This gig exemplified remaining positive in the face of adversity. Said The Whale hadn't experienced the easiest 24 hours, having had to cancel the previous night's show in Southampton due to health problems, and then having their tour van broken into in Manchester. They'd lost a lot of gear, including passports, laptops, guitar pedals and $2500 in cash. Yet they Tweeted that they hoped the money had been well spent by the thieves, and of their gratitude for the police, who managed to recover half of the lost items within an hour. Then, having made tonight's gig against the odds, they found they were playing to just 25-30 people. This made for an intimate experience, but also meant that much of the energy had to come from the band, not the crowd, many of whom stood on the periphery of the Deaf Institute's Music Hall.
Earlier this month, Said The Whale had sold out the 1150 capacity Vogue Theatre in their home city of Vancouver, at the end of a 8 week tour which was the subject of an hour long CBC television documentary. In 2011, they completed their first tour of the US and won a prestigious Juno Award for New Group of the Year. This was only their second visit to the UK though, and it was their misfortune to play on the biggest day of the year for football in a city which seems to be even more fanatical about soccer than music. Yet, despite all this, they played with great energy and enthusiasm, and sounded honoured to be playing here. Their good natured engagement with the small and quiet audience was a reflection on their professionalism and a supremely positive attitude to life.
The five piece band's music is imbued with the clear mountain air and wide open spaces of Western Canada. Despite the over-driven Deaf Institute's PA sounding somewhat muddy last night, their sound is crisp and clean. This means that I could hear the many references to places like Stanley Park and False Creek Vancouver, my favourite city in the world for its stunningly beautiful setting and laid back feel. In fact, their third album, Little Mountain is named after a neighbourhood there. In an interview, Ben Worcester talked about the link between music and place, one which I too believe in strongly:
"The places we're in tend to affect us a lot," Worcester said. "I personally like to write about places, people or things I can connect to. That way, for however many years I'm singing these songs, I can conjure those feelings and what they're about."
Their geographical horizons have extended recently to encompass Montana in the beautiful Big Sky, MT which talks about wild flowers, and Arkansas with the upbeat Jesse, Ar. I just hope that events haven't prompted them to write a song about Manchester's criminality. Said The Whale's songs mix many styles including indie rock (e.g. Camilo), roots folk (O Alexandra), synth pop (Heavy Ceiling), and jams (Hurricane Ada). Last night's set list was predominantly from Little Mountain, but a highlight from their back catalogue was the title song from their New Brighton EP. Ben and Tyler Bancroft traded front man duties, whilst keyboardist Jaycelyn Browns' smile exuded joy. Drummer Spencer Schoening showed great energy and versatility, and Nathan Shaw provided a solid bass foundation.
It's difficult to adjust expectations after an utterly mind blowing concert, and as I listened to the (very respectable) support bands in a virtually empty venue, I found it difficult to forget being mesmerised by Alabama Shakes in a packed hall 3 days ago. Yet, judged by objective standards, Said The Whale put on a highly entertaining and moving live show, and when I left the venue I felt considerably more relaxed and contented than on my arrival. Their music is highly accessible: moments such as the vocal harmonies in the tender Big Wave Goodbye put a smile on the face of this folk lover, yet a song like We Are 1980 manages to be catchy. This variety is a key to their broad appeal: they have a sense of fun, enthusiasm, and joy, even in this highly imperfect world.
No comments:
Post a Comment