In a Matter of Time: Beach House

Beach House were the first (out of four) band of the week.  I was looking forward to a relatively relaxed gig and thought this would be the perfect start to the week ahead.  I guess what I'm saying is is that in lots of ways, the music Beach House make is the most accessible out of the four bands I was seeing.

I'll be honest, I really didn't like the Anson Rooms as a venue.  I'm not quite sure why.  It may have been that the vastness of the space didn't feel suitable or something.  If another band I like were playing there I would go to see them, but I'd feel a bit disappointed about the venue as it just didn't do it for me.  (Maybe I was put off that it's part of a students union building..hmm.  Maybe)

The stage set was simple, white and just right for setting the tone without being eerie.  Its simplicity could not have been more suitable when matched with the sound Beach House created. I think this gig was truly one where the vocal was completely unwavering and quite unbelievable. It was the best combination of the 'perfect' vocal you get on the album with the atmosphere created by the backdrop and lighting.  On that note, I really did fall a little for the lighting, and at one point it was throwing the most incredible shadows on to the walls either side of the stage.  (The only thing I liked about the vastness of the venue.)

The band truly were magnificent, and I found their set warm and embracing.  Their sound was much bigger than I'd expected, and by far surpassed my expectations based on their albums.  They ended their set with this great reverb and the sound felt huge.  I was blown away to be honest.  I hadn't considered Beach House to be a band that could create such powerful and large sound, and without a doubt I now consider them to be far better than I did before the gig.  Upon reflection, I now see it was imperative that they manipulated their sound this way.  It gives their music a whole new dimension, and that's exciting!  My only concern is that the albums will have almost have an emptiness, but I guess you run that risk whenever a band are just THAT much better live than on record.  

I'm so happy that they were the first stop of the gigathon.  They were an ideal way to begin, and I'm glad that they surpassed my expectations.  That's always a good and inspiring outcome.

Home Made Festival/Gig-a-thon/Independence

For the past few months I have been really looking forward to November.  So, to begin, yesterday I was honoured to witness two dear friends get married (to each other) and it felt incredible to be a part of their day.

The other huge reason I've been so focused on wanting November to arrive is that I'm embarking on a bit of an adventure.  Over the course of the next five days I'll be seeing four bands that are significant to me play live.  This adventure will also mean a fair bit of travelling.  I will be using planes, trains and automobiles, as it happens!  

The itinerary looks a bit like this:

Saturday - Beach House, Bristol

Sunday - Godspeed You!  Black Emperor, London

Monday - Spiritualized, London

Tuesday - Rest!

Wednesday - Animal Collective, Glasgow.

I know.  Amazing isn't it?  All these incredible bands playing within days of each other.  I almost feel as though their tour schedules were for my benefit, so that I could something as exciting as this.  I'm embarking on this adventure alone too, which is really key for me.  I don't want to ever feel dependent on anyone else to do the things that are important to me.  Especially when that involves creativity.  I'm really excited to write about each gig here.  I want to always remember how big a deal this is to me at this moment, and how fulfilling it is to be doing something so 'me' without it being for anyone else.  I guess I want to be a bit selfish...

I'll be back with a post about Beach House soon  xoxo