Image by Michael Boyd
British Sea Power’s epic songs misplaced in a small Chicago venue
March 24, 2008, at Empty Bottle
By Amy Formanski
Published: March 25th, 2008 | 11:20pm
Crowded on a small stage, British Sea Power belted out its stadium-sized songs inside a modest Chicago club. The four main members, Hamilton (Neil Wilkinson), (Martin) Noble, Yan (Scott Wilkinson), and (Matthew) Wood, along with keyboardist Phil Sumner and Abi Fry on viola, performed songs off its new album, Do You Like Rock Music? (Rough Trade) against a backdrop of naval flags.
Starting with “Down on the Ground,” the set covered mostly new material. The song's lyric, “I opened up my mouth / Didn't make a sound,” fit an evening beleaguered by sound problems. First, vocalist Yan asked for the sound mixer to turn up Fry's viola. When they launched into their new single “No Lucifer,” her strings added a lovely, bittersweet texture to the peppy tune. But trouble returned when screeching vocal feedback tainted the mournful “Canvey Island,” prompting Yan to joke to bassist Hamilton, “It's all going to pot, isn't it?“
The band’s humor and enthusiasm saved the set from spiraling into a huge mess.When a guy near the bar shouted, “The whole Royal Army is here,” a baffled Yan asked him, “Are you going to protect us all?” and the tipsy audience member replied, “Yes, I will save you all.” We should have sent him to rescue the mixing board.
Along with this amusing exchange, individual performances rose above the technical difficulties. Guitarist Noble ferociously strummed his instrument, at one point even vibrating the strings with his mouth. Fry's lush viola parts added drama to the new songs that would have otherwise sounded sparse live. Her “wah-ah” vocal intro to “Waving Flags” soared with both optimism and wistfulness. Yan's deep, gravelly vocals also boosted the band's performance and recalled Psychedelic Furs singer Richard Butler. On “Atom” he yelped between lyrics as if bursting with energy.
Along with its vigor, no one can match BSP's songwriting, which intertwines elaborate storytelling, romantic melodies, and odd intellectual references. Who else could play an instrumental, “Great Skua,” named after a vicious seabird, and keep the audience at a sold-out show enraptured? But the new album's more straightforward pop style, hampered by the sound issues, reduced the members to sounding like an average indie band on a rough night rather than their epic selves.
Old favorites like “Remember Me” sparked with intensity where the new material didn't. BSP ended with another older song, “Spirit of St. Louis,” driven by a tense, almost sinister bass line that felt disconnected from the mostly upbeat set. We got no encore — probably because it was only the first of two sets that evening. And overall we got glimpses of the brilliance, but the venue didn't suit its sound. British Sea Power belongs in an inspiring outdoor setting, not a dim club with crappy acoustics. It’s a remarkable band, with some of its magnificence left overseas.
Issue #35
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nadavyo (6 months)
Great band!! You can watch their videos and many more (Arcade Fire,Silversun Pickups,Of Montreal..) only on VIRV.TV - Indie Music Television. http://www.virv.tv
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