frightened rabbit/death cab for cutie (st george's market, 12/11/08)
I’ll be perfectly honest- I’m a huge Death Cab for Cutie fan. To say that I had been anticipating the gig for quite a while would be quite an understatement. However, the Seattle band was accompanied on Wednesday night by the acclaimed Frightened Rabbit, promising a indie rock spectacular within the confines of St George’s Market.
The delightful Scottish indie rockers opened proceedings in quite some style- while the acoustics of St George’s didn’t lend themselves to Scott Hutchinson’s heartfelt and strong vocals (often the excellent lyrics were drowned out) we witnessed something special on stage. Few bands can go straight from a pulsating anthem into a more melancholy tune but Frightened Rabbit did this with ease. “Keep Yourself Warm” and “The Modern Leper” were highlights of the set, and it’s clear to see why both Death Cab and Biffy Clyro have chosen the band as their UK support act.
However, they were just the prelude to what promised to be an incredible night. Northern Ireland had been waiting nearly ten years for Death Cab for Cutie to take to the stage in Belfast, and they didn’t disappoint. From the first few bars of “Bixby Canyon Bridge”, the opener to their most recent album “Narrow Stairs” until the end of the night it was an assured performance with energy, anger and excellent musicianship.
However, the crowd, quite frankly, were horrible. Some genius decided to throw a pair of socks and a bottle at Ben during the first few songs, and to say the atmosphere became cool was quite an understatement. Chris Walla apologised afterwards, but it was clear to see that Ben was not a happy bunny.
Despite the fact the majority of the crowd were more familiar with the last two albums, we were treated to some gems from previous releases such as “We Laugh Indoors” and “405”. The audience came to life during the singles but were remarkably subdued otherwise- this, in conjunction with something being thrown at the band during the first two songs, meant that there was little interaction between songs between Ben Gibbard and the crowd and at times it felt like we were listening to a CD recording instead of a live performance. “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” took us by surprise, seemingly thrown into the middle of a heavy set with no rhyme or reason. However, hundreds of hearts swooned as the soft acoustic guitar and gorgeous vocals resonated around the hall.
“I Will Possess Your Heart”, in contrast, showed the darker, edgier side of DCFC- the 10 minute jam session showed off every member of the band’s ability. With excellent drumming, one of the most memorable basslines in recent years and great guitar work from Chris Walla Death Cab showed to Belfast why they have been in the spotlight over the past few years. An excellent version of “We Looked Like Giants” was my personal highlight.
The final song, “Transatlanticism”, should have been an anthem for the night and a superb end to a wonderful gig. Yet once again, it fell a little short. Musically, it was fine, but the crowd seemed rather lifeless. A superb band and a great night only impeded by a poor crowd.
Labels: ben gibbard, chris walla, dcfc, death cab for cutie, frightened rabbit