The venue describes itself as "The city's hidden stage", and this really is justified. The detritus of a nineteenth century music hall tucked away in a corner of East London, the bare stone walls and wooden floorboards of Wilton's give it an almost cryptlike feel. Flaking murals illuminated by loosely strung fairy lights conjure a potent atmosphere, giving the impression we're as likely to witness some strange ritual in an abandoned grotto as a live performance.
All of which is highly appropriate for Wild Beasts. After the woozy, shoegazing throb of support act 2.54 provides a passable starter, the lights dim and rolling toms come together with reverberating bass to herald opener 'Plaything''. The song's sparse layout and skin-crawling lyrics provide an ideal canvas for lead singer Hayden Thorpe to warm up his lush vibrato. A well-coiffed presence on stage, tonight he's the lothario to Tom Fleming's sailor on leave chic.
As their set progresses, it's quickly apparent that the band's two nights at Wilton's are very much a platform to road-test their new material (although the crowd-pleasers are forthcoming later on). With many bands this can be a tedious affair that inevitably tests the audience's patience, but thankfully Wild Beasts entirely avoid this fate. Their new release 'Smother' has so many strong entries that it's an absolute pleasure to witness in its live incarnation.
The shimmering 'Loop The Loop' is an early highlight, while later a muscular rendition of 'Bed Of Nails' captivates. Of course, it's the big hitters from 'Two Dancers' that spark the best responses from the crowd 'This Is Our Lot' takes on a vitality live that outstrips the record, while 'Hooting and Howling' inspires raised hands and embarrassing indie shuffles galore.
In between numbers the band plugs the gaps with some gentlemanly stage banter, at one point even revealing that the music hall's current state of disrepair means the ceiling could cave in on us at any moment. A nervous chuckle spreads through the audience.
The versatility and meticulous nature of Wild Beasts' music is clearly exhibited this evening, both in the band's understated but vice-tight playing, their virtuosic instrument swapping and the intense concentration running through their performance. In action it's very much like watching a measured, carefully calibrated machine, but the four-piece (joined by Kate Harkin tonight) still wring a remarkable amount of emotion and energy out of everything they touch.
It's the encore that really brings across the sublime tones of 'Smother', however. 'Lion's Share' is magnified to a brooding, hypnotic leviathan, before oddball classic 'All The King's Men' (introduced simply as "Watch me") gets the whole crowd shimmying again.
The band aptly close with 'End Come Too Soon', a total revelation live. The ambient passage towards the song's end is something of a chore on record, but is transformed to a crescendo here, a vast, thunderous wave of sound that engulfs the surroundings before one final fling brings the show to a triumphant finish.
Spilling out onto the streets again, it's clear that tonight we've witnessed an exceptional performance to back up Wild Beasts' burgeoning reputation, in an equally remarkable setting.
article by: Nick Hagan
published: 17/05/2011 17:47
FUTURE GIGS
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