I know quite a few RR regulars are Decemberists’ fans (I’m looking at you, steen), so those of us on the UK side of the pond had a recent treat when they toured here in the wake of their new album, ‘The King is Dead”. I know bishbosh caught them in Glasgow. I was at Hammersmith Apollo for their closing gig a couple of weeks back, where they played a setlist ranging across all their output, with the highlight for me being a 25 minute mini-suite of the complete Crane Wife 1-3. (I was a bit freaked out to find my seat was pretty much the same one I sat in when I saw the Beatles here in 1964 – fortunately the crowd screamed a bit less). The Decemberists’ anglophilia, erudite lyrics, and reinvention of the folk-rock story ballad – often bloodthirsty or bleak – really works for me. Colin Meloy, the lead singer and creative powerhouse of the band, is possibly a marmite voice, but I’m a fan. See what you think in this little medley of snatches from the gig.
Do like the new album – stripping down the sound really worked, compared to some of the indugences on the last one. Crane Wife is the only album I can take in a single sitting because of the marmite factor. At their best, there is a wonderful imagination at work. Do sometimes wish Colin would focus that imagination directly on something current, rather than just myths, fairy tales & allegory.
There are some who really wish the Shankill Butchers were a myth! But I take your point…and agree about the new album -it’s really likeable at the very first listen. If you like that sort of thing!
Didn’t know Shankhill Butchers existed until Steen pointed it out last week.
Weirdly, I was at the Hammersmith gig too – and glad I was as I think the setlist (while v similar) was marginally better than in Glasgow. I do think they could have worked a little harder to be visually exciting, but Colin M has such charisma that they got away with the plaid-shirts-n-guitars staging. Great, great frontman. Could have done without the massive preamble to the Mariner’s Revenge Song though – fun but it seemed to go on for about 20 minutes!
I’m so cross that I missed the Glasgow gig – and I missed you as well, bishbosh! Grrrrr, rats, dammit.
If you’d come, you could have met not only me (again), but also my identical twin brother. Would have been lovely to catch up. Ah well, another gig another time!
Grrrr, rats, dammit and poo!
(You have an identical twin brother? What’s that like?)
Stating the obvious, of course, but I’ve never known anything different. But in brief, it sets you up for a lifetime of comparison – that, if you’re me, you then internalise (usually to your detriment!). BTW, remember that conversation we had about telling my mum while I had the chance (kicked off by my Paddy Reilly earworm)? I emailed her this week doing just that. Thought you’d like to know!
Oh, brilliant. Good for you.
Darn it – the video won’t load because the boy are watching something on the other computer. Can’t wait to see it. And how I wish I could have seen the Decemberists with GHE, Bishbosh, and his twin brother! Does he have a moustache?
I’ll comment again once I’ve seen the video.
No, no moustache. He’s pretty clean shaven. I am the evil (and unkempt) twin. Mwahahaha!
Heh heh. Sometimes I feel like I’m my own evil and unkempt twin!
Oh, so we’d have been able to tell you apart…
*disappointment*
Thanks for the vid, ghe, which I’ve finally managed to watch all the way through!