Back in June, Fleet Foxes were just finishing off their first ever UK tour. A handful of dates around the major cities, showcasing their just released self titled album and Sun Giant EP. They had lots to prove, the hyperbole surrounding them was unprecedented – everyone from Plan B magazine to Aled Jones (?!) on Radio 2 were talking about them. THE buzz band of 2008, for want of a better phrase.
After a sold-out show at London’s ULU, which pretty much left me speechless for about 30 minutes afterwards, Fleet Foxes announced a headline slot at one of London’s prime venues; the Shepherds Bush Empire. It sold out within 24 hours, as did the subsequent tour. Surely this would be one of the most important and celebrative gigs of their short career so far?
J. Tillman
Well, it should have been. It’s probably fair to say that a lot of people were there only there to be seen to be there, rather than being genuine fans of the band. It’s something that only ever really happens in London but the atmosphere last night seemed a little strained. It certainly had an effect on poor old Joshua Tillman anyway. The newest recruit to the Fleet Foxes family, Tillman has been making records for years with his latest the wonderful Vacilando Territory being released on Bella Union in the new year.
Unfortunately, 95% of the audience didn’t have a clue who he was. It didn’t seem to phase him at first as he eased himself through the highlights of his rich back catalogue. But as his set progressed you could sense Josh becoming more and more agitated with the constant rise in audience chatter. See, in my experience, to fully appreciate Tillman, either live or on record, total silence is needed and unfortunately thats never going to happen at the Empire. As the room slowly filled with people the volume of noise got so dense that Tillman obviously thought “fuck this” and walked off stage. With at least 10 minutes to spare in his set… A damn shame.
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes shuffle on stage at 9:30pm on the dot. Looking up to the heavens.. there are people everywhere. The band look at one another as if to say “holy shit guys…this place is fucking huuuuuge”. As they launch into a slowed down, completely acapella, ‘Sun Giant’ my annoyances are calmed – I’m here for Fleet Foxes, and to hell with everyone else. I’ll just be in my own bubble for the next 90 minutes. As the boys make their way through ‘Sun It Rises’, ‘Drops In The River’ and ‘English House’ there is still a sense of unease. Whether it’s on the stage or in the audience I’m still left undecided. It’s as if the band want the show to be momentous and they’re putting everything into it, but the audience are stopping that vital spark from igniting. Don’t get me wrong, there was applause and respect – but that certain something was missing.
Perhaps the highlight of the evening was a brief solo set by Robin Pecknold. Performing a stirring rendition of the Judee Sill (a huge influence on Pecknold as a songwriter) classic ‘Crayon Angels’ – his voice tender yet powerful enough to reach high into the heavens of the Empire. Leading into ‘Oliver James’ it only just strikes me that Pecknold is now in fact performing standing up.. Has been all night in fact, but up there on his own a sense of confidence and self assurance takes over him. A startling transition from the shy and goofy (in a cool way) Robin from back in June. The months of rigourous touring obviously having paid off. The rest of the band rejoin Robin for one last song. ‘Mykonos’ – fast becoming a live favourite even sparks a little sing-a-long from a few audience members. Tillman still looks pissed off though. As the rest of the guys enjoy witty banter about the presidential election, he remains in the background, looking solemn and silent. That was, until he likened a malfunctioning smoke machine spitting out piffs of white smoke as “kinda like the atmosphere in this room”.
The spine-tingling moment I’d been waiting for all night came with encore ‘Blue Ridge Mountains’. The first song I’d ever heard by Fleet Foxes a year ago when they were still unsigned. It has remained a personal favourite, and judging by the way the band plough through it with vigorous gusto (keyboard player Casey Wescott enthusiastically headbanging!?) – it’s a favourite of theirs too. “I love you, I love you, older brother of mine” reverberates through my rib cage as the crashing chorus leaves me totally devastated (in a good way). The added mirror ball helps too. It was a perfect moment, and a lovely way to end the show.
So, as the Foxes skulk off the stage, I’m left feeling short changed. Not, by any means, their performance. They always deliver, and tonight was no exception. I’d just billed tonight in my head as some kind of momentous show, their biggest headliner in the UK to date – maybe even a moment in history. But alas, a shitty audience with little or no respect for the musicians left a bitter taste in my mouth. My only complaint with Fleet Foxes actual perforance was the lack of any new material… Still, theres always February when they play the Roundhouse. I’ll be there. With bells on.
Look out later this week for a special photo feature of the bands last night of the tour at the Cambridge Junction.
J. Tillman
Fleet Foxes
Photographs by Lucy Johnston
J. Tillman on MySpace
Fleet Foxes on MySpace
November 10th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
hmm….it’s not just a london thing rich- it happens the world over- wherever there is hype there are people who don’t actually care about the music but feel they ’should be there’, regardless of iff it’s good or not.
In all honesty Fleet foxes aren’t one of those bands I can imagine being suited to a really big venue- much more of an intimate thing-very much like Bon Iver….this is the problem with a lot of these bands- intimate and personal acts that would be perfect in a smaller, more intimate venue. Anything over 1000 people and the magic begins to wear off….
November 10th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
That fucking sucks about the crowd noise.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
yeah
it was a bummer for sure.
same thing happened at bon iver’s SBE. when bowerbirds were playing i swear i was standing pretty much at the front and could hardly hear a thing cos of the volume of the crowd noise.
anyhooo – cant dwell on these things. tomorrow will be a whole different story in cambridge im sure of it. cant wait!
November 10th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Sadly true about the constant chat from the audience. You do wonder why some people go to gigs…
Can’t help thinking you’d be happy to talk about yourself all night though Rich Thane. Too much Rich, not enough Fleet in the review for my liking.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Thats a pretty silly comment to make imo- the ONLY way you can review live music in an entertaining way is, you know, to describe it FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE. Live music reviewing is pretty tricky generally because you’re reviewing something thats already happened and people who weren’t there can’t actually see again. Therefore it should be more about the experience of seeing the band, not just minutes on what the band did at that specific show. In this case I think the article is very successful because as far as I can tell it successfully conveys Rich’s feelings about the Fleet Foxes live experience from the perspective of this specific show, ie: that they’re a band he loves a great deal but at this gig the audience was rubbish. So yeah.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
thanks tom :-)
November 11th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
This review just makes me glad I was at last nights show instead (10/11/2008). Josh Tillman was witty and engaging throughout his solo set and that of the foxes..there was a bit of background noise coming from the bars but nothing that really took away from the event.
A hushed reverie that followed gleeful recognition seemed to be the theme for the evening, from the moment that the skulk of foxes emerged for what was a truly breathtaking set. The strength of their catalogue astounds, considering the relative infancy of the group. Every song they perform becomes your ‘favourite’, before being replaced in your affections by the following piece of aural medicine that they administer.
If you have the chance to see the foxes and pass on it, you don’t deserve ears. They talked of buying an island last night and naming it foxlandia, if that ever happens, i’ll be on the first plane via the blue ridge mountains….
November 11th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
thanks for that tom – nice to know that last night was more of a success…
seeing them again this evening in cambridge – which is a really small venue so should be super
November 28th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Have to agree. Left feeling fairly underwhelmed even though ohers I met seemed to lap it up
I was fortunate enough to be there at both ULU and Hoxton Bar a couple of weeks earlier in front of about 200. These were very special/intimate -hence the disappointment with Shep Bush. It’s normally my fav London venue but for just about the first time here I felt it was too large or at least too large for FF.