31 October 2009
Half the internet are elsewhere arguing about whether it was OMFG or half-arsed; it should be remembered that most GB songs climax well before the music finishes, which doesn't necessarily help those looking for "epic gig moments" (hello Twitter!).
I thought it was great, almost prize-winning, but not quite. The specially contrived arrangements, which did create terrific effects in places, were not always successful; as the Grizzlers are SO tight as a live band, when the focus was shifted it occasionally destabilised the power and intensity they generate.
Obvious candidates like Southern Point and Foreground worked brilliantly with the orchestra, and perhaps less predictable successes were Dory and He Hit Me, while the nominally band-only Two Weeks, with the addition of only Nico Muhly's piano and some magic dust from the harp, gained a subtle and effective embellishment.
Less successful was a skittering strings effect used in some in- and outro's, and although While You Wait was also noted as 'band only' on the set-list, the admittedly minimal additions to it weren't beneficial. At times the orchestra couldn't be heard that well (were they amplified to match the band?), which would clearly have undermined their efforts.
The band tend to let their music do the talking by not accentuating themselves as personalities on stage - no spotlights on lead vocalist, for example - and certainly no attention-grabbing behaviour, just a few friendly comments from whoever feels like it. Perhaps their well-documented democratic ethos generally, and musical methodology specifically, further extended by opening their work to Nico Muhly for adaptation, doesn't always help them maintain an easy identifiable central focal point for those who need it.
9.5/10
EDIT: as if by magic a film of Southern Point from Saturday has appeared; sound is not that great - use headphones if you can - but it does give a fair idea of proceedings. Share & enjoy.
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