British Sea Power @ Leeds Metropolitan University 12/02/2011
Once again the mighty British Sea Power descend upon Leeds Met perfoming tracks from their latest long player “Valhalla Dancehall”. The mood in the venue is one of cramped excitement, and the room seems alcahol charged and as the band take to the stage. As is customary the front of the crowd shuffles it’s self in to those who want to dance, those don’t want to get hurt and the stubbon sods who where here first. Regardless there’s soon a sizeable mosh and the signs are this is going to be a good un.
I’ve said it on many occasions I love Leeds Met as venue because it always sounds great, but tonight it’s not the case. It’s a bit “muddy” and althought we all love the set list comprises of a back catalogue to get the crowd going, for me it’s a little hard work. Classics like “Something Wicked” sound really muffled, fortuntely “Fear of Drowning” can survive any PA related attack.
Hamilton takes center stage and proves to be a bit of a turning point as things just start to sound better. “We Are Sound” sounds like an anthemically noisy and classic and the gig clicks into place.
Singles “Oily Stage”, “Zeus”, “Lights Out For Darker Skies” and “Waving Flags” are greeted by the crowd as classics, there is further joy as very drunk Heston Blumenthal look alike who could hardly stand and to many down the front has been a complete pain in the arse is dragged from the crowd by security.
Finally the band tear the place apart with “Carrion” and a segway into “All In It” mass sing along – quite a moving experience.
The encore is preceeded by cheesey mass chant of “Easy”, but hey it’s a lary Saturday in Leeds and I’d be narked if it was anything else.
“Spirit Of St Louis” is still probably my fave BSP track, I’d like to hear it again without so much improv from Yan, but what the hell its still SOSL. They close on “No Lucifer”, and that’s right on button – nearly a 2 hour set.
So it’s not a classic, it never could be as much fun as sweaty November night in 2003 at the Josephs Well with the Killers as support. But as 2011 Saturday nights in Leeds go with British Sea Power it’s still great.
