la serpenta canta reviews

EVEN THE most extreme vocal inflections of PJ Harvey sound benign alongside the banshee wail of the classically trained Greek-American Diamanda Galas. Seated alone at her piano, bathed in a single spotlight, she likes to perform in an entirely blacked-out theatre where she uses her voice as an instrument of terror rather than pleasure. At times her screaming can be painful, yet it is also compelling. A Galas performance may be the most uncomfortable thing you will ever hear. It will also be one of the most memorable. Nigel Williamson