Mark Lanegan Tribute Concert, The Roundhouse, London: Josh Homme, Dave Gahan, Alison Mosshart and more lead a magical, moving tribute

Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan gruffly mimics Lanegan’s deepest vocal troughs on the waltzing ‘Strange Religion’ (“It’s harder than I thought,” he coughs), while Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie reaches for his higher register on the desert-driving blues of ‘Pendulum’ and Screaming Trees’ anthem ‘Sworn and Broken’. But the show really kicks into gear with The Kills’ Alison Mosshart, whose raspy snarls bring an emotional edge to the swaggering grunge riff of ‘Mockingbirds’, taken from Lanegan’s 1990 Sub Pop solo debut ‘The Winding Sheet’ (an album which featured, among others, members of Nirvana on guitar and bass). 

Stripped-back cameos from Duke Garwood (‘I Am The Wolf’) and Tess Parks (‘Resurrection Song’) supply a vulnerable interlude that highlights the emotional depth of Lanegan’s songwriting. The former’s gravel-pit croon is also the closest sound-a-like we get to the original, inimitable vocals tonight: close your eyes, and it’s almost as if Lanegan’s ghost is haunting the stage. Some of the biggest cheers of the evening then greet Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs, whose enthusiasm and bellowing voice on sludge-rock groove ‘Methamphetamine Blues’ provide another dynamic peak. The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde follows, offering a sublime version of heart-wrencher ‘You Will Miss Me When I Burn’. “Oh, Mark,” she says, blowing a kiss to the sky.

Josh Homme is one of the most obviously anticipated guests of the evening - as evidenced by the smattering of 'Songs for the Deaf' tees found among the crowd. But there are no renditions of the Lanegan-led QOTSA classics like 'In the Fade', 'Hangin' Tree' or 'God is in the Radio' tonight (fortunately, they’re still in syndication at the band’s live shows). Instead, Homme delivers a profound vocal performance of the towering ‘Carnival’ and the bleary-eyed ‘El Sol’. Both are taken from 1994’s unsung masterpiece ‘Whiskey for the Holy Ghost’ - a smoke-stained country blues album heavily favoured on tonight's setlist that comes second only, in terms of tracks performed, to 2004’s ‘Bubblegum’, a record that QOTSA’s members featured heavily on. ‘Come to Me’ is performed as a duet between Homme and Mosshart, while ‘One Hundred Days’ - a song Homme claims he wants played at his funeral - sees Gahan return to croon over slinky basslines.

An ethereal, string-laden montage of images spanning Lanegan’s career plays as his recorded voice scratches like thick sandpaper from the speakers, before a triumphant encore caps off the night. Dulli leads Screaming Trees hit ‘Dollar Bill’, before Gahan and the choir summon a quasi-religious experience on the gospel-infused ‘Revival’. The finale finds Lanegan’s widow Shelley assuming the role originally performed by PJ Harvey on what was the closest Lanegan ever had to a hit solo song, 2004’s ‘Hit the City. The track is rounded out with Homme on bass before the whole cast of performers return for a final bow in front of the red curtain.

"Mark would have pretended to hate this,” Homme had joked earlier, but as this poignant and powerful tribute ends, you can't help but wonder if there's a ragged smile being cracked from up above. It's hard to imagine a more moving dedication to Mark Lanegan than this.

Tags: Depeche Mode, Mark Lanegan Band, Primal Scream, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Kills, Reviews, Live Reviews