British Sea Power at Mohawk [Show Review]
A weird scheduling snafu preceded British Sea Power's show at the Mohawk last night. The Brighton band was originally supposed to play at 11:30 on the outside stage, like most headlining bands do on any given night. However, just hours before the show they were reassigned to play inside at 9:15. When it was clear that the six members and their instruments could not fit onstage, the show was moved back outside with the same accelerated time slot. For a band used to playing sell out shows in England, playing before 10:00 in a non-festival setting can be a real humbling feeling. However, there was no signs of disappointment from any of the group's members, and their set managed to capture all of their stadium sized ambitions into the smaller confines of the Mohawk patio with plenty of smiles and enthusiasm to go around.
The band started things off strong with the first two tracks off their recently released Valhalla Dancehall. The muscular "Who's In Control" and "We Are Sound" set the tempo for the rest of the night, as the forceful guitars and wall of sound echoed across the venue. Lead singer Yan's soft, almost whisper-like croon is about as distinctive as they get, and his socially conscious and nature reflecting lyrics managed to penetrate the noise without a hitch. Several times throughout the band's set, Yan and his brother Hamilton would trade instruments, guitar for bass, so that Hamilton could take the lead. His voice is even mellower than his brother's, though songs like "Once More Now" and "No Lucifer" hit just as hard as anything else in the band's catalog.
The majority of the band's set consisted of songs from Valhalla Dancehall and their excellent 2008 album Do You Like Rock Music? These songs demonstrated that British Sea Power have become pros at build ups, crescendos, and epic choruses, as demonstrated on "Atom," "Waving Flags" and "Stunde Null." However, even in their quieter moments, such as "Living Is So Easy" and "Baby", the band were still able to convey their message effectively. Several old standbys made their appearance throughout the night, and the opening riffs to "It Ended On An Oily Stage," "The Spirit of St. Louis," and the band's arguably biggest song "Carrion" got enthusiastic responses from the crowd. The band managed to maintain a high amount of energy throughout their set, and they played with the same sense of urgency that garnered them the devoted following that came out to see them.
It was obvious that the band was not at all upset by their earlier start time or the small but healthy sized crowd at the Mohawk. Both Yan and Hamilton thanked the crowd multiple times throughout their set, and they seemed to genuinely appreciate the applause that was given to them. In between "Lights Out For Darker Skies" and "Waving Flags," Yan said, "This is normally the bit where we go off for a minute and then come back on, but we can't be bothered, you all are an awesome fucking crowd." It was this kind of earnestness, combined with their heartfelt performance, that made British Sea Power's stop in Austin a welcome return after a three year absence.
British Sea Power: [official]
