Ooh my word, if last night's Sigur Rós extravaganza wasn't the most fantastic gig I have ever been to!
By rights I shouldn't like "the" Rós, as I'm a terrible traditionalist and I like songs with nice lyrics that I can understand. Whereas Sigur Rós do quite otherworldly instrumental stuff, whose lyrics, when there are any, are either in Icelandic or a made-up language*.
But I was in no way prepared for the fact that they were going to play some of their set from behind a big white curtain, with fantastic leaping shadows and other similarly eerie effects. Or that the rest of it was going to be accompanied by fabulous swirly lights and huge video projections. Or that at one point, a miniature marching band was going to appear stage left and march to stage right. Or that each of their songs would be illuminated in a different colour, thus helpfully colour-coding them for philistines like me who can't really tell them apart. (If the Sigur Rós boys are reading, I liked the green one near the beginning best). Or that there would be a huge hallucinatory lightshow finale that actually left me quite speechless.
Wonderful stuff. Everyone should go and see them live, even if they don't like them. I had to walk home in the rain afterwards, and I didn't even care.
Many thanks to the legendary PP - whose pre-gig concerns about the quality of the proscenium at the Hammersmith Apollo fortunately turned out to be unfounded - for the ticket. Woohoo!
* Which James once helpfully translated here.
tags: sigur ros
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10 comments:
Jolly good. I had a wild and exciting night too last night.
Albeit not in your league.
Oh, lucky you!
* trying my best not to be jealous and laughing at James' superb translation at the same time *
Glad to see that showbusiness is alive and well - that some young bands make an effort to entertain us, even if it is just by colour-coding. I'd rather go to Iceland, though.
They certainly looked impressive when they were on Later With Droolls Holland. Almost impressive enough for me to bother seeing them, but I retired from gig going many years ago due to old age.
It was really impressive, Betty. And all very civilised and seated, so not really like going to a gig at all.
>>miniature marching band...
Midgets?
Or children?
Or just not very many of them? And if so, just how many marchers do you need for a proper marching band?
Very good questions Spin. Later it occurred to me that it may not have been so much that they were small, but that I was sitting far away.
Oh no! I hope your prior thing was a suitably enjoyable alternative. It would have been great to see you, though.
I want to make a gramatically correct comment without any content whatsoever.
I shall leave lots of space between short paragraphs.
1. And make a list
2. Without any hierarchy
3. Or substance
10. Or entries numbered 4 to 9.
The comment will be a post modern ironic re-make of a blog entry.
But, er, what do I know?
I heard Sigur Ros on Radio 1 the other night. I hope that doesn't mean you'll have to stop liking them?
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