So I attended The Decemberists show at the Hammersmith Apollo
in London a couple of days ago. I almost didn’t bother - having found their last
two records pretentious and overwrought. For a basis of comparison I’m a big fan
of Dream Theater and Jethro Tull and thrill at the mention of a concept album -
so for me to find The Decemberists overwrought is something indeed. Nonetheless
I bought tickets (I dragged the long-suffering Susie along) on the strength of
their latest album The King Is Dead. It’s a concise record that unlike The
Hazards Of Love for instance doesn’t insist on song after song of exposition of
a predictable plot accompanied by boring melodies. In fact The King Is Dead is a
lot of fun and really works hard to bring the audience a good time. So I was
hoping this would be the version of The Decemberists I saw in
Hammersmith.
The band did not disappoint. The six members of The
Decemberists formed a practiced sonic unit that delivered impeccably performed
songs. That is perhaps a bit abstract. Hmm. I mean first that the group appealed
primarily to the ears. To experience The Decemberists performing is to hear them
– not see them or feel them. I mean second that the band took an obvious pride
in playing to a high standard. They played energetically but energy wasn’t the
defining criteria. Instead it felt like The Decemberists aimed to a high level
of sonic craftsmanship. The songs were played formidably – the band was
professional. That doesn’t mean either that the group gave the impression they
were meeting an obligation – because part of their professionalism meant giving
the audience a good time. Instead the band’s commitment to perform well was
palpable. It was something to appreciate. I think I can explain better by rephrasing something frontman
Colin Meloy mentioned during the gig: that the songs were within a hair’s
breadth of falling apart but the band was equal to them. It seemed like The
Decemberists were balancing on the tightrope of each song – and a single wrong
step would send them falling. To the band’s credit they didn’t once
falter.
I mentioned above that experiencing The Decemberists was an
experience for the ears and that’s mostly true. Looking at the stage it seemed
like five of the six members weren’t really there. They invested themselves in
their instruments and engaged the audience through them. However there was one
exception to this rule. Obviously a concert is not just a sonic experience but a
visual one too: the audience expects to be engaged through the eyes. To fulfil
this criteria Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy stepped up. I barely took my
eyes off the man all evening. Even when he was talking to and joking with other
members of the band it was like he was the only person there. So how did he engage the audience? I guess his posture was
open and he rarely turned his back to the stage. I never felt alone with the
music – but accompanied by a charismatic host. In addition Colin brandished his
acoustic guitar during the extravagant moments of each song. It wasn’t
dissimilar to a knight drawing his sword before his troops or something. It was
effective anywho. Really effective. He met the collective presence of five
thousand Londoners and kept them visually entranced throughout the show. Goddamn
that’s an accomplishment.
Other impressions from the show? That Colin was without a
doubt the Big Boss of the band. He outright commanded the other members when to
start and stop jamming and called out instructions to the lighting manager. I
guess it makes sense that a man happy to engage five thousand people takes
charge of five colleagues that project through their instruments. I don’t think
I’d be happy with that situation. I’m hardly the leading type but I’m not one to
accept the authority of others unless I feel it’s deserved. For instance I
question my boss at work all the time. However The Decemberists have been
together for a decade and Colin seemed content to speak in the plural for the
band so I guess it works. Other stuff? I think the size of the venue suited the band to
a T. Their music had just enough presence to fit a large indoor venue without
sacrificing nuance. Hearing The Decemberists at a festival would suck because
the songs are too fussy. Hearing them at a club meanwhile would suck because the
band is just bigger than that. It’d feel cramped. In addition I don’t think the
band had ambitions to fit a larger audience – it took pride in playing to the
five thousand attendants but seemed content at that. This compares to The Arcade
Fire who I saw at The O2 last month. I got the impression then that if it were
possible for The Arcade Fire to play to every person on the planet it still
wouldn’t be enough. They thirsted to be heard and known. The Decemberists
meanwhile – though not complacent – resembled Goldilocks in the bed of the third
bear.
So in brief it was an excellent concert. The band had
developed effective means to engage the audience that they obviously felt
comfortable with. Colin bought some much-needed spontaneity that made it feel
like I wasn't just hearing the record repeated at a venue. The band meanwhile
worked hard to deliver a professional and enjoyable performance. Good stuff.
