Loud at the Roundhouse October 19, 2008
Posted by CamdenKiwi in : Reviews , 1 comment so farLast time I was in the Roundhouse, it was for the RSCs Histories Cycle, but every now and again I wonder if I’m missing something. Camden is the music centre of London, and I have to confess to never having been to a gig by a major band here. All the famous venues – Roundhouse, Dublin Castle, Koko – are within an easy walk, but somehow I’m more Barbican than Oh! Bar.
I discovered British Sea Power back in March, and have become rather enamoured of their eclectic, eccentric style. They put on a good show. Lots of odd props, including the bits of tree which are a trademark, old sirens and a bloke on a bicycle. Their fascination with coasts and seabirds dominates the videos behind the band. The addition of the London Bulgarian Choir appearing ghost-like in the mist added an ethereal quality.
But does it have to be so loud that their beautiful, lyrical songs disappear into an overamplified bass? What’s the point of losing voices and violin in the other instruments? The Great Skua is a soaring instrumental rolling like a bird in stormy skies but live became a blanket of noise. Maybe I’m just getting old. And maybe I am really more Barbican, and should just stick to cds.
British Sea Power played the Roundhouse on Friday, 17 October and are at the Forum on 29 October.
Do You Like Rock Music? – British Sea Power March 27, 2008
Posted by CamdenKiwi in : Reviews , 1 comment so farDCI Gene Hunt shooting through plate glass to the strains of Ultravox’ Vienna might just be the coolest thing on telly so far this year, but I am getting very very bored with all this 80′s revival. Trying on a suit the other week, the shop assistant suggested a satin blouse with bow-tie collar. NO. The eighties are over, and I still have a shirt like that in my lockup in Auckland. Nostalgia should be a private indulgence, not a mass movement.
And so, to drag myself back into the noughties, I have just bought my first chart album by a new(ish) act in a very long time. British Sea Power are a UK band, originally from Cumbria but now based in Brighton. They’re classified as alternative / indie rock, with clear and interesting lyrics, strong guitars and lots of reverb.
“Do You Like Rock Music?” is their 3rd album, and it’s worth sitting and listening carefully. ‘Lights out for Darker Skies’ is indeed a plea for less light pollution. ‘Waving Flags’ welcomes Eastern European immigrants with ‘You are astronomical fans of alcohol. So welcome in’. There’s even reference to the 1953 floods in ‘Canvey Island’. There are also a couple of pure instrumental pieces, including The Great Skua, and yes, I had to look that one up as well.
Pub quiz, anthem omnibus, danceable and good for doing the ironing. Their live shows sound great too. I may finally have to venture into Koko the next time they’re in this part of the world.
