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It's been a rough 2007 for Explosions in the Sky. The year started with their 4th full length album 'All of a Sudden, I miss Everyone' being very publicly leaked, and then once released properly, receiving not much more than a muttering from critics and some fans alike. A shame really, given how as the year progressed it as an album really came out of it's shell and proved, despite it's very real flaws, was still an excellent record. Then, with everyone starting to lose their patience, they were forced to pull out of a major European summer tour including many festivals due to a serious illness within the family.
This, was actually one of those cancelled gigs. Originally to take place at the ABC venue nearly a full year ago, it's been a while since the band have been in "one of their favourite cities and countries ever" as they explained on stage. However, I don't think anyone could have prepared themselves for this.
Support act Eluvium came and went, re-enforcing that he makes really nice dreamy shoegaze music, but isn't very interesting to watch live. And after a short delay, the 4 Texans took stage, as typically modest as you like. And after a short 'hello' from the band, in they went with set-favourite 'First Breath After Coma'. However, interestingly, it took a couple songs for the band to really find their pace. Despite being an excellent song, it still just sounded "acceptable". It wasn't until a couple tracks later half-way through 'The Only Moment We Were Alone' that suddenly the whole show became alive. The song's typically 'Jangly' build-up into an explosive finalé (no pun intended) is what got people to shut up and listen.
After that, the show went into hyper-drive. It was literally hit after hit after hit, from the leering, calculated build-up of 'Greet Death' (and it's terrifying climax) into the pure glory and majesty of 'The Birth and Death of a Day' (a genuine surprise to the set) and the fantastically weighted 'Memorial' - a song that virtually speaks for itself. In all these songs the band show what their best at; going from delicate and emotional, to building and threatening, to finally exploding and all-out rocking, shown by the swaying and movement of the band themselves.
And, just as we thought it was all over, the biggest surprise of the night; the euphoric hit of 'Memorial' became the opening chords of 'The Moon is Down'. A track that is so beautiful and dangerous and majestic all at the same time - thanks to the brilliant leading by the drums and the three guitars cutting into each other - it should be considered the epitome of what makes this band special, and why this night will be remembered for a long, long time.
Tonight, Explosions were not "just another post-rock band", they produced the stuff of legends that shall propel them into one of our generation's greatest acts, and when they can make so many people happy; too right.
Adam Turner-Heffer |
| Coding: Darren Burrows