A gig involving a triple act of bands that can roughly be categorized as belonging to the ‘melodic’ genre, makes for a very chilled and relaxing Saturday night. The event was sold out, with the intimate Brudenell Social Club being packed to the brim with much of Leeds’ arty/hippy society. Opinions on the different bands were varied, one girl was convinced that the second band, Calibour, were the real reason everyone was there, whilst another regarded Vessels as the most captivating musically. Unfortunately I missed Vessels, but would hardly describe Calibour as stealing the show.
They sounded, to me, like Death Cab for Cutie with a very heavy base and minus the genius lyrics. With two drummers at times and a distinct lack of attention to the singing parts of their songs, the melody was lost in a very dramatic and heavy outpouring of sound. The girl mentioned earlier added “They sound better recorded than they do live”, lets hope so.
Eventually, on came Efterklang, a bunch of sincere and genuine seeming Danish fellows sporting braces, sequins, and bows around their ankles. On sight, I expected a musically complex performance considering there were nine of them and a vast array of instruments on stage including; a violin, a trombone, electric guitars, drums, a tambourine, a keyboard, maracas, a trumpet and a glockenspiel. The product however, was somewhat disappointing. The intense percussion, electronic melodies and chorus of vocals became repetitive and at times borderline boring. I noticed that a lot of people around me were closing their eyes; whether they were truly appreciating the music or simply falling asleep remains unknown. Despite this, overall Efterklang’s sound was endearing and their encore is worthy of note as it was very powerful and emotionally engaging.
