THE DECEMBERISTS (London Coronet, 19/11/09)



Elephant and Castle isn't a neighbourhood often associated with joy in any way, shape or form, but Colin Meloy and his merry troubadours did their damnedest to change that, at least for one night. The first half of their epic two-hour show was a complete airing of deliciously OTT rock opera The Hazards of Love without break nor banter; whilst in the hands of a lesser band this could have been alienating, their professionalism and showmanship ensured it delighted from start to finish. Combining Meloy's superlative tale-telling with 70's trad rock, the additional vocal talents of Shara Worden (My Brighest Diamond) and Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond) provided a touch of glamour as well as sublime harmonies, and the multi-percussional coda of The Rake's Song evinced a sense of fun that balanced the relative seriousness of the performance, resulting in one of the best hour's of music I've seen this year.

The traditional set that followed wasn't quite as triumphant as Hazards, but a superb setlist (16 Military Wives! Legionnaire's Lament! Yankee Bayonet!) and Colin on sparkling form ensured the second half was by no means a disappointment. What's more, they wrapped up with brilliant sea-shanty The Mariner's Revenge, complete with exhortations to the audience to “scream as if being devoured by a whale” and an inflatable version of said aquatic beast that darted round the Coronet with murderous intent in its plastic eyes- the best possible ending to by far the best Decemberists gig I've had the pleasure to see.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

WHITE RABBITS (London Water Rats, 18/11/09)



The hotly tipped New Yorkers sure can't be faulted for liveliness, but for all their energy and enthusiasm there's a lack of catchiness in their songwriting that prevents them engaging as much as they should. The two-drum set up works excellently, and at their best they evoke a infectious Man Man-meets-Harlem Shakes vibe that's impossible to dislike, but overall they fall short of the greatness they're obviously capable of. Supports Django Django were pretty impressive though, despite a curtailed set- avant-garde indie-pop with synths and coconut shells and a singer that sounds a bit like Alex Kapranos with a cold.

(Photo: littlepants (Flickr))

AKRON/FAMILY (London Garage, 17/11/09)



Chaos lies at the heart of all Akron/Family gigs, which means there's always a risk that a given show may collapse into pretention at any time. Tonight, this occurs with even more regularity than normal, but not even a surplus of self-indulgence could detract from an often excellent and inventive performance. Veering away from the folkier end of the musical spectrum to noisier, less melodic climes there's all the genre-bending improv madness you'd expect- their raved-up Buraka Som Sistema moments were brillian, though the 20 minutes of sub-Animal-Collective drones would have sent even the most sugar-addled hyperactive into a state of catatonia. Shame about the Berlin Wall-esque barrier precluding much of the audience participation, but on the whole a perfectly enjoyable showing from a band whose lack of self-restraint is both their greatest strength and most crippling weakness.

Oh, and brilliant support set from Slaraffenland- innovative Danish indie-pop with orchestral flourishes reminiscent of Efterklang and Jaga Jazzist. Check them out at the Queen of Hoxton on 8th December, you won't regret it.

(Photo: Christopher Walmsley (Flickr))

REVERE (London Flowerpot, 14/11/09)



First time in almost two years I've seen the underrated Londoners, and glad to report they're as enjoyable a live band as ever. Bit derivative of other epic multi-instrumentalists with a tendency to end every song with a cacophonous post-rock coda, but they sound a bit like Hope Of The States and that's always going to make me happy.

(Photo: ghbradshaw (Flickr))

THE FLAMING LIPS (London Troxy, 10/11/09)



Sometimes, I suspect Wayne Coyne's his own worst enemy. As awesome as the Flaming Lips frontman is (I mean, he begins the show rolling around the audience in a giant hamster ball) he's cursed with two afflictions that constantly conspire to pierce the aura of unrelenting joy he seeks to create- he's under the delusion that he's a profound and articulate orator (which he's not) and his tedious desire for applause AT ALL TIMES has the tendency to annoy rather than inspire elation. It's unfortunate, because with a bit more restraint they could be one of the best live bands in the world- as it stands they're just a brilliant one.

Wayne's ceaseless cod-philosophical rambling apart, there were still more than enough amazing moments to soften the heart of the most embittered critic. There's few more joyous experiences in all of gigdom than gazing round at a sea of grinning, delighted faces during “Race For The Prize”, as a hundred giant balloons and a torrent of multi-coloured confetti cascaded from the skies, and I think I bust a couple of vocal chords caterwauling along to the superb “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song.” The edgier new songs (“Evil” and “See The Leaves” especially) all sounded great, and the addition of a new band member meant they were less reliant on backing tracks than in the past,. Less immediate prog-outs like “In The Morning of the Magicians” sat cosily with the big crowd-pleasing sing-alongs (“OH YOSHIMI, THEY DON'T BELIEVE ME, BUT YOU WON'T LET THOSE ROBOTS EAT ME!”) but my personal highlight was “Pompeii and Gotterdammerung,” complete with lasers and a giant psychedelic gong- a combination that made me happier than you could possibly imagine. And then, of course, there was “Do You Realize?” which was naturally wonderful in every single respect. It's true that once you've seen the Flaming Lips once, you've seen them a hundred times- their shows are always the same, and they'll never astonish quite as much as the first time you see them but despite their many flaws, I just can't help but love them.

(Photo: Weilin Wang (Flickr))

ROYKSOPP (London Shepherd's Bush Empire, 05/11/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: The Line Of Best Fit)

HANDSOME FURS (London Garage, 02/11/09)



Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry must be the most adorable couple in indie-rock. Their passion, vivaciousness and overwhelming love for their music and each other transcends the technical hitches that plague the beginning of their set and despite the simplicity of their set-up it's all so much more satisfying than the impressive but over-earnest orchestra-fests of the previous week. Setlist similar to April's show, but frankly who's complaining?

(Photo: John Gleeson)

GRIZZLY BEAR (London Barbican, 31/10/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

EFTERKLANG (London Barbican, 28/10/09)



Efterklang performing their critically-acclaimed breakthrough album “Parades” with the Britten Sinfonia was never going to be a disappointment, and so it was that its ethereal, at times playful majesty was splendidly recreated in the grand surroundings of the London Barbican. A more serious occasion than your typical Efterklang show- no high-fiving the audience at every conceivable interval- the band were nonetheless bedecked in commendably colourful attire (the orchestra opting, despite the insinuations of the programme, to adopt a more muted fashion style) and Casper Clausen’ sheer enthusiasm gave an endearing touch to a show that could have been too formal for its own good. Perhaps too many moments simmered when they should have soared (then again, that applies equally to the source material) but when the myriad elements came together it was glorious to behold- Mirador was utter perfection, bolstered by wonderful choral backing vocals and Cutting Ice With Snow was as powerful and beautiful as one could hope. However, they perhaps saved the best until last with the premiere of a new track from their upcoming album- more instant than their previous work without losing any of their offbeat charm, it’s made me very excited to see what potential masterpiece they come up with next.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

PORTUGAL THE MAN (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, 27/10/09)



Two members down but no less fantastic, Portugal The Man made a triumphant return to London with enough 10 minute long wigouts and falsetto vocals to satisfy even the most demanding 70’s psychedelic rock fan. Mad props to the bassist, who appeared to be having a seizure at several points throughout.

(Photo: Higher_Ground (Flickr))

OUR BROTHER THE NATIVE (London Luminaire, 26/10/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

DOVES (London Roundhouse, 22/10/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Lauralilauralu (Flickr))

SOAP & SKIN (London Purcell Rooms, 20/10/09)



Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

SPIRITUALIZED (London Royal Festival Hall, 13/10/09)



Playing your landmark album in its entirety seems to be the cool thing to do these days (reunions are SO 2008) but if they’re all delivered with such loving care as Spiritualized’s recitation of late-90’s classic “Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space” there’s little cause for complaint. J. Spaceman may be as static a frontman as ever, but augmented with 2 guitarists, a keyboardist, a bassist, two percussionists, 6 brass players, a string octet and 12 members of the London Community Choir the music is anything but. The wondrously dreamy space-pop of the title track is delivered with such spine-tingling intensity it literally takes the breath away, even outshining Come Together’s stirring gospel-heavy refrain. Like the album, there are moments that don’t really go anywhere- Jason Pierce isn’t the most sophisticated of songwriters, either lyrically or melodically- but they’re more than made up for by the likes of Electricity, whose brutal assault is accompanied by such apocalyptically intense strobe lighting I started seeing colours that weren’t really there. Shame the sound isn’t quite as good in the balcony as one might hope, but not even that can mute the immense power of a 20-minute Cop Shoot Cop, complete with an extended noise wig-out that pushes the limits of the less hardy connoisseur (personally, I fucking loved it). An excellent, at times tremendous performance, it lacked the consistency to be a true gig-of-the-year contender but despite its flaws it’s an experience I most definitely wouldn’t mind repeating come December.

(Photo: Littlepants (Flickr))

IMMACULATE MACHINE (Brixton Windmill, 12/10/09)



A charming and good-natured show from the Canadian quintet, filled with up-tempo synth that may not have broken any boundaries but provided perfectly pleasant Monday night entertainment. Stained Glass Heroes and Joy Of Sex provided competent but uneven support.

(Photo: Christoph! (Flickr))

THE FIERY FURNACES (London Cargo, 08/10/09)



It's been almost three and a half years since I last saw the siblings Freidburger in action, and it's kinda heartening to see that although their albums have moved in a more accessible, instantly likeable direction, their live shows are as unpredictable and crazy as ever. Bearing no heed to the original arrangments, the band twist, remould and completely overhaul their back-catalogue, shifting time-signatures and rhythms in weird and wonderful ways and delivering it all with the impeccible technical brilliance of Deerhoof. It sometimes took a while to twig what song they were actually playing and there were a couple of mid-set lulls, but with such a well-judged blend of old and new material coupled with exceptional musicianship I left hoping it wouldn't be quite so long 'til the next time.

(Photo: sophie_of_delusion (Flickr))

THE ALLOTMENT (London Betsey Trotwood, 07/10/09)



Well, I didn't actually get to see any of the bands because I was on Door Custodian duties, but a well-deserved congratulations to Anika and Lynn for putting on such a excellent (and successful) first gig. Hope to see many more in the future!

CHRIS GARNEAU (London Luminaire, 06/10/09)



An enjoyable set of eccentric vaudeville pop that tottered too often into the snares of cheesiness to fully win me over, but hey- any man who professes a love of Frog Eyes is alright by me.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)