Broken Social Scene – Scala, London, 05/09/07

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Photography by Rich Thane

So the summer’s here. It may be September, but who cares. Tonight the capital is positively radiating good vibrations. The sun is out, people are enjoying the sunshine and, even though there’s a tube strike, it seems as though people are taking the long way home anyway and enjoying a few cool, refreshing beers. Amidst all this, Broken Social Scene are in town. Or, more specifically, a subset of Broken Social Scene. The posters hinting at the possibility that they’re just here to play Kevin Drew’s new album, Spirit If…, but then, with these guys, who knows.

Firstly though we had the weird-folk leanings of Noah and the Whale to contend with. A band touted for great things, the “Myspace Revolution” seems to have brought them to the fore. Now a proper touring band, their acoustic meanderings have been fleshed out with a violinist, percussionist, keyboardist and another vocalist. It was an odd set that flirted with greatness but failed to reach any sort of consistent quality. The crowd watched on as the sub-Bright Eyes acoustic folk was wretched in a voice that, at times, reminded me of Kermit the Frog. It was only when they let rip and put some energy into the songs did they become interesting. Set closer and upcoming single, Five Years, sees them embrace their indie peers and craft a song of such intelligence and romance that some similar bands might as well give up now. It also made the crowd wonder where these tunes had been in the previous 25 minutes of the set.

People talk about having religious experiences whilst at gigs. Now I never thought, in all my years at gigs, that I’d too have one of these experiences. Let alone at a BSS gig. Having now seen them twice, I’ve made my mind up; I prefer them live to on record. Tonight just confirms that. Stripped back of all the studio trickery and distortions, this gig just showcased what amazing songwriters and performers these guys actually are and revealed an intrinsic quality to all their material that might, at times, be drowned out by their ambition to push the boundaries in the studio.

Before they kicked off though, we have a little chat with Kevin Drew. He seemed nervous, as if the new material he’s releasing under the BSS banner might not live up to all that’s proceeded it. Keen to take the pressure off and disarming the crowd with his infectious meanderings, his constant declaration’s of “It’s ok! Everything’s alright” suggest that he wasn’t sure how it was going to go and yet was pleasantly surprised that (nearly) everything went off without a hitch. The stage and BSS themselves (for a six-piece band at least) were stripped back. Unassuming and dressed in plain t-shirts and shirts, the stage was dressed in it’s bare minimum. It was all about the music. As they kicked off the set with Lucky Ones and the album opener Farewell to the Pressure Kids it suddenly all made sense. The lyrics, the album and the members of BSS he’d taken with him – they’re all mates, speaking of Andrew Kenny later he’d mention that “He’s always got my back”, whilst him and Brendan Canning have been hanging out with each other for decades – all creating this relaxed and unassuming environment in which to play.

What this achieved though was a set devoid of ego but resplendent in music and good vibes. Playing most of the tracks from the upcoming record, Spirit If… the band proceeded to carve out a massive wall of sound. Canning’s infectious enthusiasm born out of his willingness to perform with any instrument put in front off him, his flicked kicks and thrown guitars poses bringing admiration from the crowd. As the evening progressed, the performance became better and looser. The songs took on another dimension as the crowd and the band became one. The band improvising elements of the songs and taking them in new directions. But instead of coming across like an over-hyped jam band, the songs grew and outstretched their recorded selves. They came alive. More than one rhythmic thread becomes apparent as you follow their twists and turns. They’ve also discovered a harder edge tonight. The Joe Mascis influenced Backed Out On The Cause requires a sing-a-long to the chorus and, whilst it’s dangerously close to Bon Jovi territory, there’s an aggression live that’s missing on the record.

As the evening draws to a close, Drew finally relaxes. Divulging that it’s both his and Canning’s birthday in the next 26 hours, there’s suddenly a party atmosphere. More beer is brought on stage and it really does feel like someone’s living room. Drew steps over the monitors, practically embracing the crowd. Singing directly to us and instigating a sing-a-long once again to the Spirit If… closer, When It Begins, a song about how coming to the end of something great needn’t be a bad thing, just remember how good it felt at the time. A little earlier, before crashing into a magnificent version of Lover’s Spit, Drew announced “My name’s Kevin Drew and I’m in Love…”. Tonight Drew, so are we. So are we.

To view more pictures from the evening, click here.

Links
Kevin Drew [myspace]