Alt-J – Brighton – 04/09/17
The Brighton Centre in itself is quite the venue to fill with purely sound and visuals, especially given that this is the first show of their new Seaside Tour, and so apprehensive as always if the band will deliver, and you know once you hear the opening riff to 3WW that they will more than deliver.
As the song progresses, their lights, much like rain drops getting heavier, build in intensity in this melodic symphony as the band begins to display the capability of their creativity through this sublime setup.
The light show they had in plan for the audience was only getting started, with this impressive display of the bands creativity, developing as the set continued into a blindingly brilliant display, leaving the crowd in awe, as I turn to see the faces of adoring fans fixated, following the rhythm and flow as the lights moves to the beat of the songs in a rainbow of colours. This almost hypnotising rigging setup highlighted each band member individually as well as a trio. Their stage positioning, I felt was a welcome break up of the norm arrangements with each member being in the foreground.
Without needing to move much at all the band projects their mixture of classic meets electronic sounds without a hitch, greeting cheering ears, captivating not only in visual and audio elements but also in sentiment and vibe, joining all ages as they perform this spectacle.
Furthering these good vibes, the band takes time out between songs to interact and share short stories with their fans, and welcome them on the first night of their Seaside Tour, speaking of their love fish & chips and beer.
As most hoped, they continue to play their most successful songs such as ‘Left Hand Free’, ‘In Cold Blood’ and ‘Ever Other Freckle’; Such a meaningful song which leads one to think pre-show how they’ll portray this emotive content live and still convey its context appropriately, which is answered perfectly with their choice of colours and lighting movements, complimented further by the atmospheric voice of lead vocalist Joe Newman.
After a short break nearing the end of their set, the band returns to stage for a final encore and finishing the set off with a crowd bouncer; Their most played song, with over 200 million plays on Spotify alone, Breezeblocks, leaving the crowd buzzing and wanting more as they take their final bow on stage, a humbling end to their show as they thank their fans for taking the time to see them, keeping this band ever grounded and loved in the hearts of their listeners.
Review & Photography – © Kane Layland
