Animal Collective – Liverpool – 26/03/2009
Filed under: Live Reviews by MickNo Comments »
These guys have sold out all over the country and I was quite looking forward to seeing why.
First of all, their support act. Dent May, you may or may not have heard of him, but for some idea of what was in store, his album is called Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele.
I was completely surprised to find I enjoyed it completely. There was just the two of them on the stage, Dent and his ukulele, and another guy charged with the backing vocals, the tambourine and the maracas.
This was obviously a change of pace from my normal gigs, but everything about his set was fun.
A particular favourite of mine was the song “Can’t Force a Dance Party”.
Now Dent May is not to everyones tastes, of course, but for a bit of light hearted entertainment, he definately knows what he’s doing.
I was reassured that Animal Collective are nothing like this, and there would be no ukulele’s at all during their set. That might bring disappointment to any ukulele fans out there, but hang in there!
The room was packed with people as soon as the band came out, there was more people than I’ve seen in there for any other band. Everyone eager to hear the band.
My first impression was a sort of dark electro indie sound. A very mellow start with heavy bass. I immediately had good expectations. They were slow to build up the song and to add vocals, but as part of a live show, that adds to the atmosphere.
Suddenly, the song finished. I thought it was only the intro, but it turns out that was the entire song. I was a little disappointed, as I wanted to hear the rest of the song. They sounded good so far, so I wasn’t too worried.
The problem was, the next 3 songs were the same. Slow to build up the intro, and then finish the song without really taking it anywhere. Theres not a whole lot more I can say about them. The problem is, they seem to get lost after the intro, and just don’t bother.
In contrast, the lighting was absolutely incredible. It really helped create the atmosphere and fit with each song pretty well. I hate to say it, but the guy who does the lighting is wasted on them!
Animal Collective sound pretty good, they know what they are doing, it’s just their songs lack for a middle and end. If you like the sound of a laid back rave, maybe check them out. I definately wasn’t a fan.