I actually gasped when I got into the T.F., you know. Such was the sight that met my eyes, of the stage setup for the Reworked Tour. It was then and there that I realised just how different things were going to be. A multi-million-selling act were going to try some intimacy. And the night was intimate. Oh yes indeed – about as intimate as you can get in a venue this size.
Billed as starting at 8pm, the lights didn’t dim until 8.15: clearly, the roadies were making an effort. Every single one of the instruments on that stage had to be pitch-perfact, after all. The first set got underway with a skeletal version of ‘The Finish Line’, featuring just Gary Lightbody and a harp player. The line-up of people on stage changed constantly throughout the night. Through ‘Crack the Shutters’ and ‘Batten Down The Hatch’, there’s more than a little chatting going on, and this prompts Lightbody to address the crowd thus – though whether it’s in light-hearted fashion or otherwise is unclear: ‘This [chatting]‘ is really starting to fuck me off, so if you want to continue it, you can go to the bar’.
Later, he apologises, explaining that he ‘just gets into a weird mood sometimes’. However, this doesn’t change the fact that people are struggling to get into what he calls the ‘quiet first half’ of the set. Now, this is going to sound elitist, I know, but while I can forgive the majority not recognising some of the more obscure tracks, like ‘An Olive Grove Facing the Sea’ – which is stunning; the Reindeer Section material, ‘Cartwheels’ and ‘You Are My Joy’, many, many times throughout the night do I get the feeling that quite a few are only here for the singles. As if to prove my point, ‘Take Back the City’ gets by far the best reaction of any song in the first set, closing things in rousing fashion.
After an intermission (Lightbody: ‘It’s just like going to the theatre’), things are resumed with new song ‘Dark Roman Wine’. As set openers go, understated is not the word. After this, however, now with what would constitute the full band on stage, they launch into a truly euphoric version of ‘Spitting Games’ during which we are urged to stand up. Most every single person in the room remains standing for the rest of the night, as the band pull off a storming set. Crowd-pleasers are rolled out, and the reception that ‘Run’ gets is, quite simply, incredible. In a bitterly ironic twist, what could be called their best-known song, ‘Chasing Cars’, meets with clueless looks until the vocals come in. However, things pick up, and the roof is duly raised as the song reaches climax point.
Two covers are rolled out tonight: One, Declan O’Rourke’s ‘Galileo’ (with the man himself on stage; in fact, Declan is around for quite a part of the show), and an absolutely jaw-dropping take on Elbow’s ‘One Day Like This’ (the band even roped in their string section). A long-overdue debut is given to the rather excellent ‘Lifeboats’, too. They really pulled out all the stops.
The second set finishes with an electrifying ‘If There’s A Rocket, Tie Me To It’, before an encore of recent single ‘Just Say Yes’; their ace in the pack, ‘You’re All I Have’; and a fantastic take on ‘Shut Your Eyes’.
A truly marvellous night from start to finish, one can only hope that the risks they’re taking on this tour rub off on the group as they begin writing for album number six. True, they are still very good at what they do, but some experimentation, as heard in ‘A Hundred Million Suns” epic closer ‘The Lightning Strike – would be welcome. Has tonight given them the confidence to go out on a limb? We shall just have to wait and see.
There was a lot of expectation involved leading up to the moment the lights went down. For instance, I expected that Dublin’s O2 would be absolutely jam-packed by the time I got my place (around 8.05pm, less than 25 minutes before a certain Devon three piece were due on stage). I was rather surprised to find that I could get myself a spot that was five rows back from the barrier (and to the extreme left – wouldn’t have taken my chances in a pit again if I could have). I also expected that tonight was going to be something truly special. It’s not every day that a band that so many have claimed to be the best live act on the planet drop in, after all.
The first thing that told me that this was going to be something different to any other gig I’d been to was the elaborate stage set-up. I didn’t know what exactly the two (super)massive structures on stage were, so I’ll just refer to them as oh, video towers or something.
(I’ll try not to use that pun too much.)
The crowd seemed very expectant too. Every time a track playing over the PA finished, there would be a cheer from those on the balcony. A cheer that would die down as the next song started up. For the record, one of the tracks played over the PA was a remix of ‘Never Miss A Beat’ from Kaiser Chiefs’ god-awful third record ‘Off With Their Heads’ – and what’s more, it actually sounded half-decent (and a major improvement on the original song, I might add).
But yes, that moment did soon arrive. The lights dimmed, and the band took to the stage. When I say ‘took to the stage’, I mean ‘were elevated from inside the video towers’. Yes. They gradually opened to reveal Matthew Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard. Nice subtle opening then?
It could only have started with one song, and that song was a breathtaking version of ‘The Resistance’’s lead single ‘Uprising’. Instantly, every single person in the room knew that they are in for something stunning.
‘Resistance’ seemed to get much less of a reaction than I’d been expecting (I knew it would be played as it is most likely the third single from the album), but then things really got going with the epic ‘New Born’ – which has been allocated an eyebrow-raisingly early slot in the set. Granted, it was played at a slightly slower tempo than the studio version, but that made not one bit of difference to us.
Some ‘Black Holes and Revelations’ material followed, namely ‘Map of the Problematique’ (my favourite Muse song from the past three years) and a sublime ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ that actually couldn’t have been more well received.
People often accuse Muse of hiding behind elaborate setups, not having the songs to make them stand up on their own. Bullshit.
Next up was ‘Hysteria’, which got everyone, even the rather annoyingly static and tall person in front of me, moving. Then, as the piano was rolled out, we were treated to a rather nice surprise in the form of a bass-and-drums version of ‘Showbiz’-era b-side ‘Nishe’. It was one of only two tracks from back then that got aired tonight, the other being a stunning version of ‘Unintended’ which went down extremely well considering its relative obscurity.
Between these, ‘United States of Eurasia’ and ‘Feeling Good’ were brought out. The former has really come into its own as a live track – the studio version continues to leave a bit of a sour taste, mind. We were soon back into a more upbeat mood with forthcoming single ‘Undisclosed Desires’.
That’s when things really took off. We got three ‘hits’ in a row: A euphoric ‘Starlight’ (which proves that Muse really do have the crowd, despite the slightly detached atmosphere that can’t really be helped, especially when you consider the elaborateness of the setup); ‘Plug In Baby’; and ‘Time Is Running Out’.
Then, to close off the main set, the band brought out my favourite song on the new record: the seven-minute ‘Unnatural Selection’. I was surprised at how little moshing there was going on in certain songs, but everyone got into it here. The highlight of the night, and that is really saying something.
A short five-minute break, and the band returned for three encores. Part one of the ‘Exogenesis’ symphony was first up. My word, it really does work in a live setting! In fact, last night’s rendition trumped the album version.
Then, to finish, the band got back to rocking out with ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, before the curtain was brought down on a spectacular night with ‘Knights of Cydonia’. Plumes of smoke shot up into the air as the last note was played: a fitting ending to a gig such as this.
People often accuse Muse of hiding behind elaborate setups, not having the songs to make them stand up on their own. Bullshit. Everything was going for them tonight. Great songs, brilliant crowd, and the show? Well, it was something that had to be seen to be believed. Muse were on form last night, and when they are on form, no other band comes close. Best live band in the world? You bet.
They said the doors would open at 7:30pm, but I get in ten minutes later, and it is clear that those sneaky folks at the Olympia pulled a fast one on us. Pulled Apart By Horses are already mid-way through their set by the time I settled in, but they go down very well indeed, especially with us near the front who could, well, hear them. New song ‘Get Off My Ghost Train’ gets quite the reception, and so too do set-closer ‘I Punched A Lion In The Throat’ and the memorably-titled ‘E=MC Hammer’. PABH go down quite well considering the brevity of their set doesn’t give them much time to make an impression, but they do a staggeringly good job.
(Self-titled debut’s out January 2010, for the record.)
Next up are Manchester Orchestra. From my position I can see the band members waiting to go on, and they get quite a good reception when they do appear. A “‘Mon the Manchester Orchestra!” from someone nearby is met with a quite shy “‘Mon the Biffy” from frontman Andy Hull. He seems genuinely shocked that people know who they are. A five-song set ensues, and from the general response, you could have sworn it was them who were headlining, and not Biffy Clyro. Top marks so far, then. But nothing could quite have prepared me for what was to come.
A few around me are becoming more than a tad impatient, when without warning, the lights dim, and Simon Neil, Ben Johnston and James Johnston take to the stage. It all kicks off with forthcoming fifth record ‘Only Revolutions” second single ‘That Golden Rule’, and when I say it kicks off, well, it does. A pit forms, extending to around twenty rows back, but it does little to separate the wheat from the chaff, as we’re all up for it. I went in knowing fully what to expect, and that is exactly the kind of atmosphere that’s been created by the final chorus of ‘Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies’.
However, with a new album in tow, it seemed that tonight was going to be all about the new stuff. …Not so, but more on that later. The first of the ‘brand-spanking new’ material is ‘Bubbles’. It boasts a massive chorus and some time signature trickery. All good in my book then, and as ‘God And Satan’ and ‘Born On A Horse’ are, erm, trotted out later in the set, it becomes clear that Biffy have become accustomed to their pop sensibilities, but still possess a refreshing quirkiness. Will this translate to the album? Well, I’m giving ‘Only Revolutions’ the review treatment next week, so this remains to be seen.
As the show progresses, I start to realise that Biffy are quite the accomplished live act. However (and don’t take this the wrong way) the amount of ‘Puzzle’ fans in attendance tonight is made clear by the overall muted response to material off albums one and three, ‘Blackened Sky’ and ‘Infinity Land’ respectively. Biffy realise how well ‘Puzzle’ songs go down though, and so play no fewer than eleven of them on the night. This leaves quite the sour taste in my mouth, but I can’t say I was too annoyed while there!
Closing the main set with recent single ‘The Captain’, Biffy return a few moments later to play a handful of encores. ‘Joy. Discovery. Invention.’ from ‘Blackened Sky’ has huge singalong potential, but it’s not fully realised tonight, to say the least. The same cannot be said of ‘Semi-Mental’ however, and I see quite a few people going completely mental to it – by this time I’ve moved out to the right side. Better for my health.
‘As Dust Dances’ sets up triumphant show closer ‘Mountains’. ‘Only Revolutions” lead single, it receives an ecstatic response.
Biffy Clyro have truly proved themselves as a live act now, I feel. Dripping with sweat, practically fighting for my life, I lasted the pit as long as I could, and loved every minute of it – though I came dangerously close to collapse during ‘Glitter And Trauma’. I’ll never forget what an experience tonight’s been. From the new songs, it seems that evolution is proving better than revolution for the band, but they are integrated seamlessly into the live set, and only help to strengthen the band’s credentials. It was a quite literally breathtaking night.
Setlist
1. That Golden Rule
2. Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies
3. A Whole Child Ago
4. Bubbles
5. Who’s Got A Match?
6. 9/15ths
7. 57
8. Born On A Horse
9. Get Fucked Stud
10. Machines
11. Now I’m Everyone
12. Cloud Of Stink
13. Justboy
14. Love Has A Diameter
15. God & Satan
16. Glitter And Trauma
17. Hero Management
18. Saturday Superhouse
19. The Captain
—
20. Joy.Discovery.Invention
21. Semi-Mental
22. As Dust Dances
23. Mountains
‘How the hell’s this going to work?’ – Those were the very words I murmured to myself many times as I sat in on soundcheck in Bar Ritz last Saturday. To put it lightly, the acoustics there are not very good – at the very least, this was the impression I got.
The western part of Ireland hasn’t exactly been a hotbed for live music in recent years – the Róisín Dubh in Galway is one of the only venues here that are up to scratch. A decent gig might come to the T.F. every now and then, but things have definitely been lacking in Castlebar as of late.
However, Bar Ritz is now being sold as a music venue, and the big launch night took place on the 17th, with three excellent bands along for the ride. It would seem that this is only the beginning, too – Adebisi Shank visit on December 11th.
Things got off to a bit of a shaky start, it has to be said, though through no fault of the aptly-named The Brilliant Things, who record as a two-piece. Having already impressed when I caught them supporting The Blizzards back in April, even myriad technical problems couldn’t put them off. Lead vocalist Marie Junior was in fine form. So too was the touring drummer, whose performance on set-closer and recent single ‘Rise’ was nothing short of spectacular. With an album (‘Stronger Than Romeo’) due early next year, there seem to be big things ahead for the group.
“the Irish indie scene is in
rude health”
Next up were Codes, who, in all honesty, were the band I’d come to see. It was love on first listen last year, and having already given us a masterpiece in the form of ‘Trees Dream In Algebra’, the band are continuing to hone their live sound. I wondered how well their textured sound was going to work in a pub setting (it certainly does in arenas, believe me). It went down a storm. Set opener ‘Malfunctions’ received a lukewarm reception, but by the time ‘Guided By Ghosts’ finished, the crowd had been won over. A slightly embarrassing faux pas was made by frontman Daragh Anderson after ‘Magnetic North’.'We’ve never been to Clonmel [County Sligo] before’,” he told us. “Er, Daragh, we’re not in Clonmel!,” keyboard player Paul Reilly reminded him. Anderson addresses us again: “Sorry… I had it in my head, ‘Don’t say Clonmel! We got shafted [our gig was cancelled] in Clonmel, actually!”
Some more technical problems occurred – when wanting to thank The Brilliant Things, Daragh was interrupted by a squeal of feedback. Unfazed, he continued: “Yeah, I just wanted to say *imitates feedback*”. These stabs at humour made a good impression on the crowd, and Codes were received very well indeed, if the reaction to epic closer ‘4 Winters’ was anything to go by.
The Flaws took to the stage around fifteen minutes later, and launched into a flawless (see what I did th… oh, never mind.) version of ‘Idolise’. The songs they lifted from 2007 debut ‘Achieving Vagueness’ went down excellently, but there’s a new album on the way in February, so the focus was on the new stuff. Strangely, recent single ‘I Don’t Wanna Dance’ didn’t get an airing, but some other new noise did – five newies were played.
There was a great connection between the band and the crowd, and the gig ended in triumphant fashion, with lead guitarist Shane Malone getting up on the bar counter to perform the solo in ‘Throw Away’. There’s even an unexpected encore afterwards: a b-side, the name of which I didn’t manage to catch, admittedly, is played.
All in all, this was an excellent night, something that confirmed what I have suspected for quite a long time now: that the Irish indie scene is in
rude health. The Brilliant Things came into their own as a live band, Codes performed their usual trick of very nearly upstaging the headlines, and The Flaws showed us that their best is yet to come. Marvellous.
Matt Bellamy on drums, Chris on guitar and keys, Dom as the terrific front man, Muse have performed a bit of a prank on a German Italian TV station. Matt’s performance on the kit is something to behold, punching triumphantly for every musical bash and crash. But the best part is the interview that follows, showing that no producer in the studio, nor the host had even bothered to notice that things had gone a bit topsy-turvy.
You get the feeling that amongst the 500+ crowd awaiting an appearance from the buzz-band of the year thus far, that some of them are expecting one of the most staggering live performances they’ll ever claim to have witnessed. You prepare to be taken away by Animal Collective on the live circuit just as you would from listening to one of their records; their sound, so inhuman yet so unbelievably natural that you urge to be swept along with the sample-fused beauty of it all. At times during tonight’s show you really are lost in a swarm of uplifting spirits, no substances required. At times you really do pinch yourself to check whether what’s right before you is actually there. Close your eyes and occasionally optical-illusions form, illusions akin to the band’s most recent album artwork, simply due to the rate at which the elaborate light show gives everything it has. Dancing like a maniac to something so sonically wrong at first glance yet something that feels so right, is about as good as it gets when it comes to gigs.
But Avey Tare and co. start slowly. Even the ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’ standout-track ‘My Girls’ never kicks off like it should. Panda Bear looked at times frustrated, at times bored. But then something clicks. Either Geologist turns the bass up or the following songs just have that little more oomph when played live. But what’s certain is, what was at one point heading for a major disappointment, suddenly becomes as awesome as it had once promised. It arrives in the form of the bass-heavy ‘Also Frightened’. The audience yelp in unison to Avey Tare, the tempo is raised steadily and finally the crowd begin to lose themselves and the band clearly get in the mood to impress.
What’s most notable about ‘Merriweather…’ is the sheer power of the bass. It rises above the many other elements, including the thousands of summery-samples incorporated into each song. And once that bass is turned up a notch, the highlights on the band’s ninth album come to life like you never thought capable. ‘Summertime Clothes’ is as likeable and dance-inducing as expected, ‘Lion In A Coma’ is exceeded on stage, mainly thanks to Avey Tare’s vocals being raised up an octave in unexpected fashion. Exciting as it is, the material played from the ninth album sounds patchy at times, requiring a few more performances before it can come to life. This is confirmed when the highlight of the set, ‘Fireworks’, from the previous record, raises the most enjoyable 10-minute-segment of the set. Lengthy, improvised at times but always hearty, it’s the finest example of the band’s great knack for tackling spontaneouity, flawlessly.
And the mood keeps on heightening, the bar keeps being raised and you almost want to persuade the band to finish on a high, due to the small likelihood of the performance getting even better. It seems most appropriate, when the three-piece play ‘Brothersport’. The eccentric crowd enter into a frenzy, a mass of half-naked bodies jump as high as possible, in complete contrast to the band’s London performance, which consisted of a horribly static crowd, apparently. Once that closes, the band promptly exit. But a resounding jeer seems to persuade them back on-stage. The crowd remain ecstatic, almost too so. When you begin to wonder whether you’re going to end up shouting lyrics back at Panda Bear in an Oasis-esque, “let’s ‘ave it” manner, the band instead decide to devote their encore to more low-key yet equally as impressive efforts. ‘Leaf House’, a crowd favourite but one not capable of inspiring someone to accidentally break someone’s saw, wraps things up perfectly. You exit the Concorde to repeated mutters of “spiritual experience”, “arty but not farty” and “I think I might faint”.
It’s difficult to decide whether you’d have been better off dancing like a lunatic or oppositely, standing still and simply appreciatively witnessing their performance. Either way, jumping endlessly or not, you exit the venue having got what you came for; a breathtaking performance.
LIVE: Jay Jay Pistolet + Mumford & Sons + Laura Marling + Johnny Flynn @ Cargo, London 16/12/08 words: Hazel Sheffield originally written for gigwise top photo: John Linton
This year’s been a good one for home-grown folk music. A whole host of bands and solo artists have emerged, acoustic guitars in tow, to create a veritable sonic movement. New-folk distinguishes itself with an emphasis on earthy, acoustic musicality and stylistic integrity – a breath of fresh air in a digitally manufactured and commercially driven industry.
Fee Fie Foe Fum is new-folk’s Christmas party. It feels just like it, too, as the artists stand among the audience between sets, supporting one another and celebrating their individual successes and collective critical acclaim. We arrive to catch the end of Cherbourg, but cannot help being distracted by Laura Marling and Marcus Mumford, just a few feet away, in a romantic clinch. Most of the acts on the bill tonight have been touring together, across the globe, in one combination or another throughout the year, and there is an observable sense of community that makes the rest of us feel like the lucky gatecrashers.
Lucky is the word, though. Jay Jay Pistolet looks quite solitary as he takes to the stage after Cherbourg. He is softly sung, the vocal distorted by a mic effect that resounds in Cargo’s warehouse rafters as though emanating from a gramophone. There is an faux-sadness to his performance that is impossibly endearing, and a respectful hush falls upon the onlookers for each quiet, melancholy love song. What he lacks in versatility is more than compensated for in charisma, as he wishes us all a pleasant evening and, doe-eyed, departs the stage. Mumford & Sons are next as the midnight hour approaches and the mood in the audience loosens up. The talented four-piece are waistcoat-clad and stand in a line, each absorbed by the task at hand as they dance, subconsciously. Their set is infectiously jubilant – there are soon people jigging in the audience, bottles held aloft. Mumford & Sons come off best in passages of magnificent male harmony (‘The Banjolin Song’) that sees all four of them singing like a dog-eared, growling Fleet Foxes, but without the same drifting tonality. If anyone steals the show it is Marcus and friends – and seeing as they don’t have an album out yet, that’s good going.
A little later, Laura Marling comments on how honoured she is to be playing on such an amazing line-up. “You are the line up!” someone shouts back from the floor, and is duly ticked off by Marling. She does look singularly beautiful in a dress and make-up tonight though – as though the boyish, dressed-down girl that we’ve all grown to love finally learned to take pride in her pretty face. She plays a meagre four songs – one new – and creeps off, before being encored back to the stage by the crowd. A rendition of ‘My Manic And I’ turns into a bit of a sing-along, which is utterly bizarre for a fatalistic little number without anything even approaching a chorus. But everyone loves it, and so we sing all of the well-worn words, encouraged by delighted smiles from the Joni Mitchell of new-folk.
“No one should ever have to follow Laura Marling,” Johnny Flynn grumbles as he takes to the stage. Although he is absolutely right, he still manages it as well as anyone possibly could. Flynn makes an angelic, if visibly nervous frontman, showing off extensive talent on any number of instruments while his band provide musical and moral support, ribbing him for his anxious chatter. Though it is the evening’s most unsure performance, with a lyrical slip-up mid-set, it still encompasses all of the best of qualities of new folk – earnest musicality, inclusivity, and humility. There’s not a single person without a smile on their face by the time Flynn and his band play the closing chords.
Forget idiotic day-glo lycra and faddy electro – if tonight’s anything to go by, 2009 will belong to new-folk.
“open up your, open up your, open up your, open up your!” NEW TO US: Animal Collective – Brothersport (Studio Version) words: Jamie Milton
gorillavsbear unleashed this gem upon us yesterday, coming in the middle of a lovely French podcast. But we used some tools to work our way into that rubble and source out the brand new Animal Collective treat on its own. It’s the closer of what shall probably be one of the best albums of 2009, ‘Merriweather Post Pavillion’, and if it represents what’ll be played to us prior to the cresendo, we have a lot in store.
The live version of this track showed enough promise in the first place to wet our appetites but here Panda Bear and co. meddle with repetition, perhaps more so than on previous material. A dare I say it, tribal, yet authentic sound dominates proceedings as the hair begins to stand on the back of your neck every time Avey Tare lets out a triumphant yelp.
Call it a step away from the messy yet fascinating material on ‘Strawberry Jam’, ‘Brother Sport’ sounds more determined, less gritty, more modern, less directionless, more interesting, somehow, than last year’s glorious album.
All mp3s posted on Music Fan's Mic are posted after gaining the relevant permission.
Jamie Milton began Music Fan's Mic in 2006 as a means of publishing and collecting his reviews for other publications. Since then both Milton and Gareth O'Malley are co-running the blog and posting the best new music on a regular basis.
Boom-box-in':
Yeasayer - Odd Blood LP
Final Fantasy Heartland LP
Beach House - Teen Dream LP
These New Puritans - We Want War
Gigi - The Old Graveyard
jj - The xx Intro
Toro Y Moi - Causers of This LP
Liars - Sisterworld LP
Vampire Weekend - White Sky
Los Campesinos! - In Medias Res
MFM @ HYPEM
