01.29.08
It’s not for the cock, it’s for hidden treasure.
British Sea Power, Make Model at Rescue Rooms, 22/01/08
Any indie music enthusiast worth their salt will have had British Sea Power come onto their music radar since they formed in 2000. They are the kind of act you’ll either show a certain amount of indifference towards or for whom you’ll thrown all you rationality, cynicism and even expertise to the harrowing and powerful winds of the mainstream and become a dedicated and avid fan. Their new album, ‘Do You Like Rock Music’’s recent debut into the top ten suggests that there are many that fall into the latter category as it did so with the band doing minimal amounts of press leading up to it’s release, so why call them a ‘hidden treasure’? Because, without experiencing British Sea Power live it is impossible to appreciate, or even imagine, their overwhelming passion, dedication and majesty and while they’re still playing venues the size of Rescue Rooms it’s safe to assume the masses are missing out.
Hung all around the stage were decorated flags so the venue was in keeping with what seems to be British Sea Power’s current ‘theme’ but before this was completed by the band themselves the stage was graced with Make Model, an alarmingly well kept secret from Scotland. Although, Arcade Fire and The Twilight Sad are fairly obvious comparisons for a Scottish group with male and female vocalists they are certainly fitting for a band who are part of a new wave of folk-pop bands who are perfectly complimenting the soft, emotive genre with welcome amounts of energy and infectious excitement. This year it’s highly unlikely that Make Model will remain a secret as their hotly tipped album will be released later this year and is being preceded by a mammoth amount of tour dates.
Once Make Model had finished the evening’s flag theme was made complete as the stage was swiftly graced by British Sea Power complete with strips of material proudly dotted around their instruments and their military style stage-wear. From their first single note the band sent energy cascading into their tightly packed audience. The first half of their set was mostly dedicated to their new album, with a couple of older album favourites thrown in, and since this was a mere two days since ‘Do You Like Rock Music’s’ chart success the band played powerfully and the odd cheeky smile shared between them showed a real sense of pride. The audience reacted to this insuppressible enthusiasm by jumping, singing and raising their hands in the air in the sheer euphoria many music journalists would have you believe is only possible in an Arcade Fire encore and this was just the beginning.
In the second half of the set when the flow of tracks from the first album had given way to anthemic epics lifted from across all three of the band’s long players. The show became a less rehearsed and spontaneous beautiful mess. Instruments and lead vocals were constantly being switched and each member’s determined roaming of their modest stage led to many collisions and tangled wires which only made their colossal performance more dramatic and consuming. Just before the encore one member calming handed over his guitar to singer, Yan and began to scale the side of the venue making his way all the way to the back and, before he made his jump into the audience, carefully threw his tambourine to a member of bar staff. As he then rode back to the stage on a triumphant wave of appreciation it was clear that his climb was not done not to be ’crazy’ or ‘rock’n'roll’ but because the sheer power of the set and the connection between band and audience deserved a gesture bigger than the stage would allow.
The encore saw even more chaos come to the stage, starting with the opening chants of ‘easy, easy’ from the brilliant, and perhaps their most commercial, single ‘No Lucifer’. The song screams out for audience participation and that’s just what just audience did as they chanted along while surging forward with their fists held high. For the final song more people for brought onto the stage for the climax in the rapid, turbulent mix of sounds and activity. There was screaming, drum-destroying and plenty more crowd surfing and at one point Yan’s beer was specifically placed into the eager hands of It’s Not For The Cock!
A much hated idiot 6music DJ recently described British Sea Power as ’a second rate Arcade Fire’ and judging from his lack of musical knowledge this was based entirely on success rather than merit. To him I (yes this is personal!) say, if second rate means I get to experience vast, emotive performances in a venue that small rather than watching my musical hero’s get pelted with shit by yobs in a room so big that quality is sound is near on impossible, then I am more than happy to settle.
british_sea_power_no_lucifer.mp3
british_sea_power_waving_flags.mp3
Flip said,
January 29, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Great review. How they let anyone say things like ’second rate arcade fire’ abot british sea power and still let him speak on the radio, I do not know. People have been saying so much bad things about that certain 6music dJ that other people have started listening to the show, with the sole purpose of listening to laugh at him. It’s a shame 6music turned out the way it did.
Leif said,
February 3, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I love BSP although this may be the weakest of their albums.
With you all on the hatred of George Sham. A complete pillock.
Nick said,
February 6, 2008 at 10:46 pm
I have to admit the album doesn’t really do itself justice on its own, you have to see it believe it.