2010-10-13 - Fistful Of Mercy - The Spectrum Show, Sirius Radio, New York

On Stage :

Fistful Of Mercy :
Joseph Arthur (vocals & guitar)
Ben Harper (vocals & guitar)
Dhani Harrison (vocals & guitar)
Jessy Greene (violin)


Setlist :

Things Go 'Round


Recording :

Review :

Fistful of Mercy Visits Sirius XM's The Spectrum
by Sonya Alexander, October 5th, 2010

Brand new super-trio Fistful of Mercy paid a visit to SIRIUS XM's The Spectrum on Monday, October 4, 2010, and it was easy to see that their comraderie is genuine and this rapport shines through in their acoustic rich, earnest music. Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison and Joseph Arthur joked around a bit before getting started, Ben tickled that he'd just given Pee Wee Herman an autograph, and throughout the session. Good-natured guys with quick wit, when it was time to get down to business, they were consummate performers and perfectionists. Violinist Jessy Green was also with them in the studio and her playing added an additional layer of melancholy to the already tony songs. They performed five of the tracks from their debut album, As I Call You Down, released on October 5, 2010: "In Vain or True," "As I Call You Down," "Father's Son," "Fistful of Mercy," and "Things Go 'Round."

When asked about how they first met:

Joseph: We first met after Lollapalooza, then we formally met. We also crossed paths at the Troubadour.

Ben: Actually we first met in 1994, in England. Peter Gabriel brought you back to meet me. Because it was so crowded backstage, we ended up having a civil conversation in the rankest, dirtiest bathroom...!

When asked about how the group came together:

Joseph: I texted Ben on a whim. I asked him to sit in with me at the Troubadour.

Ben: I'd met Dhani at the skate park, he's a mean skater. This kid can skate on the carpet in his home! Joseph and I decided to hit the studio and I invited Dhani. They had never met.

When asked about getting together for recording the album:

Dhani: I showed up at five to noon on Monday, three ukuleles in my hand. I didn't get the memo!

Ben: I was born three weeks late and I've been late to everything ever since! They were already working by the time I got there. But I saw they were sitting on the floor, legs criss-crossed, apple sauce. That was a good sign.

Joseph: There was definitely a friendship born, a brotherhood. There's a difference between friendship and musicality, and we had both. The illusion of time is extended in the studio, so three days can seem like three hundred years.

Ben: We shared the process of dreaming together and the songs were the conversation. I feel like I brought my 40 years experience to the project. I've always had an investment in harmonies. I grew up on the Carter family, the Byrds, the Blind Boys of Alabama, who I did harmonies with.

Dhani: A friend of mine asked me when he found out I was in the group if I remembered Ben playing at our spring show! He couldn't believe I was in a band with him. I've done a lot of surf rock, electro-psychedelic rock, probably because I didn't want any comparisons to my dad.

Ben: A solo effort would have been different for him...

On the name of the group:

Joseph: At first I wanted to name it something based on a Sergio Leone title, like "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"...."Fistful of Dollars."

Dhani: Fistful of Mercy is also the most powerful Kung Fu. I asked RZA about that and he confirmed it.

On touring:

Ben: We'll have a two week run in the states and ten days in Europe. We've also started work on the next album. Let's not talk about it, though. The vibe is there to do more.

On the current popularity of collaborating:

Joseph: Because record companies aren't really around any more, they don't have as much power, it's cool to collaborate now.

Ben: Music got a little boring there for a bit.

Dhani: Now it's like, 'Let's have fun again!' A lot of people talk about doing projects like this, but they never go anywhere. This just kind of seemed to effortlessly come together. Joe is responsible for us finishing. He was tireless. This record is honest and true, legitimate in its own way. I feel good about that.