I’ve been waiting two years to see Sunset Rubdown, the most brilliant member of that incestuous circle of Canadian indie acts centered around Wolf Parade, so to say I was eagerly awaiting their first ever London show would be a gross understatement. I knew their swirling, synthy technicolour bombast would work well in a live setting , but in the event they completely blew away even my exceptionally high expectations, elevating an already excellent oeuvre of work to new, breathtaking levels of brilliance. It’s difficult to pick a highlight from a show of such consistent high quality, but the unhinged vaudeville mania of Trumpet Trumpet Toot Toot and the stately transcendence of Stadiums and Shrines II are up there, as is the quasi-mystical spendour of The Mending Of The Gown. One could bemoan the relative lack of “Shut Up I Am Dreaming” material, but I get the impression Spencer Krug’s not the sort of guy to dwell on past glories- the three new songs previewed were all the equal of his previous work and far more impressive than his mildly disappointing contributions to the new Wolf Parade album. The intimacy of the Luminaire and the reverence of the crowd only contributed to the vibrancy of the band’s performance, and drummer Jordan Robson-Cramer deserves particular credit for his stunning contributions to his band’s viscous, layered sound. Spot-on in every respect, it’s hard to think how they can better this- it’s one of the most goddamn perfect shows I’ve ever been to. (Photo: John Gleeson)
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