatans have nothing left to prove, but their night at the Hollywood Palladium made one thing particularly clear: they have certainly not lost their touch.
