Venue:
St George’s, Bristol
Date: 07/12/2016
St George’s – a former church – seems a fitting venue for Low on their Christmas tour of the UK. Weather was unseasonably mild and miserable. No snow but night falling fast…
Support acts Eric Koskinen (US folkie) and Harkin (Leeds folkie) both play engaging short sets with just their electric guitars for company. They return to stage to join Low for the first half of their set which is a canter through their own Christmas classics. All in black and concentrating hard; acoustics in the hall suit their noise. Harmonies and distorted guitar, brushes and bass. Intense and about as cheery as they ever get. After a break the band return as a 3 piece and blast through some favourites. Describing Low can make them sound a bit miserabilist but there is a kind of dogged and chilly joy to their performance that is quite hypnotic – I find myself holding my breath and I’m not alone in this. Once again I keep thinking of icy waste and deserts and lines from Robert Frost. Let’s go home…
“They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars–on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places.”
The audience:
Concentrating intensely. Big Jeff too.
It made me think..
Final live gig of this year for me – a good way to finish up. Live shows have enlivened what could have been an even more difficult year. The best way out is through.
anton says
Wilson Wilson says
Gah, they’re playing in Glasgow at the weekend (in another old church) but I didn’t manage to get tickets. Sounds like it’ll be a good one.
anton says
none better these days – times being what they are
Razor Boy says
First time to St Georges and was happy to make the trip from Hereford for my first Low gig. Bagged a good seat right in front of Alan Sparhawk and sat amazed at the sounds he got out of one guitar and some pedals. The other thing I will take from the gig ,apart from the great music obviously, is how amazing Mimi’s voice is live, it was just a joy to hear.
Really enjoyed the opening act , Eric Koskinen who played his new Christmas single “On Christmas Day”” during Low’s Christmas first half set.
Low also have a new Christmas tune out which is worth a listen, called “Some Hearts ( at Christmas Time) …safe to say it is more of the same beauty you find in the original Christmas cd.
Glad that they also had a second half made up of tracks from the latest release “Ones and Sixes” which was louder and peaked with an ear splitting Landslide.
Sparhawk was an engaging frontman between songs and his dry wit seemed to be appreciated by the largly Afterwordy type audience. Couldn’t have spent twenty odd quid any more enjoyably, a perfect pre Christmas gig for me.
anton says
yup