This was a fantastic gig. I love this sticky floored demodernised venue! Something about sheer simplicity, it does what it is meant to do. The keen Vampire Weekend provided, well, support, I guess. I liked about 15 seconds of their very similar sounding set. Had they played uptempo stuff like this 15 seconds of their last song, they’d have got my vote!
The Shins were fantastic. I really do think I haven’t heard live vocals with such clarity, strength and range, in ages, or ever! Credit to the sound guys and obviously James Mercer. At a live set like this, you realise just how many quality songs this band have. Like all real music fans I prefer the earlier stuff (lol)! Popular crowd pleaser New Slang was rolled out, I wonder if that is a song they despise playing – due to its incredible popularity and probably level of request – like Toto with their Africa? What a comparison…
Caring is Creepy, although in a similar Garden State hysteria vein, seems to have been given better treatment. I need to revisit Wincing, as I didn’t give it the air time it no doubt deserved. Met some folk on the underground on their way home from Foreigner, but I still think I made the correct choice. Can anyone name 2 Foreigner songs?