The fact that Sigur Rós
actually exist, in the definable sense – and are not a supernatural figment of
our collective imaginations – is a disappointment. This is not rock and roll in
the usual sense, though it absorbs some of its characteristics, as it does amorphous
portions of classical, jazz, hymnal, ambient, apocalyptic, linguistic and geological
influence – just to be certain. And while it may not be quite beyond description,
in many ways the effect it has on you is. The mammoth white screen that
initially shields them from our prying gaze, capturing textured projections and
their looming, fragmented silhouettes, offers some brief hope that they may yet
be make believe. That would make them easier to acknowledge, because how can something
so seemingly unobtainable, so unreal, be accepted as material? But when the curtain
is finally raised, ‘Glissoli’ clattering through the final wisps of her crescendo,
the audience exhibits no frustration. Au contraire. They vocally, and respectfully
(for the most part – a venue of this size inevitably attracts a minority whose
apparent confusion can only be appropriated by ill-placed boozy hollers) endorse
what has been revealed to them. The band are wiry, meek and static, but
they number many and busy themselves in the white heat of this deeply intense
purity, spinning complex rhythms and melodies into something that eventually takes
no effort to consume and overwhelm you. And they themselves are the starting point
for something altogether bigger. David wasn’t eulogized for merely winning a brawl,
but rather for being a fraction of his opponent (that’s Goliath, for reference)
and still waltzing off with the trophy. And thus, it’s not just that Sigur Rós
are creators of this impressive metaphorical projection of fire, brimstone and
redemption. But that they control and temper it so expertly. Earlier this
summer they played London’s Somerset House, an open air architectural haven on
the north bank of the Thames that had arguably been awaiting their arrival since
the final stone was laid back in 1780. The historic opulence of that venue is
missed tonight, as is the curious chiming synchronicity of its clock-tower, but
what they gain is the room to unfold themselves completely. Their creative visuals,
projected enormously onto the back wall and intuitively bound to every intricate
nuance of the music, are a profoundly affecting annexe. The blackened archive
silhouette of a small boy stood before an engulfing red ember, as the string quartet
stir out their lonely, bracing two and a half minute climax to ‘Andvari’ alone,
is one of the prettiest things we recall experiencing. Ditto the graceful birds-on-a-wire
animation for ‘Untitled 3’, which we desperately crave not to end. There
are near 20 musicians on stage at points, including a 9 piece brass section drafted
in especially for this gig and responsible for working up the likes of ‘Olsen
Olsen’, ‘Hoppipolla’ and ‘Se Lest’ into a rich lather of celebration. You don’t
reach such learned musical altitudes without a certain helping of seriousness,
and that you could mistake for pretentiousness. Tonight though, they seem peerless,
dedicated, unrelenting, like honest craftsmen, gaining them some degree of immunity
from such accusations. With the album ‘Takk’ they have scraped new heights of
immediacy and design, renewing their relevance and providing shows like tonight’s
with a subtle shot of adrenalin. And they’ve already said it best themselves.
In translation, thank you. Relevant sites:
http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk
James Berry for Crud Magazine 2005©
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| 04/05 British Sea Power - Live - Scala, London
04/05 Eels - Live - Royal Festival Hall, London
04/05 Doves, Elbow, Longview - Carling 24 , Manchester
04/05 Joy Zipper, ICA London
04/05 The National - 100 Club, London
04/05 Redjetson / Liberez / Twentysixfeet - Marquee, London
04/05 The Warlocks - Bethnal Green Working Men's Club
12/04 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - ULU, London
12/04 Elbow - Live -Brixton Academy, London
12/04 Franz Ferdinand - Live - Alexandra Palace, London
12/04 Morning Runner - Kings College London
12/04 Carling Weekend Reading Festival 2005
12/04 Sigur Rós - Brixton Academy, London
12/04 Crud Top 20 Albums 2005 |  |
January 2001
July - August 2001
September - October 2001
November - December 2001
January - March 2002
April - July 2002
August - December 2002
January - March 2003
May - August 2003
November 2003
January - March 2004
April - September 2004
October - December 2004
January - March 2005
April - December 2005
January - August 2006
September - December 2006
January - September 2007
October - December 2007
January - May 2008
June-December 2008
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