After a very long gap (in my case, 3 years - Goo Goo Dolls gig seems a very long time ago!) M and I braved Cardiff University's Great Hall to see Bat for Lashes on her current UK tour. The Hall's acoustics have thankfully been improved in recent years.
A very enthusiastic crowd (though not a sell out) first welcomed touring support Yeasayer. I seemed to end up too busy to listen to them beforehand but was not disappointed, in fact we were very much impressed. Yeasayer hail from Brooklyn and there was a slight similarity with Vampire Weekend as well as a lot of 80s references. Very entertaining and I'll certainly be looking out for them again.
After a short interval, Bat for Lashes (which, interestingly, consisted of Natasha Khan, plus majority female backing band of 5 -considering the usual type of bands we see!) came on. First note is the mix of instruments -violin and viola, 'computer corner', keyboard and what I believe is a zither. Second, that the audience were actively discouraged by door notices and the bouncers from using photo flash (though why would anyone bother in a gig situation?). The show (and also Yeasayer's set) lighting was well choreographed; also, the sound was bigger than possibly expected from the albums. Like many relatively new performers, Natasha Khan didn't have a great stage banter, but with songs like hers, it didn't really matter! The show was brilliant (I only hesitate from giving a round 10 because we would have preferred the Coal Exchange as a venue!). Most songs from both albums featured in the set, with Glass as the first song. Then (in no particular order): Sleep Alone, Fur and Gold, Daniel, Pearl's Dream, Tahiti, Horse and I, Trophy, Two Planets, The Wizard, What's A Girl To Do. The encore featured The Big Sleep (with alter ego Pearl singing the 2nd line on a video screen), then a song neither of us recognised so presumably a B-side or new track, and finally Prescilla. The vast majority of the audience were definitely 'proper' fans which added to a fantastic atmosphere.
Final postscript -the Coal Exchange is back! It reopens 1st November 2009. Hoorah! Especially as there is a question mark about the future of (relatively new) venue The Globe.
A very enthusiastic crowd (though not a sell out) first welcomed touring support Yeasayer. I seemed to end up too busy to listen to them beforehand but was not disappointed, in fact we were very much impressed. Yeasayer hail from Brooklyn and there was a slight similarity with Vampire Weekend as well as a lot of 80s references. Very entertaining and I'll certainly be looking out for them again.
After a short interval, Bat for Lashes (which, interestingly, consisted of Natasha Khan, plus majority female backing band of 5 -considering the usual type of bands we see!) came on. First note is the mix of instruments -violin and viola, 'computer corner', keyboard and what I believe is a zither. Second, that the audience were actively discouraged by door notices and the bouncers from using photo flash (though why would anyone bother in a gig situation?). The show (and also Yeasayer's set) lighting was well choreographed; also, the sound was bigger than possibly expected from the albums. Like many relatively new performers, Natasha Khan didn't have a great stage banter, but with songs like hers, it didn't really matter! The show was brilliant (I only hesitate from giving a round 10 because we would have preferred the Coal Exchange as a venue!). Most songs from both albums featured in the set, with Glass as the first song. Then (in no particular order): Sleep Alone, Fur and Gold, Daniel, Pearl's Dream, Tahiti, Horse and I, Trophy, Two Planets, The Wizard, What's A Girl To Do. The encore featured The Big Sleep (with alter ego Pearl singing the 2nd line on a video screen), then a song neither of us recognised so presumably a B-side or new track, and finally Prescilla. The vast majority of the audience were definitely 'proper' fans which added to a fantastic atmosphere.
Final postscript -the Coal Exchange is back! It reopens 1st November 2009. Hoorah! Especially as there is a question mark about the future of (relatively new) venue The Globe.
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