Tricky one this - I bought a ticket for this when it came on sale, ages ago, when I was at the University for some other gig - I forget which. In the meantime, Y11 Parents' evening gets rearranged..from 5 to 7 on the same night. Fortunately I manage to arrange all my appointments at the start and get away at 6.30, in order to negotiate the North Staffordshire and Cheshire country roads in time to park in my usual spot behind the Holy Name Church at 8.15. Quick change in the car and I manage to catch the support, Lavender Diamond. Looking like a 1920's debutante in a tasseled dress, but sounding like she'd had a personality clone from Annie Hardy, Lavender Diamond were the epitome of fey. Pleasantly watchable as a support, but I wouldn't be rushing out to buy the triple CD.
The Decemberists have virtually zero significant media presence in the UK, so it's a pleasant surprise for them, I'd suspect, for the gig to be sold out. Looking around the audience, the composite Decemberists fan is probably a bespectacled, semi-Japanese youth accompanied by his g/f in a polka-dot dress; or an old ex-Smiths fan who happens to like a bit of folk music with their tea. To these ears, the newer material came over better with a live urgency than on record, although I presume I'll go back to "The Crane Wife" and listen to it with fresh ears. What surprised me most was the capacity of Mr. Meloy and co. to "rock" Shh..whisper it if you dare, but there were times where there was a decidedly loud and thrashy element to the band - it created an excellent dynamic to the pace of the set, so it was a pleasant surprise. My own personal favourite "We both go down together" was tossed away mid-set. It was good, but needed about half a dozen more violins, to these ears, to fully do it justice. More songs about the American Civil war, murderers, barrow-boys and engineers later, there was a satisfying triple encore with an off-the-cuff cover of "Please please please let me get what I want" thrown in ("I bet you get this in Manchester every night" was the comment made...) and then it was time to drive back down the A34 in time to catch up on writing my several dozen reports for the approaching Oftsed subject inspection..which I really should be doing now instead of typing this...que sera sera....
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