I've seen a number of electronic acts recently, and I have to admit to concern this concert would be low key by comparison. There was no smoke machine or light show, and the cavernous church setting may have been responsible for the audience's initial restraint. Just before the start, I read on Twitter that the Foo Fighters had caused an
earthquake in New Zealand; seismic activity seemed implausible here, barring an act of god.
My
last gig at an ecclesiastical venue was the mesmerising Panda Bear at Methodist Central Hall. Given that
St Philip's Church was freezing, it's fortunate that the Anglicans allow alcohol: we needed the mulled wine. That's not to say that the openers, Manchester folk group
Literature Thieves, failed to warm the heart with their charming vocal harmonies. Their naivety reminded me of Stockholm duo
First Aid Kit, but Angela, Amy and Cassie are a trio, accompanying themselves with drums, banjo, acoustic guitar and a pink plastic tambourine that they told us cost two pounds. They were self deprecating, professing to nervousness, but their sensitive, tender performance suggests great potential; a group to watch.
Slow Club's opener,
Gold Mountain, showcased Rebecca Taylor's soulful voice and her gorgeous vocal blend with Charles Watson: their chemistry was immediately evident. For
If We're Still Alive, they were joined by an extra drummer and bass player, and the mood became more up tempo, only to relax again with the sultry jazz influenced
Never Look Back. The predominance of numbers from their second album Paradise emphasised how Slow Club has matured since the almost twee Yeah So. Their sound has become more brooding and experimental, fuller and more intense. Rebecca has developed real stage presence: in
Where I'm waking she's become quite the sexy pop star, with a sophistication which must have unimaginable when she started playing folk gigs with Charles in Sheffield in 2006.
Slow Club conveyed real joy: not only do they visibly enjoy themselves, but Rebecca seems to smile through her expressive singing. She was chatty between songs, bringing some welcome informality to the intimidating surroundings, acting as a foil to Charles' diffidence. The refreshingly direct lyrics poignantly convey heartbreak and pain. They made dramatic and creative use of percussion, the drama of the drumming enhanced by the spacious acoustic. The party really started though at the end of the main set when the audience finally cast aside their British restraint for
Two Cousins. It had a celebratory quality whose spirit reminded me of a
Noah and the Whale gig in May.
The highpoint came with the encores, when they performed
Home Alone 2,
It's Christmas and You're Boring Me, and
Christmas TV, which I sensed almost everyone present had been waiting for all evening. We all got up and started dancing in the aisles; it was the most fun I've had in a church. By the final encore
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) I was experiencing the magical ability of the best live music to transform your mood and take you to a better place. Over 70 minutes, Slow Club had taken us on an emotional journey from the despair of
Horses Jumping and
You Earth or Ash to transcendental joy at the end of a memorable evening.
Click on a photograph to view it full size.
Set list
Gold Mountain
If We're Still Alive
Never Look Back
Only if you're Certain
Everything is New
Beginners
Hackney Marsh
Horses Jumping
Where I'm Waking
You Earth or Ash
Two Cousins
Home Alone 2
It's Christmas and You're Boring Me
Christmas TV
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
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