THE VISION BLEAK, ALCEST, FJOERGYN & FEN –
LONDON PURPLE TURTLE 07/04/10
With things running ever so slightly behind schedule, it’s a shorter set than planned for Fen who treat us to a three song warm-up in the time it takes Man United to score two goals. What a start to the evening! The Reds proceeded to beat Bayern Munich 3-2 and the Germans equally took a beating here tonight as Fjoergyn came nowhere close to meeting the standards set by our own Fen. What can I say? On Metal Archives they are one of the few bands to have an album rated as 100% so perhaps I am missing something. Tracks like ‘Katharsis’ are played with plenty of energy and the bassist certainly gave it some welly up on stage but ultimately this is the kind of two-dimensional fare I guess I am just not European enough to appreciate.
On the other hand; European? French? Who fucking cares. Alcest transcend such meagre boundaries of nationality whisking us all away to their own captivating dreamland with a simply otherworldly performance. Their popularity is certainly apparent tonight; I struggle my way through a rammed crowd only to do a swift u-turn choosing the comfort of the balcony over getting elbowed and shoved about down the front but the atmosphere still comes across even at a distance. Starting their set with ‘Printemps émeraude’ is hardly unexpected given it’s the first track from ‘Souvenirs…’ and any doubts about whether they can cut it live are quickly quashed as I for one am drawn in from the first note.
‘Les Iris’ is a particular highlight, Neige’s fragile and wistful wails floating through the ambience over a backdrop of blackened drums courtesy of Winterhalter while furious riffs flow effortlessly into more tender moments. There’s just an incredibly natural feel to this show as the elements blend seamlessly together all shrouded in a richly resplendent aura. ‘Écailles de Lune (Part I)’ is instantly familiar to me as being off their new album and its melancholic earthliness is just the kind that has me drifting off into my own world and towards a rather mellowed out state (and a drunken state, but that’s a different story!) They played a good mix of songs from ‘Souvenirs’ and ‘Ecailles De Lune’ and the set was a decent length too. Overall a stunning performance that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
The crowd thinned out considerably as The Vision Bleak took to the stage, and I must say that while they did put on a very good show it was a bit of an anti-climax after such an excellent set from Alcest. Don’t get me wrong, after a few songs I found myself really getting into things and tracks like ‘Kutulu’ got my head banging along with its catchy, fist-pumping chorus. The band are essentially made up of two members, Ulf and Allen B. Konstanz, with live session musicians doing the rest and this does show when the two stand out so much in their nautical attire and ghostly make-up, with their crew literally back of the deck in the shadows. These sailors stormed the stage as though it were a pirate ship and a bit of novelty is all well and good but they give a tight and powerful performance to back it up. With it’s Gothic crunch and dare I say one of the sexiest riffs I have heard in a while, ‘A Romance With The Grave’ does a good job of anchoring me in, while ‘The Outsider’ projects an aura of gloominess around a backbone of fierce metallic riffs and sturdy drums. It’s a gloominess that I’m sure can’t be found in surrounding pubs celebrating Man United’s big win anyway.
Luci Herbert
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