First up was a one-man band going under the name of Entrance, something sadly he failed to do as he wandered on to stage. Interesting voice, at least initially, but it soon became a bit monotonous as the songs failed to find any direction and simply meandered in to a finish. The set was greeted with polite applause as it quickly came to an end.
After a short break, spent fruitlessly trying to get a drink at the crowded bar, Explosions in the Sky took the stage. A few words of hello and off we go as they launch in to opening song Wilderness. In fact latest album The Wilderness accounts for most of tonights setlist, with little, no lets be accurate here, NO audience interaction. All the songs played tonight were set up to meld in to one another and it turned out to be a pretty intense experience. A few older songs turned up meshed in with the wall of sound coming from the stage.
“The Only Moment We Were Alone” provides that one big moment of quiet, quiet, quiet, LOUD that you expect from post-rock.
You can see the influence of working on soundtracks has had on the band and the presentation of the show, the lighting was central to the performance with some impressive moments as the stage was permanently covered in dry ice and effects. The lighting often forming a barrier between band and audience. This was more of a visual treat than an aural one!
Although I really enjoyed the gig there were no highlights, no 'wow' moment and even a couple of days later memory of it is fading - though that might be an age thing!
