REVIEW: WILD BEASTS AT FALMOUTH PRINCESS PAVILION (15/03/12)
Following critically acclaimed ‘Two Dancers’, which was nominated for the 2010 Mercury Prize, May 2011 saw the release of third album ‘Smother’ from Wild Beasts. For their fifth gig, in as many days, Wild Beasts came to a very excited Falmouth as part of their seven-date March tour.
Alt-J, who are actually called ∆, because that’s what you get when you press Alt + J on a Mac, opened the night to a sparsely filled venue. As they played, so their music lured in a crowd, like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Crafty. With songs like ‘Tessellate’, with lyrics like ‘triangles are my favourite shape’, and called what they are, I’m not sure whether Alt-J are trying to be hipsters or trying to be ironic. But when you hear ‘Fitzpleasure’, full of monster drops, addictive riffs and continually surprising harmonies, who really cares?
A now heaving Pavilion welcomes Wild Beasts to the stage, who open with the tantalizing ‘Bed of Nails’. Although not a classic choice in the disco halls, these boys from Kendal sure know how to make the eclectic Falmouth crowd move. But then playing guitar with a bow is a sure fire way to get any party started. Benny Little: Northern Wizard.
Incredible vocals from Hayden Thorpe and Tom Fleming continued to astound and astonish. I wouldn’t say angelic, lyrical content wouldn’t allow for such comparisons, but genuinely beautiful and enchanting voices, a little reminiscent of Kate Bush, honed to their last breath. The addition of Kate Harkin on keys adds further depth and interest to a complexly intertwined collection of sounds.
The set was packed with songs from their latest album, ‘Albatross’, ‘Deeper’, ‘Loop The Loop’, and ‘Reach A Bit Further’, as well as classic crowd pleasers ‘The Devil’s Crayon’, ‘All The King’s Men’ and ‘Hooting And Howling’.
The night came to a close after a three-song encore with ‘End Come Too Soon’. And that it certainly did. Live music that could never successfully be reproduced in any other format, Wild Beasts are atmospheric, chilling and completely infectious. It certainly is a long way from Kendal, but for a band repeatedly tipped for the top, Wild Beasts continue to raise the bar.
Seductive, unnerving and intriguing, Wild Beasts: Falmouth is yours, if only for the night.
Words and photos: Hannah Giles
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