London has been my home now for nearly ten years. Roughly about the same length of time that British Sea Power have been signed to Rough Trade. It startles me a bit to think that I’ve been going to gigs in this part of the world now for so long that entire band’s careers are encapsulated in that span. British Sea Power have always been a band unafraid to be different, confident in themselves and their craft. Now as they approach their second ten years as a band, they seem more comfortable than ever in what they’re doing.
Jan 142011
Oct 112010
There’s so much love in the Queen Elizabeth Hall; Collins is determinedly walking with the aid of a stick to his spot at the front of the stage, his band pumping out Chic’s Good Times. Sometimes, the applause of a performer onto the stage can be a little perfunctory, but there’s no hint of that here. Every single person in the crowd is ecstatic and thankful that the Scotsman is with us, the fact that he’s making music a bonus scarcely believable five years ago. He settles into position and leads his band, and make no mistake lead he does, into the title track from his new album, Losing Sleep.
Sep 092010
There’s something mechanical about the way the Fever Ray show starts, that wonderful rumble that opens last year’s magnificent debut album from Karin Dreijer Andersson. As the band lurches into If I Had A Heart the bass is deadening, it’s the kind of noise you feel as much as hear – for me it reverberates around the top of my stomach. Then you get to hear the voice, disconcerting and inhuman – pitch-shifted and bent out of recognisable form. Visually you get no clues either, you can barely see the band for the smoke and darkness that envelopes the stage. Instead you rely on glimpses – a sword jutting out of one band member’s back – the alien shape of Dreijer Andersson underneath her triangular headpiece. The sounds could be coming from anywhere, and anyone – it’s quite a bewildering experience.
May 202010
Despite being a band that essentially consists of one man, Neil Hannon has never actually toured solo before, or at least not since hitting the big time. Normally he’s seen on stage backed with anywhere up to 35 players. But – for his latest tour Hannon has unexpectedly gone back to basics; it’s just him, his piano and his guitar.
Hannon often comes across quite uneasy at the beginnings of concerts, taking a few songs to really get into the swing of things, but despite the added pressure of performing solo, he seems completely at ease at London’s rather intimate Tabernacle in Notting Hill. Things begin with a new number from upcoming release Bang Goes the Knighthood; it’s a clever little ditty called The Complete Banker. No prizes for guessing what that one’s about.
By stripping down the songs down to their basic elements, Hannon has the opportunity to show off just how well constructed his compositions are. Songs such as The Frog Princess are hard to imagine without their indulgent orchestrations, but by stripping them down to the basics, he proves just what a smart and skilled writer he is; each song can stand on its own, stripped down, without the big budget arrangements.
If there is a fault with his work often it can be too deliberate. When choosing to write about a certain subject, his choices can be too obvious, and his lyrics too predictable. New single, At The Indie Disco, is very much in this vein. It distinctly lacks the spontaneity of old; certain lines you can guess, and references to popular songs and performers are too carefully chosen to give the songs cult credibility. It’s just too planned and strategically delivered.
Hannon is at his best when he’s being clever. Although this has put people off his music (there’s no denying he’s a smart arse) it’s what’s always separated him from his peers. The other new material fairs better; I Like is based on such as simple idea, it’s hard to believe no one’s come up with it before. Can I Stand Upon One Leg is a funny, music hall-esque ditty, that gives him the chance to show off his party trick – the ability to hold a single high note for a ridiculously long amount of time.
Tonight, Hannon proves himself to be a great entertainer, able to captivate through both his music and his banter. Of course it always helps when you have a select small audience of people who are extremely well disposed towards you. He manages to put in at least one track from every album, making room for a few lesser played singles, Everyone Knows (Except You) and The Pop Singers Fear Of The Pollen Count. He also makes room for Duckworth Lewis favourite Jiggery Pokery and a cover of MGMT’s Time To Pretend. He fluffs up a number of times, but makes a good joke of it, keeping the audience very much on his side, using them as a prompt during one big slip-up.
For hardcore fans like myself who’d seen Hannon perform quite a few times before, this evening provided something refreshingly different. And with him at his most charming, we couldn’t have really asked for much more.
Rating: 
The Divine Comedy – A Lady Of A Certain Age (Live) (mp3)
The Divine Comedy – At The Indie Disco (video)
Photo: Jon and Lu @ The Tabernacle, London, 12.05.10
Apr 052010
Different gigs have different vibes. Archie Bronson Outfit may not be about to cross over to the mainstream just yet, but there were clearly people here at ULU who were really, really excited to see them, and really, really wanted to have a good time. Gangs of guys were just waiting, waiting, for the signal that it was time to leap up and down and start moshing. They would alas, be largely disappointed.
It was clear within a few songs that things just weren’t taking off. There were yells from the crowd ‘turn it up’, ‘you’re really quiet’. I personally didn’t feel that that was the problem, they were pretty loud when they came on (maybe I just don’t go to enough rock gigs), but what they really lacked is confidence. Lead singer Sam Windett doesn’t seem comfortable on stage, and is decidedly stiff. The band make more effort to get into the swing of things, but Windett just doesn’t look like he wants to be there.
Maybe it was the crowd that put them off. Although they were obviously enthusiastic, they wanted to hear material from Derdang Derdang. Although new album Coconut has received good reviews, it’s a different kind of album, more sonic effects and reverberation, less hook driven. It was over half an hour before an old track showed up, neither them nor the audience seemed at ease with the new material.
A few chords into Cherry Lips and things start to finally get moving. The crowd are enjoying it, even the band seem more comfortable. We get a few more Derdang tunes, Dart For My Sweetheart also finds much favour, but this is only an hour long set, half of it already expired, and after 45 minutes they go off for an encore. And then they come back on really quickly because there’s really not much time to squeeze a couple more songs in before they have to get off.
By the end, no one seemed to be entirely satisfied. For a band three albums in, you might’ve expected a more self assured gig. Sound problems or not, their performance and choice of material left quite a bit to be desired.
Rating:
Archie Bronson Outfit – Shark’s Tooth (mp3)
Buy Coconut from Amazon
Photo: Mike Brown @ End of the Road, UK, 09/09
