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)